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A review by libralita
Secret History by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
Original Review: http://sevendemigodsanswerthecall.tumblr.com/post/149055276949/title-mistborn-secret-history-author-brandon
Review:
The cry count on this reread was like four, this story makes me so emotional. Also the description is a lie, don’t read this unless you’ve read Bands of Mourning. I can’t really talk about this story without spoilers to the entire Mistborn series, along with other Cosmere books. This read through was so much more productive because I have a better understanding of how the Cosmere works. It was just as enjoyable as the first time. I recommend reading this review to my original but if you want to, you can read the other. Also, I was rereading this from Arcanum Unbounded so when I give the page numbers it comes from that collection.
~Spoilers!
“Kelsier breathed in and out, then growled, heaving himself to his feet. ‘Well,’ he proclaimed, ‘that was thoroughly awful.’
It did seem there was an afterlife, which was a pleasant discovery.”—Page 203
Ah, Kell always a snarky bastard.
“Metal and souls are the same thing, he observed. Who would have thought?”—Page 204
I dunno.
“‘Ah, child,’ Kelsier said. ‘I’m sorry.’ He reached out and cupped Vin’s face as she wept over him, and found her could feel her.”—Page 204
Poor, Vin.
“‘You let him kill you.’
Kelsier spun, surprised to find a person standing beside him. Not a figure made of mist, but a man in strange clothing: a think wool coat that went down almost to his feet, and beneath it a shirt that laced closed, with a kind of conical skirt.”—Page 204
So, is this like in Yolen fashion?
“‘Oh, hell,’ Kelsier said. ‘There’s actually a God?’
‘Yes.’
Kelsier decked him.”—Page 205
Kell, please don’t punch god.
I find it interesting that Leras finds it a “duty that comes with my position” to comfort the souls before they got to the Beyond but Sazed takes pride in it. It could because of the different personalities of Leras and Sazed or because they’re Preservation and Harmony.
“Damn, Kelsier thought. He seems one step from falling apart himself.
Well, you had to work with what you had. ‘You’ve got to have some kind of idea what I could try, Fuzz.’
‘What did you call me?’”—Page 207
God help Leras.
“‘Wonderful?’ Kelsier felt like spitting. ‘He’s a tyrant, Fuzz.’
‘He’s unchanging,’ God said, defensive. ‘He’s a brilliant specimen. So unique. I don’t agree with what he does, but one can empathize with the lamb while admiring the lion, can one not?’
‘Why not stop him? If you disagree with what he does, then do something about it!’
‘Now, now.’ God said. ‘That would be hasty. What would removing him accomplish? It would just raise another leader who is more transient—and cause chaos and even more deaths than the Lord Ruler has caused. Better to have stability. Yes. A constant leader.’”—Page 209
First of all, does Scadrial have lambs and lions are this point? I guess so. Second, yeah, I’m pretty sure the Lord Ruler dying a lot of deaths. Sieges and Ruin being a dick.
“‘Power is returning to the Well of Ascension,’ Kelsier said.
Fuzz hesitated. ‘Hm. Yes. Um, but it’s far, far away. Yes, too far for you to go. Too bad.’”—Page 210
Does the Preservation shard make you an awful liar?
“‘You didn’t even fight.’
‘I used the Eleventh Metal.’
‘Foolishness,’ God said. He started pacing. ‘That was Ruin’s influence on you.’”—Page 211
Yep.
“You zinc-tongued raven.”—Preservation, Page 213
Okay, I get the zinc-tongued part because zinc riots emotions but why a raven?
“He shook, glancing toward Kelsier, and the sides of his head unraveled slowly—like a fraying rug, each threat seeping away and vanishing into nothing. ‘He’s killing me, you know. He wants me gone before the next cycle, though…perhaps I can hold out. you hear me, ruin! I’m not dead yet! Still…still here…’
Hell, Kelsier thought, cold. God is going insane.
Fuzz started pacing. ‘I know you’re listening, changing what I write, what I have written. You make our religion all about you. They hardly remember the truth any longer. Subtle as always, you worm.’”—Page 218
I feel so bad for Preservation, he’s such a sad character. He’s dying and going insane, he’s trying to so hard to preserve humanity.
“‘I killed you,’ the Lord Ruler said. ‘Twice. Yet you live.’”—Page 219
Yeah, I know, he’s annoying.
Rashek, don’t you dare call Preservation an impotent mouse!
“I told you, by this point rational people want to move on.”—Preservation, Page 220
Yeah, Kell isn’t rational and neither is Wax.
“Oh, he couldn’t hear it. But could he “hear” anything? He didn’t have ears. He was…what had Fuzz said? A Cognitive Shadow? A force of mind, holding his spirit together, preventing it from diffusing. Saze would have a field day. He loved mystical topics like this.”—Page 226
Cognitive Shadows confuse me.
“It was when he started talking to himself that he really got worried.
‘What have you done?’
‘I’ve saved the world. Freed mankind.
‘Gotten revenge.’
‘The goals can align.’
‘You are a coward.’
‘I changed the world!’
‘And if you’re just a pawn of that thing Beyond? Like the Lord Ruler claimed? Kelsier, what if you have destiny other than to do as you’re told?’”—Page 229
And you’re going insane.
“This, however, was not a figure made of mist. It was a man with stark white hair, his face defined by angular features and a sharp nose. He seemed vaguely familiar to Kelsier, but he couldn’t place why.”—Page 230
Hey, Hoid, sorry I didn’t recognize you last time.
I love Michael Kramer but seriously Ati’s name has been mentioned like three times and each he’s pronounced it differently. Pick one!
“‘Got stuck here, did you?’ the man said. ‘In Ati’s prison…’ He clicked his tongue. ‘Fitting recompense, for what you did. Poetic even.’
‘What I did?’
‘Destroying the Pits, O scarred one. That was the only perpendicularity on this planet with any reasonable ease of access. This one is very dangerous, growing more so by the minute, and difficult to find. By doing as you did, you basically ended traffic through Scadrial. Upended an entire mercantile ecosystem, which I’ll admit was fun to watch.’”—Page 230
Okay so the Pits were a way for worldhoppers to get to Scadrial, a perpendicularity. Okay. And Kell destroyed that. Which is interesting.
“‘Who are you?’ Kelsier said.
‘I?’the man said. ‘I am a drifter. A miscreant. The flame’s last breath, made of smoke at its passing.’
‘That’s…needlessly obtuse.’
‘Well, I am that too.’”—Page 230
I love Hoid, he should interaction more with Kell.
“‘Alas,’ the Drifter said. ‘Your case is hopeless.’
Kelsier felt his heart sink.
‘Yes, nothing to be done,’ the Drifter continued. ‘You are, indeed, stuck with that face. By manifesting those same features on this side, you show that even your soul is resign to you always looking like one ugly sonofa—’
‘Bastard,’ Kelsier cut in. ‘You had me for a second.’”—Page 231
Jesus Christ I love these two interactions.
The most disappointing thing in the entire Cosmere is that Kell didn’t participate in the insult battle with Hoid.
“‘I’m going to murder you,’ Kelsier said softly.
‘I—Wait, what?’
‘If you step inside here,’ Kelsier said, ‘I’m going to murder you. I’ll slice the tendons on your wrists so your hands can’t do anything more than batter at me uselessly as I kneel against your throat and slowly crush the life out of you—all while I remove your fingers one by one. I’ll finally let you breathe a single, frantic gasp—but at that moment I’ll shove your middle finger between your lips so that you’re force to suck it down as you struggle for air. You’ll go out knowing you choked to death on your own rotten flesh.’”—Page 233
Kelsier is clearly sane.
“‘Seriously,’ Drifter said. ‘You need some help, friend. I know a guy. Tall, bald, wears lots of earrings Have a chat with him next—’”—Page 233
Wait, Hoid knows Sazed? Does this mean he’s MET Sazed or he knows OF Sazed?
“‘I see,’ Fuzz said softly. ‘He dared that, did he? Dangerous, with ruin straining against his bonds. But if anyone were going to try something so foolhardy, it would be Cephandrius.”—Page 236
Okay so Hoid, Dust and Cephandrius are names Hoid goes by.
“‘That…’ Preservation said, trailing off.
‘That?’ Kelsier prompted.
‘That’s utterly wrong.’”—Page 241
Me, trying to participate in the Cosmere Fandom.
“You tried to rescue a boatful of people from a fire by sinking them boat, then claiming, ‘At least they didn’t burn to death.”—Page 244
I love Preservation calling Kell out.
“‘This is where you joke that you aren’t certain which was more dangerous to release. Me or the other one.’
‘No,’ Fuzz said. ‘I know which is more dangerous.’
‘Failing marks for effort there, I’m afraid.’
‘But perhaps…’ Preservation said. ‘Perhaps I cannot say which is more annoying.’”—Page 250
I love Preservation, I can’t wait to get to know Leras.
“‘I mean,’ Kelsier continued, ‘yes, we ended up releasing a world-ending force of destruction and chaos, but at least the Lord Ruler is dead. Mission accomplished. Plus you still have your nobleman boyfriend, so there’s that. Don’t worry about the scar on his stomach. It’ll make him look more rugged. Mists know, the little bookworker could use some toughening up.’”—Page 255
Kell, you aren’t helping.
“And…to the south…what was that? People?”—Page 258
Malwish.
“Kelsier held Preservation, in awe at the creature’s divine agony. Then Kelsier pulled him close, into an embrace.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Kelsier whispered.
‘Oh, Senna…’ Preservation whispered. ‘I’m losing this place. Losing them all…’”—Page 258
Oh god poor Preservation. Also who is Senna? An old god or old lover?
“‘So,’ Kelsier said, glancing at the sky with its shifting, writhing mass of too solid tendrils, ‘anyone else bothered by the voracious force of destruction in the air above us?’”—Page 262
That’s the evil force of doom, thank you!
“‘How?’ the man sputtered. ‘What? When…’
‘…Why?’ Kelsier added helpfully.
‘Yes, why!’
‘I have a very delicate constitution, you see,’ Kelsier said. ‘And death seemed like it would be rather bad for the digestion. So I decided not to participate.’”—Page 262
I think I love Nazh’s interaction with Kell more than Hoid’s.
What, you can’t tell us where Nazh is from?
“‘Sixteen,’ Kelsier breathed. ‘There are fourteen more of these things running around?’
‘The rest are on other planets.’
‘Other…’ Kelsier blinked. ‘Other planets.’
‘Ah, see,’ Nazh said. ‘You’ve broken him already, Khriss.’”—Page 265
Down the rabbit hole we go!
“‘Going?’ Preservation said. ‘You’re leaving me?’
The urgency of those words startled Kelsier. ‘If these people can help us, then I need to talk to them.’
‘They can’t help us,’ Preservation said. ‘They’re…they’re callous. They plot over my corpse like scavenging insects waiting for the last beat of the heart. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.’”—Page 270
My poor baby.
“‘Your mind is too fragile. It will break.’
‘I broke that damn thing years ago, Fuzz. Do it. Please.’”—Page 272
That is true.
“Surely she couldn’t have expected him to just give in, to let the stretching darkness take him? Everyone else I’ve seen passed willingly, Kelsier thought. Even the Lord Ruler. Why must I insist on remaining?”—Page 282
Because you’re a stupid SOB?
“Cold wood that somehow remembered warmth. This fire was dead in the real world, but it wished it could burn again.”—Page 283
It’s easier than a stick to convince to become fire. Now I’m realizing that Kell had done some form a soulcasting.
Okay so even objects have an Identity from Investiture and that’s why you have boats, sticks and campfires that have some form sentience.
“It was a gift I gave. Life. Wondrous, beautiful life. They joy of a new child, the pride of a parent, the satisfaction of a job well done. These are from me.
But it is done now, Kelsier. This planet is en elderly man, having lived his life in full, now wheezing his last breaths. It is not evil to give him the rest he demands. It’s a mercy.”—Page 289
While I agree that you need Ruin and need things to end, bro we still got three more eras.
“‘Sure,’ Kelsier said. ‘Tell Fuzz he’s to take something long, hard, and sharp, then ram it up your backside for me.’”—Page 290
I do like this.
“This turned out to be an enormous glowing cord as thick as a large tree trunk. It pulsed with a slow, rhythmic power, and the light it gave off was the same shade as the walls—only far more brilliant. It seemed to be some kind of energy conduit, and ran off into the far distance, visible in the darkness for miles.”—Page 297
The thing to transport the Dor.
“The power coursing through this place kept giving him visions of another world—and, he realized with discomfort, the energy seemed to be permeating him. Mixing with his soul’s own energy, which had already been touched by the power at the Well. In a few brief moments, he had started to think that place with the green plants looked normal.”—Page 299
Does this have something to do with Connection? Like when Allik uses Connection to change what language he speaks, it changes his soul to make it think he grew up in the Basin and therefore speaks the language. So the Dor energy is changing Kell’s Connection to where his soul thinks he grew up on Sel where green plants are normal?
“‘How could a Threnodite have made it all the way here?’ the other guard snapped. ‘It defies reason, I tell you.’”—Page 300
I guess a Threnodite coming around to Scadrial is really rare?
“‘Well, well,’ the ancient creature said. ‘My foresight does not seem so foolish now, does it, Captain? The Powers of Threnody wish to join the main stage. Engage the device.’”—Page 301
What’s going on, on Threnody? Besides eviler Dementors? Are they trying to get the Preservation Shard to save their planet?
“Yes…These were writing, though most of the pages were filled with terms he couldn’t begin to comprehend, even once he began to be able to read the symbols themselves. Terms like ‘Adonalsium’, ‘Connection,’ ‘Realmatic Theory’.”—Page 304
I actually know what all three of these things are!
Kell is so cruel to the Elantrians but because they want to hurt Preservation, then I don’t feel that bad.
“I could serve you, Vessel. I—”—Page 312
Damn, she can change sides pretty easily.
“‘Come now, Fuzz, when have you known me to be wrong?’
‘Well, there was—’
‘Those don’t count. I wasn’t fully myself back then.’
‘And…when did you become…fully yourself?’
‘Only just now,’ Kelsier said.
‘You could…you could use that excuse…anytime…’
‘Now you’re catching on, Fuzz.’”—Page 327
I love these two.
“Kelsier! Preservation said, his voice strengthening. Do better than you have before! They call you their god, and you were casual with their faith! The hearts of men are NOT YOUR TOYS.
‘I…’ Kelsier licked his lips. ‘I understand. My Lord.’
Do better, Kelsier, Preservation commanded, his voice fading. If the end comes, get them below ground. It might help. And remember…remember what I told you, so long ago…Do what I cannot, Kelsier.
SURVIVE.”—Page 333
BRB gonna go cry.
“Elend blinked. ‘Wow. I hate you already.’”—Page 355
I love Elend.
“Elend Venture placed a hand on Kelsier’s shoulder. ‘You need to pay better attention,’ he noted. ‘Kid.’”—Page 355
Oh, Elend, I wish you’d interacted more with Kell.
“He stepped closer to Vin. ‘I….’ What did he say? Hell, he didn’t know.
Force once, he didn’t know.
She embraced him, and he found himself weeping. The daughter he’d never had, the little child of the streets. Though she was still small, she’d outgrown him. And she loved him anyway. He held his daughter lose against his own broken soul.”—Page 356
God, this book is breaking me.
Kell, stop decking gods. Also who’s Vax and Senna? I’m sure it’ll take us 10 books to find out.
“Once, you taught me an important lesson about friendship. I need to return that lesson. A last gift. You need to know, you need to ask. How much of what you’ve done was about love, and how much was about proving something? That you hadn’t been betrayed, bested, beaten? Can you answer honestly, Kelsier?”—Vin, Page 358
God, Vin has grown so much.
“He considered, then—perhaps against his better judgment—jabbed the thing through his ear.
Kelsier appeared in the room with him.
‘Gah!’ Spook said, leaping back. ‘You! You’re dead. Vin killed you. Saze’s book says—’
‘It’s okay, kid.’ Kelsier said. ‘I’m the real one.’
‘I…’ Spook stammered. ‘It…Gah!’”—Page 362
Kell, please leave poor Spook alone. *Sighs* Harmony, help that poor boy.
Review:
The cry count on this reread was like four, this story makes me so emotional. Also the description is a lie, don’t read this unless you’ve read Bands of Mourning. I can’t really talk about this story without spoilers to the entire Mistborn series, along with other Cosmere books. This read through was so much more productive because I have a better understanding of how the Cosmere works. It was just as enjoyable as the first time. I recommend reading this review to my original but if you want to, you can read the other. Also, I was rereading this from Arcanum Unbounded so when I give the page numbers it comes from that collection.
~Spoilers!
“Kelsier breathed in and out, then growled, heaving himself to his feet. ‘Well,’ he proclaimed, ‘that was thoroughly awful.’
It did seem there was an afterlife, which was a pleasant discovery.”—Page 203
Ah, Kell always a snarky bastard.
“Metal and souls are the same thing, he observed. Who would have thought?”—Page 204
I dunno.
“‘Ah, child,’ Kelsier said. ‘I’m sorry.’ He reached out and cupped Vin’s face as she wept over him, and found her could feel her.”—Page 204
Poor, Vin.
“‘You let him kill you.’
Kelsier spun, surprised to find a person standing beside him. Not a figure made of mist, but a man in strange clothing: a think wool coat that went down almost to his feet, and beneath it a shirt that laced closed, with a kind of conical skirt.”—Page 204
So, is this like in Yolen fashion?
“‘Oh, hell,’ Kelsier said. ‘There’s actually a God?’
‘Yes.’
Kelsier decked him.”—Page 205
Kell, please don’t punch god.
I find it interesting that Leras finds it a “duty that comes with my position” to comfort the souls before they got to the Beyond but Sazed takes pride in it. It could because of the different personalities of Leras and Sazed or because they’re Preservation and Harmony.
“Damn, Kelsier thought. He seems one step from falling apart himself.
Well, you had to work with what you had. ‘You’ve got to have some kind of idea what I could try, Fuzz.’
‘What did you call me?’”—Page 207
God help Leras.
“‘Wonderful?’ Kelsier felt like spitting. ‘He’s a tyrant, Fuzz.’
‘He’s unchanging,’ God said, defensive. ‘He’s a brilliant specimen. So unique. I don’t agree with what he does, but one can empathize with the lamb while admiring the lion, can one not?’
‘Why not stop him? If you disagree with what he does, then do something about it!’
‘Now, now.’ God said. ‘That would be hasty. What would removing him accomplish? It would just raise another leader who is more transient—and cause chaos and even more deaths than the Lord Ruler has caused. Better to have stability. Yes. A constant leader.’”—Page 209
First of all, does Scadrial have lambs and lions are this point? I guess so. Second, yeah, I’m pretty sure the Lord Ruler dying a lot of deaths. Sieges and Ruin being a dick.
“‘Power is returning to the Well of Ascension,’ Kelsier said.
Fuzz hesitated. ‘Hm. Yes. Um, but it’s far, far away. Yes, too far for you to go. Too bad.’”—Page 210
Does the Preservation shard make you an awful liar?
“‘You didn’t even fight.’
‘I used the Eleventh Metal.’
‘Foolishness,’ God said. He started pacing. ‘That was Ruin’s influence on you.’”—Page 211
Yep.
“You zinc-tongued raven.”—Preservation, Page 213
Okay, I get the zinc-tongued part because zinc riots emotions but why a raven?
“He shook, glancing toward Kelsier, and the sides of his head unraveled slowly—like a fraying rug, each threat seeping away and vanishing into nothing. ‘He’s killing me, you know. He wants me gone before the next cycle, though…perhaps I can hold out. you hear me, ruin! I’m not dead yet! Still…still here…’
Hell, Kelsier thought, cold. God is going insane.
Fuzz started pacing. ‘I know you’re listening, changing what I write, what I have written. You make our religion all about you. They hardly remember the truth any longer. Subtle as always, you worm.’”—Page 218
I feel so bad for Preservation, he’s such a sad character. He’s dying and going insane, he’s trying to so hard to preserve humanity.
“‘I killed you,’ the Lord Ruler said. ‘Twice. Yet you live.’”—Page 219
Yeah, I know, he’s annoying.
Rashek, don’t you dare call Preservation an impotent mouse!
“I told you, by this point rational people want to move on.”—Preservation, Page 220
Yeah, Kell isn’t rational and neither is Wax.
“Oh, he couldn’t hear it. But could he “hear” anything? He didn’t have ears. He was…what had Fuzz said? A Cognitive Shadow? A force of mind, holding his spirit together, preventing it from diffusing. Saze would have a field day. He loved mystical topics like this.”—Page 226
Cognitive Shadows confuse me.
“It was when he started talking to himself that he really got worried.
‘What have you done?’
‘I’ve saved the world. Freed mankind.
‘Gotten revenge.’
‘The goals can align.’
‘You are a coward.’
‘I changed the world!’
‘And if you’re just a pawn of that thing Beyond? Like the Lord Ruler claimed? Kelsier, what if you have destiny other than to do as you’re told?’”—Page 229
And you’re going insane.
“This, however, was not a figure made of mist. It was a man with stark white hair, his face defined by angular features and a sharp nose. He seemed vaguely familiar to Kelsier, but he couldn’t place why.”—Page 230
Hey, Hoid, sorry I didn’t recognize you last time.
I love Michael Kramer but seriously Ati’s name has been mentioned like three times and each he’s pronounced it differently. Pick one!
“‘Got stuck here, did you?’ the man said. ‘In Ati’s prison…’ He clicked his tongue. ‘Fitting recompense, for what you did. Poetic even.’
‘What I did?’
‘Destroying the Pits, O scarred one. That was the only perpendicularity on this planet with any reasonable ease of access. This one is very dangerous, growing more so by the minute, and difficult to find. By doing as you did, you basically ended traffic through Scadrial. Upended an entire mercantile ecosystem, which I’ll admit was fun to watch.’”—Page 230
Okay so the Pits were a way for worldhoppers to get to Scadrial, a perpendicularity. Okay. And Kell destroyed that. Which is interesting.
“‘Who are you?’ Kelsier said.
‘I?’the man said. ‘I am a drifter. A miscreant. The flame’s last breath, made of smoke at its passing.’
‘That’s…needlessly obtuse.’
‘Well, I am that too.’”—Page 230
I love Hoid, he should interaction more with Kell.
“‘Alas,’ the Drifter said. ‘Your case is hopeless.’
Kelsier felt his heart sink.
‘Yes, nothing to be done,’ the Drifter continued. ‘You are, indeed, stuck with that face. By manifesting those same features on this side, you show that even your soul is resign to you always looking like one ugly sonofa—’
‘Bastard,’ Kelsier cut in. ‘You had me for a second.’”—Page 231
Jesus Christ I love these two interactions.
The most disappointing thing in the entire Cosmere is that Kell didn’t participate in the insult battle with Hoid.
“‘I’m going to murder you,’ Kelsier said softly.
‘I—Wait, what?’
‘If you step inside here,’ Kelsier said, ‘I’m going to murder you. I’ll slice the tendons on your wrists so your hands can’t do anything more than batter at me uselessly as I kneel against your throat and slowly crush the life out of you—all while I remove your fingers one by one. I’ll finally let you breathe a single, frantic gasp—but at that moment I’ll shove your middle finger between your lips so that you’re force to suck it down as you struggle for air. You’ll go out knowing you choked to death on your own rotten flesh.’”—Page 233
Kelsier is clearly sane.
“‘Seriously,’ Drifter said. ‘You need some help, friend. I know a guy. Tall, bald, wears lots of earrings Have a chat with him next—’”—Page 233
Wait, Hoid knows Sazed? Does this mean he’s MET Sazed or he knows OF Sazed?
“‘I see,’ Fuzz said softly. ‘He dared that, did he? Dangerous, with ruin straining against his bonds. But if anyone were going to try something so foolhardy, it would be Cephandrius.”—Page 236
Okay so Hoid, Dust and Cephandrius are names Hoid goes by.
“‘That…’ Preservation said, trailing off.
‘That?’ Kelsier prompted.
‘That’s utterly wrong.’”—Page 241
Me, trying to participate in the Cosmere Fandom.
“You tried to rescue a boatful of people from a fire by sinking them boat, then claiming, ‘At least they didn’t burn to death.”—Page 244
I love Preservation calling Kell out.
“‘This is where you joke that you aren’t certain which was more dangerous to release. Me or the other one.’
‘No,’ Fuzz said. ‘I know which is more dangerous.’
‘Failing marks for effort there, I’m afraid.’
‘But perhaps…’ Preservation said. ‘Perhaps I cannot say which is more annoying.’”—Page 250
I love Preservation, I can’t wait to get to know Leras.
“‘I mean,’ Kelsier continued, ‘yes, we ended up releasing a world-ending force of destruction and chaos, but at least the Lord Ruler is dead. Mission accomplished. Plus you still have your nobleman boyfriend, so there’s that. Don’t worry about the scar on his stomach. It’ll make him look more rugged. Mists know, the little bookworker could use some toughening up.’”—Page 255
Kell, you aren’t helping.
“And…to the south…what was that? People?”—Page 258
Malwish.
“Kelsier held Preservation, in awe at the creature’s divine agony. Then Kelsier pulled him close, into an embrace.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Kelsier whispered.
‘Oh, Senna…’ Preservation whispered. ‘I’m losing this place. Losing them all…’”—Page 258
Oh god poor Preservation. Also who is Senna? An old god or old lover?
“‘So,’ Kelsier said, glancing at the sky with its shifting, writhing mass of too solid tendrils, ‘anyone else bothered by the voracious force of destruction in the air above us?’”—Page 262
That’s the evil force of doom, thank you!
“‘How?’ the man sputtered. ‘What? When…’
‘…Why?’ Kelsier added helpfully.
‘Yes, why!’
‘I have a very delicate constitution, you see,’ Kelsier said. ‘And death seemed like it would be rather bad for the digestion. So I decided not to participate.’”—Page 262
I think I love Nazh’s interaction with Kell more than Hoid’s.
What, you can’t tell us where Nazh is from?
“‘Sixteen,’ Kelsier breathed. ‘There are fourteen more of these things running around?’
‘The rest are on other planets.’
‘Other…’ Kelsier blinked. ‘Other planets.’
‘Ah, see,’ Nazh said. ‘You’ve broken him already, Khriss.’”—Page 265
Down the rabbit hole we go!
“‘Going?’ Preservation said. ‘You’re leaving me?’
The urgency of those words startled Kelsier. ‘If these people can help us, then I need to talk to them.’
‘They can’t help us,’ Preservation said. ‘They’re…they’re callous. They plot over my corpse like scavenging insects waiting for the last beat of the heart. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.’”—Page 270
My poor baby.
“‘Your mind is too fragile. It will break.’
‘I broke that damn thing years ago, Fuzz. Do it. Please.’”—Page 272
That is true.
“Surely she couldn’t have expected him to just give in, to let the stretching darkness take him? Everyone else I’ve seen passed willingly, Kelsier thought. Even the Lord Ruler. Why must I insist on remaining?”—Page 282
Because you’re a stupid SOB?
“Cold wood that somehow remembered warmth. This fire was dead in the real world, but it wished it could burn again.”—Page 283
It’s easier than a stick to convince to become fire. Now I’m realizing that Kell had done some form a soulcasting.
Okay so even objects have an Identity from Investiture and that’s why you have boats, sticks and campfires that have some form sentience.
“It was a gift I gave. Life. Wondrous, beautiful life. They joy of a new child, the pride of a parent, the satisfaction of a job well done. These are from me.
But it is done now, Kelsier. This planet is en elderly man, having lived his life in full, now wheezing his last breaths. It is not evil to give him the rest he demands. It’s a mercy.”—Page 289
While I agree that you need Ruin and need things to end, bro we still got three more eras.
“‘Sure,’ Kelsier said. ‘Tell Fuzz he’s to take something long, hard, and sharp, then ram it up your backside for me.’”—Page 290
I do like this.
“This turned out to be an enormous glowing cord as thick as a large tree trunk. It pulsed with a slow, rhythmic power, and the light it gave off was the same shade as the walls—only far more brilliant. It seemed to be some kind of energy conduit, and ran off into the far distance, visible in the darkness for miles.”—Page 297
The thing to transport the Dor.
“The power coursing through this place kept giving him visions of another world—and, he realized with discomfort, the energy seemed to be permeating him. Mixing with his soul’s own energy, which had already been touched by the power at the Well. In a few brief moments, he had started to think that place with the green plants looked normal.”—Page 299
Does this have something to do with Connection? Like when Allik uses Connection to change what language he speaks, it changes his soul to make it think he grew up in the Basin and therefore speaks the language. So the Dor energy is changing Kell’s Connection to where his soul thinks he grew up on Sel where green plants are normal?
“‘How could a Threnodite have made it all the way here?’ the other guard snapped. ‘It defies reason, I tell you.’”—Page 300
I guess a Threnodite coming around to Scadrial is really rare?
“‘Well, well,’ the ancient creature said. ‘My foresight does not seem so foolish now, does it, Captain? The Powers of Threnody wish to join the main stage. Engage the device.’”—Page 301
What’s going on, on Threnody? Besides eviler Dementors? Are they trying to get the Preservation Shard to save their planet?
“Yes…These were writing, though most of the pages were filled with terms he couldn’t begin to comprehend, even once he began to be able to read the symbols themselves. Terms like ‘Adonalsium’, ‘Connection,’ ‘Realmatic Theory’.”—Page 304
I actually know what all three of these things are!
Kell is so cruel to the Elantrians but because they want to hurt Preservation, then I don’t feel that bad.
“I could serve you, Vessel. I—”—Page 312
Damn, she can change sides pretty easily.
“‘Come now, Fuzz, when have you known me to be wrong?’
‘Well, there was—’
‘Those don’t count. I wasn’t fully myself back then.’
‘And…when did you become…fully yourself?’
‘Only just now,’ Kelsier said.
‘You could…you could use that excuse…anytime…’
‘Now you’re catching on, Fuzz.’”—Page 327
I love these two.
“Kelsier! Preservation said, his voice strengthening. Do better than you have before! They call you their god, and you were casual with their faith! The hearts of men are NOT YOUR TOYS.
‘I…’ Kelsier licked his lips. ‘I understand. My Lord.’
Do better, Kelsier, Preservation commanded, his voice fading. If the end comes, get them below ground. It might help. And remember…remember what I told you, so long ago…Do what I cannot, Kelsier.
SURVIVE.”—Page 333
BRB gonna go cry.
“Elend blinked. ‘Wow. I hate you already.’”—Page 355
I love Elend.
“Elend Venture placed a hand on Kelsier’s shoulder. ‘You need to pay better attention,’ he noted. ‘Kid.’”—Page 355
Oh, Elend, I wish you’d interacted more with Kell.
“He stepped closer to Vin. ‘I….’ What did he say? Hell, he didn’t know.
Force once, he didn’t know.
She embraced him, and he found himself weeping. The daughter he’d never had, the little child of the streets. Though she was still small, she’d outgrown him. And she loved him anyway. He held his daughter lose against his own broken soul.”—Page 356
God, this book is breaking me.
Kell, stop decking gods. Also who’s Vax and Senna? I’m sure it’ll take us 10 books to find out.
“Once, you taught me an important lesson about friendship. I need to return that lesson. A last gift. You need to know, you need to ask. How much of what you’ve done was about love, and how much was about proving something? That you hadn’t been betrayed, bested, beaten? Can you answer honestly, Kelsier?”—Vin, Page 358
God, Vin has grown so much.
“He considered, then—perhaps against his better judgment—jabbed the thing through his ear.
Kelsier appeared in the room with him.
‘Gah!’ Spook said, leaping back. ‘You! You’re dead. Vin killed you. Saze’s book says—’
‘It’s okay, kid.’ Kelsier said. ‘I’m the real one.’
‘I…’ Spook stammered. ‘It…Gah!’”—Page 362
Kell, please leave poor Spook alone. *Sighs* Harmony, help that poor boy.