Rainier Posted January 16, 2018 Posted January 16, 2018 19 hours ago, WhiteLeeopard said: Until I realized the ending change didn't actually change Kaladin's position, but Szeth's position. Szeth fully gives up on life after seing he isn't Truthless, in the originaly ending it was seen, but not so clear cut, and left some room for questioning that Szeth let himself be killed out of laziness or because it was easier. The new ending shows Szeth fully giving up and killing himself over his past actions. I actually agree with you here: the retcon works more for Szeth than for Kaladin. Which makes it even more infuriating when Brandon doesn't even address that in his explanation: Quote There was something I wanted to do, and took a stab at it in the text, then backed off because I couldn’t make it work. It was important to me that Kaladin refuse to kill Szeth at the end. Kaladin is about protection, not vengeance, and once he realized that Szeth really just wanted to be killed, I wanted Kaladin to hesitate. It didn’t end up working, and I moved on to a new version and submitted it. But this itched at me, and by the time the book was released, I felt I’d made the wrong choice for that scene. So I’ve taken this chance to roll it back to the previous idea, and written it in a new way, which I like much better. The bolded part is what he says he was originally trying to accomplish, and what he thinks he has accomplished after the revisions. Nothing about Szeth. Nothing about him giving up, nothing about him facing the lies that led him to commit atrocities. No, it's all about Kaladin, and the reason it needed to change was because Kaladin shouldn't be going around killing people with that Shardblade of his. I think it's bunk, and so do you, but I would have been more sympathetic if Brandon felt he missed out on why Szeth gave up. I still think the originally published version was great, Kaladin just needed some reflection on how a blow that should have been blocked was deliberately let through, and how he didn't expect or really want to kill Szeth, it was more Szeth letting himself die. Instead we turned this: Quote Szeth did not parry. He just closed his eyes. Kaladin drove his Blade into the assassin’s chest right below the neck, severing the spine. Smoke burned out from beneath his eyelids, and his Blade slipped from his fingers. It did not vanish. into this: Quote Szeth did not parry. He just closed his eyes to accept the attack. In that instant, for reasons he could not have articulated—pity, perhaps?— Kaladin diverted his blow, driving the Blade through Szeth’s wrist. The skin greyed. Flashing with reflected lightning, the sword tumbled from the assassin’s fingers, then dulled as it plummeted. Oh, and @Subvisual Haze, @Andy92, @Jimpy, you're late. Credit where credit is due, and all that.
Subvisual Haze Posted January 16, 2018 Posted January 16, 2018 Curses, only 3 years late coming up with that pun!
Subvisual Haze Posted January 17, 2018 Posted January 17, 2018 Wow, reading the other longer thread about the changes really drives home how messed up the change was. We went from Kaladin: Kills Szeth in combat because Szeth unexpectedly did not block the blow. Szeth is dead, Kaladin retrieves the honorblade. to Diverts attacks to disarm Szeth. Now disarmed and unbonded to the honorblade, Szeth is utterly helpless in the highstorm. Kaladin chooses to let the highstorm take Szeth (still alive), and retrieves the honorblade. Wow...the change actually made Kaladin more of murderer! Once Szeth was no longer bonded to the blade, he was completely helpless to save his own life, but Kaladin did have the clear capability to save him. He purposefully chose to let Szeth fall to his death and focus instead on retrieving a cool item. That's...awful! 3
Calderis he/him Posted January 17, 2018 Posted January 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Subvisual Haze said: Wow...the change actually made Kaladin more of murderer! Once Szeth was no longer bonded to the blade, he was completely helpless to save his own life, but Kaladin did have the clear capability to save him. He purposefully chose to let Szeth fall to his death and focus instead on retrieving a cool item. That's...awful! My feelings exactly.
Jimpy he/him Posted January 17, 2018 Author Posted January 17, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Subvisual Haze said: Wow, reading the other longer thread about the changes really drives home how messed up the change was. We went from Kaladin: Kills Szeth in combat because Szeth unexpectedly did not block the blow. Szeth is dead, Kaladin retrieves the honorblade. to Diverts attacks to disarm Szeth. Now disarmed and unbonded to the honorblade, Szeth is utterly helpless in the highstorm. Kaladin chooses to let the highstorm take Szeth (still alive), and retrieves the honorblade. Wow...the change actually made Kaladin more of murderer! Once Szeth was no longer bonded to the blade, he was completely helpless to save his own life, but Kaladin did have the clear capability to save him. He purposefully chose to let Szeth fall to his death and focus instead on retrieving a cool item. That's...awful! #KalOriginallyStabbedFirstAndNowHeStabbedEvenHarder Edited January 17, 2018 by Jimpy stabbed not shot
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