Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.

Chapter 10 (A Single Casualty)
Well, that’s an ominous title. Who’s gonna bite it in this chapter?

Epigraph: Tin cage in this case is operating in its opposition to pewter, as a diminishing effect, rather than anything related to its allomantic or feruchemic properties. The next bit is also significant: 

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advanced designs of cages can use both steel and iron as well, changing the fabrial’s polarity depending on which metals are pushed to touch the gemstone.

This is making it sound much more complex with factors such as cage shape and contact points available to influence the outcome. This feels very much like early steps toward a computer-level fabrial device, similar to the sort of developments Brandon has foreshadowed for the Era 3 and Era 4 Scadrians.

(Complete aside--do we get to use collective nouns for the various shardworld peoples in the cosmere? Because I really want to see characters talk about scads of Scadrians.)

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I’ve spoken to Yunfah again, Syl said in his mind. He’s here on the Plains. I think he wants to talk to you.

Who’s this guy? The one available honorspren that hasn’t accepted a bond yet? That’s my guess. What’s he doing hanging out on the Plains when the rest of the Windrunner contingent seem to be spending their time at Urithiru or various battlefields?

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There was a specific shade to [Syl], as familiar to him as his own face.

I feel like this is a lost opportunity. Why couldn’t Kaladin have said this aloud so that Lopen or Teft could rib him about how unfortunate it was that he had to be familiar with that particular ugly face, while another member of Bridge Four says “why are you complaining? We’re the ones that have to look at it.” I’m just going to pretend this is a conversation that already happened sometime in the time skip.

Yunfah is mad that Rlain is a supposed Windrunner candidate. I didn’t really think about that. We (the fans) have been rooting for Rlain to become the first listener Radiant since book 2, at least, but I hadn’t considered that the spren wouldn’t be on board with it. Makes sense, of course, but it’s an obstacle that I didn’t account for.

I do like that Syl has to translate or relay messages from the other spren. When Yunfah first arrived I sort of expected him to just talk to Kal as the head of the Windrunners, which would have cheapened the importance of the nahel bond.

Oh, wait. It says that she’s “acting as intermediary since the sound of the rushing wind was fairly loud.” So normally he could have just talked to Kal, if it were quite enough. Hmm. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how that is portrayed.

At Syl’s advice, Kal just ordered Yunfah to try bonding with Rlain first. I really don’t know how I feel about that. Obviously Rlain deserves it, but he also deserves a companion who chooses him willingly.

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A wall to the east—easily six feet wide at its foot—was being built, low and squat, against the storms. A thinner wall wrapped the rest of the plateau, and lightning rods helped protect from the Everstorm.

Interesting to see the ways that people are adapting to the dual storms. They still need the primary wall to the East, but the weaker Everstorm requires a bulwark as well. I’m more intrigued by the idea that lightning rods are protective against the Everstorm. Does Odium not ride the storm any more? I recall reports of unnaturally accurate lightning strikes when the Everstorm first emerged. That sort of magical aim isn’t something I would expect to be thrown off by mundane countermeasures.

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The engineers had scraped away most of the old Parshendi buildings, preserving only the most ancient of the ruins for study. 

I feel very stupid for not realizing that Narak (you know, the place with the functioning Oathgate that is in near-constant use?) was the new center of commerce etc. at the Shattered Plains. Having Shallan’s recent infiltration taking place in the old Sadeas warcamp threw me off. Why didn’t Ialai relocate? Was it really just fear of the Ghostbloods? She was trying to stay in the fortifications she knew?

According to Kaladin, Ash “dabbles” in delusion now and then. I’m not sure that’s the right word, Kal.

The “showmanship” to display Dalinar’s new ability to read is interesting. Not particularly surprising, but definitely a move I wasn’t expecting. 

The politics have shifted. Dalinar is king of Urithiru, with no authority over other nations. No more highking business. (Still looking forward to seeing Jasnah as queen of Alethkar. Especially with the fact that most of that nation has been captured and occupied by the singers.)

Dalinar: Flying is essential, so we need more Windrunners. More honorspren.
Me: No, you need to convert the Skybreakers. Readymade flying army right there.
Not that changing Nale’s mind will work, but Szeth might have a chance of swaying others among that group. (No, Szeth’s charisma is not his best stat. We might need to work on that.)

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“It’s time that I relieved you of duty, son. I’m sorry.”

Gasp. You are going to take Kaladin out of his role? Try to have him set down responsibility? That’s not really something he knows how to do. I am thrilled at this change/challenge for his character, but I have no idea how he will be able to move past it.

Then again, it could be exactly the push he needs to be able to accept his fourth ideal about not being able to protect everyone. Seems like we’ve got the work of this book laid out for us.

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“How does it seem?” Dalinar asked. “Diagnose yourself, Kaladin. Tell me what you see.”

Harsh. That’s probably the only way to get through to him, though.

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“Why am I different?”
“Because you don’t throw us away!” Kaladin shouted. “Because you… Because…”
Because you care about your men.
Kaladin deflated. He suddenly felt small. A child standing before a stern parent. 

And just like that Kaladin destroys his own argument. This whole exchange is just gold. Plus there’s the whole daddy issues bit at the end--Kaladin has disappointed Dadlinar just like he disappointed Lirin...so maybe it’s time to go repair the actual familial relationship and spend time with Oroden. Just a thought.

Oh. Kaladin just told himself that he’ll never be ready for the fourth ideal, that he’s going to stop at three. I don’t believe him (we do have seven books left, and we know he’s a continuing character in the back five) but it hurts to see him give up and accept this as his limit.

I would be a lot more inclined to cheer for Kaladin’s retirement from the front lines if it weren’t for the fact that just a few hours ago Moash told him that all of his friends were going to die. He will struggle even more with seeing them leave and fail to return, with those words ringing in his head.

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“God Beyond willing…”

I’m pretty sure that this is the first instance of a native Rosharan swearing by the God Beyond. I’m curious whether this is an outgrowth of Dalinar’s anomalous visions where he sensed something beyond Honor, and he arrived at it independently, or if he has borrowed the terminology from the various worldhoppers or other cosmere-aware individuals gallivanting about.

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“Sir,” Kaladin said. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to take a post training other Radiants. Being with the Windrunners, sending them off to die without me… well, sir, it would rip me apart. I don’t think I could see them fly, and not join them.”

 

At least Kaladin is aware enough to head off that disaster before it happens.

Dalinar giving Kaladin ten days to decide his next assignment is a nice parallel to the deadline Kal gave Yunfah at the beginning.

I appreciate the way Kaladin is marked as the casualty of the chapter title, but that final sentence is a little too blatant for me. I feel like we would have figured that out. Well, at least anyone who reads the chapter titles would have. I’ve skipped those in the past, so maybe it’s not too much.