Stones Unhallowed 10.5% Accurate Predictions: Part 2, Adolin & Shallan

[Confused]

Lots of predictions about these two on other threads covering all aspects of their individual and joint lives. I’ll just add a few ideas to the general discussion:

 

Adolin Will Not Become a KR

In WoR, Sadeas observes how much Adolin has grown to be like Dalinar in his younger days (unfortunately for Sadeas). I think this foreshadows how Adolin will at some point become the leader of the Alethi army, the new Blackthorn, and the Kholin Highprince. Being a KR is superfluous to these roles. If something happens to Elhokar and his son, then Adolin in the future may even become the Alethi King.

 

Friction Between Adolin and Shallan

As mentioned in Part 1 of this series of posts (about Kaladin), I believe Kaladin will be blamed for Sadeas’ murder. Reasons: (1) People will assume that someone connected with Dalinar did the deed; (2) everyone knows that Kaladin passionately hates Sadeas; (3) Kaladin is Dalinar’s Captain of the Guard; (4) Kaladin disappears the day after the murder; (5) Kaladin is known for using his side knife on an opponent’s eye (not just Helaran, but he also threatened Jakhamav during the duel the same way); (6) for reasons expressed in Part 1, Amaram will point people in Kaladin’s direction, and (7) people will assume that if Adolin wanted to kill Sadeas, he would have confronted Sadeas openly rather than murder him secretly.

 

Adolin at first will not confess his crime, but I do think he will confide in Shallan. She will be appalled – not because he murdered Sadeas (glass houses and all that) – but because he is willing to let Kaladin take the rap. Until Adolin makes his public confession, there will be serious difficulties between the two.

 

Plus, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Kaladin will rise in her estimation simply because he is not there. Adolin will suffer from the comparison with a phantom. (I know many on this Forum think Shallan will discover that Kaladin killed Helaran, damaging her relationship with him. Kaladin may tell her himself. But that may not happen in this book, and by the time it does, Shallan may be over her grief.)

 

At some point in the book, Adolin and Shallan will work things out. In saying this, I’m not suggesting one way or the other who will ultimately “get the girl” in this plot. I just think there will be friction between Adolin and Shallan for a time.

 

Shallan Will Become Dalinar’s “Right Hand Person”

I think she already is. But because she is further along in her development as a KR than anyone we’ve seen so far other than Jasnah (with whom Dalinar has compared her), and because she is a scholar who will have closely read Words of Radiance, among other things, Dalinar will come to depend on her greatly. (She is, after all, his future daughter-in-law – at least in his mind.)

 

It will also be interesting to see how her relationship with Sebarial and Palona will develop. Everyone will physically be much closer to one another in Urithiru, and we all suspect that these two are much more than they seem. I can see them growing into a Godparents role for Shallan (not in the Francis Ford Coppola sense…well, maybe.)

 

Shallan Will Accept Her Role with the Ghostbloods

Shallan’s need to discover the truth about her family will lead her to join the Ghostbloods. She will want assurances, as Mraize seemed to provide at the end of WoR, that her activities for the Ghostbloods will not run counter to her duties as a KR and her help in the defense of humankind. She will also want assurances that the Ghostbloods will not hurt anyone else she loves or cares for.

 

While Mraize views her as his replacement soulcaster, Shallan will do much more than that. It will be easy within the relatively small confines of Urithiru to discover all sorts of secrets from Urithiru’s archives and its current occupants. I suspect that at some point Sebarial and/or Palona will discover her activities. I’m curious what their advice will be then. And Shallan will learn how to soulcast...

Edited May 1, 2014 by Confused

[Aleksiel]

There are some very good reasons for Adolin to not become KR. Many internal conflicts will come from this - for once in his life he will be the least important person in his family of 3 KR, a king and a former queen. Also, he will struggle to be in a relationship with a woman more powerful and influential than he is, which hasn't happened before mainly because he was on the top of the social chain. While I don't think he'll envy them or form a grudge, it will be more interesting to read how he deals with not being as special as he used to be.

 

I don't think Kaladin will be blamed for Sadeas murder as everyone knew he defeated the assassin, then came back for a pack and spheres to go save the day elsewhere. I doubt any Radiant will be accused of the murder. I don't know if Adolin will confide in anyone. He will suddenly feel kind of intimidated or detached (can't think of a better word, will edit it if I do) from his former closest people. Unexpectedly both Shallan and Renarin have been keeping secrets from him. I think he'll feel incredibly lonely for a while. I put my spheres on telling Kaladin. It's something to move forward their bromance, so the secret of who killed Sadeas will wait until Kal is back.

 

Shallan will likely have tons of trouble with her brothers around. An alcoholic, a pyromaniac... It won't be easy to control them and they will make a mess. Shallan will also struggle from all the attention she'll get as a KR and the Ghostbloods will be her escape. I wonder how she'll explain this to Jasnah... I disagree Mraize thinks of her as a soulcaster, he already denied it and while he could have been lying, the Ghostbloods likely have plenty of soulcasters and only one Lightweaver, so they'll use her other abilities for their goals. But they will need to tempt her with far more then solely her brothers.

 

There's potential for conflicts between Dalinar and Shallan, mainly on her part. Also, I think Kaladin or Renarin, even Jasnah (when she comes back) are better matches for his right hand.

[maxal she/her]

I do not think Adolin would let Kaladin take the blame nor do I think Kaladin will be accused. He was on the top of the tower with Dalinar and co and the time of the murder: he just was not available to do it. As I have mentioned several times before, Adolin is just to honest to let somehow else take the fall, especially the only person to have cared enough about him to help him in the infernal duel. However, I do see Adolin telling Kal before his departure. Adolin is just not a secretive person, he won't be able to keep it all to himself. He will have to tell someone and the easiest person to tell probably is Kaladin because 1) he will understand, 2) he won't tell, 3) he won't judge. In fact, this could be very good for their bromance.

 

I agree that Adolin will feel rather isolated and lonely. He has no friends. All of those he once viewed as friends betrayed him in the worst possible way. He had his brother, but Renarin had not deemed important to tell him about his spren. I agree that Adolin may feel betrayed by this as I suspect he must tell pretty much everything to his brother. His only other friend just left. His father is not only his father, he is one step less than the almighty. Besides, after killing Sadeas, I think Adolin will have a hard time looking into his father's eyes. My two cents are he will try to avoid him as much as possible. The other members of his family are a former queen, a king and another Radiant. His betrothed is a Radiant. I don't think he will get jealous, it would be out-of-character, but he will feel excluded. I think we may have many lonely Adolin's angst (hopefully confiding to his sword) wondering how he fits in this new world, especially now he is a murderer.

 

I do not think Adolin will become the Blackthorn 2. Whereas he has the skills and the temperament to do so, there is one fundamental difference between Adolin and young Dalinar: Adolin has a good heart and cares about people. Dalinar does too, but it took him many years of gruesome war to realize it. I do not think young Dalinar would have rescued a prostitute  nor would he have sit in prison to protest against the unjust imprisonment of a darkeye. Adolin did those things because he cares about what is right and ultimately he killed Sadeas for this reason.

 

I think Adolin will become KR, but not in book 3. Maybe in book 4, book 5 seems more likely. Book 3 will see him slowly fall from grace. In book 4, he'll be picking up the pieces to reach radianhood in book 4-5 or so I hope. Needless to say I am a huge fan of Adolin becoming KR, so I won't settle for anything less.

Edited May 2, 2014 by maxal

[maxal she/her]

As for Shallan, I think she will finally be reunited with her family. She will assert her role as both a Radiant and a Ghostblood. She will wear two faces at the same time. I agree she will have a hard time managing her brothers. Between her two roles, her family, her studies, Pattern, I think she will not have much time for her relationship with Adolin, especially now her family is finally safe. She will not feel the same pressure the make it work she had in WoR. Oh I think she still likes Adolin, but she will just be so busy she won't be with him so much. Adolin on the other hand will take that as a rejection. He will think he is not good enough for her anymore after all, he is half-expecting it. All his relationships failed him and he is always clueless as to why. This would just be another one. Shallan and Adolin will just drift apart and Adolin will be sort of heartbroken over this as he really wanted to be with Shallan, for once.

 

I do not think we will see any Shallan/Kaladin romance in the next book as Kaladin will be away. However, as I do think Adolin and Shallan are really good for each other, I would love to see them come back together at some point.

 

I do not think Shallan will become Dalinar right handed man, but I think Renarin will move up in the food chain. He will spend more time with Dalinar and he will finally take his place in the family.