Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Bands of Mourning - Brandon Sanderson

October 22, 2022.
Requested by Narilka.

Spot!

This is Tor.com's free ebook of the month until Sep 16

Will prob get a head start on this since im not doing audio again!

Contemplating starting early myself...

I'll join you whenever you get started:)

I started a couple days early :)

Prologue (view spoiler)[Wax sure saw a lot of messed up stuff in his younger days. He probably just saved the city from a serial killer. I hope that little kid got some mental help afterwards. (hide spoiler)]

Part 1 (Ch 1-4) (view spoiler)[Interesting myth. I do not remember what happened to the Lord Ruler's metals after Vin pulled them off him. Does anyone remember if it was mentioned at all back in book 1? Since they were embedded, would they be imbued with extra abilities?

The Kandra asking Wayne for his bones was both creepy and hilarious.

I'm glad we'll get to see more of Steris in this book. This should be fun :) I love how she tries to plan for everything lol Wax may end up truly falling for her after all. She's obviously already falling for him.

Our Wayne is growing up. He seems to have actually let Ranette go. Does this free him up for a pairing with Marasi? (hide spoiler)]

@Nirkatze, Allomantic symbols in the chapter heads (view spoiler)[So I pulled out my copies of Era 1 and checked the chapter heads. Era 1 uses a base 23 (!) for the symbols before starting over from Iron. It includes Atium/Malatuim.

Era 2 is base 16, without Atium/Malatuim. Cadmium/Bendalloy are symbols 9 & 10 now in place of Atium/Malatium. You can use the reference chart in the back of the book to count 1-16 - they're all in order in the chapter heads. Chapter 17 is Duralumin + Iron, aka 16 + 1 = 17.

Between both eras, that leaves at least 5 unknown metals based on the known symbols from both Eras so far.

The Epilogue for Bands (I flipped ahead to check out the symbol) has a brand new symbol not in either list nor one of the unknowns in the list of 23. Maybe the 24th metal since they always come in pairs? The next book title being the Lost Metal, I was assuming they meant Atium based on comments in the previous two books that it's been "lost". Maybe not.

I am mightily impressed with Sanderson and his ability to plan ahead. I think he put some of himself in Steris ;) (hide spoiler)]

Ch 7 - Has some of the best banter yet!

(view spoiler)["The thieves must have recognized this car as a private one, probably lush with riches to plunder, so they uncoupled it. But something is wrong."

"Other than people trying to kill us?" Marasi asked.

"No," Steris said, "in my experience, that's quite normal."

------------------
Then the back and forth with the new valet is pretty funny and Steris had handed out ear plugs. Steris is amazing. I wonder how long Drewton will last.

What's interesting though is if that was an anti-allomancy "bomb" Wax had thrown at him. I remember from Era 1 that there was a metal that can force another to burn up all their metal reserves. That would be quite a twist if it wasn't one of the robbers. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 8 & 9 (view spoiler)[A ha! It's a cube :D I was close. Some device to negate allomancy. That's going to be an interesting puzzle.

I did not see Wayne & MeLaan as the next pairing. Oh my. (hide spoiler)]

@Narilka, re: Allomantic symbols!! Way cool!! Thank you for doing that research. I was thinking about the Prologue/Epilogue symbol (view spoiler)[the one that looks like a railroad spike, right? It made me think of the hemalurgic spikes... (hide spoiler)]

Also, unrelated, but I found a typefont that has all the symbols mapped to letters, and I have seen fan "art" of quotes from the books "written" out in the alphabet...

Nirkatze wrote: "@Narilka, re: Allomantic symbols!! Way cool!! Thank you for doing that research. I was thinking about the Prologue/Epilogue symbol [spoilers removed].."

I agree about the prologue symbol. This book's Epilogue symbol is quite different. Previous books had the same for pro/epilogue.

The more I read, the more I wish Steris could be my best friend lol From Ch 12 (view spoiler)["The accounts are exaggerated," Steris said quickly. "Lord Walillium has only been directly responsible for the deaths of around a hundred people. Unless you include those who died of infection after he shot them - I'm still not sure how to count those." (hide spoiler)]

Hahaha! Steris is awesome:)))

Finished Part 2 (view spoiler)[This one is all over the place.

Steris' planning for everything is just hilarious. She even helped the innkeep with "falsely accused of murder" lol

Marasi's investigative instincts are spot on. Good thing someone's are. Her investigating with Wayne makes for some interesting scenarios. Seems like a great working relationship.

MeLaan's latest body is brilliant. Heck she could have swords for all her limbs if she wanted. This opens up so much creativity for the future. Punchy punchy, stabby stabby indeed.

Poor Wax. Being led by the nose by everyone it seems. His uncle really does know him well. So how long before he puts that earring in and talks with Harmony? Can't hold a grudge forever.

Time to find out more about that mystery cube. (hide spoiler)]

Almost forgot (view spoiler)[The dark woman who "looked Terris" but I'm guessing wasn't that danced with Wax at the ball, was she a world hopper? There are times I regret not having read any Stormlight. (hide spoiler)]

Well I really wanted to start this early, but work's been a dumpster fire lately and my brain is made of mush so I've read about 5 pages....
Hopefully I can get more into it today..

Huh. Has anyone else noticed that the allomantic symbols look like they could've been based on the Quake 1 logo?

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

I wonder if that's a coincidence or the artist was inspired by it.

Finished Chapter 3.

Just when I thought I know all about the metals, there is something exciting! (view spoiler)[The new concepts introduced are very fascinating, and I can see how they expand the world and what the characters can do. Perhaps the idea of Investiture and Identity will play into the origins of these powers? I am very intrigued to see how these aspects will contribute to the larger world development too. (hide spoiler)] I am quite impressed with Brandon Sanderson’s creativity and how carefully he constructs his world.

Also, the prologue really like a great movie scene. I can “see” the action unfolds as I read along. This book is off to a great start for me.

Definitely hold on to that thought Emily :)

Ch 17 - 24 (view spoiler)[When they first mentioned a ship, I definitely thought something that travels through water first. Then as they kept describing it I started to wonder if it was a space ship lol Guess I got a little ahead of the timeline here - it's an airship :D

Fascinating to see how the investiture works in practice through the medallions. I'm also completely floored and annoyed with myself that I never even considered there could be other continents or areas on Scadrial where people live. I like where this is going a lot. The people of Elendel think the world revolves around them. This should shake things up a bit, assuming everyone makes it home and they bring Allik with them.

Got to love how the guy wearing a tribal mask thinks of the others as savage lol Man, I'd love a short story or more on his area of the world. Fingers crossed! However, we're right on the doorstep to where the Bands are supposed to be so...

I do feel bad for MeLaan. She's going to have to craft herself a whole new crystal skeleton once this adventure is done. I also feel for Steris thinking of herself as useless and wanting to improve. I don't think she isn't useless at all! Loving all the character growth. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 27. Hmm. (view spoiler)[I'm guessing here that Wayne finds the real bands to bring Wax back or maybe a piece of the god metal like was used on Elend? Something has to heal him. Unless he can figure out how to make that super gold band work.

Edit: Hmmm. This is all about investiture. Does Wayne transfer his healing power to Wax for a bit? (hide spoiler)]

Ch 28 (view spoiler)[hehe I like that. I didn't think the bands were real. They were but not ;) So that works out. Hope Wax gets MeLaan's spikes back. (hide spoiler)]

I finished. That was fun. (view spoiler)[I love how much the world and it's characters are growing. Expanded the metallic arts, each character had their own growth journeys and air ships! This really opens things up for the final book.

I see the Trell connection more with this book. It's not mentioned too much, just enough to be curious. I guess it's Trell that has the Set as his (it's?) workers on Scadrial. Not a surprise that Wax's sister is in the Set, nor that she took some healing ability. If you're going to steal powers, that's one of the first to take. It also seems that even though the Set is experimenting with it, they haven't quite cracked hemalurgy.

The epilogue... was that Kelsier??? Ok, I will read the novellas before book 7 lol

I absolutely loved that Wax decided not to wait to marry Steris. They could use some happy time together :)

I read through the Ars Arcanum this time in detail instead of skimming. The last section compares Scadrial to Roshar. Do we have any idea who is writing these? Is it Hoid? Has to be some world hopper... It kind of makes me want to go compare to the last two books. Maybe I'll do that later. (hide spoiler)]

Narilka wrote: "Ch 8 & 9

Just finished Chapter 9 and it is very interesting! (view spoiler)[ Some really interesting concepts are being introduced here. What is the cube? Is this some advanced work of aluminum that can negate metal power without contact?

I also did not see Wayne and MeLaan coming. It is kind of hilarious considering the situation in which they were found. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished Ch. 3. Agree with both of you about the metals and investiture... This can get very complicated down the road...

I am once again kind of pissed at Waine and his shenanigans. I don't believe he has the right to make such decisions for his friend, no matter how well meaning... The scene was very cinematic, as Emily said, and I felt for both Wax and Steris. Hopefully eventually he will be truly ready for that step...

I started a few days ago but haven't made it over to comment, naughty me. Or rather, I had a window open with comments in it, and I seem to have accidentally closed and thus deleted everything. *sigh*

Prologue--@Narilka--similar feels. (view spoiler)[I was really surprised to see what young Wax was like--such a stickler for rules, shy, and socially awkward, trying so hard to fit in and failing miserably... really makes me think that he and Sterris are a much better match than they thought. Also, I wouldn't have thought that those characteristics would lead to the rather erratic character he shows off today--but he's turned his respect for rules into a respect for the law, and his social awkwardness into a dislike of societal norms.

I was also worried that the serial killer kid would come back again, like the other prologues usually have some connection to the deeper book plot.

And am I wrong, or did he get thrown out of the Terris village for this? For saving them? (hide spoiler)]

Part 1, re: bands (view spoiler)[I don't remember what happened to them either--I think... was it Rob? In another thread commented he thought they flew out into the mists when Vin pulled them out... and were never mentioned again. There was also 0 conversation about them being whole Feruchemical invested metalminds like the legends are saying--I always thought they were just capable of storing age or health and the Lord Ruler compounded it, like Miles did with health. So I wonder if the myths are going to prove true, and we just didn't know about it, or if they will prove false, or if the bands have been altered, or are something else entirely. (hide spoiler)]

re: Wayne--Totally agree Choko... and Narilka... (view spoiler)[I too was pissed off at Wayne for how nonchalantly he arranged for the disruption--and shrugged off the danger afterwards. I'm glad Marasi was there to point it out to him. When was the last time he actually bothered talking to Wax about how he was feeling, post Lessie and with Steris? I'd like Wayne to actually try to get to know Steris. I'm glad he seems to have listened to Marasi about her not being interested in Wax--so maybe he'll stop trying to sabotage them.

And I loved the whole search for an offering for his "god" and it end up being Ranette--and his whole approach to her having a girlfriend was interesting too, an interesting look at characters who have a hard time accepting that folk are not always attracted to the opposite gender, but only in a personal way rather than malicious way. (hide spoiler)]

@Crystal Emily, re: Metals--(view spoiler)[this whole thing excited me too! I was thinking about how the powers have changed since Era 1, going from full Mistborn and powerful Mistings to only single weaker powers and single Ferrings too--how much more will it have degraded by the time we reach 1980s style era? Well! Bring in technology!!! Of course Sanderson would look at how to replicate Allomancy & Feruchemy through technology! (hide spoiler)]

I'm actually almost done, but I'm going to post this and work on the rest of my comments later so I don't lose everything again!

The train ride was hilarious, being made so by Steris making it a competition to find the 3 missing "clips" from the accountant books:))) She is going to end up making him enjoy doing the house accounts:))) Loved that whole interaction between them! I want her as a best friend too!!!:)))

Wax and his "G-d" was also funny, but very true in that one sided attraction could be painful and hard to let go of. I felt for both sides involved...

Hoit! Yay:)

Choko wrote: "The train ride was hilarious, being made so by Steris making it a competition to find the 3 missing "clips" from the accountant books:))) She is going to end up making him enjoy doing the house acc..."

Yes! I loved that too--Marasi & Steris both have a lot of characteristics in common, and I love how Sanderson has made this subtle sisterhood. They both thrive on data analysis! (view spoiler)[And it was hilarious that Steris got Wax into it too! I mean, he also loves tracking down data to lead to conclusions. (hide spoiler)]

Emily wrote: "Narilka wrote: "Ch 8 & 9

Just finished Chapter 9 and it is very interesting!"

re: through Chapter 9--Chapter 9 actually had my favorite dialogue so far--(view spoiler)[just imagining that poor Hotel Proprietress, head swinging back and forth as Marasi, Steris, Wax, Wayne, MeLaan all discussing destruction, plots, shooting and so on, Steris trying to reassure her and give her a frickin' list! Ah I would love to see that on Film. And MeLaan talking about how big to make her breasts, then deciding to go as a man, and Marasi turning to Wayne and being like, "you OK with this?" And him being like, "she's still a girl, doesn't matter what body she wears" and that made me smile too.

I did actually feel the MeLaan & Wayne--from the burping contest in book 2. They're pretty well matched. She likes crazy, he isn't overawed by her being 1000 years old or a holy thingamawhatsit. They could have fun together. (hide spoiler)]

re: Metals--Aluminum is the metal that the inquisitors fed Vin to make all her metals vanish. In Era 2, (view spoiler)[they're called Aluminum Gnats, because single metal Allomancers who burn aluminum have literally no use. The opposite (external pulling?) effect is made by Chromium, and those people are called Leechers--this was mentioned in the previous book when the police mentioned bringing a Leecher over to make sure that their prisoners had no metals on them, and expanded upon in the broadsheets.

Very excited to see this ability put into technology! (hide spoiler)] (most of the information here is actually from book 2)

Chapter 11--@choko! Yay Hoid indeed!(view spoiler)[Hoid sighting! Beggar even names himself. Milky eyes. Says he "owns the place" technically--I wonder how? And I wonder that Wax has no reaction to hearing the name of his old carriage driver on this beggar? What happened to his carriage driver Hoid? I really want a secret history for this Era, and I really want Hoid's story too--what is is goal here? (hide spoiler)]

Through end of Part 2--the ball! And re: Terris-looking person (view spoiler)[with braids! Sounds like Khris again, the worldhopper that Kelsier met, main character in White Sands, and writer of the Arcanis Arcanum.

I loved the ball, and Steris' planning for everything, yet again. I wish Wax had been able to get the better of that Gave person. There is no excuse for insulting Steris. His nose needed a punching.

The informant was interesting. I wonder if we'll see him again. I hope Wax remembers to pay him. (hide spoiler)]

All broadsheets--anyone else want an Allomancer Jak crossover with the new kung-fu leecher lady? I also think it's really fun that (I think this was mentioned in Part 1?) (view spoiler)[Allomancer Jak is actually a real person in this world, not just a fictional character, and actually writing his (most likely sensationalized) memoirs for publication. Wax has a derisive thought or two about these "gentleman adventurers" and how they mostly don't even leave their homes, but that "Jak fellow actually gets out there" or something like that. I hope the kung-fu lady is also real! I want them all to meet! (hide spoiler)]

Also--last broadsheet--second Hoid sighting! (view spoiler)["A young white-haired man offered to tell me a story"--that's totally Wit there. Shame she declined. (hide spoiler)]

Narilka wrote: "Definitely hold on to that thought Emily :)

Ch 17 - 24 ..."

Scattered thoughts from beginning of Part 3--all over the place here.

@Narilka, re: Quake--never played or seen the logo before, but I can see what you mean! Sanderson is a gamer, and I wouldn't be surprised if Isaac Stewart is too... I think he developed the alphabet.

Chapter 17--Second favorite conversation here. Squashed Tomato! LOL Blackwatch Doublestomp! I really want to know what each of these are.

Ship & continents & Masks--(view spoiler)[I also definitely thought water ship before airship--but then, our characters would have no frame of reference for an airship, right? So I imagine it must look something like a water ship. And wasn't there like, an armored watership at some point--in book... 2? 1? there was that whole warehouse, with the side that lifted, that went down to the canals...

So COOL the technology! And I feel so bad for Allik--seeing his companions masks on the wall, the torture chamber... my first though of that wasn't torture actually, but that the Set was dissecting his people, to try to discover how they used the technology powers... or maybe spiking them for Hemallurgy.

Interesting how his body has adapted away from cold and for heat. I did remember the people on the Southern Continent, mentioned by Harmony when he reshaped the world. Allik's mention of how his people might find the undefended valley tempting though is ominous...

I am also somewhat bummed that the "creatures" from the broadsheets aren't Parshendi or other folk from around the Cosmere. Nope, just closer neighbors in masks. *sigh* Khris sighting made me happy though! I REALLY hope Wax follows up on that address... (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 22--Ettmetal (view spoiler)[I wonder if this is "the lost metal"--though Atium and the reddish metal from that spike at the end of the last book are also in the running. Maybe there are many lost metals. (hide spoiler)]

Sovereign--(spoilers from Mistborn: Secret History)(view spoiler)[can't be the Lord Ruler. Kelsier saw him dissipate into the beyond when he died, and Preservation met him. He accepted death gladly and arrogantly.

More likely it's Kelsier. He "ruled" then died, and survived. Also, he likes giving tests and quests like that, and he was very interested in Investure as technology--he and Spook were working on it together, and Spook wrote that whole book. So if these "bands" are actually Kelsier's, and not the Lord Ruler's Feruchemical bracers, then they could be anything. (hide spoiler)]

Telsin, through Chapter 23 (view spoiler)[Seriously I don't trust Telsin. No way she could hit Suit from there, so why shoot? To alert him to their presence. Then Wayne just *happens* to trip over Telsin, knocking something out of the blimp? Yeah, right.

When they found her, one of the first things she does is shoot someone walking in--so he can't give her away. The person looked surprised, looked to Telsin, like for orders. Then she killed him. Think Wax! She grew up with Suit! He had been grooming her as his real heir!! She's always been ambitious and willing to take risks. You don't think she'd be more likely to side with him than you???

Suit spent a lot of time trying to get Wax sidetracked away. Telsin is smarter--what's the best way to find something hidden? Set a bloodhound on its trail, then take it away from him. Very Indiana Jones, yes? (hide spoiler)]

Hunter masks--(view spoiler)[If it melds to their face, how do they eat?? (hide spoiler)]

Yay, caught up on backlog thoughts! Can do regular from here on out. Going to sit down and marathon finish today. XD

Chapter 24--@Narilka--totally agree on Steris! (view spoiler)[She's not useless at all! Just because she doesn't have fighting skills like the others doesn't make her useless on this expedition. How many times has her foresight saved the day? If we give her 10 points for each time, she'd have over 100. What criteria is she using to quantify usefulness? She should rank each person in different areas, and fighting ability is only one of them. Foresight/preparedness, planning, analysis, adaptability... I wonder what Steris' D&D stats would be? Not high Int, high Wis, low Charisma maybe? Wayne is definitely high Charisma high Wis but lower Int.

And I loved Marasi's lightbulb moment about people--I often think this. How we can never know someone fully--there is always more to discover.

If MeLaan's skeleton gets completely smashed, well, there's plenty of bodies lying around...

Telsin--come on Wax! She's basically spouting Suit's rhetoric. Destroying society is ok if it forwards it?? COME ON! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25 (view spoiler)[Very curious what the buttons spelled, that the Sovereign would have read. 3 letters? "Vin" maybe? Still working on the assumption that the Sovereign is Kelsier, not the Lord Ruler. Or is the 3 letters an acronym, or the language doesn't match up with English? My first thought was "survive." I think I know what question I would ask Sanderson if I ever got a chance in a livestream... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 26 (view spoiler)[Well. Telsin is evil, confirmed. Suit & co using Hemallurgy, confirmed. Interesting that Telsin is higher ranked than Suit. I really don't like that Telsin now has MeLaan's spikes. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 27-28 @Narilka--agree on spikes. (view spoiler)[Loved seeing Marasi figure it out! And then go full Ascendant Warrior for a minute. This was the one thing I remembered from these books, that the arrowhead was special somehow... but I didn't remember the specifics. Love Steris' preparation again! I'm surprised that hiding it in the notebook worked though--or that steel/iron burning even shows the medallions, because with investure shouldn't they be practically invisible? Though Telsin did say that she thought the notebook must have a spiral binding... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 29, with Secret History thoughts. (view spoiler)[Also wondering about the Bands/spear. I'm thinking it is not the same thing as the Lord Ruler's bracers, but rather something Kelsier made for his own purpose. At the end of Secret History, Kelsier was looking to work with Spook on a way to get back into the Physical Realm. What if he did, but when he returned to the physical realm, he no longer was a Mistborn? Or his re-entry changed his relationship with Investure somehow? Maybe he made the Bands to give him back the powers he was used to... and then hid it from everyone else. Very Kelsier, keeping things to himself.

Glad that Suit is looking at Hemalurgy as a failed experiment, since tech can do the same thing better. I would definitely not mind if my theories of spiked babies is incorrect. Still somewhat incensed that Wax & co haven't been trying harder to save those female Allomancers from being used as brood mares though. Or spike donators.

Bringing up Miles... reminds me that we haven't heard whisper of Trell in ages. Is the Sovereign not Kelsier, but Trell? He was a god though, not a ruler, and not killed, I think. We don't really have much on him... And then one of the engineers whispers, "thank Trell."

Wayne--not sure how I feel about him killing Telsin. Which friend is he mentioning having killed? Wax? Or maybe MeLaan? At least by shooting her he should be able to recover the spikes. And one less enemy down. And yup he has the spikes. But three? What's the third? A hemallurgic spike from Telsin's body? Or ReLuur's spike? I don't remember it being taken though, except by Wayne himself, swapping for the Bands. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 30 (view spoiler)[Language is interesting. Wax etc use "rusts" as their main curse--which makes sense, considering the emphasis on metal in their culture. Allik uses "frosts"--which shows the importance of heat...

And am I glad Telsin's alive? Yes, because that means Wayne didn't kill her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 31 (view spoiler)[I liked hearing Wayne's explanation--he saw the metalminds, he thought WWWD? Overcame his fear of guns for a Purpose, and left her alive.

Also, really hoping that Wax shutting Wayne down about dissing Steris will Send Him A Signal and he'll stop. Just stop. He can tease her, but he needs to stop discounting her and seeing her as a threat to Wax's happiness.

Also, I just want Wax to take Steis up to the captain of the ship and have her marry them. I really hope that happens before the end of this chapter. Gogogo!

Significance of giving a mask to another. Did Allik just lay a betrothal wreath at Marasi's feet? No, that would be too much too fast. But obviously high regard. Practically a child? No, he's 22, and Marasi is... 5 years younger than Steris? Who isn't yet 30. So she's at most a couple years older than Allik.

Thing he requested. Penthouse. Better be a PRIEST! YES IT IS A PRIEST!! YESS! KISS KISS YAY!!!!! (hide spoiler)]

Epilogue (view spoiler)["Tales of men with red eyes who visited in the night."--well, maybe we still have Parshendi after all?

Ever since it was revealed that Telsin outranked Suit, I've been expecting Suit to be murdered to remove an inconvenience and a failure... and now we have Suit in a cell... feel it's coming. Ah, yup. Wasn't expecting a suicide bomb though, or that the "red-eyes" are Trell-spiked Faceless Immortals. Can they hide the red eyes when they change? That seems like an unnecessary weakness.

HAH! Kelsier, it is you! Though I can't help but feel uncomfortable about him having a spike--who did you kill for that, Kelsier, and what ability did it lend you? Feruchemy? (hide spoiler)]

@Narilka, re: Ending & Ars Arcanum--I recommend reading not just Secret History, but also Arcanum Unbounded short story collection (which has Secret History in it)--the writer of the Ars is more existent in their notes. Pretty sure it's (view spoiler)[Khris, and Naz (her assistant/servant). (hide spoiler)] The Ars bit is interesting, both (view spoiler)[the Ars author's interest in Hemalurgy, and also the idea that combining Investures ends with a separate effect. I wonder if that's like Wax's steel bubble? (hide spoiler)]

Yaaaay! Thoroughly enjoyed. Looking forward to y'all finishing too.

More post-end thoughts. Including thoughts from Secret History and Stormlight up to current. Actually, all cosmere books thoughts. (view spoiler)[I'm pretty sure that Kelsier is leading the Ghostbloods in Stormlight, but I want to reread to be sure. And Hoid/Wit is very involved in Stormlight.... what was Hoid's purpose in setting Wax on Kelsier's tail with the coppermind coin? Is he urging Wax on a path towards Ascension/worldhopping himself? Is Kelsier/Ghosbtloods behind the Set and Trell? Ghostbloods seem an awful lot like the Set, come to think of it.

And the red eyes--seems very Odium-esque. Is Trell Odium--is this pre-Taravangian? Is this the thing that got Odium in trouble and put on house arrest in Roshar? I'd also like to see a timeline on Khris.

And how does ageing work, exactly? Wit doesn't age. Khris hasn't aged since she ran in to Kelsier in the Cognitive realm. I am really wanting an ALL COSMERE timeline at this point. Like--Vasher & ...Serai? Can't remember name--are both churning things up in Roshar too, and Vasher was hundreds of years old already at that point. Is Mistborn Era 2 concurrent with Stormlight? Is it was before? VERY CURIOUS! (hide spoiler)]

I blitzed through to Chapter 21, and wo’s things have happened!

I find Part 2 and Part 3 a bit all over the place. Like many have mentioned, I too found Wayne a bit too much at times. His ceaseless attempt at jokes lessened the severity of the situation and it is somewhat distracting. I didn’t find this to be an issue as the story picked up pace though.

Steris is hilarious. I really grew to like her and her interaction with Wax. I am also very glad that Brandon Sanderson did turn this into a love triangle between the sisters and Wax. I am not one for romance in my books, but I do enjoy seeing Steris and Wax together.

I stormed through the chapters because I was eager to find “answers”. Chapter 21 felt quite rewarding while also raising questions at the same time. (view spoiler)[ Who is the Sovereign? I doubt he is actually Lord Ruler, but I cannot imagine who this person might be. Does Allik’s people know about Harmony? How many other “groups” of people exist outside of the Basin? It seems like Allie know about the Basin and the other group(s), is the Basin the only ignorant ones? (hide spoiler)]

I cannot wait to read more and open up everyone’s spoiler for later chapters.

Narilka wrote: "Almost forgot [spoilers removed]"

I too wish I read the Stormlight Archives! (view spoiler)[That woman, and maybe even the beggar who gave Wax the coin, definitely seems like someone from the other series. Is this just an Easter egg, or are there deeper connections? I don’t know. (hide spoiler)] Time to add the series to my 2023 reading list!

Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 24--@Narilka--totally agree on Steris! She's not useless at all! Just because she doesn't have fighting skills like the others doesn't make her useless on this expedition. How many times ha..."

I blitzed through the rest of the book. If is very entertaining and significantly expanded the world. I think I will pick up Secret History before book 7 comes out.

Chapter 23:
(view spoiler)[Who is the Sovereign? Lord Ruler doesn’t need spikes to access power. Could it be Marsh? But that doesn’t make sense for Marsh to have a side project, when he is at least working in coordination with Harmony. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 24:
(view spoiler)[I agree. Telsin unnerves me. There is something wrong with her. Her unusually high level of bloodlust for Suit is suspicious to me. Either she has gone completely crazy, or she is hiding something.

Also, Wax’s suspicion about the temple…hmmm I see a plot twist coming… (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 26:
(view spoiler)[ I knew there was something wrong with Telsin! I am surprised that she outranks her uncle though. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 29:
My memory of Era 1 books is vague, so please feel free to correct me.
(view spoiler)[Why is the Bands so powerful? I understand that it has all metal powers, but the way Wax described being able to sense the radiance in each person and being able to track them through the souls…that is not normal. I don’t think being Mistborn or a full Feruchemist give you this level of power. This level of power seems to be kn par with when Vin ascended. Is the Bands somehow partially capturing the power of Ascension? Is it really made by the Lord Ruler? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 31:
@Nirkatze I love your excitement for Chapter 31 haha. I feel the same way. (view spoiler)[ I too like how Wax finally officially asked Wayne to stop making fun of Steris. While it is in Wayne’s nature to joke and tease, those words can be quite painful for Steris. I appreciate how Wax took a firm stance on this issue.

Also, I love how the relationship between Wax and Steris progressed. I fully support this pair and I love it.

Moreover, I agree that presenting the mask to Marasi seems to be a courting move. We can tell from the others’ reactions that this ritual is something culturally significant. I am curious to see how this relationship develops. (hide spoiler)]

Epilogue:
Wowwww okay, many new pieces of info. (view spoiler)[First, who are the red-eyes creatures? Are they also kandras, but created with “corrupted” spikes? Or something different all together? It also seems that they are using the Sets for their own purpose… Who or what is Trell? Are these red-eyed creatures “spokesperson” for Trell?

WAIT, IS THAT KELSIER AT THE END?? Is the Sovereign Kelsier? How did he survive, and where did he get a spike??? How did he created the Bands? Where did he get the power to create the Bands?? Darn, I need to know! (hide spoiler)]

Overall thoughts:
I think this book really pushed the world beyond its existing boundaries. My mind is still reeling from some of the revelations and new information introduced. The Mistborn world is suddenly MUCH LARGER than I thought.
Lastly, I think I really should read the Stormlight Archives. There seems to be quite a few connections; I can sense them, but I don’t fully comprehend them.

Seems like several of us need to read Stormlight Archives :)

@Nirkatze, I have Arcanum Unbound. I was planning to only read the couple Mistborn related stories. Time to adjust my plan.

@Emily, re Ch 29 (view spoiler)[The Era 1 bands were a "normal" feruchemical metalminds if I remember correctly. The spear in this book is a fabricated item combining many metals. Unsure if someone swiped the Lord Ruler's metals to make the spear head or if it was something else. It either wasn't explained or I missed that entirely. I still need to read Secret Histories so perhaps it's explained more there. (hide spoiler)]

Wow! I finished and I read all of your guys' comments and I have absolutely nothing to add! You guys said it all! I really enjoyed it, and just as all of you, I (view spoiler)[ also figured early on the Savior was Kelsier, but I was helped by having read the Secret Histories and it was obvious who really died and who fought to stay alive.

I didn't read the story about Kelsier and Spook though, which I should try and get to... (hide spoiler)]

Hoid is an Easter Egg, but he is also one of those world hoppers who seem to live very long lives and we still are not truly clear on their motivations... They definitely don't all like each other and try to prevent one another from doing certain things in the different worlds, but as everyone else, I can only read on to find out:)))

So glad we got to read the series before the last book comes out!!! So looking forward to read it with you guys:)))

Hoid is a Big Deal... but most of his info is still secret... we do know he was there at the Shattering (when Adonalsium was killed and broken into 16 pieces, wielded by people like Ati and Leras who became Ruin and Preservation)...

Otherwise, he plays a decent sized role in Stormlight Archive, and is otherwise relegated to Easter Egg appearances and epigraph correspondences...

Started my re-read, btw... this is the book I've been waiting for everyone to read... between the Wax/Steris developments (I love the Mystery of the 3 Pennies), and the revelations about the Lord Mistborn and (view spoiler)[Kelsier (hide spoiler)]... I was honestly so clueless the first time I read Mistborn that I missed the implications of this books flashbacks... but there are so many hints leading up to it, like the one I posted back during Shadows of Self:

(view spoiler)[
"Harmony's not my god. I'm a Survivorist."

"Oh, yeah," MeLaan said, "because that makes sense. Worship the guy who died, rather than the one who saved the world."

"The Survivor transcended death," Marasi said, looking back, hand on the door, but not entering. "He survived even being killed, adopting the mantle of the Ascendant during the time between Preservation's death and Vin's Ascension."

Rust... was she arguing theology with a demigod?

MeLaan, however, just cocked her head. "What, really?" (hide spoiler)]

You guys really need to read Secret History, now, because everything I can say is a spoiler... but it's Secret History + THIS, that make me hope Sanderson finds time for Secret History 2/3 (plus the stuff in Stormlight Archive #4)

@Iain, Oooooohhhh. I see why that quote is so important now. Very clever.

I'll likely do Secret History in another week or so. Does anyone mind if I post thoughts about it in this thread?

Narilka wrote: "I finished..."

Not sure if this was answered already, but the Ars Arcanum is written by (view spoiler)[Khrissalla from the White Sands world, Taldain... she danced with Wax in one of the books and asked him questions about how his Misting and Ferring abilities work and mix together... she's dark-skinned...

She travels with Nazh, her cartographer (he does all the maps)... he's from the Threnody system (Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell)...

They were the ones posting broadsheets in this book, I think, or some of the previous books... the ones that said to contact K&N or N&K... (hide spoiler)]

Emily wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 24 ..."

Epilogue: (view spoiler)[Yes... read Secret Histories to get some ideas... :D (hide spoiler)]

Red: Red is the Cosmere color for cosmic interference...

Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 24--@Narilka--totally agree on Steris! She's not useless at all! Just because she doesn't have fighting skills like the others doesn't make her useless on this expedition. How many times ha..."

The epilogue: (view spoiler)[I think Kelsier is gonna be one of the few people to have all the abilities... kinda like the Lord Ruler... full Mistborn, full Feruchemist, and maybe some external magic systems like Hoid, either natively or with Hemalurgic spike... he's a real "fight fire with fire" kinda guy, and worldhoppers and nefarious hemalurgists are going to be a real problem as the technology advances... what little glimpse we've had of the sci-fi era so far (Sixth of the Dusk), hemalurgists are colonizing the stars and harvesting magic systems for their own ends... it's going to be an arms race... I honestly can't wait for this Cosmere to come closer to the end, and the final series to start... it's such an ambitious project... (hide spoiler)]

Ars: (view spoiler)[I think Wax's special ability, or one of them, is the way he can exclude some personal items from his bubble... (hide spoiler)]

Narilka wrote: "@Iain, Oooooohhhh. I see why that quote is so important now. Very clever.

I'll likely do Secret History in another week or so. Does anyone mind if I post thoughts about it in this thread?"

Sounds good... I'll re-read as well... I love that one...

I'd sit here all day and read and comment, but I kinda want to try and finish the book before midnight for final competition points... got alot left... just did the train ride... :D

Glad to have you here, Iain:)<3

@Crystal Emily--I'm dittoing Choko here, I think you hit every thought I had too!

I really enjoyed Stormlight--and it's very rewarding to see it bring a lot of the Cosmere elements together.

I really want a Cosmere timeline too. When does each book happen on each world in reference to the other worlds??

@Narilka--bring on the thoughts!! I really enjoy all the shorts in Arcanum Unbounded, but mostly I was thinking that the Ars Arcanum bits in front of each planetary section would be useful for a wider understanding of the cosmere. :)

@Iain--same thoughts on Secret History 2 & 3--Secret History 1 ends (view spoiler)[with Kelsier getting in touch with Spook, and talking about all the amazing things they'll get to do together, and it is heavily implied that one of the first projects is going to be getting Kelsier back in the physical realm... (hide spoiler)] Post reading Secret History 1, and seeing how Scadrial has changed since the Harmony Ascended, there's definitely a lot of ??s that look ripe for being answered by a Secret History 2. Including things like how the Bands were made--I'm pretty sure, like Iain said, that the (view spoiler)[original Bands of the Lord Ruler were just regular Feruchemical age-storing bracers. So where did these Investment Bestowing ones come from, how did Kelsier pioneer them, and for what purpose? (hide spoiler)]

The technological applications of Feruchemy & Allomancy are making me think of the engineering projects with gemstones & spren etc in Stormlight... That and the red eyes.

Nirkatze wrote: "@Crystal Emily--I'm dittoing Choko here, I think you hit every thought I had too!

I really enjoyed Stormlight--and it's very rewarding to see it bring a lot of the Cosmere elements together.

I re..."

You've read Stormlight Archives, right?... and know that (view spoiler)[Kelsier is Thiedakar, leader of the Ghostbloods?... he's doing so much meddling... but however he came back to life, he's kinda trapped on the Mistborn planet for now... altho that's clearly going to change at some point, if he's to be a main character of the sci-fi Mistborn trilogy (along with Hoid and who knows who else)... (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "More post-end thoughts..."

This is a pretty accurate ordering of all books known in the Cosmere timeline, released and unreleased... it looks like Nightblood is missing from this list, should be between Warbreaker and Way of Kings...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Cosmere/comm...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Emily wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 24 ..."

Epilogue: [spoilers removed]

Iain you convinced me haha, already picked up Secret History from my library and will read it this week.