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[ALL SPOILERS] Reckoners is secretly a cosmere novel


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So I was actually introduced to Brandon Sanderson through the Reckoners, so it had been a while since I had actually read it. Now that I've literally read the entire cosmere save for the prime novels, I decided that it would probably be nice to reread the Reckoners series to see how it feels now that I'm more familiar with Brandon's writing style.

So I've finished my reread and I can't help but notice how similar some of the things in the Reckoners are to the Cosmere. Even though epic powers are a little too random to be an MoI, they still have some similarities. The connection to Calamity is a big one, the fiddling with connection feels very cosmerey to me and I can't help but think about how similar it is to spiritual connection. There's also the whole thing about taking the power for yourself and how the powers and weaknesses are so dependent on perception. Also Calamity is just a shard, Larcener is a terrible vessel and the intent has overtaken him. What intent does he have? No idea, but he is overflowing with shardic behavior.

Now all that's left is for Kelsier to randomly show up in front of David and invite him into the ghost bloods, then we'll see him running a ship or something in shadesmar in Stormlight 8 or some crap like that. I hope you all found my joke rant entertaining, this has been brewing in the back of my mind since I finished rereading Calamity and I thought it was pretty funny.

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1 hour ago, Shadow of Electrum said:

So I was actually introduced to Brandon Sanderson through the Reckoners, so it had been a while since I had actually read it. Now that I've literally read the entire cosmere save for the prime novels, I decided that it would probably be nice to reread the Reckoners series to see how it feels now that I'm more familiar with Brandon's writing style.

So I've finished my reread and I can't help but notice how similar some of the things in the Reckoners are to the Cosmere. Even though epic powers are a little too random to be an MoI, they still have some similarities. The connection to Calamity is a big one, the fiddling with connection feels very cosmerey to me and I can't help but think about how similar it is to spiritual connection. There's also the whole thing about taking the power for yourself and how the powers and weaknesses are so dependent on perception. Also Calamity is just a shard, Larcener is a terrible vessel and the intent has overtaken him. What intent does he have? No idea, but he is overflowing with shardic behavior.

Now all that's left is for Kelsier to randomly show up in front of David and invite him into the ghost bloods, then we'll see him running a ship or something in shadesmar in Stormlight 8 or some crap like that. I hope you all found my joke rant entertaining, this has been brewing in the back of my mind since I finished rereading Calamity and I thought it was pretty funny.

(Un)fortunately no, the Reckoners (and all books with Earth in them) are officially and definitely not a part of Cosmere in any way. They are their own, separate universes. Some concepts might look kind of similar, that might be a leftover from before Brandon decided that Earth can't be a part of Cosmere.

Spoiler

Questioner

What was your decision not to make The Reckoners series part of the cosmere? Because, without giving away too many things, I can see a Shard affecting that world.

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, I made the decision based on two things. Number one, the fact that I don't want Earth to be in the cosmere. And so all the books that are referencing Earth, I don't put in the cosmere. Number two, the mythological source I was using as the--I can't give away spoilers--foundation for all of this, is a very "our-world" mythology, not a very "cosmere" mythology.

Firefight Houston signing (Jan. 23, 2015)

 

Spoiler

Questioner

Is Calamity actually a worldhopper?

Brandon Sanderson

Calamity, I didn't write this as a part of the cosmere. The main distinction is I didn't want Earth to be in the cosmere, I want it to be distinct. Once I stick Earth in, the cosmology and things doesn't work. The cosmere is a dwarf cluster, and it's a dwarf galaxy, it's a cluster of stars. It's a specific place, and Earth's not part of it.

Calamity Seattle signing (Feb. 17, 2016)

 

Spoiler

Questioner

With The Reckoners you had to make the decision not to put it into your cosmere cosmology, was that a difficult one?

Brandon Sanderson

It was not difficult once I realized I did not want Earth to be part of everything else.

Questioner

If it had been would Calamity have been a Shard of Adonalsium?

Brandon Sanderson

That’s an interesting question.  Maybe.

Calamity Seattle signing (Feb. 17, 2016)

 

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2 hours ago, alder24 said:

(Un)fortunately no, the Reckoners (and all books with Earth in them) are officially and definitely not a part of Cosmere in any way. 

I apologize for not articulating this point better, but this was mostly sarcasm. I know that the reckoners aren't part of the cosmere and I was trying to be comedic in pretending that it was. Rereading my post I realize that I didn't actually state that I already knew that the universes were separate, but I had thought that I implied it. I was just trying to poke fun at how this post apocalyptic superhero novel was so similar to a collection of fantasy novels.

Edited by Shadow of Electrum
I accidentally submitted the reply before I was done writing
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8 hours ago, Shadow of Electrum said:

So I've finished my reread and I can't help but notice how similar some of the things in the Reckoners are to the Cosmere. Even though epic powers are a little too random to be an MoI, they still have some similarities.

If you have not yet done so, you should read Rithmatist (it was not mentioned) - Minor Spoilers:

Spoiler

Rithmatist did start as part of the Cosmere, until Brandon decided "No versions of Earth allowed":

Quote

Questioner

[REDACTED] Is the field generated once the line is completed? Or is it a progressive thing?

Brandon Sanderson

Almost everything that's going with this takes effect as the person's thinking of it taking effect. There is a mental connection. So, as you are drawing, until you are finished, there is nothing there;  unless, sometimes, you want it to be. There is a direct link. The Rithmatist does have a magic that is consistent with cosmere rules. I decided not to set it in the cosmere primarily because I did not want Earth to be in the cosmere.

Questioner

So how strongly consistent is it with <realmatic theory>?

Brandon Sanderson

I didn't keep myself completely to the rules. It could fit, but... don't take anything The Rithmatist does and apply it to the other books.

SpoCon 2013 (July 10, 2013)

 

So, while you may see some similarities in Reckonersverse to Cosmere (mainly because of how Brandon crafts his magic systems according to Sanderson's Three Laws) you can see even more direct parallels in The Rithmatist. 

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23 hours ago, Shadow of Electrum said:

Also Calamity is just a shard.

No, but he is a delver.

Spoiler

Questioner

Calamity from the Reckoners series–is there any connection between him and the delvers from Starsight?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. Very, very loose connection, but there is a connection. 

Questioner

Okay, because I was like, "They both come from the dark nowhere, quiet, they hate people and everything. There is a connection."

Brandon Sanderson

There is a connection. And Apocalypse Guard was kind of supposed to bridge between these things, but it didn't end up coming out, and it may not even be a bridge when we finally revise it because we have to make the book good, rather than worrying about that. But it was supposed to kind of do that. It's gonna work well if I can fix the ending. I've just gotta fix the ending.

LTUE 2020 (Feb. 15, 2020)

 

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