Stormfather-in-Law

I'm with you. I failed when WoR was released, but this time I've avoided even the prologue. I'll be happier reading it all through at once, just need to resist temptation!

I know, and I have it on pre-order. Only 2035! Those guys paying full price for the hardcover are suckers!

With WoR I failed my will saving throw on released chapters, and I hope I can stay steady this time. Must...resist...

This is Roshar. Just kill the shardbearer already and give the shard to someone more worthy.

And here I was getting impatient that it was at 1% for so long...then boom!

Thanks guys. I guess since they have minor spoilers, they don't go on Brandon's regular blog.

Where can we read these updates? I checked the news front page and some of the general forums, and I usually check Sanderson.com every so often to see progress. But even after knowing this exists I still can't find it.

Thunderclast! Oh wait. No red eyes, it's OK.

OK, I figured out how to get a screenshot of it. It is far more obvious to me than the other faces, maybe I have a thing for skulls?

I don't have the knowledge to copy/paste the image, but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the enormous skull in the sky after Kenton emerges from the sand and is passing through all the bodies of his people. It is also for obvious reasons not the same face as shown in the images above.

So, I haven't logged in or posted for some time. This is not for lack of desire - I read eagerly after WoR was released, but gradually felt like although some posts were just speculation, some of them might be coming uncomfortably close to divining the truth about many of the Cosmere's secrets. And I decided that, i'd rather RAFO than read it here, so I drifted away... So,after learning of the existence of and reading through Kelsier's tale a couple times, cackling through it as secrets wondrous were revealed (it was hard not to come here and read more enlightened views), I suddenly felt motivated for a re-read of the Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. This was my fourth and third time through each, respectively. I'm explaining the above because my knowledge and observations here may be as a child compared with the rest of the scholars here. And everything I write below may already have been discussed here - I wouldn't know. I doubt anything I say will be a revelation to you. That said, I still feel like sharing after my latest readthrough. First, the Way of Kings is a masterpiece. I felt this way before, but it has stood the test of time and multiple readings for me, the way few books have. Like LoTR, reading it again always brings new things to light and it is hard to put down despite my familiarity. I can have no higher praise. I can find momentary interests and page-turning reads, but ultimately these are as broth, my meat is Sanderson. So be it, off to refresh stormlight 3 completeness to see if it moves from 52% to 53%, but first some observations I had during my read, in no particular order: Spren like other means of investiture inhabit those who are broken, they seep into the cracks. The broken-ness of many of the characters is obvious. Except Jasnah. How is she broken? She's the most together person on the planet. But she was one of the earliest. An oddity I hope to RAFO more about soon. Speaking of early, the spren first came to, by my mental count: Shallan, a stretch of time, then Gavilar, Jasnah, then Kaladin. I could be off in my timeline, I didn't take notes but it's my impression. The rest I know of (Gaz, Elhokar, etc.) are more murky but recent. The big question: why Shallan so early? Was she the only damaged person on the planet? Clearly not. What did the Cryptics see in her? I may have posted this in the past, but I still don't get it: how does Gavilar tell Taravangian, Amaram, and random Parshendi he just met about his greatest secrets, but not Jasnah or especially Dalinar? I still can't wait to RAFO about this. The "dawnsingers" are supposed to be the reason why the dawncities formed the way they did, seen as a benefit to mankind. But, combined with Cymatics, Dalinar's dream of Kholinar dissolving and the mention of sound as a weapon...it seems to me that what today is known as the dawncities rose from the effects of a weapon used on them, and dawnsinging may in fact be quite hazardous. The future Jasnah will be a force to be reckoned with in the Cosmere. Everyone gets 2 frustratingly cryptic minutes with Hoid, yet one of the greatest minds in Roshar gets a week to pick his brain? Awareness will flow and I think Jasnah will not stay home forever. Zahel, as someone who is Cosmere-aware enough to travel the Cosmere, must know something as well about what's happening to the Cosmere planets, or at least the one he's on. Storms, how does he lie around taking a nap while the Everstorm brews over his head? I'm sure the observation has been made that radiant-ness and family seem to go together. Lirin and Hesina are strong characters in their own right, and as we leave book 2, Kaladin is going to them. Will his father and mother have found a way to use those spheres? Surely they've "cracked" by now...

Thanks for posting this. It's something I remember thinking when I read this passage, that Syl was reacting to more than Szeth. I wasn't aware of a theory that one of the unmade is following Szeth, but it would explain a lot. His deeds, although adhering to his sense of honor, do all seem to get twisted towards evil. And it may explain his "I suppose I can kill one more, on my own time" towards Adolin - I personally was surprised at that particular turn of Szeth, since he was so disciplined otherwise and he hated killing for much of the books. This topic actually points to the nature of Odium himself. Was it He that was running around in the storm influencing, or his unmade? Does he have that kind of power to choose and influence a single person? Wait, is Szeth spiked?

Sanderson, Brandon (2010-08-31). The Way of Kings (p. 422). Tor Books. Kindle Edition: She has to level the board. I always wondered why, given that they were on other sides of the world (the thought of calculating angular velocity or whatnot like the OP is waaaay beyond). I would say in conclusion that this indicates Roshar itself is also flat.

There's a story I heard, don't know if it's true, about a researcher who came up with a theory about the geometry of the internal structure of the pyramids in Egypt, and went to test this theory out. But he was caught inside the pyramid chipping away at some of the walls. The dimensions didn't match his theory. Regardless of whether it's true, I think we can all identify somewhat. So I don't think he's too busy. Szeth simply doesn't want to believe. He'll latch on to any evidence he can that states otherwise (like accepting Mr. T's unlikely explanation), or insisting that Kaladin is not a surgebinder in the face of clear contrary evidence. The alternative, to him, is too horrible. So horrible, in fact, that he'd rather die than live with the truth. And that's exactly what he does, when he finally comes to terms with what he sees.

OK. I'm almost convinced. It does make sense based on what we've seen that bonded spren can't change shape without touch. I used to think a shardbearer had to hold out their hand just to avoid cutting their own head off, but I see the point. And the explanation as to why a Blade can't just appear already piercing someone also jives. I also completely agree that spren or shardblades likely can't be lashed. I actually was under the impression that they aren't bound by the laws of physics at all - certainly not in spren form. For the blade, as far as I can tell, it also doesn't seem to follow our laws of physics, except that the dead ones at least have weight. Otherwise, they only stop when they hit another invested object, and I thought any resistance felt when a shardblade passes through something is due to cutting that object's tie to the spiritual realm. But that's not exactly where I was going. Using the MisSyl example, I wasn't thinking of Kaladin guiding her towards the target by lashings, nor by fins and a guidance system - much too complicated. I was thinking of Syl being, well, Syl, not just an inanimate object given a velocity. In spren form at least, she can go where she wills, and by the end of WoR she is linked enough to Kaladin to anticipate his thoughts and intent. So if his intent is to throw her in blade form around, for instance, a corner, could he/she? Seems to me that if the answer to that is yes, then she could be quite deadly even at a distance, even towards a moving object.

I can't wait to find out what broke Jasnah. Must be pretty good, considering what a strong character she is.

Well, during the final fight with Szeth, Syl begins to take whatever form Kaladin thinks of in his mind. "Oh. That’s right. You probably want me to be a spear, don’t you?" You guys probably remember the scene, as it's pretty dramatic: "He dove for Szeth, coat flapping, spear pointed for the man’s heart. Szeth got out of the way, but Kaladin dropped the spear and swung his hand in a great arc. Syl formed an axehead halberd. It came within inches of Szeth’s face. The assassin cursed, but responded with his Blade. A shield was in Kaladin’s hand a split second later, and he slammed away the attack. Syl shattered even as he did so, forming back into a sword as Kaladin thrust forward with empty hands. The sword appeared, and the weapon bit deeply into Szeth’s shoulder." So a radiant spren can adapt in a blink, according to thought. As they're physical manifestations of thoughts, that makes sense. And I think the limit is roughly human-sized, according to a WOB. But that's pretty big. Now, combine this thought with the fact that Adolin talks about being able to throw his (dead) Shardblade. If the user wills it, the blade will stay even after it is thrown. So the blade or whatever doesn't have to stay in contact with the person. So I wonder what the limits of this are. Being that I don't necessarily understand the Cognitive realm and its effects like some here, well, that's what I'd like to know. There may be an explanation that's easy. But if the spren effectively becomes whatever you imagine, I wondered while reading why Kaladin couldn't just imagine Syl already piercing Szeth, and it just is. Or, why couldn't he send her flying towards Szeth at the speed of thought, no matter where he dodges, effectively becoming a guided MisSyl*? The knowledge of some folks here amazes me. So fill me in: is this possible, and just waiting for another oath or ability? Or is it beyond spren abilities for reasons I don't yet know? * I'll be here all week. BaDUM!

I think most of you guys are giving lightweavers way too little credit. What's that, Kaladin touched Shallan to send her flying into the air? Oh, right, she wasn't there. But for some reason that tree behind him is stabbing him in the spine with her Blade.* * may not be realistic in-character plot development. But the point stands: what you see and hear is 99% of the fight. If you can't see or hear your enemy, you can't fight it very well.

He's actually three WEEKS old. He gets annoyed at the drop of a hat, a pin, any sudden noise, or for any other completely incomprehensible reason. So, this may be my last post. To think I'll never find out how SA ends...

You notice your three-week-old son's eyes are changing color and the first thought you have is "I think he may be becoming a lighteyes"... Seriously, I swear were darker before.

What Gavilar understood or didn't makes a big difference as to whether he was a monster or not. I don't think we have enough information to make your conclusion. What do we really know? According to Amaram, Gavilar wanted to return the Heralds. And he wanted to do so by bringing back the voidbringers. We don't know that he understood the link between voidbringers, parshendi and parshmen. In fact, if he had understood this so well, why would he then go and tell them? As I wrote in a different post, there's a lot of unknown about why he told them, but certainly the most reasonable interpretation is that he hadn't figured out that link. To add to the idea that he didn't understand what he was getting into, most of the Heralds were already wandering around already, and as you point out, damaged. His whole goal was misinformed. Do we really have enough to conclude he understood exactly what he was doing? The possible ramifications? Again, are you so sure he wasn't just playing with powers too big for him to understand? Gavilar is yet a mystery carrying a voidsphere. He knew more than we do, and likely less too. It's possible he could be a callous monster. But he could just as easily be an ignorant pawn being used by someone (or something ) else telling him lies.

I'd have to go with Illumination: The Surge of Light, Sound, and Various Waveforms Why? Cymatics (according to Kabsal, "The study of the patterns that sounds make when interacting with a physical medium.”) To say the least, I think Shallan was on to something here. One of Dalinar's visions in WoK seemed to indicate this weapon being used too. The same weapon might have been responsible for the cymatic formation of the dawncities (I think the cities weren't built that way, they were destroyed that way, and humans are now living in the ruins). Note this idea about the current form of the Dawncities might lend itself to the idea of one city for each Herald, if it could be established that each herald is associated with a cymatic pattern.

I think it's going to be true that Gavilar was the impetus behind the big movings and doings of the book. What I don't get, though, is this: He didn't tell what he was going through to his brother, with whom he conquered a kingdom. He didn't tell his daughter, one of the greatest living scholars, who could help him understand what was happening. He didn't tell his wife, a scholar in her own right. He didn't tell his son...well, let's forgive him that one. But he did tell (at least): The Parshendi, whom he had effectively just met, King T, and Amaram Surely he had at least a little trust for his own family, surely the visions would seem like a weakness not to be spread willy nilly to others, including other kingdoms whose goals may or may not be aligned with his. So was this method or madness?