Pestis the Spider

I could hardly think of any 10 words in Spanish, not to mention verbs in their infinitive...

Haha, nice one! But I actually think that her "apology to rhinos" is really insulting to actual giraffes. Granted. Your curse is undone for exactly 10 seconds. I wish my rats killed by the previos curse to be alive again.

Well, that's fine with me, as SAT is kind of useless in Europe. : D Granted. But your fancy hat is magical, and when you wear it you turn into a rhino. Rhino in a fancy hat. I wish for my rats to turn into cats, but only for me to see it, so that my landlord (who doesn't like cats) still thinks they're rats, and allows me to keep them.

Granted. Your lifeless squirrel armies eat you pizza and get a food poisoning. It drives them so crazy that they use your laser to burn your head off, so they can eat your brain fried (zombie squirrels? ; P). I wish to remember every word I read, so I can get A's on every test, and listen to my favourite novels in my mind.

Just the problem is that catalysts do not work this way. If allomantic metals were truly catalysts, they would be reausable, so you could "burn" the same metal over and over again, for as long as you have it inside you. But they're not, so it's bugging me for days now, why are metals called "catalysts" in Mistborn, when they're clearly used up during the process. So what actually happens to metals after being "burned". They're not there to be used for the second time, even though word "catalyst" suggest that they should. Maybe they're teleported to the place of their origin, like mines or something? But metals in mines are usually in form of ores, which are different chemically to the metal itself, so it still doesn't solve the problem of catalyst being recylced to its original form. Something weird is happening to metals, and it;s really bugging me that I can't understand it, because there is not enough information. Ugh. If allomantic metals were absorbed into the body (normal metals in case of normal "humans from Earth" partially are usually, but I have no idea what about allomantic metals in Mistborn) that has to be completely separate process to being a catalyst, as "recycling" really doesn't mean "absorbing". Enzymes/catalysts/etc. usually stay where they are, in the same form they were at the beginnig.

Ok, the problem may be that I am very idealistic person and a perfectionist, so I may have a little weird opinions on this one. : D Well, I simply think that everyone have some good traits and some bad traits. What Syl did, at least in my opinion, was to bring the Kaladin’s good traits of character to light. I think she's just uncovering Kaladin's hidden potential, and I think there is an ideal-Kaladin somewhere deep inside "our" Kaladin. Bah, I think that everyone have ideal version of themselves inside, just waiting to be uncovered. I agree that Syl somehow manipulated Kaladin to alter his character, but she did not change him into someone he never was or was never able to be. It's not like he was born with hatred towards lighteyes. And I think he still really isn't fond of them. He just started to be less prejudiced towards them, realising that they are also people of different characters. Well, it's not like she's doing it intentionally, just to force Kaladin to do as she likes. I think that breaking of oaths actually hurts her, so I think she has every right to scream in agony. He is perfectly free to do act as he wishes. Of course, he has to deal with consequences, like Syl dying. When old KRs changed their minds suddenly, they just went off and killed their spren, did they not? But I think that if he would truly suddenly start to think as a Skybreaker, Syl would be long dead before that happens. In WoR Syl practically dies for a moment, even though Kaladin actually just struggles with his beliefs, constantly changing his mind one way or another. And because KR oaths are made between KR, KR's conscience and KR's spren, then I think that "forcing himself to act as a Windrunner" would kill Syl just as simply acting straight as a Skybreaker. I mean I know the oats ate actually "I will protect people" and protecting people against your conscience and will is also "protecting them" so in theory it still fulfils the oath, but I don't think it works this way. Let's remember that Kaladin's oaths did not break when he physically did something against them, but when he was particularly overweening and just thinking against the oaths. So I really think that the mental state is important. Also Stormfather says several times "that oath is accepted". Do you think he would accept Kaladin's 3rd oath even if Kaladin would protect the king just to get Syl back, and not to actually save the king's life? Because I think not.

@Moogle: I actually think that spren do not change character upside down. it's not like Szeth could suddenly become a Bondsmith and start behaving like Dalinar, because of his spren influence. I think the effect of spren and stormlight on character is the same as the effect on any skill the person might possess and use. Quoting: "Stormlight did not grant skill. It could not make a man into something he was not. It enhanced, it strengthened, it invigorated. It perfected." I think that what spren do is just try to make the best of their KR. Not try to change them into someone else entirely. You can't say that Kaladin was not honorable and couldn't lead people, before he met Syl. Yeah, he struggled, but Syl was just prompting him into right direction, showing him, who he really is, and who he can be, not forcing him to do something against him. Well, molding within reason is fine. But if natc says he wouldn't be able to kill a person ever, then I don't think that any spren would be able to mold him into liking killing everyone that annoys him. So I really think there's no risk.

That somehow remainds me of Hodor chapters in ASOIAF.

But you know, it's not like beeing a Windrunner or Skybreaker changes you character. So there is no risk of anything. If you would suddenly end up on Roshar, you could only be one type of KR (or not at all), because your character would match only one of the orders (which one that's up to you to know, because I do not know your character). So there is no risk of being different KR, and having a sudden character change.

I think the problem is that one of you understands "natural fighting skills of KR" as "fighting skills obtained from the Nahel Bond", and the other as "natural-born talent for fighting". Because it is true that Nahel Bond does not grant fighting skills to KR, but it is also true that Windrunners are generally really good at fighting, and Kaladin seems to have talent for that. So it is actually interesting. Does a spren choose a person with appropriate skills (like fighting and leading skills for Windrunners, manipulation and mnemonic abilities for Lightweavers, etc.) as well as appropriate character (being honorable, etc.), or does a spren choose a person only based on the character and the skills that are common in the order are somehow coincidental? Maybe it's persons character that somehow makes a person better in one thing than the other (like, when you lie repeatedly, you become better and better at lying). So could there be a Windrunner that's terrible at fighting? How would such Windrunner use his powers then?

Well, I did not notice Skybreakers doing that. I actually hardly noticed any Skybreakers at all. If you're talking about Szeth though, then I have to disagree, because we still do not know if he indeed became a Skybreaker. Even if he is, I really believe that he did so not because that was fun to do to a person that pissed him off, but rather because he was obliged by his "Truthless rules" to what he was told, and the person pissing him off was in the way. It's not like Skybreakers are unquestionably evil, or something. I'd be a Windrunner. From all the orders we learned about this one matches me the best. Although I do have something of the lightweaver in me, but not a lot, really. Maybe when we get more details about other Orders I'll have to change my mind, because right now I can only speculate about them. And well, windrunning sound fun.

Kindle Fire is a tablet, so it's not really good for reading. I suggest you Kindle. As you said, it's easy on the eyes. Also you can surf the internet using every Kindle. However there are limitations. All of the Kindles have version with Wi-Fi, so you can acces web. Some also have free 3G to use. However, using 3G there are limits to which websites you can acces on newer Kindles like Voyage, Touch or Paperwhite, so you can access only some websites with 3G and the rest only through Wi-Fi. The full acces to all websites using free 3G is only using Kindle 3 Keyboard, as far as I know, but this one is pretty old and more bulky than the others. There is also slight problem with comfort of surfing websites. Most Kindles do not have keyboards, so it takes a lot of time to write something. However Touch, Paperwhite and Voyage have a touchscreen, which makes web surfing as easy as on the tablet, from what I have heard. Paperwhite and Voyage also have really good screen quality, and build in light in the screen, for use in dark rooms. The only problem is that the screen is black and white but it is enough for checking e-mail. I myself use Kindle 4, which has no 3G, no keyboard, no touchscreen, and is useless for everything except reading. I still find it to have more sense than any tablet, because it is still brilliant, because books are always brilliant, and e-readers are really like a portable libraries. So if you want to read books, get an e-reader. : )

Was it? To what, then? Because I'ver played Skyrim, but I don't remember anythig like this. EDIT: Nevermind, google solved my problem. I really didn't remeber that one ad it is not quite as famous as arrow in the knee. ; D Usually I really like more "simple" covers, like this ones, but this ones are definitely not the best ones I've seen. The second one is nice, and Szeth looks cool, but the character in the first one is really ugly, I;m sorry to say so. But the greyish-red colouring is really nice in the background.

Not only scimitars are curved. For example katanas and sabras are also curved. And Szeth's Honorblade is hardly a Shinovar sword, to be honest.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Although I think that we could use 4 different KR, 4 different Heralds, etc. at least for cards J, Q, K, A. I believe we have enough of them. It would be also nice if characters on cards of the same colour were somehow connected, so we can get the "main character and his followers" thing. Also I'd like to have some card with Syl and other spren. Even actually the minor spren. Mayve J, Q, K, A could be characters, and 2-10 the various spren types, like windspren, whateverspren, etc. EDIT: 2-10: Various spren types, although I'd like to include windspren and J: Lopen/Adolin/Gaz?/??? Q: ???/Navani/???/??? K: Kaladin/Dalinar/Shalan/Szeth A: Sylphrena/Stormfather/Pattern/Nightblood Joker: Wit, obviously Any ideas for the missing ones?

Well, I did read that post, but thanks.

Dear OP, sorry, but I have a question, because after reading "I'd like to read fantasy books without sexual content", and then seeing the mention of both "adultish" books and books "for younger readers", I'm just really confused what you are actually looking for. What I mean is: Are you looking for something more like teen PG books (using the movie rating) or like R rated books (you know: a lot of violence, bloody descriptions, stuff like that) just with no sexual content? or maybe you're fine with both types? The answer to that would really change the list of books that I am able to recommend you.

Huh, that explains it. I've only read the Mistborn trilogy so far, so no wonder, I didn't notice it. Well I don't want to discuss the origin of the word "catalyst" in the book, because that's really not the right topic, I think. I still think that it may be a mistake, which can happen to even the best of people, but maybe I'm simple cannot see Brandon's idea behind that word. I'll read Alloy of Law, and then I'll think about it some more, maybe the book will clear it up for me.

Yeah, but Shallan wouldn't know that Dalinar doesn't know. And that's a problem, especially that I find Shallan to have a tendency to blame everyone around but herself. She may actully simply assume that Dalinar knows. Or she could blame Dalinar for no reason, people sometimes do crazy stuff like that.

I just want to point out that metal cannot be simply a catalyst if it's consumed in the reaction, because that is simply not the way the catalysts work. Were metals actually called catalysts in Misborn? Did I miss something?

Do you have a link for that? Because the tags or anything like that aren't working for me at Theoryland, so I can't find it.

I've read his "Night Angel" trilogy and I found it utterly terrible. Especially book 2. The main character was way too OP and generally resembled Gary Stu, and well... I did not like these books. Although I heard that his other books are better.

I have a question: Can a KR Shardblade (spren) transform into usable lightsaber? Because that would definitely change the outcome.

No they don't. Different enough means for example extra pair of arms. Everything that you can easily cover with make-up and saying "I'm just a weird looking Makabaki" is not different enough to actually scream alien. It's actually really (really) similar. But that's just my personal opinion. Interesting. Was is stated somewhere which of the Cosmere planets that we know of is the biggest or the smallest, etc.? If we knew which planets are smaller than Roshar and which are bigger, we could actually look for the clues about the change in gravity impact on the worldhopper in SA, as we have quite a lot of worldhoppers in SA.

Yeah, but author apparently asked about KR Shardblade, which can change sieze/forms and do all the crazy stuff, and WoB means normal "dead-spren" Shardblade.