[OB] Full Book Reactions / Full Spoilers Thread

[Blacksmithki]

38 minutes ago, manugutito said:

So far the consensus seems to be Endowment-Autonomy-Harmony, but I'm not really big on the first two. I can see Autonomy (the "alone" and "need not suffer the interference" parts). On Endowment, however, I am not sure at all. Simple elimination? I am not trying to suggest anything else, I just don't know the pro-Endowment arguments, other than "it is a Shard we know" and a process of elimination.

Autonomy is also known to be very expansive, with multiple entire pantheons made up of copies of him, so that's a chunk of the reasoning, as that fits pretty nicely into the letter. I do believe there was a discussion about this on whatever the thread where someone collected al the epigraphs.

[NightFrost]

You know I really wanted to post this in part 5 reactions but that doesn't exist but is no one else excited about this. DUEL WIELDING SHARDBLADES i mean come on whats better then one blade while two of course.  I know we already knew it was possible but come on seeing it in action is awesome.

[Aleksiel]

3 hours ago, Cognizantastic said:

I really, really thought that Sebarial was about to be crowned king of Alethkar. 

I can imagine him negotiating to reschedule the Final Desolation for a more convenient time 

[NE Windrunner he/him]

Just finished last night and LOVED it!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

A few of thoughts...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             -

• I'm torn about Kaladin's next words in that I want to know what they are soooooo badly but I also think Brandon was smart to not have Kal say them yet. I don't think we want to see Kal as a full 5th Ideal Radiant until the very end of the first 5 books (if we ever see it).                                                                                                                                                       
• HOW DO YOU GET FREAKING SHARDPLATE?!?!?!?!?! I was really thinking 4th Ideal =Shardplate but either I'm incorrect on that or Jasnah just doesn't feel the need to summon hers?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
• Warbreaker 2 has to happen right? RIGHT?!?! Nightblood might be my favorite Sanderson character.                                                                                                                               
• I legit cried about Elhokar, never have I hated a character so much only to have them completely redeem themse-                                                                                                         
• So Brandon has said before (no quote, sorry!) that he has no problem writing from the POV of a dead character. Eshonai is clearly one of those that he was talking about so I wonder if the focus of her flashback book in the present will be Venli? I'm very interested in how this plays out.                                                                                                                   
• I need to know what is going to happen with Adolin and Maya. I have always been firmly in the "I want Adolin to be a Radiant" camp until I finished this book. My fondest wish is that Adolin will find a way to save/resurrect Maya but find a way to circumvent the Nahel bond. Not sure how/if that will work but I just don't see Adolin as a Radiant, hes just not broken, yet...
• I'm super scared that someone on Odium's side is going to become a Bondsmith, do we know what other spren you would bond to become one of the other 2 Bondsmiths? I'm assuming the Nightwatcher is one but what is the third? Is there a spren of Odium that I'm missing? Is that even possible?
• Moash vs Kal 11:00pm on Showtime $99 if you want to watch the pay per view.
• So Azure is Vivenna but what's up with her sword?
• So Is Hoid going to bond with what I'm assuming is Elhokar's spren? I thought he already had access to lightweaving but was not necessarily a radiant, is he now? Is this kind of like when he steals the Lerasium bead?
• Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, cheers!                                                                                             

[Giubba]

Hello everyone newcomer here.

 

I've finished the book yesterday and i have mixed feeling about it.

I've found part that are really really really cool, with well written sequence great action and cleaver dialogue but on the other hand there are big chunk of the books that to me looked too much fragmented (especially at the beginning) with those small chapters and the continuous switch between POVs .

Also the whole cosmere multiverse thing it was too invasive this time around, i really don't like how Azure is another mysterious traveler from another world hunting for something not from this world that has little to none relevance with the stormlight archive saga. I thought that the basic idea of the cosmere was that it would be a marginal background element in all the series Sanderson would write until it would coalescence in a final series of book where everything would be explained but imho this time the cosmere was far from being marginal or in the background.

[Khyrindor he/him]

44 minutes ago, NE Windrunner said:

So Is Hoid going to bond with what I'm assuming is Elhokar's spren? I thought he already had access to lightweaving but was not necessarily a radiant, is he now? Is this kind of like when he steals the Lerasium bead?                                                                                       

He may have Lightweaving, but the Spren bond will also grant him Soulcasting, a Shardblade, possibly Shardplate, and the ability to use Stormlight.

Edited November 24, 2017 by Rider of Storms

[Willow]

1 hour ago, Rider of Storms said:

He may have Lightweaving, but the Spren bond will also grant him Soulcasting, a Shardblade, possibly Shardplate, and the ability to use Stormlight.

Those things do sound like advantages on top of the Lightweaving he already has. However, I wonder if bonding a spren will impact his ability to worldhop in any negative way, since apparently it's difficult for spren. That might become a problem when Odium figures out Wit is on Roshar and he needs to make a quick exit..

[Khyrindor he/him]

33 minutes ago, Willow said:

Those things do sound like advantages on top of the Lightweaving he already has. However, I wonder if bonding a spren will impact his ability to worldhop in any negative way, since apparently it's difficult for spren. That might become a problem when Odium figures out Wit is on Roshar and he needs to make a quick exit..

It's difficult, but if anyone, Hoid will find ways around it. It's also possible he only needs the spren for a temporary goal.

[Willow]

1 minute ago, Rider of Storms said:

It's difficult, but if anyone, Hoid will find ways around it. It's also possible he only needs the spren for a temporary goal.

I do hope if that's the case, that when he unbonds the spren, he will do it using the mutually accepting way Brandon Sanderson has hinted at, and not the rather brutal way it happened during the Recreance (which is what I'm afraid of, if he's in a hurry, especially after Hoid's 'my goals are more important than the people of Roshar' speech). That poor spren's been through enough already.

[Khyrindor he/him]

4 minutes ago, Willow said:

I do hope if that's the case, that when he unbonds the spren, he will do it using the mutually accepting way Brandon Sanderson has hinted at, and not the rather brutal way it happened during the Recreance (which is what I'm afraid of, if he's in a hurry, especially after Hoid's 'my goals are more important than the people of Roshar' speech). That poor spren's been through enough already.

I feel the same way. I'll have to look out for any mention of a spren around Hoid in Mistborn Era Two; maybe there's evidence.

[+Kapin]

A bit late to the party, as I just finished last night and am travelling in China right now. 

That was absolutely mindblowing. So much new cosmere stuff and character development. The scope of this book felt so massive but so personal (I loved the bridge 4 viewpoints). Also the final battle was just perfect. Dalinar’s moment was perfect and was so powerful.

For the Wheel of Time readers, the final battle reminded me a lot of another very very long chapter that Brandon wrote in the final book there. It’s like he took what he did there and honed it to absolute perfection here. 

 

I still can’t get over how good this was and just want more. 

[Secret Ardent Man]

I just want to say that Dalinar is the badassinest badass who ever badassed. 

[lastofus]

Ok I cannot read the whole topic again to see if it was mentioned. But did anyone notice Dalinar recognizing Szeth as a Skybreaker?

Quote

 

Those two only make nine, he thought to the Stormfather. Something told him there should be one more.

Brandon Sanderson. Oathbringer (Kindle Locations 22249-22250). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition. 

 

Did he sense Venli or Rysn? 

Odium cannot face Dalinar again, if he does, he have to name a champion, he's now bound by that. I really want to see him try storm-calling Venli again.

Edited November 26, 2017 by lastofus

[Cephandrius Everstorm]

DESTROY, DESTROY, DESTROY... "you are impatient with killing the evil, sword-nimi!" DESTROY EVIL!!!

Oh man I feel nightblood's frustration, I was sitting there reading like YESSSS NIGHTBLOOD! DESTROY THAT EVIL!!! (as he sees it anyways) (And Lift and nightblood sidequest? Yes, please! They have such a lovely and common understanding for the need of consumption!

In other notes. "I am Unity."  That line, that storming line! And Dalinar temporarily uniting the three realms made my jaw drop. 

Was I the only one who thought that "Unity" was a new shard and that gloryspren was this shards investiture (realized after that they were just drawn to the glorious act of ascension but still I was freaking out here. I also thought that "Unity" may turn to be the united shards of Honor and Cultivation, and even perhaps, a three-in-one unity of Honor, Cultivation, and ma'boy Odium! I have always looked at Dalinar's quest to "Unite them" as much broader in scope than merely the people of Roshar, and perhaps even more than simply, the shards of Roshar "Unite THEM"... all of them... all 16!

On that note, how about my namesake, Cephandrius, bonding that cryptic. This highly-invested world hopper is an awakened, a mistborn, and on his way to be a lightweaver and likely is working his way, and is well on his way, to being invested by the rest of the shards. After all when you can worldhop and go under the eye of 2/16ths of God unnoticed (here's looking at you Sazed, my OG hero of ages! *possible need for redaction*) then why couldn't you gather all the investiture you need to say, I don't know, UNITE THEM! (Though I figure the eventual unity of Adonalsium will be brought together not by any one individual, but nevertheless this witty worldhopper will have a willful weighing in on this worldbreaking wonder! (and I do think this is an eventuality, God isn't going to stay broken forever is he?)

Moving on to Scadrialin things. The "Evi is Vivenna" theories I heard  was already making me look for Vivenna so Azure was fantastic and satisfying, but not totally unexpected as I have been looking for her since my reread of WoK and realizing Zahel's true identity. All in all it speaks of awesomeness to me... and speaking of awesomeness... who else absolutely loved Lift popping up in Dalinar's visions? And how the heck did she do this by the way? Her connection to cultivation? The fact that she exists partly in the cognitive/spiritual realm (i forget which but there is some reason she can grab hold of wyndle/her spren in the physical realm)? As always, Brandon Sanderson leaves us with many questions but definitely had such a satisfying conclusion to this third book of awesomeness and I for one and Stormin starvin for more! 

[vividox]

Just finished last night.

Wow. Wow. Chaos' spoiler-free review was not wrong. That was one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. Loved the lore and the double-Sanderlanche.

Notable reactions:

I had a very clear and precise moment when it finally clicked in my head that Azure = Vivenna. For some reason the name Azure didn't make it click, but the cape wrapping around her arm did. I had to put the book down, jump up and down a bit, and say WOW about sixteen times before I could get it together and read any more, I was so excited.

I really liked getting to see some extended time in Shademar and the first glimpse of spren civilization.

Dalinar's entire story arc was exceptional. His backstory was brutal, but the way it all came together and allowed him to be exactly where he needed to be to capture Nergaoul was excellent.

I also really liked the Venli story arc. When she started saying the words, oh man. The feels. I'll be really interested to see where her arc goes from here. I'm guessing the Eshonai book is going to have Eshonai flashbacks and focus mainly on Venli?

The book set up perfectly for Szeth's Book 4...

Elhokar getting killed right as he was saying the first ideal... brutal. Effing Moash. SMH.

The Battle of Thaylen City was so epic. One of the coolest battle sequences I've ever read, and that came after the Kholinar battle, which, up to that point, was one of the coolest battle sequences I've ever read.

Jasnah as Queen? Interesting.

Did... did Hoid just become a Knight Radiant?!

 

There is just so much to process now. Time to start going through this thread and seeing what I missed...

[vividox]

Oh my God, and I forgot to mention. Adolin and Maya was AWESOME. When he summoned her at just seven heartbeats... holy cow that was awesome. He's healing his Shardblade!

[vividox]

On 11/14/2017 at 4:37 PM, Kalinovsky said:

That was possibly the most intense thing I've ever read. I bought this book at 10am, and now it's 5:30 pm and I'm done. 

Adolin and Shallan are perfect together, and none will ever convince me otherwise.

Totally not book related, but how is it possible to read this book in 7.5 hours? Haha. I must be a super slow reader, or maybe I just like time to digest, but I'm doing well if I can cover 400 pages in that amount of time. 

[rjl]

2 hours ago, vividox said:

Totally not book related, but how is it possible to read this book in 7.5 hours? Haha. I must be a super slow reader, or maybe I just like time to digest, but I'm doing well if I can cover 400 pages in that amount of time. 

7.5 hours for this book is around 4 times the "average adult" reading speed.

[lastofus]

2 hours ago, vividox said:

Totally not book related, but how is it possible to read this book in 7.5 hours? Haha. I must be a super slow reader, or maybe I just like time to digest, but I'm doing well if I can cover 400 pages in that amount of time. 

One third of the book was already published on Tor.com. I got the book at 9:30 AM and finished it at around 9 PM

[ZenBossanova]

So I guess Eshonai really is dead. 

I had my hopes. 

[Necessary Eagle she/her]

So I finished my first reread. My first full read, technically, since the first time I'd skipped the chapters that I'd already read on Tor.

I was reminded of some of the mysteries and Significant Things discussed during the Tor months:

-There was a debate about Dalinar's vision of  the Champion in the first chapter, whether the familiarity he saw in its eyes meant he recognized the person, or the feeling of the Thrill. Given who the champion turned out to be, I think the answer to that one is "yes".

-May Aladar is not, in fact, Vivenna, a Radiant, a voidbringer, a love interest, or anyone of note at all so far.

-Fill-in-the-blank-here is not Vivenna, either.

-Renarin's jaw dropping when Dalinar described the champion. No explanation for that. I guess he'd seen it in a vision?

-No explanation for why only Renarin and Shallan could sense Re-Shephir, either. People thought it was their shared surge, but I'm still not quite sure if Renarin actually has regular Illumination. The fact that he used light to make the thunderclast "go" in the battle of Thaylen City- during the Everstorm- makes me suspect he has Voidbinding Illumination.

-Shallan's freaky pictures that Pattern didn't see her draw? That got dropped, too.

-The toilet, as far as we know, was a perfectly safe place for the Honorblade.

-That bit in the epigraphs that had everyone confused, the part about hanging between realms and fates worst than death, presumably refers to the climax.

 

Some things I picked up on my second read:

-More evidence is that Tashi = Ishar: Tashi is called "the binder of the world". Ishar is called "the binder of gods".

-That picture of Shalash in the endpapers is the one Pom destroyed, isn't it?

-Drehy and Skar got away from Kholinar, but there's nothing about Shallan's people.

-There's a storming Herald involved in the Diagram. Like, the first time around I only noticed that she was the one who said the end was nigh, but on second read she was the one who wrote an essay for Mr. T slandering Dalinar. Battah's a Diagramist.

-I hated the love triangle just as much the second time around. I think it was very poorly written.

-Okay, on reread, I don't think Szeth is walking around in white robes anymore. He's probably dressed as a Skybreaker, in a police uniform. Which brings up a different problem: Dalinar and Lift had met Szet before, but how did Jasnah know that the weird Shin guy at Thaylen Field was "the storming Assassin-in-White"?

 

[StormingTexan he/him]

1 hour ago, Necessary Eagle said:

Okay, on reread, I don't think Szeth is walking around in white robes anymore. He's probably dressed as a Skybreaker, in a police uniform. Which brings up a different problem: Dalinar and Lift had met Szet before, but how did Jasnah know that the weird Shin guy at Thaylen Field was "the storming Assassin-in-White"?

 

That’s a good question but she did say “apparently the storming Assassin in White” which makes me think someone told her who he was off screen. 

Man you reminded me of all the unanswered questions from part one I forgot about..

[MistbornAlpaca he/him]

Part 1 and 2 were great, if a little slow, although I loved the Bridge 4 POV's. Part 3 was the end I was expecting for the whole book, and it was amazing to get it half-way through. Part 4 was a little slow for Shallan, Kaladin, and the rest of the crew in Shadesmar, but it was great to see the Cognitive Realm on Roshar. Finally Part 5, just wow! It was amazing! The Brandon Avalanche at its best. The build-up to the final battle in Thaylena, and the moment where Dalinar refused to give Odium his pain was amazing! The end of this book was the end I was expecting for maybe book 5, but book 4 at the earliest, so there are so many places this could go right now, and I'm excited to see what comes next!

[Mulk he/him]

1 hour ago, StormingTexan said:

That’s a good question but she did say “apparently the storming Assassin in White” which makes me think someone told her who he was off screen. 

Man you reminded me of all the unanswered questions from part one I forgot about..

She knows who he is - she saw him in the company of her...ah..employee, who had owned him prior to selling him to the Parshendi.

[Necessary Eagle she/her]

Oh, that's right. Thanks, @Mulk.