Mistborn and WOT

[Majsju]

First of all, if you have not yet read Mistborn, you ight want to skip this thread, as there will be some spoilers. And I strongly recommend Mistborn to all fans of WOT.

 

 

Now, that said, on to business. But first a small disclaimer, I have not finished Mistborn yet, so I might have misunderstood a thing or two. That said...

 

Brandon Sanderson said about Mistborn that he wanted to write about a world where the evil antagonist won. Now, as I have understood things so far, the Lord Ruler was originally a mortal, who somehow gained divinity.

 

This reminded me a lot about something in WOT, Cadsuanes comment about how Rand winning TG in his current state might be as bad as the DO winning. And it struck me, that if Rand failed to learn the famous Laughter & Tears, the result might very well be something quite similar to the world of Mistborn.

 

Or what do you think?

[Vambram]

I finished Mistborn last week, and I agree with your assessment and also your concluding sentences. And I would completely agree with what you said, Majsju, about the Lord Ruler in Mistborn except that there is a very surprising plot twist at the end of the novel in the second to last chapter. I won't post a spoiler about the Lord Ruler, but I can almost guarantee y'all that you won't see it coming. After you get past the plot twist about the Lord Ruler at the end, then I bet you will be even more impressed with Brandon Sanderson.

:)

[aevogt]

I have a choice with which I need help.

 

I have Elantris and the first two Mistborn books.  Don't care about spoilers.

 

I also have GRRM's first two SoIaF books.

 

I also picked up an "Ultimate" volume with all the Hitchhikers books and I haven't read those in ages and never as a full series.

 

I'll be finished with this reread of the WoT in another few weeks and can't decide which author to go with next.

 

Adams, Sanderson and Martin (Oh my)

 

Ideas?

 

 

[Death Dragon]

Let me just say that I registered simply to give you this advice:

 

Sanderson. I heard that his books had really good plot twists, so I didn't read any spoilers. I was shocked at Mistborn. I didn't see the end coming at all, but when I looked back, it was so painfully obvious! Don't read spoilers, you'll enjoy it more.

 

Same thing with Elantris. They were absolutely brilliant and I think Sanderson was a good choice to finish the WoT.

[aevogt]

Fair enough.  I'm a half a chapter into Elantris so I'll just keep going.  I read so much I'm going to sell my widescreen fro lack of use.

[Jonn]

Mistborn was pretty shocking. I actually had to read the last couple of chapters more than once to let it sink in. I really enjoyed that.

 

Elantris just kept building and building until that ending and it was well worth it.

 

aevogt: I believe you made the right choice. I started with Elantris and then went right into Mistborn.

[Aemon raHal]

Finished Mistborn a few days ago. Got the link from TOR and was addicted!

I read the draft of Warbreaker - and its pretty good too. I couldn't put it down (although it was a digital copy...)!

 

The end of Mistborn was surprising! The last few chapters are great. The Kyslier thing is great.

 

I just found it hard to believe all the putting stuff together that Vin does at the last moment, but I suppose she's a smart girl and she had alot of scaps of knowledge throughout the book to help her.

 

Great book on its own. But too many ends tied up (its what you get with a pretty linear story)

Not much to make me bother reading Mistborn 2 though. Apart from the Warning the Lord Ruler gives at the end.

 

:)

 

 

[rd2000]

I enjoyed Mistborn, and agree that Brandon Sanderson is a very good writer. However, I keep going back and rereading WOT. I haven't touched Mistborn since I've finished it.

[aevogt]

I enjoyed Mistborn, and agree that Brandon Sanderson is a very good writer. However, I keep going back and rereading WOT. I haven't touched Mistborn since I've finished it.

 

Gets into your soul. 

[Corbett]

nothing will ever touch us like the Wheel of Time has and thats just that. however Mistborn is a good story and i would recomemnd it to anyone

 

[Andrew the Great]

Great book on its own. But too many ends tied up (its what you get with a pretty linear story)

Not much to make me bother reading Mistborn 2 though. Apart from the Warning the Lord Ruler gives at the end.

 

:)

 

Read it. Seriously, I went from Elantris right into Mistborn on to Well of Ascension. The next book is well worth it. Everything of Brandon Sanderson's I've read so far I would recommend to any WOT fan.

[Vidarr]

Anyone who thinks they can just stop after Mistborn one is really missing out Well of Ascension is great with some really unexpected twists and turns along the way, well worth the read. Just got to say that Mistborn has my favorite magic system of any book ive ever read. And I have read ALOT of books.

[Guest Dreadlord]

The One Power system is good as well. Its good because you get a feel of whats possible and whats not, but then people start breaking the boundaries, yet at the same time its not too far fetched.

 

Iv not read any of Sandersons but I do intend to.

[tmortn]

Do NOT stop at "The final Empire". It may not leave you hanging like Eye of the world but Sanderson is far from done in that story and Well of Ascension is not fluff filler add-on to stretch the story. I just finished it and in my opinion it is an even Better book than the first. The guy really knows how to do a number on expectations in this type of story and where I see Mistborn's twists as something of a 'cheap' trick I think he grows beyond that to more ground breaking territory in the second book.

 

I hear you on the re-reads... I hate to think how much time I have devoted to WOT over the years and when we start getting close to Sanderson's release you can bet I will be reading start to finish before I ever open the final book. However, I think part of the pull of re-reading in Jordan is that he so clearly has an eye to so much of what is to come even from the very beginning. Not many Authors have had that in the past... and without it you can't really make a re-read work all that well as there just isn't anything more to get out of it. Even with his plot twists I just don't get the feeling going back through Mistborn will have the same 'ah ha' moments we all know and love from WOT re-reads once new plots develop, or old ones reveal new information that shines an entirely different light over many actions that have come before.

 

There may be some of that in the first mistborn... but most of Kelsier's 'surprise' is a one time trick. Re-reading it then would be kind of like watching the 6th Sense after you know the secret. It just doesn't work for the most part... it becomes like dissecting a magicians act and figuring out where he misdirected you. That movie was built on the premise of folks NOT knowing much the same as Mistborn is built on spoiling the expectations of the readers. Once you know the secret however, the tension and pacing of the story is ruined from what I can tell.  WOT on the other hand is like Fight Club. When you know the end that is a completely different movie and everything was quite intentional in creating it. Jordan had a knack for writing a passage in such a way that it read well both before you know, and after you know certain facts about the future of the story. Seemingly inconsequential turns of phrase turn out to be very intentional.. rather than ruining the story it allows one to re-read it and continue to gain new knowledge and appreciation for the story.