Everstorm Entropy

I don't really cry at books; at least I have yet to. Sometimes a movie will get me, but something about books is just a degree too far removed to get me to actually cry. Not to say that there haven't been a ton of great emotional moments. Rereading MB Era 1 and: Also for SA:

I certainly agree with a lot of you that the Vivienna chapters were a bit of a slog. It was really hard to learn to like her character, and it felt like she mainly existed as the "fish out of water" so that the reader could get exposition and descriptions about Hallandren. But, I really ended up enjoying the book as it went on. Denth's betrayal was a surprise and Lightsong sacrificing himself to heal Susebron was a fitting end true to his character. And ironically (SA Spoilers)...

It certainly doesn't have to be romantic. But, the softie in me just wants to see them grow in that area. And a romantic relationship wouldn't have to be dismal. I think the characters are both on a path to change, and they could certainly surprise us by making it work.

I've realized that I'm entirely behind Kaladin + Jasnah because I honestly think they'd have the most interesting interactions. They're probably my two favorite characters in the series, and we haven't really gotten to see either in a true romantic setting before. Jasnah has always put academia first, and Kaladin has always put being a soldier first. If they were drawn together, I think there'd be a mutual understanding that their oaths and duties come first. Besides, I think that the two could learn a lot from one another.

I've only read Oathbringer once and my memory isn't perfect, so I could be wrong. But, I'm pretty sure we witness Azure kill with her blade and it doesn't puff anything to smoke, it just drains color from the body. I can't recall the exact spot, but I remember her fighting and color draining from her victim and me thinking "Oooh, that must be Vivenna." So, while I'm 99% certain Azure's blade is an Awakened Blade (the knowledge of how she created her blade was enough to barter with in Shadesmar) it doesn't seem to be on the same caliber as Nightblood, for a few reasons. * Nobody is drawn to it the same way that people will greedily kill each other for Nightblood * No one becomes physically ill from being her sword * We don't have evidence that the Awakened sword speaks to her. Azure does refer to the sword as a "she", but otherwise does not give it any other personification (and people give genders to their possessions a lot). * No smokey puffing from killing

One moment no one has mentioned yet that I thought for sure would be a top contender: Talenel speaking with Shash, both of them crying. Him crying because humanity had more time to actually recover from the desolations. Her crying because she still feels the guilt of leaving him to suffer for 4000 years. It was a beautiful scene and quite surprising behavior from both of the Heralds; I had really expected both of them to act differently (based on what little we knew about their characters before OB).

Whoa whoa whoa... you might need to elaborate on that one. I just finished OB, so it's all a bit of a blur, but I definitely missed that.

Wow, I didn't know he actually wrote that. I'm a huge Jasnah fan and was waiting to find out about her Shadesmar travels in OB. I hope he ends up releasing it. I've heard (only rumor at this point, I think) that a novella for Rysn was going to happen, which I'd be all for.

I recently posted about this in another topic. I'm convinced that "Unite them" takes on different meanings; Dalinar, as a Bondsmith will always seek to unite instead of divide, and that seems to continually change depending on circumstance. In WoK, Dalinar thinks he needs to unite the High Princes, therefore uniting Alethkar. In WoR, Dalinar tried to unite the Knights Radiant to fight the coming desolation. In OB, Dalinar wants to unite the Monarchs (i.e. uniting Roshar) to fight the voidbringers. By the end of OB, Dalinar unites the three realms to create a perpendicularity. For future books, "Unite Them" could mean the KR Orders, the Honor Blades, the Heralds... lots of things. Personally, I believe that Dalinar will end up uniting Odium, Cultivation, and the Splinters of Honor into a single Shard, similar to how Sazed creates Harmony from Preservation and Ruin. I think Dalinar's ultimate role is going to be reforging Adonalsium.

Jasnah is a tough nut to crack, for sure. Personally, she's one of my favorite characters, but I'm not surprised in the least that some people don't like her (Most characters in the book find her to be cold and condescending; why wouldn't the readers feel the same?) I've heard several arguments that Jasnah is lesbian or asexual, and while its certainly possible, I personally don't see enough there to make that connection. I think it's a brash assumption to think "Well, she doesn't seem to want to get married, therefore she's gay." or "She's not interested in romance, therefore she's asexual." Jasnah always struck me as a woman that was too focused on the end of the world to think about marriage and kids. It doesn't mean she's not interested, but rather the importance of the Voidbringers and desolation, as well as her Radiant training, takes precedence. I have a personal theory that her character arch will involve opening herself up to others.

I loved the reveal of the Recreance. Honestly, I don't envy the burden of any writer that builds up a huge mystery and has to eventually give answers; no one will ever be satisfied when our own expectations start to get out of hand. I found it to be a very powerful realization. The Radiants found out that (a) They were effectively conquerers, NOT the defenders they considered themselves and (b) that the power of Surges is what destroyed their old world. That places a LOT of questions on the oaths promised by the various orders. For instance, the Windrunners promise to protect. Are they really protecting if the ones they're fighting are trying to reclaim a stolen home? Is it protecting when their own powers could be the cause of the world's destruction? The Skybreakers have an easier time dealing with this, which explains why they were the only order to remain after the Recreance; swearing the 3rd ideal allows them to choose a specific code to follow, which effectively rids them of having to take a moral responsibility. I think it's going to come into play more in the next book and we'll really see the implications of their growing Radiant powers and how destructive they could become as they continue to swear the ideals.

Alright, fully disclosed, I do ship Jasnah and Kaladin. This isn't due to any hard evidence; they just happen to be my two favorite characters and I think their strong personalities would clash in an entertaining way. With that out of the way, I really don't think Jasnah is asexual; I just think everyone assumes that (including the reader) because we don't understand her. Jasnah skips a lot of character growth (from the reader's perspective) due to her unaccounted time in Shadesmar. We know that she had survived in Shadesmar for a while on her own before Hoid meets her at the end of WoR and after that they began traveling together. We have no idea what occurred between then and her return. At some point, she emerges, makes her way to Urithiru, and continues on like nothing had happened. It's not until the end of OB that we really see how far Jasnah has come in her Elsecaller abilities. Even the most advanced Soulcasting (soulcasting the air itself) seems effortless to her. So, as readers, there is a lot we do not really comprehend when it comes to Jasnah. There is a lot to her character that us, as readers, haven't gotten to see, and I think in Book 4 we'll get some more of her perspective (the same way we got more Adolin chapters in OB). With that, I think we'll learn more about what makes her tick and the whole "Jasnah is asexual" thing will turn out to just be a brash assumption.

The context of "Unite Them" seems to change with every book, leading to deeper and deeper meanings. At first, we were led to believe that Dalinar was supposed to unite the High Princes to create a united Alethkar. Then in WoR, it was concluded he was meant to unite the Knights Radiant so they could stand against the Desolation. In OB, we see several instances: he's actively uniting the Monarchs (i.e. uniting the kingdoms of Roshar against Odium) and by the end, Dalinar is literally uniting the three realms and creating a perpendicularity. As a Bondsmith, Dalinar's role will continually be to form bonds, and I have a feeling that he'll still be hearing "Unite Them", even after all he's done. Why? Because I think the end-game to Dalinar's arch is uniting Odium, Cultivation, and the splinters of Honor to become a new Shard, similar to how Sazed united Ruin and Preservation to become Harmony. Dalinar's role on the highest level is to help reform Adonalsium.

That's basically how I interpreted Hoid's letter as well. Hate is a legitimate human emotion. Kaladin knows that emotion all too well. Things often perceived as negative emotions (sadness, sorrow, guilt, hate, spite, jealousy, anger) are all what make us human; they round us out as individuals. Odium or hatred as a part of the bigger picture of Adonalsium is not a bad thing because it becomes only one piece of the puzzle that makes up a complex being. For instance, Ruin on its own is devastating, but combined with Preservation, it becomes Harmony. The world needs destruction and death; that is the circle of life after all. It's because things are finite that they become beautiful and prevents us from taking them for granted. A balance of both of those Shards is a far greater force than either on its own. So I can definitely depict Odium as being evil; it is hatred without balance, reason, or (as you put it) intent. Hatred on its own is not evil, but there needs to be checks and balances.

I'm a huge stickler when it comes to spoilers. I'm one of those "NO trailers, articles, or screenshots for the video game or movie I'm excited for. I want the entire experience to be blind," sort of people. The best part of experiencing something is being able to enjoy the moments raw, whether they be exciting or heartbreaking. I will never understand the need some folks have to absorb all of the reveals and plot points before being able to enjoy the full thing. Journey before Destination, my friends!

It's my personal belief that evil is purely a concept; not specifically a trait that you can define a person as. All people have their own goals and images of how they see themselves; people are rarely the villains in their own stories. There is always a justification and always a reason behind actions, so the morality of those actions will come down to the perspective of those involved and affected. Szeth is consumed with guilt for the killing he's done and is convinced he doesn't have a choice. When he realizes he DID have a choice all along, he chooses to die, wanting to end his suffering and atone for what he did. To me, that is not evil. Amaram's entire guiding force is his Vorin religion and strong belief that the church being back in power will save Alethkar. His sole goal is to save his country, by any means. To me, that is not evil. Taravangian sought the Nightwatcher so he could find a way to save the world. The boon/bane that was bestowed upon him gave him the capacity to save Roshar, but at the cost of his empathy (at least on his Brilliant days). On the days where he is more empathic, he laments the things he's done and tries to control the outlying damage, but in the end he knows that what he's doing will save the planet and that he needs to trust his Brilliant self and the Diagram he created to guide them there. To me, that is not evil. Even Sadeas has a sole passion to see Alethkar become great and save his country. He also has a wife who he truly loves. To me, that is not evil. Lin Devar used to be a kind and loving man until his wife tried to murder his daughter. After his daughter murdered his wife, her own mother, he took on the guilt and the rumors that he was the culprit, all to protect his daughter from remembering the truth. To me, this is not evil. Every major character in the Stormlight Archive has done terrible things. Kaladin has killed men in battle. Shallan has killed and deceived. Jasnah murdered men in an alleyway. Adolin murdered Sadeas. Come the release of Oathbringer, I think we're going to witness Dalinar do some truly horrifying things in his past as the Blackthorn. Are these characters evil because of what they've done? Does atonement matter? Does guilt matter? Do the ends justify the means? I don't think there is a right answer. Anyone answering in black and white is missing so much of the story and characterization that is happening here. I don't think it's about forgiving characters for what they've done or for trying to change your own beliefs on who is evil and who is good. But, instead, it's about accepting that everyone has their own measuring stick for morality, and it's extremely difficult to prove that any particular measuring stick is "correct".

It's funny (well, in a morbid kind of way) the direct parallel between Kaladin wearing the corpses of Parshendi into battle and him wielding a dead spren as a weapon. Both are only really wrong in the context of who is offended. The only difference is it's a spren screaming in his head, not a Parshendi. I think using a dead Shardblade is only wrong because the spren seem to think it's wrong. Without Kaladin's growing bond with Syl causing him to feel (at first) nauseated around Shardblades and eventually hearing the screaming in his head, the Shardblade is just another tool of war.

It's kind of a cheap answer, but I want to see a full scale battle; all of the Knight's Radiants and Heralds fighting the Voidbringers and Voidbinders, seeing some Avengers style team up beatdowns. Kaladin lashing Lift's gravitational pull horizontal across the battlefield so that she skates at an impossible speed, spinning on her heels like a Shard beyblade of destruction. Jasnah using transportation to slip out of the cognitive realm and appear behind an enemy, soulcasting them into crystal before they're shattered by Dalinar's brutal shoulder charge. Shallan weaving an illusion of 5 extra Adolins fighting alongside the real one to overwhelm and confuse their opponent's courage. Shallan soulcasting incoming arrows into dust (not sure if that's possible, but damnation it'd be cool) and then reforming them into spears for Bridge 4 to pick up and hurl across the battlefield. I'd just love to see a climactic battle like that take place.

I know these topics about morality always get a bit dicey, and I don't want this to start treading potentially offensive grounds... but by that statement are you saying that all soldiers are evil? Militaries from all nations and all points in history? Because those are the very people I was referring to: people who have been instructed to kill because they believe (or are led to believe) that what they are doing is for a greater purpose. I'm not trying to push buttons or strike a nerve with your own personal code; I'm just trying to understand where you're coming from in saying that.

How many atrocious acts in the history of the world have been committed by "full grown [men], capable of deciding for [themselves] what [they] believe and what [their] values are?" How many of those people did so because they were convinced they were doing the right thing; usually because their religion, country, or military told them so? How many soldiers across all periods of time and all nations would kill others because their commanding officer says its best for their country? Of course, you're right that the choice comes down to us as individuals. But people can be influenced, people can be taken advantage of, and if someone had built their entire life upon a single truth and they were instructed to act to keep that intact, I have no doubt in my mind that a scary amount of people would follow suit.

I read the Stormlight Archive without any prior knowledge of the Cosmere (technically, I read the Mistborn trilogy years beforehand, but I had forgotten most of the little details and wasn't aware that the Cosmere connected it to Stormlight). Not understanding some of the subtle references did not hamper my enjoyment of the stories I read. Several other people I know, including my girlfriend, have gone through Stormlight as their first Sanderson books and are hooked. I think it's a delicate balance. The story needs to be self-contained, especially when the series itself is planned to be 10 books. But, getting additional context and back story for having Cosmere knowledge can make the time investment a ton of fun for the fans. As long as key story components and details aren't leaving casual readers scratching their heads (any more than they're already supposed to be scratching their heads), I think it'll be just fine.

I think you're correct in pointing out that Sanderson's books don't tend to focus on love. There is a big difference between a love story and a story with love in it. Love and relationships are integral to the human experience, so it should be no surprise that romance will come up in stories that are typically about young people going through journeys of self discovery. So even though Adolin/Shallan/Kaladin have a specific duty to follow and (quite literally) the weight of the world on their shoulders, they are still young adults flooded with hormones going through life and death experiences with each other; strong feelings are bound to develop. I'm not sure where the love triangle will go, but I doubt it'll really get in the way of the meat of the story and the overall purpose of the Knights Radiant. But as an insularly story, I have no problem with it developing.

I would love for The Final Empire's Sazed to try and find a religion for Jasnah

There are so many. During my re-read of WoK and WoR, I was excited to revisit some of my favorite scenes. But I was also surprised that I found new scenes that I ended up loving just as much as my favorites, if not more, because of the subtleties that I didn't notice the first time. Szeth's assassination of King Gavilar. This whole scene serves as an introduction to quite a lot; Shardblades, shardplate, surgebinding, stormlight, lashings. Brandon manages to make these concepts clear to the reader flawlessly during a series of action sequences. Absolutely love it. Dalinar catching the Chasmfiend's claw to save Elhokar. At this point in time, we barely know Dalinar, but that moment says so much about his character. We hear the others, even his own son, talking about how Dalinar has lost his edge, is growing old, and how they fear he's losing his mind. What makes Dalinar an amazing character is that his actions always speak louder than words. Kaladin in the high storm. The scene leading up to it when the other bridgemen come to say their goodbyes, Kaladin assuring them that his eyes will open, Syl trying to protect Kaladin during the storm, and of course, Kaladin surviving. Dalinar using his Shardblade and Shardplate to help dig trenches, simultaneously wondering why they only use shards for war, when they have so much other use. Bridge 4 buying Rock a razor as a thanks for the stew. Kaladin saving Dalinar's army at the Tower. Kaladin speaking the first ideal. Dalinar trading his Shardblade to Sadeas for the bridgemen and having the conversation with Kaladin about the value of a life Dalinar using the Last Clap during Szeth's assassination. Introduction of Zahel and him sparring with Kaladin. Shallan meeting the Ghostbloods and Mraize. Her then infiltrating Amaram's palace and finding out he had her brother's Shardblade. Adolin and Kaladin against four Shardbearers in the arena. Kaladin performing the Last Clap. Shallan and Kaladin trapped in the chasms. The whole scene is just great. I also love Dalinar's reaction to Kaladin surviving. Dalinar calling out Amaram in front of Kaladin, finally giving a tiny bit of closure to Kaladin's past. Taravangian's Interlude where we learn about his shifting intelligence and the Diagram. Kaladin deciding to defend Elhokar; Moash's betrayal and decision to kill Kaladin. And of course, Kaladin speaking the 2nd ideal and basically going super saiyan in the hallway. Dalinar fighting Szeth and accepting that he couldn't have saved Gavilar, even if he was sober that night. Also accepting his death during his fight with Szeth. Kaladin saving Dalinar and fighting Szeth in the high storm. Shallan finding the Oathgate and figuring out how to open it. Dalinar bonding with the Stormfather and becoming a radiant. Jasnah and Hoid becoming traveling buddies.

This is exactly how I read it as well. Pai felt like an example of how an Ardent should act in the face of a corrupt government and uncaring faith. She seemed pious and devoted; I didn't sense any ulterior motive in her attitude, just pure disbelief at how negligent Aesudan and the other Ardents were of the Vorin church and their own people. Her decision to write glyphs of the Ten Fools relating each of them to Queen Aesudon was akin to Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses to the church doors. She intended to make a statement on what she thought was right and was (likely) prepared to die for it. I highly doubt that the Ghostbloods or the Diagrammists were involved in any capacity. Of course, we could be wrong, but that's not what I got from the chapter.