#vin and elend lol

[teawizardry]

I had a vision

[painted-fanbird]

The fact that we’ll never get these three as a trio is a tragedy actually, they’d be hilarious together

[lovers-eternal]

spoilers!!!!

now about halfway thru mistborn, my thoughts so far:

i LOVE vin, she’s everything i want out of a complex female character. she has just enough of the “annoying” teenage attitude to feel realistic. she’s stubborn and headstrong.

also love the father/daughter dynamic between vin and kelsier, at first i was worried it was going to turn into some weird like teacher/student romance but we’re safe from that, phew

so idk if there’s any romance going on in this book, but im hoping to see elend & vin have a enemies/lovers moment. love a forbidden romance trope. kelsier definitely has his hands full with vin. ik some people hate the “omg ive seen him twice and im in love with him” but lets be so real that’s how teens are LOL

i do get kelsier’s mistrust in the nobility, but i think there’s possibly rebels who feel the same way as him. the nobles seem to be just as policed and watched, maybe even more so, by the lord ruler. yes they’re privileged and treat skaa awful but how many of them act out of fear?? also cmon an ally like that would be a game changer

wtf is going on with these Keepers? why would the lord ruler use them. why store this knowledge if to hide it from everyone?

why is the continent covered constantly under ash? was it done on purpose by the lord ruler? does the volcano have some connection towards this eleventh metal - hence why it’s kept active by some magic? does it tie in with his immortality?

i have a feeling there’s going to be some betrayal i get blindsided by, kelsier has faced it before & vin lives in constant fear of it. but… who will it be? ham seems likely now given his doubts about their army.

also marsh and mare??? maybe mare didn’t betray him and it was marsh trying to save mare from her fate. still angry with his brother’s recklessness, the fact that he got her over himself. was mare actively having an affair with marsh? or marsh just never won mare’s favor?

vin’s father. would he recognize her if he saw her? do they bare an resemblance? don’t know. but i have a feeling he will play a part in this. will he be sympathetic to his daughters cause or will he be disgusted?

there’s more i probably should add but this is what is off of the top of my head. this book is so hard to put down.

[tornioduva]

Thoughts on Mistoborn (Era 1)

Ok, so, as promised, the nitpicks/preference post. I wanted to wait for the excitement to cool down, but if i wait more i'll just forget everything. so.

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOILERS, BIG, HEAVY, MEATY!!!!

I'll just blurt out a list of things that i didn't like/left me concerned:

The Lord Ruler ""redemption" I thought this was going to be a more controversial take, but i've seen many other express the same feeling already, so cool. Basically, the way they talked away the evil Rashek did under his rule reeeeally left me with a disappointed. understandable, yes. all the things the characters say about him are contextually right and informative, but aside from the content, the emotions behind felt...wrong. The reader should be the one kind of above all saying "i kinda get what he was going for", not the ones that saw his massacres and cruelty. Plus the emphasis on "Ruin corrupted him, he had good intent in the beginning"; i don't hate it as a concept...but it should've have been worded differently i think. I will excuse only Sazed on this because he basically achieved Nirvana, but even from him i expected more...criticism let's say. Less gush about microorganism and more fuck you Rashek.

Disconnect of powers Now, this can all be explained away with "it is the way it is, because yes", and it wouldn't be incorrect. but still. Why either Rashek nor Vin Managed to realize, even on an insticual level, what the true nature of the mist/deepness was when they took the power? Vin is told to be able to briefly see in the past of the power, and has her senses and understanding greatly expanded; how come she doesn't realize they fit together in some way? I included Rashek because i remember he moved the planet to burn the mist, and i guess this means he viewed it as something to defeat, but i may be mistaken. Again, maybe she didn't have enough time, maybe Ruin obfuscated her understanding, maybe it's just the way it is. but, if sazed took his time to explain to me that there were organism to eat ash, he could've also told me why she didn't just know what the mist were. but it's also not that important i guess, admittedly, i don't know if it wouldn't have changed the story all that much.

There's an afterlife??? That. I rode the rolelcoaster of emotions that was the final chapters of HoA and it was amazing and heart breaking, everyhting fitting together, climax climaxing, tears tearing, me dying. The sacrifice of Vin and Elend was so moving and spectacular, i wouldn't have asked for a better one. but. Then came Sazed, giving their friend a beutiful goodbye in the form of their bodies left in the flowers...and then you follow that saying "but don't worry, they be chilling were they are now, lol". why. why Ruin (lol) such a beautiful send off by demistifying their death. or at least without elaborating on it more. without that note, their death would've have left a bittersweet taste in my mouth, happy that they both died doing what they thought was right, giving their people hope, and loving each other, but without knowing what that would mean for them, if they were just gone, reunited or else. The question of an afterlife was also like one of the big questions of this book, part of the selfdiscovery journey of Sazed. To just having it resolved in a footnote like that, right after i was starting to grieve for my main characters, was terrible. "guess i was dumb for feeling sorrow for them, they're fine anyway". Plus, to me it would've been faaaar more interesting if Sazed, even in a god form, still couldn't respond to the question of what happens, to confirm that even a god does not know what lies for him in death. that'd be chilling. instead i guess there's paradise? bah. I mean, happy for them, poor things, at least they can dance for all eternity now. I'm sure someone will RAFO me in regard to the afterlife, but doesn't change my feeling about it.

Kelsier ... Everything regarding Kelsier's actual actions post death, in regard to the voices and influece, to Sanderson saying he was briefly a god before Vin...that is all just kind of silly to me. at least presented as it is. It's too little too litle to be of any interesting significance, but at the same time his actions are relevant to the story. I'd say, either have him play a quiet, interepretative but bigger part in the story, or as is, just don't have kelsier doing wierd shit that technically shouldnn't have the powers to do. hell, Vin struggled to talk to Elend the one she had a special bond with, while in FULL GOD MODE. Idk, it feels just kind of there.

Pewter Reaaaally small nitpick. It's magic, i know, but given that pewter doesn't heal by itself, but just accellerates and intensifies the natarual one of the body (at least for how i understood it), i really think mistborns and thugs should have waaay more scars and residuals bruises than they are described with, Vin in particular. i personally choose to see her as a very scarred indivdual given everything she survived.

...Why metals? This is a strange question, like asking why a mage uses a wand to cas magic. because that's how it works. i know. still. Given how in depth of the rules of how this world functions are, and how much Sanderson clearly wants to explain them to us, to the point of, again, having sazed telling us that rashek made specific micro organisms to eat ash. like, for real. why do the powers of the gods of this world need metals to express themselves. I guess this is the most likely of all my qestions to receive hordes of RAFOs, because i'm sure he will explain it at some point, maybe by talking about the power behind Ruind and Preservation. But still, in a world where everything makes kind of sense, having to eat metal to access magic still feels kind of there as "it's that way because it's cool". It's weird too, because i wouldn't quetion it if it was just, magic powers manifesting into people. but by being this specific, having to use a finite reosource to access an infinite (apparently) reserve of power, an ability that was decided and designed by the gods that created this people...idk, feels weird somehow. i fully expected Sazed to at least question it. but i guees i'll find out later. or maybe not, and honestly i'm okay with that. it's ok to not expalin everything, it just feels weird juxtaposed to everything else being explained.

Aaaand these were my main nitpick about this saga. not too many all things considered. enough to nag at me in my mind, but not to hinder at my overwhelmingly positive enjoyment of the experience.

[marvelousmagicalaura]

Thoughts on The Bands of Mourning

Everything about this book is a bundle of pure fun. It’s just like an Indiana Jones adventure!

The breakout character this time is definitely Steris. I was shocked to find out a character could develop so much in such a small amount of pages. But, Sanderson did it with Steris. And to me, she’s insanely relatable. I was literally saying aloud “SHE’S JUST LIKE ME FR 😭” So much I could gush about her omg.

Wax x Steris is better than Vin x Elend. There, I said it. I also started to become a fan of Wax’s character arc - his arc of finding his true position in the world. Wax’s arc feels more subtle than the Era 1 characters and his personality is definitely more rigid than them, but I think I can appreciate it.

Allik was hilarious. Wayne x MeLaan was pretty wholesome and fun. Marasi is always great ❤️

The highlight of this book’s plot was definitely the Southern Scadrians and their Metallic Arts technology. A complaint I’ve had about the Mistborn Saga is that its world and history either feels too small or too shallow, even though there are reasons. This book definitely didn’t eliminate it, but it did mitigate it. The Southern Scadrians’ mask culture sounds intriguing, AND THEIR TECH!!! I’m so excited to find out more about them.

Another highlight of the plot, even though it came during the Sanderlanche, was the conversation between Wax and Harmony. This helped me realize that Sazed is still Sazed, but a Sazed that realizes the complexities of being God. Apart from the issues behind the Shard of Harmony mentioned in book 5, it seems like he’s trying to be different from Preservation. Even with Sanderson’s hazy writing of Era 1’s themes, I felt Preservation was indirectly portrayed as a coddling force. Much like the Lord Ruler, it could be a force who wants to protect, keep things stable, and keep the status quo even at the cost of change and lives.

Granted it’s fuzzy because of The Plan, so I could be reaching lol. Anyway, those attributes clearly aren’t Harmony or Sazed. Harmony is representative of a perfect balance with Ruin’s attributes, and Sazed wants to change Elendel and drive innovation. I love that Sanderson made this clear. I also love the mention of Harmony’s futuresight and his insight into Wax’s mind. It shows he really thought about all future possibilities before deciding Wax needed to go through pain for Paalm and the world’s sake.

And I’m pretty confident Harmony placed Wax’s group in place to stop the Set from getting the ettmetal bomb and Bands. His lines about Trust remind me of what Preservation did throughout his several thousand year long plan, but moderated/expanded with the Shard Ruin’s attributes and Sazed’s outlook.

Harmony’s speech about choices made me cry 😭

I’m shook by the Sovereign twist lmao. Kelsier is the Sovereign?! What the hell is going on?!

I have several theories but I’m sure some will be answered in Secret History and Lost Metal.

[theblimpfruit]

Female friendship in the Cosmere series

So after a few years of being out of the fandom, I got back into Brandon Sanderson books/the Cosmere, and have been devouring everything that's come out in the interim. It's been a fun time! But I've been reminded of something that bothered me back when I was getting into these books and world for the first time, and it still kinda does. This is a bit of a ramble, so bear with me.

Okay, so for those of you who didn't know, Sanderson's posted a draft on his website of "Mythwalker", a shelved novel he wrote very early into his attempts at getting published. It's a clunky read- it's got a lot of flaws, and obviously needs an editing pass, and I can see why Sanderson stopped working on it. I read it anyways back in high school, hungry as I was for more Sanderson.

There's a bunch that'll probably stick out to you if you're a Cosmere reader: the main character Devin has shades of Kaladin in terms of arc, there's the terms skaa and koloss (although here koloss are the nobles), and then there's another plot with "Siri" and "Vvenna". As you can probably guess by their names, these characters and their plot would be adapted into what became Warbreaker.

A lot of the broad strokes are similar: Vvenna is the perfectly poised, in control of her emotions, ideal noblewoman, engaged to a deified Emperor. Siri is the younger, more brash one, and more frequently flouts the rules of high society. But what really struck me reading this as a teen is this difference from Warbreaker: Vvenna and Siri are not sisters. They are friends.

Well, strictly speaking, they're lady and handmaiden, since Vvenna is so high a noble that lower nobles are her attendants, but they're a lot closer than their prescribed roles.

They still have a similarish initial relationship to Vivenna and Siri- fondness for each other tempered by some barbed feelings for each other's personalities, but the fact that they get to be really close with each other but not have their bond be familial really stuck in my head. And I think that was because that sort of connection between female characters was, and is, still pretty rare in Brandon Sanderson books?

I'll admit I don't remember all the details of all the books, but it seems like a consistent thing both in what was out when I read this years ago, and today. Please correct me if I'm forgetting or misremembering other relationships like this, with major characters.

In Mistborn era 1, Vin has basically no other women to connect with, there's Kelsier, his crew, Sazed, Elend.

Era 2 has Steris and Marasi, who are half-sisters. MeLaan is there but is mostly close to Wayne.

Stormlight has Shallan and Jasnah, but they're teacher and student, not really friends, although of course they do care about each other, but it's a different kind of relationship. Venli's main relationships are with her sister/mother. Lift is Lift, Syl by her nature is mostly with Kaladin and other male characters. I can see why Navani and Raboniel captured a lot of people's hearts though.

I can't remember much with Elantris and who Sarene interacts with besides Raoden and Hrathen.

Warbreaker is like I said, Siri and Vivenna are now sisters (and again to be clear I don't dislike the change inherently- it's not a worse relationship/book for it, and the change makes sense with how different the plot is).

I've only read the first graphic novel for White Sand so as far as I know, Khriss hasn't talked to another woman lol

And then, what's there in the others? Tress's major relationships are with Charlie/Huck, then Crow and Fort, and then ig the lady who's really into guns. Yumi's whole deal is that she has no one to talk to besides Liyun who piles pressure onto her, never mind a female friend. In Sunlit, again, Elegy and Rebeke are sisters.

I guess you could say this is a subset of the issues with having few female characters in general (and I'll be the first to say Sanderson is doing better than he has been on this front), but idk. This was something I hadn't even noticed until I read those Mythwalker chapters and found it really refreshing despite the fact that "women being friends and supporting each other" really shouldn't be something that's refreshing!

If you've read this far, I'll reiterate again that I do enjoy these books but this is something that's been really niggling at me, and I'd like to know if it makes sense to anyone else.

[titsthedamnseason]

it’s probably a bit hasty for me to get right into posting my thoughts but alas i shall! it took a bit but i finally finished mistborn era one!!! 🥳💗

i rated the final empire 4.25/5 stars (looking back i actually think this book deserved 5 stars. i was a little harsh but the ending and overall story arc is perfect especially now having the context of the whole series. i think if i were to reread it i would appreciate it so much more)

i rated well of ascension 4.75/5 stars

and lastly, i gave hero of ages a 4/5 stars

ultimately i was quite satisfied with sazed’s ending and the way his character arc ended. i thought it culminated very expertly and if there was any character that should have become a god it was certainly him

vin’s ending i was more unsatisfied with but i maybe need more time to sit with it. i never necessarily saw that for her and thought it was so abstract that it lost some of its impact for me. maybe it was that the moment she took on the role of preservation it was obvious that “human” vin was dead no matter the fate of her mystical consciousness so the actual moment of her death had way less impact than a character like her deserved. i mean, she was literally the main character lol. and from a romantic standpoint her and elend’s final goodbye while they were both human in person was underwhelming. maybe on purpose since neither of them knew they would never see each other again but still im bitter about it. i’m happy they are reunited though

it might be too soon for me to really articulate my thoughts on elend’s death. i kind of hated it in the sense that it’s frustrating when a character has their moment of actualization and grows to their full potential only to die pages later, as if all that development was only for dramatic effect. but i think this one is too raw and i also might just not like it because im sad about it. objectively elend was a loyal ruler that wanted nothing but to protect his people and that is what he died doing with a smile on his face so in that sense i can acknowledge that it was in character and he would probably be content to know he died playing such a major role in saving the world

overall i really loved my introduction to brandon sanderson! his books are a rollercoaster and i hear it only gets crazier / worse / better / intenser from here so i am READY 🫡 my copy of arcanum unbounded is on the way

[songs-of-stones]

I got tagged!

Three Ships: Parker/Hardison (Leverage), Vin/Elend (Mistborn Trilogy), my parents.

1st Ship: idk man....... uh... Diggory & Polly from The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis) ??? @theragamuffininitiative said Mitch/Connie from Adventures in Odyssey and I'm inclined to agree.... It's definitely one of these two ships!

Last Song: "Cloudley" by Pogo

Last Movie: The Creator (!!!!!!!!!! very good)

Currently Reading: Yumi & the Night Painter (Brandon Sanderson) - it's phenomenal. Definitely a read that requires lots of prerequisite reading but that makes it so worth it. Next on the list is a reread of either The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings or The Space Trilogy.

Currently Watching: Futurama w/ my husband. I can't believe its humor is right up my alley.

Currently Consuming: just finished some pepperoni pizza and vanilla ice cream lol

Currently Craving: the ice cream was my craving

Tagging along: @peregreen @songsintheattic @soundlessdragon @return-of-the-trinidude

[awritingcaitlin]

Comping Characters

I think about this a lot and I'll put it under the cut because I'm attaching images (from google lol I own none of these).

But if I was to comp characters from my WIPs to characters that already exist (ala comping books) this is what it'd look like:

Rinnie is Triss from Witcher x Inara from Firefly x Liara from Mass Effect and Padme from Star Wars

Nathaniel is Elend from Misborn x Milo from Disney's Atlantis x Daniel Jackson from Stargate x Agent Mulder from X-Files

Riela is Vin from Mistborn (intentional) x Suki from ATLA x Rayla from The Dragon Prince x Tifa from FF7

Killian is Geralt from Witcher x Corvo from Dishonored x Colonel Vhalnich from the Shadow Campaigns* x Peter Quill from Marvel (specifically the GotG video game)

Mica is Rikku from Final Fantasy X x Purah from BOTW x Liv from Spiderverse x Lina from Slayers

Taryn is Leliana from Dragon Age x Impa from Skyward Sword x Asami from Legend of Korra x Spider Gwen from Spiderverse

Lelia is Tali from Mass Effect x Caitlyn from Arcane x Dodger from Middlegame** x Kaylee from Firefly

Em is Vi from Arcane x Rose Tyler from Doctor Who x Kasumi from Mass Effect x Carmela from Young Wizards***

*Not 100% sure that's Colonel Vhalnich and isn't actually Captain D'Ivoire but the covers are vague. Whomp.

**I am trying not to use fanart and also there's not a lot of fanart of Dodger anyway so have stock redhead.

***Author's render of Carmela in DAZ Studio.

[seaspectr]

Previously I drew an outfit swap between Vin and Kaladin, but I started to wonder what it would look like if they were in each other's shoes.

I present (just for fun!!) Vin Stormblessed preventing THAT scene and Kalette Renoux meeting Elend at the ball for the first time!

[computerhaze]

reading mistborn !!! actually im on book 2 

[kingjasnah]

With Shan having more role in the Mistborn screenplay and a possible amalgamation with Zane, we need to ask one (1) question. Is the disaster bi Vin or us when we see Shan saunters up in all her evil but cute sister glory?

shan/zane conflation is so. you know that post about how when lesbians see lady serial killers and are like goodforher.png. i cant believe sanderson found a way for me to care about zane and that whole dumb will they/won't they storyline in 2020

but like SERIOUSLY vin going to the balls to secretly infiltrate Shan's inner circle is so much of a better plot, esp if you are gay and know the power of slowly growing trust between noble women in politics and the inherent betrayal of it all.....I was serious when I said that if they do this with shan there's NO way vin falling in love with elend is gonna hold up chemistry wise like there's no way that's gonna be plausible when vin is supposed to spend all her time with his hot unhinged evil younger sister

[painted-fanbird]

Currently thinking about why Elend is my least favorite character

It’s not that I hate him, he’s a perfectly serviceable character. He’s a good man, a good leader, a good soldier, and now a good Mistborn. Which,, hnng. He just lacks depth imo

He did kind of have depth in The Final Empire. When he was introduced as a disheveled nobleman, a scholar and a quiet rebel within his own society. I’ll admit I didn’t love him much then either, but that was more to do with his role in the story lol. I’m a certified Romance Hater in my fiction, so honestly I think Elend was doomed from the start in some respects XD

But by the end of The Well of Ascension, Elend is just,, good at everything. He’s noble, he’s stands up for himself, and now he’s got incredible Mistborn powers to boot. In short, he’s boring!! Incredibly boring! There’s no conflict of personality traits here and I’m mad about it!

Look at Vin, who began as a scared little girl hiding an inner strength. Who is now vicious and blunt and struggles with the weight of the responsibility she’s found herself with. Or Ham, the straightforward soldier who constantly prods at philosophy. Or Sazed, a seemingly quiet scholar with a quick wit and hidden rebelliousness. Breeze claims to be a manipulative bastard, but we know him to be a good msn deep down. Clubs was gnarled and grumpy, but there was a softness to him too, deep down. Dockson was calm and ever practical, but secretly just as insane as everyone else. Kelsier was a dreamer, a laugher, and so incredibly ruthless

I just,, he should have stayed a scholar. The ideas man. Fascinated with unraveling the mysteries the crew finds over the course of the plot, philosophizing with Ham, brilliant and emotionally intelligent and still doesn’t know what a hairbrush is. He’s their dreamer. Their unhinged genius running off of five cups of coffee and no sleep. He comes up with harebrained schemes and Vin goes “yeah I can pull that off” and then she does. That would make him about 500x more interesting in my book, it gives him the personality tension he lacks! He’s the kind of character who should be poised and well spoken, and instead his veins are made of caffeine, his hair is a mess, and it’s a small miracle his sentences are coherent

You could even still let him have Mistborn powers, if you really wanted too. Let Vin take the focus on iron and steel, the first things Kelsier taught her. Then let Elend do the emotional stuff. Taking the edge off the idea that his plans are utterly insane, and encouraging a little bit more reckless confidence in the crew. Kelsier might be gone, but he left a legacy in the two people he saved. Vin is his skill in allomancy, his power, his recklessness, his love. Elend is his dreams, his plans, his ability to engage a crowd. She’s got practical street smarts, he’s book smart. He says “my research says X is sound” and she says “okay” and filters it through a layer of practical experience on the streets so it can be pulled off.

Also axe relationship with Vin. Just let them be ride or die besties! Siblings! Platonic soulmates! Two peas in a pod, but not in love. They’d be way more interesting that way imo and tbh Vin needs regular friends her own age lol

[textsfromcosmere]

[stormblessed95]

Happy Valentines Day!

I'm including my book nerd side here for a minute to just post all my favorite fictional couples, okay? Thanks. 🥰🥰 (in no particular order, I love them all!)

Andrew and Neil from All For the Game. I love this book, and I love these characters an unhealthy amount (plus own voices rep for demisexuality.)

Joe and Ox from Wolfsong. And their werewolf pack family 🥰🥰 this series needs more art! (Yes they are werewolves) (Own voices rep for mlm)

Rowan and Aelin from Throne of Glass. I'm a sucker for this couple who would burn the world down for each other

Crier and Ayla from Crier's War. Bonus, the author of this book is an ARMY and huge Namjoon bias, even thanks Namjoon in the acknowledgements! Lol (own voices rep for wlw)

I can't pick just ONE ship from Six of Crows, so I'm listing all 3 of them. My babies. Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias, Jesper and Wylan. I love them all so much. (Own voices for chronic pain and mobility aid use)

Vin and Elend from Mistborn. A book nerd hero and the heroine MC being the biggest badass around. Love it

Adolin and Shallan from Stormlight Archive. They are adorably chaotic and Adolin is the definition of Golden Retriever energy while also still being a whole badass. Throw Kaladin into the mix to get one of my favorite trios of all time

Elena and Clay from Bitten. They are a huge mess, but I love them anyway. My comfort OTP lol. All of the couples by this author are some of my favorites, but Elena and Clay are my OG favs lol. This series needs more art too (yes, they are werewolves)

From one of my favorite fairytale Retellings done with a sci-fi twist, The Lunar Chronicles. Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolfe, Cress and Thorne, Winter and Jacin.

And my since childhood OTP, will love them forever and ever. Loved these books as a kid and I love them now! Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase 🥰🥰

Thanks for indulging me 🥰😍🥰 I won't mind if you skipped past this post since bookish things is not while yall followed me. Lol but it's a day of love and I love these couples!! None of this art is mine, credit goes to all the amazing creators.

[funkylittlelibrarian]

If Vin was just a LITTLE more like Kelsier, she and Elend would be the perfect genderswapped Anakin and Padmè, lol.