#Hrathen is definitely in here

[sedgewicke]

Powerful, dignified, emotionally constipatedstoic men who seem like they have everything figured out and all their shit together, but are actually hot messes who have Way Too Many Emotions that they have no idea what to do with (probably combined with some nonspecific, undiagnosed mental illness) and are generally just barely keeping it together under a veneer of being Totally In Control.

Is a very specific fetish of mine.

[cosmerelists]

Support Groups that are Needed in the Cosmere

[Spoilers throughout!]

Sure, Kaladin has invented therapy, but where are the highly specific, timeline-blind, Cosmere-spanning support groups that our heroes desperately need? Support groups like...

1. "My Parental Figure Tried to Murder Me and all I Got was this Stupid Trauma."

Vin: You grow up thinking your mom tried to kill you, but it turns out she was just spiking you to be controlled for an evil god. Vin: Not better. Charlie: Oh man, that's horrible! My dad just sent me to an evil sorceress he thought would kill me because I was just that embarrassing to him. Wax: My uncle, who raised me, tried to blow me up with my own butler! And that was just, like, the first murder attempt. Shallan (sweating): I really thought there'd be more "and I killed them back" by now.

2. "Kin-Killers Club Support Group"

Wax: Kin-Killer's...Club? Shallan: I thinks someone thought the alliteration would be jolly before realizing that this group probably shouldn't be. Raboniel: Some would claim that "kin-killing" must be specifically a blood relative, like a daughter, rather than a spouse. Dalinar: ...should I go? Wax: No, no, I think wives definitely count as family! Vin: How do we feel about in-laws? Father-in-law? Brother-in-law? Shallan: Hey, it's all trauma. Kaladin: What if you didn't kill your brother exactly but you feel like it's definitely your fault and the guilt eats you alive? Wax: Yeah, nixing the jolly alliteration was definitely a good idea.

3. "I Did Not Enjoy Being Enslaved"

Kaladin: I think, for me, the worst part was that by the time I had fallen that low, I kinda felt like I deserved it. For not protecting people. Kaladin: I think that's why I kept my slave brands for so long. Rlain: I never thought I deserved it. None of my people did. Crow: Hey, why is this group's name in the past tense? Some of us are STILL enslaved to the big stupid dragon, you know!

4. "Dead Brother Gang"

Kaladin: Uh, Shallan? Is it awkward to have me here? Shallan: Eh, it's okay. Narratively, I got over you killing my brother really quickly! Shallan: Sorry he killed, like, all of your friends. Kaladin: I think that's trauma for a different support group. Shallan: Ha ha yeah! I've been to so many it's hard to keep track. Jasnah: If the two of you are finished, perhaps the rest of us could also talk about our deceased brothers now? Llarimar: Uh, is it okay if our brother died but then later came back to life? His death was still, like, very sad. Marsh: Of course. Even brothers who don't remain dead can be grieved. Marsh: ...Sometimes they manage to annoy you more.

5. "Horses Suck So Much--Why Doesn't Anyone Else See It?"

Kaladin: ... Vin: ... Kaladin: Vin: ... Kaladin: I really thought we'd get more people. Vin: Me too!

6. "Killed Off For Another Character's Development"

Evi: I know my death gave my husband such a powerful backstory but...it would have been nice to be in the main narrative. Vin's mom: Hey, at least you got a name. Parlin: It sucks, but it must be nice that you were grieved, at least! Parlin: People are like, why was Parlin even a character? Kelsier: (sighs) Yeah, our deaths may help the main character grow...but at what cost? Evi (low voice): Are we sure he qualifies?

7. "I Really Thought That Guy Was Cool and then He Almost Murdered Me and I Felt Kind of Stupid"

Vivenna: Turns out you CAN'T trust mercenaries, even if they seem jolly. Shallan: Some men who bring you jam and bread are...bad. Siri: Even nerds can be evil. Hrathen: Sometimes the crazed, violence-prone, deeply unstable underling you think you can control for your own purposes turns out to be crazy, violent, unstable, and murderous. Vivenna: ... Shallan: ... Siri: ... Hrathen: What?

7. "Wronged By Hoid"

Kelsier: Ugh, that jerk. Punched me in the face. Sigzil: Abandoned me in the Bridge Crew. Not to mention that I have to run forever now, thanks to him. Jasnah: "Wronged" is perhaps strong, but I will say that he is not the ideal boyfriend. Riina: That son-of-bitch kicked me off of a perfectly fine planet! Amarem: He was quite rude to me, once. Or many times. Hoid: It's all so true. I get myself into SO much trouble sometimes. Hoid: Is there any greater victim of Hoid...than Hoid himself? Kelsier: YOU CAN'T BE HERE

[stardustravens]

Okay so we have the wob about who would win in a pit fight, but consider a fight for the most dramatic cosmere character:

- every kholin is a finalist. they do not get a say in this and must compete for the title of most dramatic kholin

- kelsier and hoid are battling in a corner

- this probably descends into another fist fight, which is exceedingly dramatic in its own right

- mistborn era 2 gang are entered together (see the bands of mourning hotel scene. this group is chaos)

- shallan is definitely making jokes about it

- kaladin is entered by bridge four and adolin and is not happy to be there

- he is competing with vin and (young) dalinar for dramatic battle techniques

- szeth and nightblood vs vasher and nightblood

- hrathen and sarene also probably make it onto this list.

- hmm most of the shards too?

- tbh almost every cosmere character would be here

[kalessinsdaughter]

Elantris, chapter 8

kalessin reads cosmere

chapter 1 | chapter 7 | chapter 9

So Sarene is setting herself up as a harmless but annoying airhead, to get access to the court. Yeah, Iadon isn't a very shrewd politician.

In only ten years time, the peasantry of Arelon has gone from self-owning farmers to de facto slaves? That's quick, even with the aid of hired mercenaries.

Wait, Elantrians provided the basic necessities for free to the rest of the people, like a kind of UBI? OK, that does explain a lot. The collapse would have been very hard.

Ah, so Raoden didn't approve of his father's rule, especially about enslaving the peasantry? That's the clandestine meetings, I assume.

And here's an explanation for why Kiin doesn't hold a title, at least not officially. So he's definitely here by design.

No Sarene, Raoden isn't dead dead, and his father didn't have him killed. But you'll find out, I guess.

Adien comes across as on the autism spectrum. And his younger siblings are extremely accomplished, it seems. His mumblings sound like something to pay attention to.

Sarene has stumbled on Hrathen whipping up hate against the Elantrians? This is going to be fun.

Heh, the old "innocent questions" strategy. Nice. And Hrathen knows he's been played. So that's hostilities officially opened. With Dilaf even more, I guess. At least Hrathen seems to respect her, however reluctantly.

And thats Raoden and Galladon she's spotted, although she doesn't know, of course.

[dm-mo]

Cosmere Traitors, Rated

Rating the Betrayals & Betrayers in the Cosmere, because I can. Under a cut because Spoilers! and apologies for minor foul language

Elantris

Hrathen: 8/10, turning on Dilaf the Fanatic (who, to be fair, had turned on him first). A well executed “Not On My Watch” fueled by decency and his snarky affection for Sarene. Overall Satisfying to read. 

Warbreaker:

Bluefingers: 3/10 Evil chancellor of evil, it’s nothing personal but you have to die now, Siri! Does not hit me where I live. Especially not compared to the other main traitor in your book.

Denth: 12/10 top level betrayal! Oh ho ho, you manipulative mercenary of a character- manipulating the reader as much as your victim. Character Most likely to make you wince when mentioned by someone liveblogging.  [Insert “Newsflash, Princess, I’ve been kidnapping you the whole damned time” meme here ]

Mistborn

Kelsier: 7/10, not a betrayal so much as a WTF. Running a con within the con is a classic of the genre, but still. I knew you were up to something, but not the extent. Also Secret History! Talk about What Cannot Be Killed!

Reen: -3/10, Sacrificed himself to keep Vin safe, Ruin used his voice to keep Vin paranoid for years. Definite case of Good is not Nice, Tearjerker.

TenSoon: 10/10 Excellent betrayal, just not of Vin Replacing the Shapeshifter with another shapeshifter: Clever Giving the person your supposed to be spying on (but like better than your Boss) enough clues so that when you’re commanded to betray her, she can force you NOT TO DO IT? Better Going back to the Kandra Homeland and starting a Revolution that leads to the Ultimate downfall of Ruin? Best. Doggo. Ever.

Era 2 Mistborn

Tillaume: 4/10 Butler (attempting) to Do Murder in a Murder Mystery set in vaguely Victorian era?*clucks * But a bonus point for attempting to redirect the heroes onto other pursuits before blowing yourself up, and thus setting up excellent time bubble banter scene.

Paalm/Lessie/Bleeder: 5/10. Wax is sad. You should feel bad, except you’re dead, again. Because you made him shoot you in the head, again. Because you set the drama dial to 11 and Spiked it there. Nice work.

Telsin: 2/10 Sister-Damsel not actually a Damsel? Check. Sister the Better Villain? Double check. Sadly otherwise not leaving a large impression on me compared to the Protagonists? ah well.

Harmony:  3/10 Being God is hard, okay? That Said, Paalm got a raw deal.

Stormlight Archive

Shallan: ~3/10, Girl you have got to stop putting yourself in sticky situations where the only way you can see out of it is to murder your authority figures. OTOH, Tyn did not see Pattern-Blade coming, so you do you.

Kabsal: 9/10, a shifty guy but I thought he was just a spy (and a bit skeevy for using Shallan) but Poisony Fake Ardents get what they deserve, sir.

Sadeas: 7/10, Resident slimeball in tasseled Shardplate, we knew you were going to be trouble when you walked in, but you played Dalinar like a well beaten drum. Pity you were a starter villain who had outlived your usefulness except as a lingering regret in the minds of better characters.

Jakamav: 1/10, you are a fairweather friend who then shows up with the other kids to try to beat up on your friend because he’s out of favor. Then gets your butt kicked to the curb where it belongs.

Amaram: 11/10, We knew it was going to be bad, but reading the chapter where Kaladin gets his brands for the first time is terrible. Amaram has a facade of honorable behavior hides true self-serving loathsome core, yet he remains smarmy to the bitter, gem encrusted end. Turns out that the one thing Kaladin and Jasnah independently agree upon is that Amaram sucks.

Moash: 0/0, F*#$^@ YOU MOASH! WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL! But you threw it all away! Bad Man! You kicked a toddler so you could kill his father in front of him, WTF. I’M STILL HAVING FEELINGS ABOUT THIS! UNLIKE YOU!!!

[thenerdhathwrote]

Elantris Reactions Part 4 - The Conclusion!

I have finished reading Elantris!  And I now understand why people talk about wanting a sequel... :-)  So, here are my reactions to chapter 40 to the end of the book.  Please to enjoy!

What even happened with Dilaf!?! 

I mean, I knew he was gonna be a massive problem, but I was not expecting him to be from Dahkor

Especially not the leader of the monastery

I don’t really understand what Dilaf was doing?  Why was he there?  What was happening?

I guess it does kinda make sense that Hrathen wouldn’t have figured it out, given the kind of man that he is?

But at the same time, he’s a smart man, I am a little surprised he wouldn’t have picked up on Dilaf being maybe something other than he seemed

Hrathen figured out Sarene was smart after she spoke like five words

Sanderson had to nerf Hrathen, lol

Can I refuse to accept Hrathen is dead?

Honestly, I even predicted he’d end up dying protecting Sarene, and I’m still not okay

I predicted a lot of the end-game plot twists, but was also surprised by a good number of them too

Clearly the Dilaf twist was one of them

Good job, Sanderson, you got me

Honestly I have a hard time buying the whole Aiden was an Elantrian the whole time! twist

Certain aspects did feel like they were sort of forced a bit much, so that the plot would work

I don’t remember feeling like that with Mistborn or Stormlight, and the forced- ness, and it did sometimes take me out of the story at times

I didn’t expect Roial to die the way he did, either

Frankly I want to just pretend none of them died

I have too many feels

I figured Hrathen had poisoned Sarene to make her appear to be an Elantrian, but I didn’t expect him to use it as a way of getting her father, and by extension her kingdom, to convert

Smart move Hrathen, good on you

The Sanderson Avalanche was strong!

It was really cool watching Raoden figure out what was going on

He fixed Elantris!   Good job Raoden

I refuse to accept that Karata is dead

I’m doing a lot of refusing to accept that people are dead, I’m not okay you guys

There were a lot of questions that got brought up in the last few chapters that were just sort of...blatantly never resolved

How are other people accessing the Dor?

What is happening?  Nobody knows

It definitely feels like it’s supposed to have a sequel

Possibly many sequels

It’s a good thing Brandon Sanderson writes fast, he has like 50,000 more books to write

Overall opinion- yay Elantris!  I’m a fan!  I’m really glad I’ve now read it, I majorly enjoyed it :-) 

[living-the-fastlife]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and Bookish and hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

This week is all about characters. Now, there are a lot of angles to take with this freebie, but I thought I’d take the time to spotlight some of the characters that had a lasting impact on my reading experience. These guys have a variety of qualities that make them a standout character in the books.

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1. Inej Ghafa, Six of Crows: This was definitely the toughest choice on the list because the Six of Crows gang work so well together, and all moments that define them as individuals, but Inej Ghafa takes the crown for this reason. This is a girl that has seen the very worst of people, has experienced a lot of trauma at the hands of others, and yet she still retains a sense of hope. It takes a lot of strength to hold onto that hope and retain the goodness in her after everything she’s endured. She is the moral glue that kept the gang from crumbling.

2. Kell Maresh, Shades of Magic: Another tough choice here, but what gave Kell the edge was his overall arc. Ever loyal to his adopted family, this series forces Kell to make some tough calls and come to harsh realisations on his role within the family. He is essentially a weapon, a willing one when it comes to his brother, Rhy’s safety, but you can also understand his resentment of this role. What was so lovely about Kell’s journey was seeing his continuous devotion to Rhy while retaining a sense of self and putting his own hopes to the forefront.

3. Kestrel, The Winner’s Trilogy: This remarkable woman deserves all the respect in the world for the things she’s had to endure. I keep bringing this up, but Kestrel’s intelligence and mental strength is a thing to be admired. She’s a character that acknowledges her weaknesses, but also doesn’t hide her strengths. She’s also compassionate and is willing to put the safety of those she loves before her own. She makes a lot of sacrifices in this series and is literally stripped of her identity, but she never loses that compassion in her.

4. Yael, Wolf by Wolf: If you want to talk identity, this is the book for you. Yael has seen some heartbreaking horrors and experienced the very worst of humanity, but the beauty of her character arc is in her self-discovery. She’s spent so much time pretending to be someone else that her sense of identity is all but extinct. Seeing her embrace her true self was a thing of beauty and her tribute to those that had a lasting impact on her life is truly touching.

5. Lazlo Strange, Strange the Dreamer: Lazlo is absolutely precious. This dreamer captures the spirit of imagination. There’s always a sense of calm when reading his thoughts. He is genuine in his intentions, and the sense of hope that’s ignited whenever he appears is like a breath of fresh air.

6. Tom Mackee, The Piper’s Son: If you want a character that’s grounded in reality then look no further than Tom Mackee. Melina Marchetta created such a flawed character that you felt like he was standing right next to you. Tom makes a lot of mistakes in this book, he’s angry and resentful, but you also see those sparks of life that like a promise of better things to come. The relationships he has with his friends and family are messy and complicated but are always grounded the love between them.

7. Skylar Evans, I’ll Meet You There: Can this girl be my best friend? I adore Sky. She is such an incredible character and has fought for her happiness and her future. Life hasn’t always been easy for Skylar and her budding friendship/relationship with Josh doesn’t make it easier. Skylar is another character that felt so real in all her complexities and seeing the messy world through her artistic eyes was a brilliant demonstration of the beauty in this ugly world.

8. Hrathen, Elantris: Hrathen is an interesting character. More often than not he angered me, but what I loved about his character was the way we got to explore the influence of religion within fantasy. His character was so complex as his morals clashed with his religious and political duty. He is calculating and frustrating, but his influence on the events of the book is undeniable.

9. Garrett Graham, The Deal: Not gonna lie, I’m using this moment to group together all of the Off-Campus guys and the girls. What I love about them is the friendship between them. There’s plenty of hilarious banter, but they will always have each other’s backs when they need them the most. I have a terrible soft spot for Garrett and Hannah. Those two are one heck of a team and the natural development of their relationship was sweet.

10. Lira, To Kill a Kingdom: Lira is unapologetically ruthless in her actions. Known as the Prince’s Bane, Lira is a deadly Siren that strikes fear into the hearts of the noblest heroes. What I love about Lira is the way she turned her punishment into her greatest strength. Her time as a human gave us the opportunity to see her at her most vulnerable and take control of her life.

Which characters made a memorable impact on you?

  Top Ten Tuesday: Character Spotlight Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and Bookish and hosted by…

[kalessinsdaughter]

Elantris, chapter 21

kalessin reads cosmere

chapter 1 | chapter 20 | chapter 22

Hrathen's description of the Fjordell arteth, Thered, is really funny: he's such a huge Fjordell chauvinist! But the observation that he's still muscular from his monastery training makes me wonder: do all Fjordell priests have such training? And what about Derethi priests from other countries? (yes, I'm thinking of Dilaf)

Ah, so this is Hrathen's choice as head arteth. So it's not going to be Dilaf, after all.

OK, scratch that, Thered declines! Come on, Hrathen, of course Dilaf is behind it! You know he is. You just don't want to admit it to yourself. Yeah, you made a mistake. And I think Dilaf wants you to fail, and Arelon to die. Although I don't understand why.

Alright, the time has finally come for Hrathen to do something about Dilaf! He's going to send him to Fjorden, to deliver "a very important letter". Yeah, that's not obvious at all. And Dilaf is definitely going to try to wiggle out of it. I don't believe for a second that he secretly wanted to be sent to Fjorden.

And here comes Dilaf's counter-strike. Wait, he's been tying most of Hrathen's Arelene supporters to himself as odivs? That's… that takes careful planning. He's been quietly working to undermine Hrathen's position for weeks, effectively placing himself in a position where he can veto any order Hrathen issues. And he knows it, deliberately mocking Hrathen with pretending to be his obedient servant. I think Hrathen needs to start asking himself what, exactly, Dilaf's plans are.

So Hrathen escapes to watch Elantris. Yeah, that's where Dilaf won't go. At least that we're aware. And here's two beggars! So people do escape from the farms. There used to be four cities around Elantris? How many remain now? Only Kae? Is that port city one of the lords holds one of them? Is it important? And so Hrathen takes the opportunity to give in the name of Jaddeth. Very calculating. Or is it?

Hmmm. Kae hasn't exactly spilled out from inside Elantris, the way Hrathen thinks, has it? If there were once four cities around Elantris, Kae was never inside Elantris, right?

Oh, here's Omin, the Korathi priest. What's his errand? To sow the seeds of doubt in Hrathen's mind? Omin clearly has Hrathen's measure. Is he thinking that the deliberate falsehoods he's propagating grate on someone with his super rational outlook.

Oh. OH!

"What happened to your faith?"

That's a cruel question to ask! A very good one, though. For all his mild appearance, Omin takes no prisoners!

[kalessinsdaughter]

Elantris, chapter 17

kalessin reads cosmere

chapter 1 | chapter 16 | chapter 18

Here we go, Sarene's fencing class kicks off! And we get a bit of history, and more insight into the different cultures. The Elantrians frowned on combat? But not for the same reasons as Iondel, I assume?

Eondel, you had better not put Sarene in the shade! Of course he's got more experience teaching than Sarene has. Ah, I shouldn't be surprised that he realizes he needs to let her look good in front of her class: with his background, he would know how to build morale (and destroy it).

Heh, Shuden can't help displaying, can he?

The Arelene social structure is really messed up. It's like an extreme form of prosperity theology, minus the religious element.

Ah, the Widow's Trial gets explained. A display of charity is expected of her. Oh! Sarene has inherited Raoden's wealth, and didn't know it! Yep, she's definitely going to make her Trial involve the Elantrians. It's an excellent counter to Hrathen's attempts at demonizing them.

Sarene's talking to her father, and here's a mention of Jeskeri Mystery Cults. Curious.

Yeah, her father is right to worry: Fjorden, the major aggressively expanding power, recalling their ambassador is not good news.

More about the scale of the massacres in Duladel. Hrathen sure has blood on his hands.

Sarene's self-image really isn't good. And for all that Arelon is perceived as stupidly backward and misogynist, Teod isn't exactly a wonder of gender equality, either.

OK, do not mention Kiin to her father. Noted. But why?

Ooh, more about the Fjordell monasteries! Wait, Dakhor rings a bell *leafs back to check* yes! That's where Hrathen trained. But as what? Not assassins, not spies, not simple warriors. What are those *pause for effect* other arts, the matter of those horrible stories? It must be something sinister indeed, with this kind of foreshadowing.

And Sarene's father, if faced with the choice to convert or die, will convert, to save his people. Let's hope he gets that chance. Because if people like Dilaf have any say, conversion won't even be offered as an option.

Wait, what's this about Iadon's ships? Fjorden is sinking them? Ah, to undermine Iadon's claim to the throne. Of course! And Sarene has guessed that Telrii is in Fjordell pay.

Uh, Sarene, I don't think that noise was the building settling.