DreamEternal

Stormlight can partialy substitute oxygen, maybe because of its restorative properties, as seem for how long Szeth and Kaladin often hold their breaths.

Thank you! I discovered the band just recently. On topic: Forgiven, by Within Temptation, for the tragedy of House Davar.

Kaladin?

The Wolf and the Raven, by Sonata Arctica, for Szeth.

Well, I suppose that is true. We don't even know if the Cognitive Shadow is the person's mind itself or an "imprint" of it in the Cognitive Realm.

Amaram... You may have a point, but he is a Son of Honor, and also used to be Dalinar's friend, so I count his arc as belonging to multiple characters.Helaran... Well, that could be approached from Shallan's perspective as well. Plus, I didn't say I wanted no more Kaladin, only less from Kaladin and more from other characters. Kaladin's plot now needs much less screen time than what he had in the previous books, while other characters now need more. EDIT: I don't see why Kaladin is more of a symbol than Dalinar "The Almighty has choosen me!" Kholin, or why being a fighter merits him more screen time than he needs to resolve his plot arcs. Plus, I think you are vastly undervaluing how useful the Ghostbloods' knowledge will be if Shallan manages to not get outwitted.

Isn't Kelsier considered one? While he probably retained more of his original identity than I believe Tanavast/Stormfather did, and is more a "ghost" than a "shadow", it may still be a close enough comparison.

If I am right, the Stormfather would be both, as a splinter of Adonalsium that merged with Tanavast's Cognitive Shadow.

Many things done with feruchemical steel in SoS contradict this, like lockpicking in super speed without breaking the lock or turning while in superspeed without crashing into walls.

Accidentaly downvoted. Can someone upvote to fix?

With the exception of the reunion at Hearthstone, none of those plot points are deeply personal, like Shallan's search for knowledge about her brother, Adolin's murder of Sadeas, or Dalinar's recent bond with the Stormfather. Or whatever Nale plans to do to Szeth.Oh, and Kaladin is a great warrior, yes, but why in Braize should it make him more relevant than Shallan's spying or Dalinar's political leadership? Knowledge and unity are much more important than a single warrior, no matter how powerful. Unless that warrior was recently recruited by a possibly insane Herald and give a weapon of mass destruction, and may cause even more chaos. And while it is nice to see Kaladin trying to do his duty, we need time for everyone else too! No one wants him to mysteriously vanish, just to lose some screen time.

I stil think Nale will make Szeth his squire. Seems the safest way to not be killed by Nightblood: Find a very skilled and fanatical follower, give him Nightblood, and make sure that he won't have any investiture if he changes sides. Of course, Nale's larkin may make that irrelevant, so I suppose he may also have a pact with the Highspren leaders or the Stormfather to enforce a "no nahel bonds unless Desolation" ban, and may just ask for some spren if the Desolation does come.

Idealy, I wouldn't mind if most of those people you mentioned, with the exception of Shallan, spent some time in prision, as long as it is not the nightmare most prisions are. I also wouldn't mind if they went unpunished.In Szeth's case, though, I think his imprisionment should be more because he proved himself in need of much adaptation before he can handle freedom, and because he is not ready to be be reintegrated into society, and maybe never will. His "imprisionment" in my opinion should be more a life of isolation in Utithiru dedicated to meditation and service. It could be easily substituted by retirement to a distant monastery in the mountains.

Including him, unfortunately. I have given up my hope that his story won't repeat, now with a new master.

Stormlight 11 spoilers: More seriously, even with greater cognitive capacities shards seem uncapable of focusing on many different places at once or perceiving things they are not actively looking for. EDIT: Also, I think Steris may have planned for the ceilling suddenly collapsing, and very few people will die. Or it was the one thing she didn't plan for, but honestly, it would be good if the book didn't open with everyone in the party dying.

Welcome to my world. That is how I feel when people take the idea that crimes must be punished as a goal on itself, even when it wouldn't be of much use preventing future crimes or repairing the damage. Or when they talk about "shifting blame" or things like that. We are all victims of an unjust universe in my opinion.I thought you had already realized many people who pity Szeth instead of hating him are very far from you when it comes to their philosophy. EDIT: Plus, most of us wouldn't mind Szeth being imprisioned, as long as it wasn't a nightmarish dungeon like many prisions unfortunately are. And that is if we can be sure he is no longer a danger, since if he is then more drastic measures may be needed.

I agree almost completely. Although I must say that punishment has its place as a tool not necessarily to reabilitate the criminal, but as way to make society fear the law. I wish it wasn't necessary, but unfortunately I believe it is if reabilitation and softer forms of prevention aren't possible.Also, I think Szeth wouldn't really hate being imprisioned. I don't think it would be a good idea for any involved to reintroduce him to normal society. EDIT: Made things clearer.

Funny thing is, I imagine Leras was a criminal mastermind and Ati was his childhood friend turned foe that dedicated his life to helping the poor. Tanavast was a math geek who often tried to use numbers to prove God exists .

No, no no. Spoilers

You see, the cosmere has an afterlife somewhere in the Spiritual and/or Cognitive Realm and a true afterlife beyond the Realms. While some, like Kelsier, refuse to pass on, others reach their final destination.Shards find that mysterious place/state/something very hard, if not impossible to affect, although Brandon does say that if we wish we can think Sazed is working on a way to reach there to talk with Tindwyl(sp?).

Thank you. Truth to be told, I didn't invent the theory, but read it long ago when I was still a lurker watching from shadows deeper than any dark alley, and linked it with things I already suspected, like the link between the Parshendi and the Stormfather. I am afraid I don't remember who was the first to come up with these conclusions

Actualy, he just said it wouldn't work :/ . He didn't even say if burning it would be possible.

Honestly, I just made up a headcanon that he subcounciously wanted to die, and that after seeing her burn the mists he was so shocked by Preservation betraying him he just let it happen, coming to regret it just before his last words.

I currently believe the Stormfather was originaly a splinter of Adonalsium that got "converted" by Honor*, in a more belign version of how some of Odium's Unmade can corrupt spren, and later merged with Tanavast's cognitive shadow as he died in order to receive the visions that he should send to a potential Bondsmith. I especifically believe he was a direct splinter of Adonalsium because the Listeners, who we know are not originaly of any of the shards currently on Roshar, a world that bears "the touch and design of Adonalsium", say they are of the storms, and instead of speaking of a time before the Rider of Storms believe he betrayed them for the humans**, which would fit him being turned into a spren of Honor, the so called God of Man. *The Stormfather seems to be not only the spirit of the Highstorm, but a overseer and witness of bonds between spren and physical beings, since he says(even if unwillingly) that Kaladin's Words are accepted when he fully re-forges his bond to the newly ressurected Syl by saying the third oath, and appears to Listeners before they change forms. This is also a possibke explanation for why he is the/a Bondsmith spren. **The link between the Stormfather and the Listeners also appears in how he feels sorry for being unable to stop Eshonai from bonding the voidspren, while he distrusts humans for what they did, possibly indicating regret for becoming a being of Honor.