PerpetualWheels

Are we 100% sure that Evi is dead? And that there's no shadow that remains, and that there's no way she can be made into the champion? Or that someone could lightweave her face onto Odium's champion?

So much this. If you look at Mraize, and the Ghostbloods, they're not a good organisation. Either they are out of control, K is playing a weird game, or...

I really enjoyed the book. I felt that it had a nice balance to it. It's clearly a book that is setting the pieces for the (midpoint) finale. But that's fine. It made the avalanche at the end different, with much of the pay off focusing on characters rather than the overall situation (with one or two obvious exceptions). I really liked that. And I can't believe that we have to wait for 2023 for the pay off. Specific thoughts: Where was Zahel in the occupation? They really could have used his help. Or was he with Dalinar? If locking away Ba-Ado-Mishram led to the Singers becoming stuck in forms or enslaved, did it have a similar effect on the spren? Is that why they became trapped as shardblades? I really, really hope that if the effects of the recreance are undone we get a seen of Leshwi meeting her honorspren friend. Her moment where she realised the spren were working with listeners again was heartbreaking, and the loveliest moment of the book for me. Presumably Shallan can help Testament more easily than Adolin can help Maya, since she has the direct connection. Why is Shallan so important that the spren chose her twice? Hoid lost his perfect pitch when his memories were taken by new!Odium. His flute has now been clearly signposted - maybe an inability to play it will lead to him realising the problems. Or maybe he won't even remember it, and this will help others convince him something is wrong. For a series where we've had relatively few main cast deaths (and I was expecting some here, as set up for the finale), I'm extremely scared for Book 5. Dalinar has already won a victory with the terms set, but new!Odium is smarter. If Dalinar is becoming a new Honor, then what happens if Odium controls Honor? The idea of Dalinar being used as the Blackthorn by Odium, across the galaxy, terrifies me. Mercy helped Odium in the past? That's...surprising, and scary. Whimsy sounds terrifying. Thaidakar seems to being set up in opposition to Hoid and our heroes here, though many of us still view him as a hero from previous books. I'm intrigued as to how that plays out.