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    Brandon Sanderson

    Vivenna Finds an Alley to Sleep In

    One of the big stories I'm worried about channeling here is Les Misérables. It's one of my favorite stories of all time, so sometimes it's difficult not to find myself drawing upon Hugo's story and characters. That constant fight to keep myself from leaning too much on what has come before went into overdrive in these chapters.

    In the end, however, I think that Vivenna's scenes belong here and accent the story. So yes, if you noticed them, there are some echoes of Fantine in these sections—Vivenna selling her hair and noticing the prostitutes most prominent among them. These two items, most of all, I considered cutting. But in the end, I decided that if there was anyone I was proud to have influencing my writing, it was Hugo, and I left the references. Partially as an homage, I guess—though that's always the excuse of someone who ends up echoing a great story of the past.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #6853 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Chapter Thirty-Nine

    Vivenna Begs

    This chapter and the next one were originally a single chapter. In the drafting process, I realized that my original chapter just wouldn't do. I'd been in a hurry to get on with Vivenna's viewpoint, and I had been worried about spending a lot of time on the streets with her, since I didn't want to retread ground I've seen in a lot of other books.

    In this case, I was letting my bias against doing the expected thing make the book worse. Now, my drive to find new twists on fantasy tropes and plots usually serves me well. I think it makes my books stand out. You know that when you pick up a Brandon Sanderson fantasy novel, you're going to get a complex, epic story with an original take on magic and a different spin on the fantasy archetypes.

    However, this same sense can be problematic if I let it drive me too far. It's nearly impossible to write a book that doesn't echo anything someone else has done. It's tough enough to come up with one original idea, let alone make every single idea in a book original. I think that trying to do so would be a path to folly—a path to rarely, if ever, completing anything.

    In this case, we needed to have a longer time with Vivenna on the streets. We needed it to feel like she'd earned the sections of time she spent there. I knew I didn't want to go overboard on it, but I also couldn't skimp. So I sliced the chapter into two and added some material to each one, particularly the second chapter.

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    Questioner

    I've got a list of various Cosmere bits of metal and I was wondering if you would rank them from like one to ten or just easy to difficult on how hard it would be to steelpush on them. So with one being just a regular coin, ten being like when the Lord Ruler was moving bits of glass on the floor, so like metal inside a person's body.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It depends on how strong the Investiture in them is.

    Questioner

    Is that gonna be the answer for all of these?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Probably!

    Questioner

    How about a spike charged with Hemalurgy?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A spike charged with Hemalurgy... that depends on...

    Questioner

    Not in a person.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Depends on how strong, yeah, a spike is moderately, (in the realm of these kinds of things) moderately easy to push on because a spike does not rip off very much Investiture. Only enough to short circuit the soul, and less it over time. I would put that at the bottom, with the top being very hard, to be one of the easier things.

    Questioner

    How about a metalmind that is full?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is full? That is going to be middle of the realm of the, yeah. Generally easier than, for instance, a Shardblade which is going to be very hard.

    Questioner #2

    A Shardblade is [inaudible] actually metal? [metal]-ish?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ish. Is Lerasium a metal? Yeah.

    Questioner

    So that'd be the same for Shardplate too?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Shardplate and Blade are very hard. Blade is probably gonna be a little harder.

    Questioner

    A Half-shard?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A Half-shard shield? That's gonna be moderate.

    Questioner

    Nightblood? I imagine that being hard.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hard, of all the things you've listed, that is going to be the hardest. Far beyond even a Sharblade.

    Questioner

    Far beyond metal inside a person? 

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, yes. Depending on how invested the person is.

    Questioner

    If somebody was invested as much as Nightblood?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, for instance the God King, right. At the end with all those Breaths. Pushing something inside of him, getting through all of that? Gonna be real hard. Average person on Scadrial? You've seen how hard that is. A drab? Much easier.

    Questioner

    That was my next one, or no, sorry not a drab. A lifeless?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A Lifeless, yeah. Even... yeah. Lifeless are kind of weird because they've had their soul leave but then they've had a replacement stuck in in the form of Breath which leaves them in a very weird position compared to a drab which has had part of their Investiture ripped away but a majority remains, so, anyways. I'm going to give you one more. Pick your favorite.

    Questioner

    A soulstamped piece of metal?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A soulstamped piece of metal is going to be on the lower, easier side. Not a lot of Investiture going on in a soulstamp.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #6855 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    The Tunnels

    The tunnels become a focus for Lightsong, though the truth is that they're not as important to the case as he thinks they are. Yes, there are things to be learned from them. Bluefingers has sequestered a large group of mercenaries down in a secure chamber under there. He's also begun using Pahn Kahl Awakeners (yes, there are some) to Break some of the Lifeless. The tunnels are central to his plot of getting into the God King's palace at the end of the book and securing it.

    But Lightsong doesn't know any of this, and doesn't figure out most of it during the course of the book. (It's left for the reader to infer.) Lightsong's fixation with the tunnels is driven partially by the visions he's been seeing at night, which include the tunnels and his discovery of Blushweaver being captured. He's made a subconscious connection.

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    #6856 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Lightsong Throws Pebbles to Count Priests

    One of the challenges in writing these sections was that Lightsong could never do anything the "normal" way. He could have simply sent his priests to count at the gates, then come back to him with some figures. But it wouldn't have felt right.

    Despite his protests, Lightsong likes to meddle. He likes to pick at things and be involved. He couldn't just send someone to count; he had to go count himself. And he had to do so in a properly flamboyant way.

    This scene with the pebbles is important for far more than the obvious reasons. Yes, we're furthering the mystery plots (though this particular one isn't as important to the overall plot as some others). However, the more important part of this scene is how it shows Lightsong's progression and growth.

    I know what it's like to finally find something to latch onto, something to drive you and give added purpose to your life. For me, it was writing. For Lightsong, it's the investigation of the murder.

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    #6857 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Chapter Thirty-Eight

    Lightsong Awakes from More Bad Dreams

    This is the scene in the book where I originally started to turn Lightsong's dreams a tad darker. As you can see from the final version, I've now been doing that from the beginning. All to keep tension up.

    Anyway, these dreams he saw—a prison, Scoot, Blushweaver—were there in the original draft. As I've said, I'm a planner, and so I had my ending well in mind by this point in the original version of the book. That ending changed in many ways during revision, but it's kind of surprising how much stayed the same. Sometimes, things just work and you do get them right on the first try.

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    Questioner

    What would happen to a Kandra if you bisected down the middle with half of its blessing ending up on either half?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That would, like ripping off any other piece of it, it would be very disturbing for the Kandra but they could reabsorb and come back together. They would not be able to function half and half. That would eventually kill them. Basically, they cant like send pieces and do things. They can be ripped apart and heal, but if you ripped them in half that would be killing them.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #6859 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Vivenna Hides Her Breath in a Shawl

    This has been possible from the beginning, and if Denth had truly been on her side, he would have admitted that there's a way she could get rid of her Breaths. What she would need to do is Awaken something with a one-Breath Command. There are some. They don't do much, but you can Awaken a very tiny scrap of cloth tied into the shape of a person with a very simple Command. That takes one Breath.

    Next, you put the rest of your Breath into another object. Then you get that one Breath back and go hunting for a Drab to give it to. Then you take the rest of your Breath back from the object. From there, you can repeat the process if you want to. Vivenna could get rid of the Breaths one by one.

    Of course, Denth didn't want that to happen. He was coveting those Breaths. What he said was intended to sound like an innocent mistake. Many people unfamiliar with Awakening would make that mistake, so if Vivenna learned the truth later, he wouldn't look suspicious.

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    Brandon Sanderson

    Chapter Thirty-Seven

    Vivenna Wanders, Then Is Confronted by a Thief Who Takes Her Dress

    The next few Vivenna chapters are short. I wanted to convey that she's on the streets for a time, but didn't want us to have to wallow in her problems. I've seen books do that quite well, and I don't want this novel to focus on it. (If you're interested in one that does it well, Paula Volsky's Illusion has a nice section about what it's like to be a noblewoman who is forced to live on the streets.)

    Instead, these chapters are the transition chapters for Vivenna's character. The representation of her going as low as she can go, so that later she can begin to rebuild. The dress was a problem—it was way too distinctive, and it could sell for enough that she wouldn't have to live on the streets. She could buy something cheap and modest, then put herself up in an inn. So, naturally, it had to get stolen.

    I didn't want to strip her all the way, though. We've been through enough of that with Siri, and I really didn't want to go there in this situation. Vivenna can be brought down to the lows she needs to reach without having to be raped by a random man in an alley. (Personally, I think that rape is overused in a lot of fiction.)

    Salt Lake City signing ()
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    Questioner

    So Kandra that just bones. Obviously they need that physically but is there a Cognitive and Spiritual purpose to the bones too?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, no the bones are just there for the muscles to pull against.

    Questioner

    So they don't need it, some spiritual link for the bones to...

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, good question.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #6862 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    What else . . . oh, Susebron's taste buds. A couple of people have e-mailed me about this. From my research (which could be wrong), I've come to understand that the old teaching that certain parts of your mouth have taste buds that focus on certain tastes is wrong. The conventional wisdom is that your "sweet" taste buds are on your tongue, and if it is removed, you won't be able to taste sugar. (Which is why people e-mail me.)

    That's apparently an urban legend. There are different kinds of taste buds, but each kind appears in clusters alongside the other kinds. And while most of your taste buds are on the tongue, many are on the roof of the mouth too. So Susebron could taste sweets as well as he tastes anything else.

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    Brandon Sanderson

    Siri and Susebron Eat a Midnight Meal

    This is a scene lifted almost from my own life. While on my honeymoon, Emily and I thought we were being so indulgent by ordering room service at three a.m. It was on a cruise ship, and you can do that kind of thing without having to pay extra for it. It kind of felt like the entire ship's kitchens were there for our whims. And so, a variation on the event popped up in this book.

    That doesn't happen to me very often in books. Usually, it's hard to point toward one event in my life that inspired a scene. But those sorts of things are peppered throughout this book. Another one is the scene where Siri tries to look seductively at Susebron, then bursts into laughter. My wife is absolutely terrible at looking seductive—not because she isn't pretty, but because whenever she tries, she ends up having a fit of laughter at how ridiculous she thinks she looks.

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    Brandon Sanderson

    Susebron's Priests

    Susebron is right to trust his priests. At least, he's somewhat right. They aren't evil men, and they do want what is best for him—as long as that doesn't include going against their traditions and rules. They believe they have the charge to protect Peacegiver's Treasure, and the God King holds that treasure. They do feel bad for what they are required to do to him.

    Their interpretation is extreme, but what would you do, if your god (Peacegiver) commanded you that the Breaths be held and protected, but never used? Cutting out a man's tongue to keep him from using that terrible power is the way they decided to deal with it. Harsh, but effective.

    Either way, they aren't planning to kill him. One of the big reversals I planned for this book from the concept stage was a world where the priests were good and the thieving crew was evil—a complete turnabout from Mistborn. Denth and his team were developed in my mind as an "anti-Kelsier's Crew." The priesthood, then, was to turn out to be maligned by the characters and actually working for their best interests.

    In the end, I went with the evil crew idea, but the priests aren't 100% without their flaws.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
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    Brandon Sanderson

    Chapter Thirty-Six

    Siri Grows Her Hair for Susebron and Talks about Seduction

    I think these two chapters best show off the tone reversals I was trying for in this book—and explain partially why I was all right with those early chapters being so different from the prologue. Following Vivenna's biggest chapter for shocks, surprises, and failings, we come here—to what is one of the most flirtatious and calm of the Siri chapters.

    You should have been able to notice some changes about Siri, one of the most subtle being her ability to control her hair. The hair is, in a way, an extension of the metaphor. In the beginning chapters, Siri wasn't able to control it at all, and it always changed back right after she tried to make it go to a specific color. It did what it wanted, reflecting her attitudes, and kind of represented her ability (or lack of ability, in her case) to control the world around her.

    Now, she's able to manipulate things around her slightly to her liking. In contrast, Vivenna's life is completely out of control. And her hair will respond.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
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    Questioner

    We're hoping at some point that you will do a collaboration with Patrick Rothfuss.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would love to do one someday. I pitched one at him. I pitched a concept at him. It was a Brandon Sanderson vs Pat Rothfuss where we would both pick, we would brainstorm a story together then put characters on opposing sides where we try to screw up each other's story and them we get to near the climax and we give it to George Martin and we say "read this and tell us how we have to end our story" and then we have to do what George says and he's the judge.  Wouldn't that be awesome?

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    Brandon Sanderson

    Parlin Is Dead

    Parlin was always meant to die here. That's one of the main reasons I left Vivenna with someone from Idris to be in her team, in fact. (The other reason is that I found it unrealistic that she wouldn't have somebody with her.)

    Maybe this is why Parlin never worked as a character, to be honest. I wonder if he was always in my mind as the character who was going to get killed by Tonk Fah, which kept me from giving him enough depth. I'm not sure; I do know that in the book as it stands, he's probably the biggest component I wish I had time to change. I'm not certain what I could put in his place that wouldn't distract too much from the plot—and wouldn't take away from the humor of Denth and the mercenaries—but would still be sympathetic enough that when he dies here, it would be more powerful. But I would have liked to have found something.

    Tonk Fah tortured him to death. He wasn't supposed to, but he got carried away. It was an accident, as Denth claims. (Denth shouldn't have left Tonks alone with the prisoner to continue the torturing.) Denth came back and found Parlin dead, and was annoyed and frustrated. He left Tonks behind, storming out in anger, and eventually found Jewels and Clod, who were talking to slum contacts and trying to find Vivenna. They came back to regroup.

    Meanwhile, Tonks heard Vivenna enter, and knew it wasn't Denth. He put his Breath into his clothing, then ducked back under the stairs, his lantern extinguished, wondering who had come. He wasn't terribly surprised to find Vivenna. That was when Denth and Jewels got back and the rest of the situation went down.

    I added the corpses of Vivenna's father's agents in the last draft, by the way, since I figured I wanted it to be more obvious what had happened to them.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
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    Brandon Sanderson

    Vivenna Realizes That the Mercenaries Are Traitors

    And finally, here we are. The biggest gamble in the book. I went into the novel knowing I was going to do this, and I wrote all along with the intention that Denth and his crew were working against Vivenna's interests.

    As I mentioned in a spoiler section earlier, Tonk Fah is a sociopath, and much of the time when he makes his jokes about hurting people, he's serious. (The vanishing pets are a subtle clue to this.) He finds the concept of hurting people funny. We laugh because of Denth, who's running interference and making it seem like they're just exaggerating to get a laugh.

    The death of Lemex is another clue—he was, indeed, immune to disease. (Though not poison, if enough was used.) Anyone with that many Breaths is immune. Another clue is what the mercenaries are doing, riling up the Hallandren to war rather than working to prevent it. Not that Vivenna wanted them to, but through Denth's manipulations, Siri has all but been forgotten in the face of the work against Hallandren. Of course, Vivenna herself was willing to forget Siri. Not by intent, but because she has always been more focused on Hallandren, and Siri was partially just an excuse.

    The fact that Vivenna's father's agents are never seen looking for her, the fact that the mercenaries don't seem to care about money, the way Jewels was frequently gone at the beginning (partially so she could tail Vivenna), and much of what they said and did were supposed to be reinforcement of this moment of betrayal.

    All that said, however, I don't think it's at all obvious what they are really up to. And that's why this is a gamble. This twist isn't an "Ah, I should have seen it!" revelation like the one about the Lord Ruler at the end of Mistborn. Instead, it's a twist that—hopefully—has just enough groundwork underneath it not to seem out of nowhere. I fully expect it to blindside most readers.

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    Brandon Sanderson

    Vivenna Wanders the Slums, Then Finds the Safe House

    I made one small revision here in this chapter. I added the statue as a reference point. Before, Vivenna just happened to run across the safe house while wandering.

    Why the change? It's just the same thing, right? She happens to wander by the statue, then manages to remember the directions. It's still a big coincidence when you think about it.

    However, it doesn't read like as big a coincidence. Adding in her seeing the statue, then having to work to find her way to the safe house was a way of making it seem, to readers, that it wasn't just a coincidence. Because there was effort involved, I feel it will read more smoothly and less oddly to most readers. Part of this is because a statue in a city square is easier to notice than a given house on the side of the street, and partially because the discovery can be more gradual this way.

    This is part of the smoke and mirrors that a writer uses. Sometimes I worry that explaining these things will ruin the book for readers—but I guess if you were the type it would ruin the magic for, you probably wouldn't be reading behind-the-scenes annotations in the first place.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #6872 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Vivenna Escapes

    One of my big worries about the Vivenna sections is that she'll come off as too weak as a character. That's a particular danger once we reach these late middle sections, where it's revealed how much she's been manipulated. Remember that when you're reading the Vivenna sections, if she comes off weak compared to Siri, consider their relative circumstances.

    Vivenna is put through a lot more in this book than Siri is. Why? Well, I felt that as a character, she had a lot more room to grow. In order to do that, however, she needed to have everything knocked out from underneath her. That happens primarily in this chapter and the next few.

    But she is not helpless. Even while she's numbed by the capture and betrayals, she manages to effect not one, but two escapes. She handles herself very well, finally overcoming her problems with Awakening and managing to get her Breath to work for her. (And remember that the more Breath one has, the easier it is to learn to get Commands to work right. That will be important later in the book. . . .)

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #6874 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Chapter Thirty-Five

    Vivenna Awakes, Bound by Vasher

    This chapter—with what happens in the latter part of it—is the most dangerous in the book. Dangerous to me as an author, I mean. I love good plot twists, but I worry about leaving them without proper foreshadowing. I've never done something as drastic as I have in this book, having a group of sympathetic characters turn out to be working for the wrong side. I hope it succeeds, but I know that if it doesn't, readers will be very mad. Nothing is sloppier than a book with unearned changes in character motivation.

    But we're not there quite yet. Before that we have the first real interaction between Vivenna and Vasher. He gives her what he likes to think of as the Nightblood test. One nice thing about having a sword that "cannot tempt the hearts of those who are pure" is that when someone like Vivenna touches it, she gets sick. I didn't want Nightblood to come across as a "one ring" knockoff. He doesn't turn people's hearts or corrupt them. However, in order to be able to do his job and fulfill his Command, he needs the ability to determine who is good and who is evil.

    This, of course, isn't an easy thing to determine. In fact, I don't think it's a black or white issue for most people. When Nightblood was created, the Breaths infused in him did their best to interpret their Command. What they decided was evil was someone who would try to take the sword and use it for evil purposes, selling it, manipulating and extorting others, that sort of thing. Someone who wouldn't want the sword for those reasons was determined to be good. If they touch the weapon, they feel sick. If others touch the weapon, their desire to kill and destroy with it is enhanced greatly.

    Nightblood himself, unfortunately, doesn't quite understand what good and evil are. (This is mentioned later in the text.) However, he knows that his master can determine who is good and who is evil—using the sword's power to make people sick, or through other means. So, he pretty much just lets whoever is holding him decide what is evil. And if the one holding the sword determines—deep within their heart—that they are evil themselves, then they will end up killing themselves with the sword.

    Vivenna passes the test, which surprises Vasher. He thought that she'd be the type who would use Nightblood to kill and destroy. (He doesn't have a high opinion of her, obviously. Of course, that's partially because he's let his temper dictate what he thinks.)

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6875 Copy

    Questioner

    Steelheart and The Rithmatist, are they a part of the Cosmere as well?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are not, yup.

    Questioner

    Just someone in line said that Steelheart was Hoid's planet, but I thought that they were not part of it.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are not part of it. Anything that mentions Earth is something that I didn't want to be in the Cosmere.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6877 Copy

    Questioner

    Does Vasher want Nightblood back?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Vasher feels responsible for Nightblood

    Questioner

    is there any reason why he didn't go by Vasher, as well?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because in the original draft he was, and I'm like, "That's just too easy." Plus he's kinda trying to hide, so he's not as foolhardy as a certain other character who goes willy-nilly by the same aliases over and over again and doesn't care. Picking an alias, if you know people would potentially would be hunting for you, having them not be able to ask for you by name is useful.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6880 Copy

    Questioner

    Can you give me a hint on the Easter egg in the map of Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh boy, hint of the Easter egg.

    Questioner

    What particular skill do you need for it? Is it a different language?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, it is not linguistics.

    Questioner

    Is it math related, like with stormwardens and how they study the..

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is math related, but once again, let me remind you. This is not going to be a mind blowing revelation. It is going to be a nifty thing. Someone actually got close at one of my signings and when they asked about it they noticed something. It is a fun Easter egg that will tell you more about the history of the world.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6881 Copy

    Questioner

    So Truthless are kind of pretty rare, right, in the Shin society?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Questioner

    So how did they come by the [Honorblades] that Szeth's got?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They, historically, kept all of them.

    Auestioner

    Oh, ok. I wondered if that was the case. Interesting. Does that have anything to do with why they think stone is sacred?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find out more about that as time progresses.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6883 Copy

    Questioner

    Will we be seeing any more of stick?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Everybody loves stick, everybody is very fond of stick. I have no current plans for stick.

    Questioner.

    Spook?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will find out more about Spook.

     

    It is not impossible that you will see some sort of story involving Spook. After all I did a little short story about Kelsier for the role playing game. It's now on my website.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6884 Copy

    Questioner

    Can you compound like a, can you compund metalminds to the point where you become like a savant?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A savant happens because persistent use of the power has an effect on your soul, warping it. Compounding is a very different thing, so while you could draw some very powerful effects, I would not call them the same thing, even if they are imitating one another at certain points.

    Oslo signing, 2011 ()
    #6886 Copy

    Thorondir (paraphrased)

    How could a person from Scadrial access Shadesmar? An alloy of a god metal?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    He RAFOd me on this one and said it was a plot point for future novels.

    Footnote: In Mistborn: Secret History, we see Hoid transition between the Physical and Cognitive Realm using the well. This can be achieved on any world similarly through any Shards perpendicularity.
    Sources: Thorndir's Report - 17th Shard
    Oslo signing, 2011 ()
    #6888 Copy

    Thorondir (paraphrased)

    How many Shardworlds are there? Only seven? (Sel, Nalthis, Scadrial, Roshar, Yolen, Taldain, and whatever planet The Silence Divine is on [Ashyn]?)

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    He said he has a set number in his head but that he didn’t want to say it because he might change his mind. Essentially he doesn’t want to make the number of worlds canon yet.

    Oslo signing, 2011 ()
    #6889 Copy

    Thorondir (paraphrased)

    Who names the planets? You've said once that "Scadrial" was the name of the planet as Ruin and Preservation knew it, but where'd they get that name? Do the Shardholders all get together and vote on it or something?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    He said thay already had their names and that the all the planets existed before the shardholders got there.

    Amsterdam signing, 2011 ()
    #6893 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    The Mistborn series was sold as three trilogies. The first trilogy (the one we know) is set in medieval/16th century technology and is fantasy. The second trilogy will be set in the current day, or at least with the same kind of technology. This makes it urban fantasy. The last trilogy will be science fiction set somewhere in the future. Of course, all of them have the Allomancy magic system to get things interesting. The short novel The Alloy of Lawthat will be released in the fall this year is set between the first two trilogies so the tech level is around 18th/19th century with steam power. Brandon said it was about some Wild West-like character getting involved in a murder investigation in a city. So Clint Eastwood meets Sherlock Holmes in London.

    Amsterdam signing, 2011 ()
    #6896 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    About the scheduling. He plans to start writing the next Stormlight Archive book right after he turns in A Memory of Light. He hopes to write two books for the Stormlight Archive in a row. The first of those might (very early estimates) be released at the end of 2012, or early 2013.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6899 Copy

    Questioner

    Have we seen another Lightweaver, as of Words of Radiance?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um... Yes. Depending on your definition. Straight-up Lightweaver? Like you could make the argument... the Order of Knights Radiant? That... that, no. But you have seen people Lightweaving. The skill.

    Salt Lake City signing ()
    #6900 Copy

    Questioner 1

    Who or what is Hoid? Or Wit?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Wit? He is a person who has shown up in all the books. What else do you want to know?

    Questioner 2

    All of the books?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He has shown up in all of my epic fantasies, yes.

    Questioner 1

    Every single one of them?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, he's been...

    Questioner 2

    Wit or Hoid?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hoid-- is the same, Wit.

    Questioner 1

    But how do you know it's him?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because he says his name in all of them.

    Questioner 1

    As Hoid?

    Brandon Sanderson

    As Hoid.

    Questioner 1

    Really?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yep.

    Questioner 2

    I-- now I need to be more careful.

    Questioner 1

    How does he know so much information about what's going on, and how is he always in the right place at the right time?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Those are two excellent questions.

    Questioner 1

    That you won't tell me.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That I won't tell you. You get a [RAFO] card. But he has a sp-- surprising ability to be in the right place at the right time very consistently in the cosmere. That's the name of the shared universe of all the books.

    Questioner 1

    I didn't realize it was a shared universe.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, it is. There are characters in Way of Kings from Elantris, and... yeah. But it's all Easter eggs. It doesn't-- it isn't something you have to. 

    Questioner 2

    So it's not, like, crossovers.

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are crossovers, but it's all Easter egg-ish right now. Some day there'll be one where I do full-blown crossover. For now the story is about this. And so the crossover is all just in the background.