[OB] Things to come...

[soyperson]

So. The book has been out for two weeks now.

By the time Book Four comes out, we'll all be a good deal older. I'll probably have graduated high school. But I'm going to make some predictions anyways. Bear with me, folks.

I think the next book will be Szeth's, just because of the way his storyline progressed in Oathbringer. Perhaps it'll even be titled Stones Unhallowed. In the next book, Szeth will take up his crusade and return to his homeland, likely with Lift in tow. We'll finally see his spren, and their bond will grow. I think he'll meet back up with his family (That should be interesting. I wonder what Neturo is like?) and the people who made him Truthless, while the flashbacks show us how that whole ordeal went down in the first place.  We'll see the Shin culture, the honorblades, and the Stone Shamans. I'm fairly certain we'll see Zahel and Azure again, since Szeth has Nightblood and that's what Azure is looking for.  Maybe we'll learn more about why they came to Roshar. Maybe we'll even learn a bit about why humanity came to Roshar, seeing as Shinovar was their original territory on Roshar.

I think that, as The Way of Kings was a book about challenges, Words of Radiance was a book about growth, and Oathbringer was a book about passion, this will be a book about origins. 

These are, however, just the thoughts and ramblings of a madman. And we've got at least 3 years until we find out anything, so who knows if these'll be anywhere near correct? Either way, feel free to give me your ideas, your arguments, your own predictions... anything. We've got plenty of time.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Ookla the Melodious

[Willow]

I think Brandon Sanderson has said he's going to switch male and female flashbacks, so Eshonai was always going to be in book four. That said, it could still be about origins, I'm very curious to know more about the listeners.

This does make me very wonder what Oathbringer would've looked like if it had been Szeth's flashback book, since I don't know how we could've gotten Dalinar's main storyline in a book without his flashbacks to complement them.

[soyperson]

21 hours ago, Willow said:

I think Brandon Sanderson has said he's going to switch male and female flashbacks, so Eshonai was always going to be in book four. That said, it could still be about origins, I'm very curious to know more about the listeners.

This does make me very wonder what Oathbringer would've looked like if it had been Szeth's flashback book, since I don't know how we could've gotten Dalinar's main storyline in a book without his flashbacks to complement them.

I don't recall him saying that but I'll take your word for it. I suppose Venli will be the focus character, supported by Eshonai's flashbacks? Or maybe we'll get Fused Eshonai and Radiant Venli? That would certainly be interesting! The whole dichotomy of singers and listeners is a field I'd be very okay with learning more about.

Also, I totally agree with that last thought. Without Dalinar's flashbacks, his struggle against Odium and the whole deal with passion and pain wouldn't have been nearly as effective and good. 

Edited November 29, 2017 by Ookla the Melodious

[Willow]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Melodious said:

I don't recall him saying that but I'll take your word for it

I just quickly looked it up to make sure I wasn't lying:

Quote

HarveyJYogscast

Something I've been wondering: are you intentionally alternating between male and female main characters through the whole series? Because I believe I remember reading that Eshonai will be book 4 and Szeth will be book 5.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I'm alternating intentionally. It's a pattern I don't feel slavish toward, so if the next book doesn't work for Eshonai but works for Szeth, I'll break the pattern. But the originally outline alternated through all ten.

NotOJebus

What happens if you write the next book for one, but then Book 5 doesn't work with the person you have left? Will you change the book so the flashbacks suit it or will you change the flashbacks to suit the book?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll deal with that when (if) it happens. I suspect either is possible, though I could also just decide to do a different character, if I feel it makes the story work the best.

 

So.. alternating is the plan, but it's very possible that the next book is going to be Szeth's book, if that's what the story demands. And if he manages something like Dalinar's storyline in Oathbringer, I won't even mind too much. (Though I want to know more of Eshonai... and Venli, I suppose. It'll be interesting to see how the two sisters view each other in the flashbacks and present)

Edited November 28, 2017 by Willow

[StormingTexan he/him]

I am really hoping Brandon decides to do Szeth's book next. I am sure Brandon will figure out a way to make Eshonai's book awesome but the death thing has me really turned off on it atm. 

[soyperson]

21 hours ago, StormingTexan said:

I am really hoping Brandon decides to do Szeth's book next. I am sure Brandon will figure out a way to make Eshonai's book awesome but the death thing has me really turned off on it atm. 

Yeah, I think killing her in one book and then doing her flashbacks in the next would be a bit odd, at least in my opinion. Give her some time to, er, breathe.

[soyperson]

(damnation it happened again)

(sorry)

Edited November 29, 2017 by Ookla the Melodious

[Govir]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Melodious said:

I think killing her in one book and then doing her flashbacks in the next would be a bit odd

While I like your idea of Szeth's story, I think it makes more sense to have the Eshonai flashbacks in the next book for the exact reason you said it would be odd. If he waits until book 5 for Eshonai flashbacks, we'll be a book removed from her death and likely from much mention of her either. So book 4 being Eshonai's flashbacks and a lot of PoVs from Venli makes sense to me. In this scenario, Szeth will be bound to Dalinar as a reason to not go seek vengeance on the Shin people. In the course of book 4, we may still learn more about the Shin people and maybe Dalinar will need to "deal" with them leading into book 5 as Szeth's flashbacks and Szeth dealing with Shin in present day.

[soyperson]

Apparently Eshonai is still on track for Book 4. I wonder what it'll be titled? There isn't much in-world listener literature that we know of, other than the Songs. Song of Secrets, perhaps?

[The One Who Connects he/him]

3 hours ago, Ookla the Melodious said:

Apparently Eshonai is still on track for Book 4. I wonder what it'll be titled? There isn't much in-world listener literature that we know of, other than the Songs. Song of Secrets, perhaps?

There have been two discussion on this thus far: here. & here.

Feel free to peruse them, but the general consensus is that it should be a Listener Song. Personally, I'd want a song we don't have anything about yet, but who knows.

[sprtstr14 he/him]

On 11/28/2017 at 8:49 AM, Ookla the Melodious said:

I'm fairly certain we'll see Zahel and Azure again, since Szeth has Nightblood and that's what Azure is looking for.  Maybe we'll learn more about why they came to Roshar.

I'm thinking we won't see this until the Warbreaker sequel. Although Sanderson has said one of the reasons Zahel went to Roshar is because it is much easier to get investiture for awakening on Roshar than Nalthis.

Edited December 5, 2017 by sprtstr14

[WhiteLeeopard she/her]

I'd prefer Szeth's book for 4, but I suspect it will be Venli/Eshonai. Thing is, if book 4 is Venli it basically forces the Singers to splinter in book 4 and a group to join the KR in Urithiru. As I find it hard to believe we'd get a flashback book and a large character arc that ends with that character and her people still enslaved to Odium and the Fused's whims. I'm eager to see this, but at the same time I'm not too warm over Venli.

[taliefer]

i have about 0 interest in eshonai flashbacks, since shes already, you know, dead.

 

i suppose it would be the ultimate "journey before destination" scenario, but i dunno. it doesnt interest me and im kinda wary if thats the direction he goes.

[The One Who Connects he/him]

4 minutes ago, taliefer said:

I have about 0 interest in Eshonai flashbacks, since shes already, you know, dead.

Venli is her sister, so it could showcase the dynamic between the two and let us learn more about both of them. Brandon could even do some/half of the Flashbacks from Venli's PoV and the rest of them from Eshonai's(though I'm not sure if he'd do this).

---

The thing about the flashbacks is that they tell a mini-story of their own, and that story is relevant to the larger book(sometimes extremely, as in OB). That story needs to be told, and if Brandon thinks the story will still work best from Eshonai's PoV, then I'm willing to give it a chance.

[soyperson]

8 hours ago, The One Who Connects said:

There have been two discussion on this thus far: here. & here.

Feel free to peruse them, but the general consensus is that it should be a Listener Song. Personally, I'd want a song we don't have anything about yet, but who knows.

That first one was one of my threads, I feel like a bad thread-parent for not keeping up with it 

Anyhow, Song of Secrets would be a killer title, and I do believe it'll center around Eshonai/Venli, the singers, and the Willshapers, leaving Book 5 (Stones Unhallowed?) to focus on Szeth, the Shin, and the Skybreakers.