the_archduke

All of the humans on Roshar have been raised with the stories of legendary desolations where voidbringers rise up to destroy mankind. Wouldn't it be natural to assume the current wars were a desolation? What else would people assume with the events of the last year or two? There was a storm that blew the wrong way, and it created an army of monsters... probably not a desolation, lets just go on like nothing is different? Lirin is acting that way, and it is infuriating to me. "Don't fight back, it will only make the desolation worse" is an attitude I can't see how any Rosharan could hold.

Amazon says October 1. Did you get it early somehow?

WOB to the rescue Skyward Denver signing (Nov. 15, 2018) Questioner [PENDING REVIEW] We're doing a piece of art for a friend that's a crossover between Stormlight Archives and Harry Potter. How would you sort Dalinar, Kaladin, Jasnah, and Shallan? Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW] Jasnah's a Slytherin. Hands down, very easy. Dalinar's would depend on which Dalinar you're talking about. Dalinar is probably going to be Gryffindor either way, would be my guess. Shallan's a Ravenclaw, straight up. Kaladin's tough. You could Hufflepuff Kaladin. You could totally Hufflepuff Kaladin. I think that works.

This. Please this. It would make Shallan his sister! And thus kill Shalladin deader than it already is.

I asked Brandon (I think it was at the Words of Radiance signing) if the woman who was Wit's age was named Reya (there is a constellation mentioned called Reya's Tears) and I was RAFO'd

I read the entire book in just under 24 hours. I gave up most of a night's sleep and most of a day's work because I couldn't put it down. 10/10. I may be a little biased though, because I rate Brandon as the greatest living author. I would buy and read his grocery list were it available. I disagree with everyone who disliked Shallan and Adolin's courtship. Those two are adorable. They fit each other, and are clearly in love. It is nice to see that amid the world ending. Dalinar's backstory was painful at times. Young Blackthorn was freaking scary. "You can't have my pain" was EPIC. Part five was chaotic, but I felt that it fit. It was a cataclysmic battle. Chaos should be expected in that situation. I teared up when Kaladin found his family alive. I jumped out of my seat when Odium appeared to Dalinar. I pumped my fist when Shallan only waived to Kaladin after the battle. Ding dong, Shalladin is dead.

People have commented that Shallan wearing a sapphire dress was somehow a subconscious desire to be with Kaladin instead of Adolin. They cite the color of the dress as evidence, as the traditional color of a wedding dress is red (as we learn from Navani earlier int he book). The traditional Alethi wedding color is red. Shallan isn't Alethi, she's Veden. For all we know, sapphire is a good and traditional Veden wedding color. We also know that blue is a color of house Kholin, so it could be in deference to the house she was joining. My wife would like to add that Shallan is a redhead. Apparently, redheads don't look good in red clothing. So apparently, even if red was the appropriate color, that would be a good reason not to wear it. (I am trusting her expertise on fashion)

Amazing how no one here seems to want Shallan and Adolin to be happy together. You are ignoring Shallan's heartfelt explanation of why she chose Adolin and doesn't want Kaladin. Ten pages of over-analyzing how, even though Adolin and Shallan are married, she is still somehow going to end up with Kaladin. Give it up people. The SS Shalladin has been sunk.

In one of the illustrations (page 519), someone (probably Nazh) writes "By Purity's Eye" Purity as a new shard?

Assuming this chart is still accurate, one of the secondary main characters is not getting a view point in Part 2. I think Dalinar is clearly the Primary Main Character. It is his book. The Two secondary characters I think are equally clearly Kaladin and Shallan. So which of Kaladin or Shallan will not get a viewpoint in Part 2? Kaladin just got back to Urithiru, Shallan will be interacting with Jasnah. We also have Tertiary character 3 getting a viewpoint. I suspect it will be Jasnah. Perhaps we won't get any Shallan viewpoints as the POV will be Jasnah? No idea what Novelette 2 will be. Thoughts?

Good find. But where in the West? We get no indication that Cultivation is worshiped in Shinovar. Aimia is supposedly uninhabited. Iri worships the One. Azir worships Yaezir.

Shallan referred to the mural of Honor and Cultivation as pagan. She apparently got the reference or recognized Cultivation as being from some other belief system than Vorinism. Do we know of any faith tradition, that Vorins call pagan, that worships or reveres Cultivation?

Is Vev holding a compass in her other hand? What does that signify? Keys and a compass...

Sadeas's heir was his nephew. I was right in arguing Ialai couldn't inherit. Amaram as highprince-regent is perfect. Is Ialai associated with the Sons of Honor? Is that why Mraize was investigating her? Adolin drops a bomb on Shalladin without even meaning to. She knows Kaladin killed her brother. I think she can forgive him, but how could she ever love him. Shalladin just got its eyes burned out. I don't think we saw a kandra. Perhaps the Unmade operates under similar principles like how Shallan and Hoid can both lightweave but from different investiture. I loved Gavilar's line “Jasnah? What would she do with Shards? No, no. You—” What use indeed. I think we will see her with blade and plate later in the book.

Will Mraize telling Shallan who really killed her beloved brother cut a shardblade through the neck of Shalladin once and for all? Once can only hope.

Except there is a tradition of darkeyes winning blades. Three famous examples have become mythologized. But everything we know of Alethi law says Ialai becoming Highprince isn't going to happen.

I serious doubt Ialai can become a Highprince. She has no children that we know of, and is likely beyond childbearing years. Sadeas's highprincedom certainly has rules of succession, and Alethi inheritance is something we have a little bit of information on. The evidence is that Jasnah is older than Elohokar, yet he inherited from Gavilar instead of her. It shocks our Western/Modern sensibilities, but Alethkar really seems like a place that doesn't allow women to inherit.

Mother Cultivation?!? Shallan is one of the more religious characters, so this is unlikely to refer to something the Vorin church would be unhappy about. It could be just a figure of speech like "Mother Earth". A Christian might use that phrase colloquially without implying polytheism, so this does not mean she (or anyone) knows that Cultivation was on par with Honor. Still though, a name drop like that was very cool and has some interesting implications.

Was that the first week of preview chapters that didn't mention May Aladar? Brandon is trying to throw us off. I bet she will be Odium's Champion... so she was mentioned in these chapters obliquely.

Am I the only one who imagined Veil and Wayne at a bar, both pretending they were getting drunk while washing the drunkenness away every other glass. World-hopping needs to make this happen.

Can't be because it never happens or because it should not happen? Off the top of my head, IRL Moses was a prince of Egypt before leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt. William Wilberforce was a British MP who dedicated his life to ending the legality of slave trading. I could go on. Why is it a problem that a member of a higher social class recognizes injustice and then takes actions to end that injustice? Edit- Just reread your post, and I think we actually agree. But my response can be read as responding to those you were responding to.

And since the second half of the series is a decade or more after the first half... Adolin and Lift will be a couple by then. But Shalladin still won't happen.

Brandon is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is most certainly a Christian.

According to the Ars Arcanum, heliodor is associated with soulcasting meat and flesh. Gumfrems must have heliodor gemhearts. From the same source, helidor is associated with Ishar... we don't know where he is yet. Ishar = a random gumfrem in the field Kaladin passed confirmed!

Down with Shalladin! Syladin forever! Syl doesn't know what Kaladin knows, that he killed Shallan's beloved brother. That should make Shalladin impossible.