Will Szeth survive Words of Radiance

[+eveorjoy she/her]

Brandon has said that he has no problem with doing a flashback sequence in a book  published after a character has died. We know the Szeth's book is number three. Having other characters journey to discover where Szeth came from while he learn Szeth's past would be interesting. Also, we know Szeth will not run from a fight. Either his target will die or he will. I really don't think Kaladin is going to let Dalinar die. He might fail, but I think Szeth would need to kill Kaladin and Bridge Four before he could get to Dalinar. I don't think Kaladin will die and the cover of WoR shows their fight will come.

 

So will Szeth survive book 2? How could he survive his fight with Kaladin if he will not yield?

[Awesomeness Summoned he/him]

Personally, I wouldn't mind if Szeth didn't survive the confrontation with Kaladin. He's an interesting character and has some room for development but of all the viewpoint characters so far, his death would bother me the least. There aren't very many hints so far that he has a critical role to play in the desolation. His biggest story arc is finding out why he is truthless and why he can surgebind. As you said, he doesn't need to be alive for that information to be revealed.

 

I see only two situations where he faces kaladin and lives.

 

1. He is knocked unconscious and incapacitated.

 

2. Something in his interaction with kaladin/dalinar makes him realize that whatever actions or beliefs he had that got him named truthless were actually correct. If he decided he didn't deserve to be truthless then he has no reason to kill dalinar

[Colby Jack he/him]

No; he will wake up in Dominations amidst pain and fire.

[vikorr]

Personally I always thought that Kaladin would knock Szeth out with the butt end of his spear.

 

And could you imagine Szeth's surprise when he carries a pouch full of spheres in, expecting to use them all, and then Kaladin just sucks all the stormlight from the spheres out from under Szeth?

[Delightful]

Personally I always thought that Kaladin would knock Szeth out with the butt end of his spear.

 

And could you imagine Szeth's surprise when he carries a pouch full of spheres in, expecting to use them all, and then Kaladin just sucks all the stormlight from the spheres out from under Szeth? 

If they both suck in stormlight at the same time, does it split evenly or do they have a stormlight tug-of-war?

 

I could definitely see Szeth dying. On the other hand, maybe he'll kill Dalinar and Kaladin will have failed again (although I'm not sure Brandon would go back to that story arc again if the WoR Kaladin's arc is about 'vengeance and honour'.) Plus it would be horribly mean to do that to Kaladin.

THe only reason he *wouldn't* necessarily die I think, is if Taravangian still needs him. Otherwise, he's already killed all the main rulers and doesn't have a huge part in this story.

Then again, he's a POV character, who Brandon is unlikely to kill off without a really good reason.

 

So....basically, I'm undecided.

[vikorr]

The story hits a huge hurdle is Dalinar dies...the Knights Radiant then have no driving force to found them, and Adolin blames Kaladin for Dalinar's death and gives him back to Sadeas...so it's extremely unlikely that Dalinar will die...meaning Kaladin beats Szeth.

 

Szeth though, seems one of the more interesting characters in the series because he is an enigma...meaning so many surprises can be sprung from his character. Brandon could kill him off...but doing so would pass up a great many opportunities.

[QuantumHarmonix he/him]

I kind of see Szeth dying after the fight with Kal. But before he dies he tells Kal about the stone, and asks for his sword to be returned to his people. That would lead to a kind of detective story about Szeth's life, with flashbacks when they discover something new about him.

[Delightful]

I kind of see Szeth dying after the fight with Kal. But before he dies he tells Kal about the stone, and asks for his sword to be returned to his people. That would lead to a kind of detective story about Szeth's life, with flashbacks when they discover something new about him.

True, but what would Kal's motivation be for fulfilling that dying request? He's plenty busy with protecting Dalinar and learning how to be a/leading the KR.

What's a possibly more likely scenario is seeing Jasnah or Shallan travelling to Shinovar to unearth Szeth's past.

[QuantumHarmonix he/him]

Unless Szeth tells Kal about who gave him the stone. Then I can see Dalinar wanting to track the stone down, which would set Kal down that path as well. Plus if the blade does belong to Jezrien, I like Kal getting a hold on it for a while.

[don_karma_II he/him]

I can see Szeth giving Kaladin jezrien's blade and dying at the end of the book.He also will give the book "stones unhallowed" to Kaladin. Book 3 starts with Kaladin reading the book through the Pov of Szeth. A book inside a book like inception!!

[QuantumHarmonix he/him]

So, Szeth has been keeping a journal?

[don_karma_II he/him]

Could be!! Great reason to continue his POV IMHO.

[Natans he/him]

Enzio BALDetori will survive unil the end the dude are to good to die early =)

 

I more preucupaded with less powerful character like a certain Highprince and his niece =)

[don_karma_II he/him]

I didn't know Sadeas had a niece!!!

[Delightful]

I can see Szeth giving Kaladin jezrien's blade and dying at the end of the book.He also will give the book "stones unhallowed" to Kaladin. Book 3 starts with Kaladin reading the book through the Pov of Szeth. A book inside a book like inception!!

So....Kaladin suddenly learns to read?

Or Shallan has to read it to him (or some other random scribe,  but why not Shallan, for the Shalladin shippers )

[don_karma_II he/him]

So....Kaladin suddenly learns to read?

Or Shallan has to read it to him (or some other random scribe,  but why not Shallan, for the Shalladin shippers )

Forgot that Kaladin can't read. But if someone has to read it, better be Jasnah with a wild look on her face. She looks up from the journal and says we're doomed.. 

Edited January 27, 2014 by don_karma_II

[Delightful]

Or Navani. Since (due to her journals) she seems to be the harbringer of doom at the moment.

 

I just realised. Szeth would have to be able to read/write in order to keep a journal too. Maybe the Shin don't have the same cultural restrictions on men learning? It would be interesting if Alethi/Shin culture mirrored each other - fighting very important/fighting shunned. men reading/not reading....maybe?

 

Which still doesn't tell us if he'll survive. *ooh look, off-topic butterfly!*

[don_karma_II he/him]

Szeth has a very intriguing past, but he is running out of people to assassinate in the present. If he succeeds in assassinating Dalinar, then the whole refounding KnightsRadiants storyline goes down the drain and Kaladin story arc goes back to square one, all the while bringing the country into Chaos. So killing off Szeth seems like a very possible solution. But I'm not Brandon and his storytelling is many times better than mine so he could find a creative way not to kill both Dalinar and Szeth.

Edited January 27, 2014 by don_karma_II

[Delightful]

I just feel like Szeth's dead would be a little meaningless. I neither love nor hate him, so I just be like. *meh. He's dead now. plot device!*. And that doesn't to me seem like a Brandon thing to do. But it does make the most sense with the story/knowledge we have now.

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

The story hits a huge hurdle is Dalinar dies...the Knights Radiant then have no driving force to found them, and Adolin blames Kaladin for Dalinar's death and gives him back to Sadeas...so it's extremely unlikely that Dalinar will die...meaning Kaladin beats Szeth.

 

Szeth though, seems one of the more interesting characters in the series because he is an enigma...meaning so many surprises can be sprung from his character. Brandon could kill him off...but doing so would pass up a great many opportunities.

hah, I think Adolin would have some difficulty giving Kaladin to anyone. Kaladin won't be given anymore, I think

[Aleksiel]

I think Szeth will be defeated one way or another.  We know there is a way to leave a surgebinder stormlightless (new word  ), so  it would probably work on Szeth as well, though I'm not sure.

 

just realised. Szeth would have to be able to read/write in order to keep a journal too. Maybe the Shin don't have the same cultural restrictions on men learning? It would be interesting if Alethi/Shin culture mirrored each other - fighting very important/fighting shunned. men reading/not reading....maybe?

 

 

 Well, he can do both, he wrote Gavilar's message to Dalinar.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Aleksiel

[Duskshard he/him]

I think they'll fight, Szeth will finally meet his match, but kaladin won't kill him. I think he'll be held prisoner instead, away from any stormlight with his hands and arms bound so that he can't summon and wield his blade.

 

That's the only way I can see it going. I don't see Kaladin or Szeth being killed in this book, but I also don't see Szeth being dissuaded from trying to kill Dalinar.  

[shadewolf]

The story hits a huge hurdle is Dalinar dies...the Knights Radiant then have no driving force to found them, and Adolin blames Kaladin for Dalinar's death and gives him back to Sadeas...so it's extremely unlikely that Dalinar will die...meaning Kaladin beats Szeth.

 

Adolin would never give Kaladin over to Sadeas for two reasons. Adolin's hatred for Sadeas, will always outweigh his dislike of Kaladin. The only exception I can see is if Kaladin killed Dalinar himself, at that point kaladin has worse things to worry about then being sent back to Sadeas. Adolin also is not a bad man; foolish, young and impetuous perhaps, but not a bad man. Kaladin's failure to protect Dalinnar might provoke Adolin to do something stupid, but it would never be spiteful enough to give a man that actively tried to help the kholins, to a man that actively tried to destroy them.

[meddler]

Szeth won't stay dead, even if he does die in some manner in book 2.

Dalinar, Shallan and Kaladin are safe as well I'd say as far as book 2 goes.

[Macen he/him]

All the speculation of Dalinar dying - I extremely doubt it. Brandon said Dalinar is the first character he ever wrote (when he was like 13/14) and his favorite. I don't see Brandon killing off his favorite character....