Mistborn: The Final Empire

[-ZanMgt- OneNight]

I am re-posting all of my old posts in an topic that is now gone, (lost with the move to the new website), note that I have done some editing just to make it more readable. I didn't change my theory's or my predictions... or at least as far as you know :P.

 

OneNight"]

I have been wanting to read this for a while now and as I picked up the book today to start reading, it occurred to me that some of you who have read the series before

might wish to relive the experience. Even if through another persons eyes. (Note: Dralid's first read of The Wheel of Time made me think of this.) So I will post my

theory's on this thread and my opinions on the characters as I read the book. I will try to do at least one chapter every day, sometimes I may do more. And I will

continue until the end of the book, however, if I didn't like to book enough by the end then I am afraid that I will not be doing another one of these for the next book.

 

Prologue.

 

- The first passage is strange. It suggests that the Main Character is not the Hero. Only the protagonist.

- So, the ash is normal... That suggests evil or darkness on the land meaning that someone evil is controlling this land.

- Skaa are enslaved, but what are they? A sub-Human race?

- Obligators seem like Lawyers to me, more like a Lawyer that is a computer. The more you pay the more advanced and complex your Obligator is.

- So this Obligator is a "full prelan" with a lower case P in prelan. I wonder what that means. Possibly it means he is an elite Obligator?

- Lord Straff Venture looks to be the main enemy of this book. He most likely will die to the Hero or the Main Character in the end.

- Canton of Inquisition sounds like a form of Government that enforces the law the Lord Ruler has created. Gestapo anyone?

- Steel Inquisitors description just reinforces my belief that they are akin to the Gestapo.

- Obligators are priests? Does that mean that the wield magic? It also suggests they have more power then I thought. Are Obligators Human? Huh If so I must have

missed that. They sounded like a half breed creation to me.

- Tresting just saw a Skaa look at him with defiance and then disappear. I am guessing that it was either the Main Character, the Hero or Tresting is going insane.

- Hmm, Kelsier, the Main Character, thought that he would have to break the Skaa of their fear of the Mist. I am thinking that he is either Magical or not Skaa. Maybe both.

- By the way they are talking about it it sounds as if the Mist is something that the Light will use often. Kelsier I bet will not fear it and not be harmed by it.

- Kelsier is either insane and cut himself, which makes a interesting story if the Main Character is insane. Or he was beaten and tortured for something he did.

- Mennis seems like he is the will become the leader of this band of Skaa.

- Burned tin... Interesting... So Brandon Sanderson replaced magic with metal... Hey look there is a handy guide at the back of the book explaining the different

uses for the different metals. I love these kind of books where they have new concepts/language and then have a handy guide at the end to help explain it to you.

- Uh oh :o . Kelsier is going after Jess's daughter. I think somebody gonna get a hurt real bad. It looks as if these Skaa are going to be force into rebellion and

will have to leave very soon.

- Mennis smells smoke, different from the ash. I think somebody had a little fire at the Manor.

- Yay, Jess's daughter has been saved and the Skaa are off to an exciting start, faced with death from the Lord Ruler and the Mists that consumes souls, things are

looking up Wink. Note: It's strange that they say 'Lord Ruler' in a almost good way, its something that hopefully goes away as the book goes on Undecided.

 

Chapter 1.

 

- I am not so sure if these first few lines, before the chapter starts, is actually Kelsier anymore. They just don't quite feel like him... Nah, I will stick to my first instincts. It is Kelsier.

- Hmm, first few lines after the chapter starts suggest illegal activity. I am guessing either a Vin is either a Thief, or a Con artist. She probably has powers as well.

- Reen sounds like he will be a major element in the Vin storyline. I wonder if he will be Good or Bad though. Most likely bad.

- I think Vin is one of those half Skaas I heard about in the Prologue. For that matter I bet Kelsier is too.

- As Ulef comes in I am told again that Vin believes everyone will betray her. I think this will be a big issue when Kelsier and Vin meet up. But I think it will be solved at the end.

- Reen had made sure she could not escape... I wonder if that is supposed to mean that he left her in a position that she could not get out of and now she is stuck. But how is she stuck?

- Caman is either a character that will turn good (as good as you can be while you are a criminal), or he will die as just before Vin's escape or after Vin's escape.

- Vin calls burning zinc, "using her Luck". That confirms she has Metal powers but the question is, is she even aware she has these powers. I mean obviously she is

aware of it but does she know what it really is besides Luck?

- The world is to normal for the Lord Ruler to be a Satan like enemy. I am suspecting that he either doesn't exist or, he is just a man. Hmm, maybe he is Reen?

- This Prelan (Note: He is not a Full Prelan) Laird guy seems to be a moderate bad guy, I think he will die before this book is over with.

- Vin knows an awful lot. I wonder where she gets all this knowledge from. I suppose you could say Reen, but then where did he get all his knowledge?

- Yay, they got the deal. But what does it mean? I know that Vin gets to stay now, but what overall is this going to accomplish? (Note: I don't really want to know just thinking out loud. ;) )

 

Chapter 2.

 

- I took a look at the Luthadel map and I find it very strange that there is a Tin (North), Pewter (Northeast), Zinc (East), Brass (Southeast), Copper (South),

Bronze (Southwest), Iron (West) and Steel (Northwest) gates. I just don't understand why the different gates are named after the Magic Metals?

- I think Dockson, Breeze, Ham and Trap are all Allomancers.

- Wow, that didn't take long to find out.

- I think Kelsier and his band of Allomancers are going to try and steal from a Great House, and then something will screw up (Probably Camon's crew will show up).

Afterwards the Lord Ruler will go after them forcing the Good Guys to start a full rebellion against the Lord Ruler.

- Camon mentions that "It's time.", I wonder if he will try to kill her now.

- I am starting to like Camon, his character feels well built and his whole backstabbing before Theron can double cross him shows that he can think ahead. And best

of all he acted like most people in that kind of world would in that situation.

- High Prelan Arriev only agreed after Vin used Zinc on him, I wonder if that's what Arriev wanted which leads to the question; can Obligators detect Zinc or Brass.

Seeing as how that messes with the brain I would think that it would be detectable.

- So the Steel Inquisitor is going to follow Camon and Vin to their Safe House and capture/kill everyone there?

- Wouldn't the Inquisitor be curious as to why someone would burn anything near him and then mess with his head to get his attention?

- If I am not mistaken I think Vin and Kelsier are going to meet up in the next chapter or at least very soon. Then Vin will probably find out that she is an Allomaner as well.

 

Chapter 3.

 

- Again Vin mentions Reen in an almost positive light... I am beginning to wonder if Reen left to somehow help Vin. Although I can't imagine how, but I don't get

the feeling that Reen betrayed Vin.

- I think something bad will happen when Vin leaves, not that the Inquisitor will show up.

- Camon is about to kill Vin and a possible Savior appears. (How very convenient)

- I just realized. Most Allomancers can only use one power (As far as I know) yet Vin I believe burned Pewter when Camon was attacking her. Does this mean something?

- Wow I did not expect Kelsier and Vin to meet up now. I thought that they would meet up way later on in the book. Although I guess Vin has to start working on her trust issue.

- I believe Camon is going to try and get revenge later. Don't know how but I think he will.

- I like Kelsier's attitude toward Camon. I wonder if we will see more of this kind of attitude toward 'bad' men.

- Hmm, I wonder if we will see Vin's father in this book, and will he try and save her or kill her?

 

Chapter 4.

 

- The meeting between Vin and all of the other Main Characters feels strangely like Inception to me.

- Having them go after the Lord Ruler right now seems a little sudden to me. I thought that would be in the second or third book.

- Clubs states plainly that he will not do the job, but I believe clubs will say ( in a poor imitation of Arnold) "I'll be back!".

- That seems a little convenient for their to be an eleventh Metal that no one knew about and what can kill the Lord Ruler.

- Wait a moment. There is the eight Basic Metals, Atium and the Eleventh. So what is the tenth? Obsidian like the one Reen left behind that Vin took? Vin described that

coin oddly. I bet it is the tenth.

 

Chapter 5

 

- After Kelsier found the old wind bottle hidden behind a false back in a secret cupboard in Camon's old lair. Kelsier mentions "There's always another secret." I wonder

if I will see another example, preferably a bigger and far grander example.

- I think Kelsier's motives are very good, and the way his character is built it makes you really feel for his character. Which makes me believe that he might die. Cry

- Who is Gemmel? I am assuming that he was another Mistborn. But the bigger question does it matter? Is Gemmel important to the storyline?

- I like how the Magic system works. Most writers will allow some room where at any time a Magic wielder become super and almighty. (Dragon Ball Z anyone?) But Brandon

sets a limit. The Metal can do no more or less then what Brandon described. Or at least I hope that's the way it goes. If Brandon pulls some crap making the Metals

more powerful I will be very disappointed. :(

- Brandon did a good job with the Hazekillers. Where they aren't weak but they are strong enough to fight an experienced Mistborn without whooping him.

- Brandon still hasn't explained what Atium is. I don't have a clue of what it does.

 

Chapter 6

 

- The part where Kelsier writes on the chalkboard the basic plan, everyone repeats everything Kelsier said the other night and Kelsier seems completely unaware that

the rest of the crew is not helping him really bothers me. Did Brandon just screw up here by forgetting the previous chapter?

- I can't imagine what would be so bad about "Lord Renoux" that everyone would be uncomfortable. Obviously "Renoux" is some sort of shape-shifter. Does the ninth

metal allow people to change their shape maybe? Or is "Renoux" just a creature?

- Hmm, by the way Yeden was happy that Marsh was there I would guess that Marsh was someone who helped the rebellion. And is probably a Lord and Misting as well.

 

Chapter 7.

 

- How did Marsh know who Kelsier killed? This near confirms my theory that he is a lord of some sort. Or at least someone with a lot of connections.

- So Marsh will become an Inquisitor. Or at least that is what I assume from the fact that Marsh will join Kelsier, and the fact that he is a Seeker and how

else could he spy effectively on an organization such as the Steel Ministry other than joining their ranks.

- So now I know all bout the Allomancy. Except the ninth, tenth and eleventh Metal.

 

Chapter 8.

 

- The whole part where Vin balances herself right next to the City Wall in her training, I did not like that. I would consider balancing off something like that to be

like trying to balance yourself on a very large and small pole. Where after about a second or two you would start to slowly fall off at an angle then start to

fall in an arc until you hit the bottom. So this is the first thing I don't like about Mistborn.

- Ahhhh, so Renous is a Mistwraith. I thought he would be something like that.

- The High Nobility uses mistwraiths... so either they will be other nobles that are Mistwraiths (replacements) or the Koloss(sp?)?

- Sazed feels suspicious, maybe all Terrisman are like that. If so then they all feel wrong. Otherwise I think that Sazed is with the Final Empire.

 

Chapter 9.

 

- So it is several months since Vin first arrived in Fellise and she conveniently learned a bunch of Allomancy off screen. And is currently training with, I assume, Kelsier.

- Vin's constant habit of stockpiling food and grabbing that bag of coins she threw at Kelsier really helps identify her character as someone who does not waste.

- Just who is Sazed?

 

Chapter 10.

 

- ! I just realized! The 'blurb' is the Hero of Ages! Most likely when he first began his journey to confront the 'Deepness'.

- The recruitment part I think was done well. It helps explain Brass and Zinc better and it lets you get to know Breeze more. The best part is, it doesn't feel out of place.

- Hmm, Kelsier mentions that Yeden's plan to hold the Palace seems futile to many and, on it's own, ultimately doomed. But Kelsier had other plans. Is Kelsier

going to find a way to stick his crew to the rebellion? I actually don't think it is a question at all. He will find a way to make his crew feel for the Skaa and stay.

- LOL! Love the line Kelsier makes about religions to Saze. "Are there any religions on your list that include the slaughter of nobleman as a holy duty?".

 

Chapter 11.

 

- This Rashek guy is strange. Why is it that he hates the Hero of Ages so much? Is it possible that Rashek was the cause to the Hero of Ages' downfall?

- Aww, I was hoping for more of Milev's crew. At least Camon is probably still alive.

- Oh come on! Camon is dead too. Oh well. :(

 

Chapter 12

 

- Oh dear God. I hope I do not have to read anymore descriptions of dresses or clothes. I get enough of that from Wheel of Time. P.S. I HATE ELAYNE!

- Interesting. So Vin's father is an Obligator. And a powerful one at that.

- Obviously this Lord Elend will be of some great importance. Most likely the love interest for Vin.

 

Chapter 13

 

- Well that near confirms it. Rashek very most likely (killed/was responsible for the downfall of) the Hero of Ages.

- Now that I know what Atium does I can see the worth of it.

- I was thinking about it. The guidebook in the back shows a half circle of the different Allomancy metals. Since there are more metals then eight will we see the

circle grow eight more metals? Including Atium, the eleventh and the ninth. Which I believe that it is not Obsidian anymore. (As I recall Obsidian is more of a glass)

 

Chapter 14

 

- Kelsier is one bad (expletives deleted)!

- Uh oh. Inquisitor. They in trouble now.

- Bah, Kelsier is not defeated.

- Hmm, either the Inquisitor picked Vin up, her father or Elend.

 

Chapter 15

 

- ... I don't have a comment on this chapter. Only five pages long...

- Oh wait I do! What in the world is a metalmind?

 

Chapter 16

 

- The book Vin found is about the 'blurbs'.

- I still can't figure out what Sazed is...

 

Chapter 17.

 

- Marsh is going to be found out by the Steel Inquisitors but won't die. He will still be alive and tortured by them.

- Maybe the Lord Ruler can sense Allomancy through copperclouds and that is why he thanked Mare. He is pretty powerful.

 

Chapter 18.

 

- Shan is at least a Misting but probably a Mistborn.

- Well it is now confirmed she is at least a Misting.

- Something is very important in those books of Elend's.

- Huh, Elend is a near revolutionary. By reading those books he is basically signing his death warrant. Although maybe he just wants to treat the Skaa better and

doesn't want to help the Rebellion or Kelsier overthrow the Lord Ruler. It most likely at the end that he will help.

- There those mysterious metalminds again, and what is a Feruchemist? Someone who uses a metalmind? Oh well I am sure I will learn soon.

 

Chapter 19.

 

- Straff will survive this book. He is too important and too unimportant to kill.

- Kelsier is going to change his mindset on the Nobles. And he will actually save a couple, most likely Elend somewhere near then end of the book.

 

Chapter 20.

 

- The starting blurb confirms that the Deepness is the mists.

- Vin is going to learn to sense Allomancy through copperclouds.

 

Chapter 21.

 

- By the remarks from Kelsier when he is entering the caves, I believe he will return to the Pits of Hathsin and do something drastic there.

- From the way that Ham was saying that maybe the Noblemen were meant to rule over the Skaa, I think he might betray Kelsier's crew.

- Kelsier's show of... whatever it was, with the battling will come back and bite him in the butt. He put to much confidence in the army.

- There is that "Always another secret" from Kelsier again. He has a trick up his sleeve that no one will like. But it will be something that saves the Skaa.

 

Chapter 22.

 

- They keep saying Terris, over and over again. I assume that is where the key to defeating the Deepness is. But the way that they make it obvious that it is to the

north makes me wonder if the 'key' is not somewhere else.

- Hmm, so now Sazed is done with the glasses. I wonder if he weakened himself and is now paying for over exerting his Feruchemist-ness.

- Ahhh, now I know all about Feruchemistry. Interesting concept, I can see this easily being as powerful, if not more powerful, then Allomancy itself.

 

Chapter 23.

 

- Kliss behaves just too... blond... I think she is hiding something. Something simple of course like intellect.

- It looks like Kelsier might let Elend and his friends in on the job. Unlikely but I can see it happening.

 

Chapter 24.

 

- The blurb mentions that the 'Hero of Ages' says "I can still see the tears in a young child's eyes and feel pain at his suffering.", and Vin said before that as she

was passing a few poor Skaa children "Poor things." while the children were shaking a tree to drop the ash. This just furthers the connection between the 'Hero of Ages' and Vin.

- It feels wrong when they all meet up again and have a couple laughs and everything is jokey and happy. This could have been written better.

- There is another "Poor things." comment from Vin again as she passed a bunch of children going to clean up ash.

- Just like I thought. Yeden took the army and has done something foolish and is now going lose 3/4 of the army at least.

 

Chapter 25.

 

- After that battle that Vin stopped Kelsier from going into I believe Kelsier is going to end up doing something that will run him right into a no-win scenario.

 

Chapter 26.

 

- So Vin's father is the Lord Prelan. That probably means that he will die seeing as how the Ministry will not tolerate it when they find out that the Lord Prelan had a half breed child.

- I am not so sure that the Lord Ruler is stashing Atium anymore. The way the crew keeps saying that everything will be better when they have that Atium makes me

believe that there isn't any stash.

 

Chapter 27.

 

- I feel like there is something more to those words in the blurb. It reads, "I think I've finally discovered why Rashek resents me so very much. He does not believe

that an outsider such as myself--a foreigner--could possibly be the Hero of Ages. He believes that I have somehow tricked the philosophers, that I wear the piercings

of the Hero unjustly.

According to Rashek, only a Terrisman of pure blood should have been chosen as the Hero. Oddly, I find myself even more determined because

of his hatred. I must prove to him that I can perform this task." The whole thing feels like a big clue to me...

- Huh, Gold is messed up.

- I don't think so... Kelsier says that Gold and Atium are similar but to me Gold is internal, because it allows you to see your past. And Atium is external

because it allows you to see into anothers future. Meaning that there are at least two more metals. One for your future and one for another's

past. Hmm, could the eleventh be one of these other two that I guess exist?

 

Chapter 28.

 

- If the Ventures gained their wealth from the Atium mined at the Pits of Hathsin then it would only take a small attack to possibly collapse the Great House Venture.

- I think that somehow the Elend will learn of the whole operation and then do something to make it common knowledge.

 

Chapter 29.

 

- I still feel like there is a big clue in those blurbs that I am not getting...

- Wonderful--no more blurbs... How am I supposed ti figure the hidden clue out if there is nothing more?

- Sazed was speaking about the Valla and how their leaders became martyrs and hinted that, that was the reason the Valla lasted as long as they did. Is this a foreshadowing

of Kelsier's death? I hope not...

 

Chapter 30.

 

- Ahh, okay. So there will be more blurbs. I was worried for a minute.

- I was right... Shan is Mistborn.

 

Chapter 31.

 

- Hmm, so Vin can sense Allomancy through copperclouds. But why is it that no other Seeker can?

 

Chapter 32.

 

- Kelsier keeps building up that image of himself... I don't like where it is going.

- Huh, I was not expecting them to kill of Marsh. And definitely not like that. But I guess it proves that the situation is serious.

- So Kelsier is going to destroy the Pits of Hathsin... Bold move.

 

Chapter 33.

 

- Kelsier is charging after the prisoners, Ham ran off somewhere and Vin and Breeze are going to a rooftop to do Allomancy stuff. I wonder who will die?

- Kelsier is going to defeat the Inquisitor and then the crew will learn the Inquisitor weakness.

 

Chapter 34.

 

- Brandon wrote in some pretty cool fight scenes in this chapter.

- :( He's dead... Poor Kelsier died. Now all I can hope for is that Brandon does not try and resurrect him.

 

Chapter 35.

 

- Kelsier is not very nice. He basically forced the entire crew to do what he wanted. Of course they could just leave but that is not how their characters are.

- If Vin is going to do what I think she is going to do with those arrows and rings then Brandon is ingenious when it comes to fighting.

 

Chapter 36.

 

- Ha! Brandon is great when it comes to combat. Vin Pushed those arrows with the rings exactly as I was thinking.

- The Lord Ruler has turned into an old man! ... I am confused. I take it that he uses the power of the Well to make himself look younger whenever he wants to?

- How are they going to keep Vin from using her Metals? I guess they could just assign five Inquisitors to look after her but since she is the good guy gal

she has to have a way to escape. And I would rather not have her unrealistically defeat a bunch of Inquisitors like that.

- Huh... A metal that burns all your metals... Thats kind of useless. I can see how you can use it to your advantage but...

- So the eleventh Metal allowed Vin to see the past of the Lord Ruler... Meaning that it is external. And seeing as how Atium shows the future of someone that

means the eleventh Metal is an Alloy of Atium.

- The Inquisitor wounds are already healed... Could becoming an Inquisitor grant you powers of a Feruchemist?

- Ahh, so the Inquisitors want to kill Tevidian because of Vin. So Tevidian won't live through the book.

 

Chapter 37.

 

- Hmm interesting idea with swallowing a metal to store a Feruchemist charge in it.

 

Chapter 38.

 

- ! Marsh did become an Inquisitor! I thought for sure he died. And it seems he has discovered the secret and simple weakness of the Inquisitors. Pull the center spike.

- That's strange... the Lord Ruler says, "Am I some common Inquisitor, my powers endowed fabrications?". That line right there reveals something big. I feel it.

- Wow... I did not see that coming... The Lord Ruler is Raskek... That explains everything... He uses Feruchemistry to keep himself young and because he can

access his own Feruchemistry when he burns the metal is was in it probably increases the power twenty-fold if not more. So he could easily make himself young.

He also probably does the same thing for healing. It also explains his fear of the Keepers. If there could be Allomancers and Feruchemists combined they could

challenge the Lord Ruler himself... Brilliant.

- Well that last line from the Lord Ruler sets up the next book pretty well.

 

Epilogue.

 

- Nothing to say for the Epilogue except it confirms what I've already said.

 

I seriously can't see how I did not realize Rashek was the Lord Ruler. I mean all the clues were right there in front of me. All I had to do was take one step further and

I would have found it out. Of course it was a very nice surprise. Brandon did very well with this book. I hope you all had fun reading this thread.

 

-- End of Line --

 

I will start a new topic today for my first read through of Mistborn: The Well of Ascension.