Who are the focus characters of the ten books?

[yahas he/him]

I remember a few months ago, someone had posted the list of the focus characters for each of the books (a list which included a herald other than Taln). However, I recently read somewhere that Brandon is planning to make a  Parshendi character one of the focus characters.

Has the plan changed? Or was the list earlier preliminary? I remember that Brandon was confused about perhaps doing another Kaladin book, or perhaps a Bridge Four book.

[Windrunner he/him]

I've never heard anything about a Bridge Four book, but here's the list as it now stands.

 

1. Kaladin

2. Shallan

3. Szeth

4. Eshonai

5. Dalinar

 

The second sequence of five is a little less clear. I think that with the number of character's Brandon's mentioned wanting to have a flashback book for, Kaladin getting a second one is out. I think the same goes for a potential Adolin book. There's just not enough room. The second set will contain Jasnah, Taln, Navani (who presumably got pushed here out of her previous slot in book 4) Taravangian, and another unnamed Herald.

[yahas he/him]

Ah, interesting. So Navani got pushed back...

While we're on the topic of focus characters: will focus characters only be about the flashback sequence, or will they have an enlarged role in the narrative (similar to how Kaladin is the centre of the Way of Kings story)? 

I've always assumed the latter, but recent comments by Brandon about how the focus characters may die are confusing me.

[Windrunner he/him]

Sorry for taking so long to respond, I took a quick overnight camping trip.

It's not really clear at this point. Brandon's going to be doing flashbacks for the ten characters and they may be dead when the flashbacks happen. He also wants to focus the book on the character, so if one is dead, perhaps the book will simply deal with them a lot.

[Kaurne]

Sorry for taking so long to respond, I took a quick overnight camping trip.

It's not really clear at this point. Brandon's going to be doing flashbacks for the ten characters and they may be dead when the flashbacks happen. He also wants to focus the book on the character, so if one is dead, perhaps the book will simply deal with them a lot.

 

This is how I interpreted it. If Dalinar dies at the end of a book, I can easily see the next book being about everyone else trying to secure his legacy and prevent what he has built from falling apart, while trying to, you know, deal with his death; that would fit in brilliantly with the flashbacks.

On the other hand, the implication is there that, since apparently Dalinar would be book number 5, the final book of the first five-part series would be about the fallout from his death; which i think would fit better with book four; it seems like the end to the first half would be a bit bigger than that, but that's a thought; Brandon's a good enough writer I don't doubt he could make it work.

[Shardbearer he/him]

I believe Brandon has said that the last 5 books will follow a different story arc and focus on a different set of characters.

[Windrunner he/him]

I'm afraid I'm not quite following what you're getting at. The other five I mentioned are a different set of five.

[ADIMORTIS he/him]

The last five may be

1 Taravangian

2 Navani

3 Adolin

4 Taln

5 Some herald we have seen.

I remember these from some interview on you tube.

[Windrunner he/him]

I think Jasnah's going to take priority over Adolin, as Brandon always seemed unsure of that one, but Jasnah's flashback was never in question.

[yahas he/him]

I must say though, the addition of another Herald to the focus characters really removes the specialty of Taln's character (that is, a solitary historical/legendary hero with the weight of the entire world on his shoulders).

[Senor Feesh]

Yes, to a degree I suppose it could. That said though, if we're to have another Herald viewpoint, my money is on Jezrien. Seems like the most logical.

Also, given the two 5-book arcs that Brandon is planning to write these as, I actually like the symmetry of each arc having a Herald.

EDIT: Scratch that, don't know why I thought Taln was in the first 5.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Senor Feesh

[Phantom Monstrosity]

Well, aparently Brandon is going to try to match each book to one of the ten orders.  I think that means that Taln isn't going to be a windrunner.

[Isomere]

Taln is order 9 I believe, which I think is the Stonewards. That is just based on correlating the brown gem color with the eye color of the Stonewards in the book, plus the Earth attribute from the Ars Arcanum seeming to fit. 

[hoser he/him]

Well, aparently Brandon is going to try to match each book to one of the ten orders.  I think that means that Taln isn't going to be a windrunner.

If Shallan is Shallash's order and Jezrien is obviously Kaladin's order, then, assuming the herald from the last book is of the order matched to the book, we don't have a ton of Heralds/orders left that we've met. 

 

There is Kelek in the prelude, possibly drunk Ishii in the prologue, we can narrow this down ...

[Kaurne]

Taln is order 9 I believe, which I think is the Stonewards. That is just based on correlating the brown gem color with the eye color of the Stonewards in the book, plus the Earth attribute from the Ars Arcanum seeming to fit. 

 

Also, in the final chapter, he claims the moniker 'Stonesinew' which also links with the Stonewards