iamstick

My (current) bet is Shallan's maid

I sort of want to continue the bunched chapter readings even after OB is released because the wild speculation about the limited content has been amazing. I love these conversations. (However, I know myself well enough though that I'll be reading the whole thing release night.)

I'm still holding out hope that all the Kholins have to opt out of ruling by virtue of Radiance, and they let Sebarial and Paloma run everything domestically.

Completely unsupportable theory: Adolin performed his own healing. Between the empathy with the Ryshadium and his bond with his sword, maybe there's already Something Different about Adolin.

I vote Lirin "most likely to bond a gloomspren"

I'd be amused if the Nightwatcher turns out to be an unmade but "Old Magic" probably predates that. Playing with black spheres and launching Taravangian aren't exactly the hallmarks of a "good guy" super spren. On the other hand, StormDaddy regularly destroys as well as infuses, so who am I to judge? Going by the Parshendi, who were very happy to get rid of their old gods, the Nightwatcher was probably one and can be reasonably considered a force for chaos as personified by Taravangian as well as the nasty curses she inflicts. (I'm waiting for someone to start "milking" Lift's stormlight by feeding her unlimited amounts of food.)

Humanity has travelled several worlds from the Tranquiline Halls, bringing their chickens and their minks and their hogs and their horses, and they ended up on a planet where Cultivation is a goddess, and they hybridized: the Horneaters (and some Vedens), the Herdazians, the Ryshadium, and probably a number of other variations if you look closely enough. And while Odium is setting up a war between the Parshendi and the Humans, he's overlooked that they're now cousins. Time for them to unite -- not nations but peoples -- and fight Odium with the bits and pieces of Honor that remains.

“[T]he corpse had been a lighteyed officer named Vedekar Perel. He was from Sebarial's army, but Shallan didn't know him” He participated in the fight against the Parshendi (“Perel," he said to one of his field commanders, "tell the men to get ready for the mark. We're going to charge across those bridges onto the southern plateau...Storms, I wish we had archers. Go!”) at the end of WoR He probably came from a coastal or lake region ("Swimming term, sir") Further: Ialai was in the vicinity at the time Sadeas died, along with a few of her scribes and several of his soldiers. Sanderson does not mention the make-up of Adolin's scouting party, which could reasonably have consisted of Kholin, Sebarial, Roion, and Aladar members. After, Adolin shard-cut away his chalk marks, rejoined a scouting party and pretended he'd been there all along.

I'll leave out all the Renarin discussion quoting but summary to date: "He's a void binder!!" "No, he's a precious precious cinnamon tallew roll too good for this Roshar!!!". We've seen two Truthwatchers to date: Ym and in addition to Renarin. Both seemed to inadvertently heal as their primary surge ability. Renarin's greatest gift seems to be to annoy people (except those who see through this artifice to his precious precious cinnamon tallew roll too good for this Roshar nature, of course) while being too eager to please. I don't see any evidence of him doing anything healingish or illuminationish in-text. Could he simply be lying about his order just like Shallan is? My crazy theory with zero basis in reality about Renarin has to do with this from WoK: Emphasis mine. So maybe she's not leaving him alone. I'm not saying that her real name is Glysphrenia and she suffers from bit of gender dysphoria but maybe Renarin gets direct-dial consults with her about the future and she doesn't leave him alone. (I doubt he's a Bond Smith though. Two in one family? Awkward.) p.s. I totally ship Renarin and Lift as a friendship. Can't wait until they get that portal to Azir open.

I can't help but think that the Heralds have been up to something. That so many would show up to that night? Clearly, Gavilar isn't aware of that though. He wants to summon them and they're all wandering up and down his hallways. Were they behind him getting the danger-orbs? Are they playing some kind of long game? Betraying mankind and Roshar again but in a new way? There's got to be more going on than just "we're going nutters". So what have the Heralds done that was wrong? It sounds different to breaking the oathpact. Have they manipulated Gavilar to find and use the black spheres? There seems to be a story here that culminates in the prologues and kicks off the new desolation. The idea of crafting a weapon from a Truthless with an Oathstone doesn't conceptualize until the diagram is in place, long after Szeth became truthless and was already used to assassinate Gavilar (by the Parshendi in general and Klade and Venli specifically). We know for sure that any Herald conspiracy predates the diagram as Taravangian hasn't yet been to the Night Watcher on that night.

I love this plan as it let's us have a focused weekly conversation. Tomorrow's prologue has been out for a while but not in final form.

Nevermind, nothing to see here -- already included in list

My favorite is "Nobody passing on the street noticed. They’d cuff an urchin for scratching her butt in a suspicious manner, but couldn’t be bothered with a miracle." (Runner up is "Anytime you can make someone else feel something, you’ve got power over them.")

As much as I love "Fishymancing", it would not be the Internet if I didn't point out that the proper term is Ichthyomancy. You're welcome. I'll be here all week. Try the prime rib. p.s. Isn't there a Dawn-magic thing too? Dawnshards?

I'm totally shipping Rysn's and Nale's larkins. Someone has to think of the crustaceans. (I also hope that Shallan sets up chasmfiend farming)

Are soulcasters fabrials? Or are the ones used by the creepy stone-like ardents different from what Navani manufactures?

Sadeas's murder: It was perfectly understandable. The man was threatening to destroy the kingdom and Adolin's family, monologuing how he was going to shape the narrative. It had to stop there or Sadeas's shortsighted goals could threaten the entirety of humanity on Roshar. Nevertheless, Adolin's actions were brutal, in the heat of the moment, and not very well guided by why Sadeas had to die. Further, Adolin hid his actions by cutting away the chalk marks and ditching Oathbringer. These are not the actions of a righteous killing (mens rea). The king is an incredibly weak man (and it's a pity the son inherits, because Jasnah would never had made all his mistakes). He is so ingrained in the politics of sycophants that he will go after Adolin, insisting on exile or worse, if the truth comes out, which it will. That's going to put a damper on Adolin and Shallan's relationship. A period of exile, where Shallan cannot follow will probably be a good avenue narratively as well for developing Adolin (whom I adore) even further. I am fully in the Adolin/Shallan end-game camp. As for Kaladin, we're seeing echoes of Gavilar (Adolin)/Navani (Shallan)/Dalinar (Kaladin), so he may end up with Shallan at some very distant point in the future. I kind of hope Sanderson does not go there. I'd rather them bond as good friends (although that's unlikely because Kaladin, once he's past the "stupid entitled lighteyes" phase, definitely is showing signs of both lust and caring). In any case, he'd make a crap boyfriend at this point in his life, with too many unresolved issues. Going home, facing his past, and growing up a little is going to be needed before he'll be ready for any real human relationship. Plus, Syl doesn't like Cryptics, and Pattern would be part of any Kaladin/Shallan pairing beyond friendship. Shallan herself likes Adolin (he's adorable, who wouldn't), recognizes his good qualities, and sees some depth and cunning that he takes pains to hide. It's a good balance to her impulsivity, and he has the court experience she needs. I don't think Sanderson is going to go all Twilight on us, and I can easily see the causal becoming a full betrothal before Adolin gets kicked out (for a time at least) for Sadeas's murder. Ialai, or as I like to think of her as Lady Crustacean Macbeth, is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Killing Sadeas won't end his games, and it's likely that many of the narratives he put out there in his final conversation with Adolin were from her design. I'd love to see Palona take her out.

I'm waiting for Adolin to destroy the diagramatists next. Bring on the dust! I love this idea

There's the red hair, of course, but also they number the order of their sons, and emphasize passion: "Why does nobody speak?" Father demanded, turning around the room. "I have just become betrothed! You look like a bunch of storming Alethi. We're Veden! Make some noise, you idiots." seems a bit Horneater-y. Are there other Vedan/Horneater cultural overlaps in-text? (I'm not sure if the Horneaters men wear skirts or not, and I don't remember Vedens wearing odd beards.)

I want a Mrs. Rock interlude at a minimum, and a novella at best.

If the comet-like spren is radiant-related, why does Eshonai consider it like her own voice? And has Eshonai spoken the first ideal?

So with this larkin taken into account, we've seen Darkness's little pet (I wonder if he gives it scritches and whosagoodboys), and Rysn's (she'll probably be nicer to it than to the potted grass), and the dead one in the King's paperweight. Any other larkin sightings I missed?

How do things normally work here? Are there chapter-based spoiler sections so people who read at different paces can talk specifically to that point?

Don't forget the rope belt!

My interest in follow-up questions is totally off topic, so I'll defer them to a more appropriate time and place. However, what really bugs me about this story, is how does anyone survive toddlerhood in this reality outside of the safe areas? No 2-year-old ever runs and scrapes hisher knee?