Ickarium

I think that was the point, with the whole 'screaming inside her' thing going on. When she went Stormform, the 'real' Eshonai became a victim, trapped her own body as something 'else' controls it, something that is like her, but not her. Much like say, a Whedon-esque vampire except the victim is actually still around inside. Really horrific. I kind of felt sorry for her. I didn't, however, with Szeth. While he got a raw deal, unlike Eshonai he /chose/. Yes, his culture said he had to follow the orders, but everyone has free will. There was no more than natural mind control going on. He chose to hide behind his culture and commit atrocities. Like Kaladin said. Szeth was simply a coward.

'Social Sense'. Stealth, Vin would win. Following someone I think it's a wash with lightweaving. I just think people focus entirely too much on fighting when there's other ways to be badass.

I agree. But that's fine. I'm pretty sure that, regardless of her talents with sneaking around with her Mistborn abilities, she'd lose to Shallan as an outright spy in the social sense. Yes, she managed to pose as a lady, but had trouble and that's one guise. Shallan has ALREADY managed to pose as multiple people in great ways and she's just starting out. They have different talents. It'd be like comparing Shallan to Kaladin.

The thing that interests me, as mentioned above: -why- is Renarin 'broken' enough to become a Radiant. We don't really see anything - some minor condenscension for being the 'non warrior' Alethi and considered weak, but nothing on par with Shallan nor Kaladin. And this interests me. What secret is there? Does he know what Dalinar went away to forget about his wife that was so bad? And was it so bad that it broke him? We don't know.

Actually, the oathgates were -not- powered simply by eleven gemstones. Shallan specifically says that the passage through drained all the stormlight from all the gems people were carrying. 'Thus why stormlight was highly needed now' or some such. I doubt that there will be the soulcasting of entire armies. At least not without some uber-dramatic heroic sacrifice going on.

I ... don't really read fanfiction. Do you not think that being willing to fight in a duel to try to save your brother, in spite of not being a great warrior and with a blade screaming in your head is awesome? I repeat - he did something that /staggered Kaladin/. I mean, yes, he's not been a viewpoint character, so hasn't done some of the 'awesome' things that Kaladin or Shallan have done yet. But his time is coming, I'm fairly sure. I sometimes think people simply ignore the stuff he's done because he's not Kaladin.

I think you're being too harsh on him. We don't know how his 'Seeing' works, but he sees the future. It's very likely incredibly traumatic for him, and it's not like he has a guide - only Lift has a Spren who knows much about what's up at the start. As for why Renarin isn't so forefront in fandom, I think as someone else mentioned, it's because he's not a primary character right now. His brave and/or interesting actions are done as a part of another character's plotline, and they outshine him, so it's easy to miss. Avoiding the shipping stuff, as I find that stuff silly. As for Szeth, I'm really not looking forward to the next book. I agree with Kaladin, he's a simple coward hiding behind the 'rules'. He could change, and Brandon has the talent to do so, but I still find him the _least_ interesting character in the series. And as this series includes Elkohar, that's saying something.

For me, the reason I dislike Amaram is ... I don't buy the honor thing. That's what he -tells himself-. But, while I could be wrong, it reads to me as petty excuses. He does what he wants, how he wants, and then tells himself he's doing it for the right reasons, when he's not. He knows he's not, but the lies are a pretty illusion. Kind of like Shallan, only for less good reasons. That sort of hypocrisy annoys me, and it has nothing to do with Kaladin as, while I like him, I prefer Dalinar and Shallan.

I didn't have a problem with most of the deaths, myself. As others have said, with Jasnah: wait, we know that Stormlight heals tons of stuff, and we didn't find the body? Of COURSE she was coming back. As for Syl, much the same. She's a concept. Concepts don't die entirely, they can come back. Eshonai ... well, we don't know for sure she's alive, but she fell off the chasm in Stormform. It isn't exactly like a Windrunner, but I bet she can at least cushion her fall, and she's very tough in that form if not as tough as in Warform. Now, Szeth annoyed me a bit, though I admit part of the reason is I absolutely -loathe- Szeth and thus will probably have issues with the next book. But his return wasn't as foreshadowed or hinted at as the others. Even if it was a Regrowth Fabrial.