The Stick

I think there was some reference of the some part of the kite story going into isles of the emberdark.

Yes, they all seem more like feeling things.

I would have to disagree. By the end, Vin most definitely wants to utterly destroy Ruin, which is what she does. And that also brings up the question of why the power did not reject her for attacking Ati and Ruin.

You cannot have my pain.

Another option could be to just release Odium from Roshar. This would make him a Cosmere wide problem for the other Shards. He could make Taravangian swear to abandon Roshar. This makes other Shards get involved, and avoid the Gavilar choice, and avoid being Taravangian's puppet.

Well, the only other canon Show Del name is Uli Da. This sounds plausible.

Obviously, Nightblood did a lot this book. Szeth pulling him at the end was so epic. He now knows all the Surges, which is just crazy. I would not think that is possible for him to learn. When Vasher meets him again, I am sure he will be terrified. Now, Nightblood is basically an upgraded Yelig Nar in sword form you can use to disintegrate other people. Kal telling Nightblood to stop eating them was weird, maybe Nightblood is learning self control. Nightblood in the CR was interesting. It makes sense though. He is extremely Invested, which would make him glow in the CR. Finally, I am not sure if this is a retcon. I was under the impression that Nightblood destroyed your spiritual aspect and stopped you from going to the beyond, which was contradicted this book. Any thoughts?

I liked a lot of the book, but I had a couple of mixed thoughts. Everything in Shinovar was pure gold. Sure, the monasteries did get a little repetitive, but bringing in Nale kept things excited. I think Kaladin's arc and ideal were great. I also think Szeth's arc was wonderful. His flashbacks were good, and he grew a lot as a person. I am happy to hear was survived and married, even if he was a total idiot to reject his bond. I did have a couple of issues with Ishar as the voice. Like, why not just Chemoarish, and why did the crystal spike torture happen? Crystallury? Vasher: I know he only appears twice, but it does a great job explaining what is going on for him. It makes sense people want his "massive" storage of breaths, presumably tenth heightening, and is a cool callback to War breaker. I think that him training Lift in book 6 will be priceless. Jasnah and Thaylen City: I don't feel very strongly on this arc either way. What I can say is that I think that Jasnah absolutely has this coming to her. You can't out utilitarian Taravangian. I love how Taravangian just brought up the lesson to Shallan, and the contract on Aesudan. I think this does a decent job setting her up second half. Shattered Plains: I felt both good and bad about this. It gave Sigzil a good chance to shine. I think the Venli stuff was pretty pointless, but it was a good move. I feel terrible for Leyton, goodbye. Moash is an absolute horrible person, he doesn't deserve a redemption arc. Also, I was disappointed we did not see devastating once. The focused ones were cool, and I thought El would end up being a devastating one but clearly not. Azir: I am normally an Adolin hater. He just does not appeal to me. However, I really liked Azir this book. I think it was quite well written, and the Taln and Ash part was epic. Shallan, Rlain, Renarin, BAM, and Ghostbloods: None of this was very moving to me. Shallan's arc was already over last book, nothing happened in this one. Plus they pulled out Chana Davar for a bit, then it came to nothing. This entire line could have been cut, and nothing would really have changed except potentially the ending with a free BAM. Navani and Dalinar pre Ending: I thought that this was really cool. It all makes decent sense, and closes up all the big events of history before the first arc. I still think someone could have like, you know, told them some of this. Stormfather acts so difficult at so many points in the series, then bends over backwards to Dalinar. I think the Tanavast lore was all cool, and gives a good idea of what went on across the Cosmere. Valor is definitely going to have a big role in the future of the Cosmere. I was a little disappointed with the power rejecting Tanavast just because he broke an oath and sealed BAM. Kelsier was an atrocious vessel for Preservation, and it did not drop him. Leras knifed Elend, but the power liked him. The Ending plus Hoid: The Mink scene was hilarious, but needed way more time, and it still had no resolution. The whole Hoid and Rysn scene was not well enough explained. I don't really get was he was trying to do. The Sigzil and Hoid section was pretty good. It set up Sunlit man, and gave another Dawnshard Command. I did not love the ending very much. By the ending, all of the endings to the arcs were pretty good except to Dalinar's and the contest. Dalinar renouncing his Oaths was totally idiotic, and he murdered the Stormfather for no reason. I think the Nohadon segment was good, except for the weird nascent Honor personality, which made no sense. However, the whole Gavinor thing was just not good at all. It was just a conglomeration of bad ideas. Now sure, that is a hard decision for Honor as Dalinar to make. But he had 3 perfectly good options. One, he could kill Gav. This would obviously be terrible, but would not necessarily be bowing to Taravangian. Second would be being a slave to Taravangian, which is bad, but would preserve Gav and some other things. Finally, he could fight Odium. I don't get how that would even have destroyed the planet. I mean, we saw plenty of clashes between Ruin and Preservation, both the minor Kelsier clashes and the Vin clash. But those Intents, which are even more diametrically opposed, did not do any damage. But beyond that, that would destroy the planet, but would at least handle Odium. Dalinar singlehandedly chose the worst option. He essentially destroyed the planet through the new storm, and he destructing of Roshar's ecosystem, the outcome of plan 3. He gave Taravangian an immortal general to lead his armies in the form of the Blackthorn, plan 2, and he also kicked the can down the road like plan one did. He did not solve the problem, he just made it other people's problems, as per plan 1. I mean, how did he think giving Taravangian more power was a good idea, and how would that help Honor to become more than oaths. Navani in a coma was fine. I think setting up an invulnerable Urithiru and saving Navani in a back half pocket is fine. Hoid having cell cultures to resurrect was totally hilarious. I can just imagine him popping up to Retribution and saying, "Oh yeah, you thought you killed me?". Ultimately, it was a good book, and Shinovar was storming wonderful, but the ending just did not stick the landing. 7/10. My ranking is as follows. Oathbringer WoK RoW WaT WoR

This is a really crackpot theory, but I think that Dalinar will kill the Stormfather, either intentionally or accidentally. We know the SF is now playing his own game for the most part, plus, he has secrets. Plus, I don't think SF would let Dalinar take up Honor because it may reabsorb him and kill him. I think an SF betrayal could be a final act twist right before Dalinar reaches Honor.

Dai Gonnarthis this can make Elsegates? This makes sense on transferring troops past the Aima barrier storm. This also makes him the Elsecallers parallel Unmade. In addition, Odium has no corrupted Elsecallers. I wonder what old power guards lands from the Black Fisher, and why Natanan falls. In addition, I wonder how Gonnarthis can demand payment from a Shard. El was so cool, and he murdered Jezrien, so Kalak was partly wrong. However, he viewed it as a mercy killing, but also a service? What a mentally disturbed character.

Sorry, I misread the shadow bit, it was just pointing the wrong way.

Wait, Hoid had nine shadows, scary. Ishar seems to be the one to motivate Szeth to genocide. Could it be that Dai Gonarthis was never really an Unmade but just Ishar. The scene with Lift seeing her optimal self in the perpendicularity seems like Allomantic gold to me, probably SR shenanigans. Szeth's monologue went so strong. It seems like he has the same attitude as Wayne, just way more insane. Kaladin regressing back into his depression is not good.

I think the Fortune mention could be interesting. Secondly, Kal being the hope of spren seems like pretty big foreshadowing. Lastly, this structure seems very different then the previous ones. However, it once again has the 4 original mentions made at the end of book 1.

I think that Todium ending the Kharbranth agreements with both parties won't work. I envision this like Odium being the chair. Taravangian is just the guy sitting in it. I would say then that the deal can't be voided by Taravangian, since he can't void agreements of the Shard itself.

I do have a big problem with the whole perpendicularity scene. I mean, I took Night blood to collapse the last one. We know Honor's Perpendicularity has a huge amount of Investiture. I just kind of doubt Mraize's little anti-light knife was strong enough. As to Nohadon, I do not think he is Tanavast. I think perhaps Tanavast inspired him to write WoK, but I think him just randomly becoming Nohadon is a little questionable. I think I could accept it if we used Hoid's 3 moons story as foreshadowing. However, I have no doubt that Dalinar will meet whatever remnant of Nohadon there is in the SR. I think Nohadon will be the one who makes him Honorable enough to pick up the power.

I don't know if this is necessarily book 5 material. However, I think this could be great in the Taln book.

I actually really like an idea like this. SR shenanigans being what they are, I would say that this is a possibility. If Dalinar goes back to watch Roshar's past to understand, then I think it is possible he becomes Nohadon in a sense. Either that, or Nohadon never actually existed, and he was just Dalinar in the SR making the visions work for himself. Of course, I still think it is likely Nohadon was an individual, real guy. However, I am confident that whatever the case, Dalinar will meet him this book.

I frankly see the SR as becoming a massive battle royal with a lot of different parties. I could even see contest being on top of Urithiru in SR, although that is kind of a stretch, because SR time is weird. I can see a Dalinar Navani team, a Ghostbloods team, a Shallan team, a BAM team, and an Odium Team. Lastly, I can also see Ishar taking Kal and Szeth into SR through perpendicular ties, and Ishar making a mad rush at the power. I would say the goals for El at least would actually be to use a lot of anti-light to destroy BAM. After all, she stabbed Odium in the back before, so I think it is practical for him to want to destroy her.

They have someone called Erinor who can speak to stones. I guess that means there is another Willshaper. I feel so bad for Gavinor. However, I think Lift is making some progress towards healing him, and he could be the cause of her next Oath. On the note of Gavinor, I think the child champion theory is unlikely. However, if Todium is smart and picks Vyre, and Gavinor is watching, I think he has a loophole. Gavinor is so crazed for revenge, he would break the rules. Plus, he is a five year old, and hardly had good judgement. At this point, Lift should just as Cultivation for a refund. Really, everyone Cultivation has personally interacted with was lied too. Lift looking at Sigzil was likely foreshadowing for if she had a romantic interest in second half. The Vasher mention was not accident, he will have a scene. Plus, the Sibling's remarks that life sense can sense bacteria makes me think Vasher will be the first Cosmere epidemiologist or microbiologist. I think that the bonds allowing you to get rid of the impulses of a form is a nice touch. I also think it makes sense with Venli thus far. Panel 1: I think that the Alethi will not regain Kholinar. Rather, Venli and the listeners will settle there. Renarin will become emperor of the listeners. Panel 2: I can think that this, along with the cover means that Odium will pull a Stormfather. He will artificially speed the storm to reach Urithiru by contest time. Panel 3: The Dalinar scene is odd. Clearly, it relates to the Death Rattle. However, I don't think that any Dalinar vision was anything like this. My best guess in this is that SR shenanigans will allow it to happen in both past and future. Panel 4: Obviously Ishar calls the Heralds out of retirement. How he contacts Chana and Kalak is beyond me. I was thinking Honorblades finding Honorblades, but that won't work if they don't have them. Either Szeth is not there, or a Herald isn't. I have no idea which one. Panel 5: It is obviously BAM seen through SR. She really does seem exceedingly unfriendly. With her emphasis on breaking, and the theories about linking Unmade to Silver Kingdoms, I link her to Narak. My only problem is the Renarin chapter seems to give way too much away about what directions the book is going.

Yes, but I am thinking a long the lines that they will burn it instinctually. After all, we see Vin do this with Brass. I would say someone who is already working with an Invested art may indeed accidentally burn the aluminum as well.

I just thought of another way to potentially beat Radiants, although it would be insanely expensive. In addition, it actually probably would be a catch-all solution to all Invested people. If Kel was to make small amounts of Lerasium, then attach them to bullets or crossbow quarrels, he could have a very effective weapon. Now, this obviously sounds stupid, why allow your opponent a ginourmously expensive power boost. To answer this, I would propose that there is also a large amount of aluminum in this projectile. In this way, you could potentially get an Investiture user to become mistborn, then burn aluminum to destroy their Investiture reserves. Now that I think about it even further, if you were to alloy the Lerasium with aluminum to stay, you would grant only that power. While this is still wildly expensive, I think it is potentially viable.

The Elscalling was interesting. I would say that the dark violet light appearing around them suggests that they were using enlightened spren, and using Voidlight to power them. I would guess they are probably Elsecallers, because Brandon does not have that many yet. I also thought the Szeth chapter was invaluable. We now know that the Monastery of Taln was invaded. This could potentially allow us to try to figure out which Unmade is linked to Stonwards, to see if it is Dai-Gonarthis or Chemoarish. I will look at the gem chart. Edit: I looked at the chart, and Taln is associated with Topaz and Stone. This connection to Stone reinforces a potential Chemoarish connection.

I seen to recall this not being confirmed, but being theorized about Edgli. However, this sounds like something I have read before.

Another thing I noticed about the person who gave up the power. I would interpret what Hoid said to mean that Virtuosity has not splintered herself yet, because that would most definitely qualify.

I am firmly in support of Wyndle being the spy through Lift. All this talk of Sja-Anat being the spy simply cannot work the way it is proposed. The discussions of the SR happened in the Tower. I would eat my hat if the Sibling was so inept that they could not see and Unmade entering the tower. One Sja-Anat is off the list, there are every few people. Mink:Yeah, he was really suspicious in that scene, especially with stealing and army and marching or Herdaz, he is an option. Navani or Sibling: Just no. I don't think either would ever betray the secret. Hoid: In TLM, he is firmly anti-Ghosblood. I don't think it is him. Cultivation, Lift, and Wyndle: I think these three and the Mink are the most likely. We already know that Cultivation is trying her hand at playing 5d chess. Plus, every other person she has interacted with has had a spot in her plan. I would not be surprised if she pressured Wyndle into letting the cat out of the bag to the Ghostbloods.