[OB] Stormlight avalanches

[ICanDream]

When I first read the avalanche of Oathbringer, my first thought was “wow, that pretty cool” but with more fan girl screeching. But then I wondered if the avalanches have become just too insane. 

So I thought I’d start this topic. What do you guys think of the avalanches? Are they perfect? Too extreme? And what’s the best one of them? (This is only Stormlight btw, since on this forum not everyone has read Mistborn) 

 My personal favourite was the Words of Radiance ending. I mean in a hundred pages, Syl returned, they worked the Oathgate, they discovered Urithiru, Jasnah returned, the Assassin in White’s honourblade was taken, the parshendi summoned the Everstorm and Renarin was officially revealed as a radiant. Oh, and Dalinar bonded the storming stormfather!

[StormingTexan]

I thought tWoK was good but WoR was better. I liked the one in OB but it was a little overwhelming my first read through mainly the Thaylen battle. After reading it again I liked it a lot more. I still think WoR is the best of the three. My favorite Sanderson ending though is The Hero of Ages. 

[ICanDream]

Just now, StormingTexan said:

I thought tWoK was good but WoR was better. I liked the one in OB but it was a little overwhelming my first read through mainly the Thaylen battle. After reading it again I liked it a lot more. I still think WoR is the best of the three. My favorite Sanderson ending though is The Hero of Ages. 

I’ve heard lots of people say about the HoA avalanche being great, but I just... didn’t think it was satisfying really. To me it felt rushed, and I didn’t buy into the whole ending. I’m not going to specifically mention what didn’t work for me as that would be a spoiler, but yeah, to me it was overwhelming and underwhelming at once - underwhelming because I’d expected something better and overwhelming because it was so weird to me. But that’s just my opinion.

 

[Nymeros]

I dont thinks its become too much. Dalinar was a perfect centerpiece with his struggle to uderstand his journey and speak the words combined with the light of his power bringing the heroes together.

My favorite Avalanche is actually the Elantris avalanche...it was awesome.

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Nymeros

[Melovespie]

I would agree that the avanlaches in general are great. I think the best thing about them is that so much happens you don't feel too bad about not getting the next book for a few years. You get more story development in the last 200 pages of a SA book than you do in entire volumes from other authors. I think my OB and WoR had equally good avalanches. Elantris also was pretty great, although I feel like WB might be my favourite. I think the way everything resolved was just so satisfying. Not necessarily unexpected, and maybe that is why I found it satisfying....

[Song]

I think OB is my favourite, it was insane but there were probably 5 events that are fighting for the highpoint of the book.

I did love the Tower though, the symmetry of seeing the fight from Bridge 4 and Adolin's and Dalinar's point of view was so beautifully written.

[Yezrien]

I think the avalanche is the best part of a Brandon novel, and he's getting better and better at crafting them. When I felt it starting near the end of Oathbringer, I got chills. I could feel little anticipationspren in the air, and in this ream they look like C3P0 saying "here we go again!'

[aemetha]

I enjoyed all the avalanches. There is one I enjoyed more than all the others though.

Quote

Destroy! Nightblood's voice boomed in his head. The evil must be destroyed!

 

[Cephandrius]

I'm going to be honest, I thought "Stormlight Avalanche" was a metaphor for highstorm.   That said, I agree that oathbringer's avalanche was overwhelming, mostly because there were two:  Kholinar and Thaylen City.  I knew there were hundreds of pages left during the Kholinar battle, but I was so convinced they would take back the city it really felt like the end was near.  Even after Elhokar's death, I kept thinking things would turn around on the next page. 

My favorite avalanche in other books is really Hero of ages.  Even though in hindsight the quotes above each chapter (epigraphs?  is that the word?) were clearly written by sazed, I was so convinced early on that it was all written by Elend underground with the world ending around him that I ended up ignoring the ones about power manifesting as mist, partially because I was too hooked on finding out what was going to happen next to think about it.

[MistLord]

I actually liked how small scale the avalanche was in Way of Kings. Every other Avalanche was of world-shattering importance and influence, and whilst the same could be said here, it was pretty much completely confined to the Tower, with a small detour to Sadeas' warcamp. 

Just remembering Dalinar giving up his Shardblade gives me chills. 

[TheBrian]

On 12/14/2017 at 4:32 PM, ICanDream said:

What do you guys think of the avalanches? Are they perfect? Too extreme? And what’s the best one of them?

The major elements of Sanderson's writing style are cool magic systems and epic finales.  So while I can't guarantee this will generalize for most of his readers, I in part choose to read his books because of the avalanches.  They really can't get too extreme for me so long as they are done well.  (Side note:  it drives me crazy that Syl altered her speech patterns when Kaladin leveled up in WoR.  Seriously, "stretch for thy hand"???  I have to mentally edit that out every time I reread.)

Choosing a personal favorite from the Stormlight Archive is challenging.  The WoK finale was pretty much perfect with regards to Kaladin's story.  WoR was a little flawed because it felt like we retread some of the same ground with Kaladin, but the avalanche was broader because it fully included more characters -- Shallan, Dalinar, and Adolin were on great display.  So the first two are tied in my estimation.  Oathbringer wins top billing, but I'm not sure how much of that is new car smell.  On rereading the climactic chapters, I noticed that I have to do more pages to really get the epic feel of the avalanche.  The passages feel a little lacking in isolation, but then become much more resonant when they are fully in context.  That may sound like an obvious observation, but the same is not true of the previous books.  I can flip to the scene where Kaladin gets his blade and BOOM.  But reading Dalinar's crowning moment of awesomeness is weaker unless I go back to see the man run to defend a breech in the wall with his only weapon a book that he can't even read.  The threads of various viewpoints seem to have been more deftly woven in Oathbringer.  Brandon continues to improve in his craft with every book.  I imagine my answer to this question in two years will be the book #4 avalanche.

[MonsterMetroid]

On 12/14/2017 at 2:32 PM, ICanDream said:

What do you guys think of the avalanches? Are they perfect? Too extreme? And what’s the best one of them?

I guess this is the first time I've heard of the term and from context I think I get the general jist but I need to ask anyways.

What is an Avalanche?

[ICanDream]

4 minutes ago, MonsterMetroid said:

I guess this is the first time I've heard of the term and from context I think I get the general jist but I need to ask anyways.

What is an Avalanche?

The avalanche is the climax to a Brandon Sanderson book, when all threads come together, and there is usually a climactic battle. They’re pretty awesome.

Also this was a quick reply from me! Whoop!

[Hulaine]

8 hours ago, TheBrian said:

 Seriously, "stretch for thy hand"???  I have to mentally edit that out every time I reread.)

At least I'm not the only one!

It's a tough one because they're all so well crafted - I think WoK would take the top spot for me just because I remember reading the characters PoVs, thinking "when will Dalinar and Kaladin finally meet?"  while feeling like there were so many missed opportunities for them to, then when it finally happened thinking "oh wow, that was better than I could have ever imagined!". OB would be a close second though.

If it counts though, the whole of Memory of Light was the most impressive avalanche ever, of all time, but that was the last 10% of a series rather than just one book, and it was a joint effort with him and Robert Jordan, so...!

[Varenus]

Avalanches for Stormlight should be called "Sanderson Storm Surges"; abbreviated SSS, triple S, or S cubed. It's a pun and an alliteration.

[Awesomness]

I easily spent around 3 hours reading the avalanche so yes, it was crazy...

[Guest Edonidd]

Is this serious?

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/climax

They teach you in about 3rd grade that the high point of a story is called the climax.  It's specifically pointed out in the very definition of the word that in literary terms it is the point where all the various plot points come together, the most intense point,the decisive moment. 

Plus anyone old enough to read this book is probably also old enough to realize climaxes are much more satisfying than avalanches anyways.

[Greywatch]

2 minutes ago, Edonidd said:

Is this serious?

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/climax

They teach you in about 3rd grade that the high point of a story is called the climax.  It's specifically pointed out in the very definition of the word that in literary terms it is the point where all the various plot points come together, the most intense point,the decisive moment. 

Plus anyone old enough to read this book is probably also old enough to realize climaxes are much more satisfying than avalanches anyways.

The ends of Sanderson's novels have been called avalanches, or Sanderlanches, for a good few years now. That fanlingo prrrrobably won't be changing any time soon.

[Steeldancer]

4 minutes ago, Edonidd said:

Is this serious?

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/climax

They teach you in about 3rd grade that the high point of a story is called the climax.  It's specifically pointed out in the very definition of the word that in literary terms it is the point where all the various plot points come together, the most intense point,the decisive moment. 

Plus anyone old enough to read this book is probably also old enough to realize climaxes are much more satisfying than avalanches anyways.

um. the avalanche IS the climax. Or the super intense build to the climax. and I LOVE IT. It's like a rock rolling down a hill, it just doesn't stop or slow down. 

[A Dopey Spren]

When Kaladin jumped into the arena to save Adolin... I had such goosebumps and I instantly reread it, not believing it'd happened. Thinking about it makes me excited!

[Oberyn]

My favorites were probably the avalanches in words of radiance and warbreaker. I didn't like some of the povs, felt something disconnected, and not in the cinema fast scenes quality that the avalanches have. 

I didn't like Szeths part in it, I was annoyed in general by him being there. Guess I don't fully understand his motivation regarding Dalinar. Also found Kaladin with Amaran very awkward although the ending with Rock was satisfying. 

I loved the beginning of the Renarin part but felt something less epic with Adolin, which I prefer to feel outside the battle in the avalanches.

That said I loved Dalinar there, likely the most epic, interesting POV from an ending yet. Jasnah was also a god.

I guess that results in a more uncontrollable, wild avalanche, with some loose knoots. This one wasn't necessarily bad or too much, but not for my taste.