eveorjoy

Also true, but he still might have other motives for escape. I doubt Kaladin will challenge Amaram. Kaladin's status has improved greatly, but he isn't the same level as Amaram. I think for the sake of Bridge Four Kaladin is going to let his angry boil quietly when he sees Amaram again, at least at first. I have dreamed of Sadeas ordering Amaram to attack Dalinar, allowing Kaladin a chance at vengence, but I doubt this will happen either. Too easy and predictable.

You have a point. It's hard to be sure. The part that bothered me most about Laral was this. Page 255 "Jost stepped back.Kal lay on his back, breathing.He didn't know what to feel. Holding the staff in that moment had felt wonderful. Incredible. At the same time, he could see Laral to the side. She stood up and, instead of kneeling to help him, turned and walked away, toward her father's mansion." She seemed rather indifferent toward Kal after he had been humiliated. Maybe she was only worried about her father's health. Maybe she only want Kal until she doubted he could become a lighteyes by winning a shardblade. Either way, I don't think she and Kaladin would have worked. But maybe I am being a bit hard on her. I've considered this too. The truth is, we don't know. Still, bringing Tarah up twice without explaining her history with Kaladin suggests she will be dealt with in another book. But if she is an old biddy Kaladin had motherly affection for, that wouldn't surprise me either. I wonder how he failed her though.

Tarah may not be a romantic interest. She is important, but Sanderson has said so little about her that anything is possible. The fact he said so little makes me wonder if she was, or will be a love interest. WOK was not the book for Kaladin to be grieving over a lost love in. I agree Adolin and Kaladin will be butting heads in WOR, but I think the jealously will come from how close Kaladin gets to Dalinar. Sanderson is setting up a surrogate father son relationship between Kaladin and Dalinar. I think Adolin will have plenty to be jealous of from that.

Shallan is high ranking, her house just isn't powerful--and also it's broke. I have a feeling Shallan is a mess and Kaladin has enough issues. Maybe they could work, but both of them would need to dump a lot of baggage before it could happen. I think the Laral ship has sailed, though I think Kal is lucky to have dodged that bullet. On my third read through of WOK I noticed that Laral is kind of a jerk to the darkeyed boys of Hearthstone. And then when Kal is defeated she just walks off. Then the next time she sees him, she's even worse--though she could have been offended by Lirin's theft.

I doubt Kaladin will be much competition for Adolin. Kaladin has a deep aversion to lighteyes, so I doubt he would try to pursue the same women as Adolin. Also he still has a slave brand on his head. Free or not, most of the women Adolin courts would reject Kaladin for that reason alone. Not that Kaladin couldn't end up with a lighteyed woman, but a lot of things would need to happen for that to work. Maybe there will be a love triangle between Kaladin, Adolin, and Shallan. But doesn't that always happen in these kind of stories? He wasn't free nor did he think he would be freed when he thought about failing her. Also, Tarah lives in Sadeas princedom. Would it be wise for him to go back to her? Do you really think Sadeas is going to care that Dalinar gave him a Shardblade, if he can get his hands on Kaladin?

Page 49-- Kaladin speaking to a slave in the wagon with him. "Ten times" Kaladin whispered. "Ten escape attempts in eight months, fleeing from five different masters. And how many of them worked?" Maybe that is the reason he tried to escape so often. Still, Tarah is more likely a former fiancee, than wife or mother of his child. Hopefully we will read more about her in WOR.

I agree with all of this except her calling him "Cap." Before Dalinar promoting him, the highest rank Kaladin achieved was squadleader. He was the youngest squadleader ever, but that is still way below Captain. I wonder if he is the youngest Captain ever? Regardless, Kaladin and Tarah must have been pretty serious if his failure with her involved love. I don't think he would consider it as serious of a failure as those who died because of him if it wasn't serious. In fact, if he were married to Tarah and got her pregnant, it would be as serious as death. Isn't speculating fun?

True, perhaps. But how did she "coax" him away from being obsessed with the spear? The reason I think she could be a love interest is Sanderson using the word "coaxed" instead of "persuade" They mean close to the same thing, but coaxing suggests persuasion through friendly means. Maybe it is nothing, but it could be something. .

Very true. It's just interesting to speculate. They may not have been an item, but something important happened between them, something Kaladin regrets as mush as those he let die.

It may not have been flirting or it may have been. Still, how did he fail her? I doubt it would have had the same weight as the people who died because of his failure unless it was something really big. Failing a commitment to her could be as important. I doubt merely failing to pay a debt or something like that would have weighted as much as his other failures. He might not have thought of her for sometime because he believed, and still believes, his chance with her is gone because of his slave brand. Page 98 says: "They'd taken his freedom, his family, his friends, and--most dear of all--his dreams." What were Kaladin's dreams? Could they have been dreams of a family life with Tarah? Maybe not, but really after Tien's death we know very little of Kaladin's life--until he defeats the shardbearer and is sold into slavery of course. I just think it is funny how fans keep shipping Kaladin with two lighteyed women (even I have considered the pairing of him with Jasnah, though she is too old for him) when he has a deep aversion to lighteyes. He could end up with one of the heroines, but isn't that what always happens in these kind of stories, the heroes pair up. What if Sanderson threw us a curve ball and made Kaladin unavailable because he was already married? Maybe Tarah and Kaladin weren't together maybe they were. However, Tarah will play an important part later, somehow otherwise she would not have been mentioned at all.

I bet the Jasdin or Kalanah shippers wish she was.

I hope Tarah wasn't Laral number two. However, I think Laral was the unlucky one when she married Roshone.

Too predictable. Maybe Odium choose Kaladin as his champion?

I haven't seen this theory in the forums, so I thought I would bring it up here. Way of Kings, Page 874 "'...I let Tien die, I failed my spearmen, the slaves I tried to rescue, Tarah...' He hadn't thought of her in some time. His failure with her had been different from the others, but a failure was nonetheless." Page 880 "What would have happened to him, if Tarah hadn't coaxed him out of his single-minded dedication? Would he have burned himself out, as she'd claimed?" So who is Tarah? Facts: - A woman from Kaladin's past who came into his life after he took up the spear. Likely after Tien died, because he wasn't dedicated until after that event. - Someone Kaladin failed, but in a different way than the others. Likely she isn't dead, because all the others died. - She helped Kaladin enjoy more in life than the spear. Kaladin's history with Laral shows he is attracted to women. Kaladin describes Tarah as coaxing him, which sounds like something someone would do with flirting. So if she didn't die, how would he have failed her? Could he have been engaged or even married to her and failed to fulfill his obligation because he was sold into slavery? Maybe Kaladin's heart is already taken.

I'm with you! To glory and spoilers.

Personally, I like the British cover better. If Kaladin was going to be in a battle, wouldn't he have armor on. The Kholin cloak is featured in that cover too.

I wonder is Kaladin more broken than Szeth because he can hold more stormlight and. What do you all think?

I had this same problem.