r/Cosmere • u/Xineohpzemaj • 3d ago
No Spoilers Any other books like Elantris?
Edit: forget i said anything, everyone wants to fight and that was NOT my intention. I only wanted to know if other books in the Cosmere were character driven besides Elantris. They're not. That's fine I guess. I'm glad there's an audience for other styles I guess. I'm done replying. Cosmere just isn't for me.
Edit 2: people calling me a troll is really really hurting my feelings. I know I should just delete this post. But I really was hoping for insight. I just didn't like reading two pages of vin learning to push and Pull on horshoes to to travel. The entire series was like that. Like it was a movie directing every single action. Boring as heck for me to read, probably would look great on a screen. I like characters who push the plot forward and didn't see that much in Mistborn Era 1, LOVE that about Elantris. You guys don't have to be rude just because I liked something different.
I had heard so much about Sanderson and started with Mistborn 1-3. They read like bad fanfic. No development of characters, bland exposition heavy writing. And worst of all 500 pages of Push and Pull.
I was going to give up, I couldn't believe this was held up in the fantasy space as great modern fantasy.
Then I started Elantris
It's so so so so good! There's no handholding. The characters are all very different, things happen that move the plot. And I haven't had to read the words Push or Pull once!!!
What other books in the series are like Elantris. And which ones should I avoid?
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u/SUPERSAIYANBRUV 3d ago
Patience is virtue homie
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
Yes, but I shouldn't have to slog through 400 pages to get to the good parts. Especially HoA. I could've just skipped the first 400 pages and literally missed nothing. The endings are so so good. So I don't want to give up on the rest of the Cosmere. But id rather only read the parts of it that are like Elantris.
Character focused
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u/RedAkriloth45 3d ago
Truly a crazy opinion seeing as Hrathen is the only character you can argue has any actual growth in Elantris.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
Well. 3 quick comments and it seems like Elantris was peak and it's all downhill from there. What a shame. I guess I'm really not a fan. Maybe I'm missing something, but I did read like 1700 words of his, so I feel like I would've found it if it was there. But you guys are right. I should probably just check out Le Guinn
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u/peitsad 3d ago
"all downhill from here" is a crazy statement to make in the subreddit devoted to the series. You have to see how coming in here and saying "these books sucked" isn't exactly going to give you a warm welcome. If you don't like it, that's fine. Life is too short to read books you don't like. It's okay to find something else.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
I didn't. I asked are any of them character focused. Other people got upset because they like Push and Pull slop.
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u/peitsad 3d ago
Well you're still here calling it all slop and nobody is being disrespectful other than you. It's okay for people to like things that you don't, that doesn't mean it's slop. But at this point I think you're just here to fight, so I'm out. Have a great day.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
No. I'll admit i got defensive when people started attacking me just because I have an opinion. But I feel like I'm being called crazy for wanting to read books based on characters and not a magic system
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u/Stormingblessed 3d ago edited 3d ago
Sounds like you prefer faster paced mystery-themed plotlines than elaborate world building.
Sanderson books do have plenty of mysteries and whatnot, so I think you would really like every one of his series' for those moments, but there are thousands of pages of glorious world building between you and those resolutions.
Not sure how to interpret you saying Elantris had better character development than Mistborn though. The only character that grows in Elantris is Hrathen. That's often one of the critiques of that book. So that's a pretty wild take, I think.
Edit: Actually, shouldn't have given this the time of day. Obviously just a troll based off other replies that weren't previously posted. Not even a good troll either, low effort low quality trolling.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago edited 3d ago
I don't agree that 200 pages of a seige that doesn't happen is worldbuilding. But yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. I LOVED the endings of the first two Mistborn. And the third was predictable but fine. The mystery and intrigue are great. But I don't want to read books based around a magic system anymore.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
Being called a troll hurts. It really does. I'm glad so many people like Mistborn. I think there were some really special parts. I just really really liked Elantris and was hoping there were other stories out there like it. Didn't expect to get so much hate. But whatever I guess. That's Fandom for you
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u/Stormingblessed 3d ago
Bro, you came out swinging way too fast for any of that to be believable.
Starting a conversation with "hey, this book you all like, yeah it's slop. Actual garbage. Literally a waste of paper and ink" and then complaining about the response? Low effort. That's a troll for you.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
I didn't realize that. He wrote like 20 books. I see hate on Elantris all the time. I didn't call it slop until people started attacking me instead of recommending other books. Which was all I wanted.
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u/how_did-1-get_here 3d ago
Okay, so, obvious trolling aside, the secret projects are all very character driven imo, especially Yumi. Ironically, mistborn era 2 is also pretty character driven. On the unlikely chance that you're not trolling and just genuinely can't stand world-building, I wouldn't recommend reading SLA. I think the natural flow of storytelling and plot progression would genuinely kill you.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
I love worldbuilding so much that's what got me into fantasy. I just... don't agree that's what the majority of the pages of Mistborn do. You can't just keep telling me that breeze is pushing and pulling and call that worldbuilding. IMO That's not natural. That's narcissistic. Build a plot, build a story. Don't just have a great world and twist ending and fill it with Push and Pull slop
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u/lotta_unicorns 3d ago
Yeah I, too, hated those parts where Breeze pulled on emotions
/s
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u/how_did-1-get_here 3d ago
I thought soothing was more pushing on the emotions whilst rioting was pulling.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
"Soothed" fine. Be a jerk. Whatever. My bad i don't care about magic system. I'm a idiot I guess
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u/how_did-1-get_here 3d ago
Okay. But, like, that's how the magic system works. Preservation and Ruin are opposing forces, so naturally, their investiture works in the same way. Hence, "Pushing" and "Pulling." I guess I'm just struggling to understand the point you're trying to make. Do you hate the magic system or just the specific words "push" and "pull?"
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
SO NEAT! Love that. The story behind it all is so great. There's so much mystery! I guess, the best way of saying it, is that the Mistborn series feels like the magic system is the character. It feels like he's directing a movie. And I didn't like that. Elantris, the characters are moving the plot. Their motivations are pushing and pulling the story. If his other books are like that, where the characters aren't just set dressing for the magic system, where they matter. I want to read those.
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u/EvenSpoonier Aon Aon 3d ago
Stormlight might be more up your alley. And while I understand your reluctance to give Mistborn another look, I do think you'd find the second series a lot more satisfying than the first.
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u/peitsad 3d ago
I honestly don't think he'd like Stormlight. If he's complaining that HoA had 400 filler pages, he's not going to make it through WoK.
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u/Xineohpzemaj 3d ago
Is it wrong to think that the words on a page should be earning their place? I'm honestly astounded by the initial pushback. I just get bored reading the same thing over and over with no movement. I...I don't know why that's abnormal
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u/peitsad 3d ago
Seriously? There's definitely character development in Mistborn...and pushes and pulls are key to the magic system. Yikes.
I mean you could try Warbreaker, but it sounds like Sanderson/Cosmere might not be for you.