cfphelps

I read Cytonic before Evershore (3rd novella) because I read Cytonic when it came out and Evershore wasn't out yet. I just finished Evershore the other day. I didn't really get into any situations during my Evershore read where I wished I had read it before Cytonic, so I'd say you are good either way! If you really want to see what Spensa is up to, get on with Cytonic, if you'd rather see what the rest of Skyward flight is up to while Spensa is Spensaing in Cytonic, then doing Evershore first would be totally fine, IMO.

I'm in the camp that he devested himself from the Diagram and disbanded it, and had fulfilled his agreement with Odium, but reading your quote did bring up another interesting point though. He makes a point to think that actions that do violate the agreement are acceptable as long as they can be hidden from Odium's knowledge. Now that he's holding Odium, Odium knows what he knows, so does that violate things? I always sort of assumed he'd leave himself open to Cultivation being able to convince other shards to help against him, similar to the letters trying to garner support against Odium. If it is shown that Rayse isn't following the "shard rules" then it would be enough to convince the other shards that he was indeed a danger to the entire cosmere. I now wonder if him not upholding his deals somehow opens himself more literally to an attack by Cultivation. As an aside should some of the Shard examples used in arguments be inside Misborn spoiler tags?

I found on my first read through that I really got slogged down towards the middle/end, and the Sanderson books really supercharged my interest again. I started a re-read semi-recently and flew through Eye of the World, thinking I had forgotten how good it was! So I guess I sort of feel like if you're already struggling, the series just may not be for you? I think it's a great story and lots of cool lore and definitely worth the read, but if you already find book 1 not interesting enough that you question finishing it, I am thinking some of the mid/late books will be really hard for you. But by then you may have more momentum and be more invested in seeing it to the end.

I agree with you in general but I have a nitpick. When was Jasnah not impressive? She was devastating at the Battle of Thaylenah. In RoW she was fighting to "experience how it is on the front line" and was purposely restricting/hiding her surge binding abilities, so I don't think that particular battle is a fair representation of what a 4th oath KR was capable of. The other times we've seen her fight was pretty impressive, I think.

Vasher is shown to have life sense and awakens in the spar with Kaladin. We don't know what he's using to power that, but it's possible between the ending of Warbreaker and SA he ended up with many breaths that don't get depleted because he's using Stormlight to "eat" instead. You mentioned he doesn't have Nightblood anymore, but this theory doesn't require that he have it? The whole point is he might be best suited to face Szeth with Nightblood. That said in not sure I'm sold myself, but it's definitely an interesting theory.

Dalinar if Odium wins the battle of champions?

A potential reason why Sig and Wit don't act in the meeting in a way that would be expected with their prior relationship is the time gap. There's been enough time for the "oh man! My master is back!" / "you did well, Sig!" conversation(s) . Now a year later Sig is just being professional in his new role and Wit being involved in things isn't a new revelation for him, so they each are just doing their jobs at that meeting. It's also possible that the GB could have influenced Sig and his spren to think the envoy was a good idea without actually recruiting him, by having their operatives present data to them in a certain way. My recollection is that Sig knows it's not going to be easy or necessarily successful, but thinks it's the best chance they have at getting Honorspren help. So he doesn't necessarily think it's a good idea so much as the best option with the only alternatives being worse. So I can see him just proposing the mission as the only thing left to try at that point without any outside influence, but I could also see GB or someone else either suggesting it or manipulating him into thinking it has a higher chance of success than he normally would, without him even knowing it. Great theory!

Didn't Dalinar visit the Nightwatcher/Cultivation on the way to the shattered plains to avenge Gavilar's death?

Do we actually know WHAT those weapons are shaped like though? I know we've heard about the ones that can discharge a radiant, but have we seen the ones that can block a shard blade described yet? My interpretation of the disagreement was magic cutting vs. physical cutting. I thought Peter's point was that if the aluminum is thin enough like foil, the shard blade could smash through anyway just based on physics. So in this case, if the aluminum is thick enough to withstand the physics then it might be Peter won. You might also be able to combine them such that a thin sheet of aluminum foil over steel can stop a shard blade because the steel supports the foil from physically breaking, and the foil prevents the shard blade from magically cutting through the steel. I see that as compatible with Peter's position as well. So I guess my point is we may not know enough about the weapons to see which way that really fell? if it's a super thin piece of aluminum with no support, but it magically prevents being cut and doesn't break behind a sword swing, then I'd say Brandon won. If it's an aluminum covering or inlay that is supported by something strong enough to withstand the physical force of a sword attack, then I'd say Peter did. Haha, I definitely had a raised eyebrow with that part! I agree with what others have posted though, that since Jasnah is aware of Wit being more than he seems based on their end of WoR interactions, and she's becoming more and more cosmere aware, it makes sense she'd make use of his council and there would be much for them to discuss. A male and female being seen together having secretive discussions can definitely lead to rumors of romance when there may be none. Exactly! Me too! I definitely had the thought about how the immoral herald development might work. Her personality might still be immature from never really "growing up" to full adult hood before getting the immortal Herald gig where she physically developed to a certain spot but maybe didn't develop as far mentally. Or maybe that's just how she is, or part of her insanity. She obviously hates being worshipped, being short with people might help dissuade them. At this point I'm very convinced that Brandon never does anything in writing by accident! Could definitely see this as well. It will come down to if he subscribes to the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" way of thinking and sees the Fused and Odium as the bigger threat. I imagine since he needed to be rescued he knows he can't defeat the fused and Odium on his own, and since he was resisting at all he isn't apt to give into them either. Joining the coalition would seem to be his best move, but the points you raised also make it a convenient betrayal twist later on that Brandon could give us.

"Szeth is almost as boring as Vasher, come grab me so we can distroy some evil! "

Good info. From your quote, the prologue says the man's mannerisms (specifically wringing his hands) remind Navani of the steward, but not that anything else about him does. In this case I think his age (and her trouble placing it) is more a clue that he's a Herald than that he's the steward. It's an interesting theory though!

I think it applies to the entire book that he plans on transitioning from past "mortal" antagonists to more supernatural ones.

The annotations for chapter 8 talk about how he wants to move on from "normal" threats like Sadeas and get into increasingly dangerous and Cosmere aware antagonists. This pruning of "lesser" antagonists seems consistent with that.

It read to me like Adolin had the infused spheres specifically to resupply Shallan. As for glowing Shardblade I noticed that too but it seemed within the realm of a description for a dead blade.

This is a good theory as well! Especially since Shallan notes that she has been studying poison lately. She even suspects her self...which could me a point for or against the theory with her mental state.

Pretty sure when Shallan and Adolin were taking at the end of OB and she chooses him, she asks him which one he wants and explains who Veil and Radiant are, so he knows then. My money is on Ishnah! She set off the Spidey sense from the second Shallan has her see Ialai off. Maybe it's too obvious though since she admitted to Shallan that she's very experienced with the poison. I was cringing when Shallan tasks her to look for signs that it wasn't self inflicted, since I think she was the one who inflicted it! Parallels to Dalinar asking Adolin to investigate Sadeus' murder! Brandon hinted at it with his opening "refresher" of who Ishnah is, saying she's one of Shallan's most trusted. The fact that she approached Shallan means it's easier to see her as a plant all along. I could see Gaz as well since we know he has a history of getting in debt and desparate for money to pay it off, so that's something that can be exploited. She says that she's been with her a little over a year, and along with Red and the deserters, was among her most trusted. So to me that's a little different than saying she hadn't been there from the beginning like Red, but I agree he's pointing out to us that Shallan trusts her which could be a hint that she shouldn't trust her. Or she's been a Ghostblood plant from the beginning and they told Shallan that specifically so Shallan would trust her... Possible continuity error, Kaladin notes that of the soldiers he is about to fight on the manor one has a sword and the rest spears, Then during the fight That reads to me as if both blows he blocks are swords, but "the second one" could just mean weapon.

I think he comes to terms talking about it with Shallan in Shadesmar. By the time he admits it to Dalinar, he also says that he doesn't regret it. But I think he also doesn't fully think it is moral, since he uses it as a reason why he's unfit to be king.

In Chapter 4, Shallan says: So pattern is watching for when to trigger Adolin to arrive in the case of extraction, and not babysitting. This is probably an unpopular opinion but I personally don't have a huge interest in reading about the characters raising their families. I guess it's too much like my real life vs. the reality escape of reading about the fight against Odium.

I always thought that Shallan is able to enter Shadesmar as part of her soul casting ability.

The slave wagons that Kaladin rides in have sides that go in to protect them from Highstorms so I think you could build a rail car to withstand them. What is you used wheels similar to Dalinar's siege engines and just used steam propulsion but no track?

His honor demands that he follow his people's laws and customs. He was (wrongly) judged to be Truthless, and was thus required to follow the orders of whomever had his oathstone, as punishment for claiming the Radiants were returning. Nothing about the stone itself had any power over him, it's just a symbol of what it represents. As much as he hates having to kill, he's not willing to dishonor himself by breaking the law and not following through with his punishment. That's why Nale is impressed with him, he follows the law rigidly until it becomes undeniable that the Radiants are really returning, and that revelation that he's wrongly judged Truthless shakes him to his core.

The Vorin religion is the main one that she is most popular in rejecting. They are worshiping the Almighty and sending him prayers when he's long dead and gone. Is she really wrong?

We don't know how long it has been since he switched duties or how long between this chapter it is until Syl's interlude so the argument that her PoV probably doesn't happen until later doesn't really hold water. Totally respect your preference for there to be more small things that add up to cause it though.

There was a lot of speculation after the Syl PoV about Kaladin getting moved over to the medics. I wonder if this confrontation with Moash is what tipped him over the edge to make Dalinar change his role. Or how he treats Moash once in his custody. Or maybe whatever okay Moash is after starts to work on him and he gets pulled in two directions again. Also get to see a much less likeable side of Gavilar. Hopefully that is influence of the unmade and he at least has a little bit of a cop out.

The first tier is digital package including the ebook and is only 10 dollars, which is about what I spend on ebooks anyway so it was totally worth it to me.