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Okay, one more time, Arcanum Unbound. I have read "Listened to on Audible", The first two Mistborn books, working on the 3rd right now of the first trilogy. From what I've gathered so far, there are spoilers both directions, and the spoilers for the Mistborn aren't as bad as they would be if I read era 2 THEN reading Arcanum Unbound. I have read both Stormlight Archive books, and they are my preferred novel, I have also read Warbreaker. My buddy introduced me to Sanderson before we came to Iraq, They have been an awesome distraction from the suck, and I love listening to them as I drift off to sleep, I've found that in a often darkly lit room listening is far superior to reading, Especially when I'm just a few nods from a full snooze, These make the Novels come to life in my head. I have not read Elantris yet, though I will have in when I get my Audible Credit in a day or two, after I finish Mistborn Hero of Ages. I have already pre ordered Oathbringer, and will have one more credit in November. In November, Is there any book I need to read, either before I read Arcanum Unbound? Or, to help bring more context to Arcanum unbound? Having assumed I've read all Stormlight Novels, The first Mistborn Trilogy, Elantris, Warbreaker. What beyond those books are in the Cosmere that will be required reading for putting the whole Cosmere together?

Hi. My name is Cynthia. I'm from Kenya. I actually know didn't know who Brandon Sanderson until last week Monday when Elantris came up in my suggestion list. Since then I have literally been glued to my Kindle devouring his books. I have gone through Elantris, The Emperor's Soul, Warbreaker, The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. Stormlight Archive is my absolute favourite and I am so glad I only have to wait 2 months for the next book. I can only imagine the agony of waiting from 2014. I'm currently reading Mistborn: The Final Empire and it is pretty Amazing so far. Anyway... I hope I have a great time here in the 17th Shard.

I just finished Elantris, while I did like it (I'm a cosmere snob) I didn't like it nearly as much as any other cosmere novel. I don't know why but it didn't seem like normal Sanderson, the hook wasn't as spectacular I thought and the only ways I found connecting it to the cosmere is Hoid and Galladon showing up in WoK for half a second. Can you help me, what important things did I miss or didn't see that would make it better for me?

Does anyone know when the third printing of the Leather Bound edition of Elantris will be released and the same for the second printing of The final empire? I want them both pretty bad and on his store it says they're in the works but no clue on when and I wanna make sure I snag one of each up before they sell out again

When Raoden falls into the pool in elantris he hears a voice. If the two shards on Sel are shattered than who is the voice he's hearing?

I read ES again today and noticed something odd. however... Now these cases could be just hypocrisy at work however the fact that they are on the same planet and in the case of ES no real reason is stated for the hatred I am inclined to think that there is something else at play here. Any thoughts?

Really wacky theory, and probably wrong, but hear me out. First off, "Benevolence" is the name I am giving to the Shard that would come of a combination of Dominion and Devotion. Came up with the name when hearing Raoden describe himself as a dictator. He is a dictator and a tyrant, embodying Dominion in his control of New Elantris, at the same time, his people love him, and not only does he devote himself to them, he teaches them to devote themselves to their work to escape the pain, thus also embodying Devotion. Best way to describe this to me would be a Benevolent Dictator. Let me know if you have a better name for a combination of Dominion and Devotion (Kinda like how Harmony is the name of Ruin+Preservation). Part two of the theory. Haven't looked this up too much, so it might already be accepted knowledge, but here you go. Odium shattered both Dominion and Devotion. This destroyed their consciousnesses, as well as locking their power in the cognitive realm, in a shattered form. I am assuming that this is what is making travel in Sel's area of Shadesmar dangerous; the shattered power of a shard is searching for purpose and is quite volatile. The Dor is in fact the collection of Devotion and Dominion's power, stuck in the cognitive realm and trying to escape. Something in the shattering also stops it from reforming a consciousness, though I'm not sure if that is by keeping it apart (shattered) or it is through some other means. However, I think it is safe to assume that Dominion and Devotion are united as a single power now, almost like a shattered Harmony might be. Part three has to do with Raoden's Dor attacks. For reference, he is the relevant part of Chapter 37: Here, he feels the Dor, as this vast power, making worlds seem insignificant. However, there are a couple lines I'd like to call attention to. First "without crack". To me this seems to say that the shattered pieces aren't separated physically. No, to me it seems to say that something is keeping the sentience of the shards shattered and unformed (thus the "It was not evil, or even sentient." line), while the power is somewhat whole and unite in the Cognitive realm, even if it is volatile and dangerous. A shard's power tends to try and find a host, preferably one that can actually hold the shard (ie has a similar character to it's ideal). To me it seems like Raoden is the first person who is both an Elantrian (read, connection to the Dor) and the odd mix of both Devotion and Dominion's intents. This annotation from Elantris' 31st chapter would seem to confirm this: With a bit of twisting, those two traits could be seen as Dominion and Devotion. Seems suspicious that Brandon would use the term "two defining traits" if intent plays such a big part in Shard lore and mechanics. So, what I think is happening is that the Dor is trying to find a host, but something that Odium did when shattering it is stopping it. And any attempt to absorb the shard is extremely painful to the host, due to a lingering shattering effect from Odium to stop a new host or due to the volatility of the current state of the Dor. Also, for some reason, being a fallen elantrian allows the Dor to try and take you as a host, assuming you have the connection required. If there ever was another Elantrian who, like Raoden, had the character to hold the Dor, then they have perished and been forgotten by the time Raoden becomes an elantrian. All that to say, I think that Raoden, after becoming settled as an Elantrian wouldn't have given up his passion with understanding the Dor. And that it would keep trying to take him. Maybe as a full elantrian, the effects would be different than pain, but I don't know. Regardless, Raoden would figure it out, and would eventually take on the power of both Dominion and Devotion, becoming the shard Benevolence. Other points: Somehow the Cognitive realm becomes safe enough for travel some time after Elantris, as Galladon finds his way to Roshar. It would make sense if someone has taken in all of that volatile power. The Dor attacks was one of the unresolved mysteries of Elantris. Why was it important to the plot? Just so there was urgency to Raoden after the bands joined? (as per the annotations.) I don't think so. The Dor attacks seem too well thought out. To me it smells like a strand of a Cosmere level plot. Something to lead into a sequel. The "glowing" during the Dor attacks would seem similar to the description of Vin right before her body melted away. In fact, here is another passage from Elantris which almost says this. It's when Raoden gets attacked by the Dor during a conversation with Sarene: So, there you go. My theory is that some time after Elantris (maybe in a sequel) Raoden takes up the mantle of the shattered power of both Dominion and Devotion, becoming a shard who's intent is very similar to that of a benevolent dictator. Thus the name Benevolence. Edit: Thanks to @The One Who Connects for catching that I wrote Domination instead of Dominion a couple times.

I have read the two Mistborn trilogies, the Stormlight Archive, Warbreaker, Elantris, and a few novellas, but skipped a lot of interludes in Words of Radience, Most of Arcanum Unbound, and White Sand. When I look at other people talking, I am completely clueless to a lot of things going on. Did I miss any vital information, or am I just dense?

So I just started my first re-read of Elantris, and only got through the first chapter when I had an idea. We know Galladon joined the 17th shard and that he's a worldhopper, but has anyone considered the possibility that Galladon joined the shard before the events of Elantris? Admittedly I don't have much reasoning behind this half-baked theory, it just caught me as suspicious the way that Galladon conveniently was the first (mom-ravenous) person that Raoden encountered. And then even more so when it's saying how Raoden didn't know why but he liked and trusted Galladon. Perhaps Galladon was working for the shard and when he got taken by the Shaod they wanted him to figure out how to restore Elantris for some reason. This could explain why 1. He didn't want to work with Raoden at first since he didn't know who he was or what he was trying to do and 2. Why his home is in a little library thing with a bunch of books. Let me know what you think

I have looked all over the site and can't find an answer to this. I'm committed now to collecting the Leatherbound editions (yay for not being a starving college student anymore!) and plan to pick up Mistborn: The Final Empire on its 2nd printing that's supposed to be happening this summer. Has there been any word on if they'll ever print more Elantris Leatherbound? It's still on the store website but says sold out. Is my only option going to be to take to eBay and pay a ton?

Hello, one and all, The name is Delysium. Inner Delysium. (No, that name might not be on my driver's license or birth certificate, but I claim the right to re-name myself here.) I'm working my way through Brandon Sanderson's books as quickly as I can get my hands on them, and I intend to own most if not all of his books at some point in the future. I consider it a point of pride that I read Mistborn: Hero of Ages in a day and a half. If I weren't allowed to be a Mistborn, I'd be a Tineye Misting, and if I were an Aon, I would want to be Rao. There, now you know all about me. So. I'm working my way through the Wax&Wayne books; I've read the Mistborn Three, Elantris, and Warbreaker, and this one sneaky character keeps popping up; he's a fella by the name of Hoid. But I think I remember him (SPOILER ALERT) dying in Elantris. Or melting. Y'know? And he's shown up in the others as a storyteller and an informer. Is he immortal? Is he a decuplet, one of ten identical children all named Hoid who were scattered through the Cosmere in a wormhole? Does he reincarnate on different worlds in the same shape whenever he dies? Is he a Timelord capable of FTL traveling? WHO IS THIS MAN AND WHY DOES HE CONTINUE TO APPEAR? If you know there's an already existing explanation somewhere on brandonsanderson.com or here somewhere, could y'all link it? 'Preciate 'cha -Inner Delysium

I'll just get right down to business. (I just had this thought) What if every magic system, was just a branch of something bigger? What if aons, surgebindings, breaths, and the ability's of an allomancer, are all from the same power source, but just accessed in a different way, unique to a shard, that makes the power react differently. Thoughts?

So at the end of Elantris (10th anniversary ed), Hoid has a conversation with a Skaze. Here's the quote that caught my eye: "You have failed utterly, Hoed. You are not one of them; you haven’t the powers you promised us you’d gain. You’ve accomplished nothing. What beauty is there in this situation?” Two things stuck out to me; 1) Hoid made a promise to the Skaze that he'd become an Elantrian. This makes it seem like he needed their support in order to accomplish something (becoming an Elantrian might have been a side effect). Why did he need their support? 2) Yet another conversation with Hoid leads to beauty (he goes on to answer that the beauty is in the fact that there are "secrets that remain unknown"....sounds alot like Kelsier to me). Not reading too deep here, but it's definitely a theme for him.

What makes a name an aonic name? I know that it has to have an aon in it somewhere, but are there other requirements? For example, we know Aon Reo exists, so would Oreo be a valid aonic name?

In secret history we see Inquisitors being dropped into the pool. Didn't leras say it was meaningless? In my mind this is so similar to what happens in elantris with them also taking people to a pool. Are the two behaviors related and for the same reasons? Any WoBs or speculation?

I read Elantris, and I love it. However, I am confused about one thing: Is there only 44 Seons, one for each Aon, or are there seons that share aons? I know it is probably a stupid question, but it is bugging me a lot