Wax

There’s always the next frontier in distraction:) YT, solitaire, Microsoft tiles, surfing…. I can just say this is like the Lord Ruler’s situation. Each solution creates its own set of problems. It works as long as the new problems created are smaller than the original problem. Lots of strategies... The ones that work for me are are:- "If I apply for these 5 jobs, I get 1 games of solitaire or freecell, AFTER I've finished applying" "Music in the background... great way to make it easier to work on something rather than playing games"

I had a similar challenge years ago with a video game. I was able to uninstall and let it itgo after a couple of times though. I recently got back in and the same issue and cycle. I used a different technique this time. I quit my job recently, and promised myself I won't use the game until I got a new job. It's installed still, but I haven't touched it since. --- PS I'm unemployed now because I hated my last job. Hopefully, I can get something soon.

I liked the book. Very Mistborn / Yumi like feel to the book. I was initially confused by the worldhopper’s name. I just had some issues. Basically, the touch to have babies concept was a little out there… kind of broke the fourth wall for me “oh, this is to stop this coming up in WoB”. So yeah, this book had an extra dolllop of fantasy. Not sure about that romance angle there. Aux was eggy.

Just an update. My current job isn't going too well. The boss wants me gone, and I am struggling as well. Going to quit next week. On the positive, had planned a trip with my family and dad in November. I'll be gone and back in time for the Defiant release. Hoping to get a new job in Nov/Dec/Jan.

Should have had a spoiler tag

Waiting for emojis

I’ve made my peace with a lot of things. My life has been amazing recently… new car, no major financial woes. Yet, family life has been average. Somehow, I’ve come to the realisation that the things will rarely get better. There will always be a lack of something. But, I am ok with it now.

I was really into crypto up to the bull run in 2021. I was in from 2014… now fully out of it. The underlying tech is a good theoretical idea that doesn’t work in reality. Because we’re human, our underlying greed corrupts everything. So, until AI completely takes over this planet (hopefully never), crypto will remain a ponzi scheme in my eyes.

I don’t see Kaladin being the champion. It’s a fight to the death and Kaladin won’t kill. Brandon changed the ending of WoR to take away the killing blow by Kaladin. I think there is a Dawnshard arc still to be explored there. The loophole I thought was Odium trying to win everything in 10 days on Roshar. So, at worst he’s giving up Alethkar and Herdaz. That sounds impractical though, so that’s not it either. The “El” guy who wrote about the last 10 days might be the Odium champion?

I read Brandon's new Reddit post here and thought I might try ChatGPT to do stuff for fun. The Reddit post spoiled the title of the book. So, I've put that bit of the ChatGPT interaction where I discussed with the name revealed in the spoiler tag. Have fun reading guys! Here's the bit with the title spoiled Me: The fifth book will be called . Rewrite the fan fiction based on this. Me: In the book, the main plots were, Kaladin and Szeth go to Shinovar, Dalinar has the fight of champions with Odium, Navani using the Urithiru secrets, Adolin helping Maya, Shallan fighting with Ghostbloods and Odium using tricks to beat them all. So, here you go. AI hasn't quite gotten to the level of poetry, but it's getting better at writing stock sentences!

RoW - 1st reread after 3 years Listening to the audiobook again after such a long time, the following were the memorable points I could actually listen to Venli/Eshonai’s portions. I half listened to them the first time around. Just couldn’t deal with Venli’s redemption arc after what she did. Just felt unemotional through the first part which I felt was a bit of setup. I was quite happy with the feeling of moving on. Then the attack on the tower went into full gear and the sense of claustrophobia was back. Even now, it feels like big bulgy book. All scenes individually work. Yet, the effect of the bulge was that it just felt too big. For example, I loved Notem’s cameo, yet it could have been sacrificed. The emotional pieces still tugged the strings. Maya’s courtroom scene, Veil’s final departure, Teft’s final scene and Kaladin’s oath all stood out. Other memorable ones were Raboniel’s final dialogue, Warlight intro, Venli’s final scene with her mother and Eshonai’s end. At times, I felt like there were so many scenes that I had forgotten. I remember listening the whole book the first time. Yet, so many sections just felt brand new! For example, I had completely forgotten that Kaladin’s next quest would involve getting Ishar and going with Szeth. Things I picked up (everyone else may already know) Gavilar wasn’t trying to to bond. He had expressly rejected the voidspren (mentioned by Ulim). His main character assassins were Navani after an argument and Nale. Somehow, I see another redemption arc incoming. Lift was now going around with a “chicken”. Did she pick up Mraize’s bird (sixth of dusk) Renarin sent gemstones to Taravangians with an apology on his last day. And also earlier met him. Interesting Taravangisn internal monologue there. So, he clearly knew about his upcoming death. Things I don’t get Why was Odium so much in panic due to the tower? There was so much of an assumption that he could lose. What was Mraize’s motivations here to provide Lift to Raboniel? If the Ghostbloods (Lost Metal Spoilers) Theories The hole in the agreement Odium might try and use is that he might keep everything except Alethkar and Herdaz that he already owns. So, that might mean another attack on Thelena, Tukar, Emuul etc. to grab pretty much everything in the intervening 10 days before the contest of champions. A common theory I’ve read here is that some Radiants may ascend. I am leaning towards it more. As there is a broken bond now available in the oathpact, Dalinar may bind Kaladin to it. Design may help Wit remember / find out about memory tampering by Odium I think the Recreance might have been the reaction to the Singer’s becoming Parshmen. So, the KRs were giving up their powers, like a disarmament treaty. long held theory - Dalinar’s other visions are from the cognitive shadow of Gavilar. Mysteries / Looking forward to How will the Dawnshard aspect still fit in? More inkspren possibly after Maya’s testimony Shattered Plains – so many hints towards its formation being man made. Maybe it might get resolved in Book 5. This is from Oathbringer – still waiting for Azure’s blade tech for non-spren shardblades

Great audiobook… fantastic audio dramatisation by all. I loved the neurotic Sophie Kwon (?) telling off everyone in a position of power (you can see she doesn’t like any authority figures).

I could pick up that Huck was lying when Tress asked him about his background. I had a fleeting idea that he might be someone cursed by the sorcoress (I was thinking of the Terry Pratchett book where a talking frog lawyer was a character... I think "The Wee Free Men"). I didn't focus on it though.

I felt it was the best book of Era 2 or 1. I didn’t feel emotional about Wayne. I loved all the Ghostblood characters. Couldn’t get why Wax hadn’t turned full mistborn and healed himself in the epilogue. Maybe he hadn’t been told by Harmony? Feels like a red herring for Era 3.

Thanks for the summaries. It helped make some sense of the series. I had to go back and read the summary for the Alloy of Law to make any sense. Basically, I had a blank spot for the Steris/Marasi/Wax romantic triangle from the first book (I read the Alloy of Law half asleep originally). So, I couldn’t work out what was happening with any of the female characters.

I am a little sheepish as I type this. I barely remember the previous books in the series except random snippets. As I gear up for The Lost Metal, is there a summary somewhere of the previous books? I only remember being so lost when I read the Bands of Mourning, and now I barely remember that as well. So, please a summary or a link?

So interesting, no one posted here in 2020 or the first half of 2021.

Let me preface by saying I’ve only read book 1 - 15 years ago. Couldn’t stand the idea of a 10-15 series book which was unfinished (at that time) - and never bothered checked the following books later. Yes, BS finished it - just don’t have the stomach to read the middle books which usually get fairly mixed reviews online. So, my main hope was that the show would be so good that I could watch it instead of reading the rest of the books. Also, wanted to see how AES Sendai got shown - Rosammund Pike’s character was a cool and older version of Jasnah, in my mind. Sadly, 15 minutes into the first episode, I turned it off. I felt like it was trying for too much of GoT vibe. I remember the original book having elements of LoTR. This one just had the vibe set at the grungy horror of GoT. You know - some people don’t like GoT. Most likely, there are people like me who like lighter tv shows. I only watched 1 episode of GoT - and stopped there. Because it was so involved and “gritty”. I really hope that tv shows stop trying to copy GoT’s vibe. Just my thoughts- sorry, not a huge fan.

I don’t think the Cosmere is getting out of control. It’s more of the writing direction where the narration choices, ie who gets screen time and how much is variable. Too much fabriel mechanics and Shadesmar, meant the book was just seriously bloated. All of us sit there wishing for the current book to be like the last. And it isn’t. Sometimes it’s better, and sometimes it is the Well of Ascension. (Still haven’t finished it, despite reading Hero of Ages) The book was about raising stakes which it did. It also sets up the back 5 with new magic system of Honor/Odium combo and potentially Cultivation/Odium combo.

Ok... I skim read a lot of the book mixed in with part audio. My reactions.

Part 3.... I don’t mind it. Skimmed a lot of flashbacks though. The Sibling seems more human than something like Honor or Cultivation. It is like a sanderlanche action novel with a lot of flashbacks and side plots thrown in. Very different pacing. Kaladin doing the mission impossible sequences, and Navani with the dialogue. It’s good though. I have abandoned the audiobook in favour of Kindle for part 3, just to get through it quicker.

I do want to discuss. But still not done with part 2 yet. The whole day went by with work. Will peek back in when part 2 is done to post in that thread.

At OB release, it took 2-4 hours between kindle and audible. So, this time, I am keeping my expectations from audible lower. You can listen to Part One from audible book on YouTube on Brandon’s channel if you haven’t already (up to Chapter 19).

Got email... reading kindle. Audible pre order is still “processing”...

I think it is Szeth who will have the critical role again in helping save Urithiru. While Kaladin might have a command type role. Szeth is likely to use Nightblood a lot in the end, setting him up for Book 5.