The Great Mistborn Read-along of 2019/2020 *Bands of Mourning*

Aduiavas Ida

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I agree, Steris' character is really coming through here :) It is partly because that is an effect Wax seems to have with people, to make them comfortable. Also because he simply accepts how she is, and isn't impatient with her :)
Wayne is probably hung up on Wax "having" to marry her, and thus he would hate whoever was in Steris position. It is also possible he ships Wax and Marasi still...

How can the kandra speak to Wax like that though? None of the other kandra seems to be able to do that?
 

Kassina Tendar

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Wayne is probably hung up on Wax "having" to marry her, and thus he would hate whoever was in Steris position. It is also possible he ships Wax and Marasi still...
That doesn't mean he has to be so rude to Steris. It's not her fault. :( I really don't like Wayne at this point in the books. Steris is one of my favorite characters. Wayne needs to stay away from her. :indifferent: :balefire

How can the kandra speak to Wax like that though? None of the other kandra seems to be able to do that?
Honestly, I don't know. I can't remember and my attempts to google the answer were unsuccessful...
 

Kassina Tendar

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I've read up to ch. 16 so far for this week. Notes so far:
  • The idea of theology and worship is interesting when you live in such a certain world. Harmony literally wrote down exactly what happened in a book. Real life religions are mostly based around uncertainty since we can’t know for sure what the truth is in terms of supernatural entities. (even the word ‘supernatural’ is telling because if we did understand it completely, it would probably stop being an object of worship)

    In a way, I can understand worshiping Harmony. Sazed is the closest thing to a god that they have right now, after all. And you know he’s there ‘cause there’s the Words of Founding telling you all about it. However, it seems odd to ascribe the word ‘worship’ to other things, such as the Survivorists. They worship Kelsier. I’m trying to figure out what that means contextually. Modeling your life after Kelsier’s example is one thing. However, the word ‘worship’ to me brings up different connotations. Like Survivorists think that Kelsier can somehow still aid them. Like it’s more than just an intellectual exercise (i.e. “Let’s get together to figure out how to follow in Kelsier’s footsteps”) but a spiritual one. And I’m having trouble integrating that idea with the fact that we know Kelsier. And, more than that, the Survivorists know exactly who Kelsier was. And they know that he no longer holds the powers of Preservation. It may just be a semantic thing, though. As I said, I do understand using him as an example to inspire your life. The use of religion and words like ‘worship’ may just have different nuances in this world, since they live in a world where they have precise knowledge of ‘spiritual’ matters.
  • MeLaan sharing some wisdom here. It’s easier to procrastinate when you know you have all the time in the world. So true!
  • I like how the barmaids encourage them to keep making towers out of their coasters by bringing them more. :rofl A cute touch that makes the world feel more real and lived-in.
  • We learn that Paalm spent a lot of time with the Lord Ruler. Maybe that’s how she learned to talk into people’s minds like Ruin could? I don’t know how she’s doing it, but the Lord Ruler was pretty knowledgeable about Ruin and Preservation. Maybe she learned something from him.
  • Wax finds out that Marasi already told Aradel about Paalm and thinks that “He hadn’t asked her to do that.” :rolleyes Marasi isn’t your underling, Wax. She’s a constable. It’s honestly refreshing to have a story like this where the vigilante hero doesn't just do everything on his own without help from the police. I mean, he probably would be happy to do that. (as Aradel tells Marasi, Wax is very bad at communicating with the constabulary about his actions) But he has Marasi around who is a constable and who trusts Aradel. I really like that she’s not keeping him in the dark on everything and is using her role as a constable to help catch Paalm.
  • Constable credentials are engraved on metal. I realize we have metal badges in the real world, too, but I see this as an interesting holdover of the whole “Words not in metal can’t be trusted” thing from the original trilogy.
  • Using ‘shanwan’, a Terris name meaning ‘secret’ as your codename doesn’t sound very secretive. :laugh:
  • I feel like, with the Soothing parlors, you’d have people who congregate outside the building, since Wax notes that he can feel it outside the door. So if you can’t afford it, you could just hang out on the doorstep. I imagine that the staff have to kick people off their doorstep regularly. At least for the ones that don’t use aluminum sheets to keep the Soothing in.
  • Paalm is very good at imitation. She can imitate the coach driver’s face on-the-spot. Not perfectly, but good enough for him to recognize it as his own face.
  • I like Aradel. :) I understand Marasi’s frustration here, but it doesn’t sound like he just hired her for her connections to Wax. He just believes in being honest and using all the resources at his disposal.

Spoilers for this and the next book:
Wax telling Paalm to not say Lessie’s name is sadly ironic. :(
 

Aduiavas Ida

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Judging from what we read in "Secret History" though, it seems Kelsier is not only still around, but was somehow still able to show himself to Spook at the end of that book? Honestly, the Survivorists may actually be onto something, but of course reverence to Sazed/Harmony is more appropriate if we want to devote worship only to God ;) Kelsier is just a man who refused to die :P
 

Kassina Tendar

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Ok, finished reading for the week!
  • Paalm gives us some more hints at her real goal.
  • Wax is able to very minimally detect the two Hemalurgic spikes in TenSoon’s body with his Steel flared. Why do the lines just vanish, though? Does TenSoon do something to mask them?
  • Wayne: "I need to store up all the healing I can for whatever’s going to happen next."
    Also Wayne: "I’m gonna light this cigar by leaning into this bonfire and then healing the skin on my arms." :facepalm
  • “What has she done to you?” Wax whispered at them. The creatures didn’t respond. Either they could not think, could not speak, or didn’t care to do either.
    Or, Wax, you whispered a question in a hallway full of growling and scrambling feet/claws, so even if they could/wanted to respond, they couldn’t hear you. :p
  • It’s kinda funny having an entrance to the Pits of Hathsin in the sewers. :laugh:
Spoilery question:
So… Paalm innate when Wax finds him with Drim’s body, right? (during the attack on the Governor's mansion) Innate’s already dead, right? Does she just quickly run down the hallway, write the cryptic message and throw off her cloak, and then run back to pretend to be Innate for when Wax finds her? Did she write the message ahead of time? I feel like I need a timeline of events. :scratch
 

Thaddius al'Guy

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We are into the final stretches of the book:

Final week
7/6-7/12: Chapters 22-26 + Epilogue [41 Pages]

Let's go!
 

Thaddius al'Guy

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I've been reading the book, but not really been posting anything about it. I should kinda do that to get my thoughts out but I've been pretty enthralled by it and kinda didn't want to spoiler anything for myself. I won't do that for Bands of Mourning.
 

Kassina Tendar

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Glad you're enjoying Shadows of Self!

I think we've been good about spoilers here, though I definitely get being really engrossed in the book and not wanting to risk any minor spoilers.
 

Thaddius al'Guy

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That has been exactly the case! I'm too awful about going wondering about a small thing then accidentally spoiling a major plot point because of it. You all have been fantastic about the spoilers though. I am proud. When it comes to end of book I'll have more to say, and I'll be less closed off with the next book. :laugh:
 

Kassina Tendar

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Makes sense!! I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)
 

Aduiavas Ida

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Yeah, since I have read these books many times I am scared of spoiling it for you. Especially the end of this book that has Sandersons usual plot twist :look:
 

Thaddius al'Guy

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LESSIE WAS THE KANDRA HE WAS HUNTING?! LESSIE WAS A KANDRA?!?!

Oh my god. This book. THIS BOOK.
 

Kassina Tendar

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Yeah!!! It's quite a reveal. It was fascinating rereading and seeing some of the little hints or references to that.
 

Thaddius al'Guy

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Poor Wax. I felt so bad for him in the epilogue. I feel real feelings about this.

My trust in Harmony would be completely destroyed by this.
 

Aduiavas Ida

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Yeah, I have thoughts about this too:
I know that this is Sazed. And at this moment, I HATE him. I don't blame Wax for his reaction at all. :indifferent: I know that he probably sees some sort of long game, but I honestly think it would have been a but easier if Harmony had told Wax who he was hunting.

Just like "Hey, the woman you knew as Lessie has gone insane and need to be stopped"
 

Kassina Tendar

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  • Bleeder decides to start a Steel battle with Wax. Not the best plan. :laugh:
  • Yay! Wayne listens when Marasi tells him to shut up. :laugh: Maybe she can tell him to be nice to Steris. :indifferent:
  • This confrontation on top of the bridge is my main memory of this book. When Wax was being contemplative earlier on top of a bridge’s support tower, I remember thinking “Ohhh, this is where it’ll all go down!” :laugh:
  • Marasi saving the day again! :joy
  • For all that Wax annoys the constables, he also uses his wealth to actually help them in their activities, such as donating a bunch of aluminum-lined helmets. :)
  • I feel bad for Bleeder here. :( She’s terrified of Harmony and just wants to free everyone from Harmony’s influence. And here her worst nightmares comes true, with Wax forcing her back under Harmony’s control. For her sake, I’m glad the kandra figured out a way to kill themselves if necessary. That seems almost necessary for any ‘immortal’ race like that.
  • Even now, Wax still swears using Harmony’s name. It’s so ingrained.
  • Wayne funding the inventor’s daughter is wonderful and makes up a tiny bit for how much I dislike him for his harassing Steris. :indifferent:
  • Marasi wears her constables uniform to the party and Wax remarks that it seems odd to him at first, even though the male constables do it all the time. ‘Cause women are expected to be more fashion-conscious, I guess, while men are more expected to dress utilitarian and constable uniforms are probably similar enough to suits (like in the real world) that it seems normal for male constables to wear them to dinner parties.
  • Marasi offering Lessie’s spike to Wax is a kind gesture. I can see why he wouldn’t want it, but I can see how other people in his shoes might want to keep it as a memento.
  • Governor Aradel! :joy :joy Poor Aradel, but he’s a great choice. :laugh:
  • I love Steris. :) She’s perfect for Wax at the end. She knows just what he needs.
 

Aduiavas Ida

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Yeah, I really do feel sorry for Bleeder, and I am glad that the kandra can choose to end their lives if they want to.
And the end here is really where I start to like Steris :D She is very understanding, she is not annoyed that Wax has such strong feelings for another woman, that he practically ignores her and others, and she is generally just there for him :)
Marasi giving him the spike is more a way to try to give him something that interests him, something to keep him going. It doesn't work right away, but it is a nice gesture :)

And I love that Marasi has started wearing her uniform to official parties :D
 

Thaddius al'Guy

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Alright, I'll spend some time today breaking down Bands of Mourning and we can start on that here soon.

Though though looking at the book name, Bands (rings?) Mourning? (uh-oh)
 
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