traceria

Sorry, quotes don't work right on this computer... snote, for the most part, the way you laid it out is pretty clear. There are a couple places where things need a little fleshing out, which is why we're all here - to discuss! That isn't to say that the events we see taking place by the end of WoR weren't at least indirectly caused by your nice list/chain, but I think there are other ways the same outcome could have been possible. . The following are some thoughts I had. Some have been touched on by others. 1) Taking on stormform didn't directly cause the Everstorm. They had to then decide/be ordered to bring on the Everstorm. If the Alethi armies had been able to disrupt the Parshendi sufficiently, there's a good chance the Everstorm wouldn't have begun. It would at least have been delayed to a later time, presuming enough Parshendi survived and could regroup (unlikely in the near future). 2) I would also posit that something was going on behind the scenes with Venli. Others have reminded us that there is a good chance that she and/or another under her had already been in stormform and that Eshonai was manipulated very handily to get her to take on that form also. (As to timing, it's hard to say when Venli might have taken on stormform. It could have even have been before the treaty or war with the Alethi, and she could have been waiting for such an opportunity to stir things up, who knows?! I can't recall off hand when Eshonai said they started researching the forms.) Having already experienced it herself, Venli would have known of the tempting aggressive and hateful feelings the form would bring with it. Getting Eshonai to take the form would give stormform more credence in the eyes of the other Parshendi leaders, as Eshonai had a strong leadership presence and was generally very level-headed prior to taking on stormform. I think that Eshonai, for her part, did not know what she was getting into fully. She seemed to be suspicious of her sister, and so didn't trust Venli to take on the form but trusted herself more to be objective about it. Little did she know just how powerful it would be in crushing any thoughts/feelings Eshonai might have that contradicted it. 3) I can't help but wonder if some of the Parshendi had an inkling of where the treaty/betrayal/assassination/war might take them. Venli is an example of a Parshendi who is a little shady. What's to say some other Parshendi didn't want to enter into a treaty for the express purpose of breaking it, giving the Alethi cause to war with them, then giving the Parshendi cause to take on more aggressive forms and 'awaken the old gods'? Just as there are many factions across Roshar supposedly on the side of Honor, so there could be factions Eshonai was not privy to among the Parshendi on the side of Odium. We only get her perspective, and therefore, her belief about the intentions of the other Parshendi. Odium could have already been at work corrupting a few in the hopes to bring things to a head and bring back powerful and dangerous forms among the Parshendi. For this reason, I don't think the event would necessarily have been avoidable even if Gavilar hadn't gotten involved. If someone on the Odium/Parshendi side of things was already trying to find an excuse to go down the path of destruction, they might have ended up with the Everstorm arriving even without Gavilar, or Dalinar after him, becoming involved. It's much easier so sew chaos and disorder than the opposite.

I'm totally a book cheater by your definition. I've been better in recent years, but if I'm sufficiently tempted to pick up another book, I will leave the current book I'm reading for a time. Sometimes each room in my house has a different book I'm reading waiting for me there. Like, for instance, I've got a non-fiction book (The Christian World of The Hobbit by Devin Brown as recommended by Orson Scott Card in a review) sitting by my bedside, but in my bag for work I have a collection of short stories (Dangerous Women, edited by GRRM & G. Dozios and including a Sanderson story as well as some other gems). Then there's the audiobook I'm listening to (Letter & Spirit, which is non-fiction) that I will sometimes pull out the paper book of for reference. And the other day I totally pulled up a short story (Mitosis: A Reconkers Story) on my kindle even though I have the other books going elsewhere. Now, when I'm in the middle of something epic/exciting, like a SA novel or, more recently, the latest Dresden Files novel, I will exclusively read that unless I forgot to bring it with me to work (in which case, kindle books on my phone fill in, like a collection of Father Brown mystery stories by G.K. Chesterton). If it's a book I don't want to ever put it down, I'm much less likely to book cheat, though.

Terisen - Yeah, the end of Ender's Game for sure! I feel like I could scan over my bookshelves at home and come up with something for about every third book, but the ones that come to mind immediately are actually non-Sanderson (probably because there were TOO MANY moments, especially in WoK and WoR, that made me squeal like a little girl): - Every time I reread LotR, I gasp and cry when Gandalf dies and similarly, I cheer when he shows up at Helm's Deep. There are many other moments like that in those books, too. - Recently, when reading the latest Dresden Files book, Skin Game, the chapter in the 30's with Michael. I won't say anymore. If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about. ;D

RE: The Black Prism - My husband got this through audible, but I have no idea if he's listened to it yet and formed an opinion on either the book or the narrator. I'm curious, has anyone actually gone searching for specific narrators? There have been a few times where I didn't have a specific book in mind and searched by narrator to see if anything caught my eye/ear. The downside to finding a great narrator is listening to too many books done by them in quick succession. I definitely had some WoT flashbacks when listening to WoK (haven't listened to WoR yet but will before book 3 comes out...I read WoR in book form.) back in February, but I agree that Michael and Kate did a fabulous job.

For accuracy purposes, might you include a pin for me in Medford, NJ?

New Jersey in the States! (I feel like I have to qualify that by saying South Jersey...people around here either affiliate with South or North. I'm not from here, so I do this for 'them.')

I know we all love to speculate around here, but I'd personally like to know a little more about voidspren and how they interact/bond(?) with people other than the Parshendi/Listeners before accepting Kaladin as a potential choice for Odium's champion. We see how voidspren can affect the Parshendi, but do we know yet how they affect other races, notably, humans? If they can bond, how would they do so with humans and is that even how Odium would give powers to his champion? The wiki doesn't have a lot of info on them, but maybe some obscure WOB does... Or maybe I'm just being overly optimistic about Kaladin.

I haven't thought about this very long and hard, but the most obvious issue I see with the idea of Kaladin going all dark on us and becoming Odium's champion is his bond with Syl. I just don't see her sticking around long enough for him to be an effective champion for Odium. He'd likely have to break one if not more of the oaths he's already said that make his bond with Syl possible.

Sorry...didn't realize that phrasing was going to grate on anyone. I'm female, by the way, and would certainly not take it well if someone laid claim to me without my consent. Let me just be clear that treating Shallan that way was the FARTHEST thing from my actual intention.

Huh...didn't even realize I'd typed it wrong! I have no excuse either. I read the paper book, not the audio one. XD

(This work computer hates formatting...argh!) Kaellok, you got an upvote for that post! You basically took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to point out that leader and hero are not synonymous terms. I just had a kind of random and somewhat related thought. I think Dalinar and Kalidan both have something to learn about trust and, in doing so, could become better heroes of their own particular flavor. Dalinar is already working on his 'trust everyone' issue. Being the leader he is and being able to see the bigger picture, he also needs to prepare for the possibility that people under his command aren't going to do what they're supposed to (whether that means those people are deliberately divisive or accidentally so). Kalidan, on the other hand, doesn't seem to trust anyone or at least very few people. Those people he does trust had to do a lot to earn it. If Kalidan is going to be the sort of hero that is more of a weapon than the decision-maker, he's going to have to start trusting the leaders calling the shots more than he currently does. They both could learn quite a bit from the other if they pay attention. Kalidan could teach Dalinar that some distrust is okay, and Dalinar could teach Kalidan that more faith in people isn't as dangerous as he thinks. Firiel, I think you also have some very good points about the difference in maturity level between the two.

My silly work computer won't let me do quotes or anything, but this is in response to the back-and-forth between king of nowhere and DeployParachute regarding Kalidan as love-struck/resigned to give way to Adolin or having a temporary crush on Shallan. Don't let me put words in your mouth, king of nowhere, but when you mentioned the scenario of meeting a girl but eventually deciding she wasn't for you, I took that purely to mean it was POSSIBLE that this is what is happening with Kalidan. At this point, IF that's what is going on, it's not complete yet. I think it very likely that Kalidan is at precisely that point in his feelings that he is figuratively standing at a fork in the road: One path leads toward holding a torch for Shallan (and stepping back to let his buddy Adolin have dibs) for the long run and another path that ends with him deciding Shallan is not the girl for him. It's too early to tell which way he'll go, but it's safe to say he's attracted at this point whether he decides to pine for her or let it go in the long run.

Two things: 1) Whether this or a future battle is set there, I don't care, but Herdaz MUST see some action at some point! Great idea, ccstat! 2) I'm no help with battle-ish stuff or weapons, but I always kind of pictured the arm coming out of the water as a cross between what the Watcher in the Water looks like in Fellowship and any number of fast-moving creatures from Miyazaki films. (Also, EMTrevor, your userpic is so incredibly cute. Don't know if that's what you were going for, but I like it.)

For my part, I was kind of hoping in WoK (you read that right) that Shallan and Adolin would meet at some point and hoped they'd get together even back then. I was tickled when the betrothal idea came up in WoR. That aside, whether those two make it or not, I feel like despite Kaladin and Shallan's bonding, I don't think they'd be good for one another in a romantic sense. I think Shallan is not the right fit for him more than he's not the right fit for her. That's my gut reaction. I'll see if I can figure out why it's telling me that! XD (Edit for spelling)

Definitely a gave an upvote for the Nathan Fillion as Denth brainwave! That's genius. As to who would fill the role of Lightsong, I think we need someone who looks like a surfer. I always picture Lightsong that way in my head. The closest I'm coming is Owen Wilson, and he's not in Firefly... So, suggestions appreciated!

Hope it's okay if I vote belatedly. Just to throw this out there...some of us were Tolkien fans first. No offense to Brandon, but I was an uber JRR fan before his first book was even available to the masses.

I just finished rereading it and decided to check out this thread. I'm really surprised a few people here didn't like Warbreaker the first time! Back in...what was it...2010 or 2011 when I first read it, I thought it a great stand alone novel, albeit with a lot of questions left unanswered. I just figured that was Brandon leaving things open for the possibility of another book without the commitment to it. It's hard to compare a standalone (at least it was then) to a trilogy like Mistborn, but I would rank it just as high as the trilogy, just in a different category. As to "favorites" I found I went through the same cycle of feelings when it came to Vivenna. At first I found her incredibly annoying (words, actions, outlook) and gradually came around to liking her as she started her soul searching. She's a reminder to me that just because someone is a certain way now doesn't mean they can't change (for the better) and to refrain from dismissing people out of hand. Lightsong, though, he will always be my favorite, not that I don't enjoy all the other characters for their different roles and personalities. Lightsong, oh Lightsong. When I'd read his dialogue, or in the case of this second "read", listen to it, I couldn't help but envision him as a surfer. XD He tries so hard to put on the "I don't care and I'm so unimportant" facade and really deep down he's searching for his purpose. I find his story and journey beautifully tragic. I love what Llarimar says of him at the end when the rest of the cast of characters finds him holding the body of his brother. It just sums up exactly what kind of person Lightsong was, though he tried to hide it for so long.

While it was all hilarious, I think the Shardfork is what REALLY did me in. XD

A belated thanks for the upvotes, folks! And one especially for you, Sphinx! That's awesome you read all of Mistborn out loud! You make me hope that one day we (brother and I) can get my dad reading SA. I think he'll need to retire first because he really only has time to read on vacation, and I just don't see him getting through the whole thousand pages of even one book in a week's time. I'll mention this idea to my brother for future strategizing. Update on the one out of state friend: She's now reading Warbreaker and I'm loaning her my copy of Elantris on Monday, which I just reread.

Ha! Clearly, Adolin is only trying to follow in Dalinar's footsteps! He's got a ways to go.

Wow, this is a tough one. My only thought right now is that if the ME group was able to immobilize the Lifeless, then the fight would be over. I'm still debating how easy (or not) that might be for them to accomplish.

Wow, this topic really has gone all over the place since a few days ago! I voted back then, but I'll throw out why now. I totally voted for the pairing I like best and not with anything else in mind. I have no book passages to back up my feelings, just personal preference alone. I voted for Shallan/Adolin. To me, I like how they interact, even if it seems shallow right now. Adolin I've always liked, even while he was annoying my husband (throughout WoK), and have found him to be loyal to his family and a generally likeable if clueless (about women) guy. I feel that after all the darkness Shallan's had in her past, Adolin is a nice breath of fresh air, especially in the midst of what passes for Armageddon on Roshar. We've seen a darker side to Adolin recently, but I could easily see their relationship getting to a point where the two of them share their darker sides. Adolin seems more acceptant of people in general (Sadeas being the exception), and I would hope Shallan for all her sneaking/acting/infiltrating would be able to embrace this attitude, too, where Adolin's choices are concerned. Like I said, totally my feelings on this. I just like them as they are now and where they might head as a couple. No relationship is easy. They all require tough work. I'm just hopeful the two of them can work through the struggles that are inevitable.

I had to vote for two, WoK and The Final Empire. When I think back to reading these books, I was immersed to the same degree with both. If it wasn't for all the pictures in WoK, I'd have poured over the first Mistborn almost as long after finishing it. Can't do anything about tie, now can we? XD

   Sorry, haven't read the rest of this page of comments yet nor the one after, but I've got to say something about introverts. For the most part, extroverts DON'T get us, no matter how supportive they might be (or think they are). My family growing up was great, but they didn't get it and still don't to a degree. Dalinar and Adolin would tell you that they'd do anything to support Renarin, but sometimes what an extroverted person thinks of as good or supportive for an introvert in actuality isn't the best thing for him/her. I think it completely within reason that Renarin acted the way he did, support or no support from his father and brother, even other issues aside. That's all to say that no matter how good your life may be, an introvert is still going to have different struggles and will likely be misunderstood by those whole aren't introverted themselves. (Edit to fix spelling.)

I don't believe anyone I know has been cursed yet (let's hope they never are!), but here's my list: - My husband, who I first got to read Mistborn followed by Warbreaker and then finally WoK. He's still listening to the audiobook of WoR now. - My brother. He and I tend to pass along good reading recommendations, but it was me who first got him into Brandon Sanderson and WoK. He also read Mistborn, but I can't remember if it was before or after WoK. He also read all the WoT books, so obviously read the ones Sanderson wrote. - Two out-of-state friends who are still both in good health. One read WoK first and the other read Mistborn, Alcatraz and The Rithmatist before finally committing to WoK. She's still working on WoR now. - Another friend has WoK in her queue to read (she's re-reading all the Dresden novels before the May release of the next one) but has also read at least Mistborn. So I guess I can take credit for getting them all into Sanderson's earlier books first, for the most part. It appears the only one to read WoK first was my friend out in Minnesota! I mailed her my book to read.