The Hope of Elantris
1 story - View chapters and summaries
Characters (10)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
Ashe Sarene's seon - a small ball of light bound to her family and her primary tie to Teod; serves as her spy, confidant and message-carrier through the Arelene court. | Supporting |
Dashe An Elantrian soldier in New Elantris. His mind breaks during the Dakhor invasion. | Minor |
| Major | |
Idotris New Elantrian orphan boy left in Matisse's care; runs alongside her as she shepherds the children of New Elantris into the ruins to hide from the Dakhor soldiers. | Supporting |
| Supporting | |
Matisse An Elantrian woman who looks after the children of New Elantris. Brave and resourceful, she protects them during the Dakhor invasion. | Supporting |
Raoden Crown prince of Arelon who is taken by the Shaod and thrown into Elantris. Despite the apparent curse, he works to rebuild the fallen city and its people from within. | Protagonist |
Sarene Princess of Teod who arrives in Arelon to find her betrothed apparently dead. Politically astute and fiercely independent, she navigates court intrigue to protect Arelon. | Protagonist |
Teor Tiil's friend among the children of the Roost, eager to stay up past bedtime and easily distracted from his Aon-writing lessons. | Minor |
Tiil A bright, restless young Elantrian boy under Matisse's care in the Roost of New Elantris, who watches every adult drawing Aons and asks more questions than he's usually answered. | Minor |
Groups (4)
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| Groups in The Cosmere (universe) | |
| Kandra | Faction |
| Shards of Adonalsium | Faction |
| Steel Inquisitors | Faction |
| Worldhoppers | Organisation |
History
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
January 2006 | Publication | A short story originally written for the Japanese edition of Elantris in 2006 and later collected in Arcanum Unbounded, The Hope of Elantris is the most narrowly scoped of the Cosmere short fiction - a companion piece set during the climax of Elantris, following minor characters from the main novel through events occurring simultaneously with its ending. It requires not only familiarity with Elantris but active memory of its final act, and critical discussion has treated it as strictly supplementary material. Response was positive among readers who returned to it after finishing the novel, with reviewers noting that the story recontextualises familiar events from a perspective that adds emotional texture without altering or contradicting the main narrative. The child characters at its centre - Elantrian children navigating the chaos of the climax - were praised as an effective choice of viewpoint, their limited understanding of events creating dramatic irony for readers who know what is actually happening. The Hope of Elantris is regarded as a small but genuinely affecting addition to the Elantris sequence, its value almost entirely dependent on attachment to the source material. For readers who loved the novel it offers a rewarding coda; encountered in isolation it would mean very little. |
PublicationJanuary 2006
A short story originally written for the Japanese edition of Elantris in 2006 and later collected in Arcanum Unbounded, The Hope of Elantris is the most narrowly scoped of the Cosmere short fiction - a companion piece set during the climax of Elantris, following minor characters from the main novel through events occurring simultaneously with its ending. It requires not only familiarity with Elantris but active memory of its final act, and critical discussion has treated it as strictly supplementary material. Response was positive among readers who returned to it after finishing the novel, with reviewers noting that the story recontextualises familiar events from a perspective that adds emotional texture without altering or contradicting the main narrative. The child characters at its centre - Elantrian children navigating the chaos of the climax - were praised as an effective choice of viewpoint, their limited understanding of events creating dramatic irony for readers who know what is actually happening. The Hope of Elantris is regarded as a small but genuinely affecting addition to the Elantris sequence, its value almost entirely dependent on attachment to the source material. For readers who loved the novel it offers a rewarding coda; encountered in isolation it would mean very little.