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Do We Know All The Pov Characters?


laxrulz777

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Taravangian sounded like maybe, but I was probably over-interpreting the WoB. I don't think he's getting a book now because Brandon did not mention him later. WoBs (take careful note of the dates):

Marc Aplin
Okay, the next question we have�I think this one you might have answered before�but have we met all the main point-of-view characters yet? Or, if not, what percentage are we talking?

Brandon Sanderson
You have met almost all of them. Let me do a count... Let's see. The main characters in the book are�in the series�Kaladin, and Dalinar, Adolin, Jasnah, Shallan, and Navani, whom you all met in this book and most of them had viewpoints. Szeth, Taravangian, and Taln. And one of the other Heralds; I'm not going to tell you who that is. But I think you've met...you have, I'm sure, met that person; I know he's in there. And so, I think you've met them all, basically. Taln is the person who shows up in the epilogue.

Marc Aplin
Excellent.

Footnote
Brandon confirmed that Shalash was seen in The Way of Kings, but he also hinted there were others.
(source)

 

Outis
Do you know the order of 6-10?

Brandon Sanderson
I know whose they are but I haven't decided the order.  Lift is one, Taln is one.  The person who calls himself Taln.

Footnote
6-10 presumably means books 6-10 of Stormlight Archive.
(source)

 

Question
Is the second half of the series based off of some of these interlude characters?

Brandon Sanderson
Some of the interlude characters, yes.  And some that aren't interlude characters.  For example, Renarin is going to be one of the back five.
(source)

 

ISw3arItWasntM3 ()
Do you plan to write the Stormlight Archive books with the same POV characters throughout the series (like WoT) or do you think that you give other characters POV (aSoIaF) as the series continues?

Brandon Sanderson
Most of the main POV characters have been introduced. Each book will take one major character (Kaladin, Dalinar, Adolin, Jasnah, Shallan, Navani, Szeth, Taln) and give them 'flashback' sequences in the same way Kaladin got flashbacks in the first book. There are some open spots for which I'm toying with other characters being used.

Other characters will get viewpoints now and then, but I feel that one of the ways that big series get off track is by changing the focus to side characters. (Note that I will continue doing the Interludes to give some other voices and perspectives screen time. Few of these will be main characters.)

oditogre
This problem, more than any other thing, 'broke' 3 of the biggest fantasy series for me (you can probably guess which ones)—I gave up on each of them partway through.

I liked Mistborn, but honestly I hadn't planned on even giving Stormlight Archive a chance because I assumed it would do the same type of thing as those other series. Knowing what you said above, I'm going to have to pick up that first book, now.

BRANDON SANDERSON
I'm hoping it will work. If I can do it right, and each main character gets a book of their own, it should keep me on track.

The sprawl gets reduced, in theory, as each book has its own specific focus. You get a little of each main character in each book, but one takes center stage and you get a full story with them. (Flashbacks to their past, getting them to the first book, and a depth of story for their narrative in the novel.)

If you do read the book, one of the things I do to try to keep this all from going out of control is I write what are called "Interludes." Most of these (all but the ones about a character named Szeth) are essentially short stories in the world, about characters you don't have to remember or learn. They add depth, expand the plot, but are set off as their own thing with a specific sort of "This won't be on the final" sort of feel.
(source)

 

The last one here mentions Adolin/Navani, but I think I've heard Navani's not getting a book anymore.

Edited by Moogle
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Are you talking about PoV as in Kaladin's PoV book is Way of Kings? If so, then we don't have a real confirmation on those four. 

 

In terms of that definition, we know that Szeth, Eshonai, and Dalinar get books (assuming that even if Szeth doesn't have Skybreaker, he'll get some other book along the way). 

 

We've gotten hints that "Taln" will get a book, and I think it would be cool to see Hoid get a book (but I kind of doubt it). 

 

If you're wondering about just plain old viewpoint characters, try this.

 

 

 

EDIT: Ninja'd like a pirate. 

Edited by Lord Pifferdoo
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The characters are currently planned to be:

 

Kaladin, Shallan, Szeth, Eshonai, Dalinar, Taln, Renarin, Jasnah, Lift, and Shalash.

 

He first mentioned this line-up last August and he mentioned it again at the Chicago signing a few weeks ago (but I've not transcribed that portion of the audio yet.

 

Edit: @Edgedancer, while you are correct that Brandon is no longer sure whose flashback is going to be featured in Stormlight 3  it is still going to be either Szeth, Eshonai, or Dalinar and not somebody new.

Edited by WeiryWriter
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I think this was March 22nd in Chicago

Q: Will Jasnah be one of the characters that gets her own book?

A: She will be.

Brandon isn't even sure who the PoV character for book 3 is going to be anymore. Even if we get a clear answer it would be up for changes.

He isn't sure who but it will be one of the remaining "big 5" (i.e. Szeth, Dalinar, Eshonai). I'll try to dig up the WoB (I think it was recent) but he essentially said he's written all the PoV flashbacks and he's just trying to figure out which one synthesizes best with the story for book 3.

Are you talking about PoV as in Kaladin's PoV book is Way of Kings? If so, then we don't have a real confirmation on those four.

We've gotten hints that "Taln" will get a book, and I think it would be cool to see Hoid get a book (but I kind of doubt it).

I'm not looking for locked in stone "ZOMG I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'D DO THIS TO US" never-gonna-change lists... But more about where his current thinking was.

shalash

This is news to me. I hadn't seen her mentioned anywhere (though a Herald would be awesome and help to flesh out the story a lot).

Wasn't Rysn (spelling? the girl with the potted grass) a possibility at one point or was that fandom desire?

It sounds like the best list right now is Jasnah, Renarin, Lift, "Taln", XXXXX with that list always in flux.

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We must not confuse POV characters, flashback characters and major KR viewpoints. They are not the same. A character being designated as a flashback character may not become a major KR viewpoint or may not even be as heavily featured as Kaladin and Shallan.

 

The first two books presented a pattern where the flashback character also was the main KR viewpoint. Brandon explicitly stated this pattern would not repeat itself for all books. We thus cannot assume every flashback characters will be KR. We cannot either assume a book labelled as presenting (for example), Szeth" flashback will also feature Szeth as the main character in the main story arc.

 

Main story arc, interludes and flashbacks are three different stories Brandon planned to mix as he sees fit.

 

So if your questions is; "Do we know all of the flashback characters?". The answer is yes, we do, but there is no guaranty it won't change. If your question is more: "Do we know who the 10 major KR viewpoints similar to Kaladin and Shallan will be?" The answer is no, we don't and we cannot assume it will be the flashback characters. Other characters may become major KR viewpoint without having a dedicated flashback book. Other character could be used to explore a given order than the flashback characters even if one of them falls within the same order. Unless I missed a WoB somewhere, we just do not know.

 

We have been assuming too much. No way Brandon is that predictable.

 

Edit: spelling

Edited by maxal
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We must not confuse POV characters, flashback characters and major KR viewpoints. They are not the same. A character being designated as a flashback character may not become a major KR viewpoint or may not even be as heavily featured as Kaladin and Shallan.

 

The first two books presented a pattern where the flashback character also was the main KR viewpoint. Brandon explicitly stated this pattern would not repeat itself for all books. We thus cannot assume every flashback characters will be KR. We cannot either assume a book labelled as presenting (for example), Szeth" flashback will also feature Szeth as the main character in the main story arc.

 

Main story arc, interludes and flashbacks are three different stories Brandon planned to mix as he sees fit.

 

So if your questions is; "Do we know all of the flashback characters?". The answer is yes, we do, but there is no guaranty it won't change. If your question is more: "Do we know who the 10 major KR viewpoints similar to Kaladin and Shallan will be?" The answer is no, we don't and we cannot assume it will be the flashback characters. Other characters may become major KR viewpoint without having a dedicated flashback book. Other character could be used to explore a given order then the flashback characters even if one of them falls within the same order. Unless I missed a WoB somewhere, we just do not know.

 

We have been assuming too much. No way Brandon is that predictable.

This answer is the one that excites me most. Becuase I really want to get a PoV from

Taravangian, a Herald who isn't Taln, Taln, Eshonai, Jasnah, Naln, Navani and about half a dozen more...

 

I'm also skeptical (frankly) that a book making heavy use of Renarin flashbacks could tell us much more than what we already know (especially once we have Dalinar's flashbacks).

 

So if the flashbacks are (for example): Taravangian, Jasnah, Shalash, Navani, Taln

but the books main action was focused on: Renarin, Jasnah, Lift, Adolin, Taln

 

I could be really happy with that... especially given that there is plenty of room for additional satellite PoVs (maybe Navani can't drive a whole book but she can play a support role like Adolin did in book 2 for example).

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This answer is the one that excites me most. Becuase I really want to get a PoV from

Taravangian, a Herald who isn't Taln, Taln, Eshonai, Jasnah, Naln, Navani and about half a dozen more...

 

I'm also skeptical (frankly) that a book making heavy use of Renarin flashbacks could tell us much more than what we already know (especially once we have Dalinar's flashbacks).

 

So if the flashbacks are (for example): Taravangian, Jasnah, Shalash, Navani, Taln

but the books main action was focused on: Renarin, Jasnah, Lift, Adolin, Taln

 

I could be really happy with that... especially given that there is plenty of room for additional satellite PoVs (maybe Navani can't drive a whole book but she can play a support role like Adolin did in book 2 for example).

 

This is exactly how I feel it may come into play. The next book will present the flashback from either Szeth, Eshonai or Dalinar, but these characters may not be the main focus of the main story arc. Perhaps they will, but perhaps they won't.

 

Maybe wel'll get a few Navani's POV, maybe we won't. Without making her a major character, I would personally like it.

 

I would not call Adolin a support character though... In terms of number of POV, he's number three or four (I think he may now have more POV than Dalinar, but I am not sure). By the end of WoR, he is at least as important as Dalinar and probably as important as Kaladin and Shallan. I doubt we are going to stop reading about him in the book.

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I would not call Adolin a support character though... In terms of number of POV, he's number three or four (I think he may now have more POV than Dalinar, but I am not sure). By the end of WoR, he is at least as important as Dalinar and probably as important as Kaladin and Shallan. I doubt we are going to stop reading about him in the book.

I wasn't implying that he IS a support character. I agree with you that he'll be a major driver in book 3 and beyond. But in book 2, he took a back seat to Shallan, Kaladin and Dalinar. Throughout that book Adolin grew into a major character. I was just saying Navani could serve a similar role (IMO) as the 4th POV character for a book. I'm skeptical, at this point, that she could be the MAIN POV character for a book.

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I wasn't implying that he IS a support character. I agree with you that he'll be a major driver in book 3 and beyond. But in book 2, he took a back seat to Shallan, Kaladin and Dalinar. Throughout that book Adolin grew into a major character. I was just saying Navani could serve a similar role (IMO) as the 4th POV character for a book. I'm skeptical, at this point, that she could be the MAIN POV character for a book.

 

Funny. While reading WoR, I thought Dalinar was taking a back seat to make room for Adolin ;)

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I'm also skeptical (frankly) that a book making heavy use of Renarin flashbacks could tell us much more than what we already know (especially once we have Dalinar's flashbacks).

 

I think there's a lot more to Renarin's background than you're giving him credit for. If Dalinar's flashbacks told us everything about Renarin's life, he wouldn't really be Renarin, but would actually just be "Dalinar's Second Son." Given this is Brandon, I'm 100% confident Renarin is a fully fleshed out character, as many of his Interluders no doubt are.

 

In addition, Dalinar's flashbacks could all be prior to having children, when he earned the name Blackthorn, when he visited the Nightwatcher, or any other time in his life, and Renarin could never get mentioned. Moreover, Renarin's flashbacks could detail his (WoB admitted) odd relationship with his spren, Glys. Renarin's flashbacks could finally reveal to us details about Shshsh. Making the assumption that Renarin's flashbacks would reveal nothing more than what we'd learn from Dalinar's flashbacks is not giving Renarin enough credit as a character. Renarin's depth has already been, in my mind, sufficiently detailed and hinted at; Renarin's anti-socialness and his box, the screaming in his head, the trauma that seeing parts of the future has clearly had on him, the desire to be like his father and brother (and his inability to be so), the pressure from not wholely conforming to Vorin standards, and the list goes on. And I'm not even a Renarin fanboy *stares at other specific forum members*

 

My point is, there is almost no reason for you to be skeptical. Renarin is a very detailed character, and definitely has had experiences in his past that would be worth flashbacks, I'm sure of it. Plus, as Weiry pointed out, there's also the 15 year gap that the flashbacks could cover.

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I think there's a lot more to Renarin's background than you're giving him credit for. If Dalinar's flashbacks told us everything about Renarin's life, he wouldn't really be Renarin, but would actually just be "Dalinar's Second Son." Given this is Brandon, I'm 100% confident Renarin is a fully fleshed out character, as many of his Interluders no doubt are.

...

My point is, there is almost no reason for you to be skeptical. Renarin is a very detailed character, and definitely has had experiences in his past that would be worth flashbacks, I'm sure of it. Plus, as Weiry pointed out, there's also the 15 year gap that the flashbacks could cover.

Brandon has earned the trust I place in him as an author and he's yet to spoil that. I distinctly remember thinking that Shallan was going to have this stupidly cliched experience in the war camps where the bandit lady (name escapes me) would try to blackmail her because she would think that Shallan was conning Alodin. I actually got kind of nervous reading because it seemed so obvious. Then, a chapter later, BAM... bandit dead... totally different plot direction for Shallan / Alodin. Sanderson has done that multiple times and it really impresses me so if he says "Renarin will have flashbacks" then I'm okay with it.

 

The 15 year gap also gives me a ton of hope. I could totally see book 6 picking up with a strong, confidence Renarin and having flashbacks to how he used to be (we've also still got 3 books in the first 5 so he could become strong and confident in these books). Renarin may be a fully fleshed out character in Brandon's mind. He isn't particularly interesting in my mind (in fact, I'll admit, I was a little bit like "what? really?" when he just waltzes in and goes, "Yup... Truthwatcher up in here, Yo" (I think that's the quote, right?). I knew something was going on with him but didn't realize he was going to be a KR.

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I'm kind of fascinated by Shalash, who she is, what she wants and why she destroys her own statues. Nalans friend thinks that she is affected the most by the curse affecting the Heralds. Also Im fascinated by the Shalash meets Shallan scene thats likely to happen sometime. Also, Jezrien is a Windrunner herald while Shalash is Lightweaver herald and they're father-daughter. Also note that honorspren hate cryptics - perhaps a hint towards father-daughter relationship?

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  • 2 years later...
On 12/03/2015 at 1:32 PM, Blaze1616 said:

Renarin's anti-socialness and his box, the screaming in his head, the trauma that seeing parts of the future has clearly had on him

The screaming in his head, and (at least as I read it) the "epilepsy"/fits he had were down to touching his none-Glys Shardblade, weren't they? 

Either way, with 3+ books left there's so much that Sanderson can do with Renarin which will give us a better idea of what sort of focus and timeframe his backstory would have. 

Alongside Szeth, and becoming "Truthless", Taln's will be incredible insight into more of the Cosmere/formation of the oathpact etc., really can't wait! 

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  • 1 month later...
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