hypatia

I don't necessary think of rust as in our reality - more like an analogy. This red "Whatever" could be the only new form of metal and is attacking one of the known metals - perhaps it's even imported. Not oxidation in the normal sense - an aggressive form of metal acting like a virus or cancer. The "red and gold" - gold isn't corroding. I really don't think of rust as our normal oxidation, more like our basics transfered to the metalic system on Scandrial.

Was rust even a problem in the first trilogy? You would think in a world based on metal, corrosion would be fatal. And with Ruin who had wanted to ruin everything this could be a natural consequence. I can't stop thinking of slowly rusting spikes, of possible results using such a metal for allomantic means - it's like a metal decease. On the other hand Aluminium and this mistings could come in handy as corrosion protection.

My problem isn't this possibility, it's the definition of "Shard" as a being connected with a power. With an agent there would be a third power, not a second Shard. Another thing - how could someone use Hemalurgy, the practise linked with Ruin/Ati? Don't know, but there's the feeling this is connected with the southern people. Ati was free after WoA and like Sazed said - "he is technically everywhere". Rashek had known about this people, they were his reserve for humanity - wouldn't Ruin then do something against this group?

Hm With this we have... ...two powers - Ruin and Preservation ...two Shards ...only one known Holder - Sazed Is it possible Ruin had himself invested in someone else - someone called Trell? It looks like Mr Sanderson is trying to bring us back from a wrong way of thinking with Bavadin.

A question: Has he mentioned Ruin and Preservation as this two Shards or only two Shards on Scandrial?

But then Trell - whatever he/she/it is - can't be Rayse or Bavadin. Possibilities: He is another Shard. He is a new holder of one Shard - but with the Odium/Authonomy - Theories, this would mean the original Holder (Rayse or Bavadin) is dead. He is something like Sazed, a united Shard - but then both - Rayse and Bavadin would be dead. From the color of the metal - IF this is connected - I tend to a united Shard, but neither Odium nor Authonomy. Both Rayse and Bavadin seem to be around at time.

Yes, I should have been more precise - I thought of a human being like Wax. TenSoon as a Kandra don't harmonize for me with Wax as the same level of representation for Ruin and Preservation. This is only a feeling.... Perhaps this explains better, what I think: Kandra Paalm/Ruin - TenSoon/Preservation Humans Wax/Ruin - ?/Preservation

Doesn't this "Harmony's Ruin" rise another question: Who's Harmony's Preservation? Steris? Perhaps even one of each aspect - Ruin, Preservation and Harmony?

For such a little book I felt too much emotions - there was a feeling to read only half of the story and I'm nearly devasted I have to wait for BoM as the second part. After letting it sink a little and trying to forget the emotional impact: I felt forced to remember the lineage of Wax. In AoL I was never so much aware of his Terresian roots. Now I can't stop thinking of this WoB - The Lord Ruler has had a child. Looking back I think Twinborns were not only a way to enhance the magical system - more that Wax - and Wayne - being Twinborns are part of the overall plot.

That's my problem - the result at the end of SoS is the alienation of Harmony and one of his chosen agents. And because of the Thriller-Motives in this books I can't stop asking myself: Cui bono? Would Sazed want or even risk the trust of the man he was trying to protect? Or is this whole affair the manipulation of another Shard influencing Scandrial/Paalm? Who would want a break between Harmony and his agent, perhaps even his champion?

Adolin kills Sadeas to protect his family (and more) at the end of a book where the flashbacks from Shallan show us her killing of her father to protect her family. The concequences with justice should be the same now Shallan fully remembers her deed. I think if anyone is able to understand Adolin's motives it would be Shallan. Even if killing her father was in the past Shallan has to deal with it in book 3 at the same time as Adolin. When Adolin has to confess then Shallan will tell her story - perhaps to protect him.

I 've told my children to set THEIR money aside for a special christmas gift to their old, obsessed mother. Opted for a signed and lined version...no overkill at all - just the fourth copy.

I hope the anniversary edition will clarify this with a better map. Kae is at the bottom? But...East? As if this isn't difficult enough, after the mistake in the German translation where Kae was the direction west. #1 Like in SA the history of the Elantrian culture is destroyed - even Galadon don't know about the secrets. Raoden believe the villages are the circles, but what is more magical - the village Kae or this pond? And in order to recognize Aon Rao there have to be greater structures as a pond or something like this - this is the base for the idea for other secrets near the ruins of the remaining three ruins. #3 As Reaoden was the first time on the hill he looks down and tells us about an old street to Kae, right before he goes to the pool with the old Elantrian. I just reread Elantris - to be prepared for the new edition - and I was a little bit stunned.

Geography In Arelon there are two giant Aons - the artificial Rao with Elantris in the middle, but also the "natural" Aon Aon, an geographical manifestation. If there were whispers of dangerous magic in Fjorden, would one study the geographics? Fjorden has a connection to the Dor, perhaps Galadon's dad was looking for something similiar to an Aon in Fjorden. We really need better - and more - maps.

Questions to Elantris/Aon Rao: Elantris is the Ela/middle of Aon Rao - is Kae the circle in the east or is it the blue pool on the hill above Kae? What were the names of the other cities around Elantris? Are there Aons for south, north or west or is there another system? There's a way from Kae to the pool - were the people from Kae in the older times involved in whatever had happened with the pool? The ruins of the other three cities - is it possible there are topics similiar to the pool near Kae - perhaps even secret passage-ways? What is the effect of an Aon with the name "Direction East"?

The problem with Odium seems to be, that he is neither intention nor mandate - it is an emotion. Is it really possible Adonalsium had only this emotion? I don't think so, hence we get the possibility for more "Emotion-Shards" like perhaps "love", "fear" and so on. But with emotions singled out as Shards, neither of the "Intention/ Mandate-Shards" would have its own emotions, only indifferent mandates/intentions - they need human beings for an emotional balance. And the problem with an "Emotion-Shard" could therefore be the intensivation of a single emotion, because humans normally are in possession of every emotion.

Oh, I'm not confused, only a little tired when after telling other people about the Shardnames on Sel there is mostly the answer " Dominion? Like in Domi?" Domination is a nice english word - and Domi/Omi is a nice word the author has made up. It exists since it was written down in Elantris. Both word - the real and the fictional - are good word, but together in one work of fiction they cause a problem, because they are too similiar. If the name for this Shard was Dominion from the start on, why use "omi" for "love"? Every other combination of characters would become a "real" Selish word for "love". Or use another prefix not "D" - nothing would cause this connection. Therefore my opinion - at the time Sanderson was creating the language on Sel there wasn't a concrete name for the Shard. I like Dominion a lot as a word, but there are word with the same meaning only perhaps not with the double meaning. We would never know about this name and probably would like another name likewise. Hence I think the reason for this name was because of the double meaning. This is something normaly earning a RAFO-card - it sets most people on a wrong way of thinking and not everyone is part of this community.

That's right - there isn't an easy answer with " Domi = Dominion". But I don't buy coincidence with an artificial language - the words on Sel are the invention of the author. At my first read of Elantris there weren't Shards and my explanation of the word "Domi/Omi" was from "Dominus" - the Lord. With the first "Oh Domi" my subconsciousness anwered "Quo vadis Domine". I think the problem was starting with naming the Shard now known as Dominion. Why using this word and not "control, authority, rule...or territory"? I believe the idea with Shards was there from the beginning, but not the/all names - and with time there were questions about the Shards and their intentions. Now this "coincidence" takes place because "dominus" and "dominion" is based on the same language. So again - why using this word and not a synonym - what is so special with the word "dominion", that Mr Sanderson was forced to accept a starting confusion? I don't know every word in English so my question: Is there another word with the double meaning like "dominion"?

Now as you talk about it.... Szeth was dead - however this will be possible for the Shin it should happen in the next volume. The Shin are able to go to Urithiru, so it is possible for them to come out. Another option is a link with the honorblade - they were watching the blade, not Szeth and with the separation it would mean the death of the bearer. Perhaps it only disappears... And the tricks with different PoVs - although we know about Szeth and his punishment as a Truthless, for the other characters this will be something new, a way to connect Szeth into the main-story above his role as a assassin.

I should have made myself more clear: Metals have nothing to do with their shards, stone has nothing to do with ...?... There isn't a "Stoneshard" - if this is based on a Shard it could be anything including Cultivation - but why is there a stone-religion on two different shardworlds? Over all I don't think Odium is the only Shard able to go on tour through the Cosmere, the others just have no reason to look after their fellow-shards. Odium is on his way to splinter, but there can be other reasons - one of them is to hide. This Shard wouldn't fight, only hide or run. My personal fascination is with a society based on a Survival-Shard, I always thought of a seclusive culture, who wouldn't want to attract attention. Back to the topic - if the Shin are from another planet I would bet on Sel.

Back from a round of thinking... Why do we think of a religion warshipping stones as strange on a planet where we find life based on crystalline forms? Humans are imported, the origins are the Parshendi. It is possible the Shin know more about them. On another note - Odium has attacked both worlds with stone-cults. Perhaps this stone-god is his goal and that's the reason why this god is on the run. A shard like Protect and Ruin, but instead of metal he is connected to stone. And on the run...hiding... I confess to have a little obsession with this shard whose only intention is to hide.

First with Stones Unhallowed I was all "oh no, I want Dalinar". Now with Dalinar I want Szeth. In fact I want both with Eshonai as a bonus. With this discussion comes a question - why the focus on this characters? I have the feeling because they are the two sides of the same coin. The Alethi and the Shin are direct opposites - both cultures with castes, but soldiers and priests/Shamans opposed to one another. On one site the priests are slaves, on the other soldiers - but both are connected by making one caste slaves. Now we have Dalinar and Szeth and somewhere in the past they have obviously gone the same path - knowing/telling about the desolation against the structure/believe of their own people. There is a parallel, a symmetry, between both characters only Dalinar doesn't face the same consequences.

I don't know if "imported" is the right term, but I also thought of an influence from outer Roshar. My first feeling reading about warshipping stones was some sort of deja vue - and searching I remembered "Elantris". There's/was a little god, the protector of stones - Jaddeth. Not only the coincidence with stones, there is another connection. In both books this base is transported to a religion which is strongly hierarchic. And being Brandon Sanderson with his cosmere I can't believe this is only repetition.

@ maxal Oh yes, I know this reaction all too well (No, it wasn't me who crashed the car of my mother in a wall - it was the wall). But it was a failure and there will be accusations - wrong accusations. Right - at the moment it is panic and I don't daubt Adolin will later tell the truth. On the other hand - he is the one with the right of a duell with Sadeas. Since this time it was clear that he will kill Sadeas - without Kaladin right after the 4:1 duell. A question, I can't remember: Does a shardblade always manifest after his owener is killed? I know they doesn't disappear, but was there a example in the books, what happens when the shardbearer is killed without his blade?

If I remember right the question if Szeth only acts honourbound was RAFO. There is something strange with him - first I thought of him like Galilei - telling a unwanted truth and facing the consequences, but believing further in his opinion. But this was wrong - he doesn't believe in his opinion anymore - he believes strongly in being wrong. He's all "I failed, I deserve this punishment, it's justified". And in the end all it needs is Kaladin, no disputation or something magical, to bring this to an end, only the manifestation of a Knight Radiant. It looks like there was more than only honour, but not magic, rather something like a religious bounding, because all depends on his believe in himself.