I see mini-Sanderlanches are a thing (Part-by-Part reactions)

[LewsTherinTelescope]

This post will have reactions to Part 1, in the replies I'll post reactions to the other parts.

I actually forgot that this was only Part 1. This just felt like such an ending to the book. But of course, it may be a draft, but it's still a Stormlight (or rather, Oathshards) book.

Elhokar's being in on it took me by complete surprise. I had seen a WoB that in tWoK Prime,

Spoiler

Dalenar had to kill Elhokar, but I figured that that was just Elhokar being even more incompetent than in the released book. I never even imagined he was actually gonna be evil.

To move to another topic, the absense of spren has felt weird, considering the role they play in the published books.

Seeing WoBs has spoiled certain things I know will come later:

Spoiler

• Dalenar killing Elhokar
• The Honorblades only track each other, not the Heralds themselves

And of course, knowing how the Oathpact went in the published books, I can make a pretty good guess at what I expect has happened in this book (although who knows, I guess). Though the fact that the Church refused to say that it was over for a couple centuries seems odd to me. I imagine the rest of the book may answer that.

Do keep in mind, all these are only based on Part 1 of the book.

So far, I'd say it's better than the other unpublished novel of his I've read, Aether of Night. Although, I feel like Aether's magic interested me much more than tWoK Prime's has so far. But as this is Stormlight, I assume that as I go, I'll learn much more, and become more interested in it.

Edited July 8, 2020 by beewall

[Ironeyes]

I spent the last five or six chapters of Part 1 glancing at the scroll bar every couple paragraphs, unable to convince myself it wasn't the end of the book.

[LewsTherinTelescope]

2 minutes ago, Ironeyes said:

I spent the last five or six chapters of Part 1 glancing at the scroll bar every couple paragraphs, unable to convince myself it wasn't the end of the book.

Yeah, this book has really made me see what Sanderson meant when he said that he plots the Stormlight books out as a trilogy-in-one. I'm still relatively early in Part 2, but imo it almost feels like a sequel more than a "Part", in some ways. (Though it doesn't quite have the pacing of a sequel either, but it feels a lot closer to one than most books have.)

From the look of it, Part 3 is much shorter than either Part 1 or Part 2, so I wonder if it'll fit more with Part 2 than 2 did with 1, or if it'll just be like a shorter book to finish the "trilogy"?

[LewsTherinTelescope]

Part 2 finished.

Maybe I should've done chapter-by-chapter... so much happened.

Curious about Meridas's backstory. He was probably someone important somewhere, but where?

Who was the "witness" to the Traitor's innocence?

Has there been an answer yet to who the mysterious third army was?

 

Most of these I expect might be answered in Part 3, although it was gonna be a large series, like Stormlight, so probably not everything will be answered.

 

I expect Dalenar will win the duel, but will it be a proper win, or will Elhokar do what Dalinar was considering and give himself up? I didn't expect to even consider the latter, but this chapter does show he seems to care, at least. (Sure, Dalenar could lose, but I doubt it. But it's not beyond possibility.)

Curious about the guy (spacing on his name) who left to join the Vedens. The advisor. I half expect he's one of the Heralds, assuming that, like in the published books, they abandoned the Oathpact (as opposed to being Vyred).

Part 3, here I come!

[LewsTherinTelescope]

Part 3 done.

All I can say is hooooly Heralds.

The dude Ishar was masquerading as was Balsomething the advisor, correct? If so, I'm surprised I got it right. When I suspected he was a Herald, Ishar was my top suspect.

The peasant who claimed to know Taln, combined with Taln not dissolving, tricked me. Completely. And then it was actually two Heralds?!

And the Heralds themselves appear to be fooled, in this timeline.

What exactly was meant by "the one who betrayed the others"? Does it mean he joined with Odium Prime? Does it mean he broke the Oathpact without consulting them? And does it still hold in the release timeline? I personally like the theory Ishar betrayed the rest already, and I'm very interested in the fact it appears to have been in the plans, at least at first.

And when did they think Ishar died, to be shocked he was still alive?

And the Heralds believe when they die, it'll be final, now?

What's up with the Voidbringer Primes?

I have so, so many questions. Some might be able to be figured out from later Stormlight books, some never will be answered, because it's been rewritten so heavily.

 

This was exactly what I expect from a Sanderson book, even if it's an unpublished draft. Definitely better than Aether (although I stand by my previous statement that I want to see the Aethers fleshed out more than the Epellions, though that's reversed for the published novel - I think I would prefer to see the spren fleshed out more than Aethers. Although, didn't Syl originate in an Aether rewrite? So I suppose the spren are almost a spritual successor of the Aethers [yes, I know the Aethers do still exist in canon]).

 

Edit: I forgot about the cuss filter lol. Because "holy storm" didn't have the same ring to it as the original non-book curse, I've changed it to a different one still based on the novels that sounds better to me (although I can't recall whether it was ever actually used in-universe).

Edited July 9, 2020 by beewall