Asrael

Use it to prop up the short leg of my desk; Words of Radiance just wasn't quite thick enough... Wait, are you all planning on reading it???

Before unleashing your hate on young Dalinar for his crazy violence, remember that he is under the strong, direct influence of a chunk of Cosmere-Satan. An influence which is implicitly encouraged by Alethi culture and which he is already developing shame for.

Anyone else think of no-face when Shallan first sees the Unmade thingy?

Strictly practical. I'm currently too busy to start the book over; I would be too impatient to find out what happens next, but it would take me too long to start from the beginning of the book before getting answers. >:[

ONE MORE SLEEP TILL OATHBRINGER!!!!

1). Every book of his I've read manages to blow my mind. Every climax is so interesting and so earned. The reveals are incredible. 2). World building. Sanderson creates deep and engaging worlds full of things I want to know more about. 3). Noble characters. I'm not into gritty, morally grey anti heroes. Sanderson characters have redemptive arcs which is way more cathartic for me. I'm inspired by characters who are trying to be better

I might have mentioned this earlier, but the way Dalinar talks about his Nightwatcher visit in this weeks chapters makes me think he is wrong about what his curse is. ON that note, I'd like to be the first to insert my suspicion that his actual curse is in some way related to Navani. I just think it's a little suspicious how vivid his memories of Navani are when contrasted with how obscured his memories of Evi have been. I'm sticking my neck out to suspect that his memory/relationship with Navani was altered by the Nightwatcher. If my suspicion is right, that would lead to some crazy dramatic stuff in this book.

1) I knew it!!!!! 2) GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!!!!

Unfortunately for me, I simply don't have the time to inhale Oathbringer as soon as it comes back, nor do I have the discipline to hold it at arms length and take small bites. Reading the early chapters is a healthy concession for me because when the book comes out I can just jump in where the early chapters left off and have that much less book to keep me from midterms, homework, and class projects. I will not be starting over when it comes out; though, I will certainly do a whole reread at the soonest (read: summer) opportunity.

Am I the only one who thinks she might just have the hots for Dalinar? Virtual King of Alethkar? Leader of the new Knights Radiant? The legendary Blackthorn? Perhaps the most powerful man in the world? At least some of Brandon's characters have to be stereotypes some of the time

Im definitely getting the vibe from these new chapters that Dalinar's boon/curse may not be what he thought they were... Which is utterly thrilling... I love this book so much O.O

So the reason that feels implausible/overly-complex to me is that I don't see any reason why his physical brain just couldn't start a new little neuron-cluster or whatever for new information about her. Having two, distinct, complex, physical alterations to his brain is too bizarre and out there for me to accept. So imagine the scene where they try to explain what happened. The explanation requires knowledge of brain physiology and chemistry that a) I'm quite confident these characters don't have, and b ) I don't want to slog through. The other alternative is that from the POV of the characters we never get an explanation, which would violate everything I've come to expect from BS. Additionally (now that I'm at an actual computer): * Have we seen a curse/boon lifted by stormlight before? Lift seems to have no trouble using stormlight and having a curse/boon. So that really would stretch plausibility. * If not, have we seen a similar ailment fixed by stormlight? Again, I don't think restoring limbs severed spiritually is the same thing, and I can't think of another example. So no. * Do we have good reason to believe this is the first time Dalinar has used stormlight? I don't think so. I would be surprised (admittedly only a bit) if Dalinar did what he did to Kadash without ever having tried out his powers before. * Well maybe Dalinar has only used small amounts? I agree with @Calderis on this. We've seen no evidence of controlled, directed, stormlight healing. So if we want to suggest that this was a big "wound" that only just now is completely healed, or enough for him to remember things... that would require a physical wound to make any sense and I think I've made clear why I dislike the idea. If we want to suggest he has in fact been gradually healing his memory, show me evidence that he has been regaining memory. Like a prior passage where Dalinar hears stuff you think ought to be fuzzed out My doubt of the stormlight theory has to do with what I've come to expect from Brandon. Good, engaging writing; big WOW moments that are just as simple as they are plausible and surprising. Healing by stormlight seems implausible based on what I've read, even though it's a fairly "simple" explanation. The best explanation I've seen so far which seems to fit the things I know is that Dalinar is bonded to the Stormfather, in many ways a parallel to the Nightwatcher. Even then, based on my experience with the past 12 or so Sanderson books I've read is that the explanation is going to wow me with how simple, plausible, and probably totally surprising it will be. Despite my best efforts, I have yet to best him on any actually significant plot point... grrrr.

Ignores is a strong word--my apologies. I just suggested it's not a requirement for that reason. There are other traits (rightly included) which are much more generally accepted. That one in particular is distinctly uncharacteristic of the Mormon POV, so I think it's weaker than the other posited intents, or just "less essential". Like I said though--and I think Calderis hit this on the head--Brandon is quite capable of departing from his own perspective, but if he departs in any significant way, I suspect a larger departure then a smaller one. Case in point: Unity is a very strong concept in Eastern religions (like the Oneness of the Iriali), so perhaps we need more consideration of distinctly non Judeo-Christian attributes? (and yes I know unity fits comfortably within a Trinitarian view)

Lol, essentially for Oathbringer to confirm it :P. If it proves true I will accept it without complaint. Or perhaps if we see any examples of stormlight healing something similar (I wouldn't consider restoring a severed soul limb similar). To your point, I don't think that there is a part of his brain responsible for processing Evi. For that to be remotely plausible to me you'd have to be suggesting that first his brain remembers her, then brings her to mind then fuzzes stuff out. And even if that's the case, that's some weeeeeiiird Jon science brain chemistry going on. I prefer the simple explanation that Dalinar has some block on have cognitive aspect, or has Connection to Evi or both. (Edit: perhaps the reason that the physical explanation bothers me is that I think explaining it within the narrative would be clunky as heck) All in all though... I can't wait for the next Dalinar pov to actually give us some real data points.

Having it part physical part magical doesn't make sense OR fit with what we've seen. He has regained memory AND heard his wife's name when he shouldn't be able to. If the former were only physical damage then is the magic that suppresses any sound or image related to her just not able to block his thoughts? That seems like a really weird loophole. But again we've already seen both aspects lifted. I think its overly complex to suggest that the nightwatcher damaged his brain and put a magical filter in what he can see or hear. Much simpler (conceptually) to just magically filter all perception of his wife internal or external. For these reasons I am strongly opposed to the idea that stormlight is the cause of the return of his ability to perceive his wife.

Which ignores my point that Brandon is Mormon, and that's not how Mormons traditionally think about God. So I'm sure you're right from a Catholic perspective, but that's not Brandon's default perspective. Which is my point

I think this is interesting! For me it suggests some sort of divine Sympathy, a trait I don't believe really falls under any shards we've seen but is almost a requirement if were basing our theories on a Judeo/Christian god.

Awesome ideas! Love the groupings idea. One minor consideration: Brandon is Mormon and we don't generally attribute much "mystery" to God. To try to put it better, we tend to think of God more as a knowable being, or one who wants us to come to know him, rather than a more mainstream Christian conception that he is infinite and unknowable. So I would look elsewhere to fill Enigmas slot. That said, Brandon is fully capable of incorporating beliefs outside of his own, I just wouldnt' jump to that immediately

Been rereading Way of Kings and I'm wondering slightly if his other "gift" has anything to do with Navani. As he seems to have always had the hots for her pretty badly maybe that's a dead end, but I expect something with great story/character significance.

One thing I feel is not being treated clearly: Dalinar's inability to remember his wife must be strictly a magical barrier. If it was a physical 'wound' in any sense, there is no scientific explanation I've heard of that would make him unable to hear her name or look at a painting of her. Maybe that's obvious, but I see comments here and there that suggest otherwise. So my best guess is the nature of his boon/curse can only be removed magically, and I'm unconvinced basic stormlight healing cuts the mustard. Another point I think is interesting is this: based on what I've come to expect from Brandon, we have most likely already seen Dalinar's boon/curse in action (the not Evi one). Which means its staring us in the face O.O PS. I'm of the opinion Evi was his boon. We know that the loss of his wife was a heavy memory, and it seems to me to fit dramatically that he would seek to forget her. Can't wait to find out though

I sure as heck can't wait to find out! If Odium is defeated in Stormlight that would feel just a little anticlimactic on the Cosmere scale, but mostly I'm excited for Dragonsteel and the revelation of Rayse's character and motivations.

In the case of Scadrial at least, we know that Harmony has done some nudging to help things along. He has dropped hints about the sorts of things that are possible. As for Roshar, I don't think I have an answer for you other than to note that some of the things they do with fabrials are weirdly advanced. My best guess is that fabrial science is a big distraction from things like physics and chemistry.

I agree that slavery is hardly the most morally ideal option, but can you offer a feasible alternative? Thousands upon thousands of "people" who can't even care for themselves... everybody take a parshmen and feed them until they fall over dead? Even cattle are more self sufficient. Given that parshmen are not actually human (as in the same species), and they demonstrated no mental capacity for thousands of years, and given that the current generation of Rosharans were born and raised in a world where that was the case as far back as accurate recorded history goes, I just don't see how its less moral than keeping chulls. Human shaped chulls. Now that sounds really harsh and grotesque, but again: what is the feasible alternative? I certainly think individual Rosharan's are guilty of cruelty towards parshmen. That's inevitable. I don't yet see how the current Rosharan population as a whole is guilty in anyway that would justify their whole-scale slaughter. What matters to me at this point is two things: will Brandon demonstrate they had more mental capacity then so far suggested? Will the Rosharans see the error in continuing to treat them as slaves when they start talking, writing treaties, sailing ships, or doing calculus? If the first, my entire argument falls apart and the Parshmen have been deeply wronged. If the latter... the Rosharans are guilty in the present, and therefore accountable...... but destroying them all??? ...ehhhhhhh

I don't know, I see what you're getting at, but Dalinar is literally a changed person. And I don't think the return of his horrible memories will cause him to become who he once was. And besides that, is repentance not thing? And I don't just mean in the purely religious sense it comes from; Dalinar is no longer the person he was, and while the people around him aren't obligated to see that and just let go of his crimes, I don't think he is under any obligation to just stop trying to save the world. Surely saving the world is some form of atonement. If everyone utterly refuses to help him thats something else entirely

This may be a can of worms, but I'm genuinely curious about the pure, philosophical implication of part of this question. Racism is primarily characterized by a belief that one race is superior to another. From the point of view of the modern Rosharan humans--considering that the Parshmen literally lacked a serious chunk of cognitive ability--was their sense of superiority racism? I mean, we are acknowledging that, in terms of mental capacity, the Parshmen literally were inferior. Now that doesn't change the strong possibility that the initial decision may have been cruel, and those who committed the soul-tearing did something wrong. It also doesn't change the fact that the current Rosharan humans ought to see the change in the Parshmen and treat them with respect as an honest reaction to reality. But--barring any individual acts of legitimate cruelty or unkindess*--I just cant see how the average, modern Rosharan human could be guilty of any wrong towards the Parshmen up until the moment their minds were restored. And if that's the case, the anger of the Parshmen--though passionate and founded in a true, severe, past injustice--would also be utterly unfounded towards the current Rosharans. *I'm certain these have taken place, I'm less certain they are attributable to most of the population