Diomedes

A book that leaves me disappointed, mostly. The ending and how this changes Roshar was great to read. But books are about the journey, not the destination. 1. Most importantly: The writing is off. WaT could have been a great book, if Sanderson had just spend a year or so refining the style. Instead of working on the book longer, he chose to publish it in this half-finished state, because that is was he always does: work 1-2 years on a book and then release it. But this book was different: It needed more time. What is perceived to be S. biggest strengths, being a very prolific writer, turned out to be his weakness. I know he can do better. This makes this very frustrating. 2. "show dont tell". The characterization revolves around internal monologues telling the reader, how we are supposed to feel about a given character. This just does not work for me. Same goes for the char. arcs which also rely on internal monologues. Maybe this could work, if the writing was better, but it does not. 3. Isolation Sanderson spreads the his large cast of characters on different side quests. We don``t get much of characters, which we are emotionally invested in, interacting with each other. This is to me, what makes books fun to read. Where was the Adolin- Kaladin bridgeboy- princeling bromance? Where was Jasnah teaching her ward? Where was Dalinar being the father to Adolin, Renarin and also Kaladin? 4. plotting The loophole to the contract revolves around some obscure Alethi law, even the in world chars don`t know anything about: This sets up the plotstructure of the entire novel in the battlefields in Azir, shatt. plains and Thaylenah. Really? I feel like this is a fallout from making book 3 Dalinars book instead of book 5. 5. events off-screen. Important events happen off-screen. Emul and all the others going over to Taravangian means he already has won most of Roshar: Even if our heroes had won on all fronts 80% of Roshar would still be under his control, without us even seeing it happen. This is not really acceptable. Why not make Thaylenah or Azimir the place, which betrays the coalition and then everybody else follows? Also important char. moments are not shown. For instance I waited years on a scene, on Jasnah having a conversation with Shallan after learning she almost joined an organisation which repeatedly tried to assasinate her. How does this impact their relationship? Also Kaladin murdering Shallans brother. How does this impact the Shallan Kaladin relationship? All in all a step up from RoW, but that is not really saying much.

Also Jasnah reacting to Shallan having almost joined the Ghostbloods, who repeatedly tried to assassinate her. I would have loved to see that scene..

i think a child-champion would violate the intent, in which the contract was made. They are suposed to be actual fighting champions, not pawns. Besides that would not be a very good plot point. I think the Ghostblood will snatch him up and use him as a hostage. He could be groomed by them into a proper villain. Brandon chose him to be sucked into the SR, because we have not seen him very much and he intends to show his character a bit more.

I really liked this new spin on Lift, she really messed up this time and could be responsible for getting Gavinor killed. How is this guilt going to change her character of constantly goofing around? I guess taking responsibility is part of growing up, though Gavinor will probably live. Kaladin getting Szeth to talk was almost too easy. I am not sure, wether I like that the viewpoints change so many times each chapter. One characters story needs to be told without it being interupted all the time.

Further evidence that the Alethi Lighteyes will switch sides to Odium, which was a theory of mine. I'm guessing that Kaladin is going to save quite a few Spren from Ishar and his experiments? I think this is about reforging the Nahel bond that it may become less destructive to Spren. And about helping out all those Deadeyes. The power may be seeking the wrong vessel, somebody like Taravangian or some Fused.

Oh no, Veil thought. Remind me, what do you do when there’s a guard watching for you? Storms. You became the guard. I see this as evidence for Shallan having been trained by the Ghostbloods as "the little knife" in her childhood. But she has purposefully forgotten that. She aplied her Ghostblood handbook in the last chapters, which the GB themselves are also using now. That is why she was so good at conducting the raid, because she has remembered a lot of the training by the end of RoW, but she has not remembered where that training came from. Somebody else wrote a theory on that one, but I d not know where I read it. As for the chapters: Awsome! I was so thrilled for seeing the migration, which unfortunatly did manifest. but maybe we will still see that some time else.

Wait, what do you mean by that? Set up to Fail is the title in my copy. Set up to Fall on the Coppermind chapter summary. They are set up to fail respective the meeting with Ialai in the next chapter.

We had a reference in this weeks chapter 23 that rumour was spreading on Seadeas murder. This is going to have consequences. Question is which one? The murder was understandable emotionally, but highly risky and could have been discovered, if someone just happened to be strolling by. As for Sadeas, yes he was beyond saving. But what about his soldiers? Wasn`t the rumour or the suspicion of the murder perpetrated by the Kholins that led them to switch sides to Odium at the battle of Thaylen? I think this could have been averted. I have the theory that quite a lot of Lighteyes will switch sides to Taravangian this book. Sadeas murder would be one reason.

No nothing like That. Its about how Taravangian ist going to exploit tensions between Dalinar and the Highprinces.

There is rising tension between Dalinar and the highprinces. I knew it! Also the slavery law is opposed by the Lighteyes. And Sadeas murder is an issue! I guess I need to rewrite my theory on the loophole in the contract including the new evidence.

I also thought that this would make much sense. 1. This would be the best explanation for the title of "child of Tanavast", because he is indeed the sucessor of Tanavast in holding Honor, as you guys pointed out. 2. Kaladin`s name: it means "He-who-is-born-unto-eternity". Kalad: eternity (OB, p.519) , in: to be born unto (OB p.515). When you write a book as an author you don`t give your characters meaningless names, you treat it with extreme care. I think that name would be fitting for somebody posessing eternal life as a shard. 3. This sense of finality in those goodbyes to Bridge Four. Because as a shard he would be separated from his friends like Sazed is. 4. Fleet`s story is analogy for Kaladin`s life. At the end of the story Fleet`s soul rises in Shinovar, you might say it ascended in Kal`s case to become the vessel of Honor. we talked about that here:

Dalinar is probably not going to ascend to Honor. But the threat of it did get the Stormfather talking and forced him to support Dalinars quest for answers, which he did not do before. That was Cultivations plan, I think. And Shallan is walking right into Mraize trap. So many red flags. He probably has a mole among the Unseen Court and knows exactly what is going on. He only needs to have emotional pressure, like access to their families, on one of them...

Feels so good to have old Shallan from WoR back. We know the actual loophole now, but my guess is, there is a second one, they have not figuered out yet. The Reshi king feels like a spuy or assassin in disguise. Nobody knows how the actual king of the Reshi islands looks like exactly.

I think we can all agree Adolin is somebody who cares deeply about his friends, his familiy and all those he considers to be under his protection. At the same time he is capable of ruthless violence against his enemies, be it Sadeas, the Singers in WoK and WoR, or those bandits in RoW. Therefore, he is a hardcore in-group, out-group kind of guy. You are in his team and he will give his life for you, he considers you as his enemy and he will slice you up in a split second, without pity or mercy. The way I see Adolin becoming Odium`s champion is, that for some reason he thinks he can only protect those he loves by going against Dalinar. But I don`t see that honestly. What I do see happening is Adolin disagreeing with Dalinar in the way he is going to protect his family and country. Him choosing neither Dalinar or Taravangian, but his own kind of wrong, as he said in RoW, "choosing freedom" to put it in terms of the Oathgate spren. And yes this was part of a theory of mine.

I see this happening but for different reasons. If Todium controlls the Oathgates he also controls international trade. I imagine a "cold war" scenario after the ceasefire, when no actual all out war is being waged and two sets of alliances face off each other. Controlling the Oathgates Todium will win this "cold war" because he will be able to strangle the alliance economically by cutting them off the international trade network. If the Dlinar alliance members are impoverished in relation to Todium controlled territory, they will make a deal with him eventually, even if it takes a few decades.

The way I read the chapter Rayse was not able to controll the emotions, the passions at all. Taravangian on the other hand can controll them and has a different range of emotions due to his gift by Cultivation. "She had raised him up because the old Odium was becoming too violent, too willing to destroy everything as the emotions raged freely." Odium the power itself was all about Passion all along and Rayse was not lying to Dalinar when he described the power of Odium as Passion. This makes sense given the faith of the "Passions" so despised by Wit and the effect of Ashertmartn in Kholinar.

But Odium didn`t invent Vorinism did he? So its more like he is using this to his advantage. Unless he was secretly influencing people somehow all these millenia.

Just a quick side note: Kaladin`s name means "He-who-is-born-unto-eternity". Kalad: eternity (OB, p.519) , in: to be born unto (OB p.515) That would stregthen you guys` argument of him fusing with the wind and or something similiar. I personally think Kaladin will be locked in the Spiritual Realm, therby his soul "rises" . That way he is separated from Bridge 4 but can still be visited by Shallan to keep the promise of ch. 13. I think Fleet chasing Chanarach is referring to Kaladin making advances to Shallan, therby "chasing" her.

Dalinar will forfeit, because he is blackmailed by Todium.

I like the theory. I don`t think that Adolin is a "new" Lifebinder though. If Adolin were to be a Lifebinder, what caused him (and nobody else?) to have acess to this new type of magic? I rather think that he is going to be of a Radiant order which uses Lifelight. Remember Surgebinding is both of Honor and Cultivation: True Surges are of both Honor and Cultivation—Cultivation for life, Honor to make the Surge into natural law. Things must fall to the ground, so they created Surges to make it happen. RoW. ch. 31

I don`t think the Knights of Wind and Truth as named in the in world book are a reference to their fifth oath or even fourth oath abilities. Kal always had a special relationship to the Wind. Szeth was truthless but was "truthfull" all along. As for the title of the upcoming SA book, I think Kal and Shallan are also a very good fit, Shallan having to say truths in order to progress. The KR started with these two (as Shallan says in ch. 13), and they were also our first PoV chars with surgebinding abilities.

He then says though: "He looked to Syl and smiled. “It wouldn’t have to go that way, of course. I’ve seen that it can help to be around people who understand firsthand what it’s like for your mind to betray you. Maybe we’d have worked it out. But right now… I’m glad I didn’t have to try. I’m glad she has Adolin. He’s what she needs.” So it could have been a thing. But I am glad it did not. Two people solving their mental health issues because love would have been a terrible plot point. Mental health issues are a detriment to relationships not a boon.

This chapter made me think of the story Wit told Kaladin in prison in WoR: of Fleet who raced the Wind from the East to Shinovar, where he died. This was even then meant as a metaphor for Kaladin. He is now literally going to Shinovar... All those goodbyes seem so final to me. But of course, he is the witness to our epigraphs. Maybe he is metaphorically going to die or be stuck in the Spiritual Realm. Also racing the capitial w Wind does have a new meaning now. I am sure this story was some sort of foreshadowing of what is going to happen between Kaladin and the Wind in Shinovar this book.

Musicspren was a crazy chapter. Imagining Gallant dreaming of flying and being bonded to a Musicspren was awesome. Adolin`s plot in WaT will take place around Azir. He will probably stay to defend against the invasion. Also the throw backs to Way of Kings are getting more numerous. The cover was already referencing the WoK cover and now Syl is handing Kal literally a copy of the in-world book. I guess I really have to reread the book before November

thx