Nehex

Here on earth, the year is measured by how long it takes our planet to make one trip around the sun. On Roshar, the year is measured by the Highstorm cycle; 1000 days of 10 10-week months. This would imply that the characters in the Stormlight Archive are older than we might assume given the number of years they've lived. Let's take Shallan for example: In WoR, she says she's 17 years old, meaning she's been alive for roughly 17,000 days. If we were to convert that into earth time, that would mean that Shallan is about 46 earth-years old.

Oh geez... Vin's pokemon team? You guys are dorks. But the fun kind of dork. So that works out. I guess.

MAKE ME A WINNER!! I would kill for a signed ARC.

Everything I need to know I learned from Mistborn. Maybe this is because I’m just nerd, but when I come across some kind of problem, I find myself turning to books and movies and video games for solutions to my problems. As Kelsier once said, “Every action we take has consequences…both in Allomancy and in life.” I’m the kind of person that weighs the costs of my actions before I do much of anything. I know some people who do not, and they seem to be perpetually angry, depressed, stressed, or all three because they keep getting in their own way. Everyone’s life would be much simpler if they would learn to apply this basic principal. There is balance to everything, like with Ruin and Preservation. Sometimes, it’s horrific to turn on the news or read the newspaper, because it seems like everyone is fighting each other, everyone is sick, and even our environment is out to get us with disasters like earthquakes and floods. I think it’s easy to forget that even amidst all the chaos in our crazy little world, there is lots of good. Volunteer work to help disaster victims. Animal shelters that find homes for needy pets. Boy scouts helping old ladies across the street. I think it’s something of a statement that in Mistborn that at first is a much bigger focus than Preservation. It’s easy to forget—or even ignore—all the good around us. “Belief isn’t simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. What is belief—what is faith—if you don’t continue on after failure?” This one quote has helped me through a lot of hard times. I’m a fairly religious person, but I sometimes have days where everything seems to go wrong and no one is out there watching over me. Sometimes, I need to walk on my own and learn to fall so that I can pick myself up and not fall down again. “At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different. Different in shape, different in function, different in design. The man who looks at them without knowledge of their true nature might think them opposites for one is meant to open, and the other to keep closed. Yet, upon closer examination, he might see that without one, the other becomes useless. The wise man then sees that both lock and key were created for the same purpose.” Look closely at the people around you. They may seem like something unnecessary, something that doesn’t make sense, but there’s always more than meets the eye. There’s always another secret. You’ll be surprised what you’ll find. What about you guys? What has Mistborn taught you that’s helped you in your life?

This week, I’m going to do something a little different. I’m going to take a bit of a break from my usual fare to talk about something other than Brandon or the Cosmere. This week, it's all about Harvey, my boxer puppy, and he is coming home with me today. This is really exciting for me for a few different reasons. As of now, I live alone. I don’t really feel lonely, but there are times where I feel like something is missing. Harvey is also my first dog that’s mine, not the family’s dog. It's also nice because I can't afford a fancy-pants high tech security system. Besides, dogs are the best security system nature could offer. There’s something special about boxers. My parent’s dog (Harvey’s mom) is a great example of this. Two years ago, we had to put Ted, our 11 year old German Shepherd/Golden Retriever, down because of a tumor that had shifted inside him that was causing some serious problems. This was very sudden. The day before, he had been his normal happy self, running and playing Frisbee with the family. The next day, he had lost all feeling in his lower half, and wasn’t able to move. We took him to the vet and, ultimately, had to put him down. We were very close to Ted, especially my mother. After we put him down, she could do little more than lie on the ground next to his grave and cry. The next day, she got a feeling that she needed to go to the pet store. Baffling as this strange feeling was, she ended up at the local Petco. She wandered through the store aimlessly for a time, and came across a woman with a small boxer puppy. Trying very hard not to cry, my mom asked this woman if she could hold the puppy. The kind woman, sensing my mother’s grief, gladly handed over the pup and listened to my mom as she related our sorry tale. Close to tears herself, the boxer’s owner gave my mom the phone number of the family who she had purchased her dog from and told her that there were a couple puppies left. We weren’t sure if we wanted another puppy just yet. We had just lost the best dog man had known. But, we decided we could at least go look at the puppies. Where’s the harm in that? So, my mother, sister, and I made the forty-five minute drive to the breeder’s house to look at the puppies. As soon as we walked in the room, one of the puppies jumped up and ran straight to me. She pawed at my leg furiously, urging me to pick her up. “That’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” the owner said. “Why is that?” we asked. “That dog has been disinterested with every other person who came to look at the puppies. She wouldn’t even move to look at them, but ran straight up to you.” This was the sign we’d been looking for. She’d been waiting for us. That was almost two years ago, and we’ve had Ali ever since. On April 9, she had a litter of her own, and we’ve seen similar experiences with her puppies. While all of her puppies were friendly, certain ones get extremely excited when they see their family. They know their family, and they show it. And that’s how Harvey was with me. He picked me, and tonight, finally he comes home. Until the flame dies down, Austin

I come into contact with a lot of people who are looking for a good book. Of course, being the nerd I am, Brandon immediately comes to mind, and I recommend him to most everyone I meet. Many of those people go on to start their own pockets of nerdom, finding a new passion in Brandon’s books. It’s always fun for my friends and I to discuss which book is our favorite. My answer has always been the same: Mistborn. I love Mistborn as a series, and tend to treat it like one big book with three parts, rather than three books. There are so many things about Mistborn that I will always love. For a long while before I picked up Brandon, I had given up on finding any good fantasy books. I’d had some recommended to me, and I had found a few on my own, but none of them really struck a chord with me. I’d pick it up, but I wouldn’t ultimately feel any connection with the characters. The settings were always boring and stale. The plot was contrived and predictable. The magic was flat and unimaginative. I mostly spent most of my time reading the same few books over and over again. True, my Brandon obsession started with Elantris, but there were problems with Elantris. The pacing in the first half was dreadfully slow, and Raoden was, perhaps, too heroic. I enjoyed the book overall, but there were things about it that bothered me. The Devil’s in the details, as they say. Then, in 2006, I found what I was looking for. I picked up Mistborn because I loved Elantris, and hoped that it would shine a light into the realm of fantasy that I thought was lost. It did not disappoint. I couldn’t guess where the plot would go. The magic was brilliant and cohesive. The characters were real and relatable. There were just so many things that clicked and brought back a life I once thought dead. I felt a real, visceral connection with this book, and with the characters. I tend to get sucked into a book when I read it, but with a lot of books, the fascination dies down after a couple weeks after I’ve finished it. I couldn’t get Mistborn out of my head. Before long, I kept thinking of all kinds of fun things I could do with Allomancy. I still fantasize about leaping off tall buildings, pewter dragging through busy downtown streets, or of Pushing my way to work on the freeway, using cars and traffic signs as anchors. In the end, I like to think that having read Mistborn has been a positive influence in my own life. It’s made me be more inventive in my own writing, and I’ve learned to be a better writer because of it. I’ve met a lot of awesome people in the fandom, and strengthened existing friendships by sharing Mistborn. What about you? What is your favorite Brandon book and why? Until the flame dies down, Austin

I don't have the pictures myself, but they should be up on Facebook. I can have Adam send them to you; he was the photographer dude guy man.

It should come as no surprise to you that I am something of a nerd. It’s a humbling experience to be so closely associated with the object of your fandom. I’m willing to bet a large number of you have met Brandon in person at least once, and he is an awesome guy, to say the least. It’s been a neat experience, getting to see him grow as an author. I’ve been a big SanderFan from almost the beginning (See blog post # 1 for a more detailed account), and I like to think I have a closer relationship with him than a lot of other fans out there. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to be boastful, and I’m not telling you all that I’m a more dedicated fan than you are. Truth be told, there are plenty of you out there that know more about the Cosmere and his published work than I do. But, if you’ve met Brandon, you know that he really cares about his fan base, and it really shows in his interaction with them. Back in the good ol’ days, when he was still stopping everyone that walked past his table asking if they wanted to read a book, a few of us got to build a real friendship with him. Nowadays, he’s a little harder to get a hold of, what with his busy writing schedule and enormous amount of fans, but he still makes time to dote upon us nerds and make connections with people. This is one thing that really sets Brandon apart from other authors. I’ve been to other signings for a few different authors, and many of them are nervous – scared, even – to be around their fans. They come in, sit at their table, sign your book, and send you on your merry way. They make little to no eye contact, they barely talk to you other than to ask for your name, and then they leave at the first chance they get. Other writers are cut from what I call the “Better Than You” cloth. They sweep in, talk about how amazing they are, shun the oddballs and somewhat awkward fans, and then remind everyone several times over how awesome they are, how much more talented they are than everyone else, and that they are better than you. Not our Brandon. He takes effort to be as sociable as possible with everyone at his signings, treating everyone with respect and kindness. He loves talking and connecting with his fans. Often times, he’ll be having so much fun talking to his fans that the store he’s signing at closes before he’s ready to go home and leave his new friends behind. This may lead to special interaction, such as playing Magic at Dennys’ until midnight or later. This is why I’m such an avid fan. Sure, his books are amazing and his stories and characters captivating, but most importantly, he takes the time and makes the effort to make us, as fans and nerds alike, feel important and needed and appreciated. What experiences have you had with Brandon? Please share. Are there any topics anyone wants me to blog about? Anything in particular you want to hear ranted upon or nerded over? Let me know!

Okay, that's a fair point. As for brass, that fits. I'm also surprised no one has picked aluminum yet!!

I think it’s safe to assume that most everyone reading this blog has also read Mistborn. If you have an overactive imagination like I do, I’m willing to bet that you’ve fantasized about lifting a car while burning pewter, flying through the darkness wearing a mistcloak, or overhearing a private conversation with the use of tin. These fun little daydreams invade my daily life. My inner child yearns for the powers of a mistborn. However, even in the world of Scadrial, mistborn are rare, so the younger me(being the practical child all of us never were), realizes it’s more realistic to long for the powers of a misting (since wishing for a magical power is realistic). This has sparked something of a debate between me and the people whom I’ve forced Mistborn on. The question is: which metal would you choose? If you ask my brother Swifftalon, he’d say either steel or atium. Both of those hold merit. Who wouldn’t want to be able to shoot pennies at people who annoy you, or effortlessly dodge between cars on the freeway just for funsies? It certainly does have a dramatic flair to it. My boss would pick brass. That makes sense. Who wouldn’t want to be able to influence the people around you, or make your employee’s more satisfied with their job? It isn’t hard to figure out which metal I’d choose; you only need to look as far as my necklace. For me, pewter is the only way to go. I know what you’re probably thinking. “Pewter, Nehex? But pewter only makes you stronger! Why do that when you can do all these other awesome things?” Fair question. It would be great to be able to fly, or to see into the future, or manipulate the minds of those around you. But, on a day-to-day basis, which is going to be more useful? Foresight or health? Endurance and energy or mind manipulation? Strength or limited flight? Sure, the other metals are fun and flashy, but as far as usefulness goes, pewter is better than gold. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What metal would you choose? Weigh your options, then weigh in! Keep the fire alive, Austin

Why do you think stone is sacred to the Shin? I asked Peter about it, and he said he didn't know, but it seems like something that would be pretty important.

Does anyone know how Nightblood is able to talk to people? I'd assume it's an effect of all the Breath he has, but I wonder if there's more of a story there.

If I remember correctly, I think I remember Brandon saying that the Tears of Edgli were directly related to the Shard on Nalthis.

Hello my dear readers, My name is Austin (aka Nehex), and I'll be your blogger for today. I've been thinking about writing a blog for some time now, and finally decided to do it. Seeing as this is Brandon Sanderson's official fansite, I think it's fitting for me to write about about the first time I picked up a Brandon book. Sherman, set the Way-Back machine to 2006. I was in my junior year of high school, and obsessed with fanfiction. At the time, I was writing a Sonic the Hedgehog/Young Wizards series crossover that, in all honesty, was six different kinds of awful. Long story short, I trashed the story, but met another friend who was a fan of Diane Duane: a fellow fanfictionist who called herself BookwormRose. We quickly became friends and frequently exchanged emails to each other. One day, I mentioned that I hadn't read anything good lately, and she suggested that I read a book her boyfriend (who was also a twin named Austin[or maybe it was Allen with a twin brother named Austin, I forget.]) had just finished reading called Elantris. I was a little skpetical at first, as I usually am when picking up an unfamiliar book. But, true to my word, I went to the library and checked it out. After 10 pages, I was hooked. I flew that book faster than anything I had read in a long time, and was hungry for more. I rushed back to the library to find out that he had no other books that I could devour. Saddened, I decided to fill my bitter hole by purchasing a copy for myself. As I was leaving the Barnes and Noble, Elantris in hand, I noticed a sign saying Brandon Sanderson had a new book coming out in just one week. Not only that, he'd be signing at that very store soon after that. I hurriedly rushed back inside and pre-ordered my very own copy of Mistborn. I read Mistborn even faster than I read Elantris and showed up an hour early for the signing, eager to have him sign my book. Brandon showed up with a smile on his face, and happily signed my book. I was starstruck. In person, I'm usually fairly quiet until I get to know someone fairly well. That night, I was the very definition of a booth barnacle. After my book was signed, I clutched it to my chest, backed up a few feet so some other people could get their books signed too, then sat and stared like an idiot for the rest of the night. I made my brother (Swifftalon) and my best friend (Rubix) read Mistborn, and they quickly became as obsessed as me. We all joke that I'm the official infectious disease of our group, the A-Team. The rest, as they say, is history. Until next time, keep the fire alive Austin

Is there a difference between Windrunners and Surgebinders? Knowing Brandon, there's a distinction between the two, but as far as I can tell, he hasn't explained it yet. Personally, I think Szeth is a Surgebinder, and Kaladin is a Windrunner. I think this because Kal has a spren, while Szeth doesn't. Thoughts?

Has Odium been to Scadrial? Anyone know?

Are we going to see Hoid in Alloy of Law? What does bendalloy/cadmium/nicrosil/chromium do in Feruchemy?

I hadn't heard anything about Nicrosil or Chromium in this one, either. Also, at the signing in Eagle Mountain on Saturday, I asked if Marsh was going to show up, and got RAFO'd.

And did I hear that the main character is a cadmium/bendalloy misting? Also.... Jealous of the Walkers....

Brandon has been baiting us with little teasers from his new Mistborn novel. Anyone have any idea what will be in it? I do know that there's a cadmium or bendalloy misting in it, but that's all I remember off the top of my head.

I first heard about it from a penfriend on fanfiction.net. We had been chatting back and forth for some time, and she had mentioned that her boyfriend had just given her a book that she enjoyed, and reccomended that I pick it up. So, later that week, I picked up Elantris, and fell in love with it. Soon after I finished it, I found out that Brandon had another book coming out in about a week. So, the day it came out, I picked up Mistborn, read it in three days, and met Brandon when he was signing at my local Barnes and Noble a week later.

Pewter. Thug life, all the way.

I'm trying it this year. Hopefully I can finish. What do you guys do when you fall between plot points? I know what needs to happen, but I don't know what to do to get my characters motivated to do it.

We should get Austin to make a blog post about that... Okay. Mind you, we are a bit limited as to what we can say, but I wouldn't mind putting up a post.