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ProfessionalLurker

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    Real Life Sarene (Yay Fencing!)
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  1. Our store isn't set up to hold a reading, though I was chatting with an employee the second time I was in line about how some other places have done signings with readings/Q&As. They'd have to clear out a whole mall intersection for something like that, or rent a space at the library/hotel/convention center-ish place. This is me! I'm glad you posted it, since I've been working since the signing and wasn't sure I'd be on tonight even. My exact question was "Are the Elantrian pool and Horneater lake connected?" His response was just as you said, and it was clear from the context that it wasn't the same lake (obviously, again just affirming). I knew we had a rafo on this one before, but I've had some luck with getting actual answers. It might have something to do with my early (~2007, before we knew of the cosmere as a whole) questions about the Elantrian pool getting a "that is an interesting idea you have there" response, i.e. the pre-Robert Jordan era RAFO. Of less interest, but maybe still worth logging: Q: Any news on Alcatraz 5? A (paraphrased): He said he wrote the book last summer, and is waiting for the greenlight from Tor to hand it off, basically. They want to publish books 1-4 first, followed by this one. But the only thing needed is a schedule and edits! Still sounds like an early/mid 2016 thing to me. Q: Where's Marsh? (An inside joke for a friend, but still a fun answer.) A: Investigating the Southern Continent of Scadrial. My next tactic is to ask if the shardpools are Stargate-esque transportation areas. (I'm telling you, my indirect strategy works - sorta. Although now you lot have me wondering if there is anything in the MB2 scene with Vin in the well to indicate this....) But that won't be until I manage another signing, so someone else is free to take that and run into the rafo wall. I would have pressed myself, but I had to leave quite suddenly. (And I've noticed immediate follow-ups tend to get shut down anyway...and it was my second time in line that day....) I can't remember anything else, but if I do I'll make a quick edit here. Glad to see fellow sharders in my locale, and to meet a handful of you there!
  2. Lozen, the annotations Sylveris mentioned are available for free on Brandon's website and everyone has access to them if you know they're there. All of his earlier books have them - chapter summaries that Brandon wrote while writing/editing each book. Here's the link for the Warbreaker ones, starting at the dedication: http://brandonsanderson.com/annotation-warbreaker-dedication/ Each annotation has spoilers for that chapter, and some have them for the whole book so be ye warned. On the topic of Blushweaver, I don't think we're giving enough credit to the way the Returned process works. First off, Blushweaver was a human woman at one point who did something that Endowment, their GOD, considered notable and worthy of a second chance at life with a very specific mission. She may have only had a limited idea of what that was - a consequence of being Returned, and not anything she could have done - but that left her with an overwhelming and literally God-given desire to protect her people from war. Topomouse made a really good point about the state of affairs in the Returned court. They are ALL pawns, all unknowingly, but no one more so than the God King himself. They are all naive to an extent, but they also do legitimately care about the well being of Hallendren and their people. From the court perspective, the only logical source of conflict is a direct war with Idris. Blushweaver, who also happens to be the only naturally adept politician in court, knows that war is coming and all of the people she was sent back to save are in serious danger of perishing in war during her lifetime. The Returned have all been literally conditioned since their "births" to ignore the Pahn Kahl and have no outside access. So for one point, she made the best possible moves when the entire game was rigged against her. Additionally, I think her very appearance points to her being extremely intelligent. We know that the Returned form their physical bodies based on how they think of themselves and what they think they need to look like. Blushweaver, aware of the general decadent lifestyle among her fellow Returned chose a physically appealing body and continues to accentuate that because she knows it will sway the weaker minds to her side. So more proof that she understands politics and is doing the best she can to get her way - where her way is not having her people slaughtered by war. If she is "deceiving" then it is because she knows how politics works. If she is "warmongering" then it is because she knows how strategy works. These traits can make her unlikable for sure - as MrFloobie said, she insulted Siri with a very hurtful attack. However, this isn't your standard morality tale. Unlikable characters are not evil, just as likable characters are not good. Denth is in almost every way the polar opposite of Blushweaver while at the same general "level" of influence, so to speak. Ultimately, it is Blushweaver's influence on Lightsong (NOT her death, mind you) that helps him to sacrifice himself to save everyone in the end. Without Blushweaver doing EXACTLY what she did through the whole book, Hallendren burns and take Idris with it. TL;DR: Blushweaver was a woman who did something heroic, saw a vision of the future where everyone died, chose to go back to prevent said future, succeeded in controlling a useless court and one of the largest armies in the world where others could barely play golf without messing up, mentored a main character, contributed to said MC finding his own destiny without allowing her genuine feelings for him and desire to protect him stop her from saving the world, died because even with all her successes the entire set-up of her life was rigged to kill her (her second heroic death in less than two decades, for the record), and helped save the entire continent from destruction. Blushweaver is important. Edit: I spelled "Idris" wrong twice and we simply can't have that.
  3. I'd say check out the Ultimate List of Questions thread over in Cosmere Theories, because I can't think of any of my own. I would link to it directly but I am bad at the internet. I'm also insanely jealous that you get to make it to this one, while I am still a lowly student away from home. I'm not jealous at all of the horrendous line that everyone will be stuck in.
  4. Moogle, I had completely forgotten about electrum, so I'm really glad you mentioned that! I do side with Gloom that both are likely, and that additional weirdness is afoot beyond what burning either metal would do.
  5. The whole Bloody Tan incident screams of atium to me. I was surprised that it wasn't confirmed in-text, so I assumed it would feature as part of the over-arching plot. For that matter, once I knew that Alloy was set specifically 300 years after Mistborn I assumed that the atium Kelsier "destroyed" would begin regenerating and play a key part. ...but all of that is circumstantial and completely unconfirmed. It seemed obvious to me, so I didn't go looking for confirmation. I just don't trust Sanderson "coincidences" anymore. As far as Kelsier being meddlesome, I'm willing to buy that he would be saving people from burning houses. I'm not so sure on impersonating a dead criminal who caused deep emotional trauma to one of his best friend's only descendants. I'm still voting Kandra here until we see more info. And if Bloody Tan is dead in any way we'll never know if he was for sure burning atium, and that would make me sad. Not that I want him to be alive...I just want to be right... I am, however, deeply concerned that Kelsier may be the author of "the book," which would explain the quote about his meddling (and Brandon's quip about "it sure doesn't sound like Marsh" instead of confirming it was Spook). It's also late where I am, and I'm deeply concerned that I don't know Kelsier's last name (Is it ever said? Either his mother's last name, or his father's noble family name? IS IT???) so take all this with a grain of salt.
  6. Raoden, hands down. Because I am literally Sarene, and it's canon. I really am her though - mannerisms, looks - minus a couple inches, actions, word choices, everything. About thirty people have independently told me that reading Elantris was fun/interesting/uncomfortable because it felt to them like reading about me. One particularly observant friend actually predicted every plot point in the book by knowing how I would react to the situations presented. So all you guys that said Sarene... Seriously though, Raoden. He's a good leader with good ideas. He wants to help people, and isn't satisfied with the status quo. He has real friends, and earns their loyalty. He can appreciate both knowledge and athletics (we could talk about books, and then fence against each other, and then talk about fencing in books! Is there a more perfect date? I think not!). He cares about people, is self-sacrificing and charitable, is good with kids, and is organized. Token reference to the fact that he is attractive, rich, a king, and magically talented, because why not. He is kind, and funny, and just the right amount of sarcastic/teasing. And for every reference to Siri's hair: Raoden. Literally. Glows.
  7. No matter how wonderful that moment would be, I have to sell. Shai will be recruited heavily by the 17th shard and repeatedly say no until someone explains who exactly the Imperial Fool is.
  8. I'm in! It may very well be my seventh consecutive failure, but I'm in!
  9. I'll see what I can do about the picture! About the question, I was almost certain we were going to get a RAFO from that. I'm not sure my friend appreciated actually getting that much of an answer. Meanwhile I was all
  10. Sounds like...fun? New dream job, right there! Where can I apply? Let the others have their lurching, I'm in it for the lurking! Glad to know who you are finally! And that you're the promise-keeping sort. (Could a Keeper store promises, do you suppose? That could be a fun metal to have around.) That is without a doubt the prettiest waffle I have ever seen.
  11. I was also at this signing - after a six hour drive to get there. We (most of my writing group, whom I have convinced to read all of his books, and I) were second in line for standby, and got some of the very last tickets. Bonus of having to make the long trip: we were there early enough to be fourth in line after miraculously getting said tickets. Everything Brandon read was new and fantastic! We even got a few extra lines on the Shadows of Self reading (at least, he read a few lines more than I had seen on any other transcriptions). One new bit of info, from a question a friend asked. Might be considered Rithmatist spoilers, so tagging the Q&A. Best parts of the whole trip: Brandon actually recognizing me from several signings in past years, my friend getting to show off her Mistborn tattoo, and asking Brandon for a writing prompt for our whole group. Well worth six hours in a car, two hours sitting in line, and six hours in a car again right after the signing. If anyone in the Provo area wants to thank the library staff for doing such an excellent job, please convey my thanks!
  12. I met someone at the Provo library signing. You took the picture of the crowd and announced it was for this site. I rather creepily yelled out "YES!!!" which scared all my friends and everyone else in the first three rows. I wasn't registered here, but I called myself a professional lurker because I've been around from the very beginning. Since you were disappointed that I wasn't a site member and promised not to spike me I figured I would actually sign up here. Anyway, nice to finally join you crazy lot in an official capacity! About me: I've been a fan from the beginning! I grew up down the street from a member of the Sanderson family who shall remain unnamed (mostly so I sound less like a stalker, and also all that anonymity jazz). I picked up Elantris and Mistborn right when Mistborn came out, and have been an avid fan ever since. I convinced my high school's book club to read Elantris, and on a whim emailed Brandon about answering some of our questions or on the slimmest of chances visiting us in person to talk about the book. He actually came (which surprised everyone and made me a bit of a celebrity among my fellow nerds!) and I've been hooked on getting my friends to read his books ever since. When I'm not reading, I'm watching too many SF/F tv shows and movies, writing something of my own, playing with my cats, or explaining to people that I actually like studying chemistry. The rest is a secret, and you know what we say about secrets... -ProfessionalLurker
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