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  1. Well guys – we’ve just kept on rolling in our house. To be completely honest, I think that we’ve kept listening to the books together mainly because Tay slipped a disc in her back and so walking upstairs to our TV has been a bit of a mission, so staying downstairs and listening to Oathbringer has been a much less painful experience for her. SO! We decided to skip Soilencourager for the time being, just because Tay wanted more Kaladin/Dalinar/Shallan action – but mainly she found out that Pattern wasn’t in the novella and wasn’t super interested in it. So! Without further ado, I present to you Tay’s reactions to Oath…breaker! -- One of the first reactions she had was to question – “Why did the Parshendi use Szeth to kill Gavilar? They just happened to have a super-skilled assassin who could be a Surgebinder tagging along with them to the treaty meetings?” I was similarly perplexed. In Eshonai’s prologue perspective, she mentions Klade or another one of the Listener leaders being drawn to Szeth by a voice – are we all in agreement that this is Odium influencing the Listeners to Szeth to make sure that this budding future Bondsmith is killed? Or are there other theories as to why Szeth just happened to be around to be used by the Listeners to kill Gavilar? -- To test Tay’s understanding of the books the farther along we go, I asked her to describe what spren are. TAY: Okay Chris. I’m pretty connected to the matrix. I can tell you what spren are. A spren is a cute magical thing that appears out of nowhere and helps you. Like a stray puppy. It’s important to recognize, however, that when they’re cute magical beings they are sometimes gods. Or storms. Or lamps. ME: Lamps? TAY: Yeah, lamps. Like Navani traps them in things and makes them do stuff. Like be lamps. They also come from the magical bead place. ME: What’s that place called? TAY: Sssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh…adesmar? ME: Yes! TAY: Oh good. I really wanted to say “Shallandavar”. -- *After I mentioned some of the Radiant orders* TAY: Willshapers? Is that what they call a conveyancing attorney? Help you dissolve your estate? Ha! -- *Kaladin is on his way to Hearthstone* TAY: Press pause. There’s something I have to do. ME: *presses pause* TAY: *sings the entire song of “My Hometown” off of Bruce Springsteen’s classic 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. while imitating Bruce’s singing voice* -- Not really a specific quote, but when the “No Mating” scene showed up, Tay lost it. She is starting to feel feelings for Pattern usually only reserved for our cats and is now referring to Pattern as ‘my baby’. She loved when Shallan says something along the lines of “Well if you love Adolin so much why don’t you marry him?” and Pattern asks if that’s possible. I think she now likes Adolin enough that she’s fine if Pattern ditches Shallan to bond with Adolin. -- Just a point that we both loved: the scene where Adolin and Shallan practice with their Blades and Shallan just loves doing a thing that Adolin is obviously thrilled about. We realized that being with a person while they’re in their element (even if you don’t necessarily like it) is an important part of love, and something that just makes the relationship that much more special. For me, apparently, it’s whenever I get into some deep rugby analysis or I’m explaining an exciting historical event in great detail. Tay realized that this is why so many of her students love her while her colleagues think she’s just decent – her students are seeing her get animated and gushing about The Great Gatsby or Ulysses or A Thousand Splendid Suns while her colleagues are only getting to know her through faculty meetings and such. Really fun realization through this scene! -- She also kind of wants to use Dalinar’s takama belt anecdote in her classes now, but can’t quite figure out where to fit it. -- TAY: Elhokar? Aladar? Gavilar? Dalinar? Kalanor? Revolar? Mrazie, Graves, and Rayse? Why are all these names so similar?! Can’t the leader of the Ghostbloods just be named “Steve”? -- She got actual chills down her spine when Dalinar realized he heard Evi’s name. -- *Hears Urithiru named* TAY: Kind of sounds like ‘urethra’ and I can’t unhear it. -- *Taravangian and Dalinar talking about Nohadon’s dilemma in The Way of Kings* TAY: Taravangian, you’re heavy metal and I am here for it. Kill them all. -- *I point out that many names in Vorin society are palindromic* TAY: Hahaha. Brightlord Tacocat. -- *Tay is upset that Re-Shephir is not killed by Shallan* ME: Well she fled further into the mountain so she’s not a problem any more. TAY: Not a problem!? She’s still a problem! I’d be even more paranoid living in this place now. It’s like if we had confirmation that there were deadly toxic mushrooms in our house but we don’t know where they are. Would you call that ‘not a problem’? -- To finish things off: I’m quizzing Tay before each post to name the Orders of Radiants. Here’s how she did: TAY: Lightweavers. Windrunners. Bondsmiths. Oathbringers. Edgedancers. Skywalkers. Waterdancers. Oathbreakers. Windrunners. Light… weavers. Have I done that already? Dammit. -- That’s all for now folks! Crem before cremlings.
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  2. To me I see this as a necessary shock to Kaladin's character, he's overdue for soul searching. Mostly, I don't think Kaladin was ever really cut out to be a soldier. He's talented at fighting, but that alone doesn't a soldier make. He mostly just latched onto the role of soldier and bodyguard to Dalinar as a role to give his life focus. Now he can actually start asking himself the important questions about what he really wants to do with his life, and how he can best help himself and others. Kaladin's real purpose is to be a leader. He gives hope to the hopeless, a sense of meaning to the lost, and looks out for the most vulnerable in the group. He helps others shine. It's important to remember what drew Sylphrena to Kaladin in the first place was how he protected his squad in Amaram's army. Not just physically protected, but gave them a sense of purpose and belonging. And that's what he's done to so many other hopeless souls along the way. Various Alethi slaves, all the original Bridge 4, Rlain, Renarin, the parshmen group at the start of Oathbringer etc. Kal is at his best when he's guiding and leading others, so in a way it's a blessing that Dalinar is forcing him to leave the front line fighting.
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  3. Hello! I am a big fan of all things Brando Sando. I have read Stormlight, (and I am reading RoW preview chapters) Mistborn, Warbreaker, the Rithmatist, and Wheel of Time. I l one fantasy, as you can see. My favorite characters in all of Brandon's books are Kaladin, Szeth, and Hoid. Who are your favorites?
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  4. Sorry I haven't been active that much. I've been taking a break, my mental health isn't exactly where it should be at the moment, it's not great. I'll still come here occasionally, but I haven't been doing so well. Anyway, yeah. Bye for now.
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  5. There is too much discussion of Brandon's intention or literary tropes or the hero's journey for my taste. Let us trust in Brandon in that everything will explain out of the story itself.
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  6. From a literary-tropes perspective, I think Kaladin saying out loud (or thinking out loud, to the reader) "I think I'll never swear the fourth oath" makes it much more likely that, later in this same book, he'll find a way to swear the fourth oath. ...for me, this chapter was more of a "phew, that wasn't as bad as it could have been" chapter. Because I can see how horrible Kaladin feels... ...but I was scared that he'd be benched after freezing and watching someone from Bridge 4 die because of it. So if Dalinar catches his issues in time to take him off the field before that, well, it sucks but it's better than the alternative.
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  7. As amusing as Kaladin being ambassador to the Azish would be, I think there's an assignment that plays directly into his arc, and in fact he is probably the best equipped of any character for: ... Ambassador to the Singers.
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  8. This chapter forced a (for me) new idea of the fourth ideal into my mind: "I will protect myself - so I can continue to protect others" And now...back to work.
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  9. The trailer for Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune is here, and I must say, it looks phenomenal. Enjoy!
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  10. Chapter 10 hit me like I a storming boulder. I know how Kaladin feels, being told he can't serve anymore. Being lied to that his work will be just as important. Most of all I have the same fear as Kaladin, what if he never swears the next oath?
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  11. "May the force be...." Nerd: "....equal to the mass times acceleration." Geek: "....with you."
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  12. After wandering Nath's mind for a while, Queen realized something odd. She could sense some emotions, but they were all negative. Where was his happiness? Joy? Love? Trust? Peace? There was only fear, confusion, hatred, and weakness. This must be the problem. How do I retrieve emotions? Queen found a sort of irony in that, while a lack of emotion was the reason for Nath's problems, an overload of emotions was hers. In a flash of realization, Queen suddenly had her Plan A. If it didn't work, she'd find something else, but it was all she could think of. She needed to let out her feelings, while Nath needed more feelings. Perhaps there was a way to balance it out. She found the area in Nath's mind where the emotions were supposed to come from and settled in a comfortable position, both mentally and physically. She blocked herself off from all exterior senses, removing herself from her physical body, which stayed still, sat upon a rock near Nath. Queen first reached into her own mind, removing all walls, barriers, and protections, leaving herself completely exposed, and, as she wasn't really there physically, she would receive no notice if troubles came, but she trusted that Fadran would be able to communicate with her if necessary. Queen sorted through her thoughts and emotions, a jumbled mess of confusion. It was odd, when she was alone and broken after Journey's death, her emotions were so simple and easy to deal with, yet she was cracked and fractured. Now, she was as complete as she had ever been, but her feelings were so complex that she felt she never could identify what she was feeling. She found the darker, negative emotions and set them aside. Nath already had plenty of those, he didn't need hers, too. He didn't need to feel her embarrassment, pain, or sadness, so she tucked them into the corners of her own mind, though not without properly sorting through them first. Yes, she was focused on helping Nathrangking, but that didn't mean she wouldn't do what she could to help herself, as well. Embarrassment; she knew where that came from, but she realized that, not only was she embarrassed that Fadran saw her thoughts, she was embarrassed about the way she handled it. Pain was a bit harder to identify the source of; there were many instances she could think of that would leave her with this. She didn't have much physical pain, just the normal aches and bruises, so that wasn't it. Emotional pain on the other hand...that was something she had an abundance of. The majority of it was still from Journey's death, though there was also plenty from seeing the others suffer. That was why she had trained in medicine; she wanted to be able to help ease the pain she felt when seeing others in pain. A selfish reason, but at the same time, extraordinarily selfless. Her sadness was the hardest to find the source of. She was sad about Journey's death, about the pain of her friends, but she had already clearly sorted those into her pain category. With a jolt, she realized that the cause of her sadness was the fact that Fadran almost certainly knew her feelings for him, but she was still completely in the dark about him. When he spoke to her mentally most recently, he had said that she would always be his friend, but that didn't necessarily mean that that was all...right? Having sorted those emotions, she was ready to move on to the happier, yet more difficult, emotions. Yet another contradiction. Happiness, joy, love, peace, trust...where to begin? Might as well deal with the hardest one first, she thought, delving into the most contradicting emotion of all: Love. The source of pain, concern, and confusion, yet, without it, where would she be? Safe, yet bored. Alone. She couldn't do that again, and that outweighed the negative consequences of allowing oneself to love. Many people had earned her love throughout the course of her life; her parents, her little sister, Tchanta, Journey, and, of course, her friends in this group, including Fadran. Especially Fadran. Queen shook her head, trying to sort out her confusion. She still loved Journey; though he was gone, her feelings for him were not. They hadn't changed or diminished at all. So, how could she allow herself to love Fadran? Yes, she had loved others while she loved Journey before, but that was the love of friendship, family, and trust. Not...whatever this was. Could she even call it love? The same kind of love she had for Journey? Or was it still the same love as the others? Perhaps it was equivalent to the crushes she had had as a young girl. But...no. Her feelings for Fadran were much more than that, yet it was still so different from what she felt for Journey. Not lesser, just...different. Different from anything else, but it was still definitely love. Queen didn't feel like she had really figured out that emotion, but she was much closer than she had been before. She was easily able to sort through the rest of her positive emotions, but she still felt overwhelmed by them. Taking a deep breath, she somehow opened her mind up even more than before. Nath would have been able to faintly sense her before, but now she poured herself into his mind. All of her strong positive feelings flooded from her, sending her experiences of love, joy, and trust into Nath's emotion "chamber." With a jolt, Queen realized that this meant that Nath knew everything she felt. The oddest part was, she didn't care. She had unconsciously known that sharing her emotions with Nath would also mean sharing her private thoughts and opinions with him, and she was fine with it. She trusted Nath and knew that he would keep it to himself, that it could be their shared knowledge. Besides, it was the only way Queen knew to try to help him. The emotions bled back, in part, to Queen's own mind. They were simpler, more manageable, yet somehow still just as strong. Like...she had been carrying a large pile of rocks, then gave it to someone else, after which she had picked up just as many rocks, yet it was easier to carry, knowing that someone had the same amount as her to carry. Feeling better about both her own and Nath's futures, Queen returned to her physical self. She uncrossed her legs, leaned back, closing her eyes against the sun, and smiled a peaceful, joyful smile.
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  13. The Push/Pull thing was based on the bronze-pulsing. Pewter's pulses seem to beat against the Seeker burning, while Tin's seem to pull on the Seeker. Page 336 on my copy, where Marsh is training Vin in bronze:
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  14. Speaking of heroic story formulas, where is Hoid when you really need him? shouldn’t the universe tell him to head to Urithiru stat and ply some of his patented parabolic prose therapy at a perpetually petulant Protagonist? sorry for letting the alliteration run away with me.
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  15. So Luke is also a radiant now, not only a Jedi? Well, I guess this to resemble each other anyway. Lightsabers and shardblades act similarly - except for the fact ligghtsabers cut your body, not your soul.
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  16. We're only 10 chapters in Brando! Quit making me cry!!! But actually though. I did think that Kaladin needed to find some way to take a break but man is it hard to read it. I reallly do appreciate Dalinar in how he presented the situation to Kaladin, and he pulled him out before him possibly freezing and one of Bridge Four dying as a result. The "you're supposed to be better than the others" "why?" "because..." Because you care about your men." was as really powerful interaction.
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  17. I assume Syl+scalpel (like Sylspear)
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  18. Fadran enters Nathrangking's mind. It is ruined--broken. Like a battlefield, with weapons and flags strewn about, the wind picking up to pelter any unfortunate enough to remain alive with dust and smoke. Empty. "What happened to you, Nath?" Fadran asks, looking around Nathrangking's ruined mind. "What happened?" Fadran relives Nath's memories, finding whatever impressed upon Nath's Spirit to remanifest itself. For a time... Fadran became one with Nathrangking. "Winter... I told you that we were not done. Let her go. I am who you desire most." Nathrangking looks to Fox. "I told you I would be here for you, Fox." Fox gasped. "N...Nath?" "I told you, Fox... I am not going anywhere." He turns his attention to Winter and Autumn. "You must be of the darkness that has plagued Fox. Begone, your power is broken." Winter glared at Nathrangking. "Hm... I suppose I agree with this invader. But I advise all of you to leave as soon as possible. I'm looking forward to spilling some blood today." "I think I'll take you up on that..." The Fox tries to pull away from Winter's iron grip. "Let her leave Winter. Let them all leave. What can they give you that I cannot? I will stay if you let them go to the place of their choosing and you never do anything to them again." Nath turns back to Fox. "Fox when you go, leave your demons behind. I would have been here sooner, but I had demons of my own to exorcise. You alone can defeat them. You are a survivor. You have made it. You control your past it does not control you. It will whisper lies into your ears. It will tell you that you deserve to suffer and that you are weak. It promises to save you if you give in. It can say nothing else for you have survived it and moved beyond it. Desperation makes it speak these words. There is no other way for it to gain control. It took me until now to realize this." "Wait, Nath, no!" Fox protested. "No, you can't give yourself up. Not since... since Alice died... one demon or another has always been in control. There isn't much for me to live for any longer. No one loves me... and I don't love anyone! You're so powerful, and honorable--they need you!" Her voice shakes. "They don't need me." Nath takes a step closer to her, a well of emotion springing up. "I believed as you do now for eleven thousand years, Fox. I failed so many people--so many more than I helped. I ran from this demon... his shadow holding me in a suffocating embrace. I could never escape him. I would close my eyes, and there he was; accusing me. I sealed myself away so that I could escape him and never fail anyone ever again. It did not help. It made things so much worse. I thought that I deserved to suffer, and so I did. How could I ever move beyond this? Alone I could not." A tear fell onto the ground. "As I battled it in this place, I was not alone. You were there Fox. You were there, they were there... Even though my battle was doomed from the start, I fought and fought... and now I can live knowing that the demon exists, but has no more power over me. You are not alone. You are not unloved. You have them and you have me." There was silence, until Winter sighed. "Ah, I gave you all a chance, but apparently you don't value your lives." Winter turned to Fox. "Fox: take your knife. Kill him." Fox gasped, taking a step back away from Winter. "Wh...what?" "Kill the one who calls the wind. He is vulnerable; do it now! He tries to speak to you of love, but he himself has never truly felt it; that is why he deserves to die." Her conflict... Nath could feel it, vibrating through the Mindscapes. Could it be possible that, in such a short amount of time, she had actually come to care for him? Had he done something right, for once? The Fox's eyes flickered back and forth between Winter and Nath. "But... he came." She whispered, "Even if he has made himself vulnerable, he speaks from his heart. He risked himself to help me. He didn't abandon me, like... like everyone else..." Her eyes locked on to his. "He has given me strength." "Do it!" Winter yelled. "Make the choice, Fox, or I'll do it myself." "I... I don't know!" Fox protests, voice choked. "I'm so confused, and, and..." Nath had nothing to say. He only watched with as much love and devotion as he felt. If it was his time to die, then he would have it no other way than by the hand of a friend. Fox stepped towards Nathrangking. "Please forgive me," she whispered, "I'm... I'm so, so sorry, Nath." Nath closed his eyes, and a cry of pain resounded through the air. It wasn't his. Nathrangking opened his eyes in shock and surprise, then cried out as Fox collapsed onto herself. He caught her as she fell, blood seeping onto his fingers from the knife that she had rammed into her stomach. "Fox!" He yelled. "FOX!" "Why?" Winter asked, enraged. "Why, you idiot?" "Don't you dare!" Nathrangking says to Winter. "Don't you dare insult her!" Winter ignored Nathrangking. He was suddenly by Fox's side, removing the knife that still resided in her stomach. Fox cried out in pain; a sound that pulled at Nathrangking's soul and threatened to drive him mad. Fox looked up, laughing lightly. "You... you came back for me." "I did." Nath whispered, but at the same time, Winter spoke. "That's right, Fox. Now come, let's leave this demon before he can hurt you further." "Wait!" Nath cried. But they were already gone. Fadran found himself back in the empty expanse of what was once Nathrangking's vast and mighty Mindscape. There was more to be seen... but it would take time to find. I need to share this with someone. Fadran thinks to himself. Someone I can trust... and someone who can try to help Nath by knowing what happened to him. In other words, there was really only one person. Spirit Bond forged and connection put in place, Fadran began relaying what he had just seen--experienced--to Queen. @Scarletfox @DramaQueen
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  19. As someone with depression, oddly enough these preview chapters aren't hitting me as hard as previous Kaladin sections have. I guess it's all a matter of individual variances and life experiences. I read these chapters as being at the end of a depressive experience, where things are about to get better. The chapters that hit me the hardest are where Kal can feel himself slowly worsening and sinking into a depressive episode. WoK part 1, WoR when Syl was mostly dead, OB in Shadesmar are big examples. I guess from my perspective its more important where I feel the depressive cycle is moving rather than where it currently is.
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  20. Yay! Good for you! OMG guys I just got my cast off it’s been three weeks! Let’s goooooooooooo! Woohoo! Oh yeah!
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  21. It's basically like a videogame level. the people in the visions react realisitcally, for the most part, but there are limits, and the visions themselves will always try to raliroad him along to the point they want him to get and/or the thing they want him to see.
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  22. Let’s face is, Kaladin was a character written for greatness. He has depression, PTSD....but he does pull himself up to challenges and conquers them. He has many difficult struggles but those don’t solely define him. He is an amazing soldier and leader. He is extremely intelligent. Sanderson killed Jezrien for a reason and though Kaladin was dismissed from his position by Dalinar he will pull himself out and land somewhere far greater and more comfortable to him than high marshal. I think Patron of the windrunners would be a very fitting place for him.
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  23. I think that we feel like all Kal is doing is staying stagnant and that Shallan is being "Shallan" because this is the end of the transition time in the book, and we're really over-analyzing because we get ONE chapter a week! If we had the whole book, it would move much faster and the pace would work even better. So let's not get too wrapped up in that...how often do you ever read a book (let alone one that moves at a Sando pace!) one chapter a week? So deep breaths, all. :-) I also think that Syl and Kal might not be the best envoys to Lasting Integrity. They aren't exactly good diplomats--Kal is not good at playing that game. You saw him on the ship in Shadesmar with Notum. He was short tempered, demanding, and threatening. He's impatient and honorable to a fault...not exactly good at negotiating. ;-) and Syl has a...reputation. I also concur with some others that Kal probably needs more careful monitoring. He contemplated suicide when faced with Moash and the last trip to Shadesmar surely hasn't left him with positive memories. For me, I think it'll be interaction with Lirin. The same interactions he remembers as a boy, and then seeing how his father navigates the world so differently than he does, but with the clarity of adulthood and experience. I'm thinking that what leads to the 4th ideal might be an attack on Urithiru where his father sacrifices himself, tells Kal he's going to do it, and Kal has to let him go. That some people don't want to be protected, and you can't save them all. That, or it's a clash with Moash that attack and he has to fight his former best friend and acknowledge that he can't protect them all that way. Anyhow, just my speculation.
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  24. Kaladin's depression is really hard to read, but Brandon's also taking him in a different direction this book which is super interesting and refreshing... like, we've never had to see Kaladin in a position where he can... be relatively close to normalcy or outside of combat/war for a while. I think this will help his depression a lot! I've mentioned it before in the thread for the last chapter, but Kaladin's had unresolved issues since TWOK, and has clear issues about his self-worth (as in, he thinks being able to fight is the only thing he's got going for him. which... kal, no....) which he might be finally able to actually deal with, when he was just brushing them off or using objectives/his duties to ignore before. So... I know this is tough. His depression is emotionally draining for me too just because of how much I sympathize with and love Kaladin. But I really think this will be worth it in the end and that Brandon is writing him at the lowest we've seen Kaladin yet for a reason, and I don't think readers should give up yet.
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  25. Anyone in literally any Lift chapter:
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  26. I wonder if the Heavenly Ones' "duel-istic" approach to fighting the Windrunners will change once Leshwi realizes Kaladin is no longer coming to battle. She appears to be their leader in a similar way to Kaladin leading the Windrunners, and surely she knows about Kaladin's history and relationship to Moash/Vyre; what if she views the way they've been fighting as a kind of personal extension of a struggle with Kaladin, on multiple levels? And with no Kaladin... It becomes warfare as usual, where as Kaladin noted they are actually outnumbered as well as out-resourced for replacement time in an all-out Heavenly Ones vs. Windrunners type of scenario? Yes, and no. Remember he also berated and commanded Bridge Four back in the chasms to get over "Shen" being a parshman, and to accept him as a full and equal member. This is similar... Of course, giving commands "as your highmarshal" to a spren seemed a little odd, but it was based on Syl's suggestion that "honorspren respect rank and look to you for authority", so I guess that's what Kaladin sounds like on the rare occasion that he actually does pull rank. As far as spren being "commanded" to bond with a specific person not of their personal choice, we have seen that before with another order - Wyndle said several times early on how he wished "the Ring" hadn't matched him up with Lyft, who kept calling him a Voidbringer and all that. But ultimately it's surely up to the individual spren to do the actual bonding.
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  27. haha wherein the Windrunners discover lift and dismiss it as an inconvenience to their gravity negating powers.
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  28. From the album: House Kholin Zine

    The image decided to hate me so it's sideways (if I care enough I might go change it later) Edit: ok it's not letting me change it so suffer I guess Anyway children are hard to draw.
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  29. I often find myself with a story or anecdote that I want need to tell someone, but no one will take the time to listen. So I end up posting it randomly on whatever thread I happen to be on at the time. I finally decided that a thread dedicated to this kind of story-telling is long overdue. If something happy, sad, funny, serious, or whatever happens to you, and you want to tell someone, this is the place to do it! Just make sure that whatever it is is appropriate and inside the Shard guidlines. I will start off with something that happened to me this morning: My life has been rather crazy for the last few months, at least comparatively. I have finally been getting into the groove of spontaneousness the last few weeks, so when the workers came in to tear down our kitchen, I wasn't surprised. When a mountain lion wandered into our town and ate half our chickens, I wasn't surprised. And this morning, when, well, I won't spoil it for you, but when it happened, I wasn't surprised. I accidentally slept past my alarm this morning, so was very frustrated with myself. I leaned over and grabbed my brush off my bed-table, and began brushing my hair vigorously and angrily as I walked to the kitchen. The way my house is laid out, is that my room is at the end of hall, through the hall door is the living room, then the dining room, then the kitchen. So I opened the hall-door to the living room, and I noticed three things. The first thing was my mom screeching "THERE IT GOES!!!" and pointing at something gray streaking toward me. The second thing I noticed is that all of the furniture in the living room was upturned and moved. The third thing I noticed was that that gray thing streaking toward me was a Texas rat. It was about the size of a disposable water-bottle, so not the biggest I've seen. I took a step the left, allowing it to scurry through the hall and into my room. I never stopped brushing my hair, made my way around the living room maze, and got myself some rice crispies. As I took a bite, I saw my mother enter the kitchen. "So," I said before pausing to take another bite, "rats?"
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  30. I’m also in the camp of hoping her last truth(s) isn’t that she killed some other person, either accidentally or on purpose. I really suspect that it’s going to be about whatever abuse that caused her to create her first alter, which came before she bonded Pattern. I’d bet it was something that happened in that garden where she met Pattern for the first time. I also suspect it was the creation of said alter, the first big “lie,” that attracted Pattern in the first place. It will be recognizing, from an adult perspective, the truth that what she did really was self-defense and that her family was super messed up before she ever killed her mother, that will finally allow her to recognize that her family’s collapse was not her fault, that it was something that happened to her rather than something she caused. She needs to learn to see herself as a survivor of abuse, as someone who found a way to fight back when she bonded Pattern. And I absolutely agree that her final spoken truth as her fifth ideal needs to be something positive about herself. Something like, “I am a survivor who did not deserve the abuse I suffered.” This truth may or may not lead to her alters’ integration, but it should at least allow her to become aware of all her alters and set up a healthier inner world for managing them so that she can function as a system. By the way, the terms “inner world” and “system” come from doing a bunch of research about DID and OSDD (which is very similar and might actually be a more accurate diagnosis for Shallan since she does’t have amnesia barriers between the three main alters). There’s a whole vocabulary to the study of DID that makes it way easier to talk about, and I highly recommend doing a bit of research on it to anyone who hasn’t already.
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  31. I don't think this is a true statement. I think that in Allomancy, the metals are like keys or patterns. An Allomancer has the ability to pass Investiture (via Preservation) through the metals and therefore the metal works more like a conducting wire shaping the Investiture into the effect. (This next statement is my theorizing) The reason the metals burn away is because of the amount of Investiture passing through them. Elantris spoiler This theory allows Fabrials to do the same, pass Investiture (via Stormlight) through metal to get an effect. The metal determines the broad classification of Fabrial, the Gemstone/spren determine tweaks (e.g. a heating Fabrial more generally is an augmenter, but because a Flamespren is used it emits heat). Metals we know from the epigraphs: Zinc - express more strongly (Rioting) Brass - express less strongly (Soothing) Bronze - detects things, heliodor is used to detect people (Seeking) Pewter - "express attribute in force", this always seemed to me to mean it manifests the attribute. i.e. a trapped flamespren does not produce heat. But add a pewter cage and heat is produced. Tin - "diminish nearby attributes", this makes sense as the opposite of pewter. Metals we don't know from the epigraphs (as of Chapter 10) , and as such are speculation on my part. (sticking with the "base" 8) Steel - "push" on an attribute. Could be used in Repellor fabrials. Iron - "pull" on an attribute. Could be used in Attractor fabrials. Copper - hides things. Could be used to hide from an Alerter fabrial.
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  32. That's why I wonder if it has to do with respecting others agency--their choice *not* to be protected. For instance, you can want to protect someone, but also respect their decisions. So it's not about accepting that someone CAN'T be saved, but rather than they don't want to be? He's willing to sacrifice himself, but he has a harder time allowing others to do the same? It squares with the primacy of choice ideas that all of SA seems to be reckoning with.
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  33. I'd also like to reiterate that people aren't cured of their mental health issues overnight. Even with magic. Kaladin won't magically be happy and mentally healthy after years of war and death just because he can fly and stick things to walls. Shallan won't be cured of her childhood traumas just because she can draw well and be a movie projector.
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  34. Scene I like from Oathbringer. Translated to Arabic ... then Somali ... then Slovak ... then English ... and ...
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  35. I have a theory that the two last Windrunners oaths are about leadership and the need to sometimes send others into harm and live with the consequences. Something like “I will let others do their part, even if it costs them their life”.
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  36. Thank you! So you're a fan as well? When I read your answer, I immediately went to rewatch the live chat Hansi did on D&W's Facebook to check if he talked about Stormlight Archive, cause back in april I only paid attention when mentioned The Handmaid's Tale, cause it was a title I already knew. And he did mention (around three times) he was very into it. I haven't look into the lyric content of the new D&W album yet. Oh, knowing Blind Guardian, it's definetely inspired by a book! Hahaha Almost all of their songs are based on books. They have songs about Tolkien, T. H. White, Tad Williams, Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and so many others. They have an entire album, called Nightfall In Middle-Earth, based on events told in The Silmarillion, with interludes containing sound effects and voice actors playing roles of the story between songs. Last year they released an orchestral album, also with voice actors, that is a concept album telling a sequence to the story of The Dark Lands, a book by german author Markus Heitz. They actually did it with him, who apparently is a fan of the band. The album is called Legacy Of The Dark Lands. For the next album, based on what their vocalist mentioned he was reading, and loving, there will probably be songs about The Kingkiller Chronicles, Stormlight Archive and The Handmaid's Tale, among others. Well, I got completely carried away here, sorry about that.
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  37. My cat doesn't do the first three things so I'll assume I'm safe from the fourth one.
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  38. Why did Dalinar get fired from the French bakery? Because he kept telling customers that they could not have his pain.
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  39. This chapter was....heartbreaking. I mean, I loved every second and I honestly did NOT see Kaladin being relieved of duty, but maaannnn this is going to force his emotional hand hard. He's being forced to move and confront. I'm loving it. I hope he eventually decides to go back and become some sort of medic. That would really bring things full-circle!
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  40. I both agree and disagree. Yes, I think Kaladin as the Windrunner par excellence for the reader must ultimately achieve all five Ideals, as a meta/writerly thing - almost a kind of contract with the reader, assuming he doesn't die a shocking death suddenly a la Game of Thrones, which hasn't been Brandon's thing up until now. However I think it is very possible, and possibly a better story, for him to be "overtaken" at some point on the Checklist of Radiant Ideals. Just as it was Rock's "turn to save him" at Thaylen Fields, perhaps it's another Windrunner's turn to help guide and encourage Kaladin forward. Put like that, it kind of sounds like it should be Lopen.
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  42. Although Kaladin is trying to support Rlain, Rlain deserves a spren that sees how incredible he is, not one that sees him as an enemy. I hope this goes in one of these two ways: either Rlain ending up with a different spren, or Yunfah and Rlain having an arc together, where Yunfah gets over his prejudices. I'm hoping we get some Rlain povs after part 1.
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  43. From the album: House Kholin Zine

    I'm storming proud of that hand (Did I copy it from one of the book sketches? yes)
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  44. I know this thread is for unpopular opinions but...
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  45. I will protect even those I hate; so long as a woman sees and she will say “I think you should kiss me now”
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  46. Personally, I don't think that Shallan's last truth needs to be one single event that happened in her past. I think it's her whole childhood. I think Wit has already told her her final Truth and she just hasn't realized it or faced it yet. Look at the first truth we see her speak on screen. "I'm terrified." I don't think that's a truth of just that moment. She's a totally fear driven character. Everything about her is run, or hide. I think this last truth will be the same idea. It's bigger than just one thing. Every time her childhood comes up it's always this image of the perfect family in her head. A fairy tale of what she wishes her family could have been, placing all the blame for the trauma squarely on her shoulders for killing her mother. And it doesn't add up at all. Her father let everyone believe that he'd killed his wife in a jealous rage, and everyone was perfectly willing to believe it. Her mother tried to kill her. These are things that don't come out of nowhere. But she blames herself for all of it. In the same way a small child blames themselves for their parents getting divorced. I think the lie that attracted Pattern in the first place relates to this. I think Shallan was a frightened and confused little girl in a chaotic household filled with violence, and she just wanted to pretend that everything was alright. And we know where that led. Her mother trying to kill her because she was "one of them." I think her final Truth is going to be what Wit already told her. She doesn't deserve any of the the pain she's been through. She is not responsible for the pain and suffering of her family. No matter how much it hurts her to say it, no matter how much she loved them, her family was not perfect and none of what happened was her fault.
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  47. Whether Renarin's situation is widely known or not (probably not) Shallan and Adolin are certain to know of it. And they aren't necessarily just worried about an heir for Alethkar. The Kholin Highprincedom certainly needs an heir. Remember, you need to think of this like a feudal aristocrat on Roshar not a 21st century earthling. And a desolation, with all of its attendant death and destruction, makes the need for heirs and spares greater, not less. All of that is likely much more at the forefront of their minds than "can we really handle a baby right now?" And this is assuming that birth control even exists or would be efficacious while burning stormlight. I am not saying they should have a baby right now. I am saying that they probably think they should, they are clearly very much in love, and we all know where babies come from. I don't know if this has been discussed, but the timeskip also makes a lot of sense if she was pregnant in that year. Could you imagine an entire book of people telling Shallan to take it easy because of her condition? I also thought I read that Brandon disliked writing pregnant Elayne in WoT. And beside all of this rational discussion, I really want to see their three-colored hair kid.
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