#please i know some of you are cosmere fans

[only-lonely-stars]

ok as someone who just read Elantris, my first Sanderson book... can someone just please explain the Cosmere to me??? I'm incredibly confused and have zero idea which book to read next!

Elantris was a fantastic novel though. 9/10, give Raoden and Sarene some more romance and I'd be over the moon.

[spacegirlspiffy]

I know there are tons of reading order recommendations for Brandon Sanderson, and I know that my personal recommendation list is different from most going around. But I figured I'd throw my two cents into the ring for anyone considering getting into the Cosmere.

Warbreaker

Why - This was the first book recommended to me by my brother who was already heavily into Sanderson. It serves as a good introduction to the intricate magic systems featured throughout and is a good standalone, even if I'm dying for more. It's also just flat out my favorite book containing both some of my favorite characters plus my favorite character across the Cosmere.

Mistborn (first trilogy)

Why - Good introduction to his series format. Characters I was immediately drawn to. And really good cool magic system. It does drag a little at some points but overall very much worth it.

Elantris

Why - A bit of a pallet cleanser in that it's a standalone. I really liked the plot and resolution. I enjoyed the mechanics of the world even though there are things that can't be truly appreciated until reading other books.

Stormlight Archive

Why - I'm neck deep in it, currently reading RoW which is the latest release as of now. The Way of Kings was initially off putting to me in it's slowness and I abandoned it shortly after starting it. However I restarted it earlier this year and have been voraciously chewing my way through the series since. Do not skip the novellas. I am really impressed with the care and consideration given to disabled characters as well as mental health issues. Also character development is A+. There are characters I disliked or didn't care for at the start who are now among my favorites.

Mistborn (second trilogy)

Why - honestly this has been the least interesting to me and I abandoned it part way through the third book. But there are important interconnected things happening. I'll probably restart it at some point and have a greater appreciation for it then.

Tress of the Emerald Seas

Why - this is the next book on my list after I finish RoW while waiting for the next one in the Stormlight Archive.

I'm happy to have people talk about their recommendations for order or individual books they enjoy the most. I do ask that it remains spoiler free as I'd like this to be geared towards new people just getting started.

If you want to talk about any of these more in-depth please feel free to make a separate post and tag me. I am more than happy to pick apart things happening in the Cosmere, exchange theories, or otherwise get into the details with other fans.

[samasaur]

answering your tags, I haven't read any of Brandon Sanderson's books yet, but he teaches a sci-fi/fantasy creative writing class that's on youtube and been highly recommended. have you read from him, if so what did you like the most?

yes i am a Big Fan of his — it is probably more accurate to describe me as a fanatic. I just tried to go through his list of works to see which i've read and which i own, and while i wasn't able to get a solid count, I've read most of them and own a fair amount.

the thing to understand about recommending any of Sanderson's books is that the vast majority of his works are set in the same overarching universe, called the Cosmere. While different series are (usually) set on different planets, the magic systems all follow an overarching set of rules, and as the Cosmere continues, we're going to see more and more crossover. that being said, you can read almost all of his currently published books without knowing the wider implications. so with that said, I recommend starting with either The Emperor's Soul or Tress of the Emerald Sea.

I've been suggesting The Emperor's Soul to people for years as a gateway to Sanderson's work, for a couple of reasons. First, it's a novella (I think somewhere around a hundred pages?) rather than some of his gargantuan other works (multiple of his books are over a thousand pages). Second, I think it has a really cool magic system, which I feel is one of Sanderson's strengths. Third, it won the Hugo Award for Best Novella, so I have some critics backing me up. And last but most definitely not least, I really like it. Which is always something you should look for in book recommendations!

Tress of the Emerald Sea was one of the "Secret Novels" Sanderson wrote while quarantining during the pandemic and published through the biggest Kickstarter of all time. Although I still haven't gotten my physical copy, I read my ebook copy on New Year's Day, the day it came out, and I really loved it. The inspiration for it was "What if, in The Princess Bride, Buttercup goes after Westley to rescue him?" It was a very fun read that, like The Emperor's Soul, teases connections to other Cosmere books without relying on you having already read them. This book also has a cool magic system, but even cooler is the worldbuilding, which I think is Sanderson's greatest strength.

I'll also point you to Sanderson's page on where to start.

As for my favorites, the two above are probably my two favorite single stories of his, but I also love The Stormlight Archive (epic fantasy) and Elantris (because the magic system is like programming) and Mistborn because the magic system is cool in a different way and Warbreaker because of the humor and

I like pretty much all of his work. Sanderson's works are also varied enough that even if you don't like any of the above works, you may still like some of his other works.

If you have any other questions, please do ask me — clearly, I love talking about them (and books in general).

Also, just because I love how Sanderson announced his Secret Novels, here's the video:

[inolienkiki]

hi there! [PLEASE READ THIS bc it has important information about what will be on my blog for the next several months]

so I've been mysteriously mia for the last week, and no it is not because my mom visited and also I'm finally getting therapy

It is actually because I randomly reposted a writing ask game and *people actually responded* and now I must stick by my word and work on 3 projects I will have trouble working on. and I haven't done that yet So I'll do at least a bit of that tomorrow! And send excerpts! And thank you @mx-quartz and @frankensteins-mt-dew and @kazoosandfannypacks for keeping me accountable abt this! Also I made a vague post about isles of the emberdark and it got 14 notes which is a personal record lmao

Anyway the very important information here is that I have finally finished 53 of the books on my reading list this year! This means I'm finally ready to dive deep into my giant Brandon Sanderson reread... that I'm guessing will probably take most of the rest of the year. And I am going to be reading everything affiliated with Brandon Sanderson. I'm talking the Infinity Blade books, Dark One Forgotten, White Sand Prose, Centrifugal, Hyperthief, HARRE, so on. If you're a Sanderson fan and you have no idea what I'm talking about, that's totally valid- the point is, I've found all the obscure stuff and I'm going to read it. Also the entire cosmere and everything else. (Except for Wheel of Time, since I still have only read the first 3 books and I have no intention of skipping to book 12 for no reason.)

Future posts on this blog may be associated with various Brandon Sanderson-affiliated works, and will have spoilers, which I will put below the cut. I will mention this on the applicable posts, I just want to put this information out there so you guys, my 3 followers, (hi! love you guys) don't click through and see something you don't want to see.

Other information: to stop myself from going insane, I am going to be interspersing the Sanderson works with various Warrior Cats books. I don't know which one is more likely to drive me insane, but I'm not sure they work in conjunction, so at least there's some hope for me yet.

I will be starting with The Rithmatist! Tomorrow, probably! (4/5/24) And then I will read Reckoners, including Mitosis and Lux.

This is going to be fun. After all, I'm going to need something to occupy me until the WoR kickstarter gets fulfilled and Wind and Truth comes out.

[il3x]

Tagged by @vikugnavikugna!

coke or pepsi? beverage BITE miette?? beverage STING her tongue like the insect??? jail!!! jail for beverage for One Thousand Years!!!

disney or dreamworks? dreamworks did HTTYD, right? them.

coffee or tea? tea

books or movies? books hehe

windows or mac? never used mac so windows it is

dc or marvel? ok, exposing myself here, worm was like my 2nd superhero media ever. i haven't read either 🙈 i have seen a few marvel movies but i'm not sure whether that should count for or against them

x-box or playstation? mine crafdt on my laptop

dragon age or mass effect? mass effect bc incuriouscat on youtube makes sick ass fan PMVs

night owl or early riser? night owl

cards or chess? chess, you can narrate stories about the pieces and thoroughly annoy your opponent (sibling) even as you lose >:3

chocolate or vanilla? chocolate all the way!!

vans or converse? wgat

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar? I can't tell if these are fantasy names or antidepressants

fluff or angst? uhhhhdfcgvhbjnk gonna have to say fluff

beach or forest? beach

dogs or cats? cats 100%! (or secret third option: fish...)

clear skies or rain? clear. god. please... 🙏🙏

cooking or eating out? cooking :P

spicy food or mild food? Mild by any sane standards, but spicy according to my family and/or BBC Food haha

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas? chris mas :))

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot? uuuhhhh .. hh. hard one here. gonna have to also go cold

if you could have a superpower, what would it be? SUPERSPEED!! Or time powers. My irl friend has convinced me of their usefulness.

animation or live action? animation

paragon or renegade? renegade, it's the name of my serial killer dark forest!hollyleaf fanfic (only half kidding...)

baths or showers? shower

team cap or team ironman? hm. remember when I said I watched a few marvel movies? yeah none of them were this one :(

fantasy or sci-fi? fantasy baybey!!! but I adore both

do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they? oh god okay. hm... "Where did we learn it, this talent for insatiability?" from The Handmaid's Tale still Lives In My Head from high school english. If song lyrics count, then, "You don't know me / don't you question my love" from Berlin, Without Return. "Sometimes a hypocrite is just a man in the process of changing" (I don't recall the exact wording) from... Oathbringer? is my fav cliche cosmere pick. Oh! And I forget the episode or even who said it, but at some point during the s3 All Might/AFO fight in MHA, one of the side characters stuck on guard duty said "You're confusing difficulty with importance", and that changed my life.

youtube or netflix? youtube :) it has fun little AMVs

[REDACTED] [Clearance Level 9]

when do you feel accomplished? when I bake something! making concrete stuff is really fulfilling, especially if I'm baking for other people.

star wars or star trek? spaceballs (jk, star wars, but I haven't seen star trek so sw wins by default)

paperback books or hardcover books? paperback

to live in a world without literature or without music? [sad character song assigner noises]... without music.

who was the last person to make you laugh? that would be @ty-bayonet-betteridge with several lines in their riley fic hehe

city or countryside? city! much as I complain about missing nature :') ideally a city that's near the sea

favorite chips? anything plain sea salt and properly crunchy 🤌

pants or dresses? pants, though dresses are fun for fancy occasions!

libraries or museums? is it a natural history museum? pleamse?? if so museum! otherwise library all the way.

character driven stories or plot driven stories? I don't really have a preference ngl

bookmarks or folding pages? i was one of those heretical kids who just plonked their books face down open 🙈😭 and now I mostly read online so... idk? Probably bookmarks.

Dream job? honestly would love to be on the management council for a small nature conservancy. second choice would be ecological research, but data-based, not fieldwork (animals scare me >.<)

What gives you comfort? thinking about The Characters...

what are some of your favorite song lyrics? literally ANY pun or double meaning lyric by idkhow!! gonna go with "lose yourself inside the city / lose your mind inside a week".

favorite ice cream flavor ever? chocolate my beloved...

first fandom? warrior cats......

deep ocean or deep space? (personally, i gotta pick ocean, because theres fish in there 👍😊)

Your desert island band?

@thesternest @seroquelfan @chaoticrushu, but no pressure to answer, and anyone is welcome to join! add your own question at the end if you answer :]

[cosmererambles]

After listening to nothing but Cosmere stuff for over a year, I'm finally forcing myself to listen to another author.

It's gonna be Jane Austen, but ya know. I just need the variety even if I don't want it.

No other author hits that mark. Sanderson just writes what I like. Graphic violence and gore and no gross sex scenes or overly lurid depictions of characters. (Looking at you GRRM)

I think I'm just addicted to Michael Kramer too. I listen to The Final Empire every night; I've restarted it about 16 times, just listening to it when I shower and as I fall asleep. Tend to restart it just as Kelsier does his bit at the end, the big idiot makin' me sad. Think I'll listen to WoR at night for some variety and go back. But TFE is my comfort book.

Worth noting I finally listened to Edgedancer and I'm a bit upset I hadn't before now. I didn't quite care for Lift, but I love her now. Really want to see her and Kelsier interact.

"Friend" at work wants me to listen to Neil Gaiman's works. Now, if you're a fan of his, please, take no offense. I'm an overly critical bitch at times. That being said, I have absolutely no interest. Dude goes "I listened to Mistborn, now you gotta listen to this." Read the synopsis, no interest. I was also really put out by the comment. Like excuse me? You didn't HAVE to read Mistborn. You chose too. And you enjoyed it. I know I WON'T enjoy The Sandman. I can tell.

All I want is more Kelsier stuff. Unf it doesn't exist. (Unf is my shortening for Unfortunately, as I can spell that word without spellcheck. I suck)

[plasmasnake1001]

Ranting about Magic 

In fantasy settings, I both love and hate magic. Over time I've realized my taste and discovered I both love and hate things in conflicting ways. I’m mainly writing this out to just hear my own thoughts but would love to get other people's ideas and solutions. I’ll probably be writing a follow-up where I talked out my ideas for a magic system. 

While I do enjoy magic as a weird thing we can’t comprehend, I also love it more as a tool. I don’t need to know every detail to use a chainsaw, but I need to understand it enough to get it to chop down a tree. I hate when magic is just generic fantasy magic. I love schools of magic, winds of magic, lores of magic, different magic sources, magic from the same materials, and all types of magic, just don’t copy elder scrolls when writing and designing magic for your settings. 

Warhammer Fantasy / AoS 

I love the Warhammer Fantasy Magic color wheel. The 8 lores of magic allow the user to do all types of things, each wind is its own magic system. A beast mage is wild and uses animal parts while a fire mage uses anything that relates to the 'firey aspect'. I really love it when a spell caster of one lore needs to do something the another might could do easily. It rewards good creativity and expression while also not letting every spell caster cast every spell. 

But, that isn't how magic actually works. In the novels, a spell caster can cast any spell, colour be damned. Some spells (or cantrips) are colour-less and one of my favorite pieces of fluff mentions that whatever you're trying to cast, make it relate to your wind to fit better. On the tabletop, there are close to several hundred lores. Many of them don't really reflect the core 8, some could be seen as combinations or alterations, but many would be harder too. It just feels like the winds are only relevant when the story wants to remind you that Games Workshop has copyright over specific names for their magic. 

Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

One of my favorite settings is Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. I could talk for hours about it, but something I love is that magic affects the world in all types of ways. I love that it explains the rules of how to create fire it alters air pressure which in turn could affect the town steam boiler causing it to explode. In game I love this so much, however, I feel it's too limiting in many ways. I don’t love the ‘magical’ vs ‘technological’ meter. If I’m a diviner, I can see the future, but how does this affect the train? A fire mage may overheat a train and cause problems, it should make guns deal more damage. 

Magitek

Magiteck is basically the exact inverse of Arcanum (even though it uses steam-power like magic), I do like some Magitek systems, I think some can be good but it should never feel like “I have a magic window I can touch buttons on and things happen - please don’t call it a computer cause its not, that word doesn’t exist here.” A lot of them are bad, only a few have done it well. Speaking of both. 

The Cosemere

I've also been a fan of the Cosmere for this past year. I really like how a lot of the magic systems work. Not all of it is perfect, and some of it can be a bit cheesy. But I really like the way the different magic systems interact, how some systems do the same thing but different, or some are just the exact same abilities. I love how many abilities are ‘you can do this one thing’ and seeing how the wielder comes up with more and more interesting ways to use magic. I also love some of the ‘science’ of it. Some forces work together, others apart. 

This is also a personal one that I go back and forth on, but not a fan of magic that is just “learn the magic word, and do the spell, it's like computer scripting” especially if there aren’t limits on the words themselves. 

I don’t want to spend a lot of time, but I could write a lot about what I dislike about the Cosemeres magic systems. This isn’t a ‘magic shouldn’t have rules’ rant but as someone who has read every book and enjoyed them dearly and is basically “if I wrote this magic, I would do X different for Y reasons.” 

DnD Barbarians 

This is just a weird personal one, but when I’m building a character. I always try to make one that can use that setting's magic. So I would never pick a barbarian or a fighter. I’ve seen some settings that do some cool stuff by giving them weird magic systems or abilities and that is something I would like to see more of. 

In concussion 

I don’t really know. This is longer than I wanted it to be. I really wrote this cause I just feel my Tumblr needs something and I have a writing degree I only use to grade papers and write emails, but I’ll probably be writing a follow-up later this week breaking down magic for a setting I am always working in. I’m sure if you read that you’ll find contradictions, inaccuracies, or things that seem to be copied directly from the examples above and maybe others I’m missing.

[emrystheedgedancer]

This is again not directly Cosmere related but it kinda sort of is.

I binge watched season 2 of the Netflix Shadow and Bone series last night and it was EXCELLENT. Just really, really good. I’m happy to talk S&B with any other fans in messages.

It was such a good adaptation of the books (and I mean all the GrishaVerse books) without being a direct copy. It was a remix of plots and characters that worked very well.

I am BEGGING all of you to support this series through legal channels if you have the means. Please watch it in the next 28 days so Netflix knows that not only do we need a season three but that well-done fantasy book adaptations are what we want. That there’s an audience for them that’s hungry for more! We vote with our time and our wallets and I want to vote for more excellent fantasy adaptations. Including some Sanderson ones.

[kaladinsspear]

Hello! I've seen a few pinned posts and I like the idea.

Welcome to my library! I'll explain a little bit about what you can find and how to find what you want.

This is primaraly a cosmere fandom blog, and I try to tag everything for easy reference. The catch is, its all tagged by what I think I'll search for if I ever want to find it again. Here is my attempt at an explanation for how I catagorize my blog. :)

Spoilers - I am tagging all WAT content as 'wat spoilers', this includes all content referencing the preview chapters. I will continue to tag content that incorporates WAT for 2 months after it is released, then the rest of my blog tagging policy applies.

I I try to tag super big twists and reveals with '[series name] spoilers', but ultimately the nature of Sandersons work is that it is really difficult to discuss it without discussing spoilers. Most of this blog assumes that if you are in the 'warbreaker' tag, you have read warbreaker. I try to tag series crossovers with both series so you can look at my 'mistborn' tag even if you havent read 'stormlight archive' as long as you have 'stormlight archive' blocked, but I'm not perfect at remembering which specific book my lore knowledge comes from so I may miss some things.

Series - This is primaraly a cosmere fan blog, so I tag by what cosmere series the content references. 'mistborn' covers both era 1 and 2, and 'mistborn era 1' covers the entire first trilogy. I tag the specific book if it is a specific reference, but most content is tagged by series catagory.

Characters - If the content references 1 - 3 characters I will tag by the characters name, if many more characters are involved, I will tag it as 'ensemble' the 'ensemble' tag may include characters from the same series, or from multiple series.

Relationship - Clearly romantic content between any of the characters is tagged with both the character names and their ship name. This can sometimes apply more generally to an intense relationship, so I might tag 'kalmoash' on a post that analyzes their relationship even in a non shipping way.

'mic cosmere' - Content that is more cosmere focused and assumes knowledge of all published works.

'my thoughts' - Content I made or added to. Includes diary entries, meta, comments, photos, and ramblings both on the cosmere and my life in general.

'stories' - Any form of storytelling. This can include headcannons, speculation, anecdotes, or fanfiction.

'funny' - Made me smile or laugh enough to want to share.

'art' - Self explanatory

There are subtags within each of those catagories that you can explore, but those should get you started. :)

I try to put content warnings on sensitive topics such as drugs, alcohol, blood, etc. but I only know what kind of content I would want a warning for. If there is anything you don't want to see and can't easily filter out of my blog, please let me know and I'll start adding a tag for it!

[someonelookingpraediti]

A Year of Sanderson Guesses, Wishes, Hopes, Dreams...

I've just started reading the first "Secret Project" book, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and the first swag box is due to ship any time now, so this seems like the ideal time to ponder what might be headed my way this year.

For anyone who missed it, last March Brandon Sanderson announced that he had written, in secret, four additional, unplanned books during the pandemic. There was a Kickstarter to fund "A Year of Sanderson" - a delivery of goodies each month in 2023. That's four premium hardcover books, and eight boxes of Sanderson swag. In the time it took me to watch the video and to pledge (about half an hour) it was already funded.

But I've got a confession. I'm just... not that into the Cosmere. I know, I know, that's the worst possible thing I could say! How can I still call myself a Sanderson fan?!

Please don't get me wrong, I really love the books individually, but I don't like this big multi-series crossover thing! It's way too much, I want to just be a casual fan! I can't devote all my runtime to one fandom!

In my opinion, you just shouldn't have to work so hard to partake in entertainment.

However, I adore his Sci-Fi works, so, so much, and they don't deserve to be so overshadowed. I just like his non-Cosmere writing more than any of the series in the Cosmere.

So, as I try to speculate over what might be in these swag boxes, it's going to be a bit coloured by my personal preference for his other writing. Don't take it to heart.

Firstly, some general wants for the books and the swag!

As something of a book subscription connoisseur, I've got really high expectations for these "premium" books. The absolute top priority is that they need to work as a set! They've got to line up on my shelf looking like they were designed to sit together. Other than that, I expect artwork endpapers, a ribbon bookmark, some fancy foiling, and gilded edges. I'd appreciate slipcases. They need to be premium.

And as for the goodies! Well, even for a book subscription, these are pricey. I mean, really expensive. So I'm expecting big things from these swag boxes. In an ordinary subscription box, you get a fully customised hardback book, plus four to five exclusive bookish goodies. These eight boxes are more expensive, and you don't get a book in them! So I want to get my money's worth. I expect at least seven goodies per box.

Normally in subscription boxes you get the usual: bookmarks, notebooks, enamel pins, book sleeves, stickers. I love this stuff, but I'm hoping it's not all like this. I'd really like to see something super unique and original in these boxes. One or two ordinary bookish items maximum, and the rest should be... imaginative! Unusual stuff we don't get elsewhere! One thing I really, really don't want is figurines. I honestly hate them so much.

Box 1 : Hoid

I've got to be honest, I don't like Hoid. I know it's an unpopular opinion, I just think he's over hyped. So the fact that this got promoted to the first box, and bumped the Cytoverse (my absolute favourite series!) box to second? Personal attack. I can't think of anything I actually want in this box, I just wish it wasn't coming first. As long as this is imaginative, I don't know what else to ask for.

Box 2 : Cytoverse

Now this is the box I'm waiting for! I love this series with my entire soul.

Top of my list for this box is a Slug plushie! I know they've already done a Doomslug one, but I'd love if you got a random type of slug in your box, especially if it had a voice box that trilled when you squeezed it!

And I'm probably aiming too high, but I really want a hardback copy of Defending Elysium. The only edition they released is so rare, they're almost impossible to come by. I'd really like if they did a little hardback volume, with a reversible dust jacket, that matched the US editions on one side, and the UK editions on the other.

It's too much to ask for a DDF Jumpsuit. A girl can dream. But we definitely need something suitably cool and very sci-fi for this box. Maybe something techy!

Box 3 : Mistborn

Ahh my first. It's been so, so long since I read any of these books, and I haven't read the latest yet - I'll have to try to get to it before this box arrives. The original Mistborn trilogy are probably the best, and most well-known of his fantasy works, so I think this will be a really good box!

It's probably too much to ask for a mistcloak - but c'mon, that's what everyone is hoping for, right?!

Although mostly I want Era 1 stuff, I would love one of those "Soonie Pup" things that are in the newspaper clippings in Era 2 - the plushies shaped like TenSoon! Bonus points if it turns inside out to become a Mistwraith plushie! Too cute!

Box 4 : Elantris & Emperor's Soul

I remember loving Elantris when I read it - but it's been well over a decade, so I don't actually remember it all that well! I didn't like Emperor's Soul as much though.

I genuinely don't remember this well enough to know of anything I might want relating to this book! I should probably reread it, but honestly, my reading list is so full, I'm going to struggle to fit everything in as it is.

Box 5 : Cosmere

Ok, I'm a broken record, I know! But would it not be better to have a "non-Cosmere" box here, instead? Like, an "Everything Else" box.

We've already got a box for every Cosmere series, plus one specifically for a Cosmere character. So what could possibly be in here that isn't in the other boxes?

I imagine we're probably going to get some sort of big map thingy? Maybe a t-shirt? I just don't know what might be in here! I hope it's something cool, I'll be disappointed if it's like, a poster.

Box 6 : Warbreaker

SWORD! I want a sword! Or, more realistically, I guess, something Nightblood themed, like a letter opener shaped like Nightblood.

This is a really great chance for them to get creative here - I want something that really plays into the use of colour in the book, something super original, that I'd never have thought of putting into a book box, and more than anything, something beautiful.

To be honest, Elantris and Warbreaker probably could have shared a box, they didn't really need their own months.

Box 7 : Stormlight

Such a love/hate relationship with this series. Love, because it's clearly the best series, and I adore most of the characters. Hate, because I adore most of the characters! And by book four, I just couldn't continue to read about them being tortured! I never finished it! But I'm definitely looking forward to some goodies! After Cytoverse, this is probably the box I'm most looking forward to.

We've got to get something Shardblade themed! If we don't get a Nightblood letter opener, then this is the place for it. Or maybe a Shardblade shaped pen? Or a set of Shardblade pens!!

I'd love a set of Spheres. Different sizes, with different "gemstones" inside them! In a little money pouch! It's a lot to ask for, but it would be amazing if they had like, little LEDs in them, and if they came with a charging base or something, so you could charge them up, and they would glow!! Imagine how cool that would be!

And a pet Axehound. Obviously.

Box 8: Sanderson Fan

I have no idea what this entails. Is it going to just be a mish-mash of all his works?

I'm really hoping this is the "Everything Else" box I'm after. I'm gutted that there isn't a Reckoners box, because I love that series, so I'd be thrilled with something from those books in here.

We're probably going to get a 2024 calendar in this one, since it's the last box of the year, but it's probably going to be all Cosmere.

I guess we might get some goodies related to the four books that are being released as part of the Year of Sanderson? Imagine if he went all out and threw in another new book for this box!

And, ok. I know this is never, ever going to happen, because it's not one of his popular works, and no one ever talks about it, but my absolute favourite Sanderson work ever, is Firstborn. I know it's only 40 pages and it's a standalone, and no one else cares about it, but I love it so much. So if we got something Firstborn related in here, I would forgive Brandon all his sins, and I would never, ever complain again.

[manoosweebar]

Imagery of Steel Inquisitors

[spoilers for Mistborn Era 1, I suppose] Recently finished era 1 of Mistborn last summer (yet to start era 2, trying to pace myself through the sanderson-verse/cosmere thing????) and I just wanna talk about my thoughts behind how characters looked and specifically changed through the story. Specifically, Marsh

Marsh, being Kelsier’s brother, made me reckon they’d be similar. I had in my mind that he was a brunette to Kelsier’s dirty-blonde, mainly an auburn, reddish-brown shade. In terms of build I imagine he’s built well, but not super buff or anything

This of course changed when he became a Steel Inquisitor. I imagined/headcanon'ed these fucking monsters being built like a 40k Space Marine. Huge as hell, almost engorged with muscle in a way that gives them the build of an un-plugged fridge. Dwarfing characters like 5-foot-weighs-100-lbs-soaking-wet Vin and a great deal few heads taller than characters like Ham (HC'd as tall and built like a strongman) and Sazed (HC'd as tall, but more willowy/lanky). At the end of The Final Empire Marsh'd be bald, I HC'd him sporting a bit of short hair growth in Well of Ascension, but I couldn't see him as sporting anything else than wearing a wild chestnut-brown mowhawk and short beard in Hero of Ages. I don't know why. I just did and it was great?

I was advised to avoid fanart for the books until after I read them by a friend (Wise friend, she is). That's when I saw that most depictions are much different than what I headcanoned. Outfits, spikes, and tattoos were good but it was the size that was the most different. They were jacked, ofc, but they weren't as monstrously massive as I had imagined.

I feel like the imagery I imagined... idk, fit more? Mostly on a subtle-body-horror thing going on with Mistborn era 1 and the logic behind some of their powers

IMO, some of the creatures in era 1 are ghoulishly scary. You can see bones of the corpse-eating mistwraiths through their skin. Similarly, Kandra eat people, wear their skins, and (when not wearing people bodies) wear bodies of stone and crystal. Koloss. GOOD LORD THE HULK SMURFS. The baby guys have flabby blue skin that tears and bleeds as they get bigger. And they're all creatures made with Hemalurgy. Steel Inquisitors make due in the body horror with the whole spikes thing, but them being the size of the average dude is not enough. I Need Them to be huuuuuge.

Plus, their immense strength comes from a combo of burning pewter and using the stored strength from feruchemy, right? Specifically with Feruchemy, we see in tFE that when Sazed taps into strength he gets jacked as well. I think hes described as growing taller due to it, but I don't have the books with me to double check. Either way, if they're constantly burning MAD GAINZ MAGIC™, I'd imagine they're roided out the wazzoo

I need more art of Steel Inquisitors to make them MONSTERS. The offical art and fan-art thats out there is (Chef's Kiss) beutiful, but I'd love to see this kind of take on steel inquisitors

[Please no spoilers for the rest of the series, I promise I'm getting through it as fast as I can to enjoy the memes, art and discussions]

[hunxi-guilai]

Hihi! I've noticed some CQL fic recently about class conflict / revolution of the working class against an elite class of cultivators. This idea is intriguing and I think I've seen it executed well, but I also know that cultivator's practices are tied deeply to religion + Daoism so it seems like cultivators are generally pretty well respected in society. Class definitely comes forward as a theme in CQL though, and non-cultivators (e.g. Dafan Wens) clearly do suffer from the war in CQL. 1/2

2/2 I guess I'm wondering to what extent the idea of non-cultivators leading a class revolution feels like a more modern take vs smth that might conceivably happen in a historical Chinese setting. (Based on what happens with Xie Lian in the TGCF novel I feel like a class revolt might happen in MXTX's xianxia worlds at least). I know this is complex but I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're interested in this topic and care to share them. Thanks for your wonderful blog! sorry this is so longgg

hooooooo okay, okay where to begin with this

so first of all, I’m going to link you to @pumpkinpaix’s most excellent meta on class dynamics in MDZS, because she carries this fandom on her goddamn back and holds the brain cell that I certainly do not have

secondly, I’m going to re-link this post on the ahistoricity of cql, because it is, in fact, very important to me that people do not try to read CQL as a historical text in any way, shape, or form

thirdly, so, okay. before we talk about class or class conflict or the revolution of the proletariat or whatever, I want to point out that this story is 架空 jiakong -- it’s built on thin air. I make jokes about the inconsistency of the worldbuilding all the time, but I’m also a Cosmere fan with unrealistic standards for worldbuilding and at the end of the day they’re jokes. But to try and read class conflict into CQL is premised on the assumption that there’s like, a system in place that is premised on the oppression of the working class and a functional economy that keeps this society running. What is this economy? Who is this working class? Hell if I know! They pay each other with rocks spray-painted a shiny gold and we don’t question it.

oh, we can theorize all day about feudal systems of taxation and protection, or guess at the going price of evil-warding talismans, but at the end of the day, neither the author nor the showrunners felt the need to build an extensively detailed class system into this world. and why should they? that’s not the focus of the story; just the general strokes of a nebulously-familiar setting will suffice.

this isn’t to say class isn’t a major theme in CQL, since it’s literally like, the crux of Jin Guangyao’s character (again, please read that meta by @pumpkinpaix, it’s so good), but like. to talk about class conflict and revolution? feels like we need to get much further in the weeds about, like, economic structural inequality built into the fabric of this society. and to me, that feels like fumbling around in the dark, because there isn’t?? really??? a historical??? analog???? to cultivators????

look, this is xianxia. this is a fundamentally fantastic text. cultivators as a class (hah) of people amalgamate this strange chimera of Daoist priest and warrior-mercenary and landed gentry and wandering scholar that is very much a staple of the wuxia / xianxia genres, but not particularly applicable to history. so the idea of a “working class rebelling against an elite class of cultivators” simply does not have a handy historical analogue to point at because cultivators--in the form of this structured, organized, jianghu sect hierarchy--did not exist???

(honestly, the closest counterpart I can think of is--hilariously--season 1 of The Legend of Korra, which attempts to deal with the societal inequality of benders and non-benders. but like. does Korra handle that well? anyway)

and before anyone tries to make the argument that the cultivational sects map onto the imperial government--they do not. They simply Do Not. If you think so, then you have not confronted the Bureaucratic Majesty/Nightmare of imperial Chinese government. 

here’s the thing about most wuxia / xianxia / Chinese period dramas as a whole--they’re never actually about the “common people.” Your main character is always going to be the member of some elite class, or marry into the elite class, or have Magical Powers Conferred Upon Them and thereby become elite. The genre is simply uninterested in the dynamics of class beyond its effects on a character’s backstory. The reality of it is simply that working class life in ancient China rarely gets made into 50-episode dramas. At the very least, I’ve never seen one.

if we want to look at peasant rebellions in Chinese history, they are often about changing the people in positions of power rather than the systems that impose said power. The dynastic system lasted for millennia because every time there was a successful uprising, the people who led that revolution proceeded to put themselves in the positions of power in that very same system, and the one time the revolution led to a systemic change in governance--

I will never be paid enough to talk about 20th century Chinese history, but if you’re looking for historical analogues of class revolution, you’re welcome to confront the bloody wasteland that is 20th century China

class in ancient China is complicated; class in dynastic China is complicated; class in 20th century China is (hoo buddy) complicated; class in 21st century China is (yells) complicated. Which is a roundabout way of getting to your question of:

I guess I'm wondering to what extent the idea of non-cultivators leading a class revolution feels like a more modern take vs smth that might conceivably happen in a historical Chinese setting.

Not only does this feel like a modern take, this feels like a very Western take; I don’t think Western concepts of class awareness and conflict map easily across national and cultural borders, but I don’t have the requisite knowledge to give you a more nuanced understanding of how or why exactly. That... would be the subject of a dissertation, not a tumblr post.

You did bring up TGCF, and I do want to point out that the fall of Xianle is also... not a product of class conflict, necessarily speaking. It’s the product of 1) a refugee crisis, 2) multiple natural disasters, 3) the literal hand of fate. I think MXTX incorporates themes of class into her works, but her books tend to be much more focused on the development of an individual character in the face of hardship and opposition, rather than the role of an individual in society and the individual’s obligation to contribute to said society. I could write several hundred words on Xie Lian and his relationship to “the greater good,” but that belongs in a wholly different meta and a complete separate blog. I think it’s quite important that, again and again, we see that the ‘happy ending’ MXTX bestows upon her main characters is not “and then they get into politics and reform society to bring the greatest good to all!” but rather “and then they live in a house with the love of their life in quiet, domestic bliss, away from the politics that caused them so much pain and suffering.” To me, that indicates the author’s interest in personal and emotional development of characters rather than commenting on class conflict/class revolution in ahistorical fantasy China as a whole.

Again! I’m not trying to be prescriptive. I’m not saying that people can’t flesh out the worldbuilding and create incredible works of transformative fanwork that speculate on the nature of class conflict and revolution in a fantasy society. If that’s your speed, all the power to you! That sounds like a truly terrifying amount of thought and research, godspeed.

[my-boyfriends-a-cosmere-nerd]

Thoughts on Well of Ascension:

Hey y'all I finally finished Well of Ascension within my busy schedule last week. I have collected all of my thoughts on WoA and theories for the end of the trilogy and beyond:

SPOILERS: for WoA and the Prologue for HoA

Thoughts:

Cett was a fun character. Him being nominated to be King was a cool plot point. Vin and Zane's raid on his men was a very interesting scene and a good show of Vin's state of power and strength

Zane is an... interesting choice of character. I love the occasional edge lord Zane felt like a fan made OC in like the most endearing way

TenSoon being the imposter was very unexpected. He really played the long game there. Could have sworn it would have been Dockson or Demoux.

Vin and Elend's wedding was exactly how I imagined it would have happened if it ever did.

Straff's death was probably the most deserved in the series so far. Just *splits in half*

also Vin took the whole "hate the in-laws' very literally huh

I almost cried at Sazed holding Tindwyl amidst the snow and ash.

Elend's almost death then transformation into a mistborn. I called that Elend would end up being mistborn at some point in the trilogy, however the new metal was not how I thought it would go down.

What a horrible burden Vin must live with releasing Ruin, thinking she was doing the right thing by letting Elend (almost) die

Theories for HoA:

I think Vin and/or Elend is going to die. Their relationship is to strong for this not to end badly

Hopefully they will get a first dance in before that because they still have not and like.. I just would like that as a scene

I hope that the flowers will return. It would be nice to see what Kelsier fought for actually come true.

Spook is going to go blind from him flaring tin all of the time. We have seen what pewter has done to Vin imagine flaring tin for such extended periods of time.

Sazed is going to like snap and just either be a broken man or like become his own deity due to the fact that his main teachings for years were a lie. That's got to mess someone up

I think that Ruin can talk to people whom have metal piercing them like an inquisitor's spike. Zane heard voices ("God") throughout the time we are with him and he ended up having an inquisitors spike in him (which no idea on how that happened but RAFO I hope). Vin has an earing and hears "Reen" in her mind. I have also read the prologue to HoA so I know that Marsh who also has the spikes is at least in part controlled by Ruin.

I think there either 18 or 23 metals in the Alomancy magic system. If 18 there would be 16 regular metals (the 8 original, Aluminum, Duralumin, Atium, Maltium, Gold, Electum, and two others to round out to 16) plus 2 "higher" metals including the "mistborn" metal Elend swallowed and its pair. The only reasoning I have for 23 is that I sat and wrote out the symbols by the chapter numbers across the books to see if anything matched up and most of the symbols are associated to a metal so it would be weird if all of them were not.

I would love to hear how y'all felt while reading WoA when you first read it and to answer questions on other things I thought about/ my theories.

Please no spoilers for the rest of the Cosmere without tags in the replies.

<3

-Hannah

[zafiro-anyejo]

While reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson I was so into the idea of a prequel, wanted to know about Kelsier’s past & his relationship with Mare. (Honestly! What kind of woman would be so important that you’d want to overthrow an empire in her memory?)

Now I’m watching Better Call Saul and Jimmy/Kim’s friendship is like... “Oh. So this is what Mare/Kelsier would be like, huh?” Jimmy has those Kelsier vibes where he just does shit and you’re like “this’ll never work” but he weasels his way out of trouble anyway, time and time again, having plans within plans. And then there’s Kim who’s some combination of Sazed’s tenderness and Steris’s sharp practicality and Navani’s diplomacy and Vin’s backstory and she generally gives off the vibes of a gal written by Brandon Sanderson. Complex, nuanced, morally gray but fighting the good fight. I guess what I’m trying to say is:

If you Breaking Bad fans haven’t read Brandon Sanderson, go read Brandon Sanderson. 

If you Cosmere fans have not watched Better Call Saul, go watch Better Call Saul. 

Both franchises have fun plot twists and fantastic easter eggs when you go back to watch/read them again. They’re also really consistent in their storytelling, to a degree of painstaking detail, with characters that only get better and more complex/layered as the writer(s) grow over time. 

It’s so much fun folks. You’re going to suffer emotionally and cry a lot, but you’ll be happy about it. Please try them out! 

[beyond-far-horizons]

Rhythm of War reactions so far (half way through.)

I caved despite mountains of work and I’m half way through Rhythm of War! So many cool things so much I could scream about, so many cosmere links! Bit right now I’m just gonna throw it out there that I think Thaidakar is a dragon like Hoid’s friend. No idea if this is true (and don’t confirm or deny til I’m through the book please.)

Spoiler reactions for RoW so far and rest of Cosmere Book (poss) so far under the cut. If you do respond please don’t spoil me for the rest of the book!

KALADIN!!! My baby! My boy! Someone help him! Someone give him a hug! But he is doing so well and I love his solo quest/Die Hard in the Tower at the moment. I loled officially at Kaladin Stormblessed the Psychiatrist who discovers group therapy! It’s a little on the nose to be honest but I still liked it.

F*ck Moash #noredemption. Although LOL that Kaladin is officially a thorn in Odium’s side (payback time pal!) and yeah I BET you want to turn him. I admit I loved this section. Enemy/hero connections are always so interesting to me and the metastory with the Shards is the most interesting part of any cosmere book to me apart from maybe Kal-centred stuff. I love seeing the hints of how the emotions/properties of the Shard play out in the narrative/characterisation as it’s one of the main themes in my own WIP and magic systems. Odium seems to break the power of Shards by targeting their main Intent (as someone else suggested). I predict Kaladin will stick with Honor and conquer the Hatred in his heart as Dalinar did. Also ‘Son of Tanavast’...I don’t think Kaladin is physically Tanavast’s son but I think spiritually he is, which is why he suffers so. He’s def key to something, protected from harm but for a better reason than he is led to believe. We’ll see. 

Poor Shallan! This book is heavy on the mental illness although I am glad it is being addressed in Epic Fantasy and Sanderson’s integration of it with his magic systems is inspired. I really hope Shallan can get through this, she deserves it. PATTERN WTF??? Please no.

I’m much more of a Shaladin/Shalladin (official ship spelling please?) fan and tbh that put me off reading this book at first because I felt really betrayed about how things were developed in OB. I felt it cheapened the deep connection they made in the chasms in WoR to have it as a ‘passion’ thing from Veil etc. Having said that Adolin and Shadolin really shine in this book so far and Shalladin would be a bad choice for both of them right now. (WoB states he developed the love triangle as an echo of a previous thing - most likely Gavilar/Navani/Dalinar and rereading WoR, OB and the start of RoW underlined that both Navani and Shallan commenting on Kaladin/Dalinar’s intensity.) That said I’m really warming to Adolin. I really hope he resurrects Maya and the scene with him demanding a trial with the Honorspren was great. PheonixWright!Adolin (Objection!) Nale can be the lawyer for the opposition.

WHIMSY. INVENTION. MERCY. VALOUR!!!!!!!! Also Harmony getting on the scene! Go Sazed. My first thought about the sword he mentions was Kaladin who keeps fighting with the protect/kill thing throughout the book and series but he’s not connected (Connected) to Scadrial (yet). Same for Nightblood and Szeth so I’m not sure. Also I feel and hope that Sazed is a lot wiser a Vessel than many of the originals. Who knows as we mostly haven’t seen them esp in their original uninfluenced selves. Also what’s the issue with Mercy? I get a really creepy feeling from that tbh. It’s interesting how a supposedly wholesome Intent could be twisted.

Talking about that...Rayse/Odium...I like that we are getting hints of more human feelings from him but I’m still not convinced by the whole Passion/Hatred thing. His Shard’s name is Odium - Hatred. That is a very specific emotion. From WoB it’s indicated he might be lying to himself but he doesn’t seem that hateful to be honest and neither do a lot of his forces. I mean I was expecting Dark Lord levels of torment. It makes it more interesting, but I’m a little concerned the concept of ‘Passion’ being tainted by this association in a meta way. Unless Odium used to be Passion and it got twisted by Rayse which is possible but the text at present doesn’t really support that...hmm. Looking forward to the showdown between him and Dalinar/Kaladin and Hoid - yesssss!

Also Hoid....WTF is going on with Jasnah??? I mean I could ship it but...yeah what is going on? Also this frustrates me because Brandon is being very coy with Hoid’s knowledge here and I feel this doesn’t work in the narrative and characterisation. I feel we need a scene establishing Jasnah/Dalinar trying to force Wit to say what he knows and him establishing to them (and us) that he can’t be forced. Because right now he’s just blithely being allowed to waltz around wisecracking with cosmere-saving knowledge in his head that could be vital to Jasnah and Dalinar and...they are just letting him? Bit of a stretch. I know they likely can’t force him and need to keep him on side but we need to see that. 

Ghostbloods!!!! I confess I like Mraize far more than I should. Until he hunted Lift and then I wanted Kaladin to kick him off the side of the tower. That was a shame to me - there are so many possibilities to a book (like Atium I guess) and one I was really hoping for after the shock/horror of the attack of Urithiru was realising there were some seriously powerful people there who could combat the Fused - Kaladin, Lift, Mraize and Zahel. I just really want to see Zahel let go and kick some ass properly and tell everyone his secret. Still it makes sense that Mraize would play both sides and I guess it’s more interesting that way but still screw him! (Pun intended because I still like sexy bad guys.)

Navani - the engineering sections can be difficult to get through but I’m so here for her arc and her scholarly battle of wits with the Lady of Wishes. (Again with the complex enemy/protag dynamics). I LOVE that there are so many multifaceted women (and femalen) characters at all levels and esp a STEM older female character. I hope she becomes the new Bondsmith of the Sibling although it’s again a little on the nose considering she is married to the first one.

The Singer stuff is interesting to a certain extent and Leshwi in particular is cool but I admit I’m just not as invested (lol) in them as I am in the rest of it. Fingers crossed for Venli and Rlain to win the day though (also again I love the genderflip of those two and her having to pretend to want him as love-slave which is usually what happens the other way around. Brandon is getting really good at this stuff and I appreciate it.)

I’m sad we missed some key development in the timeskip but I guess for pacing this was important. Some of the casual language still annoys me esp when Brandon’s worldbuilding is so interesting as it just seems lazy and out of place. I know some people like it but it’s my opinion that seeing things like ‘neat’ and ‘teenagers’ brings me straight back to 21st Century America when I had just been in a world of Stormlight and Greatshells. There’s better ways of conveying those ideas than reverting to our slang developed from a specific subset of our world. Anyway....

Overall enjoying it much more than I though. Onward!

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Stormlight Archive Epigraphs (1) - Letters

I’ve been going through the Stormlight Archive epigraphs to see if there are hints or foreshadowing or information that I’ve missed; before now, I hadn’t pulled together ones from different chapters, and it’s been very interesting to get a clearer picture of them.

These posts are as much for my own reference as anything else.

This one covers the letters between Wit and his, hm, associates, which are in TWOK Part 2, WOR Part 4, and OB Part 2.

Wit’s Letter

Old friend, I hope this missive finds you well. Though, as you are now essentially immortal, I would guess that wellness on your part is something of a given. I realize that you are probably still angry. That is pleasant to know. Much as your perpetual health, I have come to rely upon your dissatisfaction with me. It is one of the cosmere’s great constants, I should think.

Let me first assure you that the element is quite safe. I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say. You do not agree with my quest. I understand that, so much as it is possible to understand someone with whom I disagree so completely.

Might I be quite frank? Before, you asked why I was so concerned. It is for the following reason: Ati was once a kind and generous man, and you saw what became of him. Rayse, on the other hand, was among the most loathesome, crafty, and dangerous individuals I had ever met. He holds the most frightening and terrible of all of the Shards. Ponder on that for a time, you old reptile, and tell me if your insistence on nonintervention holds firm. Because I assure you, Rayse will not be similarly inhibited. One need only look at the aftermath of his brief visit to Sel to see proof of what I say. In case you have turned a blind eye to that disaster, know that Aona and Skai are both dead, and that which they held has been Splintered. Presumably to prevent anyone from rising up to challenge Rayse.

You have accused me of arrogance in my quest. You have accused me of perpetuating my grudge against Bavadin. Both accusations are true. Neither point makes the things I have written to you here untrue.

I am being chased. Your friends of the Seventeenth Shard, I suspect. I believe they’re still lost, following a false trail I left for them. They’ll be happier that way. I doubt they have any inkling what to do with me should they actually catch me. If anything I have said makes a glimmer of sense to you, I trust that you’ll call them off. Or maybe you could astound me and ask them to do something productive for once. For I have never been dedicated to a more important purpose, and the very pillars of the sky will shake with the results of our war here. I ask again. Support me. Do not stand aside and let disaster consume more lives. I’ve never begged you for something before, old friend.

I do so now.

Reply 1:

I’ll address this letter to my “old friend,” as I have no idea what name you’re using currently. Have you given up on the gemstone, now that it is dead? And do you no longer hide behind the name of your old master? I am told that in your current incarnation you’ve taken a name that references what you presume to be one of your virtues. This is, I suspect, a little like a skunk naming itself for its stench.

Now, look what you’ve made me say. You’ve always been able to bring out the extreme in me, old friend. And I do still name you a friend, for all that you weary me.

Yes, I’m disappointed. Perpetually, as you put it. Is not the destruction you have wrought enough? The worlds you now tread bear the touch and design of Adonalsium. Our interference so far has brought nothing but pain.

My path has been chosen very deliberately. Yes, I agree with everything you have said about Rayse, including the severe danger he presents. However, it seems to me that all things have been set up for a purpose, and if we - as infants - stumble through the workshop, we risk exacerbating, not preventing, a problem. Rayse is captive. He cannot leave the system he now inhabits. His destructive potential is, therefore, inhibited. Whether this was Tanavast’s design or not, millennia have passed without Rayse taking the life of another one of the sixteen. While I mourn for the great suffering Rayse has caused, I do not believe we could hope for a better outcome than this. He bears the weight of God’s own divine hatred, separated from the virtues that give it context. He is what we made him to be, old friend. And that is what he, unfortunately, wished to become. I suspect that he is more a force than an individual now, despite your insistence to the contrary. That force is contained, and an equilibrium reached.

You, however, have never been a force for equilibrium. You tow chaos behind you like a corpse dragged by one leg through the snow. Please, hearken to my plea. Leave that place and join me in my oath of nonintervention. The cosmere itself may depend upon our restraint.

Reply 2:

Dearest Cephandrius,

I recieved you communication, of course. I noticed its arrival immediately, just as I noticed your many intrusions into my land. You think yourself so clever, but my eyes are not those of some petty noble, to be clouded by a false nose and some dirt on the cheeks.

You mustn’t worry yourself about Rayse. It is a pity about Aona and Skai, but they were very foolish - violating our pact from the very beginning. Your skills are admirable, but you are merely a man. You had your chance to be more, and refused it. No good can come of two Shards settling in one location. It was agreed that we would not interfere with one another, and it disappoints me that so few of the Shards have kept to this original agreement. As for Uli Da, it was obvious from the outset that she was going to be a problem. Good riddance. Regardless, this is not your concern. If Rayse becomes an isdue, he will be dealt with.

And so will you.

Reply 3:

Cephandrius, bearer of the First Gem,

You must know better than to approach us by relying upon presumption of past relationship. You have spoken to one who cannot respond. We, instead, will take your communication to us - though we know not how you have located us upon this world. We are indeed intrigued, for we thought it well hidden. Insignificant among our many realms. As the waves of the sea must continue to surge, so must our will continue resolute.

Alone.

Did you expect anything else from us? We need not suffer the interference of another. Rayse is contained, and we care not for his prison. Indeed, we admire his initiative. Perhaps if you had approached the correct one of us with your plea, it would have found favourable audience. But we stand in the sea, pleased with our domains. Leave us alone.

We also instruct that you should not return to Obrodai. We have claimed that world, and a new avatar of our being is beginning to manifest there. She is young yet, and - as a precaution - she has been instilled with an intense and overpowering dislike of you. This is all we will say at this time. If you wish more, seek these waters in person and overcome the tests we have created. Only in this will you earn our respect.

Reply 4:

Friend,

Your letter is most intriguing, even revelatory. I would have thought, before attaining my current station, that a deity could not be surprised. Obviously, this is not true. I can be surprised. I can perhaps even be naive, I think.

I am the least equipped, of all, to aid you in this endeavour. I am finding that the powers I hold are in such conflict that the most simple of actions can be difficult. I am also made uncertain by your subterfuge. Why have you not made yourself known to me before this? How is it you can hide? Who are you, truly, and how do you know so much about Adonalsium? If you would speak to me farther, I request open honesty. Return to my lands, approach my servants, and I will see what I can do for your quest.

Basically everything that I know about Wit and the Cosmere beyond the events of The Stormlight Archive comes from the Stormlight Archive Rereads on Tor.com. Here’s my understanding of what is going on:

The God of Sanderson’s Cosmere, Adonalsium, was splintered into many different pieces (Shards - not to be confused with Shardblades and Shardplate), each consisting of a separate characteristic, and each characteristic was taken on by a different person.  Up until I put these epigraphs together, I thought there were 16 shards, but from this, it sounds like there was a 17th that Wit was supposed to take on, and chose not to, and that his sixteen associates are displeased with him for that (and are trying to get that Shard back?).

The tone of the different replies is very interesting.  The first one, I have some sympathy with, as one of many reasons why I tend to oppose military interventionism is that generally the intervenors have no idea what they are doing and risk making things worse; the author fo the first reply seems to have genuine affection for Wit despite his aggravation.

The second reply is very much the opposite, starting courteous but being the most clearly hostile of the four.  The third reply indicates that Wit’s letter went to a Shard-holder other than the one he intended, and to someone who is broadly antagonistic (given that they “admire Odium’s initiative”).  The fourth one, I’m gathering from bits of comments from other people on the broader Cosmere, is from the person currently holding the Shards of both Ruin and Preservation.

I’m not sure any of the material from the letters is essential, or if it’s just an addition for the enjoyment of Cosmere fans; the broad takeaway seems to be that Roshar is on its own and no one else is inclined to provide large-scale assistance against Odium.

I’m not sure whether I’m corrent in assuming that Tanavast is the original name of the person who took on the Shard of Honor, in the same way that Rayse is the original name of the person who took on the Shard of Odium?