Melovespie

I read this as a form of asexual reproduction. They grow hordlings with the intent of separating them off into their own person. It is possible that I read this wrong and you are correct that it is something greater. So many questions. What would it mean if 3 of those four groupings are shattered? Could Dalinar, if he derives(originates? Develops? Obtains? Hard to pick a verb here) a dawnshard could he possibly take up those "free" shards? That would make him immensely powerful.

Ok, I think my brother and I are going to have to record some of these in his studio. I'll post them if we end up doing it.

Rock discusses going on a journey to hotsprings and meeting Hoid. Maybe during this trip, which sounded like it is some sort of rite of passage all Horneaters undergo, he gets bonded with some sort of special spren.

Rock being somehow fused with a spren would make some sense, as Horneaters have Singer blood in them. Maybe Rock's family (which seems to be the royal family) in particular are all bonded with a spren that grants increased strength?

Not sure exactly, but there does seem to be a very different bond between the Honor Blades and the Heralds. I also think when they abandoned their Honor Blades at the last desolation it very well could have severed any connection they had to them. Welcome to the forum.

To echo many, in no particular order, 1) The entire Dalinar walking up to Odium clutching TWoK to "The most important step a man can take is the next one." To "You cannot have my pain." Beautiful. I still tear up. 2) Kaladin and bridge 4 realizing at the tower that they had to go save the Kholin army. 3) "Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do." 4) Adolin ignoring Elhokar's death so he could get everyone to the Oathgate, realizing that the Oathgate is corrupted and asking Shallan to activate it anyway. 5) Evi telling Adolin and Renarin as kids what a wonderful person their father was, while he essentially neglected them. 6) Renarin trying to comfort his father by giving him wine and Dalinar breaking down crying and hugging him. 7) The whole Renarin/Jasnah scene.

I think the real question is, if Sja-Anat is actually not evil now, why did she/he not just let the Oathgate function normally for Shallan and Co? I assumed that it was incapable of operating normally, but obviously it was. Maybe it would have been obvious that Sja-Anat defected if they were immediately transferred to Urithiru, but Odium didn't seem to know that they were in Shadesmar until they were in Celebrant. It does seem odd to me though.

And in this brief moment of lucidity he expressed joy for having suffered for so long, giving the humans a chance to live free of Desolations. He's too good for us.

I would agree that Rock is the best. He is basically the cream in the Oreo cookie! As a second I would say Sigzil. He also was cool enough to be Hoid's apprentice. Also, I wouldn't put Renarin in with bridge 4. He is kind of in his own category. I understand why you included him, it just feels wrong to me.

I think it is a possibility. Something as invested with Honor's power taking in a chunk of Odium's investeture would certainly be terrifying.

I like the theory propagated on the Shardcast that whatever the KR did to capture Ba-Ado-Mishrim while she was connected to the parshmen caused them to lose their forms and cut them off from making normal bonds. Whatever she did to rally them and start the false desolation caused them to completely lose their connection to the cognitive realm when she was captured. The Shardcast also believes this is part of what caused the Knights Radiant to abandon their oaths, as they realized they had essentially committed genocide.

I remember my page, even when reading multiple books.

The mists pre-deepness were like they are in Era 2, I believe. Also, the atmosphere was thinner, as the ashmounts weren't around.

You could discuss the 3 books within one book structuring with multiple climaxes. It is a structure usually only used by really great authors (Tolkein did this as well).

Syl. I just love her. Pattern is a close second. Rua seems pretty great, although he would have to be to be with the Lopen.

To be fair, I am pretty sure that series was mostly plotted out. He just finished writing it. I also think Song of Secrets could be a good title. I am curious to see where Book 4 goes. I don't think anyone was expecting as much to happen in OB as it did. Like many others, I was expecting a lot of set up and character development to carry through the last two books. Then there was sooooo much plot development! It still ended with a bunch of questions. What Brandon has been doing so far with this series is somehow developing and completing plot lines while, at the same time, introducing new ones or expanding on old ones. I am pretty amazed with how masterfully he is pulling this off. I am left with high hopes that the next book will have as much story development in it as the past three, although I will not be disappointed if it is a lot of set up. I do think some sort of attack or infiltration on Urithiru is likely. I also think there will be some counterattacking on Alethi lands, or reclaiming certain areas. I wonder if there will be some sort of excursion to the Horneater Peaks, although that may be unnecessary as Dalinar can summon a perpendicularity at will. I also think that Taravangian will be discovered as working with Odium, but I hope his character turns around. I am curious to see where the Fused will attack next. Maybe Jah Keved, maybe Azir. Shallan will also have an extremely interesting plot line I believe, and Adolin will continue his quest to revive Maya. Kaladin is a little more up in the air(pun intended), although I do like the theory that he is asked to be Highprince. That would just make me giddy. Dalinar, I believe, will just be playing general and sending people out on missions. I see Jasnah as taking a more active role in the governing of Urithiru with Navani and Sebarial as her back up. Renarin could really go anywhere, although I want him to be used more! Lift and Szeth will have fantastic highjinks and we are all better off for it! Seeing Venli start to organize a quiet resistance among the Parshendi would be fantastic. Maybe Kaladin will end up helping them out, which would be awesome!

I'm pretty sure Wax is wearing goggles when he is playing metallurgist with the aluminum bullets in AoL. But other than that, yes, covers are not canon.

I agree that there has been a lot of foreshadowing that makes me think it will be Adolin. I really, really, really hope that it isn't him, because I love him. I am almost hoping that there has been too much foreshadowing for Adolin and it will not be him. Moash is the more obvious choice, but he may be almost too obvious. I am also wondering, since Odium chose Dalinar and was defied by him, if something else entirely is going to happen. No more champion of Odium and now just an Ascended Dalinar with Cultivation's investiture as well in a clash of titans against Odium. At the end of WoR I had the idea that Shallan was going to create more identities until she had 9, which would represent the 9 shadows, and should would be Odium's champion, but that seems wrong at this point.

I would like to preface this by saying that I am not a clinical psychologist or psychiatric professional. I minored in Psychology in college, but that by no means makes me an expert. However, I have seen/heard a lot of people throwing around the idea that Shallan has Dissociative Identity Disorder/Multiple Personality Disorder (DID/MPD). I humbly submit that this is inaccurate, as a necessity for this diagnosis is an associated amnesia when switching between personalities. @Dreamstorm offered an alternative diagnosis of Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) this link offers an explanation of that disorder. I think that OSDD fits better, but wonder if there is something else that may be a better diagnosis. What I would like to do is to run through what we are sure of and hopefully someone who is qualified can weigh in! 1. Shallan has experienced severe trauma in her youth. Her mother attempted to kill her, with Shallan instead killing her mother. 2. Shallan experienced a prolonged period of virtual imprisonment at the hands of her father. 3. Shallan witnessed physical, emotional, and verbal abuse at the hands of her father, including his maiming of several maids, the murder of her stepmother, and the ordered assassination of her stepmother. 4. Shallan feels incapable of dealing with certain social situations. 5. Shallan feels incapable of dealing with certain emotions, or strong emotions in general. I am trying to ignore the fact that Shallan has the ability to manifest different version of herself using her powers. It would be very difficult to give her a real world diagnosis if we start taking the fantastic into consideration. Other than that, please let me know if there is anything that I missed. Now for the fun part. What are your thoughts? Any Psychologists or Psychiatrists in the house?

I am fairly certain that Odium will be dealt with within the SA. With Odium being identified as the main villain how could you end the series without the resolution of said villain? Brandon isn't the kind if author that would finish a series with a "now read this other series to find out what happens!" I think there is even a decent chance that Odium is the antagonist for the first 5 and something different moves in for the back 5, although that may be hard to do (if anyone could do it, Brandon could).

I am of the opinion that the diagram is a distraction for Odium and the true way Taravangian can save everyone is when he is on a dumb day and is extremely empathetic. I think the real gift from Cultivation was his empathy, not his genius. Does anyone else feel this way? Also, as a fun fact, in the Graphic Audio renditions of the SA my uncle voices Taravangian. He also voiced Hrathen in their Elantris, so I'm hoping by some coincidental twist of fate he ends up being good at the end of this one too.

I am assuming that Mraize was intentionally killing an aspect of a sleepless that was spying on him. Are all cremlings part of a Sleepless? Or are some just, well, bugs?

The interesting thing about Dalinar is that he seems to be a sliver holding powers from multiple shards. While the majority of investiture seems to be Honor's, it appears that he at least has some of Odium and Cultivation powers within him. We know Odium was grooming him to become his champion, and that Cultivation preened him to allow him to defy Odium. It seems likely that there was some sort of investiture contributed for both of those actions. Is anyone else thinking along those lines?

Do you think Vasher will try to take NB back? I recall in WoR Vasher advising Kaladin to make the choice that made it easier to sleep at night, becuase that is what he wished he did. With the other knowledge we have now, I wonder if he didn't intentionally abandon NB and wish he hasn't fled with him.

To the tune of the hallelujah chorus: Odium For ever and ever Shard of shards O-di-um, O-di-um! And he shall reign for ever and ever And he shall hate for ever and ever O-di-i-um!!!!