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I haven't noticed it before, but it seems to me like each order's surges manifest in multiple ways, not just in the typical using stormlight to power the surge, but also in another more symbolic way. This might be the manifestation of the resonance of the surges used by the orders. The most obvious time this has happened is with Shallan and the deserters in WoR. There, Shallan changed the deserters without actually Soulcasting. To me, it seems like lightweavers' abilities are geared towards changing other people. The surge of Transformation is obvious here, but Illumination also comes into play in that they use it to make others see a different world (for example, Shallan's effect on Kaladin). This might very well be the resonance of the Lightweavers. We can also see a similar effect with Windrunners. According to WoB, their resonance is drawing other people to them (like Kaladin does with bridge four). This is a symbolic representation of Gravitation -drawing others to them - and Adhesion -sticking people together to form groups and communities. I don't think we know the resonances of the other orders, but I do have some theories. Elsecallers seem to be able to control themselves very well. This fits, because their surges are Transformation and Transportation. Both are geared towards change, and so the Elsecaller is able to cause change in themselves. This also fits with their ideals of growing as a person (according to the official quiz). Truthwatchers are able to see into people, and know their motives/things they should not be able to know. They also might be able to help others to grow into what they could be. This makes sense because their surges are Illumination, which they use to see things and truths, and progression, the healing of someone to their ideal self, to the way they are in the spiritual realm, and the way they could also be in the physical realm. Note the that the last part of what I said seems to be similar to the Lightweavers' abilities, but is actually not. The distinction I want to make is that Lightweavers change other people, while Truthwatchers help them grow. Truthwatchers are simply guiding others on a path they have already taken, while Lightweavers actually change said path. I can't think of any other orders' resonances, mostly because we haven't seen them enough/we don't know enough about their surges.

I just wanted to start a list of minor questions people have going into Rhythm of War. Put them all in one place so maybe we can put our heads together to solve them. This is meant for minor questions, not major plot points. my Questions: Was Danlan Marakothra a member of the diagram or just working with Graves because she believed his stated goal? What happened to her and will we ever see her again? Where is Kalak? I’ve never seen any theories I find credible about where he is, what he’s up to. Who is Dova? Is she really a herald? Is it Battar, Paliah, Vedel? Who is Navani’s family? Is she from the senior Kholin branch? A family killed by the Kholin brothers? Sister to another high prince? Same questions but for Aesuedan. Where are Hesina’s parents? Is she a bastard daughter or a lord or is one of her parents just a low dahn lighteyes that married a darkeyes? What happened to Tarah? Will she come back into the story? Kaladin’s story? Will Laral? What happened to Redin after he killed his father? What does Brandon have planned for him? Who will be the first Stoneward we see? Who will be the next member of Bridge 4 to attract a Spren? is Lys the assassin one of the Heralds? Is she Chana? Vedel? What are the oldbloods? How many are there and when did they rule? let me know what your minor questions are?

is Sadeas a Willshaper? Is he the uncut gem? Right after it talks about the Willshapers as uncut gems and how other orders dislike them: "And now, if there was an uncut gem among the Radiants, it was the Willshapers; for though enterprising, they were erratic, and Invia wrote of them, "capricious, frustrating, unreliable," as taking it for granted that others would agree; this may have been an intolerant view, as often Invia expressed, for this order was said to be most varied, inconsistent in temperament save for a general love of adventure, novelty, or oddity. —From Words of Radiance, chapter 7, page 1" It's followed by a scene where Sadeas asks Adolin if he likes his new coat with "uncut gems". Sadeas seeks constant adventure/novelty/oddity. He is unlikeable and unreliable. Other people have said that that chapter is mostly about Adolin and maybe that is describing him. I also found info about the Willshapers from the Coppermind website: "The Ideals of the Order of Willshapers all focus on individual freedom and liberty; the Willshapers champion self-expression and freedom of choice for all." So maybe not a good fit for Sadeas? What do you think?

Last week I decided to buy all the Stormlight and Wax and Wayne books, all are the UK versions, when they came in I quickly noticed that my copy of Words of Radiance part 1 had a gold title while all the other Stormlight books had metallic red titles. At first I thought it was s**tty design and my OCD kicked in and it kinda annoyed me but I ultimately thought nothing of it. I started looking into it and I couldn't find any pictures online of a copy with a gold title like mine. I discussed it with a friend of mine, he got me into Brandon Sanderson's books, and we concluded that it must be my GOLDEN TICKET and now I get to go to Brandon's chocolate factory!... Nah it is probably just a weird printing error. At any rate it's kinda cool even if the title is a bit hard to read. What do guys and gals think?

While rereading chapter 5 of Words of Radiance, I noticed this: In The Way of Kings, there is a line of dialog from Elhokar where he mentions seeing things in mirrors, which we, the audience, know as Cryptics. It is super exciting to see this early foreshadowing of him becoming a Lightweaver. I love this line from Words of Radiance even more though. It evokes Pinocchio and his penchant for lying while also referencing the Lightweaver ability to alter one's appearance, as we will see Shallan do later in this book. This is the kind of thing I never would have noticed on a first reading, and I absolutely love it!

I have been rereading WOR to distract myself from, well, out there. In doing so, I am once again struck by BWS' continuity and his ability to answer some questions and let others linger. Here is one of each. "I was off duty, sir," Teft said. "Went to see what I could find in the market. Do I need to report every little thing I do?" "You went to the market to the market," Kaladin said, "in a highstorm?" "Time may have gotten away from me for a breath or two..." Teft said, looking away. Chapter 41 WOR This question of where was Teft off to was answered was in OB. Pretty clearly he was off abusing firemoss. One question not answered in OB--a question I did not even notice until I reread WOR is that of Rock's great strength. Sure he is big but he seems to have a strength that surprises even Kaladin. While in the chasms sparring with Rock, Lopen and Sigzil, he notices that Rock is swinging a log at his head: An entire log. How had Rock lifted the that thing? Chapter 12 WOR This question is not answered in OB. Rather, it was built upon when Rock kills Amaram with the shardbow: Kaladin glanced toward Rock, who stood over Amaram’s body, looking down, the enormous bow held limply in one hand. How had he drawn it? Stormlight granted great endurance, but it didn’t vastly improve strength. Sanderson, Brandon. Oathbringer: Book Three of the Stormlight Archive (p. 1189). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. So when will BWS answer it? The Rock short story? ROW? Any theories out there? What other questions were answered? Left pending for a later book?

So, I finished WoR and enjoyed it just as much as TWOK. Loved Dalinar becoming a Bondsmith. I do wonder why the Stormfather made him give up his Shardblade, though. Wasn't that the one Talenelat'elin had? It seems like it should be an Honorblade and thus not corrupted, right? Also loved Lopen using Stormlight and Teft's comment that he saw some members of Bridge Four glowing. It would be awesome to see Rock using Stormlight. Since he won't fight, I'm guessing his ability would revolve around making his food supernaturally nutritious or even medicinal. Loved Rysn and the turtle-spren. The creature she was entrusted seems like it might have been the same kind that Nale had when he went after Lift. I do not like this Herald who's trying to kill Radiants. I bet the Recreance is all his fault. Throughout the book, I was developing this theory that Sadeas would end up being Odium's champion. Then Adolin literally stabbed that theory in the face. I'd seen comments about people hating Moash and didn't really understand why until he fought Kaladin. Because the thing is, Elhokar is basically useless, and Alethkar doesn't have a peaceful way to remove a bad ruler. So I could kind of see his point, Even now, I'm not really sure how to feel about him. I wonder what happened to the Parshendi who didn't want to go along with Eshonai and escaped when she tried to round them up? Did they all get killed in the Everstorm/highstorm collision? It feels like a bit of a "shaggy dog story" to establish that a significant number of the Parshendi aren't on board with Odium and then kill them off without them accomplishing anything. There's a lot going on here, and I'm really looking forward to Oathbringer. I hope we see more of Rysn and Lift, and that the flashbacks show what drove Dalinar to seek out the Old Magic.

Why are there no interludes between parts 4 and 5 of The Way of Kings? In the rest of the SA books there are five parts and 4 sets of interludes, while in TWoK there are five parts and only three sets of interludes.

I have a theory regarding how truespren make it back into roshar the first time. This theory came about as a result of the scene where Shallan had to draw Pattern before he could manifest. That seemed odd to me that she had to do that when none of the other new Knights have had to do something similar. I think it has to do less with her drawing him, and more with the amount of creationspren she attracted doing so (the quote says hundreds of creationspren were drawn to her at that time.) My theory comes from an assumption that each true spren type has their own "squires" so to speak. Cryptics have creationspren, Honorspren have windspren, Cultivationspren have lifespren, the Bondsmith spren have gloryspren. ( I posit that there has to be a sufficiently large amount of these "squire" spren in an area to punch a whole between the Cognitive and Physical realm "big" enough for these true spren to come through. For Syl, that mean there needed to be enough windspren, say in a windy area like barren plains or when fighting with a spear, which has been stated to generate windspren. For Pattern, Shallan had to actually be creative enough to draw enough creationspren to allow pattern to fully manifest, rather than poking through like most spren do. Idk, what do you think. I think this theory has holes, but its going somewhere.

Hi everyone! So I'm a new member and a recent fan of Sanderson. Thus far, the Stormlight Archive is all I've read. I love the books so much I was inspired to compose some theme music in my free-time. This one is my take of the lullaby from Book 2: "Words of Radiance". I've decided to call it "Veden Lullaby" since technically it's probably a traditional song of Vedenar/Jah Keved. The instruments you hear are piano, alto recorder, voice and keyboard (strings) - all by me. I'm totally an amateur and this is only the second song I've recorded ever! So, please, keep that in mind. I'm hoping to get better!! Anywho, thought I'd throw it out here for other fans to hear and hopefully enjoy. :-)

Hey guys, new here. By the way really like your work Brian! anyways, I was re-reading "Words of Radiance" and towards the end of the book after the the assassin in white is killed, he is revived by one of the heralds and is given a black sword that can talk. this reminded me of the sword from "warbreaker" and also how wit was in that book too. are there any assumptions or theories or lore as to how these two books are connected ?

Hi there everybody! I wonder if there is anyone here from Vietnam, or at least Asia? As a debut post, I've got some questions for you already: 1. What is the reason behind our name 17th shard? What are the other 16? 2. I rated WoR 5 stars because there's no option of 4.5 on goodreads. The reason behind it is some plotholes, or at least some logic inconsistency that I found in numerous parts. They bug me quite a lot, and I couldn't find a proper place to discuss them there. So... what is the sub-forum where I should post those questions? And what should I expect? You know, as we're all Sandersonites, I'm afraid some of the responses would be like "Shut up", "Brendon is a god & can't make a mistake"... something like that. Thank you & cheers!

This is really just a discussion for everyone to add their ideas onto, but to get it started off: Whether a member dies while fighting the fused, a freak accident, or while protecting someone else, the most likely candidates for who I think will kick the bucket in Bridge 4 would have to be Lopen, Rock, and Teft. While I don't necessarily think they'll have to die in order for Kaladin to swear the 4th ideal, I do think their deaths could be his breaking point. And if there's anything that Sanderson likes to do with characters, it's break them. After working so hard to protect Bridge 4 and essentially bring them out of the trenches, it would tear Kaladin apart to see one of them die- or even get injured as we saw in Words of Radiance with Hobber. So while that's true, the most impactful deaths for the reader would be a character that we've been the given the chance to get to know. And so that brings my first candidate, Lopen. I have to say that he is the most probable character for me as of now. Lopen is sort of like a class-clown in Bridge 4 in that he tends to mess and joke around much more than the others, and so it would come as a shock to the readers to suddenly have him cut down and die, leaving a hole in Bridge 4. Without Lopen, they'd be out of a serious need for laughter and light-heartedness and anyone who knows Bridge 4's story knows that that's something they desperately need. Next up is Rock, but I will admit that I don't think Sanderson will kill Rock- at least not in the first half of the books. The biggest reason he just made my list is because of how much it would hurt the readers. Rock has been a big figure in Bridge 4 since the beginning, and with just that it would make his death heartbreaking. But adding on to how we were able to meet his family in Oathbringer and seeing just how much he cares about everyone around him with the chapters from his point-of-view, the readers would definitely be in tears. Add on the possibility of him dying while trying to tell Kaladin about the Horneater Peaks (of which he always told Kaladin he'd bring him to) and Sanderson has a whole fanbase weeping. Now is the time for Teft. Teft's death seems both logical and inevitable to me. He served as a friend and leader to Bridge 4 and was a major reason for them getting as strong as they currently are with him helping to train them. The only person to play a bigger role in the rehabilitation of Bridge 4 is Kaladin, and Kaladin himself holds high respect for Teft. Bottom line, his death would be devastating to the moral of Bridge 4. Without Teft, I'm not entirely sure how Bridge 4 would carry on. Everything they would do would remind them that Teft isn't there as it was Teft who helped to train them with the spear, first told them of the Radiant powers with Kaladin, and essentially acted as a grumpy uncle. That's all from me. Tell me what you guys think! How would the other members react to one of their own dying? What would it mean for the story? HOW do you think they'd die?

This thread is to discuss some duels or match ups that we would love to fight one on one but due to death/location/alliances we will never get to see them clash. The main duel I would love to see is Dalinar vs Kalladin but from a couple of different perspectives. Full Power (Full Shards, Stormlight and Radiant abilities ect) Hand to hand with shard plate (No weapons , no ability's just a shardplate boxing match) Shards only (Self explanatory )

Just looking for friends to talk and debate about the world of Roshar. I'm planning on reading all of Sanderson's work but I've only read Stormlight Archive so far. I audible while I'm at work so I don't have anyone else to talk to about the books I listen to and I'm sick of not being able to yarn after something life changing happens at the end of a chapter ha-ha.

Just what the title asks: If you had a chance to Q&A with Jasnah, what would you ask her? (I'm thinking post-Oathbringer questions) Mine are - What was it like growing up with Gavilar and Navani as parents? As Alethkar's new leader, what do you plan to do about the new Desolation? What do you think of the prohibition of men not being able to read or write?

Kaladin Stormblessed ✦ A Cosmere Character Study ✦ SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS Soldier ✦ Surgeon Radiant ✦ Rulebreaker Brother ✦ Bridgeman Warrior ✦ Windrunner ⠀ Kaladin - foremost of the main characters from the Stormlight Archive - has lived a life full of strife. Seasonal depression (or seasonal affected disorder/ SAD), depression, slavery, apathy, anxiety, helplessness, poverty, death in his family, guilt, PTSD, and more than that pervade his story.⠀ Hear what Trever and Peter have to usay about the poor surgeon’s son’s mental state.⠀

Back in Way of Kings, chapter 19, Dalinar is having one of his visions. It's the scene where he acts as Heb, husband to Taffa, and protects his family alongside two Radiants. At the end of the chapter, the female Radiant says, “Every pasture needs three things. Flocks to grow, herdsmen to tend, and watchers at the rim. We of Alethela are those watchers—the warriors who protect and fight. We maintain the terrible arts of killing, then pass them on to others when the Desolation comes.” When I reread Oathbringer, Kaladin says to his father in chapter 7, "You're a surgeon, Father, but I'm something else. A watcher at the rim." Kaladin never experienced the visions, thus never heard the Radiant's words. Was this poetic overlap on Brandon's part? Or just something the Radiants intrinsically feel about themselves?

I was listening to Words of Radiance again on Audible and it was the scene where Kaladin and Shallan are in the chasm's during a high storm after falling in. Kaladin talks about seeing giant glowing figures walking across the shattered plains. Are they a type of spren? Is it the Storm Father and a sibling going for a stroll? I can't think of anything that large except for a Thunderclast, and I can't imagine them traveling during a high storm. What are your theories?? I couldn't find anything on here or Arcanum when I tried searching but I know someone else has had to have noticed this!

WOW!!!! I'm fairly new, and not entirely sure of spoilers, where to and where NOT TO mention them in topic, so all I will say is WOW!!! There was 1 part I wasnt a big fan of, NOT.....AT.....ALL!!!!! I mean, I get why it happened, I get WHY it had to happen, the whole "Heroes Journey" and all, but you can see it coming a mile away. I find it hard to believe, after everything he had learned, what he knew could potentially happen, that he would continue down that path nonetheless. Sure, it leads up to an AMAZING redemption/growth scene, but still, lol. Gonna start Oath Bringer tomorrow, and then it seems we have quite the wait for book 4, oh well, cant be any worse then waiting for George R.R. Martin to come out with Winds of Winter!! I mean, it's only been , what, 4,5 years now? Maybe longer? I have never had to EAGERLY wait for a BS novel. I read Elantris and wasnt aware he was making part 2 so, it was already out by the time I learned it had been written. Mistborn, books 1-3, as well as the 2nd era had been released before I started that series, and Bands of Mourning came out a couple months after i had finished Shadows of Self. Waiting for Bands of Mourning wasnt bad at all, having just read 1-3 of the 1st Era, and 1-2 of the 2nd era, I was experiencing a bit of "Scadrial" overload as it was, lol. That being said, book 4 in the Stormlight series has no hard date yet, but I've read that it has a tentative release date for the fall of 2020. Again, not having had to wait for any of his books in the past, how accurate are his dates? How have they been in past releases? I'm sure he cant deliever ALL OF THE TIME, things come up, a chapter or so needs rewriting, he has a family/private emergency that comes up that delays progress, it happens, but, again, with all that being said, how accurate are his dates? Does he usually deliever close to the given date? If he says fall 2020, will it be winter 2020 at the latest, or, in the past, had he said winter, but ultimately postponed release untill say, idk, late spring early summer of the same year, 4-6 months overdo?!?!

Not sure if it this has been brought up in here before but haven't seen anything while looking and here we are. In Words of Radiance chapter 30 "Nature Blushing" while Shallan is still traveling to the war camps on the Shattered Plains, she notices a thicket of growth that stands out as unusually lush compared to the surrounding landscape and considering the general climate of the region. She has the group all stop and while shes's in this little thicket she starts to draw. Now, I already thought this little "garden" stood out as odd but then she starts to note all the diverse spren and flora, then has that drawing session where she unknowingly draws a scene with a certain set of sailors (presumably Yalb and the other wreck survivors) and another depicting a woman taking a chisel to a statues face (if you know, you know). Why was Shallan able to draw these scenes which we can reasonably assume were events that were either happening or had recently happened elsewhere on Roshar when she shouldn't have been able to? Was it something to do with the seemingly random and unimportant "garden" in the middle of nowhere? Is that "garden" a significant place or just a random tidbit, because it really jumped out at me. Thoughts?

Hello all again. I have not come to revive the debate over Kaladin killing Szeth or not. I have come to ask afew question I was confused about, and when I looked over 17th Shard, I couldn't find them answered. How does Nale revive Szeth-son-Neturo? We already know that bonding live spren can allow you to heal with Stormlight, so, can bonding deadeye spren (dead Shardblades) allow you to heal with Stormlight or not? Can you heal yourself using Stormlight in an Honorblade bond? If yes, why does Szeth-son-Neturo say that you can't in the WoK Prologue?

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement of Hoid. In that sense, Sanderson had been my favorite storyteller. He had broaden my mind and made me rethink my current perspectives of the world's workings especially when I read SA. Was there ever a point like that for you? Mine is certainly Jasnah's statement about the role of a woman. It is after reading the epigraph that I realize that it is truly absurd to even think that there is a certain "role" we must live up to. It is a refreshing persepective and certainly something that I want to adapt as my own.