Drag0nR3born Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 (edited) So what are everyone's thoughts on Taravangian? I go back and forth between liking him and not liking him. I do not like his overall plan or methods but I usually like the guy when I am reading him and Dalinar interacting or when he interacted with Jasnah and Shallan in previous books. Edited December 27, 2017 by Drag0nR3born Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantlee Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 24 minutes ago, Drag0nR3born said: So what are everyone's thoughts on Taravangian? I go back and forth between liking him and not liking him. I do not like his overall plan or methods but I usually like the guy when I am reading him and Dalinar interacting or when he interacted with Jasnah and Shallan in previous books. He's one of my favorite cosmere characters. One of the things I love most about Brandon's writing is that depending on time and circumstance, many of his novels' heroes would be villains in other books, worlds, or eras (and vice versa). Kelsier and Dalinar, to name but two examples, are both essentially mass murderers who happened to become good men/align with a good cause late in their lives. Taravangian is pure, rational, logic taken to its most callous extreme. He's not evil: he simply seeks to protect those he can (which, on a tangentially related note, may literally be the fourth ideal of the Windrunners). He recognizes that Odium will destroy everything on Roshar, and beyond, if some kind of bargain isn't struck to preserve some small section of humanity. While I tend to be a pretty hopeful person and don't think I would make the same choices in his position, I can certainly understand why he's doing what he is. Furthermore, I find the ruthless Taravangian to be really funny: the "oh, kill those singing children" moment in his interlude chapter actually made me burst out laughing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calderis Posted December 28, 2017 Report Share Posted December 28, 2017 My favorite character in the Cosmere currently. I don't even know where to start. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toaster Retribution Posted December 28, 2017 Report Share Posted December 28, 2017 I like him a lot. He is interesting, and a hero, albeit one who uses horrible methods. A character like him is often more interesting than a pure good guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnshard Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 Taravangian is a well written character. Each time you see him he becomes someone else. First is a kind old king. Then he appears to be childlike as well. Then he appears to be a ruthless murderer causing chaos and war for no reason. Then he becomes a mastermind with a dark sinister plan. He changes constantly and our opinions change as well. Honestly he's one of Brandon's best written characters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inquisitor #5 Posted January 3, 2018 Report Share Posted January 3, 2018 Sympathetic to his goals, disagree on his methods, dislike his aligning with Odium. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yata Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 (edited) I don't see Mr. T and the Diagram as evil to no degree, they know the world is storming ending and decide to took every chance they have to save whatever they could. I see in a really worse light the Sons of Honor for example. I have to agree with @Calderis. The Diagram and their leader is the most interesting of the Roshar's factions, maybe the Ghostblood could take this title in the future, but for now the Diagram holds the top for me Edited January 4, 2018 by Yata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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