trixster Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 First of all I like this book a lot. Things that didnt work for me though: The title indicates that "The Rithmatist" is going to be a main character. This, at least when the story ends, is not the case. Nalizar's actions. 1. Why reveal your patsy before you make your big move at the end of the book. How was he going to explain all the missing children. I guess the inspector was always going to take the fall, but kind of silly to give up that resource when you could just put it off on Exton. 2. Why did save joel at all. Let joel get captured or killed and you win. He just randomly ruins his own plot. No teenage angst. I don't really miss it, but you have two 16 year old people. Come on you know all they'd be thinking would would "she/he is into, not into me... This post has been reported for attempting to skirt the rules" I can forgive this one though for the sake of the 100 unneeded pages. The deaths. Why did they leave bodies at the second crime scene? They captured all of the soldiers at the last fight except for 2. Why did they leave those two, I'm thinking they were even left alive, on the steps, in view for the world to see. I'd love for this story to continue, but even more I want more of the Stormlight Archive. LOL 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curiosity Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I believe that he left the two bodies there because he couldn't absorb non-Rithmatists. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trixster Posted August 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 I believe that he left the two bodies there because he couldn't absorb non-Rithmatists. Only he absorb the inspector and most of the other police. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Only he absorb the inspector and most of the other police. sorry, i'm not sure i get your point. i assume you mean "he possessed the inspector", which is different from absorbing. as far as i understood, there were two tower entities involved: one possessed the inspector, the other possessed nalizar. no one did anything to the other policeman. they could absorb rithmatists, turning them into wild chalklings. regular people they could kill, but not make the bodies disappear. and they could not possess other people, as they were only two. as for saving joel, we know joel is the protagonist. nalizar knew that joel was a regular student that was helping fitch with some work, and while he was involved in the investigation, he was no more so than the lowest policeman. joel suspected nalizar, but just because he didn't like him and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time a couple times. joel had no proof, and in fact was only making himself ridicule with his accusations. so, as far as nalizar knew, joel was no treath whatsoever. still, why spare him? simple. he needed to save someone to play the part of the hero. so, by making look like he "saved" joel, he was helping his reputation, which we know is important to his plans. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowspren Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 I quite liked the book, however there is one thing that I don't understand. Nalizar has a hard time focusing on Joel and he doesn't ever remember him... until the end where he gets involved with the duel. What changed? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topomouse Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Apparently the Forgotten perceive reality differently from us. They immediately sense Rithmatists, or more probably the Shadowblaze bound to them, but normal persons appear generic and dull and he has to focus on his human senses in order to distinguish them. I pictured it as the Forgotten perceiving a 4-dimensional reality where normal people appear as just "flat" 3D objects. They can distinguish humans but it's harder and he thought he had no reason to do so. At the end of the book he finally accepts that Joel is relevant and decides to pay more attention. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Apparently the Forgotten perceive reality differently from us. They immediately sense Rithmatists, or more probably the Shadowblaze bound to them, but normal persons appear generic and dull and he has to focus on his human senses in order to distinguish them. I pictured it as the Forgotten perceiving a 4-dimensional reality where normal people appear as just "flat" 3D objects. They can distinguish humans but it's harder and he thought he had no reason to do so. At the end of the book he finally accepts that Joel is relevant and decides to pay more attention. No need for anything so complicated. have you ever noticed how all foreigners of a different ethnic group look similar if you are unfamiliar with them? or how about all mountains look the same to people grown on the plains? can you distinguish two cows from each other? if you were to see two forgotten shadows, would you be able to tell them apart? the simples explanation is that, being something so different from us, nalizar sees humans as all alike because he don't know us enough to tell the difference. the rithmatists stand out to him for some reason linked to their power. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowspren Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Ok, that makes sense... but with him taking such an interest in Joel at the end, what can he do with Joel? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topomouse Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 No need for anything so complicated. have you ever noticed how all foreigners of a different ethnic group look similar if you are unfamiliar with them? or how about all mountains look the same to people grown on the plains? can you distinguish two cows from each other? if you were to see two forgotten shadows, would you be able to tell them apart? the simples explanation is that, being something so different from us, nalizar sees humans as all alike because he don't know us enough to tell the difference. the rithmatists stand out to him for some reason linked to their power. You make a good point, that phenomenon does certainly exists... But I think my explanation is way more fun Com'on we frequent this forum in order to theorize and understand how the various world works, you can't just go for the simpler and mundane explanation! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king of nowhere Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 According to Occam's razor, the Checkov's gun is hanging there for purely ornamental purposes, and will never be needed. and anyway, it's likely unloaded for safety reasons. and probably not functional for not being taken care of in a long time. Yeah, Occam's razor is not a good way to predict books. But that won't stop me from using it wherever possible. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topomouse Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 (edited) Yeah, Checkov's guns should be handled very carefully, and they are often abused. But they are so much fun to play with as a reader! I usually reserve Occam's razor for real life use, but if like to use it on your books, go for it! Edited September 4, 2014 by Topomouse 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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