Rhythm of War Part Four Reactions

[Chaos Adonalsium]

If you're reading the book and you want to liveblog some thoughts as you read, this thread will exist so you can chat about Part Four but NOT be spoiled by later stuff in the book. So feel free to discuss Part Four of Rhythm of War! 

No spoilers, even tagged, for later portions of Rhythm of War beyond Part Four.

[Eternal Khol Soulcaster]

Some Interesting stuffs in this part

 

 

-thaidakar is a Cognitive Shadow/spren

-the desolations have been going on for 7,000 years(which means they started only 3,000 years after the Shattering)

-our first glimpse of Cosmere Dragons!!!(in minature Lightweaving form) and they sound almost exactly like described in the Dragonsteel prime chapters, down to the Dragonsteel running along their bodies

-Hoid confirms that 1 dragon is on Roshar

Edited November 17, 2020 by Eternal Khol

[Vulcronos Noble-Blooded]

Could Thaidakar even be a Shard or an Avatar of Autonomy? Is that the source of his mental breaks similar to heralds?

Could Cultivation be the Dragon?

[ThurgreatMarshall Idrian Monk]

I have so many rapidly changing feelings about Raboniel.

The Hoid story was fantastic. 

 

[HipsterStick Gyorn]

Holy frick I think that Thaidakar might actually be

Spoiler

Kelsier

Storms storms storms storms

[Kered Soulcaster]

1 hour ago, HipsterStick said:

Holy frick I think that Thaidakar might actually be

  Reveal hidden contents

Kelsier

Storms storms storms storms

I can literally think of no other possibility. Scars, cognitive shadow and the Hoid bit. Unless this is a major misdirect by Brandon, I can't see it being anyone else. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Kered

[Child of Hodor Dawnsinger]

1 hour ago, Kered said:

I can literally think of no other possibility. Scars, cognitive shadow and the Hoid bit. Unless this is a major misdirect by Brandon, I can't see it being anyone else. 

It has to be. People have been theorizing he led the Ghostbloods for a while. His status as a ghost who got a new body through hemalurgy which relies on spikes in blood is where the name probably came from. 

[Kered Soulcaster]

1 minute ago, Child of Hodor said:

It has to be. People have been theorizing he led the Ghostbloods for a while. His status as a ghost who got a new body through hemalurgy which relies on spikes in blood is where the name probably came from. 

I think we're going to start seeing more of the other half of Kelsier Brandon always mentioned. The fact that Kelsier could have easily been a villain. I think a lot of it is going to depend on his current relationship with Sazed. 

 

[Kingsdaughter613 Prime]

I think the Mistborn forum is going to go insane as soon as we can discuss this outside this forum... Especially since W&W takes place in the timeskip between books 5&6.

[Wadih1999 Spren]

On 11/17/2020 at 9:58 AM, Eternal Khol said:

Some Interesting stuffs in this part

 

 

-thaidakar is a Cognitive Shadow/spren

-the desolations have been going on for 7,000 years(which means they started only 3,000 years after the Shattering)

-our first glimpse of Cosmere Dragons!!!(in minature Lightweaving form) and they sound almost exactly like described in the Dragonsteel prime chapters, down to the Dragonsteel running along their bodies

-Hoid confirms that 1 dragon is on Roshar

I read through the book rather quickly and will reread soon. I somehow skipped the thaidakar cognitive shadow bit. Which chapter is that so I can read it now? 

[Mason Wheeler Spinner]

Did we just get the name of Cultivation's Vessel? 

[Kingsdaughter613 Prime]

5 hours ago, Wadih1999 said:

I read through the book rather quickly and will reread soon. I somehow skipped the thaidakar cognitive shadow bit. Which chapter is that so I can read it now? 

Mraize says Thaidakar has a similar problem to Kalak. Ie. He can’t go offworld and will eventually go insane due to being a cognitive shadow.

That’s how I read it anyway, which basically confirmed who he was for me.

[Mason Wheeler Spinner]

Raysium confirmed as the dagger's identity.  Soul trapping confirmed as the dagger's mode of operation.  This adds a ton of weight to the Hemalurgy theory!

[IcaroRibeiro Silent Gatherer]

The extension of Venli's sins are far beyond everything I expected 

 

I expected ambition and lust for power yes, but I was expecting she was pushed by the war and fear of humans

Her chapter on Gavilar Assassination Plot was probably my favorite flashback chapter in the series so far. I felt like reading a russian doll, each layer and point of view uncover another truth that lead to other secrets. Can't wait for book 5 when we will finish uncovering this event 

[DeployParachute Spinner]

The first Dabbid POV...I didn't think I could still get choked up reading a book...

[IcaroRibeiro Silent Gatherer]

On 17/11/2020 at 9:22 PM, HipsterStick said:

Holy frick I think that Thaidakar might actually be

  Reveal hidden contents

Kelsier

Storms storms storms storms

This... actually makes a lot of sense

[DeployParachute Spinner]

Why does it seem, first in OB, and now I'm RoW, that so many revelations being delivered that should feel big, seem to be landing with an underwhelming thump. There were a lot of good things I liked in part four. Navani's final scenes with Raboniel for instance. The Dabbid viewpoint was wonderful. But the Shadesmar scenes for some reason aren't hitting me the way I think they are supposed to be. I don't believe it's solely my detesting if Adolin's lack of an arc. Something is just not resonating with me. I expected more of a climax from this section.

Well, on to part 5. I'm growing increasingly concerned for Kaladin. Someone has to fail. Adolin passed his "trial", Shallan stepped back from the brink (also underwhelming to me). Where is the failure going to come? Perhaps Kaladin will betray everyone's hopes and expectations of him. Succumb to Odium. Become his champion. I don't want it, but storm it, something interesting needs to start happening with these characters...

Edited November 19, 2020 by DeployParachute

[Kingsdaughter613 Prime]

42 minutes ago, DeployParachute said:

Why does it seem, first in OB, and now I'm RoW, that so many revelations being delivered that should feel big, seem to be landing with an underwhelming thump. There were a lot of good things I liked in part four. Navani's final scenes with Raboniel for instance. The Dabbid viewpoint was wonderful. But the Shadesmar scenes for some reason aren't hitting me the way I think they are supposed to be. I don't believe it's solely my detesting if Adolin's lack of an arc. Something is just not resonating with me. I expected more of a climax from this section.

Well, on to part 5. I'm growing increasingly concerned for Kaladin. Someone has to fail. Adolin passed his "trial", Shallan stepped back from the brink (also underwhelming to me). Where is the failure going to come? Perhaps Kaladin will betray everyone's hopes and expectations of him. Succumb to Odium. Become his champion. I don't want it, but storm it, something interesting needs to start happening with these characters...

I think it’s because we already knew/guessed a lot of what was revealed.

And Adolin does have an arc. It resonates very well if you are a parent of a cognitively delayed child who just wants the world to see her for who she is, not what they expect her to be. I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am to Brandon for writing those scenes.

Adolin doesn’t have the arc you want. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an arc, nor that it’s an unrelatable one.

[DeployParachute Spinner]

1 hour ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

I think it’s because we already knew/guessed a lot of what was revealed.

And Adolin does have an arc. It resonates very well if you are a parent of a cognitively delayed child who just wants the world to see her for who she is, not what they expect her to be. I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am to Brandon for writing those scenes.

Adolin doesn’t have the arc you want. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an arc, nor that it’s an unrelatable one.

More likely we just have very different definitions of what constitutes a character arc. I didn't get anything of the sort from Adolin's viewpoints, but I don't begrudge you or anyone else from finding personal meaning in what they've read there.

[Kingsdaughter613 Prime]

Just now, DeployParachute said:

More likely we just have very different definitions of what constitutes a character arc. I didn't get anything of the sort from Adolin's viewpoints, but I don't begrudge you or anyone else from finding personal meaning in what they've read there.

Have you ever tried telling an idiot neurologist that your daughter recognizes you and reacts to you, while they insist that you’re wrong? It took three years, when she started smiling again, that they finally admitted she could recognize me. The way Adolin acts with Maya vs. everyone else is basically my life with my girl.

[DeployParachute Spinner]

15 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

Have you ever tried telling an idiot neurologist that your daughter recognizes you and reacts to you, while they insist that you’re wrong? It took three years, when she started smiling again, that they finally admitted she could recognize me. The way Adolin acts with Maya vs. everyone else is basically my life with my girl.

Brandon wrote a very specific kind of relationship between Adolin and Maya, from which you were able to derive a deep appreciation and sense of gratitude from for it's representation. While I don't consider these interactions to be a character arc for Adolin, that does not mean that the contain no meaning or value for anyone, myself included. Adolin's personality and positive interactions make me feel good, but since that is all that I get from him, it makes him a less interesting character to me.   

The last thing I'll say in this, because I think it is important. I'm simply expressing my opinion on Adolin the character, and that opinion does not negate the personal experience and satisfaction you've taken from those chapters. I am grateful to have learned through you that there were other ways of appreciating these scenes than I had considered before. I can only promise that I will remember this interaction should I encounter a similarly situated family in my own life, and not add to the problems they may be facing that are similar to yours.

[Kingsdaughter613 Prime]

22 minutes ago, DeployParachute said:

Brandon wrote a very specific kind of relationship between Adolin and Maya, from which you were able to derive a deep appreciation and sense of gratitude from for it's representation. While I don't consider these interactions to be a character arc for Adolin, that does not mean that the contain no meaning or value for anyone, myself included. Adolin's personality and positive interactions make me feel good, but since that is all that I get from him, it makes him a less interesting character to me.   

The last thing I'll say in this, because I think it is important. I'm simply expressing my opinion on Adolin the character, and that opinion does not negate the personal experience and satisfaction you've taken from those chapters. I am grateful to have learned through you that there were other ways of appreciating these scenes than I had considered before. I can only promise that I will remember this interaction should I encounter a similarly situated family in my own life, and not add to the problems they may be facing that are similar to yours.

That’s what I wanted to do: show you that these scenes can be viewed differently.

You’re right in some ways: Adolin’s arc isn’t about him. It’s about Maya. When you care for a child with those disabilities your growth becomes deeply tied to theirs. Maya’s growth is Adolin’s growth, if that makes any sense. It’s not about him; it’s about her.

Admittedly, it’s very hard to explain or understand without experiencing it. It’s both the most heartbreaking and the most awesome thing in the world.

[Blacksmithki High Prelan]

So part four had so much new information, and everything going forward is going to seriously change!

Suddenly, all at once, a war lead by two functionally immortal groups suddenly developed the ability for both sides to permanently kill each other.

Does anyone else absolutely love Design? That whole story was great, and i wonder who the dragon is? I suppose it could be cultivation, i think brandon has mentioned that at least one shard is a dragon, but with the sheer number of off-world characters in Roshar it might well not be her.

But i think the most interesting thing is that the spren chose the recreance, and clearly it was not just because of the news the humans were the invaders. What in the world could have scared them all off so much? Was it possibly that they learned the same thing Nale feared about allowing the voidspren to cheat their way back? But if so, why would the skybreakers not have been the first to abandon their oaths? And if it's something else, still why did the skybreakers alone remain?

I wonder what drew all of the deadeyes? I wonder if they all heard about the trial and came to protest and hope, or if someone reached out to them? How in the world did the ones under the ocean learn about the trial? Can the deadeyes communicate to each other? Or did someone organize the entire thing?

I think it was part 3 but the view of the dawnsingers was very interesting. What was up with them just naturally using their powers?

Oh and interestingly enough none of the other windrunners appear to have said their 4th oath so far, i wonder if Kaladin was right about them waiting or if really they just haven't cracked it yet?

Edited November 20, 2020 by Blacksmithki

[Blacksmithki High Prelan]

Hey man, unless I'm blanking hard on my names you might want to recall this is the part four spoiler board.

Oh no I swear I hit quote but it doesn't seem to have done so. I need to figure out how to mention you.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Blacksmithki

[Kingsdaughter613 Prime]

22 minutes ago, Blacksmithki said:

Hey man, unless I'm blanking hard on my names you might want to recall this is the part four spoiler board.

Oh no I swear I hit quote but it doesn't seem to have done so. I need to figure out how to mention you.

I hid it. The other person mentioned something from a later moment and I got confused over which part events took place in. Thanks for pointing it out!