#dockson

[incorrectfantasyquotes]

Dox: first rule of being a successful underground thief is to never let them know where you are.

Kelsier, openly fighting nobelmen in their houses: IM RIGHT HERE IN YOUR HOUSE THAT I BROKE INTO IM A MISTBORN REMEMBER ME IM GONNA ROB YOUR LIFE AS WELL AS YOUR RICHES.

Dox: of course, there are other schools of thought

[au-academy]

This is basically an apology post to Dockson

With every passing re-read of The Well of Ascension, I realize how under the radar Dockson's transformation passed in the story and in my perception. Ham, Breeze, Clubs, Spook and Sazed have all accepted Elend as a friend, but Dox is always aloof, always keeping him at arm's length; we get to see the story from Elend's perspective, not Dox's; and there's the argument between Ham and Dox thrown in later too; all things combined, I at least had dismissed Dox as boring and mostly non-contributing to the crew anymore (except with the bureaucracy work). He didn't add anything to the crew's morale, which is possibly more important than the actual work when you're The Survivor's Crew, taking on one impossible task after the other.

But Dox was the one who'd been closest to Kelsier. Everyone mourned his death, but everyone moved on, too. Dox never did. It had been their dream to topple the nobility, and now there's a nobleman at the head of the new government, and Dox knows Elend is a good man, but can't accept it, because then he and Kell would be the monsters, and then there's Kell standing beside Elend's shoulder and shaking his head at Dox while the rest of Kell's crew treat Elend as a longtime friend.

No, it wasn't easy being Dox in the year after The Collapse.

[lamaery]

The Final Empire Thumbnails 1 -18

Since I had to reread Era 1 anyway I decided to combine getting into the vibes of the world with some art practice and do a speed run of illustrating moments from it while I make my way through the book. The thumbnails are all painted in greyscale with using gradient maps to add color and atmosphere.

[dbmartist]

Mistborn - wallpaper!!

It took a while, but here it is! A poster of the first era of Mistborn. Vin, Elend, Kelsier... do you recognize them all? Would you like more posters from other eras or series?

[cosmerelists]

Mistborn Characters Suggest the Best Cosmere Starting Place

As requested by @wintery-waxillium :)

Let's say Mistborn characters somehow had access to the whole Cosmere series and had opinions about what book was the best starting point. What starting book would they recommend?

1. Marsh

Marsh: If you want to enjoy the Cosmere, you need to earn it. Marsh: Start from the beginning, read in publication order. Marsh: So, start with Elantris. Marsh: It's only right.

2. Kelsier

Kelsier: Listen--just start anywhere. Have fun! Kelsier: Grab Words of Radiance, and just dive in! Kelsier: Will you know what's going on? No. Kelsier: Will you have a great time? Yes! Marsh: ... Marsh: Isn't that the book where Thaidakar first starts to get talked about more? Kelser: [smiles]

3. Steris

Steris: Reading in publication order is lazy thinking. Steris: It makes sense to start with Mistborn Era 1. Steris: It gives a proper sense of what's to come, while still being of a reasonable length for curious new readers. Wax: Didn't you start with Way of Kings? Steris: This is advice for normal people.

4. Sazed

Sazed: Now...this may be a consequence of my history of collecting fragments of religions and storing them so that they would not be lost, but... Sazed: Arcanum Unbounded has a little bit of everything. Sazed: It's a good place to begin for someone who wants that and who does not mind the haunting yearning of not knowing the full story. Sazed: ... Sazed: Although in this case you can just go and buy the other novels.

5. Wax

Wax: Understanding the truth of the past is vital for understanding the present. Wax: So that's why I'd recommend starting with Mistborn Era 1. Wax: ... Wax: Honestly, I think some things would have made more sense if I had been allowed to read it.

6. Marasi

Marasi: I grew up on stories about Wax and Wayne. They changed me forever! Marasi: So I think you should start with Mistborn Era 2! Marasi: ... Marasi: Am I allowed to say that?

7. Vin

Vin: It is okay to be cautious of committing, at first. Vin: You never know when a book might betray you. Vin: That's why I recommend starting with The Sunlit Man. Vin: It's short. It's exciting. It hurts less if you read it first. Vin: ... Vin: Much sadder in retrospect, though.

8. Elend

Elend: When it comes to reading, I never shy away from a challenge! Elend: I think people should start with Stormlight. Just commit. Wholeheartedly. To the longest and most complicated of the series! Elend: Never be afraid to read things you might not yet understand!

9. MeLaan

MeLaan: I think people should start with Tress of the Emerald Sea. MeLaan: It's cute. And there's a kandra!

10. TenSoon

TenSoon: I feel obligtated to select Tress of the Emerald Sea. TenSoon: As it is the only book, aside from mine, in which a talking animal companion is a main character. TenSoon: ... TenSoon: Slightly more whimsical in tone.

11. Wayne

Wayne: Ever since I read it, I've been partial to The Emperor's Soul. Wayne: And not just 'cause it's so short! Wayne: It's also kinda nice to think about how you could rebuild a person. Wayne: Maybe make 'em just a little better than they used to be. Wayne: ... Wayne: But, uh, mainly it's because it's so short!

12. Dockson

Dockson: I think you are fine to start with Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Dockson: Start with a book where nobody dies and the young love works out. Dockson: Makes all the rest of the books that much more painful. Dockson: Much like life.

13. Breeze

Breeze: Start with Warbreaker. Breeze: Short. Standalone. The only book where any character has any fun.

14. Allrianne

Allrianne: Definitely start with Warbreaker. Allrianne: It has gorgeous colors! Romance! A woman who is both pretty and underestimated who ends up on top! Allrianne: You can take or leave the rest of the Cosmere, to be honest.

15. Spook

Spook: Marsh is right--start with Elantris. Spook: Yes, it's rough around the edges. Spook: Yes, it's largley ignored. Spook: But does that mean it's not worthwhile? Spook: No! Spook: ... Spook: ... Spook: Right?

[surgeknight]

If Kelsier’s crew bonded Radiant Spren, my thinking is:

Vin —-> Windrunner [She literally says the Second Ideal in Well of Ascension, and also notably was uniquely attuned to Preservation: the Shard of stasis and protection]

Elend —-> Skybreaker [A lot of people say Bondsmith, which is fair for how he tries to bring together the Skaa and Nobility, but to me Skybreaker feels right for his dreams of a fair democratic code of laws. In a more ideal world he’d be a Skybreaker in my mind]

{EDIT: I see now that I subconsciously paired together a Windrunner and Skybreaker, which is really cute. It was unintentional but it definitely works for how the two are opposites but at their core are aligned in their goals}

Spook —-> Edgedancer [He’s experienced the pain attached to feeling forgotten, and he paid his dues to the commoners of Urteau in his reconnaissance]

Kelsier —-> Willshaper [His entire goal was freedom for the Skaa and the destruction of the oppressive systems of the Final Empire]

Ham —-> Stoneward [He’s a constant in the crew and among the New Empire’s most formidable warriors]

Breeze —-> Lightweaver [Deceptive, subtle: feels right]

Dockson —-> Elsecaller(?) [He was the most disciplined and rational of the crew, honestly this one I’m not certain of]

Clubs —-> Lightweaver(?) [Stoneward’s tempting, but it’s important to remember that above all Clubs was an artist]

Sazed —-> Truthwatcher [This one feels really obvious yet I don’t see it mentioned often, he’s a scholar and his entire arc in Hero of Ages was seeking truth]

OreSeur —-> Lightweaver [He was literally a spy]

TenSoon —-> Dustbringer [He’s the Kandra’s most skilled shapeshifter]

[mayakrish08]

This is what I miss the most after completing the Mistborn trilogy. I truly, truly wish I could go back and read the whole thing all over again, but for the first time. While I love the character developments of the characters, particularly Elend’s, and Spook’s, even more specifically in Hero of Ages, I still want to go back and stay in The Final Empire because… dear lords, The Lord Ruler was terrifying but I would much rather just have him be the big bad guy. Things were… relatively easier. I miss Kell, but I understood why he had to die, and somehow, that understanding hurt more than his death. His death changed everyone. But… so did his life. Kell could walk into a room and leave everyone awed. He practically adopted Vin, and taught her to trust. To hope. When Kell says that Mare would have loved Vin… 😭🥺✨

This particular moment capturing the midnight sessions of our gang, at Dox’s, with an awkward Spook, a wary Vin, a laidback Breeze, a mischievously philosophical Ham, a reckless Kell, a ridiculously faithful Sazed, a mysterious Marsh, a silent but strong Dox… ah damn, I miss it. I miss it so much. I loved Mistborn’s ending, but… while it gave me closure, it also left me with an ache. And I think the ache’s origin was the end of the Final Empire.

[chellonihaoma]

Just try to tell me this isn't what happened in the second book. You can't.