the_archduke

Except the Lightweavers already have a safe/honored/respected place in the world. And Lightweavers aren't treated as Shallan's children by anyone, younger siblings maybe.

Mraize mentions a new recruit. Someone who could have prompted Dalinar to go to the Spiritual Realm, though it turned out to be unnecessary. Sja Anat cannot be that person, as Dalinar would not have listened to her. So who is the new recruit?

I think this a point in favor of Adolin's survival, despite what a vocal minority on this site are hoping.

Adolin doesn't want to be the heir of Alethkar, but he's given no indication he doesn't expect his line to continue to rule the Kholin princedom.

We know she and Adolin have been having a healthy marital relationship. They are also feudal nobles raised to know the necessity of lines of succession. Sja Anat (who casually mentions that she can see souls) tells Shallan: "I am on the side of preserving a world for my children. You should not fear “my side,” Shallan. You should embrace it. If there is room for my children, there will be room for yours." In the previous chapter, Hoid talks about caring for infants. When writing the Wheel of Time, I seem to recall Brandon commented on how writing pregnant Elayne was awkward. Since we are going to have a time jump after this book, he can avoid this. We could have Adolin and Shallan's kids as characters starting in book 6.

How did Mraize know Dalinar was going to the Spiritual realm? Someone in the inner circle would have had to leak it. He also mentions a new recruit that could have urged this but didn't need to. Crazy theory but it fits... what if the Sibling is a Ghostblood? Sja Anat (who just mentioned she can see souls) just said that there will be room in the world for Shallan's children. Is she pregnant? Twins? Apparently Sja Anat told them? Or is it misdirection from Brandon? Mraize and Iyatil as radiants? With corrupted (enlightened) Truthwatcher spren? Or maybe they haven't bonded them?

Renarin. He freaked out about the man with nine shadows because he realized it was himself. His future sight convinces him that TOdium is the better future. Everyone convincing him that "being bonded to a half-void spren really isn't that big a deal" end up being wrong.

It is an interesting juxtaposition in that in OB we saw how many people Dalinar killed. Many in worse ways than what Sadeas got (I am referring to the Rift). Dalinar regrets the bloodthirstiness of his youth. But if he hadn't done what he did, Alethkar would never have been unified and would have been screwed when Odium eventually summoned the Everstorm. Adolin also killed for what I think everyone agrees was a better outcome. Sadeas's scheming had to be stopped. Imagine the battle of Thaylen Fields with Sadeas leading the Thrill berserkers. Adolin probably was the only one who could have ended him without an Alethi civil war. But Adolin doesn't feel bad about it. And I think that is their fundamental disagreement. Dalinar wants Adolin to be a better man than he was, including doing so faster than he did. That is really unfair to Adolin who is literally the man Dalinar raised him to be. Dalinar at Adolin's age would have killed Sadeas in a heartbeat. None of this. 0%. Indicates Adolin will switch sides in an active war, in the next 8 days, and become Odium's champion. And betray the wife he loves. And betray his nascent bond with Mayalaran. We also know he is going to spend the next 8 days in Azimir, away from the contest in Urithiru. Adolin and Dalinar love each other. They have stuff to work through. And that will be the tragedy, because I think Dalinar is toast. The consequence of Sadeas's murder is that Adolin and Dalinar will be at odds when Dalinar dies.

Did you read this week's chapters? Some juicy details about Shallan's plate.

Perhaps a highprince is a highlord who holds an office. Are all first and second dahn highlords?

I thought Aladar was a high prince not a high lord. Weren't those supposed to be different dahn?

This may just be the Sibling considering thousands of years elapsing as "soon" possibly because the Sibling was asleep for long periods

From Sunlit Man. The NIGHT Brigade? Night left and started those psychos?

Night as an entity is making me think of so many things. I started a reread after the first Wind chapter, and I am seeing so many connections for Kaladin we assumed had to do with Syl/the Stormfather/being a radiant that probably relate to Wind. I wish I had time to do the same for Night. But I remember some things I can look up. "Nightform predicting what will be, / The form of shadows, mind to foresee. / As the gods did leave, the nightform whispered. / A new storm will come, someday to break. / A new storm a new world to make. / A new storm a new path to take, the nightform listens." As the gods did leave!!! Night left. Wind is going to leave? What does this mean? Night related to precognitive abilities? We thought that the gods meant the Unmade, but the Old Magic gods are much more likely.

Death rattle that seems incredibly relevant after this chapter. "So the night shall reign, for the choice of honor is life" Night is an entity. Choice of honor comes across differently now that Dalinar is choosing to seek to ascend to Honor.

I agree 100%, someone will be holding Honor. I am leaning more and more towards Taravangian and War. There has to be a major conflict for books 6-10, and benevolent god DHonor or KHonor doesn't fit that bill. Wit shot down the idea of renegotiation, and they discussed how he would let the world burn rather than free Odium. But what if Odium were not Odium anymore? "Odium: a god’s divine wrath, uncoupled from essential moderating factors like mercy and love.” Those are Wit's words. Wit believes Odium needs moderating factors. What if Dalinar realizes that putting Adonalsium back together again is what Unity means. So he ascends to Honor and either takes Odium from Taravangian, or gives Honor to Taravangian. Perhaps this is the decision Brandon has hinted at that he had long planned differently, but the character chose differently. Dalinar's to give up Honor or take in Odium.

Since we are expecting it, it won't happen. I think Dalinar is going to fail. Or succeed and abdicate. Or something. It can't be this straightforward. Plus, narratively, the good guys can't win in book five out of ten.

The prologue in the final version was very different than the original one we got years ago. I suspect that Brandon realized that the Stormfaker theory looked too correct, so he toned it down in the final.

Chanarach will be revealed to be both Shallans mother AND a ghostblood. Shallan kills her for real this time. I started this post as a joke... but... this could actually happen.

He is necessary for Mayalaran's arc.

Why does anyone think Adolin has completed his arc?

I thought he couldn't fully pick it up because he was a cognitive shadow and needed a physical anchor to fully hold it.

To become the king of everything, you can't have any rival kings around. Now that he is a Shard, Taravangian either has to splinter the other Shards, or take them himself. Since Rayse was already on the splinter-everyone-else rampage, it makes little sense thematically that Taravangian would do the same thing. Why replace Rayse, then have the replacement do the same thing? So, yes, I think Taravangian holding War would be a likely outcome of the end of book 5. It may be how he sidesteps the contest. If he holds both Honor and Odium, he could release himself from the agreement reached with Dalinar as a representative of Honor. It also sets up an epic second series and possibly the late cosmere stuff we've seen. T'War won and is set on a collision with the other Shards, Harmony not least among them.

Someone is going to be a new holder of Honor by the end of the book. Dalinar, Kaladin, or Taravangian are my guesses.

16 creationspren make up her armor. That can't be a coincidence.