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Hey I think Ba-Ado-Mishram is honor, or at least a portion of Honor, a splinter of Honor, something that Odium corrupted, made unmade. The Sibling seemed to think that it would be be unmade if it was corrupted. BAM seems to have a link to spren becoming deadeyes as well as slave form singers, once BAM was captured in a gem. Honor and Cultivation are heavily a part of Roshar, the singers see them as gods, and they influenced spren. BAM seemingly acted like an everstorm, granding power and voidlight to the singers. Almost like a perpendicularity, think Dalinar. BAM was active while thre were no desolations. we only know about BAM actions after the death of Honour. Correct me if im wrong. I don't know if i can really ascribe any of the other unmade to Honor. But looking at the Revel unmade, i think whimsy. When i look at the Unmade that changes spren, I think cultivation. Could the unmade be corrupted splinters of other shards. I believe that Odium killed Ambition, perhaps the thrill came from Ambition. I don't think Honor will become whole again while BAM is in a gemstone, assuming Honor will become whole again. Their have been hints of the unmade influencing Shinovar. Perhaps that will lead to the gem holding BAM being rediscovered. I think book five will have at least some unmade plot in it.

I think Moash is very spiritually damaged. Hence why he cant see. shard blades burn out the victims eyes, their link to the spiritual realm has been severed. So I think hes had some sort of spirit web damage. He knows he shouldn't do the things hes doing. But any negitive emotion from those actions is stripped from him. But odium apparently cant help his spirt. Hes blind to his crimes, all that jazz. He needs to take accountability for his actions, probably, to regain his sight. I think things will go very poorly for the good guys. And when it does Odiun will have abandoned Moash. Perhaps todium will do this always. He will have all the negitive emotions of what he has done pushed upon him. And it will be too late for redemption. I honestly think hes a likely candidate to be a world hopper. Since he has no bond to a spren. And can sever his bond to the honor blade, I think. Where as most of the others are probably too heavily invested/wouldnt want to leave their spren behind? He will gather forces from other systems to fight against todium? I dont think there will be a redemption arc. Neither Zzeth or Dalinar have had redemption arcs, they're just trying to move forward.

Rock said to Kaladin he didn’t think he would see him again in this life. This leads me to think he will not be around Uruthiru and the rest of the main three characters, Kaladin, Shallan & Dalinar. Rock has a sense of duty related to his people. There definitely is a sense of a resigned heavy burden to Rock. Rock hasn’t always been honest with his crew, about his own roll in his culture. Like many of the bridge men he thought his old life was a forgone conclusion. But now he has to face judgment or justice or his fate. Rock once off handily mentioned that who ever of his people obtained a shard would essentially be king of the Horneaters. Rock did obtain shards, but he also yielded the boon he received. Perhaps out of internal conflict, the raising of a weapon to get those shards when he shouldn’t have, or he didn’t want the responsibility of becoming the king of his people. People have also theorized that rock might be the leader of his tribe after the death of his family members. Cord also mentioned that her grandmother was the watcher of pool (perpendicularly). Which seems like it would be an important position in their culture meaning family members had held postilions of importance in their tribes in the past As for becoming a bond smith, i don’t know. It seems as if the Horneaters have the capacity to make temporary bonds with spren to temporarily increase strength when rock used the shard bow. Think of a Mandra and greatshells/sky eel/chased fiend/great shell/santhid. As well as the singers. Since horneaters have Singer blood it seems their relationship with spren is more fluid. We have seen that singers can bond Radiant spren in conjunction with the spren that is currently in their gemheart, even a void spren in the case of Regals. So i assume Horneaters could become Radiants, i just don’t think this has been shown on screen. There have also been mentions by Rock and his family that there have been strange things happening at the peeks in OB. My mind keeps going back to rock not thinking that he will see Kaladin again in this life. I think Rock being at the peaks with access to the perpendicularity. He will have reason to use it. The Horneaters are children of all three shards in the Rosharn system, more than any other races probably. They aren’t fused or Radiant. They aren’t tethered to the Roshar system as radiants, fused, and shards are. I think something will happen to Roshar. Those in close proximity to those who can travel to Shadesmar, or are close to a perpendicularity or an oathgate will be the ones who survive. This event could be due to Odium and Dalinars duel, or Ryse and the dawnshard. The humans home world could be blueprint for what could happen on Roshar. Making it so that humans and singers alike would be refugees to shadesmar. Shadesmar would probably reflect the damage of Roashar. Horneaters would have to become worldhoppers. The death rattles lead me to think things are going to look pretty bleak. I don’t know.

Spren and humans bond. While bonded they progress together though the ideals. Progression through the ideals require the humans to grow, to self actualize, to challenge them self. The spren seems to grow less rigid and show more human like personality traits. Progression through the ideals is deeply personal and difficult. They have to maintain their oaths and not act against them. The people change, and the spren seem to as well. Conection between human and spren, reaching the third ideal and being able to manifest a weapon. A weapon that burns out the victims eyes. Severing their link to the spiritual realm. Once a spren is capable of being used to sever conection to the spiritual realm. The radiant breaking the bond with a spren severs the link to the spiritual realm that is provided to a spren through the conection their bond and the oaths spoken by the radient provide(spiritual trauma/wounded). The spren becoming a dead eye is a symbol of the former radiants dead oaths. A testemoney to the oaths they spoke, and thrown away. That died on their lips. Spren are invigorated by investiture. Almost how a returned needs a breath. But not quite. They are of investiture moulded and shaped by perception, human or singer perception. Other spren have been seen taking care of deadeyes. But have never had any luck in reviving them, stormlight doesn’t aid in this. Connection does, the connections and bond through the spiritual realm. Spren and Human. It’s almost like spiritual rehab. Adolin is a foil for the main characters, he is dull on his own, but shines with others. He’s like a brome(Spelling) shining with stormlight. He has this effect on Maya by doing what he has always done, been there for people. The moment Adolin saw maya i didn’t sit right with him, the reality of what his blade was made manifest. The blindness he showed to his social station and that of the Parshmen his family owned, ignored still, but resembled in this catatonic spren.

There isn’t anti investiture seen in the series as you’re thinking of it. I see it like this. There is an anti version of investiture that is made mana fest through a particular shard. Voidlight = Odium, lifelight = Cultivation. Voidlght is of Odium, Lifelight is of Cultivation. Shards are conduits to the spiritual realm. They each seem to have a distinct filter associated with them through which investiture travels through. Hence the different forms of light, storm, void, life. Odium is a candidate to the spiritual realm. That investiture expresses itself as voidlight through Odium. Odium projects his influence through the everstorm which impowers the fused. I don’t know if the everstrom picks and chooses what gems get invested. SInce the Radients don’t seem to have easy access to it. Regardless. The only way to access void light is through the everstorm. And Odium controls that. With that being sad, there would be enough voidlight in circulation to then be inverted to anti-voidlight to threaten odium, gems also do go dun. I also believe that it wouldn’t be a threat to him, since he is a source of investiture, seemingly linked to the spiritual realm, An outside force wouldn’t be able to create enough voidlight to nulify odium. And anti stormlight would work. I think Odium has used other means to Kill shards. I doubt we will see a shards power inverted on themself. Odium couldn’t used anti stromlight to hurt anyone other than him and his own forces. Though, the stone that Navani had tested earlier on, which seems like it was anti stormlight? I don’t quite remember if that was implied. Stormlight and anti stormlight and explosive apparently. Potential for explosives. The Fused dont see the war like the humans. They know that the oathpact is damaged. They are brought back to life via the everstrom now. They are in a very good position. Technical positions don’t matter to them. ITs a war of attrition that the fused will win. Odium will make more fused. Spren seem to be more finite. Anti light seems like a your enemies weapon being used against them. But with limited applications.

Elhokar. He was a great foil to Dalinars dominate personality. The way that Elhokar looked at Kaladin and questioned why people followed and respected him. He so desperately wants to be taken seriously and to be respected. But he is of privilege. He was treated with kid gloves and never moulded into a leader. Only being around the right people does he start to do the right thing. His arc to self actualize is cut short due to the ramifications of his past crimes in the form of Moash. Poetic. Jasnah is cool too. Probably because of the lack of screentime, though.

Shallan and formless Shallan doesn’t want to face hard truths or internalize potentially harmful realities that could have negative ramifications to her life. This was built from the powerlessness she felt in her childhood. Her parents were under a lot of stress, due to them both being tools things that were bigger than them. Shallans parents stress was expressed unto their children. Shallans mother seems like an ironic figure. She played with forces in hopes to shape the world. Those forces were reflected upon her in the form of her own Daughter. ANd echoed in the death of her husband. Shallan represses her own emotions and forms them into easy to handle detached witticisms cope with the day to day, so she deosn’t have to internalize. while repressing the larger traumas she has endured. Descovering her powers, her being able to change her face and the ramifications of that. A different face, a different personality to deal with things Shallan isn’t confidant or comfortable with. Vale helps Shallan cope with the anxieties of having to deal with people and manipulate them. While also being the form her negative coping mechanism manifest in, binge drinking. Vale is also represents Shallans proclivity to detach from reality with her wit, but to an extreme. SHe uses tactics to throw people off balance with her behaviour uses her words as a more honed tool than Shallan does. Shallan was a sheltered privileged light eyes, even with her traumatic past colouring it, she isn’t a street smart tough. Vale is an excuse not to feel embasressed while being in social situations she has never been in. I do not remember the name of the woman who trained Shallan in swindling people and eventually killed. But she is a woman who Shallan respected and wanted to be more like shallan admires the competence she feels she lacks herself. Radiant is a counter point to vale. She is based of the Jasnah. Shallan sees herself, more and more, as a backwater light eyes who is ill equipped to deal with a more refined culture that is presented to her. Shallan looks at Jasnah and sees her composure, her confidence in seemingly and situation, her pose, refinemnt and self assuredness and pragmatic efficiently. She tries to echo all these Qualities in Radient when she feels she’s incompetent or ill suited to a situation. When she feels like a child in a room of adults, as she must have felt through the majority of her childhood. Radient is the one who takes responsibility, is the motherly figure that cope with all the things she feels others see her as too much of a child to deal with. Formless is the byproduct of the growing tensions between the three main personals. Vale and Radiant were tools. Shallan grew to lean on them too much each as a coping mechanism. More and more she used them less as the tools as they were crafted to be, and more as an escape from reality. They were made to be tools to allow her to functions in situations she felt anxiety around. WIth those tools though, she never had to face those aspects of life and grow. More and more the tools became more like crutches. She didn’t make decisions on her own, she needed a consensus of the personas to act, adding more barriers between Shallan asd reality. Shallan has made layers around her so she deosn’t have to deal with aspects around her directly. Through RoW Vale is attempted to train Shallan and not holding her had that she will be able to cope. Shallan at some level wants to be able to experience reality but is afraid of what that means for her. Much like Kaladin had to learn that he wants to protect, but can’t help everyone, he can’t help everything external to him, he needed to internalize that. Shallan needs to cope with the external judgments of other, and her internalizations of them, and not crumble and fracture into personas as a coping mechanism. Formless is the reaction to the indecision she has made around her with the two other personals. She made a escape rout if reality ever becomes too hard for her one that strips her of any hesitation or self doubt or self reflection. Formless is the abandonment of all indecision and self doubt, the self destructive path Moash took in the form of a persona. The other path availed is to actually look at your past and internalize it and try to move on, much as Dalanar is trying to do, what Moash refuses to do. Formless referred to being as male by Shallan I assume is due to her father brutal nature but love of Shallan. Her father was a brutal and callous man. But he was decisive and protected Shallan. Her father tried his hardest to strip the people around him of their autonomy. As formless does to Shallan. Formless talks with a cold belittling detachment to Adoline and Pattern. Formless takes all Indecision away to protect Shallan, as any of her persons are methods of self southing and defence. It is a reaction to the indecision the trio face, the trio is a system so that things can be delt with, not for them to also be further agonized upon in inaction and deliberation. Her tools are working, so she manifests a new one. I also find myself thinking back to when Shallan killed the woman Vale is based on. Her decisive demeanour and commanding tone and presence. I would like to know what others think of this, whatever this is.

I find the similarities between the Heralds and Fused interesting. I assume the Fused existed before the Heralds were made immortal/creation of the oathpact. I'm going to assume a non trivial amount of fused have lost their mind. As have the heralds, in their own way, perhaps it's the differences between Singer and Human. This makes me wonder if Hoid will eventually unravel.

Shardblades burn out their victims eyes. Their connection to the spiritual realm is severed. Spren are beings of the cognitive and are granted a link to the spiritual through their bond with a humans. Perhaps their oaths being broken is like traumatic wound to what soul they are lent through their bond to the spiritual realm via a radiant bond. And that's why Moash is blind. Because his spirit is dead or deeply wounded through his actions and his in ability to take responsibly for his actions and have personal responsibility. Self actualization, which is what the Radients oath system is, essentially.

I dont know if Sanderson would use the melding of of shards again. Though it would be fitting if he did, since Odium fears becoming something other than itself. Honor is splintered. So I dont know if it could meld with Odium. If anything it would be a Odium mixed with a sliver of honour. Would that temper odium? I dont know. Cultivation is also a player in this. But I think a melding of Odium and Cultivation would be worse than Odium and Honour.

There are also many different languages on Roshar. The singer's/fused have their own language. I dont know if I'm being pedantic. I dont think sapien spren existed before humans migrated to Roshar. But I'm also not sure if humans did or didnt have spren on their home planet. Roshar always did since singers use them symbiotically to function.

We have shardblades represented as dead eyes in the cognitive realm. Shardblades are sapien radiant spren. Shardplate does not manifest in the cognitive realm. It's made of lesser non sapien spren. Soulcasters are represented as small closed eyes, unresponsive spren. Not dead eyes. This leads me to believe their sapien, as they manifest like blades and unlike plate. There lack of scratched out eyes lead me to think they arent necessarily a radiant spren. Or their weren't necessarily betrayed. The only other unique spren I can think of, are the oath gate spren. I dont think they are related though. This begs the question what happens if you take a spren captured in a gem I to shadesmar what happens? Do fabrial work in shadesmar? I cant think of an example of them being used. Singers/fused can enter the cognitive realm, and they do have captured spren in their gem heart. This leads me to believe that captured spren would still be in a gem in shadesmar.

The children I can think of. Kaladins brother The rightful heir of Alethcar That Child in one of the interludes that wants to be a radiant . The death rattle relating to 3 of the 16. The only broken one out of the shards in the Rosharn system are Cultivation, Odium and Honour. Honour being the only broken one. There is potential that Cultivation or Odium will change hosts And that the vessel could be Odium. Moash, he is a being of pain. He could be a prime vessel for Odium. He is, also broken.

Renarin definitely has something going on. His illness pre spren bond seemed suspicious to Kaladin. Could be potential external factors at play, such as cultivation/nightwatcher/odium/heritage. Also, the meaning oh his name was brought up in OB. "Like one who was born unto himself " That could be a hint. A potential re birth, or coming into himself. Post spren bond, Renarin was shown when the everstorm would occur. He was shown his own death. Renarin death not occuring brought to tears to him, realizing that the future wasnt set. The way I see it. Renarin has a limited version of Odiums futuresight through his bond with his spren. His spren was remade via an unmade, which is a creation/agent/extension of Odium. The usage of Odiums own power from could create a potential nullification of Odiums own power where Renarin phyiscal location and odiuns influence intersect. Hence why a few people are shown to be obscured to Odium. Its Odiums fault, essentially. Odiums hubris. Its ironic since he has future sight and yet managed to obfuscate it.

Adolin shines with his interactions with others. He is left dull on his own. Over all I like Adolin. Even though he now has a chip on his shoulder, it fits though, because he acts like a chip to the radiant around him, and seems to be as cheap as one too. His murder of Sadious still feels vaguely glossed over and as if it hasnt paid off. Now that everyone in the Sadious camp is taken care of, the only tention of Sadiouses death comes with his interactions with Dalinar. Dalinar seems to be blind to the journey of other people's. He has gone through his own and his interactions with his son are tone deaf and hypocritical. I hope this resolves. I like Adolin. But I feel as if Elend was shattered into two characters, Adolin and Renarin. Adolin is Elend, switch the scholory nature with fashion, throw in new tention with Dalinar, bamboo, Adolin. Renarin is Elends bookestness and self doubt in extreme.

I enjoyed RoW. Not as much as the previous books. I'm looking forward to book five and looking at the first five books of the ten as a whole. I'm speaking to the issues I ran I to with OB & RoW. I enjoyed WoKs all the way threw. Every POV. I find Shallans POV to be underrated in WoK. WoR built very well upon the foundation of WoK. Kaladin integrating into the military. Shallan exploring her abilities. The continued exploration and implication of Dalinars visions and novice political maunverings. I personally enjoyed the exploration of Uruthiru in OB. Even though I have my issues with it. I dont have an issue with the length. and I am captivated by the world of the Stormlight archive. I am not bored or uninterested with these books, I wouldn't read them if that were the case. You mentioned compensation. I disagree with the sentiment. And this is my main issue. I am interested in what's happening in the book. It's how it's being told to us that is the issue, Not what's being told. I dont believe a nice set peice at the end counts as a satisfying payoff if it comes at the cost, IE "compensate" for what you call the boring parts. I dont think it is boring. I just think it's an issue with how its presented. I dont expect something bigger and better than the last. I want a compelling and entertaining narrative. Not one that frustrates and gets in it's own way. Sure, subjectivity and personal preference will always be used as an an excuse to smooth out the creases. These issues I point out by no mean ruin the book or make it unredeamable, it makes me anticipate the 5th book to see how these built up plot threads are treated. But I can still be critical and point out the pain points that people are having with RoW. I wouldn't agree that the story hasnt advanced since RoW. One could point out that the weight of what happened at the end of WoR as the last large development. But stories vary in scope. Every book has served a purpose to the series as a whole. WoKs was completing to me and its scope wasnt massive it set things up. WoR built on it and set the stakes to the highest point in the series, I'd argue. OB set the stage for the conflict between Odium and the radiants. RoW only introduced anti-light and set up for the fifth book.

Try not to hate Moash. If he could, he would hate himself more than anyone. The comparisons between Zzeth, Dalinar and Moash are interesting to me. Dalinar was war incarnate. The epitome of might making right, until it backfired on him causing him to spiral. Hitting rock bottom after the death of his brother knowing he needed to step up to the plate. Szeth committed atrocity, all the while placing the blame on those who held his stone. He has been the tool of others. Once he is free, he is lost and puts his life in the hands of Dalinar, a man who much like Szeths has crumbled a kingdom beneath his will. Moash is still on his path. Much like Dalinar and Szeth has killed leaders. Moashs wrongs arent under the guise of either war or being truthless. They are personal and motivated by the wrongs committed to those he loved, perpetrated by a corrupt imperfect system. Moash, is what Kaladin realistically could have been. Moash is the inverse of Kaladin. They both went down seperate forks in the road. Kaladin struggled and chose his path and continues down it. He has bridge four, his family, and the friendship of Adolin and Shallan. Most importantly, Sill. He stumble but keeps walking his steep path. Moash, after the attempt on the king is alienated. His tenuous connections to the diagram are cut short. The skills Kaladin taught him allow him to survive what killed his companions. He is alone. Doing menual labor so he doesnt have to think about what has transpired. He is the outsider. He is offered absolution. Hes already tumbling down his path, he decideds to compound it. He is a tragic figure. He had his revenge twice over as RoW starts. And yet is meaningless. He is a husk. He was stripped of the emotions that made him even want revenge. Yet he continues down a path aimlessly, because the climb back of his downward path is too steep. He has nothing. He has done far less than Szeth and Dalinar. But has fallen much further than either. Neither Dalinar, nor Szeth have had redemption. There is none. Nor for Moash. While Dalinar can accept what he has done, and Szeth is willing to try. Moash has thrown off the bondage of responsibility. Moash can only fall further or stop being blind to the responsibility of his actions. Things to consider Dead eyes dont have eyes. He killed a spern capable of being a shard blade. Taravangain is now Odium, moash is under Odiuns influence. This probably doesnt work chronologically. Or, hes blind to his personal responsibility. I think Moash has the most potential for his arch.

After completing RoW something didn’t sit right for me. That feeling wasn’t going away. This was my attempt in distilling how i felt into something coherent regarding ex thoughts and feelings surrounding RoW and to a lesser extent OB. I have seen people with negative opinions with RoW and those who praise it. I see the good and it, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I hope this can be something of a bridge of the two camps. Expect spoilers. TLDR START Foreshadowing is not a bad thing. It’s a delicate balance is required. For example, don’t believe many people could have been surprised by Kaladin swearing the fourth ideal. It’s very clearly laid out in the Knights Radiant/magic system and intrinsic to Kaladins character growth. In contrast the lack of foreshadowing can be very detrimental to an experience. The pendulum of OathBringer and Rhythm of War. I would argue that the problem with Oathbringer was the seeming aimlessness of Kaladin traveling through an occupied land, followed by the sudden shift to Kolinar. Once arriving to Kolinar tensions slowly build with a large crescendo of things going poorly, at its peak. Poof. You’re in shadesmar. The pacing, the expectations, the narrative, reset. Expectations not only subverted but abandoned. There is no goal, in and of its self, to being in Shadesmar. The wonder of what it could be is overshadowed by what happened in Kolinar. Shadesmar is only a means to an end, an obstacle to overcome. The characters want to get back home and get back in the action, to get to Dalinar. The reader know things are Building at Thaylan City. Shadesmar was hinted on mysteriously ever since the first book. Ideally shadesmar would have been introduced less abruptly and they would have a goal with in it. Like what happened in RoW. On the swing side. Rhythm of War almost seems like the inverse of Oath bringer. Include whatever anti-light pun you need to. Where as OB had an issue with aimless. RoW has an issue with uncomplicated/straight forward plot points and set up. The Sibling nodes The repetitive nature of Kaladins arch with visions from multiple people, the repetitive nature of Kaladins arch bleeds into Navanis arc as well. Shallan and Adolin going to Lasting integrity. A mostly Glossed over war that the stakes never felt too highwith Dalinar, Renarin and Jasnah. Plot points were laid out, and were then followed threw with. In retrospect It feels like you were cheated Out of the journey, even though the Destinations, the payoffs were powerful and well done. . There is always tension, and fear that things wont go to plan. But the problem with RoW is, it largely did what it told you it would. I enjoyed the first 2 books. I enjoyed book 3 more upon a second read in anticipation for RoW. RoW seems like a contradiction of the knighted radians mantra. Journey before destination. To me RoW seems like destination over the journey. TLDR OVER This was my attempt to crystallize my thoughts in full. The tldr is the distilled version. Kaladin Kaladin being relieved of duty was an impactful scene. Kals following internal conflict is well done and believe able. I found Tefts following him an awkward choice, Though I think its in character of Teft, sine he’s grown, it’s just a curve ball to me. Kaladins friction with his father is well done. Kaladins desire to help those who are like him is touching, I feel as if I would read a book just on Kaladins reformation of how mental illness is treated. The initial invasion was exciting. From there, it goes down hill For me. Occupation stories are a narrative slump for me. This is compounded by the plot points.The repetitive nature of Kaladin having to run to a node and destroy it as a delaying action for the seemingly inevitable. Kaladins defining characteristics are his god/persecution complex, his blaming himself. His need to protect and punishing himself if fails himself or others. That’s well and good, and can be interesting to read about, this mans navigation of his short comings, him standing in the way of himself. Nagivating and overcoming an internal struggle, or failing, in the case of Moash. Ultimately maturing as a person. I believe it was handled well, until a point. When Kaladin is confronted in the clinic by the fused, Urutheru and the node muguffins Issue. The mystery surrounding the spanread Navani receives, and who was on the other end was interesting. Dabid having screen held a lot of potential ad it payed off well. The last ditch defence of the tower is well done. Navani Rising to the occasion. Kaladins internal struggle of wanting to defend the only way he’s know how to for years, juxtaposed to his fathers level headed long term approach to the situation. The invasion had one of my favourite interactions between characters in the book. This a interaction frustrations me in retrospect. A dark eyes man promoted beyond what until recently tradition allow for. A queen taking up martial defence and responsibilities. The brief interaction they had was really wonderful. And soon after the dark eyes man Sarcrafices himself.. Perhaps I only like him because of lost potential and perhaps that is why it’s impactful to me. The introduction the Fused Raboniell was done will. The interactions of leshwi, Robonial and the pursuer in Kolinar was an interesting to subvert readers expectations of how Raboniell would behave. The interactions between Raboniell and Navani were great. The Manipulation, the damned if you do, damned if you don’t aspect was well done. Raboniell really carries Navanies viewpoints. I could have done without a lot of the anti-light or it could have been cut down. I don’t mean to be too harsh, but it felt somewhat myopic in some aspects the word technobable comes to mind. I enjoyed the interactions Nevani and Raboniell had. And navani coming to accept that she had underestimated herself, that she is capable. I am very aware of the implications, cosmire wide, of an anti-light/anti-investiture/nullification. Ultimately, it serves as set up for book five. The sibling reluctance and trust issues are understandable. IT is an interesting entity. I don’t know if the way it was introduce was handled well. I liked the spanread and all that. And the Dabid who doesn’t speak finally having a roll to play in things. I feel like the occupation hinders so many aspects of this book. The stakes are high , but at the same time it almost feels formulaic. Kaladins steadfastness to what task even though it get’s more and more challenging is harrowing. As a whole, his arch felt like it was too spread out. I understand that it could be seen as his decent into depression, no matter what you do, things not getting better, but always having to preserver for those around you, if you can’t feel good, you can strive to make those around you feel good. With Kaladins bread and butter powers stripped of him, he if forced to adapt and use the tools navani had crafted as well as his powers of adhesion and reverse lashings. This could have been far more interesting. Most of this seemed as if Kaladin was just stumbling, but somehow able to carry on. I don’t know if the decapitation scene makes up for that.Having to be reminded every time a node was destroyed that kaladins grasp on his remaining abilities as well as his abilities to heal slowed each time, was too repetitive. If this was meant to renforece that his mental and physical state were become in more & more similar, I get that. It just didn’t work for me. In some ways I feel this is the inverse of my issue with OB and the Kolinar arc, being unexpectedly transported to Shadsmar. That was too abrupt and left the readers at a lost of what the new goals in this reset of naritive were. With the nodes, you have a far too simplistic understanding of what to expect from Navani and Kaladins arcs. You already know where the peaks of actions will be. Sure, you don’t know in exacting detail,. But you already know the plot point, and the rest is filler. In conjunction of the node problem there Is Kaladins Outside manipulations. Stoping to think about it, Kaladin is influenced telepathically at the very least 4 times. Once by Witt. Twice by Dalinar. At muliple times by Moash, every time he slept essentially. That’s adds up, I’m not going to go back to count, I feel it’s as least 6 times. I understand that it’s possible to send visions in the storm light archives, I understand that’s possible to communicate through them. Damn, that was Dalinars bit, Kaladin stole and ran with it. If I didn’t have a problem with it with Dalinar, why now? I think it’s because there is far less mystic to these visions and communications. They were a focal point, a fulcrum, a mystery one mans sanity being questioned. A mans burden, then what eventually brought together nations. Moash influencing Kaladins dreams is very repetitive and seems somewhat cliche with the tone of the dreams/visions that Kaladin experiences. I understand Moash understands Kaladin and knows what strings to strum to run him down. And this is a subversion of earlier use of visions in the storm light archive, which were a naritive device used as foreshadowing and world building. The stormfather gave people visions. Moash give Kaladin visions thanks to odium. Hoid hijacks one and gives Kaladin a pep talk though the guise of a story. You can compare Kaladins reaction to this story to the first and get a good idea of Kaladins emotional sate. Even though it is a touching interaction between Hoid and Kaladin, the repeated use of visions and conveniences that are associated with it really put a damper on this scene. Dalinar rides the highstorm thanks to the Storm father. Dalinar dose this out of suspicion of the security Urutheru. Dalinar sore over the tower and it seems somewhat suspicious to him. He catches a glimps of Kaladin and wrestles with the storm father to assist Kaladin to safety. Kaladin is also able to communicate that the tower has been compromised. This was far too convenient. This convenience is compounded by it happening a second time near the end of the book. Kaladin jump off the tower to save his father that was plummeting. Kaladin has no hope of saving his father or living. Luckily, they are currently in a highstorm and Dalinar is riding it. He cannot save. Him this time, but he has to try something, he induces a vision. This vision was beautiful. The selflessness and kindness of Kaladins brother. Bring together those who were scared like him and put on a strong face and comforted his comrades before they were cut down. Kaladins being able to speak to his brother and finally accepting that he can’t save everyone, and people, much as he continually has done, will make their choices. He has to live with his limitations and accept others choices. This was a very touching moment. Unfortunately the way in which we reached this moment feels hallow, and frustratingly convenient. The moment Kaladin is able to speak the fourth ideal, and Dalanar accepting is was long awaited moment. We knew it was coming. Kaladin had come so close to losing everything, but pulls up before he meets the ground, with his father in hand. Even now it is a powerful moment. The end result was satisfying, the anticipation and expectation of finally learning more about radiant armour and seeing it utilized. The end result was satisfying. Not the build up. The constant use of visions and mental manipulations. The repetitive nature of the siblings nodes defence. The fact we knew the plot points before having read a good chunk of the book Journey before destination. Though, this book feels like the journey was secondary to the destinations that were reached. This problem is pervasive through the book. It is a reaction to book three, as I see it.. Plot points are introduced and essentially layout what the reader can expect. There’s always the potential that things wont go as they should and a subversion will happen the tension is there. But more or less, it happens as expected. Setup, shallan has been ordered to go to Lasting Integrity in Shadesmar by the Ghost blood to kill a Harold. Aedolen is tasked with convincing the Honour spren to join forces with them so they can gave more windrunnders. Hickups happen. But they do arrive at Lasting Integrity. The Harold is found, isn’t killed, and ends up being the judge of Adolins trial. I assume that Mayas outburst assured that the honour spren will join the radiants. Setup Urutheru is under occupation. The fused are after the sibling, they want to corrupt the sibling with void light which will let them control the tower.There is a contingency measure in place. A force field is erected around the sibling.The catch is that there are 3 nodes that the are hidden. The fused are looking to corrupt the sibling through the nodes with void light. Kaladin has to destroy these nodes, with the aid of the Sibling and Navanim, as a delaying tactic once the nodes are discovered by the Fused. There are three targets, but this could been subverted, but all three nodes were a part of the plot. Setup The war being waged by Dalinar, Jasnah, Renarin, and the Mink. This is set up. And then is mostly background dressing and something for these characters to do. I appreciated the Jasnah chapter on the battle field.. But that’s about it. These are two examples of far too much setup. Too much setup leads to it feeling like filler. I can even mention how Anti-light was discovered, and how it is set up for he next book. How the interaction between Dalinar and the bond smith Harold is setup for book five. Shinovar is also very heavily foreshadowed to be in book five. As well as the ominous ten days. Unexpected and not spoon fed. Taravangains arch. Him becoming the vessel for the shard of Odium. Cultivation felt under utilized until I realized in this book that she appeared to Dalinar, Lift and Taravangain. I was curious about how much of Terovangian mental state was random, or how much of it was dictated by Cultivation herself. Cultivation using Taravangain. Cultivation allowing Dalinar to remember his past in OB. And the jury is still out on Lift. Hoid and Taravangains interaction is very ominous and speaks of things to come. I initially felt as if Hoid was more of an observer and wasn’t. This is a great subversion.