(Chapter 18)
WRITING EXERCISES
Reading Journal Entry: Cowardice
Beginning with the Foreword, through chapters Shu Wei and 19, to the final pages of the Afterword, Alcatraz repeatedly calls himself a coward. Do you think Alcatraz is a coward in any or all of these instances? Write a journal entry explaining how you think Alcatraz would define the term coward, whether you use this term in the same way in your own life, and how you feel toward Alcatraz at moments in the story when he sees himself as a coward.
Reading Journal Entry: Has Alcatraz Failed?
Write a journal entry in which you agree or disagree with Alcatraz’s final page apologia. Has he failed and, if so, whom has he failed? Use quotes from the Evil Librarians series and/or from other novels or poems you have read to support your position.
Explanatory Text: Smedrys
Throughout the novel, Alcatraz, Kaz, Dif, and other characters refer to certain actions or ideas as typical of members of the Smedry line. In the character of Grandpa, Attica, Shasta, or Dif, write an essay explaining what it means to be a Smedry. Or, in the character of Alcatraz, write a letter to Bastille describing how you feel about belonging to the Smedry family.
Explanatory Text: Aesop’s Fables
Brandon Sanderson makes several references to fables, particularly Aesop’s Fables, in The Dark Talent. With friends or classmates, go to the library or online to find a definition of “fable” and some facts about Aesop and his literary legacy. Read several of Aesop’s fables and select one that you feel could be applied to a scene in the novel. Write a short essay explaining why you believe Sanderson wanted to incorporate the idea of fables into this novel, and how and where you would reference your selected fable within the book.
Literary Analysis: Authorship
The Evil Librarians series is narrated by the character Alcatraz Smedry, who claims to be using the pseudonym of “Hushlands” author Brandon Sanderson. With friends or classmates, discuss how this double-layered claim of authorship affects the reading of the book and/or the reader’s relationship with the narrator. Then, individually, write a short essay interpreting the following quote by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Junot Diaz in terms of the Evil Librarians novels you have read:
We all dream that there’s an authoritative voice out there that will explain things, including ourselves. If it wasn’t for our longing for these things, I doubt the novel or the short story would exist in its current form.
English Language Arts Common Core Standards
RL.3.1-4, 4.1-4, 5.1-4, 6.1-4, 7.1-4
SL.3.3-4, 4.3-4, 5.3-4, 6.3-4, 7.3-4
W.3.1-3, 4.1-3, 5.1-3, 6.1-3, 7.1-3; W3.7-8, 4.7-9, 5.7-9, 6.7-9, 7.7-9
Read all the books in the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series!
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
ALSO BY BRANDON SANDERSON
ALCATRAZ VS. THE EVIL LIBRARIANS
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
The Rithmatist
THE MISTBORN TRILOGY
Mistborn
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
THE RECKONERS
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity
Praise for the Alcatraz Series
“This is an excellent choice to read aloud to the whole family. It’s funny, exciting, and briskly paced.”
—NPR on Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
“Genuinely funny … Plenty here to enjoy.”
—Locus on Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
“Like Lemony Snicket and superhero comics rolled into one (and then revved up on steroids), this nutty novel … [is] also sure to win passionate fans.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
“The conventional trappings of the middle-school fantasy get turned upside down in this zany novel.… Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz’s strange but amusing world.”
—School Library Journal on Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
“In this original, hysterical homage to fantasy literature, Sanderson’s first novel for youth recalls the best in Artemis Fowl and A Series of Unfortunate Events. The humor, although broad enough to engage preteens, is also sneakily aimed at adults.… And as soon as they finish the last wickedly clever page, they will be standing in line for more from this seasoned author.”
—VOYA on Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
“A thoroughly thrilling read.”
—The Horn Book on The Scrivener’s Bones
“Those who enjoy their fantasy with a healthy dose of slapstick humor will be delighted. Give this novel to fans of Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl and Catherine Jinks’s Cadel Piggott in Evil Genius. They will appreciate Sanderson’s cheerful sarcastic wit and none-too-subtle digs at librarians.”
—School Library Journal on The Scrivener’s Bones
“Every bit as clever, fast-paced, and original as [the first book] … Howlingly funny for adults, older teens who can be persuaded to read a ‘juvenile’ novel, and exceptionally bright middle schoolers.”
—VOYA on The Scrivener’s Bones
“With comical insight into human nature and just enough substance to make it all matter, the plot offers up plenty of action, gadgetry, metafictional humor, grudgingly dispensed hints of the Librarians’ endgame, and counterintuitive Smedry Talents to keep the old fans and new readers alike turning pages.”
—The Horn Book on The Knights of Crystallia
“Offbeat humor, a budding romance, plenty of magic, creative world-building, smart references to science fiction luminaries, clever wordplay, and good action scenes make this one a strong choice for young teen boys and adult fans of the SF genre.… Hard to imagine it being any better written.”
—VOYA on The Knights of Crystallia
“Lives up to its predecessors with vivid action and high drama.”
—Midwest Book Review on The Knights of Crystallia
“Beneath the wild humor, there are surprisingly subtle messages about responsibility and courage.”
—School Library Journal on The Knights of Crystallia
“As goofy randomness streamlines into compelling narration, even readers who don’t find giant robots reason alone to pick up a book will be drawn into Alcatraz’s cohesive world, with its unique form of magic.”
—The Horn Book on The Shattered Lens
“I love this series! Sanderson’s one of the few writers of adult fiction I’ve read who can also write effortlessly and dead-on true for kids as well. This is a fabulous book to read aloud! It’s not only funny and has plenty of action, but the series has got heart as well. Highly recommended!”
—YA Books Central on The Shattered Lens
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Map of the Free Kingdoms
Dedication
Author’s Foreword
Chapter Doug
Chapter Lilly
Chapter Norton
Chapter Bob
Chapter Lilliana
Chapter Mary
Chapter Trillian
Chapter Deckard
Chapter Frog
Chapter Alice
Chapter Marco
Chapter Melissa
Chapter 13
Chapter Shu Wei
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Author’s Afterword
About the Author
About the Illustrator
Acknowledgments
Reading and Activity Guide
Also by Brandon Sanderson
Praise for the Alcatraz Series
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE DARK TALENT
Copyright © 2016 by Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC
Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC
Reading and Activity Guide copyright © 2016 by Tor Books
Brandon Sanderson® is a registered trademark of Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC
All rights reserved.
Illustrations by Hayley Lazo
Map by Isaac Stewart
Cover art by Scott Brundage
Cover design by Isaac Stewart
A Starscape Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-8140-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-8153-2 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466881532
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: September 2016
* Obviously, the world is doomed as a result. Oops.
* People who use footnotes in books are very smart, and you can trust what they say.
* Like adding footnotes to books.
* It’s true. Think about it.
* Epaulettes are those things soldiers wear on their shoulders to make them look more important. Nothing proclaims “Look how macho I am” more than a good set of epaulettes. Other than, I guess, a big sign that reads LOOK HOW MACHO I AM, but we wouldn’t want to be flagrant about it, would we?
* There. That’s better.
* I guess I was expecting marmosets?
* Yes, solitaire. What, you think kings and queens are always doing important stuff, like chopping off heads and invading neighboring kingdoms?
* Well, to be more precise, all things changed.
* Those it hadn’t shocked the life out of.
* Which is completely different from a footnote.
* Which all seems to involve glass for some reason or another. Don’t ask me. I think it’s weird too.
* Though as I think about it, my worst legal infraction has been the employment of superfluous footnotes, which is something I only just started doing.
* Being blown up is definitely more of an afternoon thing.
* Other than, you know, eating bricks, glaring at passersby, and winning growling contests.
* As for me, I’d consider getting punched in the face to be about as annoying as being constantly forced to read footnotes that don’t add anything to the narrative.
* Stupid giant penguins.
* My bum.
* No, not the chicken suit, you sadist.
* Well, one cliff at least.
* As if you had any doubt.
* AKA the poopin’ place. Aren’t you so glad you read these footnotes?
* For once, I’m not even lying here.
* Seriously. He wore plaid pants of one pattern, a plaid shirt of a second pattern, and a bow tie of a third. It looked so bad, I figured at first he must be a retired monarch, as nobody would dress that way intentionally.
* Like pretty much everything else at the moment, considering how I was flying and all.
* At that moment. Not as a general rule.
* His own, fortunately.
* Ah, the old faint feint.
* It’s not that saying her name does anything specific, it’s just that the name is so difficult to say, few people can manage it. And … wow, did I just put something useful in a footnote? I need to be careful not to make a habit of this. Um … Rutabaga?
* And don’t say “the French.” Everyone knows they’re not real.
* Yes. Salt the cheese.
* Note.
* By Alcatraz Smedry. First edition. It’s not published yet though, so the only place you can find it is on my shelf.
* Wouldn’t tennis be way more interesting with explosive balls?
* This section was included in the book so that when a Librarian walks past, you can quickly flip to this page. When they read over your shoulder—as they always do, because they’re annoying—you will appear to be reading a science book about the noble wooly sea sloth. I’ve therefore saved your life, and so you really should be getting around to making me that sandwich.
* I don’t know why I made the assumption that inanimate objects don’t lie. This book has lied to you several times already.
* That might explain why I never said anything that time I visited your house.
* What, it’s not on your bucket list?
* Indeed, she seemed to be able to spot danger far more easily than I could. I guess she had knight vision.
* That’s a fancy term for shooting like crazy and hoping your enemy gets scared and hides instead of shooting back.
* Also, draw fire.
* They must not read enough footnotes.
* Siblings are preferable.
* Also on that list: decapitation, drowning, falling to my death, being shot, being stabbed, being eaten by a wildebeest, being eaten by a tamebeest, being eaten by anything else, heart attacks, cancer, death by gratuitous paper cuts, burning to death, golf-ball-inna-face-itis, falling into the sun, catching malaria, being forced to watch too many Korean soap operas, getting in a car wreck, being hit by a bus, dysentery, tuberculosis, consumption (in case they’re different), having a piano fall on me, being forced to go back in time and accidentally killing my own great-great-grandfather in a clichéd science fiction action sequence, getting mauled by a feral T. rex, snakebite, SADS (Sudden Alcatraz Death Syndrome), the plague, choking, spontaneous combustion, zombies, getting trampled by an elephant, eating rocks, being eaten by rocs, being punched by The Rock, Mongol invasion, alien invasion, kitten invasion, poisoning, balefire, arrow to the knee, being drawn and quartered, hanging, crucifixion, being fed to lions, anything else the Romans did to people, eating too many breath mints, wandering into “da hood” wearing an ill-designed Karl’s Kind Kinesiology T-shirt, being shanked, elevator malfunction, heat death of the universe, almonds, electrocution, suffocation, running with scissors, accidental grenade ingestion, being sucked up a tornado, Avada Kedavra, being sued by J. K. Rowling, bee sting, Sting beating, lightning strike, radiation poisoning, stroke, accidental teddy bear detonation, being eaten by a sentient romance novel, quicksand, explosive diarrhea, really any kind of diarrhea, parasites, diabetes, hypertension, rocket-powered turbo slugs, eating paint, concrete shoes, death by ants, death by aunts, measles, starvation, dehydration, circus accident, and accidentally putting something metal in the microwave.
* i.e. “Accidentally burning a hole through the center of our city.”
* The sound of concrete ripping up in a bomb’s explosion, obviously.
* And those of you who aren’t thinking this are instead thinking, Hey, that’s not what I was thinking. See? I’m totally psychic.
* That’s what I get for blowing an entire book’s worth of footnote rations on the first one in the chapter.
* I mean, obviously I’ve given you lots of things during the course of this series.
Granted, most were probably headaches.
* Bad egg! You can’t work here anymore.
* Except being a lion wrestler. But I hear the overtime for that job is killer.
* Made ya look that one up, didn’t I?
* Whoops.
* The only way we could have done it better is if we’d been wearing ropes, a bucket, and a sign that said TOSS IN A COIN FOR A WISH.
* For example, exactly how often have you seen me on book tour?
* You are following along with this chapter’s puns, right? Well, if they’re too highbrow for you, don’t worry. There’s a fart joke coming soon.
* You’re a terrible point! Not pointy at all! And your mother smells like a wet sheep.
* Like that’s ever stopped us before. Remember the pig butt incident?
* And to define this for those of you who prefer the fart jokes, a “pun” is a joke where you say one thing, but you mean a mother.
* For you Free Kingdomers reading this book, that’s a Hushlander phrase that means, roughly, “This will be really easy, except I’m probably using the phrase sarcastically, so it’s not going to be easy at all.” I have no idea why cake is involved, except for the fact that cake is great, so why not involve it? Really, more sayings should involve cake.
The Dark Talent Page 17