Mistborn Liveblog 13

Chapter 12

I'm finding Brandon's writing and I are getting along much better lately. I don't know if it's the progression of the characters or the fact that I've gotten use to his style, but I found this chapter far more easily readable than some of the previous. Couple that with the good ending from the previous chapter and I think things are on a nice roll. Here, there was more of a sense of flow. And I finally got a good balance of Vin's view coloring the world in this chapter. I think Kelsier's absence during the bulk of the chapter helped quite a bit.

It seems Brandon really lets Kelsier take control of a scene when he's there, regardless of whose view is currently in play. It may be a purposeful evolution of Vin's character to show her growth through subtleties in how much of herself is put in her view.

On to some spoilers...



It was nice to get a chapter with something a bit new. Here we have Vin's first "venture" into high society (sorry about the pun). We see her anxieties and how they get eased, which felt really good to me-- not forced or unnatural. Also it was good to see Vin acknowledging her own fears. I think this is the first time I'm really feeling her. Most other times it felt like she was always trying to hide even from the story's narrator. She didn't share much and was mostly a lens onto the scene. As I mentioned earlier, perhaps adding the color of her lens as she becomes more confident may be an interesting and purposeful device, though I cannot imagine how difficult that would be to write.

Here with the task of attending a nobel party I finally get to see the shade of Vin's world. And I must say, it really helped her grow on me. I've had trouble with Vin as a character before because of her bland point of view, but this was far more interesting. It was a much needed set of events and character progression. Plus she got to meet the heir to the Venture family-- talk about staying inconspicuous. It was a nice, small touch of "everything went okay, but..." that will add some spice to the next encounter and set up some future conflict.

I'm thinking Vin will decide that Elend is different and she will project the trust she is building with the crew onto him and decide that he can be trusted. I think, for the sake of interesting conflict, that he will be more loyal to his family and betray her-- and that would do some interesting things to her trust level with the crew. Just have to wait and see.

Happy reading.

Jameson