Excerpt from Words of Radiance: Chapters Ten, Twelve, Fourteen and Interlude 1

[ChocolateRob]

So what happens if Lift tries to slick her way across ground where Kal has infused bindspren?

Unstoppable object, immovable barrier, Roshar collapses in on itself in a paradox implosion and gets replaced by something even stranger. (note that this has probably happened before).

[KiManiak]

My thoughts.  Wow, this ended up being pretty long:

 

Chapter 10

·         New Chapter icon; nice!  Is this supposed to represent Pattern?  Or something else?

·         Wow, this does not start off simply.  I like that Brandon grabs us right away and has us wondering, “What happened?  Who’s blood?  Did something bad happen to Shallan, or did she do something bad?  Did her father assault her?  More?  At eleven years old?”

·         Okay, there are corpses in the room.  Weird that that fact makes me initially feel better for/regarding Shallan, before knowing the details.  It’s sad, but I’m relieved that the story is going in this direction as opposed to other…potentially darker ones.

·         Shallan’s mother (and others, I guess) are dead and Shallan thinks she’s the monster that did this?  And her father’s strongbox is glowing as if something shining is inside?  A reasonable guess would be that the Shardblade is somehow in there, but why would it be in there?  If not the Blade, then what?  So many new questions!

 

Chapter 12

·         Cool, the epigraphs are back.  I’m really wondering if the ones in the previous releases (Chapters 8 and 9?) had some spoilery info on them)

·         Rock hanging onto a rock!  Haha!  Nice bit there Sanderson!

·         Sigzil continues to demonstrate that he is rather educated.  Looking to set a baseline for the tests before exploring the full possibilities.  He’s a man who’s using (and is rather knowledgeable about) the “unmasculine arts.”  I’m eager to learn a lot more about his backstory as well.

·         Rock can see spren holding the stone onto the wall? Before Kaladin even saw them?  What exactly is Rock?  I hope we find out a lot more about “alaii’ku” before WoR is complete.

·         Hah! Sigzil is asking questions about Stormlight, infused-gems and the like that the readers have been asking for years.  Another tip of the cap from Sanderson to his readers, perhaps?

·         Wow.  What an intelligent way to use the bonding powers of a Full Lashing in battle.  I still believe that there have to be more uses, more than just 3 Lashings.

·         Hmm.  Is it noteworthy that Kaladin chose to have his bare feet touch the stone underneath him?  Szeth alludes to the fact that the Shin view Stone as sacred, almost holy.  Is there a strong connection between Surgebinders and stone?  Or am I over analyzing one innocent passage?

·         Interesting.  So Kaladin’s own Stormlight doesn’t bind him to the floor while it simultaneously binds Rock? What if Kaladin willed to be bound to something?  Brandon is rather big on intent being an important part of his different systems. (Love that Rock justifies swinging a log at Kaladin’s head by declaring it as a “small tree…and very hard head.”)

·         Kaladin can reclaim his stormlight that he infuses into objects?!?  Did we know this already from Szeth’s experiences in WoK?

·         Kaladin finally sees Amaram.  A good question is: does Amaram even remember Kaladin?  If so, what will Amaram do when he sees Kaladin guarding Dalinar?

 

Interlude 1

·         Eshonai Interlude gives us yet another new Chapter icon.  I really like this one; nice bit with the silhouette.  And the double Shallash header.  Interesting…

·         I don’t think much of the text here is new.  Allusions to the battle from Chapter 8 or 9.  A few other initial details, maybe.

·         More expansion on Venli and her experiences, I think.  Cool bits of background to help flesh these characters out even more.

·         Here we go.  Stormform.  Ancient powers.  Honorblade reference!  Verification that Honorblades grant surgebinding powers? Did they learn this from Szeth and his Blade, maybe?

·         Stormform sounds pretty interesting.  Control a highstorm or even summon one?  The possibilities…

·         Venli seems to be fulfilling the role of “temptress” here, in offering Eshonai some likely tainted/poisonous fruit…

·         Dullform to spy on the humans.  Strong hinting (if not outright confirmation) that they are mimicking ordinary parshmen to spy. 

·         Oh, and it seems as those Eshonai is about to take a bite of the forbidden apple.  That always ends well…

 

Chapter 14

·         Another new Chapter icon.  This is great; 3 new ones!  Also, double Kalak header. 

·         Epigraphs are Parshendi song lyrics for Part 2 of the book?  This could be rather informative.

·         Looks like Adolin is prepping for a duel.  Dalinar’s plan to win the Shardblades is working?  Already?

·         Huh.  Adolin had only inherited the Plate, but not the Blade.  I don’t think we paid attention to that distinction in WoK, did we?  Dalinar mentions the inheritance, but maybe he just mentioned the Plate at the time; will have to double-check. 

·         So, is the new Chapter icon solely dedicated to Adolin, or to dueling in general (it does look like a Shardbearer fighting, after all)?   Also, is the double Kalak header related to the resolve that will be shown in this Chapter, or is this a hint to Adolin’s potential surgebinding leanings?

·         I like the glimpse of Adolin prepping for the duel.  It continues to humanize him.  It’s easy for some to dislike him when looking at how he interacts with Kaladin or how he goes through women, but hopefully this look into his thoughts and a view of his vulnerability will have those same folks view him with a little more sympathy and understanding.

·         Curious as to why Adolin patted his pocket before dismissing his blade.  Just an unconscious gesture, or is there more to that action?

·         I think the fact that there are 10 stances and the 4 that we’ve been told about (Windstance, Stonestance, Flamestance, Smokestance) seems to be adding support to the theory that each stance is aligned with each of the Orders of the Knights Radiant.  I wonder what Transformation stance looks like?

·         Pailiah?  A new way of hearing the Herald of the 5^th Order’s name.  Palah or Pailiah; I wonder which is correct?

·         So Adolin knows of the causal betrothal; good.  But the ship and Jasnah/Shallan haven’t been heard from in over a week?  I’m really wishing we had Chapter seven…

·         Battah!  2 versions of 2 separate Heralds’ names in just a few paragraphs.  Order 7’s Herald.  So, we have both Battar and Battah.  Nice job of providing us with information without it being a blatant infodump.  My thanks to Sanderson.

·         Hah!  Love, love, love that Renarin knows Adolin’s routine.  And checks in on him about it.  Great representation of a close fraternal relationship.  Also, clarification of what’s in Adolin’s pocket.  Their mother’s chain; a great, realistic, touch.  I think Sanderson is doing a great job in making these characters real and likeable. 

·         I like that Adolin admits to Renarin that he doesn’t like Kaladin, and why (even though he may not be fully truthful about why that is to Renarin).  And Adolin’s kinda right in his perceptiveness in this case; Kaladin is holding something back.

·         “A set (emphasis mine) of the King’s Plate!” Darn near confirmation that the King has multiple sets!  I still maintain that Elhokar’s Shardplate/Blade aren’t even the same ones that Gavilar had, plus we know that Dalinar won a set and gave them to the King.  How many does the King actually have?

·         More info about the stances, this time alluding even to customization related to length of Shardblade.  Did the different orders have different types of Shardblades?

·         Wow.  That was a pure butt-kicking.  A beatdown.  Brutal and effective.

·         So you don’t just have to stick the Blade into the ground to sever the bond; the jewel in the pommel does play a role?  And you can destroy the gemstone after? This could lead to some possible theories… 

·         Renarin gets his Blade.  And the grimace when he received it is quite noteworthy, knowing that he has a spren that only he can see…

·         I love Navani’s comments at the end.  Rather interesting perception of the situation, and how best to exploit it.  She is definitely someone you want on your side.

Edited January 28, 2014 by KiManiak

[Bremen]

I have to agree. Syl is a beautiful independent spren woman. She is not getting stuck in a Shardblade for a man to wield. I don't even visit tumblr and I feel this way! It's more likely that the Shardblades are just little bits of Honor/Cultivation/Odium and that speaking all the Ideals opens you up to getting enough Investiture to craft a set. Plus, there's Plate too, not just Blades.

Ya, the plate is ... interesting.

 

The Heralds didn't have plate, why/how did the KR have plate?

[Kurkistan]

So what happens if Lift tries to slick her way across ground where Kal has infused bindspren?

Unstoppable object, immovable barrier, Roshar collapses in on itself in a paradox implosion and gets replaced by something even stranger. (note that this has probably happened before).

 

It's been discussed.

[Duskshard]

Ok, I'm still trying to absorb everything.

 

Shallan chapter was Soooooo teasingly short, I wanted more.

 

- Did Shallan kill her mother? If so what was she doing with a shardblade at that age?

 

- If she killed the man then maybe he was the carrier of the blade? If so then where was it? Did her father claim it?

 

 

I loved reading more of Kaladin, he's my favorite character in the series, well except for maybe Lift.

 

- This chapter answered one of the questions that I was asking myself this morning (well a similar one)

I was thinking that if Kal was fighting Szeth and szeth tried to bind him to something with a full lashing would Kal be ably to absorb that stormlight?  Now that we've learned that he can reabsorb stormlight that he's invested into objects I'm inclined to believe that he could absorb stormlight that others have invested in objects. At least until given reason to think otherwise.

 

- I think that Kal going to start distrusting Dalinar more than he does after seeing him so buddy buddy with Amaram.

 

 

I know others will of already know about Eshonai's interlude but this was my first time reading it and It's given me a new perspective on the Parshendi.

 

- They're not bent on trying to destroy the humans, they're just trying to survive.

 

- I bet whatever Gavilar was going to do that would bring back their gods involved that stone that he gave to Szeth

 

- In 62 days enough of them could learn stormform to call forth a highstorm on the Alethi, maybe the everstorm?

 

 

Loved Adolin's duel (savage beating) I just wanted to keep reading.

 

I need to go reread it.

[ddleg]

Adolins duel in his chapter reminds me how similar he is to his father.  brought up memories of his dad smacking around the king.

 

Kaladin seeing amaram and then the chapter ending had me shout in sheer anguish....  Mother****** sanderson and that cliffhanger....  if I had the book right this moment I would skip ahead the the next kaladin chapter....   as a matter of fact it will probably be the first thing I read when I do get the book on release date.

 

I also think the missing chapters are going to tell us why shallin and jasna  are a week behind schedule

[Kurkistan]

- This chapter answered one of the questions that I was asking myself this morning (well a similar one)

I was thinking that if Kal was fighting Szeth and szeth tried to bind him to something with a full lashing would Kal be ably to absorb that stormlight?  Now that we've learned that he can reabsorb stormlight that he's invested into objects I'm inclined to believe that he could absorb stormlight that others have invested in objects. At least until given reason to think otherwise.

 

Sure, here's some reason to think otherwise.

 

We see also from this chapter that Kaladin's own Full Lashings are somehow "attuned" to him even after they've been "cast". It could well be, then, that only the proper "owner" of some Invested stormlight can absorb it in that way, akin to how only the original Awakener can recover Breath, or the original Feruchemist (normally) use an attribute from a metalmind.

[zandi]

Interesting that it is spren that bind the rock to the wall. Does this mean that 1) storm light controls non-sentient spren? 2) That storm light IS spren? or that 3) stromlight fuels the binder's ability to control non-sentient spren, which is itself granted by the nahel bond with a sentient spren?

 

I think #3. This would also explain how Parshendi Stormform allows them to direct/call/summon high storms.....

Edited January 28, 2014 by zandi

[Moogle]

Sure, here's some reason to think otherwise.

 

We see also from this chapter that Kaladin's own Full Lashings are somehow "attuned" to him even after they've been "cast". It could well be, then, that only the proper "owner" of some Invested stormlight can absorb it in that way, akin to how only the original Awakener can recover Breath, or the original Feruchemist (normally) use an attribute from a metalmind.

 

I agree; this is far too similar to the metalmind situation. Have you thought about expanding your Feruchemical lock theory to Stormlight and Investiture in general?

[Duskshard]

I thought it was interesting that the Parshendi spy on humans using dullform, "It was a form of low intelligence, low capacity. They used it now to spy on the humans (Interlude 1)" It seems that this form must be very similar to slaveform if they are able to pass off as spies. I think that we can now safely assume that Shen is a Parshendi spy.

 

This is what I initially thought, but now I'm thinking that it's just too obvious. Although that could just be a double bluff. 

 

EDIT:

 

The more I think about this I don't think that Shen is going to be a spy. Just like the Parshendi escaped the humans and learned new form I think that Shen is going to learn a new form.

 

I'm liking him for Honorform.   

Edited January 28, 2014 by Duskshard

[zandi]

This is what I initially thought, but now I'm thinking that it's just too obvious. Although that could just be a double bluff. 

i agree i think that other characters will think this though and he might suffer the consequences

[Fistsofrage]

Sigh, Dalinar better not allow Amaram in on their meetings with the king. I can already hear Kaladin gnashing his teeth. Amaram's presence is going to complicate an already complicated situation. Brandon sure knows his drama...

[The Rooster]

Maybe not, maybe by his relationship with Bridge 4 he is on the verge of discovering a new form, friendform?

More like Fiendform!

[Aleksiel]

Oh, that awful cliff hanger in Kal's chapter! damnation. I can't wait to see what happens with him and Amaram. Once I get WoR I'm reading the next Kaladin chapter before anything else.

[Shardbearer]

I've been getting a childish vibe from Adolin through all the preview chapters, not just this new one.

 

Also "That creature carries my lord's own blade..." Definitely Szeth and Jezriens blade being referenced here.

[Moogle]

Also "That creature carries my lord's own blade..." Definitely Szeth and Jezriens blade being referenced here.

 

I still hold out the smallest smidgeon of hope for it being Gavilar/Elhokar with Shallash's/Pailah's Honorblade. I know it's basically 99.9% confirmed as being impossible, but still. Szeth almost certainly has an Honorblade though, yeah.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Moogle

[Duskshard]

Sure, here's some reason to think otherwise.

 

We see also from this chapter that Kaladin's own Full Lashings are somehow "attuned" to him even after they've been "cast". It could well be, then, that only the proper "owner" of some Invested stormlight can absorb it in that way, akin to how only the original Awakener can recover Breath, or the original Feruchemist (normally) use an attribute from a metalmind.

 

Good point. I can't wait to find out for certain one way or the other. 

[Fistsofrage]

So...question. What kind of awesomeness unfolds when a person gets surgebinding from both an Honorblade AND  Nahel bond?! Is this the first time such a thing has ever happened? Kaladin > Herald? WHat?

 

Edit: Ok, so I'm getting ahead of myself. But still...the only way to counter a group of stormform parshendi seems to be a one man army of Honorblade and Nahel bond xD. But wouldn't that be too much for book 2?

Edited January 28, 2014 by Fistsofrage

[Kurkistan]

I agree; this is far too similar to the metalmind situation. Have you thought about expanding your Feruchemical lock theory to Stormlight and Investiture in general?

 

It's not really "my" theory, as it was developed rather indirectly with a half dozen others during the course of discussion.

 

That said... maybe. My head's not really in it right now: I felt like I was flailing a bit when I tried to explain it to you the other day. I'd need to take a few days to review the initial thread and my own thoughts before I put anything on paper.

[Shardlet]

Well, It seems that whichever theory it was that each order had it's own stance was correct.

 

Well, the chapter says each stance was named for an essence and each essence is associated with a number (named for a Herald) and a gemstone which are both associated with individual KR orders.  This does not necessarily align the individual stances with individual orders.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Shardlet

[Moogle]

That said... maybe. My head's not really in it right now: I felt like I was flailing a bit when I tried to explain it to you the other day. I'd need to take a few days to review the initial thread and my own thoughts before I put anything on paper.

 

I'll be waiting! Threads about the physics of magic in the Cosmere are always my favorite. Arguing about Taravangian's morality is just something I do to sate myself while waiting for them.

[JesseQ]

Well, the chapter says each stance was named for an essence and each essence is associated with a number (named for a Herald) and a gemstone which are both associated with individual KR orders. This does not necessarily align the individual stances with individual orders.

I think in the Starfall chapter Dalinar used windstance with the little poker thing and while the KRs were impressed with his skill, it seemed to indicate they were unfamiliar with his style. Perhaps there is some correlation though.

[Fistsofrage]

If Honorblades can really change forms, I hope that Kaladin does eventually learn how to use a sword. If only just for the knowledge. Hopefully his hatred of lighteyes wanes and doesn't hinder him anymore. The Versatility of the Honorblade could then truly be unlocked (especially if he learns other weapons as well).

[Bloodfalcon]

EACH/TIME/YOU/ALLOW/THIS,/AMARAM/SAID,/IT/DRIVES/A/WEDGE/BETWEEN/HIM/AND/THE/THRONE./ AMARAM/TOOK/DALINAR/BY/THE/ARM,/STOPPING/HIM/FROM/CONTINUING/FORWARD./ WE/HAVE/BIGGER/PROBLEMS/THAN/YOU/AND/SADEAS,/MY/FRIEND./ YES,/HE/BETRAYED/YOU./YES,/HE/LIKELY/WILL/AGAIN./BUT/WE/CAN/T/AFFORD/ TO/LET/THE/TWO/OF/YOU/GO/TO/WAR./THE/VOIDBRINGERS/ARE/COMING. 

-Reddit post by Brandon

 

If this still holds true, then Amaram ends up surviving that meeting with Kaladin. Which I wasn't positive on, hahaha.

[zandi]

 

 

Hopefully his hatred of lighteyes wanes and doesn't hinder him anymore.

His hatred of light eyes is probably necessary to make him susceptible or at least have the possibility to be susceptible to Odium's influence. I think it is too early in the story for him to get over it.