2020 Cosmere BR (Currently reading: Edgedancer)

[Sophia]

Timelord Iain wrote: "And regarding re-reading, it's because I'm reading 100 other things, as well...

Starting April 8th:"

woah, that's impressive… my mind would be all over the place :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sophia wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "And regarding re-reading, it's because I'm reading 100 other things, as well...

Starting April 8th:"

woah, that's impressive… my mind would be all over the place :D"

That's what keeps it fun... I generally read books 1 at a time, starting the next one as soon as I finish the previous one... I'm not in the middle of a dozen books (like some people around here) :)

[Anni]

Sophia wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "And regarding re-reading, it's because I'm reading 100 other things, as well...

Starting April 8th:"

woah, that's impressive… my mind would be all over the place :D"

Don't mind Iain, by now we're sure that he's eigher an AI or he has an evil twin sister called Lainey, who shares the account with him to read twice as many books :)

[Anni]

Sophia wrote: "Anyway, when do you guys want to start with Shadows of Self ? :)"

I think Choko and Kathrine already started (/finished?) Shadow of Self. I'm ready when you are :)

[Kathrine]

I stress-read Shadows of Self last week after a truly horrible day at work where I was sure I was about to be fired (haven't happened yet tho hahahaha) and I loved it! I find era 2 so much more enjoyable than era 1 and I can't really put my finger on why exactly, though I think era 2 is less... dense? in a lot of ways; I guess it's just easier to consume hahahaha.

Also, I feel like Sanderson developed as a writer between the 2 eras where his prose got better and his plotting got tighter, so that might also contribute. I think both Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self have significantly less filler than the Era 1 books (specifically Well of Ascension and the entire Zane-plotline... eugh)

Lessi: (view spoiler)[Omg what a cool twist! And heart-breaking! poor poor Wax, he's now killed his wife... twice. Glad my girl Steris is there to take care of him <3 (hide spoiler)]

I feel like I'm still missing a lot of the bigger Cosmere-implications and easter eggs (the non-Scadrial related stuff at least), what have you guys caught so far? Also I love the newspaper clippings, but I gotta confess I haven't been reading them in depth all the time, have I missed anything? xD

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The newspaper stuff, by K & N was one of them easter eggs I was talking about... (view spoiler)[Khrissalla from White Sands writes the Ars Arcanum & Naz is the mapmaker...

Beggar with white hair is Hoid (seen briefly in book 1, when Kelsier is paying for info then turns around and copies his bad eyesight tricks when selling info to nobles)... he appears in all books, but has biggest role in Stormlight Archive (until the Dragonsteel origin trilogy happens) (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

I am reading another series simultaneously, The War of Light and Shadow ... The first book, the Curse of the Mistraith was written in 1994... I wonder if Sanderson had read it and gotten inspired by it for the Mistraith world in the first Era...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "I am reading another series simultaneously, The War of Light and Shadow ... The first book, the Curse of the Mistraith was written in 1994... I wonder if Sanderson had read it and gotten inspired b..."

Janny Wurts is an author I want to read, but almost none of her stuff has audio :(

Same with Adrian Tchaikovsky's older stuff...

[Choko]

Yes, I hate that... You know I am all about the audiobooks, but her writing is so... different, I think it would be lost a bit on audio...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Yes, I hate that... You know I am all about the audiobooks, but her writing is so... different, I think it would be lost a bit on audio..."

Maybe... but even more will be lost if try Text-To-Speech robo-voice... I tried doing the BR a year or 2 ago, and only made it to the realm-hop, really, with my non-audio limitations...

[Choko]

I understand... I think I have gotten overly dependent on the audiobooks as well - my eyesight is terrible and I prefer them overwhelmingly... I have the books, but I can't read them anymore, so I bought them on Kindle this time around and have the letters humongously big, so I can see... I will suffer it for some authors, but not for most:-):-):-)

[Choko]

By the way, Iain, I wish you were reading The Way of Kings with us! I just started it and miss your input already◉‿◉

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Actually, I think the 8th WoL&S book has audio... one of the newer ones anyway, as a test for recording the whole series... but it's kinda hard to join a series on audio, 8 books in... it seems like it was mostly produced for longtime fans who wanted to switch to audio for the end of the series...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "By the way, Iain, I wish you were reading The Way of Kings with us! I just started it and miss your input already◉‿◉"

I'll probably do a re-read in the near future... Stormlight Archive is the biggest Easter Egg Hunt out there... between hidden foreshadowing in the epigraphs, hidden worldhoppers all over the place, it's a buffet of fun... would be my 3rd or 4th read-through...

[Sophia]

Sir Anni wrote: "Sophia wrote: "Anyway, when do you guys want to start with Shadows of Self ? :)"

I think Choko and Kathrine already started (/finished?) Shadow of Self. I'm ready when you are :)"

I'm ready :D

[Choko]

Alright! Let's do it◉‿◉

[Anni]

Choko wrote: "Alright! Let's do it◉‿◉"

Haven't you already finished Shadows of Self?

[Choko]

I did, but I am going to skim it again with you, so I can cement it in my memory. I have to do that, because I read so many books at the same time, I always re-read, particularly if I enjoy the books ʘ‿ʘ

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm convinced Choko has short-term reading memory... every book is a new book, when Choko reads it :D

[Choko]

Iain, you would be right! You know me so well by now (✷‿✷)

[Anni]

Cool, the more the merrier :) I'll make a start tonight

[Choko]

So, I started Shadows of Self... The way he met his late wife was very funny! He was so young and flashy! And hem and his "thing"!!! Ha-ha-ha-ha!

The banter between Wax and Wayne is priceless! Wayne's idea of fair trade is ... baffling.

About Wayne's guilt... This must be heartbreaking for him... But I think if I was on the other side, I would have forgiven him long time ago, just seeing how much he regrets it...

[Choko]

The scary part about this story is that the evil dude, his uncle, actually acts like most people consider normal in our society... What in the book is evil, is daily practice by big business and the banks... And that memory from his childhood with the coin, we want to be like little Wax, but if we see this tomorrow, we would think how naive this little boy is and how he has no idea what really goes on in the world... So very sad... This is why I love books - good and evil seem so much simpler to recognize...

[Choko]

I love Steris going to the Governor's party ♥️

[Choko]

I am guessing I finished the book ahead again... This book made me laugh, made me cry, but it also made me so mad at the whole situation the main arc was built on... I totally understand why Wax would be feeling betrayed and angry... I will wait for you guys to actually read it, so we can discuss...

[Anni]

Uhm, I'm afraid you're correct 😅 I only read a few chapters but I love to see more of Wax' early time in the Roughs (view spoiler)[ and meeting Lessie (hide spoiler)] and young Wayne of course :) The name of his horse and his reasoning also made me laugh

[Choko]

That whole first scene in the Roughs was hilarious!!! The dynamics between Wax and Wayne are really awesome!!! And poor horse!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

One of the things I'm constantly impressed by, about Sanderson, is his ability to write about such diverse religions... I say this, because not only is Sanderson Mormon, he spent time in Asia as a missionary... my experience with other religious writers has been that they either are limited to writing within their own religion, or their religion interferes with their ability to write stories that contradict that religion's ideals (or maybe I just mean in accepting that other religions have equal merit & comparable ideals, for the most part)... (most notably the decline of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series, after she refound religion during a medical crisis)

I'm not sure Sanderson doesn't still fall within those confines (since I'm not particularly versed in Mormonism, and haven't gone to any church in over a decade), but Sazed is one of my favorite characters, and pretty much all Sanderson worlds have their own religions, and I think Sanderson has done well with them...

[Choko]

Sazed is the best! I am reading the first Mistborn, and I just read about the religion he pitched to Vin, with Trell as a god... Twice already this name has been brought up in 4 and 5... It can't be a coincidence... And he was worshipped by the people in the North... Something to remember...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Sazed is the best! I am reading the first Mistborn, and I just read about the religion he pitched to Vin, with Trell as a god... Twice already this name has been brought up in 4 and 5... It can't b..."

Yup yup... that was one of my spoiler comments during book 4...

[Choko]

Iain, about the religions, I totally agree! I do see a lot of tendencies for him to prefer religions similar to Christianity, but he also gives no judgement to any of the other types of religious traditions. I really like how in the second Era of Mistborn, we are seeing religious doctrines about gods, whom we have met before their deityfication, and have some idea of what they believed before and what they are attributed of believing now. I love that even he makes fun of the differences and liberties those who control the religious following come up with... Very interesting!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Iain, about the religions, I totally agree! I do see a lot of tendencies for him to prefer religions similar to Christianity, but he also gives no judgement to any of the other types of religious t..."

He's very self aware... and focuses on the importance of Faith in the face of Doubt... and the possible pitfalls of religion... even as someone relatively ambivalent to religion, I appreciate that sentiment...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Speaking of Shadows of Self, I love the idea of (view spoiler)[Melaan & Wayne as a couple... Wayne is the Kandrist non-Kandra that's ever lived, it seems like, with his skill for disguise and weird moral compass... and they get along so well... (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Totally!!!! I think they should be a couple for sure! They are perfect for each other, and their passion for disguises will make them even better in their craft if they are together. Totally ship them!!! ♥️

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "Totally!!!! I think they should be a couple for sure! They are perfect for each other, and their passion for disguises will make them even better in their craft if they are together. Totally ship t..."

Some people online ship (view spoiler)[Marasi/Wayne (hide spoiler)]... not sold on that one...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

(view spoiler)[Arm hair... Right!... I was thinking of arm hair... (hide spoiler)]

It's really sad that Sanderson doesn't have time to just write Wax & Wayne books forever, the way Michael J Sullivan does for Royce & Hadrian (Riyria Chronicles)...

[Choko]

Nope! Marasi (view spoiler)[ needs to hook up with someone totally new... We have not met her dude yet, I think... (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

That would be awesome! Just in between the bigger, more imposing books ʘ‿ʘ

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "That would be awesome! Just in between the bigger, more imposing books ʘ‿ʘ"

Sadly, Sanderson just has too many other things on his plate... the next Mistborn trilogy... a plethora of Cosmere short story/novella ideas & sequels... Elantris/Warbreaker sequels... his YA non-Cosmere stuff with 2nd publisher that allows him a Cosmere break... Alcatraz Smedry 6... Rithmatist 2... etc...

[Anni]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Speaking of Shadows of Self, I love the idea of [spoilers removed]"

Me too! Seriously what's wrong with the people shipping (view spoiler)[ Marasi and Wayne? (hide spoiler)] 😂

I think (view spoiler)[ Melaan and Wayne are really great together. And isn't there even a theory that Wayne might be part Kandra? If Coloss and Humans can interbreed, I don't think it's completely impossible for Wayne to have a bit Kandrablood as well :) (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sir Anni wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Speaking of Shadows of Self, I love the idea of [spoilers removed]"

Me too! Seriously what's wrong with the people shipping [spoilers removed] 😂

I think [spoilers removed]"

Kandra are a bit more murky... (view spoiler)[Koloss are humans with multiple other human spikes in them... the first generation Kandra/mistwraiths were similar (Terrismen the Lord Ruler changed to hide his secrets... the later generations of Kandra, tho, are mistwraith progeny that never lived as humans... not to say it's impossible, but less likely... not sure how much detail Brando Sando has gone into on this... the 17th Shard forums are rife with speculation, tho... (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Interesting theory, Sir Anni! That would be so cool if it turns out to be true!!!

[Sophia]

I have read the first few chapters of Shadows of Self so far… then I got distracted with the Potterless podcast 😅 But I will try to finish it this week!

[Sophia]

Sir Anni wrote: "Uhm, I'm afraid you're correct 😅 I only read a few chapters but I love to see more of Wax' early time in the Roughs [spoilers removed] and young Wayne of course :) The name of his horse and his rea..."

I totally agree, I'm now 1/3 into the book and Wax and Steris are about to enter a party. I'm really curious what will happen there :)

I think Wayne is my favorite character, I love his trading and hat-obsession. Also, I'm warming up to Steris, Looking Forward to getting to know her better

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You guys went silent...

I just (finally) did my Bands of Mourning re-read, and Whoo, Boy!

So much to catch on re-read :D...

This is the one with the Khrissalla cameo... at the party where a mysterious woman dances with Wax & asks questions about the mechanics of his powers...

Also the book where Steris truly shines... I love Steris/Wax, which I've made oblique references to throughout this thread...

I forgot that there is a possible match for Marasi in this one... wonder what will come of it in book 4...

And finally... the maker of the Bands of Mourning... the hints are rampant in this one, if you know what to look for and your memory is good... the epilogue practically spells it out...

[Choko]

Haha! Yes, I think it was quite a book!!!

[Beena]

So, what time in July are we planning to read The Way of Kings?

[Kathrine]

Oh no, I just finished Way of Kings because I thought it was this month hahahaha...... I know, I suck xD But I'll stick around for the discussion! I've also been lurking a bit in the other BR thread for WoK

[Beena]

@Kathrine, oh no!! Lol! Yeah, at least you can still lurk and chat lol.

[Choko]

I think I will join you, whenever you want◉‿◉