CaptainRyan

If you are feeling up to the task then I highly recommend starting with the first Mistborn trilogy. The books are: 1: Mistborn: the Final Empire 2: Mistborn: the Well of Ascension 3: Mistborn: the Hero of Ages If you would like to start slower/smaller with a standalone book or two then I would recommend: 1: Warbreaker (available for free on Brandon's website) 2: Elantris Please note that Elantris was Brandon's first published work and the Mistborn trilogy his second published work(s) so these books are bit less polished then later ones. If you would like to see Brandon at his best then you could always start with his massive, epic fantasy series the Stormlight Archive: 1: the Way of Kings 2: Words of Radiance 3: Oathbringer (2017 release date) I do not recommend starting with the Stormlight Archive because there are fun easter eggs in that series if you have already read Brandon's other works (notably Warbreaker). So, Mistborn is my #1 recommendation. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions if you would like more information! Also, please be very careful on this site as there are TONS of spoilers for all of these books in the forums. I would strongly advise you to only post in this intro thread until you have read Brandon's works. These books are sooooo good and you definitely do not want them spoiled for you.

Taln is also one of the books and he would be a solid candidate for Stonewards. Shalash is the other remaining book character and this is troublesome - if she is the Patron of the Lightweavers then we would have a repeat of the order.

I think we are all saying the same thing at this point but coming at it from different angles. @Pathfinder and @Stormgate feel free to correct me if I am putting words in your mouth.

1: No skill whatsoever This was literally the first time Kaladin had ever held a weapon. "No skill" is definitely appropriate. 2: Nearly beating someone trained I doubt Jost was seriously "trained" - he had obviously had a lesson or three but calling him trained is a bit of a stretch imo. Kaladin surprised Jost by getting back up and fighting as opposed to staying down. This, to me, would be akin to someone who is new to something, let's say American Football, being thrown a ball by the quarterback and juking out a seasoned defender. The run, the juke, everything felt right to the new football player because they are discovering something they have a natural talent for. They also make mistakes (Kaladin freezing instead of finishing his opponent) that can be corrected through training with a truly experienced person. 3. Then getting beaten Addressed this in step 2. Simply having talent does not mean one can become a master at [staff fighting/football etc.] without intense training - it merely means you have an advantage. While I do think it is possible that Kaladin's skills are derived from the Nahel bond I would be a bit disappointed if that was the explanation. I like to think that Kaladin has raw, natural talent and through the intense training he did, combined with the benefits of Nahel bond, he was perfected. If he never had a Nahel bond I still think he would be one of the best spearfighters in the army, in the same way Adolin is one of the best duelists in the army without a bond.

@gdfelt, welcome! Always good to have another Sanderfan on the forums! Feel free to ask me (or, really, anyone) if you have questions about the forum or the books! Also, just a word of caution, as you have not read all of Sanderson's works yet there are some forum threads that might contain spoilers! Beware of going to the Cosmere Theories forum, the Stormlight Archive forums, the Warbreaker forum and, basically, any forum for a book you have not read.

Hello @Aerithen! Welcome to the forums! I think you will find a lot of people who know how you feel here haha!

I thought the pause/play symbols were when video is playing in the tab? No?

Depends on what exactly he meant by fracture. Also, tell that to a duralumin/aluminium gnat haha

Heal Kaladin, Hurt Marsh (removed Wayne) 1. Kelsier 11 HP 2. Kaladin 12 HP 3. Vin 10 HP 4. Elend 10 HP 5. Shallan 12 HP 6. Dalinar 7 HP 9. Adolin 7 HP 14. Marasi 9 HP 16. Sylphrena 11 HP 17. Lightsong 7 HP 20. Marsh 12 HP 24. Hoid 8 HP 25. Jasnah 9 HP

Sorry, I worded that poorly. What I was trying to say was that besides building infrastructure the only other thing Northern Scadrians could do was learn haha. They had pretty much everything else provided for them.

Elantris is a great read but the ending to the original Mistborn trilogy will be something that sticks with me for the rest of my life - oh man it was soooooo good!

When you pretend the metal point on your EKG tag is a spike and you chuckle to yourself when they only put three (3) total "spikes" in you - now I am safe from Harmony's control! Side note: If you could only have three Hemalurgic spikes then what three would you choose? 1: Feruchemical gold 2: Allomantic steel 3: Allomantic gold Ugh, it is so hard to choose only three!

Heal Kaladin, Hurt Wayne 1. Kelsier 11 HP 2. Kaladin 12 HP 3. Vin 10 HP 4. Elend 9 HP 5. Shallan 12 HP 6. Dalinar 7 HP 9. Adolin 8 HP 14. Marasi 7 HP 15. Wayne 4 HP 16. Sylphrena 10 HP 17. Lightsong 7 HP 20. Marsh 12 HP 24. Hoid 7 HP 25. Jasnah 9 HP

Heal Kaladin, Hurt Wayne 1. Kelsier 11 HP 2. Kaladin 10 HP 3. Vin 10 HP 4. Elend 9 HP 5. Shallan 12 HP 6. Dalinar 7 HP 9. Adolin 9 HP 14. Marasi 7 HP 15. Wayne 5 HP 16. Sylphrena 9 HP 17. Lightsong 8 HP 20. Marsh 12 HP 24. Hoid 7 HP 25. Jasnah 9 HP

I was under the impression we had a WoB about Autonomy helping Odium kill/Splinter Devotion and Dominion. If so, I think that provides some more basis for the "Bavadin is a jerk" theory.

I disagree quite a bit that Scadrial has progressed quickly when you consider the mitigating circumstances. Harmony literally provided a ton of knowledge right from the beginning (Words of Founding). The people of Scadrial had a large stockpile of supplies from the caverns, they were free from the fear of outside domination (they were, in their view, literally the only people left), they had a nearly effortless supply of food (magic basin) and they did not have to deal with any genetic diseases or disabilities. So, besides building up infrastructure their only other concern was learning. Imagine if a huge pile of modern textbooks (properly translated) were dropped into Europe in the late 1400s. What would you expect Europe to look like in 1800? Do you think they would have airplanes? Computers? I think so. Harmony is disappointed in the Northern Scadrians because they have had every advantage and bonus and yet they have barely exerted themselves. Harmony was dumb only in the sense that he made life too easy in the North. Now he has to try and figure out how to fix the "paradise mentality" and get Scadrial moving forward. Winter Odium is coming.

I have always interpreted that as due to his inner conflict and injuries. He had some serious injuries (a shattered leg along with a bunch of other hurts) and he was pretty depressed at this point (lost his spren, during the Weeping, everyone else was gone, conflicted about his choices, etc). It would, to me, cheapen Kaladin as a character if all of his awesomeness is attributable to his bond and none of it to his own skills or talents.

Also, I believe it has been confirmed that Kaladin suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder as well. Good catch on this @Patrick!

Welcome to the forums! Building a Brandon collection is the best!

The Shin see all other stone as hallowed and, therefore, do not walk on it. Uruthiru is exempt from the "no walking" rule so its stones are "unhallowed".

Heal Kelsier, Hurt Wayne 1. Kelsier 11 HP 2. Kaladin 8 HP 3. Vin 9 HP 4. Elend 7 HP 5. Shallan 11 HP 6. Dalinar 6 HP 9. Adolin 9 HP 14. Marasi 7 HP 15. Wayne 8 HP 16. Sylphrena 10 HP 17. Lightsong 9 HP 20. Marsh 11 HP 24. Hoid 9 HP 25. Jasnah 10 HP

Have you considered starting them on something smaller? I recently met someone at a workshop and they said they wanted a new standalone novel to read so gave a short pitch for Elantris, Warbreaker and the Rithmatist. If you can get them hooked on a Sanderson book then they might be more likely to read all Sanderson books eh?

You hate breaking the rules of your religion so much that you follow every single tenant and seek to practice it in every aspect of your life. You must really hate other religions if you are willing to go to war with every other nation on the planet so they can worship the religion you do and believe to be true over all else. You want to preserve the sanctity of your religion so much that you follow every single tenant and seek to practice it in every aspect of your life. You must really want to preserve your religion if you are willing to... You want your religion to have autonomy so much that you are willing to... You could probably spin almost any Intent this same way tbh. I am not saying that makes your conclusion incorrect but I do think that it is a bit of a stretch. The location and actions of the Seons/Skaze seem, to me, to lend more credibility to @Doctor12's interpretation imo. Sanderson does, however, enjoy giving us just enough information to make the wrong guess though so I am definitely open to other conclusions.

One of my favorite moments is when Sarene forces Raoden to duel her when Raoden is impersonating a person from... erm, I forget the name of the country. Hilarious mix-up haha

"You were not shocked when a child knew how to breathe. You were not shocked when a skyeel took flight for the first time. You should not be shocked when you hand Kaladin Stormblessed a spear and he knows how to use it."