Shaggai

Looks like a job for a RAFOgrapher! To the Bayesmobile! First we need the prior probability that Shards can be grouped. Personally, I think that's somewhat unlikely, given the WoB about pairings. There's no need for groupings. Let's say there's a 40% chance that they can be grouped. Now, we apply the RAFOgraphy. Since this is a one-time thing, and no predefined reasons for that to be RAFOd, we can go with the normal RAFO probability instead of getting as complicated as we did with the Hoid/Braize one. There's a 3 to 1 chance that the answer to any given RAFO is "yes", so we multiply the "yes" probability (40%) by 3, and leave the "no" probability (60%) as it is. 40 times 3 is 120, so the probability of it being "yes" is 120 to 60, which simplifies to 2 to 1, or 67%. So the chance of Shards being in groups is between 67% and 40%.

Well, sDNA is probably not solely contained in the DNA, so I would expect them to have different spiritwebs. I believe (though I'm not sure) that there's a WoB that twins wouldn't have the same sDNA, though, so a clone wouldn't either.

Flying is great, but how often do you shoot people? Because if you shoot people often enough that you consider that to be a major benefit (and you also have a lot of coins and not many bullets, to the point that you would prefer to be able to use coins as bullets), then you may want to reconsider your life.

Exactly. Not all analogies must be perfect.

Analogies are things. It's possible for Nightblood to be a reference to/analogy for the atomic bomb without being literally an atomic bomb.

It depends on how strongly Intent is associated with Investiture. If Intent is malleable, it might be possible to alter the type of Investiture to work in a different magic system. We know that Nightblood can feed off of multiple types of Investiture, so he presumably removes or alters the Intent so that he can use it. In general, I agree with you, but we need to know more.

Buy, because classical references are cool. There will be an Epic named Calamity, because what the hell.

Lift escaped him only for a short time, until she could get a pardon. I wouldn't expect Kaladin to be able to beat a Herald equipped with an Honorblade.

I mentioned it first! Do I get points or something? Incidentally, to those wanting it, it's called Wyrn the King. That won't help you actually obtain it, but at least you'll know that it has a name other than "the poem."

I kind of liked the ending. It was odd, certainly, but that was what made it cool.

Oh, right. I forgot.

Well, he didn't say that they died. Maybe Kaladin decided not to look in the graveyard for their potential tombstones, or whatever passes for a graveyard in Alethkar. Actually, that's interesting. We haven't seen much in the way of Vorin/Alethi burial customs. They've got no dirt, so what do they do? Cremation? Air burial? How much stuff do they have for commemorating the dead?

Well, we don't know where Sigzil was born, do we? Buy. There will be some sort of life on the moons.

Buy. He'll change his name to Nazh and go back in time.

Nah, you're thinking of the Fjordells.

That passage seemed to me to imply that Kaladin came up behind the lighteyes and stabbed him in the face, not that he threw a knife.

He views them as incompetent because they can't kill someone who has significantly enhanced speed and strength, who is standing on the ceiling, and who is wielding an extremely powerful magic sword. Szeth is not using a sane definition of "incompetent".

That's an even better explanation.

The other explanation (which is not in any way original to me) is that spren-based Surgebinding has an extra effect besides just access to the Surges. For Kaladin, it's instinctive knowledge of how to fly and use a Shardweapon (unless the latter comes from the psychic bond with the weapon). As such, he's better at flying than Szeth. And remember that he's an extremely good spearman to begin with, and Syl can transform into any weapon that Kaladin needs. That benefit cannot be overestimated. He needs a shield, she's a shield. He needs a sword, she's a sword. He needs a spear, she's a spear. Szeth is limited to a sword.

About Nalan and justice: It seems likely that he no longer follows the ideals of the Skybreakers, but for one reason or another is unable to break laws. So he's following the letter of the law, but not the spirit. Perhaps his status as a Herald (and therefore his immortality, and probably some other benefits) are bound to the oaths of the Skybreakers, such that he cannot directly contravene them without losing his Heraldosity. On a semi-related note, I would expect that one of the benefits of being a Herald would probably include some sort of enhancement of the Honorblades. Whatever that benefit is, he's probably making use of it. The obvious use would be in his search for Surgebinders. Maybe it allows him to sense Investiture? It would make sense for the Heralds to be able to find Radiants, in order to bring them together and train them to fight in the Desolations.

I think that knowledge was an important factor, but the Honorblades almost certainly have effects beyond simply granting weak Surgebinding. Kalak describes them as "weapons of power beyond even Shardblades", before the Recreance. At that point, Shardblades would have all been spren manifestations, and would therefore grant strong Surgebinding. I'm pretty sure that the Heralds interacted somehow with the Honorblades in an extremely powerful manner, which would be enhanced by their natural fighting ability.

I can confirm that Keys to the Kingdom is actually good. I think Cinda Williams is good, but I might be confusing her with someone else.

Yeah, she was one of the people I was thinking of when I wrote "anyone of comparable quality". Others included Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Personally, I've started to find YA (with the exception of Diana Wynne Jones and anyone of comparable quality) to be a bit too simplistic. For example, halfway through a certain book, I already knew the supposedly dead parents were alive and where they were. Also, I knew where the mythical lost planet was, and most of how the FTL worked. All of them were supposed to be major revelations at the end. It happens some with non-YA books as well, but not as often. I blame Brandon and GRRM.

That is actually a Terry Pratchett quote, as Dresden remarks immediately afterwards ("Tao of Pratchett"). From Jingo, specifically. You should read Discworld. Don't start with the first couple, though. Reaper Man is a good start.