hypatia

@Rainier What about Lirin? A good talk between father and son is overdue imo, as I see this broken bond as part of Kaladin's breakdown. And this would nicely lead to Kaladin return to be a surgeon.

Don't know, but my first thought reading this was - Dalinar told Szeth to go to prison and do what? Organizing a prison break in Kholinar? Helping someone? This general from Herdaz?

@Sorana @Winds Alight I'm looking forward to meet you in Stuttgart - perhaps with a greater group in toes. It's about time for another round of fangirling...

You know Sandersonitis is spreating in your family, when you get the Master Thesis from your daughter and the acknowledgements are underlined with the words: "Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination"

Perhaps the story of a bad day in my life can help: You need to know that the birthday of my daughter is the 11.7. - short time before the release date of OB. And that in Germany the book was delivered before this release date. And that I personally had two secondary characters I was interested in before OB - Elhokar and Moash. Long story short - I was able to get one example of OB and decided to send it to my daughter as a birthday gift using up all the motherly love for a year. But before I wrapped it up in gift paper I thought to look at the pictures in the first chapters. And then to read one - only one - page somewhere in the middle. The first thing I read was: "Lowering his spear, Moash ran Elhokar throught the chest." At the same time I realized that I couldn 't talk about this because of spoilers. This happened shortly before I started my lesson and until today my pupils ask about the next book in the hope something like this will happen again.

Wasn't there a WoB that all Heralds are mad and we shouldn't believe a word they say? As the patron of the Skybreaker he should know the oath and personally I also miss the radiant eyes.

I think this long delay is perhaps really impossible without Odium "helping" Taln to endure, but is this the reason the humans are unprepared? Taln died in a fight, but 9 Heralds stayed back on Roshar - this was a unbelievable opportunity that would have given the other Heralds the chance actively preparing the humans - but they didn't do their job. Worse even - they lied. They told the humans that they had won, that this was the last desolation, they are imo responsible, not the one who had bought time for the humans and his fellow Heralds. Perhaps Taln thought he had time because all this time his 9 companions were supposed to prepare the humans.

Don't start laughing, but all of this reminds me of Terry Pratchett's story about the Koom Valley - two races in a fight for ever because what really had happened is forgotten. What boggles me most is that at different point of this forgotten history a group of both races broke their bond with their "gods". After OB we got a glimpse about why the Radiants made their decision and now I hope for the next volume with more emphasy on the Listeners - what did they know that the Last Legion was rather living in powerless forms than further follow Odium and his minions? Both groups are now seen as traitors, both names - knights and legion - are military terms. And the Listeners seem to know more about this part of the story, because against common believe and the lies Odium orders Venli to tell the Parshmen Gavilar was assassinated in an attempt to stop him from bringing back the old "gods". All in all this left me much more interested in the next book.

@Nymeros OB, chapter 48 - Rhythm Of Work Page 482 "...He'd walked this path dozens of time, running caravans with his uncle even when he'd been a youth..." When they are on their way to Kholinar.

It is possible that they had talked about the whole affair and this shows that talking has no inpact on the outcome at Kholinar. Personally I believe Kaladin hadn't told Dalinar - or perhaps even Elhokar because he's the one in danger - about Moash and his reasons for vengeance. The whole Roshone - Affair left too many questions for me Moash's story couldn't answer. I always thought we need to know what happened from someone who was there at the time and wasn't involved in this affair - Dalinar. Obviously Kaladin had the same opinion and asked him - but the author chose to let Dalinar tell nearly nothing about what really happened. The interesting part for me was that there were rumors - ever since this I saw a boy coming back to Kholinar with his grandparents dead and the city full of rumors and was asking myself the question: Is the story he told Kaladin the truth or one of the rumors? In fact - I think it's a rumor because Brandon Sanderson didn't let Dalinar talk about it. Why would he if it was the same story? But there are more questions: What was Roshone doing for the crown aka Gavilar? Who did Elhokar trust? What happened with the shops? Why didn't the grandparents train Moash as a silversmith when he was their only relative? Then with OB we got Moash's PoV and one little tidebit: The grandparents not only allowed Moash to leeve, they encouraged him to find his way outside their shop. And he wasn't alone - there was an uncle with him. First - he lied when he told Kaladin his grandparents were his only relatives. And second - this uncle is possible to be a son, perhaps even the heir of the grandparents. This would be an answer for the last questions. And of course there's the WoB about Elhokar - that he was "maligned".

I agree - Kaladin should come clean with Dalinar before someone else - I'm thinking of Damlan or Taravangian - let the bomb drop. WE know what had happened with Kaladin in the palace, WE know his reason, his past, his decisions, but what about other people? If another source than himself tells about his involvation in the attempt to kill Elhokar, what will they think about it? He let the assassins escape, sided with Parshmen, didn't do anything in the fight and then let his old companion just kill the king. Espacially the salute is possibly same powerfull evidence against Kaladin. Even if there aren't real consequences for him, this will bring distrust within the orders and isn't this something Odium would want?

IIRC Hoid didn't warn Shallan about the ones who see the future, but the ones who say they know the future. I always thought about this like in the Hierocraty - they just said they were able to see the future. It seems likely for me - and this is more a feeling - that Hoid was talking about Odium - really, when you look at it - how many times was he right with his predictions? The Everstorm killing everyone? Dalinar? The return of the Radiants? Renarin? Venli bonding with a spren? Odium always talks about how good he is, but personally I'm not convinced.

For me it comes down to either Rock and Rlain (or another combination with Parshendi and one of the mixed human/singer race) or Rlain and one of the Aimian as a balance between the races on Roshar.

My greatest problem with this possibility is the wording: REnewing, REmaking, REstoring - whatever you call it, for me this is REgression, not PROgression. Old ways, old mistakes in contrary to innovation, orginality, novelty. Is it even possible to go back? There were so many changes, like - as said above - the Everstorm. Whatever happened with Jezrien - we just have 9 Heralds more or less living at the moment. Nale has switched sides. All of the Heralds are now broken. Until Taln was left alone on Braize, he was the "last man standing". The Parshendi/Listeners are starting to enter the system - and I believe this possible because the Oathpact has lost its fuction. Odium has agreed to the fight with champions. Last, but not least - Honor is dead. Getting the knowledge of the past is good as long as you also try to avoid past mistakes and especially in OB - with the novelty of Renarin or Venli - we have gotten the base of a new pacing.

Ooh, now I'm really baffled -if you thought of someone else - don't tell me. But give me a little bit time - at the moment there are some problems on my behalf (fresh from a surgery) - I promise I will look at it.