matt1.

Hi and welcome to the shard! It's good to meet you. What's your favourite Cosmere theory? And biggest Cosmere hot take?

I have LOVED reading through this topic. Probably more than anything else it's reminded me just how much fantasy is out there—which is awesome! I haven't read very much fantasy yet, even though it's a genre that's meant so much to me. I guess I've read deeply and not widely? Like The Lord of the Rings was never enough Tolkien for me. I had to read the Hobbit, Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, Beren and Luthien etc. But even though I haven't yet read enough fantasy to fill a top 5 list of fantasy authors, I wanted to join in. So, 1. Tolkien. This dear man (and also Peter Jackson in many ways) has been entertainer in chief for me through by teenage years. I will love him and his work forever. 2. Brandon Sanderson. I'm just approaching the one-year anniversary of discovering him, and it's been a storming good year. I read The Final Empire first, and I fell in love with it. I still marvel at how vividly I saw the scenes from that book come alive in my imagination. 3. C.S. Lewis. I remember saying to my parents one day, 'I'd really like to read Narnia'. And a few days later there was a shopping bag on my bed with the first two books in it. I was taken completely by surprise. What a wonderful gift! I've also enjoyed Lewis' science fiction. And I've loved his non-fiction even more than his fiction. This guy could THINK! The only other fantasy I have read is Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen Donaldson. And I was really intrigued to hear other people's thoughts on it. I guess, as one person put it, I didn't have the right quantity of...angst... because I really, really, really didn't like it. For me, the character of Thomas Covenant was too unlikable. I found it impossible to care about him. I almost don't even like myself when I think about this sort of thing. Thomas Covenant could have fallen off a cliff, and I wouldn't even have shrugged. And I'm disgusted with myself for thinking that! Oh dear, no! Anyway... I'm glad I could take part. I've now got Lynch, Kuang, Jordan, Martin, Gaiman, and Rothfuss (and the kinda-fantasy-ish Murakami) on my shelf to get myself more and more fantasy-ified. And my big question now is who to start with. I think I'll go with Jordan.

Yes, exactly!

Thank you both. This is much appreciated!

This is a fantastic bunch of resources. Thanks a ton! I plan to read Dawnshard and RoW over the summer. So, maybe in a month or two I'll plunge into all this stuff. I have been tiptoeing around on the coppermind a little, but I need to get those two under my belt.

Thank you both for pointing that out. Can I ask how we know Hoid is from Yolen? In fact, there are lots of Cosmere facts that I don’t understand how we, the fans, know them. Like how do we know that Hoid was writing to Frost in WoK? And how do we know the names of more shards than Urcanum Unbounded names? Is this all WoB? Or have I just missed the necessary clues? (I’ve read all published Cosmere novels except Dawnshard and RoW, and I’ve read everything in Arcanum Unbounded.)

SPOILERS for MISTBORN: SECRET HISTORY and OATHBRINGER and a little bit WARBREAKER Well, that’s my theoretical ramblings. I’d absolutely love to hear your thoughts! p.s. I’ve no clue if my idea is original. I thought about looking through the threads to see if anyone was already discussing it, but there’s SO many threads. Any tips for finding discussions quickly on the 17th shard?

I gather that Hoid’s letter in The Way of Kings is addressed to Frost. How do we know this? And even more, from what source do we even know there is someone called Frost? I’ve read all of Mistborn, Elantris, Warbreaker, Arcanum Unbounded, and Stormlight as far as Oathbringer. Have I missed something?

I just watched the first episode of The Handmaid’s Tale series 4, and Mckenna Grace was superb! Without saying anything very spoilery, she nailed emotionally tragic, a little brutal, and being tough and sensitive all at once. I could totally see her as Vin. Thoughts?

I’m so looking forward to reading Rhythm of War. And I can wholeheartedly agree that Shadows of Self and Emperor’s Soul are up there. The ends of those two affected my emotions a lot!

Hi! It's great to have you here. The Cosmere's just great, isn't it? I'm almost finished reading it all. I've just got Stormlight to finish. What's been your favourite book?

Castle sounds great!

I meant Words of Radiance (facepalm) Yep. Fair enough, I guess.

From my position having read Shadows of Self, I guess I can see why Moash is unpopular.

I was given Words of Radiance and Oathbringer for Christmas, but thanks to the internet, I realised just in time that I should read Warbreaker and Edgedancer before Oathbringer. Only part 3 of The Final Empire—you’ve got some amazing stuff coming up. My favourite Mistborn book? That’s a super hard choice between The Final Empire and Shadows of Self (which had me laughing aloud in the best way at least once a chapter—such a joy to read). What’s been your favourite Stormlight book? Does being Mistborn count as a weapon? Cause that would definitely be my choice! Otherwise, I’d have Ranette’s pistol Vindication. I’d like to know what you’d choose. How about Blizzard for a call sign? I love skiing, and Blizzard sound threatening and powerful. What would yours be? I’ve thought about this for a day, and I still don’t have an answer. I enjoy reading about everyone. How about you?