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RoW Rambles


danex

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While I was reading this absolute beast of a book, I wrote down thoughts as I had them. I didn’t want to restrict myself by being super detailed or organized, I just sorta rambled as I read. Hence the name. A lot of the notes are just small little things I noticed, but a lot of them are rather cool, probably deserving of their own thread eventually. I would like to stress that I wrote these all as I was reading, if you don’t understand that, a lot of the things I say don’t make any sense. Also some of the epic reveals that I totally called won’t seem as impressive.:P
Here’s the google doc, I have it on suggest intentionally, people can sorta add their own thoughts in response to mine. Don’t worry, it’s just a copy, you won’t accidentally ruin anything.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Gx0JmrwgKKkD4nEcVPRUy1CCQFPzA-dilglvLU-jLQ/edit

Here is the whole thing in a spoiler too, so you can quote and respond easier. It’s long though, open at your own risk. :lol: Also, it removed a ton of formatting, so it might be harder to read or tell what I’m saying/emphasizing. 

Spoiler

Prologue

White Bearded House Steward With “Too many rings.” Feruchemist? Hoid?

There were 4 heralds in the palace the night Gavilar died. Nale, Kalak, Jezeren, and Shalash.

Wow, there were a bunch of weird Spheres, not just the one he gave Szeth. 

Ok, maybe the steward is just a steward, he seemed too genuinely sad about Gavilars death.

 

Part 1: Burdens

 

Chapter 9: Contradictions

holy crap we’re talking about Cosmere stuff now. “Nalathis. Scadarial. Tal Dain.” So cool. Funny how the names are a little bit different. To make them more symmetrical maybe? Something to do with linguistics for sure. 

calling it right now, ’Thaidakar’ is Kelsier. 

they accidentally invented a plane, and then uninvented it because it was inconvenient. XD

 

Chapter 11: Passion and Courage

In the epigraph, Navani talks about not knowing the metal for a repeller Fabrial, but it’s totally Steel. 100%. Allomantic metals showing up again.

 

Chapter 12: A Way to Help

Calling it, Dabbid is totally going to be a Herald. He’s at least going to be more important to the story.

I LOVE the Adolin-Kaladin broship. Adolin might be my favorite character. 

NOOOOO ROCK

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

;-;

i cri

Is this actually the last time we see Rock?!?!? Please no…..

 

Chapter 13: Another Hunt

Mraize is an Elim and he’s pocketing Shallan. 

Back into Cosmere stuff again. And waitwaitwaitwaitwait, Shallan (as Radiant) recognizes that Ashyn and Braize are other planets in the Rosharan system. (When she says “A prison as large as three planets”) I thought Rosharans only knew Braize as Damnation and Ashyn as some kind of Tranquiline Halls. 

Okay, yeah, like 2 pages later, Mraize says “Braize, the place you call Damnation”. So does Shallan know about the Rosharan system or what???

 

I-1 Sylphrena

There’s a strange cremling on the wall watching Cord. I see you Sleepless. I see you. Nice callback to Dawnshard.

 

Part 2: Our Calling

 

Chapter 28: Heresies

So the person writing these epigraphs is Harmony. “Opposed powers I hold.”

Also, I guess I didn’t mention this earlier but HOLY CRAP WE JUST GOT A TON OF NEW SHARD NAME DROPS

 

Chapter 29: A Cage Without Bars

“Someone who embodies both Preservation and Ruin…who can both protect and kill.” It’s Kaladin. It’s totally Kaladin. Kaladin is going to Scadrial to act on Sazed’s behalf. This is happening people. 

 

Chapter 35: The Strength of a Soldier

“Well perhaps there was more to complicate a horse’s life than a man could ever see.”

Gallant spin-off series foreshadowing.

 

Chapter 39: Invasion

Holy crap, I was not expecting the spren Navani was talking to to be the Sibling. That’s a good twist. 

 

Chapter 40: In For All

I just realized I’m still less than halfway through the book. This feels like the climax though. Huge invasion, super intense, literally terrifying. But not even close to the actual climax. 

 

Chapter 42: Armor and Teeth

I think The Sibling just revealed the nature of the Unmade. “The Lady of Pains has the Surge of Transformation and dangerous knowledge. She will infuse my entire heart-the pillar-in the proper order, using her Voidlight. In so doing, she would corrupt me and leave me…leave me as one of the Unmade…” So  Surge of Transformation + Intent + Voidlight + Bondsmith Spren = Unmade? 

 

I-5: Lift

I think Lift has Hoid’s flute. 

AHA! I knew that the Palace Steward from the prologue would come up again. He must be important.

Is the red chicken an Aviar? I think we have WoB confirmation that Mraize’s bird isn’t. (He has a bird right? Can’t doublecheck the Coppermind for fear of spoilers.)

Is the person with the green chicken Mraize? Doesn’t he have a green bird? He does call Lift “Little Radiant” similar to how Mraize calls Shallan “Little Knife”. Did Mraize kill the Steward? Why would he take the rings? I bet they are metalminds like I originally thought!

 

I-6: A Boon and a Curse

I think this is the first interlude where the chapter name isn’t just the name of the POV character. Maybe I missed one earlier, but it is worth pointing out. 

The way Odium and Taravangian couldn’t see Renarin’s future is reminiscent of when 2 mistborn are fighting and they both have Atium. It cancels out. 

 

Part Three: Songs of Home

 

Chapter 44: Thunder Waiting for the Spark

The way Kaladin instinctively hides from the Pursuer, before even Syl thought anything was wrong, it feels a lot like when Cognitive Shadow Kelsier stopped Vin from meeting Hoid.  

 

Chapter 45: A Bold Heart, a Keen and Crafty Mind

45 chapters in, and this is the first flashback chapter. Wow. Thought there would be more. 

Riverspren have carapace? Weird. Maybe spren appear differently to Parshendi than to humans. It’s all about perspective right?

Strange Green Cremling? I see you Mr. Sleepless. What’s a Sleepless doing watching Young Eshonai? 

 

Chapter 46: The Weight of the Tower

I noticed this earlier but forgot to make a note. The Fused refer to Aluminum as Ralkalest. Isn’t that what it’s called on Sel? In The Emperor’s Soul? Weird. Very weird.

Is Navani going to become an Edgedancer? I’ve noticed a few motifs in her thoughts that could imply that. She keeps thinking about how she wants to remember people. Sounds familiar to the Edgedancer oaths, no?

 

Chapter 48: Scent of Death, Scent of Life

Are we supposed to know who this ‘surgeon's assistant’ is? She seems to be asking a lot of questions about Spren for a surgeon… She also has a suspicious amount of rings. Possible relation to Palace Steward from earlier?

AHA. I CALLED IT. THE PARSHENDI SEE SPREN DIFFERENTLY. 

 

Chapter 52: A Path Towards Saving

I knew that surgeon lady would be important. Axindweth. Have we seen her before? How does she know so much about the Listeners? 

 

Chapter 64: Personal Reminder

I forgot to mention earlier when it showed up in earlier chapter epigraphs, but I should probably still mention it. The epigraphs are talking about sand from Taldain. I’m not actually sure who is talking though, I haven’t figured out the in-universe author of Rythm of War. Maybe Raboniel. Or Venli. No, not Venli. Some kind of Spren? I think it’s probably Raboniel or another Fused. Mainly because it’s called Rhythm of war, and the author mentions not being able to leave the Rosharan system. 

Does Jasnah have living 4th Ideal Radiant Plate? That’s what it seems to be implying. Did we already know this? Seems like the first Radiant getting their plate would be an important moment, but this is an almost throwaway mention. Makes me think we already knew this and I just somehow missed it. 

Yep, definitely living plate. 

Wit confirms that Thaidakar has been on other planets, meaning he could very well be Kelsier. 

 

I-8 Chiri-Chiri

Chri-Chiri is a POV character now?!?!? Oh my gosh I love it. That’s amazing. 

HOLY CRAP IT TALKS

WHAT

WHAAAAAAT

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT

 

Part Four: A Knowledge

 

Chapter 73: Which Master to Follow

Wow. So Venli was actually behind everything? I had assumed that the Listeners only turned to forms of power once they were losing the shattered plains war. But Venli had been trying to start a war, just so she could do exactly that.

 

Chapter 75: The Middle Step

I wonder who Sixteen is. He obviously matters. Not sure how though. Considering everything we know about him, my best guess is that he’s a Kandra. Mainly because of the number 16, (it is relevant cosmere-wide obviously, but it’s always been especially prevalent on Scadrial.) and then because he apparently doesn’t need food. Also, he’s bald, and Kandra can’t create hair, only use the original hairs from a corpse. 

 

Chapter 76: Harmony

We’ve had some rather interesting epigraphs the last 3 chapters, and I think I know what they are. Just based off of these 3. I think they’re written by Adonalsium. Some remnant of him. The author talks about how he used to be powerful and capable. (What’s more ‘capable’ than an all powerful god?) How he used to be good with words. (Commands? Like, Dawnshard Commands?) Then he says that his ‘honor’ was weathered away. Crushed to dust. Like how Honor the Shard is dead. 

And so the title of the book is revealed. The Rhythm of War. 

 

Chapter 77: The Proper Legality

I think Axindweth is probably Terris. She supposedly has a lot of rings, and the name just sounds Terris doesn’t it? Also, now we know she’s a worldhopper. I’m still not sure if we’ve seen her before, I don’t think so, but I could be wrong. I can’t check the wiki to find out, spoilers abound there. 

 

Chapter 79: Open Wound

This chapter epigraph makes it pretty clear that it’s being written by Kelek, not Adonalsium. Sad. I liked that theory. A lotta things clicked nicely. 

 

Chapter 80: The Dog and the Dragon

Storms this was a great chapter. Just, so much of it was amazing. I love Hoid and his little Cryptic, they’re just hilarious. “I have bonded a literal monster.” “I get annoyed easily! It’s endearing.” I loved Hoid having to explain what a dog is. I loved picturing Kaladin as being analogous to this fluffy little adorable puppy. This chapter was just, so good. 

 

Chapter 82: Knife

HOLY CRAP THADIKAR IS ACTUALLY KELSIER. I SAID THAT AS A HALF JOKE EARLIER, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY TRUE. 

Mraize says that Thadikar has an ‘affliction’ similar to that of the Heralds. AS IN THEY’RE BOTH COGNITIVE SHADOWS. 

 

Chapter 84: Scholar

It’s Raysium. The metal is Raysium. Odium’s Godmetal. I feel almost stupid for not realizing it earlier. 

 

Chapter 93: Strong Enough

Brandon did it again. He actually freaking did it again. Let me explain. 

Shallan Reveal #1: Omg she killed her dad

Shallan Reveal #2: Omg she killed her mom

Shallan Reveal #3: Omg she killed her spren

So did she kill her mom with Old Patten or New Pattern? How does the timeline work here?

So is Veil just…...gone? What about Radiant?

This chapter was crazy. Very very good crazy. 

 

Chapter 94: Sacrifice 

MAYAAAAAAAAA

What a legend. Similar vibes to “YOU CAN NOT HAVE MY PAIN” I wonder if that’s just a surface similarity or something more...

This chapter does raise some questions though. I thought the secret that made the Radiants abandon their oaths was the fact that Humans weren’t native to Roshar, and so they were actually the invaders. This chapter and chapter epigraph make it seem like there was something else, another reason. There’s always another secret…

 

I-10: Hesina

Kal and Adolin should bond over their daddy issues. It’s almost the same issue too. Both fathers think that their sons were supposed to be better than they were, and so they have very high standards and expectations for how their sons live their lives.

 

I-11: Adin

I….don’t know what this chapter is. There’s like...no actual information. Is it just an introduction to these characters? I doubt it, they feel like the sort of one-timers Brandon sometimes uses. Maybe I’m missing something…

 

Part Five: Knowing a Home of Songs, Called our Burden

Weird name.

 

Chapter 99: Not Bound

Jasnah….and Hoid??? Are they actually…a thing? It was hinted at earlier I guess, but I never actually thought…Jasnah and Hoid????

 

Chapter 102: Highstorm Coming

Connection between Jasnah and the shard Autonomy?

Navani: “If there was a God, had he created Moash? Why? Why bring such a thing into the world?”

The Entire Fandom: Lol mood.

 

Chapter 103: The Legend You Live

“Storming Stormlight”

-Teft, 2020

MOASH. JUST...STOP. Pretending to be an unconscious radiant, and then slicing Lift’s legs? Honestly, it’s just annoying how evil he is at this point.

Yesssss I love it when Kal gets all badA. “I am Death itself.” So good. 

TEFT! NO!! WHAT?!??!!! 

*literally gasping for air*

Moash...actually just killed Teft. MOASH KILLED TEFT. MOASH. KILLED. TEFT. 

I can’t. I actually can’t. Teft…Teft no. Why, Teft why??? If anyone on the forums ever tries to defend Moash again…

 

Chapter idek too busy freaking out

Been very busy riding this most extreme of Sanderlanches, and I don’t have a ton of thoughts. All my thoughts recently have just been my reactions, which are all as would be expected. Just making this note to say that I think the person who made the Stormfather laugh was Hoid. 

 

WHAT THE CRAP

SPREN BODIES

BUT

REAL

AAAAHHHHHH

that’s terrifying

 

HAHAHAHA THATS WHAT YOU GET MOASH.

BLINDNESS...it doesn’t feel anywhere close to enough.

oh gosh Moash killed Teft

 

IM RUNNING OUT OF WORDS THAT EXPRESS SURPRISE AND SHOCK

BUT HOLY HECK TARAVANGIAN IS A SHARD NOW

RAYSE IS DEAD

NIGHTBLOOD ATE A SHARD

WHAT

WHAT

WHAT

WAHT

WHAT

...

THADIKAR IS LITERALLY CALLED THE LORD OF SCARS.

HOID TALKS ABOUT ‘SLAPPING HIM AROUND AGAIN’

Iiiiiiiiits kelllllsieerrrrrrr

 

POST READ THOUGHTS:

 

I didn’t even mention my thoughts on everything with Kal. Probably because I was too busy literally crying. It would feel fake for me to try and write down my reactions now, as everything else has been written in the moment, but to get an accurate guess, choose the most emotive thing I’ve written up there, multiply it by 17, add tears, and that’s basically me reading Kal’s climax chapters. omg he talks to Tien. He cries in Tein’s arms. He says the 4th ideal. He hugs Teft’s statue. He smiles. I just…. Brandon how are you so amazing?!?!?

 

There’s so much stuff I didn’t mention in the final Sanderlanche, but I don’t think it’s too much of a loss, none of it was observations or theories really, just reactions to all the insane emotional things happening. 

 

I would absolutely love it if you guys would read this and comment on it. I think I noticed a few rather interesting things that I don’t see a lot of people talking about. 

Edited by Danex
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Your notes on Taravangian becoming Odium are almost exactly what mine are.  It seems to inspire similar emotions.  I even had a note from part two that was literally: Let Nightblood eat Odium.  I can't believe that was correct.

I didn't cry about Kaladin, but that was because my tears were exhausted after Teft.  I can't believe he's gone.

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4 hours ago, Spren of Kindness said:

I even had a note from part two that was literally: Let Nightblood eat Odium.  I can't believe that was correct.

I still can’t believe that it actually happened. That was insane. Like, we’ve had WoBs about what might happen if Nightblood interacted with a Shard, but I didn’t expect for it to actually happen. 

4 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

I did parts 1-2 on the doc, I'll do the rest later. Nice reactions! :P 

Edit: @Danex, I have completed my comments.

Yesssss those were exactly the sort of things I wanted from this. I posted a few comments on your comments too. 

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8 hours ago, Danex said:

Is the red chicken an Aviar? I think we have WoB confirmation that Mraize’s bird isn’t. (He has a bird right? Can’t doublecheck the Coppermind for fear of spoilers.)

Just the opposite, actually-- WoB is that Mraize's bird is an Aviar. I'm going on the assumption that Red Chicken is, as well.

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Just now, Necessary Eagle said:

Just the opposite, actually-- WoB is that Mraize's bird is an Aviar. I'm going on the assumption that Red Chicken is, as well.

Yeah I realized that after. I don’t know why I thought it wasn’t. =P

Doesn’t Stormlight take place hundreds, if not thousands, of years before 6th of the Dusk though? Makes me wonder how that works. 

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1 minute ago, Danex said:

Yeah I realized that after. I don’t know why I thought it wasn’t. =P

Doesn’t Stormlight take place hundreds, if not thousands, of years before 6th of the Dusk though? Makes me wonder how that works. 

I guess the GB's have better access to FotS than the Ones Above do. Er, will.

Edited by Necessary Eagle
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Quote

Is this actually the last time we see Rock?!?!? Please no…..


Probably not. Brandon's been teasing that the novella that goes between books 4 and 5 would be called Horneater and would be about Rock - so probably what he's up to during the time of book 4.

Quote

“Someone who embodies both Preservation and Ruin…who can both protect and kill.” It’s Kaladin. It’s totally Kaladin. Kaladin is going to Scadrial to act on Sazed’s behalf. This is happening people. 


Pretty sure it's going to be (Mistborn Era 2 spoilers)

Spoiler

Wax... there's a moment in Wax and Wayne where he's referred to as Harmony's Sword.

 

Quote


Is the red chicken an Aviar? I think we have WoB confirmation that Mraize’s bird isn’t. (He has a bird right? Can’t doublecheck the Coppermind for fear of spoilers.)

Is the person with the green chicken Mraize? Doesn’t he have a green bird? He does call Lift “Little Radiant” similar to how Mraize calls Shallan “Little Knife”. Did Mraize kill the Steward? Why would he take the rings? I bet they are metalminds like I originally thought!


 Mraize has a green chicken, and it is confirmed by WoB that it IS an Aviar. The red one probably is too. And yeah, the steward was probably a feruchemist, and probably the same one that was mentioned in the prologue by Navani and the same one mentioned by Ulim as having scared off their agent. (And the timeline fits - Lift refers to him as being retired now, so it makes sense that he had more of a role years ago.)

Quote

Does Jasnah have living 4th Ideal Radiant Plate? That’s what it seems to be implying. Did we already know this? Seems like the first Radiant getting their plate would be an important moment, but this is an almost throwaway mention. Makes me think we already knew this and I just somehow missed it. 


Jasnah implies that she has it back in Oathbringer. It's not seen on screen then, though. There's a moment where someone comes around during the battle of Thaylen field and sees geometrical shapes fading around Jasnah (which people have been assuming means she was dismissing her plate). And there's a conversation she has with Shallan, back near the end of Oathbringer, where Shallan says "I'm a full Radiant!" and Jasnah goes "yeah? Then where's your Plate, n00b?" (paraphrased).
 

Quote

So did she kill her mom with Old Patten or New Pattern? How does the timeline work here?


Here's my understanding of the timeline:
1 - she bonds Testament, advances in oaths, trying to save her family from some unspecified darkness
2 - mom tries to kill her
3 - she kills mom instead
4 - she goes holy crap, what have I done, and breaks her oaths, killing testament
5 - some time later, she bonds Pattern, and Pattern's powers are what we see starting with TWoK.

There's questions about whether Shallan still has Testament as a shardblade, how this bond-and-a-half works for her, stuff like that that we don't understand yet.

 

 

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2 hours ago, ftl said:
  Reveal hidden contents

Wax... there's a moment in Wax and Wayne where he's referred to as Harmony's Sword.

Here's my understanding of the timeline:
1 - she bonds Testament, advances in oaths, trying to save her family from some unspecified darkness
2 - mom tries to kill her
3 - she kills mom instead
4 - she goes holy crap, what have I done, and breaks her oaths, killing testament
5 - some time later, she bonds Pattern, and Pattern's powers are what we see starting with TWoK.

There's questions about whether Shallan still has Testament as a shardblade, how this bond-and-a-half works for her, stuff like that that we don't understand yet.

Shallan being Shallan, I'm not completely sold on how much of the powers she exhibits is Shallan, how much is the pseudo-bond with Testament, and how much is the budding bond with Pattern.  The Memories are definitely supernatural.  We're not sure when she starts her Bond with Pattern--is it days after Testament died?  Years?  Does it start to happen before WoK, or during?

Quote

Except...

Storms! she thought, frantic.  I can't use that.  I promised myself.

She began the process anyway.  Ten heartbeats, to bring forth the fruit of her sin, the proceeds of her most horrific act.

The Way of Kings, p.643 hardcover, Ch.45 Shadesmar

It's still Shallan, so what she believes/thinks and what is true is...super wobbly.  But she definitely thinks that she has a Blade that she can summon in WoK, prior to the first time we see her Soulcast something.

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