TequilaJack

Dang, say the picture and thought it was about FoL release. That's a bummer. I really liked Kharkanas. The writing style was more morose and philosophical than usual (which is something to say for SE books!), but then the insights it gave into Rake/Brood friendship, other information on other ascendants like Errant, Triss, Draconus, Gothos, Hood etc were fascinating. I loved knowing more about those characters who feature in BotF, but not much know about them. I was really looking to the third book! Well, then it's Karsa's time in the sun, I guess. Would be brilliant to discuss. Perhaps in a new thread allowing spoilers. I loved Assail. NoK remains my favourite of the novellas followed closed by RoTCG and then Assail. Enjoy reading!

Is this a spoiler free thread? I've read all books except Korbal Borach series. So who's reading Paths to Ascendancy books? Deadhouse landing was just brilliant. Can't wait for the final book, Kharkanas was typical Erikson. lovely insight to some of the ascendants. Wish the final book would come out soon.

Mine was Toll the Hounds. I loved the climax. Liked a shade better than MoI.

Next book was supposed to be on Eshonai, iirc? If so, it probably will be a prequel by timelines. We'll see more of Dalinar and Gavilar, but less of Kaladin, Shallan and Adolin. Tbh, I'm not sure Eshonai deserves a separate book. A novella like Edgedancer should suffice imo.

My point too. I don't think it would something as material as rand/Kaladin similarity. It would be a easter egg and my fist thought was worldhopper visit. I need to go back and read Memory of Light again.

It wasn't a marriage out of love. It was a political transaction to be honest. Did they eventually grow to love each other? Yes, but never did come across powerfully.

I felt the Evi arc was badly written. Dalinar's emotions were muddled throughout which is understandable since he was under influence of a unmade. The love never came across clearly bar certain throw away sentences. I thought Evi was quite naive thinking she can play high politics just by being good natured and also stupid bringing her kids to a active war zone. The 'love' doesn't really explain away those bad decisions for me. The moment she appeared in war camps, I knew her death was coming soon and that took away most of surprise and shock away.

I need to go back and read Memory of Light again to refresh. Timeline: Sanderson finished Gathering Storm in 2009. He started on Way of Kings all the back to late 90s iirc. I doubt Kaladin was designed based on Rand. Theme: Common man shouldering burdens and becoming a hero is not really a novel concept in fantasy. Been done and dusted numerous times before. Also no author wants their protagonist to be a extract from some other author's hero. So I doubt the Kaladin/Rand similarities are anything more than what they appear to be. ........................... Reference to 'pattern': WoT has numerous reference to Pattern and coincidentally is also the name of Shallan's spren.....which is a cryptic again coincidentally Sanderson's answer to the most cryptic statement question. When Mat and Perrin lost their visions at end of the book, Rand kinda became super-powerful with him being able to manipulate pattern without needing to channel (lighting tabac scene). Probably he has ascended (like Kelsier, Lord Ruler, and Dalinar) Survival Shard: Which iirc is still unknown. and rand was fighting for humanity's survival against Evil. Maybe the reference is presence of shard (or maybe it's splintered (yet retaining power) into Saidin, Saidar and True Source). Evil being Odium by implication, who tried to conquer Survival and failed.

Rua.... I'd like to invite her for a drink. Would be awesome! Lopen can tag along too.

If you boil all this down, there's just 2 personalities left. The 'real' Shallan and the 'alter ego' Veil. Mask Shallan is just someone who refuses to accept her past. It's just 'Radiant Shallan' parts that she refuses to acknowledge. As she seeks and speaks more truths, I think mask will diminish and flourish into Radiant. Once she's comfortable with and true to herself Mask becomes Radiant, who is the real Shallan. Just like Radiant is who she is, Veil is who she wants to be. An alter ego, to say. Just like everyone of us has fantasies on who we want to be, Veil is Shallan's. This can be driven by need (fooling Jasnah and courting Adoiln) or just want (she like freedom offered by Veil). Veil gives her the escape from who she is a princesses and a Radiant.

Agree with this. Has Eshonai been alive, she'd be #1.

Maybe not Jasnah, but Shallan and Kaladin are pretty much over. Veil and Radiant are both personas and Shallan chooses Adolin. Unless they kill off Adolin in next book, continuation of this triangle will be tedious and frankly boring. I take the ending as Shallan getting comfortable as herself and getting assertive over her personas.

I'm just speculating here. None of the unmades pertains to Hatred either. Thrill is just lust, there is no hatred there. Maybe it was influenced by Rayse and his emotions too. I think this is Passion in true sense, as in giving in to your base animalistic instincts. No morality or civility. Just raw feelings.

Proximity Belief in Ideals Trust of the Radiant All 3 are mandatory imo.

Valid points. When Dalinar ascends Odium reaction was "WE killed you" I take it he was colluding with Cultivation to kill Honor. Maybe in exchange for some power or her own survival. Eventually he plans to be the only shard alive and Cultivation is last on list, since he's not actively searching for her. He did not absorb any other shards since he believes it will corrupt and influence him. He prefers to remain as is and be the most powerful.

I don't think so. Szeth was operating due to outcome of Diagram as interpreted by Tarvangian. Even Odium was surprised when he saw it at the end. So I believe Szeth was a separate thread not known to Odium.

Anyone know why the unmade Thrill left Dalinar during his early years?

Upon digesting this for a couple of weeks, I'd say this was the weakest of the 3 books written now... despite that Epic climax. It was a book of 3 parts which all don't jell together. Dalinars backstory provided ample details but Evi the most important part was ignored in majority. The current Dalinar segments were too long and a bit draggy. Shaedsmar segment and most interludes could have been shorter. And Shallan doesn't sound confused. Looks like she's suffering from multiple personality disorder. I felt like she was close to going bonkers. That climax makes up for the rest, but overall the book would have been better if edited to about 250 less pages.

In the scene where Dalinar meets Odium first time, Odium asks Dalinar if he just made an offer to release him from his bonds. Dalinar answers No. Maybe the bondsmith can release bonds too in certain circumstances.

The quote from Syl "The one who hates" pertains to Assassin in White, right? It takes place when AiW tries to kill Dalinar. Not related to Odium at all imo. As to Frost, we have next to nothing who he is. Sanderson has requested to avoid previous Dragonsteel books and wait for Book 3 to be the beginner of the arc. The Parshmen song imo is just way too vague to make sense either way. I'll leave this to RAFO as both theories hold some water and let's see how Sanderson takes this forward...

Well RAFO then! Curious to why you think it's unreliable, Any other instances where Odium has lied or found unreliable? Also I think Hatred and Ruin are way too similar to be different shards. But Passion isn't.

That he's hatred? I still doubt it since there is an actual quote from Odium himself "I'm emotion incarnate. I'm lust, joy, hatred, anger and exultation. I am glory and I am vice" In his own words he claims to be far more than hatred alone....and more evidence that he is Passion, all emotions put together. No wonder he was able to splinter Honor (despite all shards of equal strength). I believe due to Rayse being the holder, hatred come to the fore, but Odium imo is Passion. The clincher for me is Odium waged a war against Honor on Roshar and killed Tanavast eventually......but let Cultivation live. Why? I don't recall him being at odds with her. Becaue there is a quote on Cultivation that "she's only interested in transformation. Growth. It can be good or bad, for all she cares". She how that can co-exist with Odium's Passion (but not hatred alone). More proof that Odium only destroys Devotion, Dominion and Honor...all which are against "free passion" and not Cultivation, which he can co-exist with.

In the chapter titled 'Passion', Odium mentions he is emotion incarnate...so it stands to reason he is Passion.

I think so too. Odium mentions that Dalinar has ascended. The only other ascendants I can recall within Stormlight world are those who collected the original shards. It is mentioned that the holders sometimes take Shard powers. So if Dalinar is proven honorable, then he can enhance and probably bring together Honor, sealing the splinters. The only other "ascendant" within Cosmere will be Sazed/Harmony who gains powers of Preservation and Ruin and ideally becomes God. So we can ideally expect another human in Dalinar to gain Honor and I expect him to get Odium's powers in the end too.