Schneeente

Hmm... I am not sure how "expressive" your examples are. For example, take the Wheel of Time and compare it with your list: - Set in a "modern" time | check, thousands of years ago humanity was better developed in WoT than it is currently - Society | "pre industrial" is exactly the way to describe it - Class system based on bloodlines | WoT has nobles / monarchs based on bloodlines. - Strong religious organizations | I'd say religion in those 3 books has roughly the same proportion (very little) and the dragon reborn is "overthrowing" many of those faiths - Scholars questioning religion and history | considering that Rand is getting important help from the historian that gets killed and then Min takes over, also he is reading a lot of the old prophecies. I admit, it's not "questioning" history but using it as a guidance (that's what Sazed does in Mistborn as well) - Mysterious, pre-historical enemy | the dark one and the forsaken... - Said mysterious enemy's return is imminent and the world is in vast danger | the dark one and the forsaken... - Lost or old texts that serve as clues to unravel the mystery | Rand (Min) figures out how to seal the bore because of those old books - An almighty force for good that has disappeared | This element is not present in WoT! - Magic system that is related directly to physical objects and natural resources (metals vs gems) | The magic system works differently - Central characters struggling with what it means to be a "good leader" | Perrin struggles with that over the span of roughly 5 books. The other 2 themes are rather random, you'd find 5 more similar / identical themes in all 3 books. What I am trying to say is, the way you phrased it and the view you take makes it inevitable that similarities occur. If you look from far enough above, you'll always find similar structures in stories. You didn't talk about romance, but if you phrase it very broad it's similar as well: - All 3 books have a "love triangle": Elend + his brother both want Vin and Adolin + Kaladin both want Shallan and Faile + Berelain want Perrin But in all of your (and mine) points you could find 100 small differences. I'd not say that the structure is similar because of the author but because of the subject and human nature itself. /edit: If you had framed it a little bit different (more broad) you could have easily said that WoT is also similar to the other 2 books because it HAS magic. And if you had written "an almighty force exists" then it would have applied to WoT as well. So as I said, from a bird's eye view those stories are very similar. But the closer you look, the more details you allow to matter, the more those stories become different. And welcome to the forum! That was your first post after all!

I don't remember that they claimed that. But regardless, depending on the order you already have a spren for a long time that "obeys" you but you might not count as a radiant. So even if he said "we don't have any radiants", they could easily have someone who has already bonded a spren.

Aha, there are ways to it better. Thank you! My point remains, if Kal's father would show that he loves his eldest son and would stop condemning him, it would surely help his depression.

If I remember correctly when he was small he was mainly depressed during the time in which there were no highstorms and it rained 24/7. Nowadays it seems that he is not only far more frequently depressed, he seems to be constantly depressed. So while I agree, he has a biological predisposition towards it, his current status cannot be explained solely by biological reasons.

Couldn't the spy be a spren of a Ghostblood-radiant? Think about how the dustbringer (the one accompanying Taravangian) used her spren to spy on Dalinar?

So what you are saying is that your genes determine your entire life? Neither you nor your environment has an impact? Non-sarcastic: Just because he might be genetically predisposed towards depression doesn't mean his father doesn't have an effect / is one of the reasons / cannot help.

By now I have thought about this chapter a lot. And I have come to the following conclusion: What was "revealed" (implied) by Mraize is a bigger deal for us than for Shallan. I readily admit that I was very confused about her casual behavior and felt her reaction wasn't ... genuine/logical. But some people here have raised a very compelling argument why her behavior is indeed consistent: She has learned roughly one year ago that a whole "new dimension" exists. This dimension is largely completely unexplored. Now Mraize tells her that you can "go places" in that dimension. That should not surprise her at all, should it? That's why I think it was a bigger deal for "the audience" who can better judge the significance of this than for Shallan herself. At least that's how I explain her "underwhelming" reaction after being told what those names mean.

Well, if Formless is the spy, she probably already killed at least 1 person.. I really hope it is not Formless though. I hope they somehow coerced Gaz.. he's weak.

Oh boy, the idea most subscribed right now seems to be that formless is the spy... I hope you will not be disappointed.

There's always someone who does it first. Until that moment everyone thought it's impossible, one smart cookie finds a way, voilà?

Well, even if the Stormlight to "insert planetary currency" only works on a few planets, it would still be a big deal? As you said, if "they" can use stormlight instead of breaths, isn't that alone already huge?

Did I understand it correctly? The Ghostbloods want to "smuggle" / export Stormlight from Roshar to other planets? I assume they are able to "transmute" Stormlight into whatever is needed to "do magic" on the respective planet? Otherwise the premise doesn't make sense. And apparently Stormlight is very easy to get their hands on, much easier than for example "Breaths" from Warbreaker...? Just want to affirm that I understood Mraize correctly.

I understand you 100%. But I can tell you how it is for me: Because there is only one small, little chapter per week, I read it significantly slower and much more attentive than I'd otherwise do. Plus afterwards I read the discussion about it in the forum. For me personally I will remember those first chapters WAY better than the rest of the book because when the whole book finally gets released, I'll read far too fast and won't be able to pace me. So I'm pretty sure that I will not have to re-read the first chapters before I get the book. But that's just the way I see and do it.

Write down why you chose the characters. That's at least as interesting as the choice itself! Maybe even more.

Heyho! I was searching for a few "top10" threads but so far I haven't found a single one! How unexpected considering that on Youtube you get overwhelmed by them and for example the scifi forum I frequent has them as well, in which you can score how much you liked a season and whatnot. Point is, we need something here, I was really looking forward to seeing which characters are most often named as favorites. That's also why I make it a "top3" list and not top5 or even top10, because then you don't really have to think so much about it. The rules are simple: You don't have to take into account how fleshed out a character is, how well written, how deep or how often he or she appears "on screen". You decide which criterion is most important for you. Just tell us your top3 characters. Feel free to explain why they are though. Okay, lets start: 1. Shallan I always love it when Shallan appears on the paper. Why? Mainly because she goes places you don't normally see and hear about and it's so exciting what she does. I guess spying is exciting stuff.. Remember the scene in which she first met the Ghoostbloods? My heart beat as fast as hers And how she managed it, so impressive. But she grew on my right from the start, the first chapter(s) in WoK where she chased Jasnah and even though she was thoroughly intimated by the woman (rightfully so) she persisted. I loved it when her sailor-escort (I forgot his name, he cheated in a game against merchants or constables or something) asked her "you just accept it?" and that was when she took heart again and decided to buy those books to remedy her gaps in her knowledge. Sigh. Pretty impressive. The only downside she has is that it is very hard for me to understand why it is so hard to say these truths. She just has to admit what happened to herself (and her spren, granted) - how hard can that be? That requirement always makes me wonder if only "damaged" people can become lightweavers in the first place. Because for most people .. are there truth we are not telling ourselves that would be so painful to admit? Anyway.. => I do enjoy Shallan's chapters most because they are exciting, you often learn some well kept secrets and she is funny. 2. Syl My second most favorite character in the Stormlight Archives is Syl. She is such a positive influence on her surrounding that Kaladin can be very very glad that Syl picked him. I bet not all honorspren are so upbeat, smart, fashionable (after Adolin advised her), sophisticated, graceful, and cheery as Syl! 3. Rock Rock is a rock. He knows who he is and is therefore exuding a self-assurance that has a calming and positive effect on his whole crew. He is respectful towards spren (at least those who can think) and generally a very humble person with a big heart. I can't nail it down why exactly I like him better than all the other characters, and there are so many available, it just feels like Rock is someone you can depend on 100% and whenever he is mentioned in the book or is saying or doing something, I like to read it. Feel free to agree, disagree and make your own list. Looking forward to it!

Considering that he would have killed / not saved Roshone if Kaladin had not been present, I say if push comes to shove, he would kill to protect his family. But on the other hand, maybe that experience has made him even more "radical" in his pacifism, who knows. If you've read Wheel of Time, remember the Tuatha'an... Many of those have watched while their families god massacred, so.. everything is possible. Especially considering how unwelcoming he acts towards his eldest son, maybe his "familary bond" is not as highly evolved as you'd expect from someone with his pacifistic-mindset. /edit: When it comes to his plot-relevance I could easily imagine that he is the person who is able to drag Kaladin out of his (annoying) depression. One reason he is depressed might be the lacking approval of his father that he admired when he was young (maybe he still does?).

Well, to be fair Kaladin accused Shallan of being an arrogant lighteyes like all the others and brought up the shoes as an example. So he made very clear that it wasn't a harmless joke and she understood it. And now that they have talked about it, it's fine (from my point of view) when he jokes about it. If they hadn't talked about it, it would have been a different story.

Unpopular opinion? I'd like Kaladin a whole lot more if Brandon Sanderson hadn't given him a mental illness. I suspect he did it because it makes Kal seem more "human" or to make him a more "realistic" character but honestly for me all it does is the opposite. I cannot relate no matter how hard I try and I hate it when he suddenly acts so illogically (considering how intelligent he is). Sigh.. so, I said it. I know, I should be more compassionate and understanding but it annoys the hell out of me. Sorry. /edit: This "intense" Jasnah dislike in this thread surprises me. But luckily Mr. Sanderson has fleshed out so many different characters, everyone can find their own one to dislike

Hey, I hope I'm not a grave-digger when I revive my own thread! Your replies have been very interesting but mainly you have focused on my doubt that "raw human intellect" could have created the Diagram. And I see what you wrote, he thinks it was his pure genius but there might have been going on a lot more. Also I very much like @Calderis idea that the plan of the Diagram was all along to plant a ... ally that might not be an ally ... into Odiums ranks. But I do not agree with the proof you offered for that conclusion. That in hindsight some actions of the Diagram had a "positive" outcome is no proof because we don't have any certainty what might have happened without the interference with the Diagram. Also using a whole lot of people without them realizing it and hoping that they will betray the Diagram at a precisely pre-determined moment .. veeery convoluted. I'm not saying that I don't wait for the moment that the low-IQ-Taravangian with supposedly zero capacity is saving the world! Buut that the Diagram is working towards this.. whew. On the other hand, that Odium will look at the Diagram and understand it better than the humans working with it, that is probably something he would have seen coming and thus it is reasonable to assume that he didn't lay out his real plan in a "document" that can be viewed by his enemy. (that assumes he is considering Odium an opponent, what I really really hope) ---- Apart from all that, my main concern that the "rules of the Diagram" are deeply illogical were not addressed. From neither of you! Taravangian's "group" has figured out that he is not capable / trustworthy enough to make policy changes when he is too smart. Because he so obvious lacks compassion that his proposed policy changes are ... mad. But nevertheless they follow his "masterplan" that was created when he was so intelligent that (now) he wouldn't be allowed to leave his room. Isn't that an inherent contradiction?

I read most of the posts here and I think nobody referred to this sentence so far: (if I have overlooked it, I'm sorry) My first thought was: His spren has told him My second thought was: No, that can't be, he would have used stormlight in the fight against the assassin if he had a spren. And then I realized, if he had a spren it would have been a viodspren... And stormlight wouldn't do him any good. So what do you think? Has he already bonded a spren? If not, why did he suddenly stood up and glanced towards the hidden Navani?

8 days later and I am done with "The Final Empire" and ... I have more questions than before -.- But if I ask them here I might spoiler someone, sooo.... humpf. Was a pleasure to read them

Started reading Mistborn and already I met Hoid! Cooool. Hope he shows up again!

I remember that I stopped reading Mistborn III somewhere near the end because ... well ... it had gotten too "unrealistic" or far fetched or .. I don't remember the exact reason why I stopped but normally I don't stop in the middle of a book. But with this new knowledge in mind and the years apart from reading it last time I give it another shot. Today. #hyped

Holy........... macaroni. Seriously?! I have read Mistborn (the first 2 books) many years ago and that's why I was kind of.... suspicious because it felt so similar. I can't believe it I didn't realize that on my own, argh. Okay, seems I am starting with Mistborn today, I just saw that there are several new books from that series... nice And after that, Warbreaker. Oh, I am so freaking glad I registered myself in this forum

I have not. How can warbreaker be connected to Stormlight Archives? I thought there were only 3 books + the one story about Lift? *confused*