Zaineph

This is pretty much spot on. In most cases the substance abuse is a symptom of a 'spiritual malady'. And the substance becomes it's own problem at a later date. A true addict will know the dangers and possible downsides but at times will have 'no effective mental defence against the drink' (or other substance). A true addict is powerless against their addiction and cannot overcome it without a spiritual awakening. Note that abstinence from a substance does not mean that they have overcome it. Far from it as many addicts have fallen to their addictions after many years sober. Addicts also have an physical 'allergy' to substances which limits their ability to stop once they've started. What I would be interested to know is how Teft would be perceived in the Spiritual realm considering that he has this malady, and is there a Stormlight equivelent of a Twelve Step program, and if he acheived this would he look different in the Spiritual realm.

I like this idea, quite alot

I honestly have no idea how to convey my feelings for part 3. I absolutely loved it, even if I spent most of time reading it with my head in my hands. The Battle of Kholinar will go down as one of my favourite ever scenes to read. From the bits where Kaladin, Drehy and Skar burst through the doors with stormlight glowing from them, the part where I realised that is was Viv (only realised in a Crimson to break), all of Kaladin's squads from both sides slaughtering each other and finally Elhokar's death at the hands of Moash. I hadn't realised how much I'd grown to like Elhokar up until then. I kept begging for the carnage to stop, but oh wow. It was emotionally hard to read but it was good. Did anyone else notice that in this part we had 2 sieges. The one from Dalinar's flash back and of Kholinar. Both had us on different sides of the siege ending with a victory for the Sieging army and yet neither gave us a happy outcome.

These are good points, but if I may propose some counter points. 1. If we adopt this theory, then Evi cannot be dead. Dalinar's memories are only starting to return meaning that the boon/curse is still somewhat in effect. If she was dead then surely he would remember everything. The fact that the effects are fading could mean either that she is: A. Dying B. Found a way to break the curse/boon C.something else is happening 2. I would absolutely suggest that he went with her as it account for him being unable to remember his time there. Though you got me on how they managed to get there whist everyone thought she was dead...unless she's a lightweaver. Then faking death would be easy. Also she would be able to hide with ease on the journey. 3. There is also no president to say that the curses/boons do not affect third parties. 4. Yes Dalinar killing his wife is dark. But how's this. Navani gets taken hostage not Evi. Think about it, why would someone take the wife of the 3rd in line to the throne if you could take the wife of the man sitting on the throne. Gavilar sends his brother to get her back. Dalinar is more than happy to oblige considering that he loves her. Evi, who can't bare to be without him for a moment, goes with him. She sees the way that Dalinar fights for a woman that has become her sister and she knows that he loves her and is so distraught that she can't deal with it. Add on the fact that She sees what Dalinar will do for those he loves (the killing). She wants no part in it. She makes it seem like she killed herself knowing full well that she will go to the nightwatcher to end her pain. Dalinar discovers that he's been tricked and somehow finds out what she is going to do and he realises that he really does love her. He rides as fast as he can to stop her but makes it there just in time to she his wife wish that it was as if they never met, wish that all the pain he has caused her would go away, wish for something. She turns and sees him and realises that she's made a mistake. She does love him but it is too late. She tries to speak to him but he doesn't even see her. I'm just spitballing here. But from there maybe she's used lightweaving (If she has it) to hide among Dalinar for years and we will finally see a someone that Dalinar already knows turn out to be Evi. Maybe we've already met Evi, what if she wished never to grow up and shes actually Lift (yeah I appreciate that's a stretch and a half).

I literally just have this same idea, and I love it. It seems strange to me that Dalinar's memories of the Nightwatcher are poor when the only evidence of memories missing are those of Evi. Could this be because Evi was with him when he visited the Nightwatcher or that he never went at all?

I was tempted to start a new thread for this theory that literally just came to me after chapter 27. There was some speculation in a discussion about Oathbringer's author being Evi and that she didn't really die. Personally I quite like this idea, but it got me thinking about what Dalinar said about his visit to the Nightwatcher. I can't remember the exact wording but basically he said that his memory was quite hazy on the whole incident. Why is this? Also, despite previous statements, he seemed not to be aware of the other affect the Nightwatcher gave him, be it boon or curse, but states that they are somewhat linked. So my theory is that Dalinar isn't actually the one who requested anything from the Nightwatcher, perhaps it was Evi that went visited the Nightwatcher and as a result something happened to Dalinar as a curse for Evi? To be honest I'm not entirely sure this holds up and would appreciate your thoughts.

I actually asked Brandon about the diagram on his book tour for WoR years ago. I think my exact question was: "In Mistborn, we've seen Ruin altering ancient texts and even information stored in metal minds concerning prophecy. Is there something manipulating the diagram in a similar way?" I got my first RAFO for that and he went for it pretty quickly, so I've been lead to believe that the diagram can't be explicitly trusted. Also if you think about it, why are the people of Roshar so against seeing the future and anything to do with Prophecy? I know that the church is partly to blame but could there also be an underlying reason concerning Odium?

In Oathbringer the 17th shard will catch up with Hoid. The 3 we have seen will attempt to apprehend him and we will get to see Hood in action for the first time. but after an epic (non lethal battle), Hoid will escape with ease. The 3 worldhoppers will go back to the leader of the 17th shard to inform him of their failure. This is not Frost as we may be lead to believe, he just happens to be in league with them. Instead he is a man baring a full head of blonde hair with dashing looks, a spike through one eye and scars down his arms. Kelsier has spent the past several hundred years forming the 17th shard for his own goals...goals that Hoid's actions are impeding.

Hi all, I've just had a couple of friends start getting into to cosmere books and was having the discussion of a reading order with a separate friend. As bands of mourning has come out recently (no spoilers here) I felt it worth revising the reading order. Also I noticed that the novellas haven't been accounted for in this thread either so I think it would be nice to fit them in as well. For the most part I agree with Mistborn (1st trilogy), Elantris, Warbreaker, Stormlight Archive order however I'm struggling on where to put alloy of law and the next wax and Wayne books, emperor's soul, sixth of dusk and silence of shadows in the forests of hell. I know that some people would say to read wax and Wayne right after the first mistborn trilogy but it just didn't feel right to me. Personally I would recommend wax and Wayne to go at the very end, after WoR. Of course we don't know where the SA is going to end up but considering Brandon said that Oathbringer needs to be finished before the lost metal, I suspect that I would change that recommendation until after the 5th book/1st arch of SA. Also putting them at least 7 novels after the 1st trilogy really makes it feel that time has passed. As for the novellas, it feels wrong to group them up and read them all in one go. I think they would make good breaks between some of the novels. Obviously emperors soul shouldn't be before elantris but because it's such a different story I feel it would give the wrong impression going into it right after. As it can't go before, it seems the only sensible place it after warbreaker and before SA. I also think that putting sixth of dusk right after mistborn 1st trilogy is slightly wrong as well. I think it's too early in the reading order to reveal the fact that space travel is possible. Maybe it might slot in between Elantris and Warbreaker but I'm inclined to leave it until after the wax and Wayne series, as I feel that it fits now. This just leaves Silence. Personally after reading and epic trilogy I think it would be good to leap into something small and light hearted so I would slot it in between mistborn and elantris. For the time being this makes my suggested reading order: Mistborn 1st trilogy Silence of shadows I'm the forests of hell Elantris Warbreaker Emperors Soul Stormlight Archive Wax and Wayne Series Sixth of Dusk Some of thoughts I had where of slotting a novella between alloy of law and shadows of self to give the sense of time passing though not sure which one. Still feels a bit too early for sixth and to late for emperors soul. Although it might be worth reading shadows of silence before the the Wax and Wayne trilogy. I also toyed with the idea of breaking WoK and WoR up with Warbreaker and both are huge books so some readers might appreciate the break, however I don't think the story would flow as well, forcing the reader to spent days away from the action on roshar, so I decided against it. One issue that I forsee in the future is after SA 5 comes out, I suspect Wax and Wayne would be best read after this, however it might mean going straight into the 2nd mistborn trilogy with no breaks which could seem odd given that about 100 years is supposed to have passed. Maybe elantris 2 will have come out which might slot in nicely before the 2nd trilogy but who knows. Anyway I appreciate your thoughts. If you think there's a better way or I've over looked something please let me know.

Ok so this might be a long shot and I'm making a couple of assumptions, but I've just finished Shadows of Self and was thinking about the Shard that might have made the new metal and was controlling Bleeder. A few people on here have been throwing Odium's name around as there was a lot hatred taking place as a result of Bleeder's actions in Shadows of Self. However whenever Wax actually talks to Bleeder she goes on about Freedom and being released from control. On the other side, after keeping it quite for a long time, Brandon recently informed us of the intent of Bavadin's shard: Autonomy. If you look Autonomy up in the dictionary on Google, the 3rd definition is: "freedom from external control or influence; independence." This seems to match Bleeder's attitude throughout the entire book, which lead's me to think that it is Bavadin's shard that is influencing her. Also Brandon doesn't like to reveal information about book before we have had a chance to read them, but seems to be happy to tease us with clues and little tidbits that might have relavence in the near future. So the timely reveal of Bavadin's shard does seem to fit. However if this is Bavadin's shard then this poses 2 major questions among loads of smaller ones: 1. Has Trell now take control of Autonomy, and if so what happened to Bavadin? 2. If Bavadin is still in control, then who the hell is Trell and what are her motives? Anyway, that's my two cents. Anyone agree with me? Or do you think this is stupid and want to shut me down? Let me know your thought. >Zaineph<

I pretty much agree that TLR would win, want to do some more research but I just wanted to challenge this particular point: I think there it says somewhere in the Words of Brandon that an aluminium spear wouldn't leave an atium shadow. Now I know that Nightblood is made of steel so this doesn't quite work but Brandon also confirmed that he is essentially the same thing as a shardblade. (Also in WoB). Now we know there are things that don't cause an atium shadow, and I'm taking a bit of a leap here, but I don't think a shardblade would create an atium shadow either. Which would make it interesting to see if Nightblood would create one. I realise I'm make a couple of assumtions but does anyone remember an invested object causing, or not causing an atium shadow? Also on the subject of Nightblood, the coppermind states: "Those it defines as "evil" feel drawn to possess it, once an "evil" person picks Nightblood up, the sword amplifies the wielder's bloodlust causing him or her to slaughter anyone nearby and then commit suicide with the blade." I think most of us can agree that Nightblood would define TLR as "evil", so it depends on whether or not TLR can resist it's pull during or after the fight. Regardless let's say TLR does pick up Nightblood, considering the amount of investiture that he holds, the devestation would be immense. (Probably more than anything we've seen so far in cosmere).

I know I also looked up the coppermind too. So I'm beginning to doubt what I heard. I do remember following up and asking if her and hoid were friends and he said that hoid doesn't really have friends she's more of an aquaentence. Maybe he said she does know more than him but that's not the main point. The focus was there's someone more in the know than her and I can't remember for definite but I think it was frost. It sounds like he would know more so this would make sense.

Ok so Brandon came to the UK in July and I've literally only just remember the question I asked him. Probably something to do with the beer. Anyway I asked *wanting to show of my cosmere knowledge* "who is Kriss and is he more cosmere aware than Hoid" Brandon - "Kriss is a scientist and SHE is about the same as Hoid. Although (name I can't remember) knows alot more than both of them." I wish I had written the name down because it sounds like we have yet another person of interest. First Hoid then Nazh and Khriss and now this new person. If anyone has had a similar convo them please let me know. I'm sure that I will remember when I hear it. apart from the name I was given no further info. It could even be the dragon that hoid is writing to but that's just speculation

Also a follow up theory to this, and I may be going a big far fetched here but; What if Rayse is no longer in charge of Odium and actually managed to switch with Cultivation's holder before he got 'imprisioned' on Braize? I'm not expecting this to pan out but it would be a hell of a twist though.

Hi all, I recently saw Brandon at the London signing and got to ask him the following question: Me: "In Mistborn, we saw that Ruin was able to manipulate writings not written in Metal and essentially alter the prophecy. Has or is something happening to Taravangian's Diagram" Brandon: *Smiles* "Oh, here you go" *hands me a RAFO card*, "Let's just say that seeing the future...is not of Honour" I can't remember if that is the exact wording, he might have said "is not genuinely of Honour". Now the way he said originally made me think that Odium would have been the one who would have the most to prophet from providing a false diagram. But then again apparently Odium is locked on Braize without being able to do any harm. Maybe his influence is still able to affect others. However the other option, and perhaps slightly more likely is that as the Nightwatcher gave Taravangian the power to create the Diagram, and I think that the Nightwatcher is of Cultivation (or even Cultivation itself), so the Diagram is designed to suit Cultivation's purpose. Now if you type Cultivation into google it comes up with 2 meanings striaght away: 1.the action of cultivating land, or the state of being cultivated 2.the process of trying to acquire or develop a quality or skill If we look at what Taravangian is doing, the Diagram is leading him to shape the land or cultivate in it in some way. He also mentioned the possibility of killing off everyone below the average intelligence, which ties in with the 2nd meaning. It got me thinking about other times we have seen the future, and I thought of Atium and how it provides you with a breif glimpse. This is of Ruin who is the main antoganist and I have the feeling from what Brandon said that seeing the future is supposed to be a bad/evil thing or at least related to evil. This would make sense if the Diagram was of Odium but if it is of Cultivation, maybe there is a purpose that we don't understand that perhaps is quite that compasionate to human race. The other mention of seeing the future that I found was in Warbreaker where The First Returned, Vo, saw the 5 visions. I can't remember if we've seen all these visions yet and maybe they're not even related but I'm just throughing it out there for speculation. So to Summarise: We know that the Diagram is not of Honour, and we can pretty much guess that is either being altered or was orginally designed to manipulate. However it's still uncertain which shard it comes from. Would love to hear your thoughts.