posted
Anyone else read this? Apparently the local Barnes and Noble got copies of it early.
I really dug it. Brandon Sanderson obviously has great fun inventing endearing characters and cool magic, but isn't so attached to them that he takes a "worship my darlings!" attitude that's wrecked some other recent epic fantasy, nor so bloodthirsty that one doesn't dare get attached to any character.
(Not that I don't love George R.R. Martin as much as anyone else, but yeesh!)
But...there are lots of major character deaths in this volume. There's also a final exploration of that pesky prophecy that keeps getting used and abused left and right, the World of the series is coming to an end, and my favorite character finally discovers their destiny.
It wasn't what I expected, but I loved it. It was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise icky week. Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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And... I finished it a few days ago now, but haven't been to hatrack since I did.
Wow. Just.... wow.
I thought I could see where it was all going. And in some ways I did, but he still threw me for a loop with several things too.
Posts: 1323 | Registered: Aug 2001
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It's the last book in the series. From the look of things (from both book and author) we may see future works using the setting, but they'll be years off and tell a different story.
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The author mentioned maybe setting another story in the same world, hundreds of years in the future. But it sounded very tentative.
Posts: 289 | Registered: Jan 2002
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The first two were awesome. I have the third on my queue. Just have to finish my Dan Simmons and Neil Gaiman before I get to another great book. It's a nice problem to have.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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You know, I didn't care that much for Well of Ascension. It was fine, but I loved the first book. I guess I didn't like the pacing of the second book, and I was having a hard time caring about the characters like I did the first time around. So, the stuff with Marsh, I was like, eh.
I will definitely read the Hero of Ages, not only because my brother already bought it, but because not knowing how it ends will eat at me.
Posts: 3 | Registered: Nov 2008
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Fool, I agree with you. I liked the "caper" style of the first book a whole lot more than the politics of the second one. However, the third is even better than the first.
Posts: 289 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Will the third book make sense without having finished the second? I found certain parts of the second book triggering to me (mostly things relating to Zane) and quit half way through.
Posts: 650 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Okay, I want to talk to people who are reading this or who have read it. Of course my post will contain lots of SPOILERS!!!
1. Vin's earring. I'm totally calling it now. 2. I knew Kelsier was Ruin, I just didn't know how he gave Spook pewter until about three pages before it was revealed. 3. I wanna know what the kandra religion is. TenSoon rocks! 4. If Yomen is not a hemalurgist, is it possible he's a misting who can only burn atium?
quote:Originally posted by Brinestone: 2. I knew Kelsier was Ruin, I just didn't know how he gave Spook pewter until about three pages before it was revealed.
You may want to clarify this, as it might cause the evil people who read spoilers to draw the wrong conclusion. Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I must admit I did not like the ending nearly as much once Vin became a god. All of a sudden my frame of reference was gone. I have not read a fantasy novel yet where I can follow along with the author once a character starts kicking around in the supernatural with no more base in humanity. It just becomes a bunch of lights and explosions. I think Vin could have kept at least a toe in mortality while she was battling Ruin so us mortals could have some frame of reference.
Elend's final battle was cool, and using up all the atium was a good idea. But the whole thing about the atium being Ruin's body wasn't very well explained, IMO, and I think it was supposed to be the one last big surprise to find out that the atium was all used up and Ruin was ruined. But it wasn't a surprise! I already knew that was coming! I thought Ruin seemed kind of stupid for completely missing that.
I can't remember--what happened to all the koloss once Vin and Ruin self-annihilated?
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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I don't think Sanderson said Vin lost her human thoughts and emotions after taking up Preservation's power. That was part of the problem...she couldn't figure out how to fix what the Lord Ruler had done to the world because of her limited mortal perspective. Only Sazed, with his feruchemical gifts was able to figure out how to properly wield both powers.
Ruin was an incomplete being in more ways than one after Preservation betrayed him. I don't think Ruin focused enough on Elend to realize that the Emperor would martyr himself in that manner...he was so distracted by Vin.
We're not told the final fate of the koloss or the kandra, for that matter.
On his forum, Sanderson has indicated that Sazed managed to preserve a portion of the kandra and koloss, but this will only come up in the hypothetical follow-up series, which won't be ready for years. It'll be set aeons after the events in this book.
Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
After Vin and Ruin self-annihilated, I seem to remember it saying that the koloss were confused and directionless.
I loved that Vin admitted that the only thing she was staying alive for was Elend, and her realization that she'd let him go a year ago. I also loved the reveal about the number 16.
As Sazed was "announcing" Vin as the Hero, I was thinking, "Hm, those prophecies could fit a lot of people, and I think they actually fit Sazed best. I wonder . . . "
I guess I was right.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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The fate of the kandra was the only part that made me cry. I wish there had been even a hint about what happened to them in the remade world. I kept hoping for it right up to the last page. It's all very well that they'll be hypothetically dealt with in another series, but I wanted at least a taste in the end of this one. That was really the only thing that I didn't like about the ending.
posted
Yeah, the kandra part made me sad. I was hoping they'd give them back their sentience with allomancy or something, but it didn't happen. Or at least, Sanderson didn't say it happened. Which is basically the same thing.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Yeah, it was quite tragic. I really liked TenSoon. Still, I take comfort from Sanderson's assurance that the mistwraiths who used to be kandra will regain what they lost. Though, he hints their role in the reborn world will be vastly different than what it was.
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