WhiteLeeopard

I actually was a bit annoyed by how everyone was picking up surges on first try and excelling after 5 seconds flat. Kaladin needed weeks of practice to be even able to use surges reliably, and days more of practice to be half-way competent with them. But in OB everyone just used surges immediately as if they'd had weeks of practice, from Bridge 4, to Amaram (okay he was kind of clumsy but still used several things on what was obviously the first time he ever had the power), to Moash just Lashing at the end as if it were nothing.

Yes. However, T could just have stolen the Honorblade to pretend to open the Kholinar gate. Perception is as important as truth in this case. If the Honorblade was missing and an Oathgate opened everyone would assume it was the Honorblade. Otherwise people would have started asking which KR could have opened the portal. Who opened the Oathgate, the Honorblade or Malata may be irrelevant, so long as the good guys thought it had been the Honorblade. The reaction to Szeth would have been funny all around. For Dalinar (Szeth killed Gavilar, and tried to kill Dalinar), for Kaladin (Kaladin killed him after Szeth tried to kill Dalinar, Adolin and did kill several of his men) for the coalition (Szeth killed several of their peers, including for the Thaylens some council members and for the Azish several emperors) etc. I hope we get that reaction someday .

She was probably too busy opening the Oathgate to Kholinar so voidbringers could attack Urithiru . Jasnah is going to murder her so dead when she finds out. Well, maybe they used the Honorblade, but maybe that was just misdirection and they used Malata anyways. The chat between the 2 of them was the most missed thing of Ob for me. Its possible that Dalinar sort of trusted Szeth there and ignored Malata since the spren seem to draw the KR together. Jasnah said at some point in Wok or WoR that she thought the spren had brought her and Shallan together. Similarly Syl pushed Kaladin to save Dalinar in WoK, etc. Its possible when radiants mysteriously come together and work together it may be for the spren on the cognitive realm (when its not their own spren) that are pushing them together. Of course it may be simpler. At that point Szeth was on the battlefield apparently fighting for them. Why look a gift horse on the mouth? And Malata was nowhere to be seen. Ash as a Dustbringer was definetely always on the cards, and from her pov in OB it probably suits her.

That would be nice. I've said since the end of WoR that the death Moash needed was to trip from his horse and break his neck. Sadly I doubt he can die that easily now.

Finally Calderis . I was wondering when you would appear, and I'm kind of surprised your post was so short. Wondering how far along Extesian is. Also, is it weird one of the things I'm looking most forward to of the next few weeks is Maxal's 10,000 word analysis of Adolin in OB? ^^ I told you T was not going the bondsmith way, as best he is an unwitting tool of Cultivation. Moash is like I said a few times the past year the biggest traitor all around. He tried to killed Kaladin on WoR! There is NOTHING worse than betraying your friends. After that redemption was maybe possible but very, very slim. But there he happily went down the abyss into evilness. You left out your reaction to Amaram to finish the trio. I'm a bit sad we got no new Gavilar information, as he was another possibly very dark character.

Kaladin was raised to be a surgeon, he had huge responsabilities and his father put a great weight and expectation on him since he was a child. Moash seemed to have almost no responsabilities, to the point he left his grandparents because he was bored and had nothing to do. Kaladin joined the army to protect Tien (protect). Moash joined to gain Shards (vs glory). Kaladin's greatest dream was to return home to have a boring life with his brother safe. Moash's greatest dream was to kill Elhokar. Kaladin helped Bridge 4 to prove to himself he could make a difference and help others. Moash helped the parsh...not so sure of this one, I think because the injustice on them reminded him too much of the bridges, but partly also because it was easy. The Fused basically told him to do whatever he wanted. If he'd had to actually work for it like Kaladin did with Bridge 4 I bet Moash wouldn't have bothered. Finally, Kaladin blames himself for everything under the sun. Moash doesn't take responsibility even for the things he does with his own two hands. Basically Moash had greater opportunities than Kaladin (wasn't made a slave, Kaladin gave him Shards and training, etc) and threw them all away. Kaladin went rock bottom and rose up. The difference is in two hugely different people and personalities.

Thats quite likely, although this whole book Shallan was a mess. I think even in OB the glue of the relationship between the 3 was Adolin, and I really really hope he and Kaladin keep on been best friends as it was really beautiful. I think Shallan and Kaladin may eventually be alright, if a bit more distant once Shallan figures out her personas. The good thing of going forward is that Adolin has zero jalaeusy or self-pity despite having plenty of chances to do so. Even when he thought he would have to step aside he didn't blame anyone, not Kaladin, not Shallan, not himself. Since he may treat things normally in the future its likely Kaladin and Shallan will eventually relax around each other. And hopefully the three can return to the perfect synergy they had in this book. And thank you for giving me the chance to talk of this . I've realized I really wanted to speak of this since I finished OB but didn't have the chance ^^.

I was wondering if I would have to come back and explain why I'm so tired of the love triangle shipping threads. Should have just explained originally and not left it for later. Its really simple, I loved the dynamic between the three of them, the friendship, the having their backs and all the non-romantic parts. Unfortunately I am incapable of speaking of this in the shard because as soon as I bring up the topic its taken over by shipping. I am indeed not reading the shipping threads and I don't mind if people talk about them. However I am not allowed to talk of the topic from the angle I am interested in as the discussion is always twisted very fast. This has made me slightly bitter of the love triangle discussion. Maybe I can make a non-romance thread about the three of them later on. And pray the thread isn't "corrupted" .

Yup this looks like it will be something to shake the fundations of the Kholin family next book. Good thing Adolin married Shallan and Renarin "came out" so they can get the support they need when they find out the truth about their mother. Tell me about it, I was tired of triangle shipping threads before the release, now I just want to bomb them all into oblivion. If people want to talk about the stunning relationship Kaladin, Adolin and Shallan have with each other thats great, but the romantic love triangle, bleh. Going to hate it as much as the object that shall not be named at this rate.

Thats very likely, and it follows the previous pattern. Wandersail was the story of WoK, but it was not fully explored till WoR (Szeth's arc). Although I have a hard time wrapping my head around how the Girl Who Looked Up can be made to fit the next book even more than this one. Maybe by dealing with the issue they discovered this book (parsh were in Roshar first).

Yes, Odium is tied to a contest of champions unprepared, which is why he made that deal with T. Like T said, if Odium goes to chat with Dalinar again Dalinar can invoke the right of the contest, and Odium would likely be screwed. So its unlikely Odium will hack Dalinar's visions in the immediate future. Of course Moash is in the fast track to became the next champion.

I think Renarin's chances at been the champion are under 5%. Odium wants passion, hatred and lack of control. Renarin keeps his passion for his brother in danger, has almost no hatred, and is generally very self-contained.

One of the most curious things of Hoid bonding a spren is that from now on he will have a partner with him always. So far Hoid has always gone his own way, never tied to anyone. I'm surprised Hoid decided to do the huge commitment that is a nahel bond. Like the spren said in Shadesmar, its even more intimate than marriage ^^.

It almost makes you wonder how come Windrunners get Adhesion by first oath, and both surges for second. Of course its beginning to look like all orders have their own quirks. I think Renarin can access both surges mostly like a normal Truthwatcher, and maybe its the resonance and some extra abilities that will show its a voidspren.

I'm pretty sure the GB confirmed Kaladin was quite under everyone's radar. Which is why he wasn't killed, by the time anyone figured out what he was he'd gained too much power and allies to take on.

Wow, beautiful interpretation.

Book 4 will be either Szeth's flashbacks or Eshonai's. Interestingly it may be a bit faster than this one as Brandon already wrote the flashbacks for Szeth, Eshonai and Dalinar for OB. At least part of them. Back when he was deciding whose book this would be.

What I wonder is whether the Kholins will try to keep the truth a secret that Renarin bonded a corrupted spren, or admit the truth and just say they don't care and will kill anyone that tries to touch Renarin. That would be poetic justice. Although undeserved for the people of the city. Thats technically quite easy. Just announce its alright for polygomany and marry an entire city to a person in Kharbranth. Then do this accross all of Roshar. Yet somehow I suspect this won't occur. Call it a gut feeling .

Thats true, everyone not to read Warbreaker saw the black smoke and black blade and called Odium on the spot. While everyone to read Warbreaker just squealed hype!

Kaladin is my favorite main character and one of my favorite characters all around, so I promise I am not writing this biased because I dislike him. I was personally quite satisfied with Kaladin this book. Do I wish he had had a win? Absolutely. But the truth is he needs to learn: 1. That he can't save everyone 2. That he will sometimes fail, its part of life and he needs to accept it 3. That he doesn't have to do everything himself. He has friends, he has squires, he has people willing to pick up the slack if he stumbles, and he needs to know that while a lot rests on his shoulders, the world will not end if he falls briefly. In a way I almost found it comforting that he started seing that just because he doesn't do something himself doesn't mean it will be left undone. As I worried that feeling that he needed to do all by himself was putting a huge pressure on a 19 year old. As the leader of the Windrunners he will have a lot of pressure, the sooner he learns to rely on others and his pressure lightens the better he will be and the better he will lead. I saw the part you mentioned where he was blind to what was going on in Bridge 4 as that. He was stretching himself so thin that he was missing the little things he wouldn't be missing if he was leaning more on others and accepting his limitations. The bad of Kaladin in OB is he failed a lot. The good is that when he failed others were there to help, and he is starting to accept it (Amaram fight illustrates this). Also, considering stronger and more squires is the Windrunner resonance you could technically see Amaram as a win. He won through his resonance . I do however admit I'm peeved he seems to be the only KR to run out of stormlight at the worst times.

On the topic of Vivenna been too distracting as an offworlder, here is a piece of a post from a person that hasn't read Warbreaker regarding Viviena. Poster is MothersMilkInACup. Just not putting full post as its from the end of book reaction, only the important and non-spoilery part . I think people are too sensitive about overlaps, as most of the people that I've seen that haven't read Warbreaker don't seem concerned with Zahel, Viviena, Nightblood parts been out of place. They just find them either part of the magic world or interesting characters from elsewhere.

I think with Dalinar the smallest part of him is from Cultivation, but its also the most important part. I don't think he could have ever turned his back on Odium to become of Honor without Cultivation providing the push.

We know Heralds can't have squires, but it would be an interesting question what comes first for these rules. Herald or Knight? I'm a bit less certain of this than 50%, maybe 40% sure that will happen. But thats a lot more certain than of T or Moash turning around. If it does happen it will probably be Lift who wakes him up. Honestly, Nale should just shift his 3rd Oath to follow Lift . That'd be hilarious, the 13 years old girl everyone with power (Nale, Fused) originally laughs at considering beneath their notice with a Herald sworn to see her will as the law . On that topic, I think we need more Edgedancers yesterday. They seem to be both the glue that keeps orders (and people) together, and the people that do those small details that allow others to focus on bigger things. See, this is why originally I thought no highspren would bond Szeth. I don't know what Nightblood looks like on the cognitive realm but I bet its terrifying. Its a good thing Szeth wasn't with the group that ended up on Shadesmar, or their first glimpse of Nightblood would have probably sent them screaming into some Voidspren. Plus...I'm fairly certain if Nightblood eats Szeth (as he already nearly did once) he would likely swallow too any spren bonded to Szeth. Odd that a highspren would take that risk anyway. Unless the fair possibility mentioned above that the spren was originally bonded to Szeth since childhood. YESSS. They really need to send Szeth flying into the Everstorm with Nightblood drawn. There should be plenty of investure there and if not just feed on the souls of the Voidbringers, which work as investure too. I kept expecting since one third of the book this to happen . Dalinar as Odium's, Szeth+Nightblood as Honor's. Seems it didn't happen...at least not yet.

I really don't want to see Honor and Odium merge Shards without at least a third Shard more to balance it out. It sounds horrifying. Take Nale at his worst then add a helping of Odium...no just no.

I think what is going on with Szeth and Nightblood is one of the biggest remaining questions of OB. Some facts that happen on Oathbringer: Szeth uses Nightblood Highspren are paying attention to Szeth Szeth is accepted as a squire by a 3rd (maybe 4th) level Skybreaker Szeth swears the first Three Oaths of the Skybreakers So...how exactly do those things come together? Options: A. Szeth gains his powers from Nightblood Why couldn't he draw stormlight until he was accepted as squire then? Why is he getting the exact skybreaker surges? Why is he needing to swear Skybreaker Oaths? I really doubt Nightblood cares about the Ideals of the Skybreakers B. Szeth gained his powers from the Skybreaker that took him as a squire He went quite far from his knight, unlikely squire Skybreaker abilities stretch that far (specially if Windrunners are constrained to 50 miles considering Windrunners have the strongest squires) C. Szeth gained his powers from Skybreaker Radiant until he swore Third Oath then he gained them from Nightblood Same problems as A and B, as he still went too far from KR before swearing the 3rd Oath D. He bonded a highspren when he said the Second Ideal Where is the highspren? He has seen them around, but if he bonded one specifically shouldn't it be more obvious? Shouldn't the spren talk to him? That would however be impressive, shardblade spren + Nightblood? Evil run for your life . If anyone has any ideas on what might be going on with Szeth and by extension Nightblood I'd really appreciate the input, as at the moment I'm stumped.