Mistborn: Secret History

Kelsier dies at the Lord Ruler's hands but refuses to move on. Stuck between worlds at the Well of Ascension, he watches Era 1 from another angle. When Vin releases the Well's power, Ruin escapes, and so does Kelsier. The dying Preservation asks him for help. Kelsier tricks a group of strangers who want to steal that power, briefly takes Preservation's place, frees a friend from Ruin's control and hands Vin the power she needs in the final battle. After Vin and Elend die and Sazed becomes Harmony, Kelsier reunites with Vin and says goodbye. In the end, he asks an old friend to help him find a way back to the physical world.

1. Behind the scenesTwelve years in the making

   Sanderson planned this story while writing the original trilogy and kept working on it for years. He says it was 12 years in the making.

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2. Behind the scenesA surprise release

   It dropped as a surprise e-book in January 2016, announced in the postscript of The Bands of Mourning. It later went into the collection Arcanum Unbounded and got its own print edition.

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3. Behind the scenesNovella or novel?

   It's nearly 50,000 words. It's sold as a novella, but the ISFDB database lists it as a novel.

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4. ReferenceVisitors from other worlds

   Khriss and Nazh, travelers from other Cosmere planets, appear here. Hoid drops by too.

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5. SetupPlanted clues

   Sanderson calls bringing characters back a dangerous trope, so he foreshadowed it in the original trilogy. Reread Era 1 and look for the clues.

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