Chrono

Brandon's prose has never really bothered me. In fact, I rather enjoy it; it strikes a great median between purple and beige prose (extremely flowery and incredibly simple, respectively). The only novel of his that I do not thoroughly enjoy is Elantris, and that's mainly because I felt that the book had too much emphasis on the "Woe is me, I'm a widow," Sarene plot. In fact, I just didn't enjoy Sarene all that much. My opinion obviously. The important thing to remember about Brandon is the massive leaps and strides he has made during his writing career. Elantris may not be the best book on the planet, but considering it was his first novel, it could have turned out a lot worse. As a struggling author myself, I draw a lot of hope from Brandon's improvement. It means that I can get better as well. Of course, I'm not nearly on par with Brandon, and I've got a long way to go. But it's very refreshing to crack open one of his earlier books and then read a more recent book and then see how far along he's come. Also, can I just say that I didn't enjoy Steelheart as much as other Brandon books? I just felt that David's crush on Megan wasn't very believable, considering that she acted like a whiny jerk most of the time. He is a teenager, and I know plenty of teens who get into terrible relationships like that, but it just didn't flow with me and kind of jarred me out of the whole story. At least Brandon didn't go with the first person present tense that seems to be the norm these days.

This is incredibly beautiful. Even with the blurring that a 3D printer causes, the level of detail is breathtaking. I'd love to have one, but I'm not quite willing to pump out the cash for it, and I don't want a legal mess descending upon my head. Nice job, though. It's wonderful to see Brandon's world come alive in such a fantastic way.

The thing is, these glimpses are so short and isolated that it's near impossible to tell who it is. Szeth is a very likely candidate, but there's serious danger into jumping to conclusions with these snippets. Just like the glimpse with Dalinar's son, we have no idea what is going on, so we can't make a snap judgement with this one.

Certainly been in your shoes before. Here's the Cosmere 101 thread, if you haven't checked it out already. http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/491-cosmere-101/ A lot of this stuff comes from Word of Brandon and some hints by his assistant, Peter. Don't feel bad that you didn't catch all of this; it's meant to be a subtle connection, so that casual readers don't have to worry about it. Have fun in your new comprehension!

Happy version: This is about Renarin. He just broke the sky with his Skybreaker powers, then decided he was tired and curls up for a nice little catnap in Dalinar's arms. D'awww. Sad version: Renarin just died after using his Skybreaker powers to save his family, and Dalinar is holding Adolin in grief and comfort/ to prevent him from slaughtering Renarin's murderers. Sad or happy? You take your pick.

This would be an amazing plot story. However, I'm planning something even more ridiculously awesome going on, because come on, this is Brandon. And I don't want Renarin to die. The guy's at least got to get some cool character development before he kicks the bucket.

Why does this quote have an incredibly strong Navani vibe to it? Probably not right, considering that word choice, but this just screams Navani to me.

Does this mean that when Kaladin has that happy family reunion with his parents, his dad will constantly suck out his Stormlight as a recurring practical joke?

Lift was an urchin in Rall Elorim for at least a few years. In her interlude, she mentions it in a very negative way. She also tells Darkness that in was in Rall Elorim that she tried to "feel nothing". She talks about being captured by Darkness as being as bad as Rall Elorim. Now, she could be talking about when she had no Surgebinding powers, but I think there's something lurking there beneath the surface. Ym: Jasnah is an interesting case. I could argue that her father's death created the cracks, but she exhibited Surgebinding before then. I'm presuming that something else in her past happened to her that created those cracks. Considering her remarks towards the thieves that attacked her and Shallan and her outright hostility towards Amaram, something may have happened to her along those lines. We'll have to see.

Thanks for putting up the reference for me! Ever since my mom started reading the book, I'm unable to put exact quotes up. It hurts...

Not an incorrect assumption. Dalinar states at the beginning of The Way of Kings that she died ten years ago. Don't know which chapter because my mom stole my copy.

Me: Holy crap! What could this mean... Don't panic, don't panic. Remember, authors are cruel and misleading. Try and keep that in mind. Um, um, maybe his son fell asleep. Or something. Man, Feather's gonna die when she sees this. Edit: To put this in context, I checked on my email while in English Class with a super strict sub. It took all of my willpower to not scream out loud in horror and shock. I settled for nearly throwing the laptop instead. And making a full body motion like I had been shot in the chest. Emotionally, it was more like my heart was ripped out and then shoved back in upside down.

Yes. This will give me ample time to scan and send all the pages to my email. Artemis Fowl style. Except my idea got ninja'd by Aminar. Dang it. So, instead, I'd enjoy a leisurely read. Skip to the good stuff, and just have a good time. Speed reading is no fun for a book of this size.

I remember Layton/Leyten! I laughed out loud when I saw that name because of the Professor Layton series.

If confidence is the most important lesson for Shallan to learn, she's got a lot of homework to do... The thing is, Jasnah's interpretation of what the most important thing to learn is totally different from the actual most important thing to learn. The Desolation is coming fast, and Shallan's got to learn more Surgebinding before she gets creamed by Odium's forces. Although, one could argue that it requires confidence to face the enemy in combat. Interesting points, Scrutiny. Upvote for you!

What if the person selling you the copy was a drunk monkey? Of the theological kind?

In the Words of Radiance interludes that we've been given so far, Axies runs into Rysn, another interlude character. Apparently, everyone on Roshar seems to hate him or think he's cursed. He's been tied up by the Reshi, called a demon by multiple nationalities, often gets tossed in jail, and generally has a really crappy life. And he's just fine with it. Also, Aimia, his presumable homeland, got scoured apparently. People must have really wanted his race gone for whatever reason. Also, did anyone find this interesting?

You have very good points: we don't know the entirety of Taravangian's plan. However, if you're going off of the 62 days deadline, as I was, I just don't think it will be enough time. Szeth is good, but is he good enough to kill Dalinar and rumble the world before that 62 day deadline? The other problem is, we don't even know what the 62 days message means. A lot of speculation about Taravangian is dangerous just for that reason alone. However, even if Taravangian does not set himself up as a leader, all of my points may apply, with a bit of modification. People may flock to Kharbranth and not see Taravangian as a leader, but they may wonder how Kharbranth managed to be unscathed from all the assassination, war, and political unrest. When the entire world is falling apart, the one bastion of hope and security is going to fall under an awful lot of scrutiny. Is Taravangain's plan ready for that sort of scrutiny? The main point I wished to make is that if people start poking in the wrong places - or if a person working in the Secret Hospital decides to spill the beans - it's all over. Taravangian has a good plan, and it is plausible that he can pull it off on a mentally strong day, but it has a very fragile base still. He can't make a single mistake, or it's over. I think it's an overly complicated plan, but again, different opinions contend against mine. Either way, I may not be giving Taravangian enough credit, but I'm still extremely skeptical of the success of his plan. The main thing is, will Szeth make it in time to kill Dalinar before the Everstorm? That is up to Brandon.

Ah, I phrased poorly then. What I meant to say is that Nohadon took over the Silver Kingdoms by force, as you said, but after the Desolations ended and the threat of danger was no longer around, he began negotiation. I was rambling pretty badly in that last post, so I'm sorry for the confusion. As an aside, thank you for noting my argument's good points. I'm used to having my opinions torn down to shreds on the internet, so I'm pleasantly surprised and grateful that this doesn't happen here on 17th Shard. No matter the difference in opinion, people can still be courteous. Thanks again!

If you're going by that logic, then Taravangian is failing miserably too. Taravangian's strategy sounds incredibly brilliant on paper: kill off every single powerful world leader and bring all the countries under your control to unite them against the Everstorm. Except (and this is where you will most likely disagree with me) Taravangian is moving far too slowly for it to be of any use. This sort of thing requires very quick timing, especially with the warning that Dalinar has received. Szeth is a Windrunner, so he is quicker than most assassins, but he is only one individual. You may argue that Taravangian has an entire team of assassins to do his bidding, but they too can only move so quickly. Taravangian is creating massive world disorder right when it is the worst time to do so. Settling in as a dictator with absolute control over a people completely loyal to him would take years. Add in the fact that his mental capabilities change from day to day only adds to the time problem. The core problem with Taravangian's idea, however, is not the time issue, which he cannot possibly foresee. It's the idea he has that people will follow him once all of his opponents are dead. I personally would not follow a man who admits to slaying my world leader, even if he has good ideas or motives behind it. Add to the fact that Taravangian is murdering people in cold blood to gain information. If any of this sort of information gets out to the general public, his plan unravels quite quickly. Taravangian may set himself up as some sort of holy prophet who can save others against the Everstorm, but then you have a problem with religion and superstition. If Taravangian does get the image right and present himself as the world's savior, people of all nationalities and religions will wonder where this information is coming from. Even if the Everstorm is blowing right over their heads, Taravangian's plan, as of necessity, involves an amazing amount of foresight and precision. Almost hilariously, the planning itself has provided the exact fuel needed to destroy it. Ardents will refuse to follow him on the basis that he is seeing the future, as will most of the Vorin population. This population includes Alethkar and Jah Keved, two of the largest superpowers in the world. Both are two nations Taravangian needs desperately under control for his plan to work, but if these problems ever manifest, you can kiss them goodbye. In short, I believe that Taravangian's strategy relies on too many things that could go horrendously wrong. Everything must be perfect, or it all falls apart. And, if we go with Finagle's law, it will. You can argue that Dalinar has exactly the same problems with his plan, and I would agree with you. The point I'm trying to make is that both of these potential leaders are not ready. They're not even close. Dalinar may have more military might and Taravangian may have more knowledge and preparation, but that will be moot when the Everstorm comes crashing down on their heads. EDIT: In my argument about there not being enough time for Taravangian's plan, I am using the 62 day deadline as the time when the Everstorm comes. Sorry for any confusion! On a different note, I see Nohadon's "way of the sword" as rather similar to Elend's tactic in Hero of Ages: go around and bully small towns (or in this instance, kingdoms) into joining your cause so that you can protect them. Is it the best tactic? Most definitely not. Ideally, the Silver Kingdoms would have been united already. But they obviously weren't, and Nohadon was definitely under pressure. Brute force often gets fast results in politics. But, as some would argue, diplomacy is a more lasting solution. Nohadon notably begins diplomacy and the Silver Kingdoms remain united for however long they lasted.

Check on Brandon's Facebook page. He posted a couple of images of the book with and without jacket-cover-whatever-you-call-it.

Adolin also mentions the The Way of Kings that he is underestimated because he refuses to fight in duels that would put him in reach of the Championship Title. I'm guessing that the other Alethi think he's cowardly and backs out because he thinks that he would lose (which is not very Alethi). After all, if he was really that good, he'd be champion already. In reality, Adolin refuses out of a token allegiance to the Codes, which I think not very many Alethi know or even suspect. Moogle, when did Dalinar ever threaten Elhokar to make him Highprince of War? IIRC, he gave him the classic beatdown to prove that he was loyal and that he didn't want to kill him. In fact, he tells Elhokar that if he is Highprince of War, he'll protect him and find out who's trying to kill him. Unless you're talking about the extremely veiled threat in that statement.

This glimpse made me laugh so hard. I don't know why, probably just the extremely casual tone Kaladin has. Almost like, "Dalinar's wearing red today. That's such an awful color. Oh well, no biggie, his friends all wear red too. Completely understandable." I'd expect a fuming Kaladin or a severely depressed Kaladin, not this... "whatever this is" Kaladin. Or, if you look at it from another perspective, he feels like his entire world is falling apart because of this reveal. Dalinar is the only lighteyed relationship that he's been invested in ever since Amaram. He could be having a panic attack saying this to Syl, almost as a way of trying to calm himself down. Or I just think too hard.

I don't see anyone really important to the plot kicking the bucket. However, I think that Jasnah and Teft are safe, mainly because Brandon loves twisting literary tropes and killing them off would stink too much of the Obi-Wan. Although, now that I think of it, he did kill off Kelsier. Have my fingers crossed that Jasnah and Teft don't follow the same fate. Going back to the central topic, I calculate that someone close to Kaladin will die, presumably a member of Bridge Four. Moash is a stinking good contender for this reason alone, and the fact that he's close to Kaladin. However, I suspect it will be someone who no one would guess... Who here would be upset if Kaladin's parents died?

I think every single one of Brandon's books are amazing. They're fantastic to read. However, The Way of Kings is definitely the cream of the crop, and not just because I could murder my dog by dropping it on him. With some of Brandon's books, I feel that the beginning is slow and a little difficult to get into. But with Way of Kings, I never felt that at all. Instead, I was captivated the entire time, from the beginning to finish (especially the finish. Holy crap the finish). It's been a wonderful thing to see Brandon's writing get better and better as each book comes out. That's why I'm excited for Words of Radiance. As for the hype, I think it's a good thing. Hopefully this will get more people hooked on the series. But I really hope Brandon starts pumping out more books. Waiting for March 4 is killing me. Edit: Also, I hope the books continue to be ridiculously long. I'm planning to use them in my weight training.