RoW Chapter 2 & 3 Discussion

[Jofwu]

Here's a discussion thread on RoW Chapters 2 and 3. You can read them here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/28/read-rhythm-of-war-by-brandon-sanderson-chapters-two-and-three/

A new chapter (or two) will go live every Tuesday at 9am Eastern.

[Agent34]

This is suspiciously quiet. It's nice to have a translated term for the Fused as well as solid confirmation on there being nine types. 

Worrying that Navani's slipping into a similar pattern to how she was with Gavilar, in regards to being with Dalinar.

Edit: obligatory mention of adorable Oroden

Edited July 28, 2020 by Agent34

[Michael Portz]

And KalaLyn is over bevor it was ever shipped ... 

[Gears]

Shallan/Veil/Radiant seems to be doing well, though being kidnapped isn't the best for one's mental state. Kaladin had a girlfriend‽ And the romance dies so soon... To capture a spren, one must remove the Stormlight from the gemstone. Speculation time! I have no clue. Radiants? Radiant mimicry? Also, the Mink is really cool.

[rjl]

SO a few thoughts, firstly fun:

1. I called the flying ship being there
2. I also called Dalinar and Navani being there (based on ch7 references)

Secondly more major stuff:

1. From 1 Edgedancer in total (in Oathbringer) to having a dozen on one mission a year later - recruitment seems to be going well
2. The Sibling as the power source of Uritiru AND having died in the recreance, probably as Melishi's spren - long running theory seems to have been confirmed

[+Child of Hodor]

The new Fused power is sweet! What a fight.  "Gagadin!" 

I see Shallan's persona issues are ... I guess better ... but no less disturbing.

"Odium's armies had lost tens of thousands in that strategically unimportant region" ... it's probably important to him for some reason. 

I knew Navani would get her airships working! 

[Red Windrunner]

For how cool the Fourth Bridge is, I wish we would have seen some of Bridge 4 along for the ride. I expect we will see them in the battle. 

[What's a Seawolf?]

Just when I thought we'd seen the last of the literal Bridge Four, Brandon goes and transforms it into a storming flying ship!

I love how ubiquitous Windrunners and Edgedancers are now, and Lift trying to mimic the gracefulness of other Edgedancers is adorable.

I have no idea what to make of the Shallan section.  I thought a year of having a solid relationship with Adolin and having her brothers around would help her mental state, but she still seems in a not too healthy spot.  I can't even fathom what truth her personas was referring, I thought we had learned everything there was to learn about her past.

All in all, two fantastic chapters.

[Red Windrunner]

1 minute ago, What's a Seawolf? said:

Just when I thought we'd seen the last of the literal Bridge Four, Brandon goes and transforms it into a storming flying ship!

I love how ubiquitous Windrunners and Edgedancers are now, and Lift trying to mimic the gracefulness of other Edgedancers is adorable.

I have no idea what to make of the Shallan section.  I thought a year of having a solid relationship with Adolin and having her brothers around would help her mental state, but she still seems in a not too healthy spot.  I can't even fathom what truth her personas was referring, I thought we had learned everything there was to learn about her past.

All in all, two fantastic chapters.

The physical Bridge 4 will never fully disappear from the series at this point. And yes I love seeing the Windrunner/Edgedancer Partnership. Hoping we start to see a few other orders jump in to help. 

[Agent34]

14 hours ago, Child of Hodor said:

I see Shallan's persona issues are ... I guess better ... but no less disturbing.

 

14 hours ago, What's a Seawolf? said:

I have no idea what to make of the Shallan section.  I thought a year of having a solid relationship with Adolin and having her brothers around would help her mental state, but she still seems in a not too healthy spot.  I can't even fathom what truth her personas was referring, I thought we had learned everything there was to learn about her past.

While it doesn't look healthy compared to how Shallan was when we first met her this is definitely an improvement on Oathbringer. They're in a stable balance between the three.

Edited July 29, 2020 by Agent34

[Innovation]

Fabrials in conjunction with aluminum! Brilliant! I wonder if they could change from Chulls to horses. That would be much faster. 

[Ailvara]

3 minutes ago, What's a Seawolf? said:

I have no idea what to make of the Shallan section.  I thought a year of having a solid relationship with Adolin and having her brothers around would help her mental state, but she still seems in a not too healthy spot.  I can't even fathom what truth her personas was referring, I thought we had learned everything there was to learn about her past.

I think we mostly did. She could hardly have killed a third parent. She's again suppressing the truths she's already spoken.

[Agent34]

1 minute ago, Ailvara said:

I think we mostly did. She could hardly have killed a third parent. She's again suppressing the truths she's already spoken.

I don't think she can, tbh. It sounded like once a Truth is spoken it can't be forgotten, which led to the creation of Radiant. If you can't bury it then work around it.

[Toaster Retribution]

I am not sure that I agree with the notion that Shallans issues are better. Different, yes, but not better. She still uses her personas to shield her from dealing with issues, and she is now essentially three personalities in one body. That cant be healthy long-term. She defenitely has huge issues to deal with.

Also, why haven´t anyone mentioned that Shallan is hunting the Sons of Honor, and that Ialai seems to be working with them, and is attempting a betrayal. Are the entirety of the Sons going to pull an Amaram and join Odium? Or are they trying to pursue an independet goal unrelated to the KRs and Odium? Also, will we finally meet Restares?

Kaladin had a relationship with Lyn. I guess the shipping threads will be fun now. 

Also, if the Mink continues being awesome, he will be one of my favorite characters soon. 

Just now, Innovation said:

I wonder if they could change from Chulls to horses. That would be much faster. 

Don´t you dare suggesting such heresy! Chulls are amazing creatures. 

[Nathrangking]

So much info. We knew based on the Comic Con reading that elsecallerish powers were in play it is fascinating to see this take on them. Also spren cannot even be killed by a shardblade they reform after a while interesting! Hunting the sons of honor, I need more Shallan what are you up to? What is this secret that you are keeping now? Lyn and Kal dear me who thought that was even a possibility? Alas it did not last. I love Syl and Hesina's take on it. That flying ship is impressive my Navani you have been busy. From captain to Highmarshal, Kaladin you have come up in the world! 12 edgedancers dear me Urithiru must be busy these days. Lift don't ever change. Dalinar the source of never ending stormlight what have you learned. Brandon enough with the teasing about the Sibling out with your secrets man!! The mink is interesting and unimpressed by Dalinar respect for that. Is he Radiant maybe soon we shall see. 

[Innovation]

Chulls and horses. Chulls for normal flight, but horses on call for an extra speed burst. After all, Chulls are beasts of burden and could work for longer. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Innovation

[Toaster Retribution]

2 minutes ago, Innovation said:

Chulls and horses. Chulls for normal flight, but horses on call for an extra speed burst. After all, Chulls are beasts of burden and could work for longer. 

Fair enough, I guess. As long as we dont get high rates of chull-unemployment. 

[Ciridae]

That fused is so cool. I wonder if an experienced Elsecaller or Willshaper could use the surge the same way? Kaladin does seem to realize it’s transportation, but it seems distinct from what he may habe seen from Jasnah. The way they form a new body everytime is not at all what I expected transportation to look like, but I love how different and new it feels. 
I really enjoyed reading this new Shallan, with the dialogue between the personalities. Reads much easier than OB Shallan. 
The Fourth Bridge was amazing too, absolutely loved that. Extremely cool to get to hear the explanation for how it works as well. I’m really happy Navani is our PoV for these parts. 
The Mink is awesome too, but the way he vanishes and appears without anybody noticing is super weird. Is he using transportation too? But then again his guards have never seen a radiant before and they would have noticed him glowing, right?

I also loved Syl and Hessina talking, and seeing Oroden warmed my heart.

[Red Windrunner]

They keep teasing the Mink is a Radiant. But it maybe a subversion. Though it seems part 1 will start at Hearthstone and move to the Fourth Bridge over Herdaz. How will Lirin feel about the civilians being pulled into a war zone? 

[+Child of Hodor]

19 minutes ago, Agent34 said:

I don't think she can, tbh. It sounded like once a Truth is spoken it can't be forgotten, which led to the creation of Radiant. If you can't bury it then work around it.

Yeah, I think it is something more we haven't learned yet. Something that doing accounting reminds her of? Wasn't she keeping her father's accounts, that's why she could jump right in and do Sebarial's accounting.  Did she contribute to her families financial ruin in some way? 

7 minutes ago, Ciridae said:

That fused is so cool. I wonder if an experienced Elsecaller or Willshaper could use the surge the same way? Kaladin does seem to realize it’s transportation, but it seems distinct from what he may habe seen from Jasnah. The way they form a new body everytime is not at all what I expected transportation to look like, but I love how different and new it feels. 
I really enjoyed reading this new Shallan, with the dialogue between the personalities. Reads much easier than OB Shallan. 

I would think the radiants with transportation or at least one of the two orders could transport themselves through the physical realm, not just to Shadesmar. I would guess the new body creation is a Fused only thing. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Child of Hodor

[Red Windrunner]

Just now, Child of Hodor said:

Yeah, I think it is something more we haven't learned yet. Something that doing accounting reminds her of? Wasn't she keeping her father's accounts, that's why she could jump right in and do Sebarial's accounting.  Did she contribute to her families financial ruin in some way? 

Well maybe she had a rich suitor to marry and killed him too. I joke of course 

[nonix]

Awesome reading the two chapters.

Big takeaways for me regarding Shallan, she seems to be doing better with her personalities, it sounds like we could be getting her saying her 5th ideal (truth) this book. Her hunting the Son's of Honor is also interesting, it raises the question of if this is a Ghostblood mission, and how much she knows about the Son's of Honor and what they and Gavilar were up to. 

From Kaladin's chapters, it's interesting to see Kaladin struggle so much with fighting a fused, but I suppose it's refreshing to know he can struggle and that he needs to keep learning and adjusting. I wonder how often Kaladin has gone out and fought a new fused and then had to go back to Urithiru to teach his fellow radiants and perhaps the army the technique for killing them, especially since it is apparent they know how to effectively kill Radiants. Since a large number of Windrunners are present, I'm interested in the total number current is and how many are from bridge 4. I'm assuming Kaladin is their commander. With so many Windrunner's I'm very curious to find out why the Honorspren stop bonding with humans since they seem to have no issue. What revelation is going to cause this?

The airship is awesome, I'm curious to see how the battle will go with the Shanay'im in the next chapters as we get to see them defend the airship and get to see the new Windrunners in action (how many are of the third ideal?). 

Overall lots of exciting stuff happening early in the book.

Edited July 28, 2020 by nonix

[rjl]

2 minutes ago, Red Windrunner said:

They keep teasing the Mink is a Radiant. But it maybe a subversion. Though it seems part 1 will start at Hearthstone and move to the Fourth Bridge over Herdaz. How will Lirin feel about the civilians being pulled into a war zone? 

Hopefully it will be a quick evac operation without complications and all over half way through part 1....

[Agent34]

2 minutes ago, Child of Hodor said:

Yeah, I think it is something more we haven't learned yet. Something that doing accounting reminds her of? Wasn't she keeping her father's accounts, that's why she could jump right in and do Sebarial's accounting.  Did she contribute to her families financial ruin in some way? 

Unless we're missing something (which is entirely possible) the financial ruin resulted from their soulcaster being damaged in the fight, meaning they couldn't create new stone deposits.

[nonix]

1 minute ago, rjl said:

Hopefully it will be a quick evac operation without complications and all over half way through part 1....

I also hope that it is over quickly, the operation itself seems small in the grand scheme of things, but I suppose that it can lead to new larger things. But I wouldn't be surprised if it is part 1 for the group.