oak253

When Szeth assassinated Gavilar, he drew Stormlight from Gavilar's Shardplate, but only after unbuckling the breastplate to access the gemstones while Gavilar was incapacitated. I think the Plate would be considered "active" since Gavilar was still alive at the time and the Plate hadn't stopped functioning. However, we also know that the rules are somewhat different with Szeth since he isn't exactly a Surgebinder.

You're probably right. I was getting that vibe when browsing for fan material. Thanks all for replying with your points of view. I can see why some people feel that Vin and Elend's relationship is lacking in passion, but I agree the most with Darnam--it's the most realistic relationship that I've read in fiction, and as a result the most moving. I think it's pretty clear that there is a very strong bond between the two, especially when you consider the type of person Vin is. She's far less emotionally expressive than Elend, but when you look at her actions, you can see her feelings for him are quite profound. She spent the first 17 years of her life enduring abuse and betrayal, and less than a year learning to trust people and build friendships. Even with Kelsier's crew, the only people she really trusted with anything important were Kelsier and Sazed--Kelsier first, with some difficulty, and Sazed later, after he saved her from her first encounter with the Inquisitors at Kredik Shaw. It's notable that when she first meets Elend, she feels comfortable enough with him for the "real" Vin to come out, and she had a strong desire to trust him after that. For Vin, trust = love, and the people she does trust are rather special. Elend was particularly special because he didn't have to do anything specific to earn her trust--it was an instant connection between them. And in Book 2, obsessively guarding him against assassins and worrying about his safety all the time was how she showed her love. She would never have acted that way for anyone else. Unfortunately, that also meant she was well on her way to co-dependency until she figured out her own personal issues and learned the part of being able to love was also being able to trust enough to let go. I think Sanderson did a great job with Vin - few men write the female perspective well, especially with the more complex characters. @Senor Feesh: I also agree that the ending was perfect, and shouldn't be any other way. It's just that I became attached to the main characters and it was hard to see them die. Elend especially, since he was my favorite character. Sanderson is a genius for writing him the way he did--a normal man who played a vital role in shaping the post-TLR world, and even having Mistborn powers didn't make him invincible, only somewhat less vulnerable. Darnam said "this is more a metaphysics crushing forum." Does that mean that's the main purpose of this forum? Or that most forum discussions happen to be more about Allomancy and world mechanics?

Thanks to all who responded, for humoring me. I suppose that the fact they die at the end has something to do with it -- their story has been told, and there's definitely a sense of finality. I love bittersweet endings, and Mistborn is no exception. I think if Sanderson somehow made it so that Vin and Elend survived, he would not have done justice to the ending. To paraphrase Theodore Roosevelt, nothing worth doing is ever easy. That said, I do kind of hate the fact that Elend (and therefore Vin) dies. I've re-read the books, but I stopped before reaching Vin's final battle with the Inquisitors in Luthadel. I can't bring myself to read the ending again, at least not so soon. When I eventually do, it'll have to be in a quiet place where I won't be interrupted

I just finished reading the Mistborn trilogy one week ago, and what a ride it was. After I reached the last page, I put my Kindle down and just sat there, stunned. Fantasy is filled with epic tales, to the point where one can get easily jaded, but few deliver in raw emotion and impact like Mistborn did. At least, it did for me. And the primary reason why I found the story so riveting? It wasn't the magic (although very cool) or the world ending or the fantastical creatures or the battle scenes. It was the human relationships with all their shining moments, quirks, and flaws. The relationship that stands out on top is the bond between Vin and Elend. Their story alone is epic in and of itself. They are one of my favorite, if not THE favorite, couples in fiction. Which is why I'm so baffled at the relative lack of fandom surrounding this couple. When I finished the books, I went online and eagerly searched for fandoms, fan clubs, forums where I could find similar fans who share my passion. To my surprise, there is very little out there. Even for the trilogy itself, there seems to be a smaller fanbase than I expected. So my (somewhat rhetorical) question is: Why??