[OB] Anticipation

[Erunion he/him]

The red streamers of anticipationspren are floating around my head as I re-read the pre-released chapters in advance of Tuesday. 

Through my head rings the anthem of Queen; I want it all, I want it all - I want it all; and I want it now!

 

And so I ask you all this question - what are you anticipating most from Oathbringer? 

 

To start us off:

- Kaladin’s return to Urithiru and it’s fallout 

- The fallout from jasnah’s return to Urithiru. 

- Szeth’s inevitable interlude, now with 100% more Nightblood 

- Finding out about the Nightwatcher. 

[Ansalem]

What I'm most anticipating are the things I don't see coming.

Oh, and all the other things too of course.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Ansalem

[Storyspren]

The joy of reading something I’m guaranteed to like but haven’t read before.

The greater joy of finding out my theories were wrong and for awesome reasons.

The even greater joy of rereading the corpus in light of new clues.

And also:

jasnah and shallan’s reunion

Parshmen/parshendi developments... will any wind up free of mind and body? Even Rlain?

vivenna

Adolin’s murder plot

 

 

[duladen he/him]

Every scene with Sylphrena. I adore her.

Voidbinding

Answers about the Heralds, Desolations, and the details of the Oathpact.

All the new questions that will be raised.

[Goatbringer he/him]

I'm really looking forward to being really wrung out by a book. I haven't had the feeling of gut-wrenching shock at a book for a while. Some have come close in the last three years, like The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and the Powder Mage Trilogy by our boy Brian McClellan, but nothing that really messed me up like frantically reading through Words of Radiance almost four years ago for the first time (incidentally, I was reading it while acting in a play, and I ended up reading the line of "Honour is dead, but I'll see what I can do" while I was on a break in the greenroom right before going back onstage; the adrenaline I got from that one chapter made my performance that night even better than I expected!). But Oathbringer is bringing back these characters who I have really come to love, characters that I'm so excited to see and hear from again after so much time imagining what's going to come next. 

In terms of what I'd like to see specifically:

- I want to see how Shardplate is formed. I'm guessing Kal is the most likely candidate to be the first Radiant who gains Shardplate, and I think whenever he figures that out it will be storming incredible. 

- I'd like to see how the parshendi were originally enslaved and if that was the catalyst for the Recreance

- Cannot WAIT to see Nightblood in action 

- Very excited to see what connections there are to Warbreaker since I re-read it a week ago in anticipation

- Can't wait to see the art, the ketek and the Sanderlanche. 

[maxal she/her]

I have only one word: ADOLIN. 

This is what I am dying to read and I really, really, really, really, really, really hope not to be disappointed. 

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

9 minutes ago, maxal said:

I have only one word: ADOLIN. 

This is what I am dying to read and I really, really, really, really, really, really hope not to be disappointed. 

There are three constants in the universe, death, taxes, and maxal's fixation on Adolin  

Seriously though, after three years of waiting I'm glad you're finally going to be getting some answers. 

[maxal she/her]

2 minutes ago, Fifth of Daybreak said:

There are three constants in the universe, death, taxes, and maxal's fixation on Adolin  

Seriously though, after three years of waiting I'm glad you're finally going to be getting some answers. 

Yep that's about the right order, though I worry more about Adolin than about paying my taxes 

I just hope it will have been worth the wait.

[bo.montier]

More than anything I want the next Bondsmith oath. 

The second oath literally changed what I wanted to do with my life and how I interact with people on a daily basis. Uniting instead of dividing, bringing men together has become the measure against which I test my life. If I feel what I'm doing is dividing, I stop doing it, no matter what it is. 
I hope the next oath resonates with me in the same way.

Beyond that, I agree with @Goatbringer, Sanderson has a way of just bringing me to such emotional heights that I feel completely wrung out. I remember the first book I read by him, which was The Gathering Storm...I was so nervous going in, because how could someone do justice to Robert Jordan? But at the end I was quivering with joy, tears streaming down my face. 
He's brought me to that point many times as I dove into his series. 

I just can't express how excited I am.

[Gigalemesh he/him]

4 hours ago, Goatbringer said:

I'm really looking forward to being really wrung out by a book. I haven't had the feeling of gut-wrenching shock at a book for a while.

I'd recommend reading Robin Hobb's books, starting from Assassin's Aprentice, they are excellent and will wring you out like nothing else! She is the only author I prefer to Brandon

In terms of anticipation, I don't think there is any one thing I'm anticipating most, just really excited for the whole thing

[Elanmorin]

Urithiru should be interesting.

I'm hoping for a confrontation of some sort between Jasnah and Bridge 4 (over Rlain) at which point they all start glowing and say, "Kaladin is back, you should storm off now."

[SilverTiger she/her]

I want to see Jasnah meet Kaladin, because it seems like there'll be a clash of personalities between them. Also, Jasnah when she discovers that Renarin and Dalinar are Radiants too.

[Nymeros]

15 hours ago, Ansalem said:

What I'm most anticipating are the things I don't see coming.

 

14 hours ago, Storyspren said:

The joy of reading something I’m guaranteed to like but haven’t read before.

Really good answers.

 

My book was pre ordered whenever so its really just a patience game frome here....i know I'm going to enjoy it regardless.

 

Specifically, I'm ready to see Bridge 4 get an extended section and to see what Moash is up to.

[HoidsRock]

I have:

Reread WOK and WOR

Brushed up on Ars Arcanum, Khriss notes on the Rosharan system, and all the epigraphs.

Followed the Edgedancer reread on Tor.

Nothing to do now but wait.

Oh, and I also am anxious to see how Jasnah reacts to Kaladin.  Previously, when Shallan expressed shock that their powers were given to women, Jasnah responded with:

Quote

Spren don't suffer from human society's prejudices. Refreshing, wouldn't you say?

So in theory, Jasnah won't have a problem with this independent darkeyes.  But we all know when it comes to our own prejudices, they can be harder to overcome. 

So you have a darkeyes who commands her cousin that is fourth in line for the throne?  Who is not particularly deferential to her brother?  And downright insolent to Anaram? This is the scene I want to see.

[TheDarkDesperado he/him]

I agree with most of these but one I'm really interested in is Elhokar wanting to take back Kholinar with Kaladin, really think that will be interesting not only for Kaladin's story for this book but also because Elhokar has been trying so hard to be a good king so he might get a genuine moment of victory... plus his developing hero worship of Kaladin is gold.

[Goatbringer he/him]

Guys its so close I can almost taste it omg. I've had this timer saved in my bookmarks since April.

[JoyBlu she/her]

Evi & Dalinar’s relationship. I want to know their story. Did they fall in love? What is Evi like? What is causing Dalinar so much pain over the circumstances surrounding Evi’s death? How was Navani involved in Evi’s death and how much does she know about him not being able to recall Evi. 

Quote

Navani settled down on the seat beside Dalinar, resting her head on his shoulder. “Would that I could create a fabrial,” she whispered, “to take away this kind of pain.”  OB chapter 4

Was Navani involved with Dalinar forgetting Evi?

I want to learn more about the Nightwatcher  

Then there is Tarah. I want to hear more about her. There is an untold story there with her and Kaladin. 

And of course Vivenna. I really want to discover her on my own but then have confirmation that I am correct  

 

 

[WhiteLeeopard she/her]

I'm looking forward to reading all the epic moments. 

Dalinar and the Stormskype will be great too.

And maybe, maaybe a confrontation between Szeth and everyone in Urithiru, which could happen if Nalan thinks they should go there. That would mean Szeth and Dalinar, Kaladin, Adolin and T . Each of those on their own would be a rollercoaster. 

[hypatia she/her]

I expect

- more Bridge Four

- more about the "man who calls himself Taln" and the other Heralds. And I think they will start to die (because of this WoB with the connection of the Oathpact and the survival of the Heralds)

- more of the Unmade

I want to know whose armies are gathering ante portas Kholinar

All in all - I think this book will rip out my heart - multiple times.

To be honest - at the moment I expect everyone to die and I'm working myself in a kind of "Renarin-State" (...we will all die...) 

Edited November 12, 2017 by hypatia

[bdoble97]

I cant wait to hear from Jasnah about her rime in Shadmare or haow ever you spell it. I really don't think this gave me any Fallout or very little Fallout Shallan and her were in good terms when she thought Jasnah had died. I really want to know who's the group with her. 

I think Kals time away with the parshmen is going to shed new light on the whole situation.

I was never a big fan og Szeth but now that he has kn9gjtblood with him its going to be 1000× more interesting for me. 

I  really hope that Shallan and the night mother have two more confrontations. At least in this book

[Efebre]

pattern vs syl

[Steeldancer he/him]

23 hours ago, Fifth of Daybreak said:

There are three constants in the universe, death, taxes, and maxal's fixation on Adolin  

Seriously though, after three years of waiting I'm glad you're finally going to be getting some answers. 

You forgot about Feather and Renarin

[Blacksmithki]

1 hour ago, bdoble97 said:

 Shadmare or haow ever you spell it.

I'm pretty sure it is Shadesmar,

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

28 minutes ago, Steeldancer said:

You forgot about Feather and Renarin

I've been Feather/Renarin adjacent, but the Maxal/Adolin discussion was like coming home to a lit fire in the hearth when I showed back up after a few years. There's a couple threads buried where Maxal and I had some long discussions about Adolin from 2014. I'd guess that Maxal and I are more aligned in terms of interest in topics of discussion than I am with Feather so we just never butted heads as much as I did with Maxal. 

 

Since I'm here again, I'm really storming excited for Rysn, Pattern and Sebarial. 

Edited November 12, 2017 by Fifth of Daybreak

[maxal she/her]

1 hour ago, Fifth of Daybreak said:

I've been Feather/Renarin adjacent, but the Maxal/Adolin discussion was like coming home to a lit fire in the hearth when I showed back up after a few years. There's a couple threads buried where Maxal and I had some long discussions about Adolin from 2014. I'd guess that Maxal and I are more aligned in terms of interest in topics of discussion than I am with Feather so we just never butted heads as much as I did with Maxal. 

 

Since I'm here again, I'm really storming excited for Rysn, Pattern and Sebarial. 

I will have to revisit those conversations, someday. There are times where I am afraid of what I may have said during my early days onto the Shard : so much has changed ever since, so much has evolved. I used to be a fiery defendant of Adolin as a Dustbringer up until @Aleksiel sneakily managed to slowly, but inexorably convinced me the Edgedancer option was not only much better, but preferable and more inline with the character. Very few people are actually aware of how drastically I changed my head-canon for Adolin following those conversations, many thinking I am too stubborn to ever change my mind.

Seeing the Edgedancer theory start by one or two individuals speaking about it up until we got this precious WoB which confirmed Adolin's Blade was indeed an Edgedancer's Blade up to the point where I started actively writing about it has really been the highlight of my time on the Shard. This theory came out of nowhere and now everyone knows about it When I started actively defending it, very people believed it had merit. On Tor.com, people practically laughed at it up until someone accidentally glimpsed at one of my posts and openly thought the theory actually made some sense.

I still do not know if it will ever pan out into a real story arc but it was fun to think it would. 

And yeah, I've butted head with a lot of people  

My husband just told me if I ever speak about my *cursed* book again, he will personally write to Brandon Sanderson himself claiming his writing is impacting his family life as he cannot stand me rant on how I haven't gotten the book, yet  He also said I'd better not WHINE over how my *cursed* character's story arc is not up to my liking because he will personally take action and likely burn all of my books  

In terms of anticipation, apart from Adolin, I am also curious to read about the Dalinar/Evi relationship and I also want to see little Adolin popping into the story.