Brachyura

What about Shallan? I still think Jasnah has the best odds, but really wanted to second Shallan and put her back into contention after this and last weeks chapters. The confessional nature of the book so-far is very reminiscent of the importance of speaking/writing truths to Lightweavers. My bet would be that writing Oathbringer serves as vehicle by which Shallan fully develops as a Radiant and fixes her relationship with Pattern. I’m certain some will feel threatened by this record. Some few may feel liberated" - truth can be both threatening and liberating, again the central tension for Lightweavers. "I needed to write it anyway." - Based off of Shallan's PoVs so far, the story seems to be moving towards a point where she will need to fully accept her parents' deaths and whatever other shenanigans her deceptions cause in this book. In this case, the author “needing” to write the book would be not just for the general world’s benefit, but because it’s required by her order and for her personal sanity. "I ask not that you forgive me. Nor that you even understand." – i.e. the author doesn't care as much if you understand the content or reason for the book, more so that s/he can be honest. "In this record, I hold nothing back. I will try not to shy away from difficult topics, or paint myself in a dishonestly heroic light." "I will express only direct, even brutal, truth." -- her new Brightness Radiant persona is the LITERAL incarnation of "painting" (*cough, weaving*) oneself "in a dishonestly heroic light." Plus, avoiding difficult topics is Shallan's MO. If she's the author, these sentences themselves would be a type of acknowledgment of her habits as opposed to just a general disclaimer to hype up what the author knows. Asides from references to truth telling – - "I can honestly say this book has been brewing in me since my youth" / "Perhaps my heresy stretches back to those days in my childhood, where these ideas began." -- Shallan's childhood and the origin of her bond with Pattern is the only blank left in her backstory. I can’t think of any other character – that we know of – whose childhood/youth has such a central role in their life. - She’s already a scholar, her sitting down and writing a book after the big plot points of OB part 1 would fit her character. - Shadesmar: Pulling this idea from a different thread, but it seems likely that Shallan will develop her soulcasting skills more this book since that particular aspect of her order hasn't been touched on as much. Out of any of the characters, Jasnah and Shallan have the best reason for a brush with Shadesmar and it’ll probably be particularly dangerous for Shallan given her inexperience. - “You cannot have a spice described to you, but must taste it for yourself.” Potentially a nice call back to Adolin making Shallan try spicy food and her ruminations this week about how you need experience to draw from when acting. --> [“I’m not going to be able to imitate this, she thought, leaning against her box, until I’ve lived it. No more than I could draw their lives without having walked among them.”] - Title of the book: for a modern character, Oathbringer” is probably a reference to the sword or maybe the oaths of a Radiant – preferably both. This works best for Dalinar, but you can make it stretch for Shallan – she’s currently investigating the death of Sadeas, Oathbringer’s last owner, while being engaged to the murder who himself hid the sword in question. Plus, supposing that the book is intended as a confession for Shallan to keep her lightweaver "oaths," then the book would literally bring her oaths to fruition. [although that pun’s pretty bad so I almost hope not] - But isn’t Shallan fairly devout?? Whether Shallan is viewed as a heretic or not could easily change other the course of the next chapters. Her relationship with Jasnah, breaking gender norms by welding a Shardblade, and simply being a Radiant, particularly under Dalinar, all would make her seem pretty heretical to society. Hope that all made sense. This became slightly longer than intended. (Now someone just needs to grab some more tinfoil to make a rational for Kaladin and we'll have all the main characters covered.)