Is the ending a Deus ex Machina? (spoilers, obv)

[Two McMillion he/him]

Before anyone gets all indignant, let me stress that I think the ending of the Mistborn series is done well. I enjoyed it. Deus ex Machina is generally held to be a bad trope, but like all trope it's perfectly possible to do it well. If the ending of the original trilogy is indeed one, then it is perhaps the best execution of one that I've ever seen.

Having said that, I think there's some room for discussion of it. I think very few of us felt cheated at the end of the original trilogy, but when you get down to it just describing the ending is the kind of thing that sounds cringeworthy. Character becomes a god, solves all the problems in a couple pages? How can that be good? And yet it is.

TV tropes defines a Deus ex Machina as follows:
 

Note that there are a number of requirements for a sudden plot development to be a Deus Ex Machina:

1.    Deus Ex Machina are solutions. They are never unexpected developments that make things worse, nor sudden twists that only change the understanding of a story.
2.    Deus Ex Machina are sudden or unexpected. This means that even if they are featured or referenced earlier in the story, they do not change the course of nor appear to be a viable solution to the plotline they eventually "solve".
3.    The problem a Deus Ex Machina fixes must be portrayed as unsolvable or hopeless. If the problem could be solved with a bit of common sense or other type of simple intervention, the solution is not a Deus Ex Machina no matter how unexpected it may seem.

I would argue that the ending of the trilogy meets all three of these requirements. Sazed's taking up the shards was obviously a solution, and it was obviously the only solution to the problem. 2 is perhaps arguable, as Vin previously held some of the power. However, in that case we were clearly shown she couldn't use it to save the world. To me, that means the ending meets all three requirements.

The ending to the first book is this somewhat as well, with Vin's newfound ability to draw on the mists. In the same way, the ending to the second book was arguably a diabolis ex machina. However, I believe these worked because in those cases we knew the story wasn't over yet- we knew there was more. Further, in the first book the reveal that TLR was Rashek was cool enough that it made up for the suddenness of Vin's ability to draw on the mists.

So, as far as I'm concerned, the ending is a deus ex machina. The real question, to me, is "why don't we care"? Why isn't this a bigger deal. There are eight one-star reviews for the third Mistborn book on Amazon; only one cites the ending as a reason for the rating. Two of the fifteen two-star reviews mention it (there are 396 total reviews of the third book on amazon). So, clearly, while some unfortunately dislike the book, the ending of it doesn't seem to be a major factor. Why not?

I think we can name a couple factors. First, the fact that by writing an excellent two previous books, Sanderson has bought the reader's grace. We love the book, and so if the ending is indeed a flaw (and I'm not convinced it is)- well, Sanderson had earned it, frankly.

The second is the fact that while the final solution may somewhat come out of thin air (though I admit this is arguable), we do see most of the disparate elements previously. The copperminds, for example. The Lord Ruler's belief that a Terrisman must be the Hero. And of course, even Vin taking up one of the shards temporarily. The burning of Ruin's body is another factor that is part of the solution, and really a thing the whole solution built up towards, so that element makes sense. But even so, none of that makes the ending something we were going to see coming.

Another factor that I think can be pointed to is the epigraphs. Looking back on the book, the POV of these is clearly godlike. And for good reason- the speaker is a god. In a way, then, Sanderson has prepped us throughout the book to accept a character who is a god. When Sazed takes the shards, it is less of a surprise and more of a realization of something we've known all along.

So those are my thoughts. I think the book is very instructive as to why some endings work and some don't. What do you think?

 

[Moogle]

I think that the endings of books 1 and 3 count as deus ex machine (literally in book 3). I think that, like most things, deus ex can be done poorly and it can be done well. I think it was done poorly when Vin killed TLR, and done well with Sazed/Ruin. (I loved the Mistborn trilogy by the way.)

 

This is surprising, coming from Sanderson. He's got laws named after him which state that the less magic is understood (mists/pulling metal in people's bodies) the less effect it should have on plot resolution. I think he blatantly breaks that 'law' in Mistborn. Vin drawing on the mists was never foreshadowed once, and what was previously a rule (no pushing on metal inside someone's body) is broken twice in quick succession in order to solve the main part of the plot. Killing The Lord Ruler and Ruin required methods we had no knowledge of. I didn't mind either, actually, though I do think Final Empire's ending was poorly done (though very enjoyable).

 

Part of why I think Hero of Ages worked out so well was the epigraphs, as you brought up. Also, the fact that Vin died to accomplish Ruin's defeat makes the deus ex more palatable. Vin surviving against the immortal Lord Ruler because of random power from the mists that isn't explained? It just smacks of the author not knowing how to solve the plot reasonably and saving a character when they should have died.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Moogle

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Brandon addresses this a bit in this annotation.

http://brandonsanderson.com/annotation-mistborn-chapter-thirty-eight-pt-three/

But anyway, I don't think the #2 above is worded very well. It comes off as overly broad.

Solutions that people will find compelling should often be surprising yet inevitable. Mistborn 3's ending fits that for me; it's foreshadowed since the beginning of the first book. Mistborn 1's ending isn't inevitable, but I think Brandon lays enough groundwork to demonstrate that there are aspects of the magic that they don't yet understand.

[Two McMillion he/him]

Vin surviving against the immortal Lord Ruler because of random power from the mists that isn't explained? It just smacks of the author not knowing how to solve the plot reasonably and saving a character when they should have died.

 

I think the ending to the first book ran largely on rule of drama. In some ways, it's not more inherently implausible than anything else in the book before it. Plus, as the beginning of a trilogy, we know the story isn't over yet. I'm a lot more willing to forgive things like drawing on the mists if I have confidence they're a question that's going to be answered and if I know there's still more trouble on the horizon. In that sense, Mistborn 1 delivers. 

 

The lesson here, I think is that readers want, before everything else, good stories. Some things are more conducive to good stories and some are less so, but anything is acceptable if the story itself is good enough.

 

[Aminar]

Deus Ex Machina isn't necessarily a bad thing. Moreover having deific powers in your universe isn't Deus Ex Machina. Or rather it is, but in tis original intent, where in the Greek plays Deities as characters would step in and alter the situation. That]'s how its supposed to be done.

The more modern definition seen as negative is when a writer seeminglyls the solution out of nowhere/their rear end. Situations where previously unintroduced characters or abilities appear without even a namedrop earlier. Brandon makes it very clear throughout his works that some things are mysteries, and then will use that mystery to end the series. Shard physics is a part of his world. He has to show it somewhere, he spent three books This post has been reported for attempting to skirt the rules untold pages of prophecy about the Scadralian interpretation of Shards(deities, TLR, Ruin/Preservation appearing in religions Sazed studies, etc) setting up for the introduction of Vin taking up Godlike powers. That isn't Deus Ex Machina. It's foreshadowed from start to finish.(Except by defintion one, but even then, it's forshadowed fantastically.)

[Moogle]

Brandon addresses this a bit in this annotation.

http://brandonsanderson.com/annotation-mistborn-chapter-thirty-eight-pt-three/

 

I hadn't read this before. I like the look at how the ending was written, and I sympathize with the difficult choice that had to be made. Using the mists vs. Vin just pulling off TLR's bracers is a difficult decision. I still think the ending was not handled as well as it could have been, though.

 

Solutions that people will find compelling should often be surprising yet inevitable. Mistborn 3's ending fits that for me; it's foreshadowed since the beginning of the first book. Mistborn 1's ending isn't inevitable, but I think Brandon lays enough groundwork to demonstrate that there are aspects of the magic that they don't yet understand.

 

Had Vin used the mists at some point earlier in the novel just to establish the fact that she could get superbursts of Allomantic power, and then we saw TLR moving metals inside someone's body, and then Vin used the mists to move TLR's bracers when she figured out his secret, I think it would have been better done. I don't feel establishing that there are poorly understood aspects of the magic, and then using those poorly understood aspects to resolve the plot is something that should be done.

 

The way Mistborn 3 did things, is, as you mentioned, very well done. Even if the process is not well-understood, the foreshadowing of Sazed's ascension and prophecies about the Hero being of Terris all brought things together beautifully.

 

I apologize if this sounds like I'm critiquing his work harshly. Again, I highly enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy (it's Brandon's best work to me so far).

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

I think it would not have been a good choice to show her using the mists earlier. Then everyone would have been waiting for her to pull that out. But perhaps it could have been hinted at more without actually showing her use them.

[Delightful]

I always thought that Vin drawing on the mists was properly forshadowed by Kelsier's "They hide us, they protect us, they give us power." Plus, the way that mists swirl around Allomancers, there was clearly a connection between them. So when I first read that scene I was totally confused about the mechanics, but was totally willing to accepted that mists giving Allomancers power was totally plausible. I just hoped that the 'why' would be explained properly in future books. Which it was.
The drama aspect totally worked for me as well - I thought the moment she drew on the mists was the coolest moment in the entire book.

[king of nowhere]

I agree that both were deus ex machina. It's a bit difficult to avoid that when dealing with actual gods.

THe end of mistborn 3 was wery well done anyway. even if I wasn't expecting it, and it solves a problem that seemed impossible, it works because of the larger picture. We were progressively discovering the wereabouts of ruin and preservation and all the stuff they did, so when sazed takes the shards, all the pieces snap together and I said "so that was preservation's plan all along!".

I find the end of the 1 slightly unsatisfactory, cause there was no foreshadowing or anything there. on the other hand, c'mon, if brandon had wanted to avoid it, he could have wrote vin tearing away the bracelets by hand, or something. there were plenty of ways it could have been resolved. So her drawing on the mists is not a deus ex machina solving a plot, but foreshadowing of future books, and it is used to solve a plot point that could have been solved otherwise. And if brandond hadn't had vin draw the mists then, when could that scene have happened? there's no way I can see to foreshadow the mist thing in any other way without introducing more problems. Namely, i would expect vin to figure out about the earring if her drawing on the mist happened in a less exceptional circumstance. So, that scene was still the best way to write the trilogy.

as for the ending of 2 being a diabolus ex machina, it actually is the introduction of a new plotline, and it was foreshadowed by the writings of kwaan not making sense (cause they were changed). plus, if you check on the epygraphs, you see they were changed. So you could realize there was something wrong about all of it. All considered, I see nothing wrong with it.

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

I always thought that Vin drawing on the mists was properly forshadowed by Kelsier's "They hide us, they protect us, they give us power." Plus, the way that mists swirl around Allomancers, there was clearly a connection between them.

 

Great point, Delightful. I had never thought of that!

 

That said, I agree with most of the points here, mainly that it was not as well done in TFE as in HoA.

 

I think that when one looks at the series as a whole entity, the dei ex machina (Is that the plural?) fit much more logically. It did not feel terribly out of place in TFE, at least not for me. Then again I went into the book knowing TLR died at the end, so I was kind of expecting something to come fill in the blank. Instead of forcing me away, the prospect of Vin being able to use the mists drew me in. I knew that Brandon created very well-defined magic systems, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt that this was not merely a random idea, but one that he had planned on the entire time.

 

From a different angle, TFE is a very self-contained book for a series debut, enough so that many readers, particularly those who do not read series and/or fantasy very often, can easily step away from the book satisfied. Or rather, could, if there were not a deus ex machina at the end which basically requires that you read on. I think it may have been a better idea if Brandon had foreshadowed the ending more so that anyone who decided not to read on could be better satisfied. On the other hand, he also really wants people to read the later books, so maybe he was better to leave it as it is. Just some musings... 

 

I have similar feelings regarding Warbreaker. Namely:

the fact that almost every plot thread was well tied up, and then the last pages created a total hook for a sequel. I do not like it when Warbreaker is referred to as a stand-alone, because it most certainly is not, and only because of those last few pages and the hints about Yesteel.

[king of nowhere]

I knew that Brandon created very well-defined magic systems, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt that this was not merely a random idea, but one that he had planned on the entire time.

That's another good point. one who knows sanderson's book will know that he's not going to solve problems by cheap expedients, and that whenever something feels like a deus ex machina, it is actually totally justified by something that will be revealed later.

[Scriptorian he/him]

I have similar feelings regarding Warbreaker. Namely:

the fact that almost every plot thread was well tied up, and then the last pages created a total hook for a sequel. I do not like it when Warbreaker is referred to as a stand-alone, because it most certainly is not, and only because of those last few pages and the hints about Yesteel.

As a semi-random side note, none of his "stand-alone novels" (at least the Cosmere ones) are really stand-alone. See Elantris.

[el_warko he/him]

From a different angle, TFE is a very self-contained book for a series debut, enough so that many readers, particularly those who do not read series and/or fantasy very often, can easily step away from the book satisfied. Or rather, could, if there were not a deus ex machina at the end which basically requires that you read on.

 

I agree, I recently finished the trilogy + AoL.  When I finished TFE I wondered whether it had been written as a standalone which got expanded. 

[name_here]

I think they were set up plenty well. Frankly, I think defining Deus Ex Machina as any unexpected resolution of the plot is entirely too broad. If the end could be predicted the entire time then it'd make for a pretty boring story.

I generally define it as a sudden resolution that was not hinted at even in retrospect. The end of the first book is foreshadowed by a number of factors. The mists swirl around Allomancers, hinting at a connection. Vin frequently displays superior ability with Allomancy, so it's not a stretch to show more. Copperclouds prove rather less impenetrable than would be expected,so it's reasonable that flesh shielding metal is also flexible. Likewise, the end of the trilogy is foreshadowed by the prophecy, the epigraphs, and Vin obtaining Preservation. The second book is set up very effectively by the tampering with information.

So they follow from what comes before, but in a vague enough manner people don't see them coming beforehand.

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

My understanding of Deus ex Machina is that the events are almost entirely unforseeable to that point. One that I recently rewatched (so it comes to mind immediately) is in a movie called Das Leben der Anderen. It is a German drama where (I'll put it in spoilers in case anyone wants to go watch it)

The secret police arrive, essentially exposing a man's s/o to have turned him in for his crimes. She is in the shower, gets out, looks at him, and then at the climax of the movie, runs outside, stops in the middle of the street for no reason and gets hit by a truck.

Great movie overall, but you could tell that they wrote that in to allow for a more cathartic end to the movie that could not have existed if everyone were alive. 

 

I think Mistborn books fit a theme pre-established by the other Cosmere stories and the Mistborn books themselves. Humans holding god-like powers, creating/altering worlds with them, and then intervening (or noticeably not intervening) based on the attribute associated with their Shard. Figures in the mist. A body dropping from mist. Those are evidence earlier in the stories that not only allow for, but directly lead into the ending of the series. I don't think they are Deus ex Machina for that reason.  

All that being said, if we all collectively decide that they fit the Deus ex Machina bill, everyone can know that I prefer those endings to others because they are actually new ideas. I like to have my world turned upside down every once in a while, you know?

[Awesomeness Summoned he/him]

When I read The Final Empire, it didin't feel Deus ex Machina to me at all. There were numerous instances of Vin and Kelsier describing the mists as being attracted to allomancers, being a mistborn's friend, feeling safe in the mist, it almost being alive etc., etc. The whole book I was expecting something to happen with it and I actually thought "finally, they did something with the mists" when she used it.

Edited February 10, 2014 by awesomeness summoned

[Swimmingly he/him]

I guess having a magic user called a "Mistborn" doing something with mist is kind of obvious, in retrospect, and also before opening the book.

[GreyPilgrim he/him]

I don't know about that... Mistborn could really mean a lot of things...