The duel?

[Odin1981]

How many people think that the champion duel will actually have a definitive winner in book 5? I believe that it will come to a conclusion in which their is a stalemate. Because if one side wins what is the need for another 5 books? As well as if there is a winner that means that there would need to be a time skip of another 1000 years for the current pact to be over to have a ending which would require a new series more or less for books 6-10. Just a thought imo.

[Dracnor he/him]

I think (or wish ?) that Dalinar will lose the duel and become a Fused. Odium winning means he stops the war with what he earned, remains bound, and takes Dalinar. I don't see how the other members of the coalition can't start a new war after that, hence the back five. And it would be oh so interesting to see the changes in society during those 10 years.

[Ashbringer he/him]

Was it ever said what the terms are for winning? Is it just assumed to be a fight to the death?

I could definitely see Dalinar losing. Perhaps becoming a certain mysterious figure on Scadrial... my main question, and likely the one that Odium was wondering about asking, is if Dalinar becomes bound to Odium, what happens to the Stormfather? It's possible T-Odium wouldn't force Dalinar to act in a way that would break his bond, but I could also see Dalinar being ripped apart by two incompatible oaths like Kaladin was in WoR.

[Gears]

There has to be a conclusive enough ending so we can have a 15 year time skip. I don't think the stalemate allows for a decisive ending without something strange happening. It's a contest of champions, after all, and a duel to the death. It won't stop just because people arbitrarily say they are at an impasse. Option 1: A genuine stalemate that works well. Option 2: A decisive victory but a loophole is found. Loopholes I can think of: No duration set for the peace [in the final terms], no initial date for the peace [again, in the final terms], no mandated continuality of the peace. [All of these cross-apply to Odium's binding to the system, but that was pre-instated, so status quo dictates that it would remain, unlike the peace]

Basically, either a stalemate happens that delays things for 15 years without being boring or cheap, or a victory occurs, causes the peace, and Odium prepares for the second wave after stopping the war for a bit since the peace had no mandated duration. I expect the second option, especially because of Taravangian's loophole moment and Wit's bit about winning and losing. Dalinar winning or losing doesn't really matter given these terms. I think he'll lose, but that's just a theory [a BOOK theory, thanks for reading]. The saga has to end on a low note, after all. Otherwise there's no tension for the back half. On the other hand, this would hamper Adolin's ability to run off with Shallan and become epic worldhoppers. Who knows? I just like the idea of Fused!Dalinar roaming Roshar and the cosmere, decimating his enemies with Rage pulsing through his bones. 

[Elegy he/him]

I personally feel like Dalinar becoming a servant of Odium after book 5 would dampen the impact of his decision made in Oathbringer. You cannot have that "You cannot have my pain" moment and then basically let him have the pain two books later. My favorite moment of the entire series would become significantly weaker that way.

Brandon likens the end of book 5 with the end of Mistborn 1, which ended with the key conflict of the story resolved and a bunch of sequel hooks that weren't all too pressing.

Quote

David

How intertwined are the two halves of The Stormlight Archive? Will you need to read the first half to know what's happening in the second half? If you read the first half, will you need to read the second half to get that sense that the story has come to an end?

Brandon Sanderson

I've never done something like this before. They are less intertwined than, say, Mistborn Two and Three. But maybe equivalent intertwined to Mistborn, as Mistborn is intertwined to Mistborn Two and Three, if that makes sense. It depends. Maybe even a little less than that, actually.

I think that you are going to want to view them as one big series of ten books. And we are going to come to an ending, and there will be some very satisfying things about it. But it's definitely going to be a promise there is more to come. I've never done anything quite like this. Less final than Mistborn Three, certainly.

So, I don't know. I didn't think anyone would read the Wax and Wayne books without reading the first ones, but I get emails all the time from people who started with those because those are the ones that appealed to them. I think you could start with Book Six of The Stormlight Archive, and it wouldn't feel strange. I think it would be harder to stop with Book Five, if that makes sense. Of those two options. But it's all gonna depend on your personal preferences, and things like that.

It's an excellent question. Plus, I haven't written the fifth book yet, and that's gonna inform a lot. These things change and morph as I'm going; every one of them does. So, who knows. I can explain better after Book Five is done.

YouTube Livestream 10 (June 18, 2020)

That could obviously still change, but as it is, it doesn't sound like book 5 will end with a downer ending (although it will probably be an ending with high cost, I think that's pretty certain).

[coolsnow7]

On 12/27/2020 at 0:50 AM, Odin1981 said:

How many people think that the champion duel will actually have a definitive winner in book 5? I believe that it will come to a conclusion in which their is a stalemate. Because if one side wins what is the need for another 5 books? As well as if there is a winner that means that there would need to be a time skip of another 1000 years for the current pact to be over to have a ending which would require a new series more or less for books 6-10. Just a thought imo.

Umm if TOdium wins and Dalinar is running rampant as a Fused throughout the Cosmere? I’d say there’s a pretty big need for another 5 books!

[Ashbringer he/him]

16 hours ago, Elegy said:

I personally feel like Dalinar becoming a servant of Odium after book 5 would dampen the impact of his decision made in Oathbringer. You cannot have that "You cannot have my pain" moment and then basically let him have the pain two books later. My favorite moment of the entire series would become significantly weaker that way.

I see the distinction as if Dalinar’s bound by an Oath, that’s much less... consuming than giving up to Odium like we see Moash struggling with.

And while I shudder to think of what T-Odium would do with Dalinar as his sword, I think the ends will at least be better than Rayse’s goals.