Master Silver

If Cultivation reveals that Taravangian is the new Odium, there is a world where Dalinar seeks to negotiate with him and decides to trust him over Cultivation. In this case, especially if he has lost everything (all three fronts and the contest), Dalinar may decide to be the avatar of the new Shard, War (assuming Taravangian picks up Honor). Ironically, this is what Noadon decided in The Way of Kings vision. A time for the sword. How would the umade The Thrill change if it were of Honor and Odium? Another interesting thing from the chapters is this foreshadowing that Gavinor wants to play swords with his grampa. The contest would be an opportunity.

Also, it is worth noting that perhaps Hoid keeps lots of breaths somewhere else. So maybe he only has 200 or so on him at a time. Breath is very expensive but he probably has a cave filled with gold or something. Also, is it possible to use the investiture from a different magic system to fuel biochromatic commands?

It seems like somehow they end up destroying the planet with surges. How? Also, can the Storm Father be killed? Is the Everstorm going to develop a spren? What ever happened to Rayse Cognative shadow? +

Valor and Vigilance sound like virtues, therefore good guys. But doesn't take much to twist them to Fool-hardiness and Paranoia. In terms of the original post. I think it is fair to think that Taravangian may actually be right and the good guy. I mean yes, he betrayed his allies, but like Dalinar, he knew that ultimately if Honor could not defeat Odium, the Radiants sooner or later would lose. So, Mr. T being a man of logic decided that saving one city was better than losing everything. The Shin people may have made that same bargain long ago, but instead of a city it was a small country. Ultimately Taravangian defeated Odium, but Odium isn't the true problem in the Cosmere. The true problem is people with extreme amounts of power being ruled by one divine attribute. One last thing, I know that in general, we talk about Odium's main attribute being hatred, but somewhere, maybe in Oathbringer it spoke about it really being divine wrath. I think there is a huge difference between the two. Perhaps Rayes tried to twist the intent of the Shard so it became Passion, with an overarching theme of hatred. Divine wrath also has a sense of justice and also mercy for the oppressed attached to it. The problem becomes, that if everything stirs up the Shards divine wrath everyone should be rightly terrified including other Shards, thus the wrath of god needs to be balanced by mercy and compassion, just like Ruin needed to be balanced by Preservation. Although thinking about our friend Harmony, what he really needs is to add the shard of Cultivation so that He can grow and not be locked in a static balancing act.

That is interesting. When you consider splitting power. Brandon has said that the Shards are roughly equal in power and have essentially infinite investiture. They are all Almighties. But we also know that Harmony is technically stronger because he holds two shards but this also limits him in other ways. It is interesting to think about whether more power limits the shards or if it was done in a different way if it would grant freedom. For instance, what if someone picked up both Honor and Autonomy? We know Honor + Odium = War, but a war on hunger or poverty would not be bad. Just some random thoughts.

And Kaladin said goodbye to them. A very scary thought but too much evidence against it.

For this vote/ poll I consider a draw a win for Odium. First one to fall off or leave the tower dies. This keeps the Bondsmith in Urithiru for the next 20 years

So... about Shallan's plate. She is not a reliable narrator. I think this plate seems a little off. Maybe wind spren are more elegant, but they fit Kaladin seamlessly. The way these spren were first described made me think they might be Testament's creation spren because of how clumsy they are and they seem super excited, like they were abandoned for 8 years and finally picked up again). Testament is confirmed not to be a dead eye anymore (because she worked on the oath gate). Shallan mentions that she has said many truths and has no clue which one gave her the plate. Two blades, two sets of plate, and she can now make a real shardbow.

I think you hit it spot on when you discuss the feel of The Way of Kings, and the epic ending of Words of Radiance. In some ways leaving so many mysteries and introducing new ones forced Brandon to do this. On the other hand, with Shallan and Adolin, there was no grand pause, before the chaos. There chapters would have fit much better (in my humble opinion) at the end of Rhythm of War. Part of that would be Shallan swearing two ideals in such close succession would have been unexpected. Then the reveal at the end with army gives us a grand pause (the end of the book). Same thing with Kaladin. His moments of respite are welcomed and needed before the plunge, but having the Rhythm of War end with him and Szeth on the platform ready to take off also lends itself to a grand pause. Kaladin's interaction with Wit, could almost have been in the postlude. Maybe these things would have made RoW worse and made it feel like the book dragged at the end, but it might have made Wind and Truth better. Thoughts?

Do you remember that conversation between Dalinar and Taravangian on who do you hang if there are three men. Two innocent and one murderer. Taravangian says hang all three, Dalinar says you must imprison all three. We know Taravangian will kill children. We know Dalinar won't unless they are in a city and he is consumed by the Thrill. So is Dalinar having to admit Taravangian was right, and kill a child satisfying enough for him. He gets 1000 years to learn about his powers and gets to say I told you so and I win and saved everyone. On the other hand, if Dalinar loses Taravangian wins. And if it is a draw, and Dalinar waits 20 years the war gets to keep going. (I know others have said this theory about a child). But it would be so Dalinar to let the child grow up before dueling them. The we would have a 70 year old Dalinar vs a 20 year old Regal.

Yeah the prose in this book seem a little canned. But the amount of material Brandon puts out is insane. I am sure if he published half as much, everything would be 10-15% better, part of that would be polish and being able to take time to get it just right, but part of it would also be us appreciating him more. He has published so much we can guess at what is going to be said. We just know his writing style so well. He is the most transparent author I know of, and I would not give that up. If Lord of the Rings is my 100% then I would say Stormlight Archives ranges from 65-85% (I think I like Rhythm of War the least). The Inheritance Cyle by Paolini for me would be like 70-80%. I'd give Dawn of Wonder by Renshaw a 90%, but that is one book a decade. In other words, would it be worth it to have Oathbringer coming out this year if it meant the series was a 80-95% for all books? I am just very grateful for the work by Sanderson. Also, the Audio books help soften some of the canned prose. Finally, I think these sample chapters are much improved compared to their original counterparts. Cheers

Sanderson loves symmetry, especially in the Rosharan system. Ten orders of KR, each with two surges. Two Shards on the side of the KRs. Two Bondsmiths directly related to those Shards. One child so to speak created of both, the Sibling. But then you also have the unmade, who were once more like the Nightwatcher, powerful and rather Unique spren that were unmade by Odium. My guess is that since Roshar was originally created by Adonasium, there were 16 unique spren that were paired off so to speak. Depending on if you include the Sibling in this count, we know of 11 or 12. The Wind would make 13. But then there are also the gods of stone and likely gods of water that we don't know of. One awesome thing that I think could be done with captured Unmade, is to remake them, and then have KRs bond them. Although, you could make the argument that none of these greater spren are as they were created by Adonasium, because they were created from his investiture which was not simply of Honor or Cultivation or Odium but all of them. So, these spren, including the Storm Father were all changed by being invested by a particular Shard. So to remove Odium's influence and saturate them with honor likely would not return them to how they were, they would simply be on team Honor and less dangerous.

what if that The Way of Kings, is part of the death rattle. So Kaladin drops the way of kings. Picks it up. There is the fallen title. There is more to say on that, but likely the wrong thread for it.

So in terms of experience, Kaladin was much newer to his powers than Szeth. Neither one of them had fought another surge binder. I do believe Szeth could heal so long as the "soul" of the limb was not severed by the Sylbalde. This is a couple years later. Szeth has more experience and a Knight Radiant of the third ideal. Both have more experience in fighting surge binders. But I think it is safe to say Kaladin has improved more, has a deeper bond with his spren, and as others have said is just more naturally gifted, especially in the air. If this was hand to hand, Szeth wins, but you can't really disarm a Radiant, at least not in the type of duel we are talking about. Not only that, but the story seems to imply that Kaladin was better and remains one of the few that can put Szeth down if necessary.

I really hope that Brandon doesn't do a this is my truth for Shallan's last ideal. Her journey has been about not escaping from reality and that would seem to undo it.

what about a Rhyshadium in living plate. Seems like a good use for a spare set

but these creation spren are really in the Physical realm and are manifesting in the cognitive realm.

I think that the beads that are helping her are creation spren that can manifest as what she needs. The living armor from Radiants seems to have unique secondary properties. Like Kaladin's protecting others. So perhaps this is what makes them OP in Shadesmar.

I agree with that completely. In a duel, Kaladin wins. Honestly, I think Words of Radiance showed that Kaladin has an edge even over Dalinar, when it is plate, blade, and lashings. So best Duelists/warrior/killer, Heralds.... gap...Kaladin>Szeth>Blackthorn>Adolin>Dalinar. If this were who would you want to withstand a seige, I think Jasenah. Soul casting for the win. If it is who do you want to be an assassin, Shallan. Best general for a pitched battle, Dalinar>Adolin>Kaladin>Jasenah. Best monarch.. Jasenah>Dalinar>Adolin (even though he is unhappy)>Kaladin. Best leader Dalinar or Kaladin it keeps flip-flopping.

Youn know with the end of RoW, I was wondering if the Unmade might be remade. Even though the war has now reached a mutually assured destruction phase I think team Honor/Dalinar/Kaladin/Radiant, could claw back some ancient defeats, like making the umades mades again. Also, team Listener sitting out of the war is a big blow to Odium. The Listeners could essentially be the counter part to the Shin (who as I understand it are neutral). But I have a feeling that someone is going to destroy the world.

Do we get to see the back of the cover?

I agree, but I think the big reveal is what everyone has guessed. That Shallan killed her mom who was a Herald.

Radiants can have two spren. Maybe Ryshadium can become radiant-ish, but for horses.

There is a poem I love reading to my kids. It is called The Fly Away Horse. Maybe a Ryshadium can bond a Sky Eel and sprout wings. If humans can attract spren, Ryshadium ought to be able to too.

I think that this must be at least oath number four. Life before death... then I am terrified. Followed by: I killed my father. Followed by: I killed my mother. Followed by I killed my spren. What we heard today. But it is possible that she has re-sworn the truth she told to Testament. This truth was a deeper fuller truth, something a child is more likely to do. So I think she is at 4 with Pattern and 2 with Testament. Shallan also seems to have reincorporated Radiant (ironically because Radiant wasn't capable enough). Other things that we found out. Kaladin didn't write this book. Syl is growing as a person. And I am convinced that Reshadium are going to grow wings. Adolin being an edge dancer without oaths and riding a Pegasus would be well earned.