Radiant Returned

Favorite Magic System: Allomancy, mostly because it's the one we know most about and fully shows off Sanderson's genius. I love Awakening as well, and think that once the Stormlight series is more fleshed out Stormlight might be my favorite, but for now Allomancy takes the gold. 

Favorite Character: Kaladin. Through any fantasy series, if I was making a lists of 10/10 character I could never get enough of, Kaladin, Dalinar, Vin, Kelsier, Vasher would all easily make the list off the top of my head. Of those, Kaladin is my personal favorite, but Dalinar could easily surpass him because he closely resembles a character I created years ago for a fantasy series I had envisioned. Vin is also so amazing it's hard to not vote for her. Hardest question, but Kaladin for now. 

Favorite Series: For now? Mistborn, just because one trilogy was already finished so theres some closure/epicness there mixed with the new novels and how amazing they've been. Stormlight I probably rank higher on an individual basis, but I'm going to wait until the first 5 are done before I make a final judgment on that. 

Love when Sanderson kills off characters, just because you know the writing is great when your heart actually aches with the characters. My top 3 have to be the following

3. Lessie - I know we didn't know Lessie personally, but I don't think my heart has ever hurt as much as when I read the scene of Wax's reaction when he kills her. Beautifully written and so freaking sad.

2. Kelsier - Love the way his death was handled. Kelsier I think is one of Sanderson's best written characters, you immediately root for him in such a short time. Even against all odds I didn't think he would die, he was the bloody protagonist of the series and it was book 1! Sanderson brought out some inner-George Martin with this and I loved it. Make him a martyr, and I think the Secret History was beautifully done. Kelsier isn't "alive" through some cheap write in by the author, he fought and scraped for a half-life and has worked to improve to full life (if he is fully alive) in a way that is super true to the world and character.

3. Vin - Oh my lord. Of any series, I don't think I've seen a better protagonist death than this one. The end of Hero of Ages was perfection. I was sad but Sazed appeases you a little at the end, and Secret History fully heals the wound. Great stuff. 

I grew up into fantasy with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games and the like. Entering into high school I started A Song of Ice and Fire which really got me into serious fantasy/sci-fi, my sophomore year was all about Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, and the only author I still have on the same pedestal as Sanderson in Patrick Rothfuss. Near the end of my junior year I discovered The Stormlight Archive off of an online list of books for people who enjoyed Dance with Dragons. Ever since I've been enthralled with the cosmere and Sanderson's writings and spent much of my senior year and now finishing up my freshman year at college reading and re-reading all he has to offer.

I started with the Stormlight Archive 1-2 at the end of 2014, loved it so to start 2015 bought and then read Mistborn (1-4), Elantris, Warbreaker, and the novellas. Ever since SOS I've been up to date and buying-as-released. As far as ranking, according to my Goodreads "Ranked fantasy books" I have them as the following with overall ranking in ( ).

1. Words of Radiance (2)
2. The Hero of Ages (4)
3. The Final Empire (6)
4. The Way of Kings (7)
5. The Well of Ascension (11)
6. Shadows of Self (15)
7. Bands of Mourning (17)
8. Elantris (19)
9. Warbreaker (20)
10. The Alloy of Law (29)

I read The Reckoners as well, but I ranked them in a different category "Ranked teen fantasy books", and all three were in the Top 5, with Steelheart being my #1. I read those after I finished Warbreaker, but before SOS came out, with the exception of Calamity.

I have no idea how to post a picture, but I'll just list them out for you. 

Steelheart, Firefight, Calamity - All hardcover, new and good condition, Steelheart is signed. 

Perfect State/Shadows for Silence - Dual hardcover book, signed.

Emperor's Soul - Hardcover, signed.

Elantris - Leatherbound and signed (starting my re-read as soon as I finish my SOIAF re-read), extra paperback for lending purposes

Warbreaker - Mass-market paperback

Mistborn, Well of Ascension, Hero of Ages, Alloy of Law - Paperback 

Shadows of Self, Bands of Mourning - Hardcover, signed

Way of Kings (Paperback, not signed), Words of Radiance (Hardcover, not newest edit unfortunately, signed)

I wish I could post a picture, my young but up and coming library's top two shelves are pure Brandon Sanderson (listed), leather bound Tolkien, and hardbacks for George Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch (one paperback), and Brent Weeks (two paperbacks, one hardcover). 

While the eleventh metal is in the beginning of the mistborn game book it is less of a prelude for the game and more a prelude for the first mistborn trilogy. While it is rather short I think it has some interesting insights. If you haven't already read it you should check it out. I'm not sure it should be included in your count to 16 as it is really short, but its still a good read.

I have it in my Notes on my iPhone for easy access  . It's a very interesting read. Especially since I love Kelsier. 

And I will more than gladly throw out this theory in exchange for an additional 1940's tech trilogy. 

EDIT:: I just saw this in the Mistborn forum: https://twitter.com/PeterAhlstrom/status/634012031415271424

For those who don't want to press on links or if I did it incorrectly (still new to forum posting of any kind), it's from last year, so more recently than the 2014 State of the Sanderson, and he tweeted that the next trilogy is 1980's tech. 

My thinking was there would be two more trilogy: the (1940s? I thought it was 1980s) level technology one and then the space opera. Add in two more novellas, be they Secret Histories or some other offshoot, and you get 16. Just a thought. 

I didn't include The Eleventh Metal because it was just a little prelude into a board game right? Doesn't even really qualify as a novella. 

I know that this wasn't intended in the initial plan for which books would be written, with The Alloy of Law and the subsequent trilogy being unexpected, but how awesome would it be if there ended up being sixteen Mistborn books to go along with the theme of 16 Metals, 16 Shards, etc. Despite the original plan for Mistborn to be three trilogies, so 9 books, so far Sanderson seems to be on pace for 16. Note: I'm including novellas in this count.

Original Trilogy

1. The Final Empire

2. The Well of Ascension

3. The Hero of Ages

4. Mistborn: A Secret History

Wax and Wayne Trilogy

5. The Alloy of Law

6. Shadows of Self

7. The Bands of Mourning

8. The Lost Metal

With two more trilogies planned, I can easily see Sanderson writing two more novellas or even novels to go with them. I guess the idea doesn't mean much, but the "coincidence" would fulfill my inner-OCD.

I also feel like there would be not plot relevance to having Tien stick around. Tien's death is what started the fuel in Kaladin, bringing him back wouldn't change that at this point, but it wouldn't provide any additions to the story besides Kaladin's happiness. And let's face it, Kaladin isn't really a happy kind of character. 

I'm sure this has already been answered somewhere, but I couldn't find it on the Wiki or any of the easily-accessed forums: Which specific Compound was the Lord Ruler using to keep from aging? The Gold-gold is what I assumed he used to heal (like Miles Hundredlives), but that compound didn't keep Miles from aging?

EDIT: Atium compounding. Brain fart. My bad.

I agree with Taveren, I can pretty easily imagine Kelsier getting angry and violent at the idea that someone like Wit had both the knowledge of the Lord Ruler's atrocities, as well as the powers to oppose if not single handedly defeat him, and still just sit around and observe for 1,000 years. I know Wit has his reasons, but it's also hard not to see Kelsier's side coming from his POV. 

So this is actually the first forum I've ever joined about anything, so what are the things like 266 Mistings, 546 King's Wit, and I have 1 Spren apparently?

Do you art?

No I'm not gifted in that area unfortunately, but I have enjoyed browsing the art on here.

I kinda liked the original scene better. I can definitely see how the revised scene fits better with Kaladin's character, but I like Kaladin the soldier. I don't want to see too many scenes where Kaladin refuses to kill because he absolutely doesn't have to. 

This is a question that has been bugging me ever since I started re-reading The Stormlight Archive. We know the Heralds aren't Shardholders (like Tanavast), and I've seen some mentions in a quick read through of them maybe being powered through Honor, but what separated the Heralds from the other humans, like the Radiants besides coming first? It's known that the Heralds were first and that the Radiants were based off of them, but is describing them as "gods" really accurate? Or just about as accurate as calling the Radiants gods because they are more powerful, but not for any real theological reason?

Hey all, this is my first time on this site. I've been reading Sanderson since 2014 and haven't stopped since, the only remaining books I haven't read by him (at least in the Cosmere) are the short stories which I hope to buy or receive this Christmas. Him and Patrick Rothfuss are constantly duking it out in my mind to be my favorite author. So yeah, that's me. I also really really want the leatherbound of Elantris and am just waiting for them to restock, so any news on that would be awesome.