dendrophobe

Agreed, this was my thought as well. Mraize is using the Aviar for something, and its abilities may even be hinted at. But it'll never go out and say what it is, or have it be a huge plot point. Just something that Cosmere fans will recognize and appreciate. If the word "aviar" is ever mentioned in tSA I'll be shocked. But I fully expect that we'll get a WoB at some point confirming that yes, that's an Aviar on his shoulder. Similar to how we saw Hoid downing some metal flakes in Shallan's flashback, it won't really be explained at all in the books. And won't need to be; people who read tSA only will have a self-sufficient story, albeit with a few unexplained mysteries. But if you've read the rest of his Cosmere stuff, you'll be able to say "Aha! That's what that was!" and see the larger connection. edit: and yeah... I have no idea how in the heck he's going to explain Nightblood in such a way that it's satisfying to non-Cosmere readers. Even for people in-world. "Oh yeah, this is an alien talking sword. It wants to destroy evil." There's really nothing in the magic system of Stormlight that can hope to explain that kind of thing.

As to your first point, I'd argue that Dalinar doesn't really have the Honorblade right now. Instead of dismissing it, as we know is possible, he hid it in a toilet. We haven't actually seen him use its power or do more than pick it up briefly. The same was true at the end of WoR when Kaladin briefly held it. We have WoB that someone who already has a Nahel-bond can pick up an Honorblade, and it will slightly augment his/her power. However, we have nothing on whether someone who holds an Honorblade, or a Herald at all, can bond a spren. A Herald would probably have difficulty bonding a spren due to the Investiture interference issue, but given enough time there's probably a way around that. As to why Nale would want both, I can't say. We never got a WoB on when Nale went back for the Honorblade. We tend to assume that it was immediately after, but what if it was centuries later? He could very well have gone off, lived a while, bonded with a Highspren, and then gone back and taken his Honorblade from the Shin or whoever had it at the time. Maybe he didn't actually want both, but also didn't want anyone else using his blade. In all likelihood, you're correct, and he doesn't have a spren. Occam's razor and whatnot. But it is possible.

Right, he definitely went back for his Honorblade. But, so far as I'm aware, possession of an Honorblade does not preclude him from also bonding a spren. In all likelihood he doesn't have a spren, as he wouldn't really need one if he has his Honorblade, but I wouldn't take that as confirmation either. Until WoB or Nale himself says that he doesn't have a spren, I don't think that we can say for sure.

Are we... sure.. Nale doesn't have a spren? I mean, Wyndle could have just been wrong, and not known that Nale was a Herald, but... I don't know that all spren would disagree with his course of action; a Highspren would probably agree, as long as he was following the law. Law above all else, right?

I don't think that it'll ever manifest powers on screen. I think it's most likely an easter egg like Mraize's collection, so that we Sharders see it and know what's happening. Whether it's ever confirmed or not, headcanon for me will be that it's an Aviar. Maybe Brandon will answer one way or the other, since I don't expect it to be a large plot point.

I'm not saying it is an Aviar, just that it's possible for it to be. That said, given the rest of Mraize's collection, especially since he has stuff from Yolen, it would almost be weird if he didn't have anything from First of the Sun!

But yeah, that could be a good way of flying under the radar. Although chickens are weird enough to most of Roshar, I don't know that most people would really notice if the bird was one that wasn't from Roshar.

He's already a badass if he can get through the perpendicularity on First of the Sun! Khriss said that none of the expeditions from Silverlight had returned... Which I assume is why the Ones Above eventually came via space instead of the CR.

I'm kind of thinking that the author of the epigraphs could be Adolin. If it isn't someone from the past, he seems the most likely candidate to me. He's far from scholarly, doesn't think he's that smart, has some things to confess to... Definitely not Jasnah or Navani, not Shallan... I don't get a Dalinar vibe from it either.

Not necessarily in Oathbringer, or even on Roshar, but someday I'd like to see one of the in-world characters meet a worldhopper, and either realize or find out somehow that they ARE a worldhopper. And then the impact of finding that out, and possibly even becoming a worldhopper themselves. Spoilers for Mistborn: SH:

Love that scene with Dalinar. He had no idea how amusing he was being. Kaladin's chapters are always so short! WHY?! There's so much good stuff here... I'm definitely seeing the moral obligation slowly dawn on him. I agree that a new Oath will probably come out of it eventually. Adolin... seemed like he might have told Shallan if she asked. Interesting. and Mraize! What in the world is he doing? This does not bode well. It's going to be a long week of waiting for answers...

Maladroitly. Even back in Dragonsteel, Brandon loved that word!

Ah, good point, I had forgotten about that. I guess his hand was healed when he was brought back.

In the new version of WoR though, Szeth didn't have any shardblade wounds. He fell into the storm rather than being cut. That said, I do agree with you. Regrowth should be able to do it if just holding Stormlight can.

I've given in completely. Print, Kindle, and Audible. Ah well. I can't wait for Weller to ship - it usually arrives weeks after the release date...

The book is up on Weller! Go for it!

Weller's site is back up, and says the book is going live... 15 minutes ago. Hoping they get on it soon!

We don't know for sure. Maybe nobody. But the bouncer said that someone was, which is what led Shallan Veil to the strangling. edit: bouncer, not bartender

I don't think we even know whether forgetting Evi was his boon or his curse - it could have been either. As for the other side of it, whether boon/curse, we don't know yet.

Yeah, when Pattern said there was something wrong with her lies, that worried me... A lot. Unmade copycat killer! My bet is the Voidspren is doing a long con on the Parshmen. If it bonded with one of them, they might see it as their gods returned and run away. This way it earns their trust, then snatches them all up when the time is right and they're where it wants them. Or maybe Parshmen have to be healed first, and THEN they're susceptible to spren-bonding.

Interesting idea. I can't agree though. The author points refers to Shadesmar as "the realm of the spren". Also he/she speaks of a childhood. I don't think I've ever seen a spren life cycle that would refer to a childhood - perhaps "when I was young" but not "childhood."

She almost summoned him a few times, or at least thought about it, before speaking that truth. I think that must have been her fourth (third unique), leaving her one step ahead of Kaladin at the end of WoR.

OK, so which is worse... A Parshendi like Eshonai coming and leading the freed Parshmen, which is OK just because of race. Or a freed slave returning to help lead an entire people out of slavery. I know which one hits me in the feels. Race shouldn't be the factor that makes a hero - IMO, it shouldn't matter at all. Shared experience and empathy, now...