Iarwainiel I

Might be something to do with the fact that Brandon has said she was the one WoT character he never warmed up to/felt affinity with/something to that effect.

"Into the garbage chute, Flyboy!"

@Aspiring Writer - this is wonderful! Is there something else in your life (or was there at that time) that's orange and was meaningful to you - school colors, team colors, characters in cartoons or manga or etc.? The box of Wheaties breakfast cereal? Maybe that's an avenue to explore. I always pictured Atium as dark grey, like hematite, not silvery, and I also couldn't say why. IMO one of the best things about reading books (including audio books) is that WE get to imagine the details of what people and things and places look like, and with paper and e-books, we also get to imagine pronunciations and sounds. I have a few friends who didn't read much as children - they mostly watched videos - and it seems like they're not as able to imagine things as I am or at least not as easily: I suspect it's because books allowed me to do that, then imagining stuff added to my reading pleasure, and it became kind of a vortex-thing. ... and this is making me really really want November 17th to get here quick!!

I'm just here to say that the tags you put on this thread are outstanding. (Going back to my classical music now - & glad that there are so many kinds of music for everyone to love!)

@Tesh - I was thinking that exact thing: to get hips to fit on a men's shirt, the shoulders are drooping at least 3-4 inches down my arms. Amazon doesn't have the newest or best designs, IMO, but they do have a variety and some that aren't sold on Brandon's store. I really like the Bridge 4 glyph/I Will Protect design, and now I need to get a new one since my cat sadly put a couple holes in it, LOL!

Just thought I'd post this & see if there's any traction. Currently only unisex/men's t-shirts are available on Brandon's store. But if you buy on Amazon (& I'm thankful that's available), there are women's sizes too. I'd rather buy direct from Dragonsteel, but the ladies' t's are really nice. Anyone with me? Would there be enough demand to make it worth Dragonsteel's while to carry these sizes?

Are you going to actually eat/drink these? Because if not, you might consider using metallic beads, suspended in clear resin. Beads come in many sizes, and IIRC many craft stores also sell bottles of those teeny-tiny metallic beads that are meant to be just glued onto stuff, not made into jewelry etc. - you'd find them with the scrapbooking/glitter stuff. Whatever you end up with, please post a photo or 2 here if you can! Your costume too, in addition to the vials.

Excellent thread @Schneeente ! These are my top 3 (as of now): Dalinar - He impresses me as the best character I've ever read in any work of fiction, in whatever my brain interprets "best" to be: noble, disciplined, ethical, strong, humble (in the SA books, at least, though not in his flashbacks), willing to admit he's fallible but trying anyway, and all this is only deepened by what we learn about his tragic past in Oathbringer. I love the way he interacts with Gallant too; how people treat animals is a very telling thing. Dalinar has been my favorite from the first time he appeared in Way of Kings, and TBH if he dies during the series, I'm done at that point. But since one of Brandon's sons (Dalin) is named after him, I'm hoping that won't happen, or at least not till book 10. (I'm tempted to put Dalinar for my #s 2 & 3 as well, but I'll respect the thread and not do that.) Lift - She is just so wild! Funny but also compassionate, seemingly shallow but then you get a glimpse that her heart is deep and tender. I love her use of language, which is one of the things we're supposed to notice about her - - she reminds me of Wayne from Mistborn 2nd Era, and both of them are delightful. This one is difficult - so many possibilities! - but I'm gonna go with Adolin - I like how Brandon has subverted the trope and not made him a spoiled rich kid, like most of us probably expected at first, but that he's actually a good guy. And I hope hope hope that he's able to help Maya to wake up, and that that results in all the other deadeyes waking up too.

Last time for Oathbringer, I paid to attend the "backstage VIP party" and it was totally worth it. Sad that it won't happen again this time, but it will save me some $$$. I did order all the swag and a book from Weller, so I'll just be attending my own party here at home this time. Hopefully things will be back to normal for SA#5 in a few years.

This thread is frustrating me, LOL! I want to give EVERYONE reputation for their post here, but arrrggghhh only 20 per day allowed! Oh well - - there's always tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and ...

Thanks @Experience for tagging me! 1. It's been so long ago (January 2011!!), but IIRC I joined because so many people were posting interesting stuff & I wanted to be part of the conversations. 2. This community has given me inspiration and laughter and tips on great music and books and videos (the MarbleLympics!!) and ... and ... just the joy of knowing there are so many people with such high ideals and values: it's like the best of humanity right here in our tribe of Sander-fans. 3. One of the most moving things I've experienced here on the forums happened a few years back. Someone had started a thread on "What religion are you?" a couple days earlier. By the time I had read through the first several pages of posts, I was just sitting here crying: Everyone was so accepting and supportive of each other, learning what other faiths do for family holidays, asking questions and getting friendly & knowledgeable answers, absolutely nothing negative or judgemental or divisive. And I thought to myself, "THIS is how the world should be." I don't know of another community like the 17th Shard, and I'm so happy we all found our way here! EDIT - 2 more great memories: For Brandon's Words of Radiance tour, someone here on the Shard asked for volunteers to create a "Tour Archive Scrapbook" for our favorite author, and I organized it for the Dayton Ohio event. It was amazing - people wrote handwritten notes on cards I printed out (with the KR logos, of course), and the archive organizer gathered stuff from all the stops and created a huge scrapbook (several inches thick!). Brandon posted a photo of him & his family with the book. It was so cool to know I helped that happen. Actually meeting some of you at the Oathbringer release party 3 years ago! I bought the little 17th Shard pin to wear ... now I need to go find it & wear it tomorrow in honor of the million posts! :-)

Thanks for posting this! Swag pack ordered! EDIT: And the book too (from Weller)!

Just wanted to say that this thread is so wonderful & is an example of the good things that happen here on the Shard: people being themselves, being honest, being vulnerable to the extent they're comfortable with, and everyone learning and caring for others. OK, OK, enough drippy sentimentalism from the old lady. ;-) We know from the Syl interlude that I keep remembering how Tien made him feel better, and it makes me think that he might have a future role as mentor/big brother not only to Oroden but also to Gavinor. Those of you who deal with depression, would that make any sense at all? I can imagine how too much responsibility would be yet another crushing weight, but helping children develop could also be a joyful and hopeful thing - help Kal get outside himself. But then he'd also be reminded of Elhokar, every time he looked at his son. I dunno - it's not even a theory, just a wild idea, & maybe a bad one? If so, apologies for being insensitive.

I think it would be cool if Adam or someone over at Brandon's blog would write a short "Congratulations" piece about us getting to a million posts, and link to a new thread here on the Forums where people could post their own messages of Congratulations - - and if they're not already members, they could join then & swell our ranks. Our 17th Shard community truly is a wonderful thing!

@hoiditthroughthegrapevine - Thanks for the recommendation - I'll check it out! EDIT: Just did - Stride piano!! This style was one of my dad's favorites - we listened to Fats Waller & Art Tatum all the time! Thank you SO much for bringing this wonderful music into this thread. BTW, the little Brahms waltz on my list was used in the "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" movie! The scene where Katniss is dancing with President Snow. I was surprised & so happy to recognize it there! @FriarFritz - Agreed re: "Baba Yetu"! An amazing song! Have you checked out TIn's latest? "Sogno di Volare" (below; this video chokes me up every time!). Also, can't believe you were the first one to post from "Kaladin" - bravo, sir!

I love threads like this - I learn so much from all of you! :-) These are IMO 3 of the most beautiful melodies of all time - disclaimer: they are not pop music, & the photos in the videos are kinda awful so just focus on the audio which is mostly OK. "Abends Wil Ich Schlafen Geh'n" (you can stop at 2 minutes) https://youtu.be/e64mZN6EYY4?t=19 "Ar Hyd Y Nos" (Welsh male choir - a classic) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejxyhtx20sY Brahms - Waltz, Opus 39 # 15 (1 min. 39 sec. - so simple, so exquisite) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hux5fVzfJg New songs I love but haven't been around long enough for me to call them 'all-time favorites:' "Baba Yetu" and "Sogno di Volare" by Christopher Tin - highly recommended. He also interacts with his fans a lot - reminds me of Brandon in that way. Thanks everyone for posting here!

LOL! My brain was really not in gear, was it? Thanks for this! And thanks for agreeing re: the "oo."

I'm surprised that the audio books would pronounce it that way. Guess I'm glad to be a hardcover reader & get to make up my own pronunciations. I've always pronounced the start of Urithuru the same as the beginning of Lt. Uhura's name in Star Trek - like "oo," so it's "oo-ri-thoo-roo." How would one even think to pronounce it like "you"? Do they pronounce the final syllable the same way, so it's "you-ri-thoo-ryou"? Weird ... But as Brandon says, we're all co-creators & there's no right or wrong pronunciations, so it's all good.

First off, prayers & wishes that Tay's back gets better soon. I do hope you can at least give Tay a summary of Edgedancer before you get to Lift's parts in Oathbringer - otherwise when she says "more food" to Dalinar it's not funny at all, and we all know how your wife loves funny parts. I think Tay will enjoy Wyndle as a "Shardfork," amongst other passages. Oh, and the Dysian Aimian! I bet she'll think that's really cool, & (maybe) want to go back through all the books looking for odd cremlings (or am I the only one to have that urge?). Re: Gavilar: Not so sure he was a budding Bondsmith, but that's all I'll say 'cause spoilers. The whole scene of Gavilar's assassination keeps getting more and more complicated, so Tay's question is on all of our minds. Have you reminded her that slave-Szeth was previously owned by Liss the assassin (prologue to Words of Radiance)? "Always another secret..." Tay will have a much better idea what spren are after the trip through Shadesmar later on in OB. I predict she will chuckle at why Anticipationspren look like they do in the Physical realm. Great observation re: how being with someone who is in a "flow" state is key to building relationships! Also great: "Brightlord Tacocat" - - hahahahaha! Crem before cremlings!

Theory 1 (& FYI I am wrong 99.9% of the time on these): The Sons of Honor are/were being hunted & killed, not by the Ghostbloods, but by the Seventeenth Shard (not us!! - the in-universe secret society). My second guess is the Ire. (Related) Theory 2: Ialai was killed by a Forger who disguised themself to infiltrate either her own personal staff or Shallan/Adolin's core team. Sooooo excited for the RoW release!!

Nah - we'll just reassign her from Windrunner (Tay's result on the KR Order quiz) to Darkdoer ... or maybe Windbreaker, if that phrase has the same colloquial meaning in South Africa that it does here in the US, LOL! This thread has given us too much enjoyment.

Why, hello, Spren of Spren.

@Goatbringer Thank you SO much! And I'm so glad that you've had much-needed rain in South Africa - your drought has been horrible (I have contacts on some of the farms; such hardship). Lift: Yeah, Lift gets better over time ... the first time she meets Dalinar is one of the best. :-) Shadowfiends: Not sure we're gonna see these, but wow! What an idea! Asthma inhaler = sucking in Stormlight: Yasss! Brilliant! "Crem before cremlings:" Love this; gonna steal it starting now. No reaction to Syl's "He is mine! I claim him!" or "Stetch forth thy hand!"? Guess she really isn't into poignant one-liners. Glad she's liking Adolin more now. I think most of us have changed our opinion of him over the series. Hoping things will really upgrade for him & that Maya will wake up in RoW! Order of the Windbreakers? So their superpower is ... breaking wind? HAHAHAHA! I am totally in that order, whenever I eat spicy food. ;-) Ah, my week has taken on a definitely more fun tone because of this thread! My fellow Mind Readers - Salute! Crem before cremlings!!

I agree with you entirely. This series is waaaaay violent - I got through book 4 (of 5), but I had to skip lots of parts because real life is hard enough without having images in my head of awful stuff that happens to fictional people. It's a shame, because the magic system and worldbuilding were interesting, and Brett is a decent writer. But he said in interviews that he wanted to write books that were violent and (as you said) very sexist, so it was intentional, not an accident. I wish the publisher or someone would put out a "PG-rated" version of the series, because I'd probably buy it & like it.