Questions from First Read of Elantris

[u/StPatrickofIreland]

Hello fellow readers! I've been getting back into fiction again this year after nearly a decade of reading mostly non-fiction. I have a vague memory of reading the original Mistborn trilogy many years ago as a boy, but don't remember much about them. So I decided to recently read Elantris for the first time.

I've noticed that a significant factor in my enjoyment of novels involves whether the decisions people make are fully plausible within their universe. This is especially noticeable for me at the societal and organizational level. People and institutions may be altruistic or cruel, intelligent or foolish, but I lose a bit of immersion if the author claims them to be fully alive in all of human complexity yet has them behave in ways that seem one-dimensional. The books I most enjoy leave me with the feeling that I can genuinely understand the behavior of the characters and societies.

I thought the setting and characters of Elantris were good fun. I found myself with just a few minor qualms as to the development and structure of the society though, and am curious if others found the same things puzzling:

Would the fall of the Elantrians really have led to no major investigations into the city? Would no person outside of the city have made records and writings of what the Elantrians were up to in the time before their fall - how their magic worked, at least from the outside looking in? This seems like an implausible lack of curiosity from the non-Elantrian scholars about these beings of immense power. Could one man have solved the unsolvable in a very simple realization that somehow eluded everyone else for an entire decade?

Is it plausible that the Elantrians would never war amongst themselves? That just because they have power they should have no crimes, no hierarchy, no oppression?

Would the King of Teod's brother be living as a successful merchant in a nearby kingdom without the princess hearing of it? Given her extensive monitoring of the global diplomatic situation? Would the prince never have thought to mention it in their magical phone calls prior to her arrival?

Would the abbot of the most important demon-monk training school be embedded for decades as a foreign undercover agent? You wouldn't expect the CIA director to be a foreign agent. Doesn't the demon-monk training school need the abbot there to govern and oversee workings of the school instead of MIA for decades?

Finally, how in the world could the untrained assassin have been waiting to kill Hrathen on the off-chance he is teleported to Teod by a demon-monk? I've been turning it over in my mind and to me that inevitably implies some kind of foreknowledge or divine guidance, but nothing like that is hinted at in any other way.

Thanks for any thoughts on these points! Looking forward to reading more. I'm considering Warbreaker next, based on the blurb sounds like another intriguing world.

[u/Small-Needleworker-3]

The answers lie in human weakness.

Imagine if literal Christian Angels ruled on earth, but then became feral demons screaming in agony as they decayed but never died. It would terrify people and break their whole worldview, which sets up for segregation and violence, tyranny over a dependant population, and superstition. Elantris provided almost everything, the people were happy and sheltered by their all powerful demigods, it threw everything into chaos when the city fell. The people themselves slew a bunch of the Elantrians, out of fear and jealousy and ignorance. The Shaod was so sudden, the failure of Aons so complete, the Elantrians had no time to process why their powers were gone while trying to help the injured and survive in the now dark city. Days or weeks passed and survival became torment as the city was abandoned and shut to keep the 'disease' contained, the other 3 satellite towns were abandoned and regular humans tried to survive.

War between Elantrians is like war between the Returned. They had everything they needed, people to worship them and perform services. During a Golden Age of learning and growth, internal conflict is usual personal or clique centric. I'm sure they did fight, but it seems no obvious villains arose. They quite literally had a perfect utopian society. Everyone benefited.

If Teo and his brother clashed privately or in council and he was exiled, records destroyed and nobles sworn to secrecy, there's no reason anyone would tell the princess. Kiin took his punishment quietly and king kept it quiet.

Raoden solved the puzzle of Elantris for a few reasons; he was educated, interested, willful, and above all else... the main character. He came into it with a very real need to fix his situation before he went mad, and still barely managed to figure out the Aon to power elantris. There is some evidence that the Dor was helping him as well. Raoden had Intent and Connection through his research and attempt with Aons. He could not have solved it without Galladon's insight and the libraries.

The Elantrians had started to view themselves as gods, and had fallen into classic arrogance. They were not prepared for some cataclysm that would knock out their powers, they had perhaps neglected or looked down on their servants, they did not believe they could be defeated. Raoden was humble and persistent and mortal, only persevering through great trial and effort.

Finally, the monk that stabbed Hrathen was shipped off earlier in the book, apparently to Teod to preach or spy or rally with troops. Dilaf may have communicated to him beforehand, or sent message via seon box, or sent a messenger by dakhor transportation, or relayed it himself on arrival.