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

Chapter 91 (Worth Saving)
Icons: Jez and Vev–healing and windrunners. Looks like a Teft chapter.

Epigraph: Okay, this one is worth quoting. 

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If you’re reading this and wondering what went wrong–why my soul evaporated soon after being claimed by the gemstone in your knife–then I name you idiot for playing with powers you only presume to understand.

This is sure sounding like Shallan/Formless will go through with it, which is how we get access to this note. But there are a couple things that make me think it’s misleading, beyond Brandon’s penchant for doing that. First, the apparent audience of the note. It doesn’t sound like he’s addressing the Fused or Odium’s forces. It sounds like he’s addressing an assassin from another faction whose reach may or may not exceed its grasp. And why would he do that when from what we’ve read so far he doesn’t seem to suspect that involvement? Is this a lie left in place for Shallan to find after he escapes? Is this a lie given to Shallan to deliver to Mraize when she doesn’t follow through? Or is it genuine? I can’t guess yet.

***

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The honest-by-Kelek’s-own-breath truth.

That’s a new usage for that swear. Onto the list it goes! 

Teft saw Dabbid’s joy, but heard Rlain’s. Does that mean he’s also recognizing rhythms now? From familiarity or attunement? I want to know!

Wait, Teft has been in the army for thirty years? I knew he was an old veteran, but I thought that was on the order of 10-15 years, not 30. Wow.
Also, I’m proud of you for making it seven months, Teft. Good work!

What? Where did Syl go? She can’t have been lost in the fighting like Teft says, because she was with him heading into the storm. The only things that could separate them are her own choice to go a long way away for some reason (unlikely, but can’t be entirely discounted), Odium’s visions of Braize (highly likely, except shouldn’t it have worn off by now?), and her being captured in a gem (doubtful, because Raboniel would be doing stuff to her that would be evident somehow, but we saw witht he conjoined rubies that existing bonds can survive transfers, so capture wouldn’t necessarily eliminate the nahel bond with kaladin. Um, actually that may not be true, because Nergaul and Ba-Ado-Mishram are obvious counter examples. This parenthetical is getting too long, though, so that’s the end of my speculation for now.)

Hmm. The comatose Radiants had comatose spren as well, so no updates for “while you were sleeping.”

Okay, so the expectation was correct and Lift’s revival of the Radiants is temporary. That suppressor field is no joke.

Wait, Phendorana thinks he needs to go back to the location where he lost Syl, in order to wake her up again? This sounds like a contrived side quest.

Looks like Navani has had zero contact at all. That makes it tricky to coordinate a rescue, among other things.

So, no comment on what the Fused have concluded about Lift vanishing from her cell? That seems like something someone should mention.

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“I’m not giving up. I’m not broken. No more than usual.”

And isn’t that a notable coda. All these people are struggling with their own demons (or Voidbringers, as Teft said a moment ago) and I applaud Brandon for including it so organically.

Hm. Interesting note about Kaladin’s eyes reverting to dark. Not sure why that’s important, except as a guide for how to imagine things. Is there another connection we’re supposed to make about how long they've had their spren suppressed?

Huh. The Envisagers came to Teft’s village 45 years ago. That’s well before any of this new Radiant business started, and before the Sons of Honor nonsense. They were remarkably well informed and accurate in their understanding for a group that had supposedly persisted since the Recreance. Could they be a breakoff of the Skybreakers? Or perhaps they learned from the Stone Shamans but drew different conclusions?

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“You know Kelek’s own storming truth?”

Not really a variant, but I’ll stick it on the list for completeness sake at this point.

Lift needs a chull-worth of food to wake the Radiants. Is this her dream? Does she get to eat a buffet, convert an entire chull (or equivalent weight) into Stormlight to just eat and eat and eat? Living your best life, aren’t you, girl?

I agree that leaving the Radiants at the mercy of someone researching spren unmaking and anti-light is probably not a good move. I want to know what she’s planning, but not enough to want her to succeed to any degree.

Everyone agreed not to do anything rash, “even Lift and Dabbid.” Why am I suspicious?