Wax

Even though I had read SOTH before, it was refreshing to reread it. love Sixth. Starling was like an annoying 2 year old. Intrigued by the preview of the space age. The thing that was a little too convenient was Starling coming out of the pool and talking to Vaathi without the translator was just …. Whatever. Also, 5 years? How long do Aviars live? Saak ?

Kal is the first psychologist. Yet, confirmation biases are already a term that a non medical scholar would know. So, no, biases wouldn’t be a specified term without proper research. If Jasnah had said something along the lines of “surest person is only fooling himself” or some thing other colloquial observation - it could have fit. All such medical terms in real life have peer reviewed papers and solid tests for evidence.

I was born and raised in India till I hit 20s as a “Hindu”. Now as an atheist and even then, IDGAF about a representation of an artificial world inspired by the legacy world. Kalki 2898AD tried and built a gorgeous offshoot set in the future despite some flawed execution. Let Brandon do his thing…. So called “true to historical stories “, is overrated IMO. PS no need to discuss the caste system or going fully into it. It’s just humans doing human stuff. Gita did not prescribe it. It’s just like the lighteyes/darkeyes/parshendi type of system. It’s been all done before.

That term came from a research in 1960s. So, even in the real world it came waaaay after the steam engine. So, just something that looks out of time.

The prose started to go down in book 4. Jasnah talking about biases alluding to cognitive bias / confirmation bias made me cringe. I do hope someone decides to look at this more in the next books.

I think criticisms are valid broadly. i’d still buy the book 5 times over. Nobody is perfect. We are all human. It’s a good enough book. I still finished it.

In the Retribution forming scene, a few chunks of Honor split off and leave before the merge.

The Odium interlude said couldn’t be seen even with his eyes and seemed hidden even to him. so, is that the missing shard? Odd thing for someone representing to be hidden?

Send the team an email? Maybe they have some people on waitlisted for cancellations?

Correct or not, I love the detail you’ve put to this.

*Hugs* buddy

There’s always the next frontier in distraction:) YT, solitaire, Microsoft tiles, surfing…. I can just say this is like the Lord Ruler’s situation. Each solution creates its own set of problems. It works as long as the new problems created are smaller than the original problem. Lots of strategies... The ones that work for me are are:- "If I apply for these 5 jobs, I get 1 games of solitaire or freecell, AFTER I've finished applying" "Music in the background... great way to make it easier to work on something rather than playing games"

I had a similar challenge years ago with a video game. I was able to uninstall and let it itgo after a couple of times though. I recently got back in and the same issue and cycle. I used a different technique this time. I quit my job recently, and promised myself I won't use the game until I got a new job. It's installed still, but I haven't touched it since. --- PS I'm unemployed now because I hated my last job. Hopefully, I can get something soon.

I liked the book. Very Mistborn / Yumi like feel to the book. I was initially confused by the worldhopper’s name. I just had some issues. Basically, the touch to have babies concept was a little out there… kind of broke the fourth wall for me “oh, this is to stop this coming up in WoB”. So yeah, this book had an extra dolllop of fantasy. Not sure about that romance angle there. Aux was eggy.

Just an update. My current job isn't going too well. The boss wants me gone, and I am struggling as well. Going to quit next week. On the positive, had planned a trip with my family and dad in November. I'll be gone and back in time for the Defiant release. Hoping to get a new job in Nov/Dec/Jan.

Should have had a spoiler tag

Waiting for emojis

I’ve made my peace with a lot of things. My life has been amazing recently… new car, no major financial woes. Yet, family life has been average. Somehow, I’ve come to the realisation that the things will rarely get better. There will always be a lack of something. But, I am ok with it now.

I was really into crypto up to the bull run in 2021. I was in from 2014… now fully out of it. The underlying tech is a good theoretical idea that doesn’t work in reality. Because we’re human, our underlying greed corrupts everything. So, until AI completely takes over this planet (hopefully never), crypto will remain a ponzi scheme in my eyes.

I don’t see Kaladin being the champion. It’s a fight to the death and Kaladin won’t kill. Brandon changed the ending of WoR to take away the killing blow by Kaladin. I think there is a Dawnshard arc still to be explored there. The loophole I thought was Odium trying to win everything in 10 days on Roshar. So, at worst he’s giving up Alethkar and Herdaz. That sounds impractical though, so that’s not it either. The “El” guy who wrote about the last 10 days might be the Odium champion?

I read Brandon's new Reddit post here and thought I might try ChatGPT to do stuff for fun. The Reddit post spoiled the title of the book. So, I've put that bit of the ChatGPT interaction where I discussed with the name revealed in the spoiler tag. Have fun reading guys! Here's the bit with the title spoiled Me: The fifth book will be called . Rewrite the fan fiction based on this. Me: In the book, the main plots were, Kaladin and Szeth go to Shinovar, Dalinar has the fight of champions with Odium, Navani using the Urithiru secrets, Adolin helping Maya, Shallan fighting with Ghostbloods and Odium using tricks to beat them all. So, here you go. AI hasn't quite gotten to the level of poetry, but it's getting better at writing stock sentences!

RoW - 1st reread after 3 years Listening to the audiobook again after such a long time, the following were the memorable points I could actually listen to Venli/Eshonai’s portions. I half listened to them the first time around. Just couldn’t deal with Venli’s redemption arc after what she did. Just felt unemotional through the first part which I felt was a bit of setup. I was quite happy with the feeling of moving on. Then the attack on the tower went into full gear and the sense of claustrophobia was back. Even now, it feels like big bulgy book. All scenes individually work. Yet, the effect of the bulge was that it just felt too big. For example, I loved Notem’s cameo, yet it could have been sacrificed. The emotional pieces still tugged the strings. Maya’s courtroom scene, Veil’s final departure, Teft’s final scene and Kaladin’s oath all stood out. Other memorable ones were Raboniel’s final dialogue, Warlight intro, Venli’s final scene with her mother and Eshonai’s end. At times, I felt like there were so many scenes that I had forgotten. I remember listening the whole book the first time. Yet, so many sections just felt brand new! For example, I had completely forgotten that Kaladin’s next quest would involve getting Ishar and going with Szeth. Things I picked up (everyone else may already know) Gavilar wasn’t trying to to bond. He had expressly rejected the voidspren (mentioned by Ulim). His main character assassins were Navani after an argument and Nale. Somehow, I see another redemption arc incoming. Lift was now going around with a “chicken”. Did she pick up Mraize’s bird (sixth of dusk) Renarin sent gemstones to Taravangians with an apology on his last day. And also earlier met him. Interesting Taravangisn internal monologue there. So, he clearly knew about his upcoming death. Things I don’t get Why was Odium so much in panic due to the tower? There was so much of an assumption that he could lose. What was Mraize’s motivations here to provide Lift to Raboniel? If the Ghostbloods (Lost Metal Spoilers) Theories The hole in the agreement Odium might try and use is that he might keep everything except Alethkar and Herdaz that he already owns. So, that might mean another attack on Thelena, Tukar, Emuul etc. to grab pretty much everything in the intervening 10 days before the contest of champions. A common theory I’ve read here is that some Radiants may ascend. I am leaning towards it more. As there is a broken bond now available in the oathpact, Dalinar may bind Kaladin to it. Design may help Wit remember / find out about memory tampering by Odium I think the Recreance might have been the reaction to the Singer’s becoming Parshmen. So, the KRs were giving up their powers, like a disarmament treaty. long held theory - Dalinar’s other visions are from the cognitive shadow of Gavilar. Mysteries / Looking forward to How will the Dawnshard aspect still fit in? More inkspren possibly after Maya’s testimony Shattered Plains – so many hints towards its formation being man made. Maybe it might get resolved in Book 5. This is from Oathbringer – still waiting for Azure’s blade tech for non-spren shardblades

Great audiobook… fantastic audio dramatisation by all. I loved the neurotic Sophie Kwon (?) telling off everyone in a position of power (you can see she doesn’t like any authority figures).

I could pick up that Huck was lying when Tress asked him about his background. I had a fleeting idea that he might be someone cursed by the sorcoress (I was thinking of the Terry Pratchett book where a talking frog lawyer was a character... I think "The Wee Free Men"). I didn't focus on it though.

I felt it was the best book of Era 2 or 1. I didn’t feel emotional about Wayne. I loved all the Ghostblood characters. Couldn’t get why Wax hadn’t turned full mistborn and healed himself in the epilogue. Maybe he hadn’t been told by Harmony? Feels like a red herring for Era 3.