I am terrified of Book 5

[Kestrel she/her]

We should stop posting here. I bet Brandon is reading it now, chuckling under his breath as he finds out which characters we don't want dead.

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

Yeah, I could just imagine.  "hey, they don't want Kaladin to die, let's kill him off earlier than expected!! Bwahaha!"  I really REALLY hope he doesn't do that, though.

[Xaladin he/him]

Hey, it could be worse. Has anyone here read The Planet of the Apes?

 

Spoiler for Planet of the Apes

When a story is told in first person, you secretly know the main character makes it out ok or else he/she wouldn't be able to tell the story, right?
At least Brandon doesn't do this and find a way around it. Planet of the Apes is told (mostly) in first person, and its ending is actually more of a downer that the main character dying onscreen, because you don't actually know what happened to him at the end, just that it doesn't look good.

Although I must say, that book was hilarious (probably not a common reaction), and I do recommend it.

[Andrew C]

If I were Brandon, I'd move the customary 'Series is ending, so massacre all the characters' scene into Book 4, just to mess with the people posting here.

[michaelmj11 he/him]

Brandon does like killing off his characters.  I could have sworn that he was going to kill Dalinar in the second book because of the ending to the first.  I agree with you in that I don't want the main characters to die.  I kind of wonder what will happen to the Highprinces, since two of them are already dead.  Will Alethkar fall, or will there be a replacement?  I don't know.  I don't look forward to book five if there is going to be an arch - I am dreading it, too.

 

Nah, I bet Elhokar pulls another stupid/harebrained antic and makes Amaram Highprince, or the other Highprinces insist on Amaram taking Sadeas's place.

 

Either that or Sebarial takes over all the empty spots and we get some extended humor out of him =)

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

Sebarial IS inappropriate sometimes, though.  It still is likely that Elhokar will put Amaram in one of the recently vacated spots, and I personally think that yes, that would be a very stupid thing to do.

[phattemer]

Well, what with the disgrace Amaram went through before the throwdown at the end of WoR, I don't really think it's likely. It would be pretty funny, though.

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

Yeah, it would be unlikely at this point in time.  Though it seems that Elhokar is very susceptible to seducing in some ways, unfortunately, so maybe Amaram might worm his way up the line like the slimeball that he is.  Kind of like Grima in Lord of the Rings, if you have read that.

[hypatia she/her]

Hallo,

please show mercy for my first time...

There is a little bit like panic - Mr Sanderson is as relentless as Mr Martin, but mostly MCs die in his books after they has fulfilled a purpose - mainly spred knowledge, skills and something like that.

They die, when it is possible to die without letting the plot came to an end.

Like with Jasnah and Shallan - Jasnah's purpose was to give Shallan the skills, the education and methodes to get her own arc within WoR - even if Shallan has to persued her for the wrong reason.

Like Kaladin and the bridgemen - he can't save everyone, but he can train them, can give them the abilities to survive - the chance to live and teach other people.

Dalinar - he's the "Mentor" and my first reason to be afraid if someone has to die.

But not without making a point, he IS a Bondsmith now, perhaps it will be for a spezial bond.

Kaladin - same here.

After saving the king he has a new goal - Elhokar wants - drunk, but "in vino veritas" - Kaladin to teach him how to be a leader.

And Kaladin has recognized him as someone like Tien - Elhokar tries, but haven't had a real teacher.

Looking forward I think it logical not to accept how stupid Elhokar is, but to teach him to be a good king.

Moash - we leave him in WoK also whining - please, do something!

If he really wants to redeem himself - don't let them have a Shardplate/blade - you are a Shardbearer - fight, don't let them get this.

Think of Kaladin and the lesson he has taught you in the last fight - if you are on a wrong path, try to make it right - or die trying.

And his purpose in WoK was to bring Kaladin with his action to the next level of his oath.

Adolin - killing Sadeas isn't essential for any romance-plot - Shallan will have a word in this and that's it. She will be with Adolin - even if he will be punished, if she loves him - or with Kaladin, if not.

On the other hand was Sadeas a walking dead since Adolin got the right for a duell - Adolin fighting with Sadeas was only a matter of time.

Personally I think this is the start of his own arc - now he has the original Shardblade of his father back.

In the end he's reacted like a coward, but there is a dead Highprince and there will be investigations and - wrong - accusations and a chance for him to show his qualities.

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

My main problem is that I like most of the main characters too much for them to die.  But yes, you have a great point there.  Welcome to the 17th Shard, by the way.

[kaellok he/him]

My main problem is that I like most of the main characters too much for them to die.  But yes, you have a great point there.  Welcome to the 17th Shard, by the way.

Ahh, but death is, at times, a necessity.  A good story will have conflict and risk; death is, generally, the 'ultimate' risk.  Showing the audience that the cast of characters is not immune to death (or, rather, that they are susceptible to whatever the risk is) helps to build attachment and connection with the main characters.  A classic scenario of how this works is in the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Tasha Yarrrr (fewer 'r's, because she's not a pirate, but I don't care) was a main character, and died very early on.  This let everyone know/see that the risk of death was very real, for all the characters--and so, when those characters later faced death, the audience felt that they may actually die.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that if we didn't know Brandon would kill off characters, we probably wouldn't love them as much.  So it's good that he does--even though we desperately want him to leave our favorites alone.  Like Shallan.  Seriously--I don't want to be the guy that cries over the death of a fictional character (again).  So let her live.  'kay?

[king of nowhere]

 A classic scenario of how this works is in the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Tasha Yarrrr (fewer 'r's, because she's not a pirate, but I don't care) was a main character, and died very early on.  This let everyone know/see that the risk of death was very real, for all the characters--and so, when those characters later faced death, the audience felt that they may actually die.

 

 

I haven't seen the show, but the way you describe it she was killed exactly for that reason. this is risky: a genre-savy sppectator may recognize the ploy and lose attachment.

 

On the other hand, sanderson rarely kills characters at the beginning. I can't  think of a single example (no,

jasnah

doesn't count because it was already book 2).

So the book convinces you the characters will make it alive to the end. and then they don't. I think that increases the emotional impact.

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

Well, he did kill Gavilar at the beginning of the series, and that means something, even though the only things we ever hear from him are in the point of view of Dalinar.  And, well, Jasnah didn't really die, so that doesn't count to me, either.

[king of nowhere]

Gavilar wasn't a main character when he died. the fact that he's becoming one postumously doesn't change that,

[Xaladin he/him]

Old backpack didn't have to be alive to be funny; even dead he made us laugh!

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

wait... Old backpack?  And yes, I knew that Gavilar was not a main character when he died.  He still isn't a main character, true, but finding out about him does have its relevance, I think.

[Xaladin he/him]

wait... Old backpack?  And yes, I knew that Gavilar was not a main character when he died.  He still isn't a main character, true, but finding out about him does have its relevance, I think.

Sorry, that was a reference to Arabian Nights. I got that quote from a movie, so take it with a grain of salt (or a pinch of copper, or crem, or whatever you prefer).

[Creecher he/him]

Journey before destination.

You got ten upvotes for those three words? Time to spam them around the forum

[Maple Duke he/him]

Spoiler's below! Don't know how to mark them

 

First time posting, But is anyone else noticing that Sanderson is Killing characters and then bringing them back?

 

First Jasnah dies, then Gawx, then Szeth, and all of them come back to life, or elsecall in Jasnah's case.

[king of nowhere]

in order to spoiler you can write like this [*spoiler]spoiler text goes here[/*spoiler] without the *.

more simply, you can select special bbcode (just left of the font menu) and select spoiler from there.

 

anyway, sanderson is occasionally bringing back characters thought dead, but he does so rarely. just enough that you can keep hoping they are alive and suffer more when they aren't

[KnightGradient]

Book 5 will be all about Hoid. Just following him around as he, like, insults Highprinces and dances on graves. While he does that, there will also be the serious side, where he(I refuse to say the name of our powerful and merciless ruler)  will kill just about everyone. then revive Kaladin, since its his whole arc, and make it so Shallan or Adolin dies PERMANENTLY, and then we'll see the other grieving, and share a closer bond with Kaladin. Also, my prediction is that Elhokar will spend the entire book learning how to be a king, or a leader, while Kaladin teaches him and constantly shifts from "stormridden king" to "OMG he is like, so CUTE" or something like that.

Also, Odium might come, but he'll be unable to focus his efforts on Roshar because of something that "requires his attention". Just seems like his way of doing things.

[Winds Alight she/her]

I'm with most of you: I'm genuinely terrified.

At this point, after WoR, I'd be devastated if Shallan, Dalinar or Adolin died, but I don't know if I, should Kaladin die, were able to, I don't know, go to work the next day.

 

Of course, I

survived Kelsier, Vin and Elend in Mistborn back then.

But Kaladin ... is a different matter.

[Elsecaller3414 she/her]

Totally with you there.

I actually was okay when Kelsier died... I did not like him much.

But, with ANY of the Stormlight characters, I would probably die or something equally tragic if they died.

[HalfShard he/him]

No matter how bad the characters suffer, just remember: This too shall pass. When all is said and done, the characters are what their trials made them. They will be stronger than ever before, and more amazing. So, in a way, their suffering is beautiful. In a sad, make-you-tear your-hair-out kind of way.

[natc]

No matter how bad the characters suffer, just remember: This too shall pass. When all is said and done, the characters are what their trials made them. They will be stronger than ever before, and more amazing. So, in a way, their suffering is beautiful. In a sad, make-you-tear your-hair-out kind of way.

There is beauty and meaning in suffering and death. Life itself is only precious due to it's fragility.

See people? Ruin is 100% not evil. Have a cookie.