phoenix2563

I'll second the Amber series. Very well written and he manages to juggle many difficult concepts (parallel worlds, time dilation, etc) nicely. Don't see it recommended enough. One of my favorite series of all time next to Sanderson. I have also read and enjoyed (of which many have commented on) the works of Tolkien, the Wheel of Time ( which is how I discovered Sanderson), most of Eddings' works (Belgariad/Mallorean and others), LE Modesitt Jr (Imager portfolio, first 2 books of Recluse), Harry Potter, the Ender Quintett by Card, Rothfuss (though the wait is frustrating), some Tad Williams (though he can be hit or miss), some Lawhead, the Deathgate cycle by Weis/Hickman and the first book of Powder Mage trilogy by McLellan (which I plan to finish at some point later). So I am wanting something to read and after reading up on all the fantasy authors out there, I am conflicted in who I should read first between the following: Earth Sea Trilogy/Le Guin Lightbringer series/Weeks Demon Cycle/Brett Disc World/Pratchett Dragon riders of Pern/McCaffrey Traveler's Gate Trilogy/Wight Dragon Prince trilogy/Rawn Dagger and Coin / Abraham Craft Sequence/Gladstone Old Kingdom/Nix Codex Alera/Butcher The Wars of Light and Shadow/Wurts Farseer trilogy/Hobb Gentlemen Bastard Sequence/Lynch Pendragon cycle/Lawhead Note that I don't want anything too dark/gritty (aka GRRM. Had to drop the first book 1/3 of the way through). Thoughts?

Based on my understanding, we won't be getting any interludes this time. Official posting from Tor's website: "Oathbringer, the eagerly-awaited third installment of Brandon Sanderson’s epic Stormlight Archive fantasy series, arrives on bookshelves on November 14, 2017. Fans of the series can start reading it here on Tor.com for free, starting on Tuesday, August 22! Tor.com will be hosting a weekly serialization of Oathbringer, leading all the way up to the release day. Every Tuesday, readers will be able to read the next three chapters of Book 3 of the Stormlight Archive, starting with the Prologue: “To Weep” on August 22, then continuing on August 29 with Chapters 1 through 3, and onward up to Chapter 32" http://www.tor.com/2017/08/15/brandon-sanderson-oathbringer-serialization-announcement/

Stormlight, and pretty much all the cosmere is my favorite right now. My second would probably be Roger Zelasny's Amber series, then the works of Tolkien.

Elantrian since their magic is so overpowered, and also one of the systems most difficult to obtain via world hopping (see: Hoid). Lord Ruler since he is the most powerful of the three by far.

No he's using the Dawnchant, of course.

I think it might have something to do with the Herald's current attempts to prevent a future desolation. Edgedancer spoilers: The Heralds think they have broken their part of a future desolation by breaking the Oathpact, so now the second goal would be to stop the Radiants from being in existence, to ensure no future bonds are formed. The initial part of this plan was likely orchestrated by Ishar himself during the Recreance, in instructing the Radiants to do what they did (breaking the Nahel bonds, thus killing the Spren) for the future of mankind or something along those lines. If the act was not done in this manner (ie no spren are harmed), this does nothing to prevent the spren from forming new bonds later. In short, what better way to ensure no future Nahel bonds are formed than to scare off any potential Radiant spren with the knowledge of what occurred at the Recreance?

I agree with Gavilar with being the book 5 pov, but I am thinking the book 4 could be Renarin. We currently know very little of his whereabouts that night, and could have played a more pivotal role than meets the eye from what we know of his abilities. Also fits in with the theme with prologue pov characters being future flashback characters (with Gavilar being the book 5 exception). It could also potentially be from Shalash and keep to the "future flashback character" pattern as we know she was there at some point that day defacing a statue of herself. Don't think it is Taravangian or Amaram as the most important actions/conversations by them likely included Gavilar and would be covered in the book 5 pov.

I've met Brandon at a signing at this venue before for The Alloy of Law release (I am from Houston), and aside from the books being a little pricey to purchase from them it is a good venue. So happy that he is coming here again for Oathbringer! Also they made this stop on a Saturday which could not be more perfect. Now I will probably cancel my Kindle book order and purchase a hardcopy from the store now that I know Brandom is coming from H-town! Does anyone know if anyone in his entourage is touring with him this time (ie Peter, Isaac)?

We know that Nale uses a regrowth fabrial; maybe there is some kind of illumination fabrial she uses to make it look like she is being executed? Or maybe it has to do with the "something else" that makes Heralds unique? We see that Taln is able to catch an assassin's dart aimed at Amaram, and we know that he does not have his honorblade at this time. Maybe there are still certain things Pailiah can do to either survive the execution or make it look like she was executed? She IS the patron of both Regrowth and Illumination, after all. Her being dead just seems too simple for me, and this strange ardent just seems to fit everything we know about Pailiah.

Just wanted to post a thought on my recent reread of the first two books of SA. From what I have read here, most have found the Herald Pailiah to be the Ardent walking through the Palanaeum that Shallan notes walking by like a Herald in WoK. What if this ardent is the SAME ardent from Lhan's interlude, who he thinks is called something "like" Pai? Since Pailiah's order is the truthwatchers I don't see her being dishonest with her name, and "Pai" could be kind of a nickname. Also, being an ardent goes with "learning" and her concern for the waste and desire to give to the poor goes with "giving". She is highly critical of the ardents, even the church itself, and comes across as an outsider. Her writing of the glyphs at the end of the segment also goes along with what we know of the truthwatcher order (similar to Renarin's writing at the end of WoR, and also possibly Dalinar's wall). As for the "execution" of Pai, do we know how she was executed? In other words, was she killed in a way that a Truthwatcher could not recover from with Regrowth? Pai certainly did not seem to fear death. Obviously if this is Pailiah she would have needed to either retrieved her Honorblade or somehow formed a Nahel bond to use the truthwatching surges.

It's from the link Page runner provided: 26 Botanica What are the Dawnshards? (Are they spren? Certain weapon that is crucial to defeat Odium?) Do they relate to the Dawnsingers and Dawnchant? Peter I’m pretty sure they’re just the same as the Honorblades. It says “dawn” because they were there at the beginning of when humans came to Roshar.

I found the quote. Peter did say that "I'm pretty sure that the Dawnshards were just the same as the Honorblades". Which of course tramples all over my theory. Would still like to hear it from Brandon though, especially since Peter didn't seem 100% sure.

I know this is an old topic, but I did just visit the National Palace museum in Taiwan, where Brandon got his inspiration for "The Emperor's Soul". To me, this Ruyi scepter displayed there is totally what I envision the Moon scepter to look like:

I agree that Cusicesh isn't on the same level as Honor and Cultivation's spren. But if Cusicesh is a dawnsinger that would still put it above most other spren on Roshar. Maybe the 3rd bondsmith spren isn't as powerful as the other 2? If not Cusicesh, I still like the idea that the 3rd bondsmith spren is the single uncorrupted dawnsinger. To me, that's what it would take to get even close to the level of the Stormfather or Nightwatcher.

Perhaps someone should ask Brandon if Cusicesh has ever been bonded by a Bondsmith?

Assuming that the unmade were once the dawnsingers (of the old magic, ie adolnasium before it shattered), and also assuming that there were 10 dawnsingers, would this imply that there is one dawnsinger that has not been "unmade"? Perhaps that whatever this is is the third megaspren that the bondsmiths are able to bond with? This would imply the three bondsmith spren would be the Stormfather, the Nightwatcher, and the remaining uncorrupted dawnsinger (maybe Cusicesh?)

Pre-ordered on Amazon. Honestly can't wait and pretty sure I will have the book done withim the week if things go anything like when I first got WOR.

This wob is not as helpful as I would have hoped, as we know for sure from the books that honorblades and shardblades are definitely NOT the same thing. Honor blades are the 10 splinters of Honor given to the heralds, each tied to different aspects of Honor. Anyone can use an Honorblade and have access to the related two surges associated with that splinter with no spren involvement required. My understanding is that shardblades are manifestations of specific types of spren (still investiture, but usually of both Honor and Cultivation) that due to a certain level of oaths obtained through the Nahel bond are able to fully manifest themselves into the physical realm into a physical object that is able to mimic what an honorblade does. The type of spren determines what 2 surges are accessible. I don't remember exactly where this is from WOR, but this is actually what led to the forming of the knights radiant and the establishement of the 10 orders, as Ishar saw that without Oaths to bind the knights they were far too powerful with too much potential for destruction if the power was misused.

Also, I just read in another dawnshards thread from June 4 that there is a WOB that an honerblade is not the same thing as a dawnshard. Does anyone have the exact quote?

Blueshard, thanks for posting. I read your thread and have a few more thoughts: Remember in Tanavast's vision that his comment that "the dawnshards are lost" may have been at that time his messages were recorded. Maybe since then 2 dawnshards have been recovered, without anyone realizing what they were? Also, your thread seems to imply that there is a wob that Gavilar's sphere was not a dawnshard. Can you post his exact wording here? To Megasif: in regards to your thought that the honor blades were the dawnshards, it seems like a stretch to me. Your point seems to rest on that the honorblades are no longer capable of bonding to Honor, but they are splinters of Honor by definition. Also, if honor could simply bind the unmade with his essence, why didn't he just do it long before his death? Why are these "dawnshards" such a critical component? I think that both the dawnsingers and dawnshards predate the arrival of Honor, Cultivation and Odium (hence "dawn"), and we're based on the previous investiture (old magic) on the planet, I'm assuming this was originally from Adonalsium That is why the dawnshards were effective at binding the Unmade when nothing else was.

Long time troller, rare poster here. Just read the prologue posted here for Oathbringer, and had some thoughts I haven't seen mentioned. The two black spheres that Gavilar mentions (and shows one to Eshonai), let's assume that these spheres are holding 2 of the Unmade, holding the "Parshendi gods" Eshonai is so fearful of. . Regarding dawnshards, Tanavast mentions in one of his visions to Dalinar that "without the Dawnshards, you're doomed". What if these spheres are two of the lost Dawnshards, the purpose of which was to trap the Unmade ("known to bind any creature voidish or mortal"), which is part of the ending of a desolation? Other posters here seem to think that the dawnshards are like shardblades, and while I agree that each contains large amounts of investiture that doesn't mean that this would take on the same form. I also assume that since we're in Roshar that there are 10 Dawnshards, and probably 9 unmade (since 9 is the number of Odium), which leaves one dawnshard to spare for purposes of ending the desolations. Also, has anyone thought that perhaps the Dawnsingers were the original "god spren" that the 9 Splinters of Odium corrupted into the Unmade? If this has any merit to it, could there be one dawnsinger left that remains uncorrupted? Maybe these are all just crazy theories. I'll leave to the more versed on this board to chime in

I thought I read somewhere that Ruin in "Aether of Night" was Decay, rather than Rust. In fact, I think it was a Peter quote where I saw this. By the way, anyone know where I can get access to read books such as Aether, White Sand or Liar of Partinel?

So the question still remains how "Rust and Ruin" connects to Trell. There must be something deeper than just the Set, something manipulating them. Are we sure this couldn't be a shard of some sort? Maybe not rust specifically, but something else? With Ruin dead, perhaps Odium has paid a visit to Scadrial. Or maybe it's one of the cognitive shards that aren't as present in the physical world, but make impressions on all the different worlds (not sure if I have this 100% correct or not)

So I went to the signing for Alloy of Law in Houston today, and when I went to get my book signed I asked him about the "Trell" religion and how it connected to the prior Mistborn books/Scadrial. In resoponse, I got a sly grin and a RAFO card. He did say he would write me a hint in my book though. He wrote "Rust and Ruin!" Could there be a connection between Trell and Rust? Maybe another Shard (Rust?) on Scadrial? It sounded like from his response that we will see more of Trell in future Mistborn novels. By the way, first time poster, longtime lurker here!