ALAKA

Scadrial is c1900 (submachine guns, electric lights), so it's about 45 years away. Unless their physics knowledge is underdeveloped? Do we have indicators of that? Roshar has observed some weird observation phenomena with spren which sound quantumy - but they're certainly behind (and quantum physics isn't what you need for a nuke AFAIK)

But what would they do with it? They can run everything off Towerlight anyway? Maybe it would be useful if they could get out of Urithiru, as Towerlight can't be taken far away from there. But Urithiru is sealed off for now

Presumably they would have regular non-magical nukes like we have. Sunlit Man references nuclear power plants which Nomad must have seen *somewhere*

Kaladin being a "therapist" is actually called out in the book when he's talking to Ishar Kaladin - "I'm his therapist", Ishar - "what's that" "no idea"

Sure - just pointing out that the book does deal with your objection (even if it is a bit hamfisted). On why the power doesn't reject her - I think the book deals with that as well (something like "it was attacking in order to Preserve")

Could be (need to reread) - I'm just pointing out that the book does deal with the OP's objection. Thoughts: Definitely an unexpected ending - I really thought the deal at the end of RoW would have set things up for a truce with the only tension in WaT being the terms of the truce. But he surprised us all! Bit downbeat though but there's still hope with a new Oathpact and Retribution running scared (and for some reason most nations anyway voted for the god of hatred so they deserve it). Annoyed that Todium got "a" Blackthorn. Dalinar's sacrifice should have (narratively) prevented that entirely. Hopefully we'll see the Fake Dalinar being substandard in some way so the sacrifice means something. On that note, who/what has "claimed" Dalinar's soul? Is that the Oathpact 2.0 or something else? Too much philosophy/therapy. I get the importance of "sometimes you need to break oaths/law" as a theme (Destination Before Journey?) but it's too much. I liked Shinovar - good structure (a bit video-gamey) and road-trips are always fun. Mixed it up well by adding in Nale. LOL at the highspren's whole thing being an act Azir - Glad to see Adolin make it through, and hopefully Shallan can get back somehow (she can at least communicate). Plot there felt like a side-story (with a "dumb villain" to boot) Spiritual Realm bits - nice to see the flashbacks but it just went on and on. Didn't really help the plot much in the end, apart from releasing BAM BAM/El/Wind - I think these were underused, but that's probably OK considering the lack of foreshadowing for some/all of them. Probably being setup for the back 5. Jasnah - She's annoying, don't care about her. This "philosophizing into supporting the god of hatred who will use you as cannon fodder" is a bit weird. Sigzil - glad to see Spren 1 didn't die - I was worried for him after reading Sunlit Man.

I think the book calls that out - something like "if both Shards want to destroy (ie not Preservation) it would be worse"

Dalinar at the end of Oathbringer. Everything's falling apart, the man has been broken over the course of the story, Kaladin can't help... and then he takes the next step and boom!

Like everyone else in France after 1945 Urithiru, he was in the Resistance - but secretly and in another cell so he couldn't tell anyone at the time

If that was true, you'd get talking bananas! And it seems like the company picks them at random and doesn't take a million years to find each relevant one...

In SP2, all the Anglo-Saxon characters speak in Modern 21st Century English, with a few Old English words thrown in. As highlighted in the book itself, this is really weird, and is handwaved away by the Guide as being an absurd coincidence (FAQ after chapter 19). I'm wondering if actually there's a different reason for this and that the Guide is wrong. I'm thinking that it's a function of all the dimensions being downstream from ours, so they end up talking mostly like us by some kind of "magic" - any ideas?

Also, like Arthur, fought/beat the Saxons at the battle of Badon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Badon)

Keeping score - responses to claims in purple : Points in favour of Taln Breaking: 1) That's how it always happened. 2) Taln shows up so he presumably broke. Why else would he return - even before the Everstorm got summoned? To warn them, or out of despair. Points in favour of the Everstorm approach: 1) If Taln was going to break, why bother with Ulim's whole backdoor strategy? Whilst the Everstorm might still be needed to restore the Parshmen and give the Fused an army, why not just wait till he broke and do it then? RoW Chap. 73 is clear that it would have been easier to get the Voidspren had "That stupid Herald not been standing strong all these years later... You have no idea how much of a pain it all is." A quick summoning was needed otherwise Taln might have warned the world? 2) There's no indication in Chap. 73 that Ulim anticipates or needs Taln to break. 3) It's a weird coincidence for Taln to break at the same time - give or take a year out of 4000 - as the Everstorm gets summoned. Odium foresaw it.

I originally posted this here before RoW came out, but I think there's some extra information in RoW that's worth integrating and discussing. The timeline of the new Desolation that comes out from RoW looks like this to me: Odium's agents (not SoH) bring through Ulim the Voidspren -> Everstorm summoned by Listeners trained by Ulim/Venli -> Everstorm de-lobotomises the Parshmen, bringing the Fused and giving them an army and bodies to inhabit. I'm wondering if Taln breaking was actually necessary (a point made by @ftl in the original thread) - Ulim is aware that Taln has not broken (Chap. 73), and never mentions the need for him to break, just for the Everstorm to be summoned. Maybe Taln didn't break at all - he just Returned because of the Everstorm. Also would like to know whether the SoH actually accomplished anything in the end or was it all Odium's agents?

In fact (SH Spoiler