Jump to content

ccstat

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1127

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by ccstat

  1. ccstat

    Art: Alethi Glyphs

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Alethi Glyphs
    Artwork here.
    I’m not much into the glyphs and trying to decipher them. I have been far more involved and interested in the transliterative alphabets we got for Alethi and Thaylen in the past books, and trying to pull useful meanings from the encoded text. Glyphs are cool, but I am willing to let others do the work of puzzling them out and identifying phonemes. 
    Without looking closely at the chart, I’ll just say that it looks very similiar to what we’d seen before, either given by Dragonsteel and the text so far, or deciphered by other readers. In fact, this is apparently titled “page 2,” which means it likely follows directly from the page in the previous book. I’ll have to take a look at them side by side, but for now I’ll give my attention to Nazh’s commentary.
    Speaking of which, this is by far the most verbose Nazh has ever been.  I’m glad to get more from him, but much of his humor was contained in the terse commentary and offhand notes added to the materials he collects. I’m not sure if I enjoy the longform essay as much. It feels a little bit like it’s trying too hard with all those parentheticals.
    Regardless of that…The obviously important piece of this picture is the reveal about the glyph for Roshar. A superposition of “Light of Tavast,” “Light of Koravari,” and “Light of Rasan” has been used to indicate the planet. 
    First of all, this gives us a name for Cultivation’s vessel, at least in Alethi form. Koravellium Avast, “She Who Brings the Dews at Dawn” joins Tanavast. I’m going to call her Kora for short. Tantalizingly, she’s given a surname or title of Avast, which sure sounds like a close association to Tanavast. I look forward to learning more about her and her history.
    It’s also worth noting that this glyph for Roshar was necessarily created after the arrival of humans and their god Odium to the system, and it’s hard to think it would predate Odium becoming heavily invested here.
    As for Nazh’s translation, I do have some skepticism about the “Light of” being repeated separately each time. I’d need to spend a little more time with it to see how the pieces were put together, but it seems just as likely that the names were arranged separately or together around “Light” as a reference to the planet or system’s investiture in general, rather than specifically to its component parts. 
    I also think it’s likely that “friendly cremling” is a reasonable etymology for “love” given what we know of the planet, and the ancient nature of the Sleepless.
     
  2. ccstat

    Back Cover Copy

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Back Cover
    Before jumping into this, I want to share something very cool that I learned this week. Did you know that the Coppermind has implemented a time machine function where you can access the articles as they appeared prior to the release of a particular book? That means you don’t have to avoid the wiki entirely if you are trying to stay spoiler free. Props to the Coppermind staff and contributors for making such a useful function operate (so far) in a seamless fashion.
    Now then, in addition to the art in the physical copy, I am also eager to get a look at the back cover. As you (probably) know, the back cover text of the Stormlight books is distinct from the publisher’s blurb. Brandon insisted on attaching in-world text to the books, and ever since Edgedancer we’ve known that these are written by the Sleepless. 
    Speaking of which, it just occurred to me that I’ve only looked at digital copies of Edgedancer and (cursorily, since I haven’t read it yet) Dawnshard. I have no idea whether the novellas also get in-world text equivalent to the bits on the full novels. I’m going to guess no, the Sleepless commentary is exclusive to the main-sequence books, but I honestly don’t know. I’ll need to ask someone on 17S. 
    Anyway, let’s take a look. The One Who Is Three is a great title for Shallan (and friends). She “seeks the captured soul.” Does that mean the Sibling, or something new that we don’t know about yet? 
    I’m curious how her internal division is an obstacle to finding this knowledge. I also note that “all people”  sounds a whole lot like shorthand for “humans, singers, sleepless, and Siah Aimian alike,” which means it’s something more than the whole crisis of morality that the Radiants faced when they realized humans were interlopers on Roshar. I can’t wait to find out what the next big reveal is. (Hopefully, as I haven’t been steeped in the pre-release theorycrafting this time around, it will be less anticlimactic than the last one.)
    The Fallen Soldier--sounds like Kal is going to have a rough time in this book.
    I’m curious if this is doing double duty and has literal meaning on top of the metaphor. Is Kaladin going to be cut off from Stormlight somehow?
    The Broken Sister--Venli’s ancestors are carrying her? Towards “that most important silence” ? I am confused. Is this a silence that stills the new (Odium-inspired) rhythms? Or is it a silence from all rhythms? Because that sounds like a dangerous repudiation of what makes a listener. I’m going to just have to read and find out on this one.
    The Mother of Machines--nice to see Navani get a part of the spotlight here. Especially since she’s called out as the “most important of them all.” I’m entirely unclear on how her “lies” are related to the secrets of the sleepless, but I guess that’s the point. I do wonder whether this is an indication that Navani has a nahel bond in her future, since the sleepless have been focused on proto-radiants in previous volumes of the Stormlight Archive. I suspect not--they just like the way she’s sparking the industrial revolution and changing the world--but I wouldn’t put a firm bet on that.
     
    And that's that. While I'm here looking at the cover I do want to add to my previous observations that the colors are really vibrantly beautiful in this cover art. I'm looking at the oil-sheen-like rainbow on the rocky outcropping and the shimmering spheres that make up the bead ocean. I love being able to look at all the little details up close. Thank you Michael Whelan for doing the art! You're amazing!
     
    (And as an aside I think it's hilarious that Nazrilof is credited for taking Brandon's photo.)
  3. ccstat

    Broadsheet part 1

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of The Lost Metal! Intro post here, beware of spoilers.
    BROADSHEET part 1
    I’d forgotten how frustrating it was to get the broadsheet split into quadrants like this. For the moment I’ll read and comment on them individually as they appear, but it’s tempting to just wait and do the whole thing at once when it’s available.
    Title:
    The Two What?? Going by the subtitle/quote thing it’s Seasons, which I suppose means that Elendel is equatorial? I don’t really remember the geography, but Scadrial is supposed to be very Earth-analog, so it’s got to do with latitude or with coastal climate to explain the difference. I do want to know who that quote is attributed to, but I won’t until we get the next piece of the broadsheet.
    Unity or Division:
    I like the photo/portrait to show off the appearance (including fashion!) of Governor Varlance and Vice Gov. Adawathwyn. But that immediately makes me wonder: what’s the status of photography in current-day Elendel? I don’t remember it being mentioned in the prior books, but that could just be a failure of my recollection rather than an actual absence from the shown worldbuilding. Early photographic technology relied heavily on colloidal solutions of metals, which would make it thematically a likely candidate for early development on Scadrial. Until we see evidence either way, I’m going to headcanon that photography is advancing quickly.  
    In a separate note, the use of “cronies” to describe the Governor’s political allies feels very period-appropriate and reveals the nature of the Two Seasons’ journalistic bent.
    Editorials and ads: 
    What the heck is a noseball? Drug delivery system to compare with smoking? That’s my best guess, but I’m going to have to wait on the next piece of broadsheet to learn more.
    Soonie Pups! I forgot those were a thing in-world. And apparently controversial enough for a scandalized letter to the editor! I love it.
    Nicki Savage:
    Gotta admit, “hellguns” is a sweet name for a weapon used by a “Haunted Man”. That’s top tier theming right there. Good job, Nicki’s publisher!
    That is immediately forgotten, though, when we get to the meat of the episode. What devilry is this?! Dinosaur-analog fossils? Made out of aluminum? Worn by not one but two faceless who merge Voltron-style into a single dino-mount for Nicki to ride across a chasm? Allomancer Jak can’t possibly compete with this. I would tune in every single week to find out what happens next!
     
    This ornisaur does send my mind into wondering about fossils on Scadrial. We had artificially-shifted continents and mountain raising events at least twice, meaning that reconstructing the history of the planet geologically is going to be an endeavor, but also that certain things might have been exposed differently than one might expect from our experience on earth. We also had several millennia of ashfall and high volcanic activity, likely resulting in well-preserved remains from prior to Rashek’s ascension as Lord Ruler. Certainly not permineralized or anything yet, but more along the lines of mummification or the incredible preservation of Pompeii.
     
    And now I want to see the natural history museum of Era 3 Mistborn.
  4. ccstat

    Chapter 1

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Intro post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 1 (Calluses)
    Epigraph: not much of interest here, except for the word choice to “calm” the spren prior to capture with something it knows and loves. I wonder if failing to do so is really the result of agitation on the spren’s part. It’s clearly not bait, since the gem itself seems to serve that function. Maybe a matter of hypnosis/getting the spren to let its guard down?
    Alternatively, it may just be an odd choice of words. Incidentally, I don’t remember when the last book ended, so I can’t tell how much time has passed between then and this quoted lecture. I’m assuming it happened sometime in the (1 year?) timeskip between Oathbringer and RoW? 
    To the Coppermind!
    Okay, I couldn’t find it exactly, but the Battle of Thaylen Field takes place at the end of the second month of 1174, and this is early in the first month of 1175, so a bit under a year since the end of Oathbringer. (Still not sure how that relates to the current date, though.)
    “Espionage” = Lirin the spy. I didn’t know I wanted this, but now I am stoked! Where is he spying? Looks like a Singer camp, under Fused control. But he and Hesina are in a position of authority, to a degree? At least as possessing valued skillsets. I wonder how they swung that introduction.
    Huh. Still in Hearthstone? I’m surprised. I thought everyone would have vacated.
    I hadn’t considered the logistics of a refugee situation when impermanent housing is by definition not something that provides shelter from a highstorm. “Sure, let me just take down my tent every three days, try to stow my stuff where it won’t blow away or get stolen, and pack in tight so none of us die.” This is an added element of stress that can’t be helping anybody.
    So Herdaz is falling. They held out for quite a while.
    “Brightness Abiajan” appears to be in charge. Is that a singer name, someone who has adopted Alethi honorifics through cultural imitation? Or is it a human who retained local authority? I’m guessing the first, because it makes more sense and because the potential cultural exchange is fascinating (even though these awakened parsh don’t have much in the way of original culture that they know about). 
    Lirin has organized psych help and a support structure? Or, more likely, the community did that and he’s advocating for it / connecting his patients to it, but still. This is another instance of medical practice being more advanced on Roshar than its counterpart era in Earth history. Wound care etc. was a result of having rotspren give them an observable surrogate for germ theory. I wonder if spren for mental anguish or atypical thought patterns had a similar contribution on mental care.
    Yup. Abiajan is a singer. Wearing a havah, complete with safehand. We already knew about the cultural absorption of the newly awakened singers around the continent, but this is making me wonder. Did the Alethi require femalen parsh to wear gloves on their safehands? If not was it because they weren’t “people” or because they weren’t female enough to matter?
    The infamous purelake plague rears its head again. I have to reiterate how disappointed I was when Brandon revealed it was just a flu-like disease spread by worldhoppers. With the inherent good health that comes from living on such a highly invested planet, I’m not expecting this “plague” subplot to actually go anywhere. I mean, eventually all this foreshadowing may pay off, but I’m rather anticipating it to amount to a disappointing misdirection.
    This mysterious Herdazian general that Lirin is about to meet… is he the one from that interlude, who had the speed lockpicking competition with the loser ending as Greatshell chow? I don’t actually remember where that took place, but I am thinking Herdaz.
    Something tells me that Lirin still isn’t thrilled about Kaladin off doing Radiant things.
    They’ve “sent Kal word.” Does that mean they have hidden spanreeds? I’m not too surprised, given that the refugee population will make it very hard to effectively monitor all of the people, but it shows a degree of organization that I am glad to see.
    (Just checked the coppermind. The general from the “hog wrestling” interlude matches the physical description of this Mink, so I’d say that’s confirmed. Also the manacle scars. I don’t think he got those the way you are suspecting, Lirin.)
    Didn’t notice the cameo before. I’m assuming that Aric, the guard of Hearthstone, is Chaos? 
    It’s ambiguous, but I like to think that Roshone is truly allied with Lirin at this point. I wasn’t one of the readers who was thrilled about Kal facing off with him in the last book. He never seemed like a worthwhile antagonist, and I think the “best enemy” trope is a much better use of him as a character.
    Interesting that the singers share their former masters’ blindspot to laborers. That’s a heck of an inherited cultural bias.

    Nice phrase.
    Fused and a warband searching for Kal. It’s too bad for Hearthstone that he’s not here yet.
    Oh, wait, never mind. It’s a big problem for Hearthstone that he is here, and all glowy. Multiple someones are about to have a bad day.
  5. ccstat

    Chapter 1

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of The Lost Metal! Intro post here, beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 1
    Yay Marasi! I’ve missed these people. And wow, that’s a good opening description because I can absolutely feel the rush of adrenaline as you almost fall–even if the consequences are only horrible and not deadly.
    Walking alone through the sewer with a map in one hand…is she auditioning to be Nazh’s understudy? I feel like he could use a kindred spirit (or a grad student to delegate to).
    Oh, wait. She’s not alone, she’s got Wayne to “help”. Poor Marasi. Except that she’s giving as good as she gets. Oh, how she’s grown. Love the spider taunting.
    Wait, Wax has been retired for six years? How on Scadrial did Steris get that to stick? I love their relationship, but I would not have expected her to keep him out of trouble for that long. Although, I suppose we don’t have any indication that he hasn’t been pursuing investigations as a hobby, just that he’s not doing so officially.
    Ah, confirmation that the rail lines are indeed expanding compared to the previous book, so the map difference is real. They seem to be going straight for subways, which is impressive. There’s a lot of engineering that goes into getting those right.
    Oh no! MeLaan is breaking up with Wayne? Sad day. I can see why he’d be in the dumps (metaphorically speaking, not a reference to his current location).
    I sometimes wonder if it’s a disadvantage to be engaged in the cosmere and have advance insight from past questions Brandon answered about  things like Trell and the Set, rather than seeing the entire thing as a mystery. I am positive that I’ll be surprised many times still, but when I see the first mention in this book and think “Oh, yeah. Autonomy” it feels like the characters are playing catchup in their investigation, which isn’t a super fun feeling. (Not complaining, of course. I love the between-book theorizing and everything that goes with it.)
     
  6. ccstat

    Chapter 10

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 10 (A Single Casualty)
    Well, that’s an ominous title. Who’s gonna bite it in this chapter?
    Epigraph: Tin cage in this case is operating in its opposition to pewter, as a diminishing effect, rather than anything related to its allomantic or feruchemic properties. The next bit is also significant: 
    This is making it sound much more complex with factors such as cage shape and contact points available to influence the outcome. This feels very much like early steps toward a computer-level fabrial device, similar to the sort of developments Brandon has foreshadowed for the Era 3 and Era 4 Scadrians.
    (Complete aside--do we get to use collective nouns for the various shardworld peoples in the cosmere? Because I really want to see characters talk about scads of Scadrians.)
    Who’s this guy? The one available honorspren that hasn’t accepted a bond yet? That’s my guess. What’s he doing hanging out on the Plains when the rest of the Windrunner contingent seem to be spending their time at Urithiru or various battlefields?
    I feel like this is a lost opportunity. Why couldn’t Kaladin have said this aloud so that Lopen or Teft could rib him about how unfortunate it was that he had to be familiar with that particular ugly face, while another member of Bridge Four says “why are you complaining? We’re the ones that have to look at it.” I’m just going to pretend this is a conversation that already happened sometime in the time skip.
    Yunfah is mad that Rlain is a supposed Windrunner candidate. I didn’t really think about that. We (the fans) have been rooting for Rlain to become the first listener Radiant since book 2, at least, but I hadn’t considered that the spren wouldn’t be on board with it. Makes sense, of course, but it’s an obstacle that I didn’t account for.
    I do like that Syl has to translate or relay messages from the other spren. When Yunfah first arrived I sort of expected him to just talk to Kal as the head of the Windrunners, which would have cheapened the importance of the nahel bond.
    Oh, wait. It says that she’s “acting as intermediary since the sound of the rushing wind was fairly loud.” So normally he could have just talked to Kal, if it were quite enough. Hmm. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how that is portrayed.
    At Syl’s advice, Kal just ordered Yunfah to try bonding with Rlain first. I really don’t know how I feel about that. Obviously Rlain deserves it, but he also deserves a companion who chooses him willingly.
    Interesting to see the ways that people are adapting to the dual storms. They still need the primary wall to the East, but the weaker Everstorm requires a bulwark as well. I’m more intrigued by the idea that lightning rods are protective against the Everstorm. Does Odium not ride the storm any more? I recall reports of unnaturally accurate lightning strikes when the Everstorm first emerged. That sort of magical aim isn’t something I would expect to be thrown off by mundane countermeasures.
    I feel very stupid for not realizing that Narak (you know, the place with the functioning Oathgate that is in near-constant use?) was the new center of commerce etc. at the Shattered Plains. Having Shallan’s recent infiltration taking place in the old Sadeas warcamp threw me off. Why didn’t Ialai relocate? Was it really just fear of the Ghostbloods? She was trying to stay in the fortifications she knew?
    According to Kaladin, Ash “dabbles” in delusion now and then. I’m not sure that’s the right word, Kal.
    The “showmanship” to display Dalinar’s new ability to read is interesting. Not particularly surprising, but definitely a move I wasn’t expecting. 
    The politics have shifted. Dalinar is king of Urithiru, with no authority over other nations. No more highking business. (Still looking forward to seeing Jasnah as queen of Alethkar. Especially with the fact that most of that nation has been captured and occupied by the singers.)
    Dalinar: Flying is essential, so we need more Windrunners. More honorspren.
    Me: No, you need to convert the Skybreakers. Readymade flying army right there.
    Not that changing Nale’s mind will work, but Szeth might have a chance of swaying others among that group. (No, Szeth’s charisma is not his best stat. We might need to work on that.)
    Gasp. You are going to take Kaladin out of his role? Try to have him set down responsibility? That’s not really something he knows how to do. I am thrilled at this change/challenge for his character, but I have no idea how he will be able to move past it.
    Then again, it could be exactly the push he needs to be able to accept his fourth ideal about not being able to protect everyone. Seems like we’ve got the work of this book laid out for us.
    Harsh. That’s probably the only way to get through to him, though.
    And just like that Kaladin destroys his own argument. This whole exchange is just gold. Plus there’s the whole daddy issues bit at the end--Kaladin has disappointed Dadlinar just like he disappointed Lirin...so maybe it’s time to go repair the actual familial relationship and spend time with Oroden. Just a thought.
    Oh. Kaladin just told himself that he’ll never be ready for the fourth ideal, that he’s going to stop at three. I don’t believe him (we do have seven books left, and we know he’s a continuing character in the back five) but it hurts to see him give up and accept this as his limit.
    I would be a lot more inclined to cheer for Kaladin’s retirement from the front lines if it weren’t for the fact that just a few hours ago Moash told him that all of his friends were going to die. He will struggle even more with seeing them leave and fail to return, with those words ringing in his head.
    I’m pretty sure that this is the first instance of a native Rosharan swearing by the God Beyond. I’m curious whether this is an outgrowth of Dalinar’s anomalous visions where he sensed something beyond Honor, and he arrived at it independently, or if he has borrowed the terminology from the various worldhoppers or other cosmere-aware individuals gallivanting about.
    At least Kaladin is aware enough to head off that disaster before it happens.
    Dalinar giving Kaladin ten days to decide his next assignment is a nice parallel to the deadline Kal gave Yunfah at the beginning.
    I appreciate the way Kaladin is marked as the casualty of the chapter title, but that final sentence is a little too blatant for me. I feel like we would have figured that out. Well, at least anyone who reads the chapter titles would have. I’ve skipped those in the past, so maybe it’s not too much.
  7. ccstat

    Chapter 100

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 100 (Watchers at the Rim)
    Title: A repeat from previous books. While I recall the term and its meaning, I don’t remember at all what chapter previously bore this title so I don’t know if there’s any parallelism being set up. I assume not, and it’s just the conceptual callback.
    Icons: Jez and Shash. Jez for windrunners, not sure about Shash
    Epigraph: El refers to himself as a singer, so yes, Navani’s “no title” bit was definitely misdirection. 
    Kal was woken by a distant song–the Sibling? The anti-Stormlight that was just created? Hard to say.
    Sibling is talking to him, but isn’t doing well. Not sure why the Sibling is being weakened by this. I’d have expected more scattered thoughts, altered emotions, not frailty.
    The Fused found the final node, and it’s in the same room where all the Radiants are being tended. This feels contrived. I’m all for confluent climaxes, but I’d have liked there to be a reason that the Radiants were placed in that particular room, so that’s it’s justified as a decision rather than just a coincidence.
    Oh no. Kaladin doesn’t know what the Sibling meant when it asked him to send Rlain. I hope the delay from that misunderstanding isn’t too costly.
    Dabbid brought them Bridge Four uniforms to wear. That’s unsubtle, but sure. Time to suit up for battle.
    Rlain is not at his best, due to Venli’s confession. That could help open him for the bond, or hurt by distracting and discouraging him.
    Hm. It makes sense to have Rlain and Dabbid hide, since they won’t be with the escaping party, but I was anticipating a larger breakout. This method trusts everyone to handle themselves and leaves fewer points of failure for getting some people out, but also leaves people to their own devices and the increased risk that entails.
    I know it’s just a backup plan, but Teft’s willingness to jump off a cliff in the hopes that his powers return in time to survive is uncomfortably reminiscent of the Envisagers. I guess that’s the point, but yeah. Not something I want to see him try.
    Teft made Kaladin swear to escape and not sacrifice himself. That’s going to make a big difference. He’s not going to risk another broken oath.
     
  8. ccstat

    Chapter 101

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 101 (Undertext)
    Icons: Palah. Matches the title for Learned, but I don’t have a guess about why that matters here.
    Epigraph: El likes that humans think he’s scary. Big surprise there. 
    The Prime’s house full of furniture made me think first of that meeting of monarchs where everyone brought their own throne, and I had the facetious thought that maybe the Azish just kept all of them. Then I thought of Wyndle’s chair garden and wished that he could have come to see this. I’m sure it’s not quite as ridiculous as Dalinar thinks.
    New swear for the list!
    So, not only do the Azish have fewer Shardblades and Plate, they have fewer Soulcaster fabrials as well. Did the Alethi start with more, or did they take them by conquest with their abundance of Blades?
    This tradition of sharing the Emperor’s meal is very different when seen through Dalinar’s eyes compared to Lift’s. Dalinar’s extreme distaste of this pageantry is funny when wedded to his concept of effect leadership. He really can’t fathom someone like Yanagawn wielding actual power.
    Another for the list. It took me a minute to parse the way it was being used, though. Device in this case was literal rather than idiomatic, a reference to his watch fabrial. I didn’t read it correctly the first time.
    Jasnah handles the cultural business with aplomb, as expected. More interesting is the fact that Gawx/Yanagawn is doing remarkably well at handling his role. He’s relying on his advisers, but also making decisions for himself and acting with ever-greater confidence. I’m impressed.
    The argument about hope is appropriate to the characters and situation, but also feels a bit off thematically. I’m not sure how to articulate my reaction better, but it doesn’t feel like it arises organically from everything that’s been happening.
    Ishar is Tashi to the Azish. So why was Tashi the one who didn’t get a pancake? Is it a conflation or confusion about who was lost? Or something else entirely specific to the pancake festival?
    Dalinar: I’mma go talk to Ishar.
    Noura: But…isn’t he insane like the others?
    Dalinar: Yup. But maybe less than the others. Ash (who is definitely insane) says we can trust him.
    Noura: o.0
    I’m actually with Dalinar on this next part, though. If you’re going to talk to him, do it peaceably if possible. Noura’s kidnapping idea is doomed to fail.
    Thanks Yanagawn! Not really a swear, but I’ll add it to the list.
    I remain very skeptical of this contract Jasnah and Wit are preparing. I feel like it is a trap that can be turned around on those who laid it, even if Wit is acting completely above board here–of which I have yet to be convinced.
    Aww, Gawx is worried about Lift. Good job being a friend!
    Dalinar has kept working on writing and editing his book this whole time. That’s dedication when so many other duties are pulling him in other directions. I’m impressed. 
    Asking Jasnah to write the undertext is sweet. It’s a show of trust and approval that I think she needs, and demonstrates how far he’s come in regards to being paternal.
    Okay, I know that this is meant to be a sweet comment about trust and unity, and the value of working together. But good grief these people are self-assured. I want to say conceited and arrogant, but they have a lot of reason to think highly of themselves, so the attitude could be deserved. Still, this is what it sounds like:
    Dadlinar: “Hopefully you can add something to make my amazing autobiography even better. I trust that you’re smart enough to contribute. A bit.”
    Jasnah: “What are you talking about? It’s a foregone conclusion that it will be leagues better when I’m done with it. I’m the best scholar in the world, after all.”
     
  9. ccstat

    Chapter 102

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 102 (Highstorm Coming)
    Icons: Jez and Chach. Either brave windrunners, or destructive highstorm. 
    Epigraph: This one is quotable: 
    Is…is this talking about the infamous “voidbinding chart” from the endpapers? Are those shapes intended to be singer faces?
    Also, am I correct in assuming “this Return” to mean the current one in the story, or would these Musings on the first of the FInal Ten Days be a more ancient document?
    ***
    Venli is lined up for the Oathgate, in a position that will make it awkward and very visible to change plans. This means it will be the optimal time narrative-wise for her oaths about freedom to kick in and force her to back out of the “run for the hills” plan.
    Venli’s got 15 friends/minions at this point. I don’t think I knew before this how large her recruitment had gotten. Honestly, it’s a bit smaller than I expected, if only slightly.
    Venli’s envoyform carapace is “ornamentation, not true armor,” which somehow means it doesn’t shield her from the cold wind? I think I have a different understanding of armor than they do, but I suppose this is just saying that there is a lot of exposed skin to that form. Which, going by the folio page, is hardly a surprise. Just an odd way of saying it.
    Venli knows she’s being manipulated, but she doesn’t care. She sees what she wants to grasp.
    Yup, Timbre is disappointed in her choice. Aww, she tells Timbre to leave, find another host, but Timbre wants her. 
    Ah, so there’s a deadline of sorts as well. Highstorm inbound, probably to the Kharbranth end. I doubt they'd be trying to organize transfers in the time between one leaving Kharbranth and striking Urithiru.
    Vyre has run off, somehow sensing that Kal is on his way. Or maybe Leshwi told him that the Pursuer was trying to kill steal? Anyway, it’s funny to me because I only just realized that Vyre is the sole conduit they have at the moment for running the Oathgates. That means he’s been stuck as the elevator operator or revolving door attendant for the entirety of this occupation. He has got to be so bored.
    Ah, nope. The highstorm is about to strike Urithiru, so they appear to have been transferring personnel and supplies in that brief lull. Weird, but okay. I mean, the Kharbranth Oathgate is inside the palace and wouldn’t really be exposed to the storm anyway. I guess that end of the transit is not particularly affected one way or another.
    I guess getting rained out thanks to Vyre’s absence means that Venli doesn’t have to make a scene (here) when she changes her mind. And it forces her to reconsider when she sees things start to go down. Timbre knows what this means.
    The coming storm is supposedly going to be big enough to cover the entire tower. Sounds like a big’un.
    Her friends like the idea of saving Kaladin and family, because they see him as a potential ally/asset. I wasn’t expecting Venli’s honesty here, or their support. A lot of unspoken trust going on.
    ***
    Navani isn’t even getting food? That’s not how you are supposed to treat the Voice of Lights. Something has fallen through the cracks. Surely Raboniel doesn’t think Navani’s usefulness is at an end, after what she accomplished so far.
    Raboniel managed to reverse-engineer Anti-Stormlight in less than a day from Navani’s notes. That’s impressive.
    That’s a ludicrously high standard to hold scholars to, Navani. Take a look at your own scholars and ask how much they have missed of the wider picture.
    Navani painting prayers now is reminiscent of her Thath glyph after the betrayal at the Tower, and I love that this moment mirrors that one.
    Navani’s reflection on faith here is powerful and salient. How do you respond when you know that the god you pray to is in fact dead? Does that make the prayers worthless? Or is it an act of devotion to rely on their foresight reaching beyond even that death?
    As readers, we know that there is another deity on Roshar known for her future sight. So it is entirely possible that Cultivation did in fact seed this possibility into being. But it is equally possible that with blindspots and competing manipulations, this outcome was random and unforeseen. It is an act of faith to choose what Navani should believe, and though the stakes for us readers are as close to zero as to make no difference, it’s still an instructive situation to examine for how we ourselves approach faith in such a hypothetical. It’s a situation that could easily be compared to our own universe.
    Someone says he’s here to kill Navani in order to distract Dalinar. I’m guessing that Rlain is failing to come up with a natural cover story.
    Oh, nope. It’s Moash/Vyre. (Reminder: Moash was a better name and it shouldn’t have been changed.)
    Woah. He’s directly arguing with Raboniel, and says the order comes straight from Odium…but Raboniel somehow pulls rank and says her orders take precedent? I’d like to see the rules lawyering that makes that viable.
    Moash promises to not kill Kaladin, but ruin him somehow. In exchange, he gets Navani. I’m not sure what Moash is going to do, but I’m concerned about Syl’s continued absence.
    I think he’s going to do something creatively sadistic, rather than any of the straightforward attacks on Kal’s loved ones. But I’m not sure what.
    It was implied earlier, but explicitly noted again: the Honorblades are perfectly viable under the tower’s suppressive field, and stormlight functions normally for them. Therefore, it is the spren and the nahel bond specifically that are being smothered. The honorblades are aligned to Honor’s investiture just as much, so either they are simply powerful enough to shrug off everything the tower does–a distinct possibility, since we know more advanced Radiants gain greater immunity to the inhibitor–or the suppression targets something much more specific than the Intent of kinetic investiture. 
    Actually, having typed that out, it’s got to be the strength of the artifact that matters here. Fabrials are suppressed too, but it depends on the light they are infused with, not the spren that powers them. So the Honorblades can overpower the suppression, not escape it through a difference of attunement.
    With all of his Passion consumed by Odium, it’s an apt term.
    She found a sliver of Raysium… no wait. There is a second dagger, whole and unexploded. That is a useful piece of equipment. An answer to prayers, one might say. And it’s slightly charged with anti-Voidlight.
    ***
    Kaladin sees everyone wearing the Shash glyph.
    This is the most overtly messianic symbology we’ve had associated with Kaladin, and the most direct analogy to Christian symbols since the Well of Ascension when the Church of the Survivor took up the spear that slew Kelsier.
    I’m surprised that Kaladin’s thoughts about the end of his life as Highmarshal are so much more focused on what he might embody next rather than on martyrdom and endings. He’s come a long way since honor chasm, and suicide is not something he is looking for.
    He found Syl!
    He’s wearing the gauntlet on his belt, aimed at his back. My only guess is it will let him ram the Pursuer when he does his “I’m behind you” trick?
  10. ccstat

    Chapter 103

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 103 (The Legend You Live)
    Icons: Jez and Vev=windrunners and edgedancers. Teft and Lift gonna be doin’ stuff.
    Epigraph: El also thinks human tenacity appears appropriately Rosharan. 
    Teft is right that Kaladin does have a flair for the dramatic, but having just seen inside his head I don’t know I’d go so far as to say he’s intentionally grandstanding.
    Teft, that was pretty ballsy but I don’t think putting them in a headlock is the preferred method to deal with opponents who have electrokinesis. I guess it works, though, when you’ve got a healer on tap and Stormlight for strength. Too bad Moash is on his way or this might actually work as planned.
    Yes, Phenodrana. Go out the east-facing window into the coming highstorm. Briliant plan.
    Oh no! Moash wasn’t on his way, he was already here and ready to ambush the rescue party! As he takes down lift, I can’t help but think: He’s come to steal Kaladin’s dinner.
    ***
    Kaladin is doing a good job of getting into the Pursuer’s head. But pulling out a scalpel as his weapon of choice was not what I expected him to do. Neat statement about fusing his soldier and surgeon identities, but could probably have been built up more to make that moment really shine.
    ***
    What is Moash using that sand for? It’s already black, so it’s got to be intended as a sensor. Is he detecting spren?
    Teft, you are facing down an honorblade-wielding agent of odium with only a dagger. I think Kaladin is rubbing off on you.
     
  11. ccstat

    Chapter 104

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 104 (Full of Hope)
    Icons: Three, and in a different configuration than before. We have Chach, Vev, and two Nale… but the Nale icons aren’t mirrored. What’s going on?!
    Epigraph: “Humans are a poem. A song.” I’mma need some more context to see where he’s going with this one.
    Rlain is reprimanded for carrying water to the basement…but it’s the carrying water part that he’s doing wrong. Make the humans do that menial labor. Nice subversion there.
    Oh, wait. He was recognized. He and Dabbid are both detained. Not sure how they’ll get to Navani or the Sibling now.
    ***
    Now that he’s set the stakes, Kal is smack talking loud enough to put on a show. This fight became about the audience and reputation in their eyes, more than the contest itself. Nice move. 
    And it works. The Pursuer (now a.k.a. Defeated One, apparently) is psyched out and starts to retreat to fight more cautiously.
    ***
    I love that Leshwi is cheering for Kaladin. And she may be speaking softly, but she’s doing it to Exultation. It’s definitely cheering.
    ***
    I’m disappointed that Moash misinterpreted Teft here. I was expecting him to say, “We both know who the better man is. If I were a better man I wouldn’t win this.”
    Nice, Teft. Advancing to the next oath in dramatic fashion, manifesting a blade. Well, spear really. Is he going to get a glyph of power when he actually says the oath? Will that make it through the tower’s suppression, and if it does will it make a difference?
    Oh, nope. He was just forcing the connection to bring Phendorana through a little bit.
    I was expecting Teft to get killed directly, rather than tortured with the loss of Phendorana. Her death is a gut punch. There’s a reason we all hate you, Vyre.
    Oh, Teft is getting killed too. I’m rather surprised that Vyre didn’t leave him as evidence of what had been done to his bound spren. Especially since the wound he received at her death sounded like it would preclude forming another bond for a long time at least.
    Lift’s not gonna be happy about this, though, which is going to matter to Moash in a minute.

    The "full of hope" line and title are interesting in context of Jasnah's vehement denouncement of the topic. Is hope worth anything here? Did it do more harm than good? It's constructed as a rebuttal, but in a form that her arguments are still potentially valid.
  12. ccstat

    Chapter 105

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 105 (Children of Passions)
    Icons: Another offset triad: Jez and Chach, plus Vev twice but not mirrored. Maybe that’s Lift getting pride of place? I’m beginning to think the lack of symmetry is intentional to evoke the chaos of the current situation.
    Epigraph: Are you making fun of our skin, now? Just because we humans don’t have cool crab shells doesn’t mean… yeah, who am I kidding. I’m sure we’re funny looking to you.
    Smashing the Pursuer against the giant window against the backdrop of highstorm lightning is a cool move. Following it up by scaring him away, that’s how you win with panache.
    ***
    Of note is that this whole section identifies Moash by his former name, not by Vyre. Not sure if that’s a change based on his proximity to Bridge Four, or something else, but he’s thinking of himself that way.
    Kaladin is going to take some time to get over Teft’s murder, but it’s definitely not going to break him the way Moash expects. It might have, earlier, but he has already accepted that he’s not Bridgeleader or Highmarshal any longer, and he has the beginnings of a new identity in place.
    Oh, stink. Odium is interested in Lift for obvious reasons. I really hope she doesn’t get taken captive again at the end of all this. Going from Mraize to Raboniel to Odium in a series of cages is not what I want for our little Edgedancer.
    Moash, that is where your narrowmindedness betrays you. Kaladin’s only two options are suicide or surrender of self? You don’t know him as well as you think you do.
    And now he’s headed for Navani. Is he going to get hit by her fabrial mines, or is he going to have Odium ejected from his heart by her anti-Voidlight dagger, forcing him to face his own emotions again? My money is on the second one.
    ***
    The shield is down. This is your chance, Navani.
    Two more Fused titles we haven’t heard before: Word of Deeds and Night Known. Not sure what their role is in the final Unmaking of the Sibling.
    Hm. She only arms one of her traps (for now).
    I love that Raboniel prepared the notebook and plate for Navani to escape with. There’s lots of potential manipulative reasons for it, but I like to think there is true fondness and gratitude there.
    Nice, Navani. You did outthink Raboniel at this juncture, at least. “Here, have my knife and we’ll talk it out.” 
    And she takes the bait. Walking into the prepared painrial. Let’s see how this plays out.
  13. ccstat

    Chapter 106

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 106 (A Hundred Discordant Rhythms)
    Icons: Offset triad of Taln, Jez, and doubled Nale.
    Epigraph: I don’t get it. How are varied and intense being used as antonyms? Or at least exclusive?
    Kaladin reflects on his argument with Lirin about killing to protect, and how that may be an inherent contradiction. But unbeknownst to him, Lirin is mere feet away being held hostage against Kaladin doing anything. So when he does finally look up, will he kill in order to protect his father? Or will he accept Lirin’s morals and let his father suffer the fate the enemy has planned?
    ***
    Navani jumps into the pain field to grab the knife, and stabs Raboniel with it. Way to be awesome, Navani! Sometimes it’s easy to forget that she’s married to the Blackthorn. I doubt there’s enough light in there to actually kill Raboniel, though.
    I really like that she takes time to have pride in the range of her pain field, while being bombarded with its effect. Definitely a scholar.
    Oh. Raboniel is almost dead. She’s cut off from the rhythms and in excruciating pain. Navani succeeded, but Raboniel has enough time for some last words. And what words does she choose? Affirmation of Navani, and encouraging her to escape. 
    Awesome. Raboniel esteems the Voice of Lights highly enough to think she is the best chance now of ending the war. Wonderful culmination of this relationship!
    And Moash ruins the moment. At least he did it dramatically (by throwing a knife into Navani’s chest from across the room).
    ***
    Timbre really has no fear, telling Venli to reveal herself in front of everyone. That’s far gutsier than I would expect.
    Leshwi frees Lirin! Kaladin doesn’t have to face the decision I thought would come.
    Oh, Leshwi is definitely going to capitalize on the Defeated One title. She’s going to get a lot of mileage out of that.
    Well, that’s even more dramatic. The Pursuer teleports past Leshwi to kill Stormblessed, and now Venli will have to save him with her stone shaping. That’s a sweet setup right there.
    Oh, that’s not what happened. It just broke Kal out of his funk and forced him to fight back. 
    Ah, maybe that’s not a good thing? Kaladin with eyes that are starting to glow red is not an auspicious sign. 
    Uh oh. Using the wrong color of light to lash the Pursuer’s head off of his body…that’s not the Windrunner ideals I’m used to. Has Brandon been running a long con? Is Moash right? What if Dalinar does get his contract signed, only to find out that Kaladin has taken up the role of Odium’s champion? I don’t actually think that’s what’s going to happen, but sequences like this are doing a seriously impressive job of convincing me it’s a possibility.
    No, don’t run away with the hostage! That’s how you make him follow you! Seriously, folks. If you aren’t going to fight him, just give him what he wants.
    So now Venli just has to reveal herself by fighting against the Pursuer’s personal guard and protecting the Radiants. I’m not sure that’s an improvement over the previous scene.
    ***
    No! Syl is forgetting. This is not good. Kaladin, please don’t kill Syl or abandon her!
    Um, is Syl forgetting the Words he said or the ones he was getting ready to say? Because that’s an important distinction.
    When Lirin is thrown off, Kaladin jumps off the tower into the storm, while remembering honor chasm. This took an even darker turn than I thought it would. For the moment I think I still prefer my hypothetical hostage negotiation for the character arc, but I’ll wait and see where Brandon is going with this.
     
  14. ccstat

    Chapter 107

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 107 (Uniting)
    Icons: Four: Kek, Chach, Jez, Ishi. I got nothing.
    Epigraph: These short snippets are infuriatingly meaningless on their own. Clump them into a single epigraph so that there’s room for more meat. Or, alternatively, just tell us who El is!
    Is it significant that the mural navani smears blood on is the one of a willshaper spren? I don’t think so–it seems like it’s probably just added color, but it’s a weird place for that sort of detail.
    Taunting Navani with Elhokar’s murder is not going to make her give up. You say you feel nothing, but I’m sensing a lot of residual spite in you, Vyre.
    As expected, he gets a Raboniel to the face. I’m imagining all those shows where a cat jumps up at someone out of nowhere, though I suspect it’s a bit more terrifying to have that happen with a full-sized Fuzed. She’s weak enough it will only delay, but it’s super satisfying to see her fondness and belief in Navani motivate her like this.
    Nice, Raboniel is using the stormlight siphon version of the knife to hinder Moash, sucking away his strength.
    She reaches the pillar and only hears the Rhythm of War. So the Unmaking is complete, but as anticipated the Sibling is not like the other Unmade. Those are fully Odium, while the Sibling is powered by Warlight. Actually, wait. If previously the Sibling worked on Towerlight, generating Towerlight, a.k.a. fusion of Honor and Cultivation, why are they working on Warlight now? Shouldn’t there be some Cultivation in the mix? Or did all of the Voidlight replace the Lifelight half? That might explain the severe weakening that the Sibling experienced, especially towards the end.
    ***
    The Stormfather manifests next to Dalinar in the air, outside of a storm. That’s unprecedented.
    Also, it’s weird to me again to think about the timescales involved for the highstorm to travel across the continent. They are blithely flying toward the enemy camp, while a highstorm is bearing down on them to arrive within hours at most. Surely they should be waiting until after it passes to do this?
    Also, with Dalinar getting pulled into a vision, that’s gotta be awkward for Lyn the Windrunner who is carrying him.
    Kaladin taking Syl’s hand, then letting her go… definitely a sad moment.
    Dalinar convinces the Stormfather to pull Kal into the timestop at the center of the Storm. Giving someone a little more time to process their grief is the sort of magical intervention that feels relevant to real life concerns. I like this part of the solution.
    ***
    The civilians in the tower are trying to protect the Radiants, and Venli specifically notices the one-armed soldier that took Kaladin as inspiration against depression. I hope not too many of them die.
    Venli reveals the wrong rhythms in her speech, getting Leshwi’s attention.
    Timbre is shouting her little head off inside, "Show her, show her!"
    All this buildup to Leshwi being accepting of Venli’s radiance, and LOLnope–she immediately attunes Destruction. 
    Definitely not an automatic alliance. Here’s a reminder that as much as we like Leshwi, and as much as we trust her morals, she’s still fighting for the forces of Odium.
    ***
    Kaladin buys into Moash’s dichotomy of Odium or oblivion. The Stormfather tells him there are more choices, and there is still more journey worth taking.
    Actually, until I wrote that I didn’t recognize this as a journey vs. destination point. Odium or oblivion is a pondering of consequences and outcomes, forcing Kaladin to choose to end his journey. The Stormfather instead tells him there’s more to do right now, which is more important than the false choice of destination he’s been presented.
    The thought of Syl being left alone to grieve is enough to make Kaladin try again, but he still has exhausted his strength. I’m glad he loves Syl enough to try.
    ***
    A reminder that for all the Bondsmith’s powers, he is still bound by the constraints of the nahel system of oaths, and that pushing those limits is done at everyone’s peril. We do not want a deadeye Stormfather, or one broken in other soul-destroying ways.
    Dalinar is in the spiritual realm and he senses a warmth. Is this the anomalous light from his visions? In the past he attributed it to the God Beyond, but we don’t really know what it is or where it came from. Does this mean we’ll get an actual explanation?
    Dalinar connects Kaladin to the warmth and sends him a vision. What is the connection to? What will the vision be of, and how much of it will Dalinar be influencing? Any? I sort of think that his contribution is done after forging the connection.
     
  15. ccstat

    Chapter 108

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 108 (Moments)
    Icons: Mirrored triad: Taln, Vev, with Jez doubled. Windrunner moments, plus endurance and healing?
    Epigraph: Confused but brilliant? Sure, I’ll take that compliment, El.
    On a tent in Amaram’s colors. Is this Tien, and he doesn’t recognize him? I am not sure how this vision will be helpful, Dalinar. 
    Kaladin hasn’t learned that in living the vision he inhabits memories of the one he replaces. It took a while for Dalinar to learn to go with the flow on that. Kal is just being himself.
    And suddenly Kal recognizes where and when this is. “Work with what you have.”
    Oh, that’s why he didn’t see it at first. Tien came in later to protect these two. 
    Aww, Tien recognizes him in the vision, somehow.
    Kal and Tien are more alike than we’ve had a chance to see.
    This is touching. I am frequently emotional in books, so this isn’t out of the norm by any stretch for me, but this little exchange is definitely making me tear up a bit. Well done Brandon/Tien.
    And Tien gives him a wooden carving to carry out of the vision to show it was real. 
    Alright, Dalinar, I take it back. This was a good idea after all. (Though only because there was more to it than just watching Tien die again.)
    He grasps Syl, somehow recognizing her from only a pinprick of light. 
    Oh, the horse dissolved. Not sure how that will go over. 
    He hears Tien and Teft’s voices egging him on to say his Fourth Oath. And more shockingly, the voice that says “These Words Are Accepted” isn’t the Stormfather’s. I want to say it’s Tien’s but they’ve already left the time-agnostic realm of the Spiritual, so it seems like Teft is the only one who could stick around long enough for it. I’m not sure, though, because Tien was definitely implied.
    And all the windspren congregate from across the sky to (presumably) form his Plate.
     
  16. ccstat

    Chapter 109

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 109 (Emulsifier)
    Icons: Four with Ishar, Kelek, Jez, and Palah. Best guess with the title is that Rlain is going to help emulsify the Warlight, hence Ishar for Bondsmith. Kelek for Venli as willshaper, and Jez for Kaladin doing stuff. Not sure about Palah, though. 
    Epigraph: This is getting tedious. Lots of little backhanded compliments for the slaves El wants to rule. Get to the point, please.
    Leshwi is overjoyed at Venli’s radiance. The previous scene cut was a fakeout. 
    Leshwi is asking after her honorspren friend? She’s humming to the old rhythms? I hope these are actual indicators of what is going to happen going forward, not death flags for a character we want to root for.
    Leshwi can’t become a Radiant with her soul steeped in Odium’s power, but maybe others can, and she can support them. 
    I love the affirmation Leshwi shows. Venli is still her Voice, and she is content to lead when Venli is conflicted. And what does she do? She leads her forces against the Pursuer’s.
    ***
    Oh, the Sibling may not be entirely given over to the Rhythm of War. They hear it somewhere in the tower, but they aren’t producing it.
    Oh, is the Rhythm of War coming from Venli? (And possibly Leshwi) That would make her the emulsifier, especially since we’ve already seen she can use both Stormlight and Voidlight.
    Hm. From the vision it looks like Venli is indeed the emulsifier, but not the sole producer of the tone. She is bringing Leshwi and the humans together, binding the previously unmixable to work together as a single force.
    Navani makes the same conclusion. Nice.
    Moash is fighting Raboniel with his Blade, and he also has a dagger capable of killing fused. Is he going to take the blame for her permadeath? Will Navani be off the hook from Odium’s perspective and the Fused?
    Rlain is coming, but he’s too far away, and too late. And Navani is not worthy. Blunt, and devastating, but honest.
    ***
    Rlain is working to heal as a surgeon. Being a unifier as a bondsmith would be a great role for him, but maybe truthwatcher is in the cards instead, if the Sibling is out of reach?
    Reminder of the sky burial customs of the listeners. I appreciate that Rlain wants to give Teft that honor, leaving the body unmolested. 
    Lift isn’t healing. Did anyone try feeding the girl? 
    That alliance with Leshwi didn’t last long. She doesn’t seem to think she’s in rebellion, just acting with more compassion and honor while she serves the cause of her people.
    Rlain speaking with confidence, ordering Leshwi around, is gold. Telling her she absolutely committed treason here, so he needs to listen up, then placing himself and Venli as trustworthy listeners with experience in escaping Odium’s control, that’s brilliant. He doesn’t even know about Venli’s radiance yet.
    Ah, there it is. And Rlain’s response? 
    Yes, that is definitely too much channeling of Teft, Rlain. You even swore like him.
    Yes, let’s all go out in the highstorm carrying unconscious Radiants. There’s no way that could leave you vulnerable. At least it got people moving.
    Venli is super impressed at Rlain ordering Leshwi around.
    “Hi Venli, please summon your blade to work the oathgate.”
    “What? I can’t do that.”
    “Well, crem.”
     
  17. ccstat

    Chapter 11

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 11 (Passion and Courage)
    Title: I’m immediately looking at this as a reference to the Passions (thus a Venli chapter or a focus on the forces of Odium), but in the last chapter Dalinar very conspicuously called Kaladin passionate as a compliment. This just after Vyre’s emotional emptiness is shown to be an exploitable weakness seems to emphasize that Odium’s forces are robbed of their passion. So this could well be a reference to something else. None of the Heralds have a particular association with courage, as far as I remember, so probably not a specific order of Knights.
    Epigraph: Iron=pulling, is anyone surprised? This is an obvious allomancy connection, but the feruchemical association with gravity/mass could also be a worthy connection to make. The fact that the Rosharan artifabrians haven’t yet discovered the complementary metal is interesting, perhaps suggesting that they don’t have the capability of creating (the appropriate alloy of) steel. 
    Speaking of which, have any of the metals mentioned so far in these epigraphs been alloys or have they been pure metals? I’ll go back and check … So far we’ve had zinc/brass, bronze, pewter/tin, and iron. It’s not surprising that iron is known while steel hasn’t been tried, but the odd one out here is definitely bronze. How do they discover the alloy before the base metal? Have they not dried regular copper, or have we just not gotten to the epigraph that talks about it yet?
    I also wonder whether the requisite alloys are as demanding/restrictive as those for the metallic arts. Do the percentages have to be exact for the fabrial to function? If so, that may be another indicator of the sort of developments that won’t occur until there is greater cross-pollination of knowledge from worldhoppers to/from Scadrial. Getting information about the exact composition needed to make fabrial cages sounds like a huge leg up on the research front. This could well be another hint of why the next Era of Mistborn needs to be written before we get the back five Stormlight books.
    ----
    Oh, look it is Venli after all. I shouldn’t have second guessed myself on the title. See, this is where those chapter header art pieces would be useful. 
    “The lady returns” is probably a reference to Leshwi, but I didn’t think Venli was working for her. It’s not like Brandon can’t introduce another singer/Fused character at this point, obviously, but of the people we know so far, Leshwi is pretty much the only choice.
    Well, that’s certainly a loaded phrase. Let’s see just how deep the layers of deception have formed in the past year, shall we?
    “Shanay-im” is that a word we knew before? I don’t think so. I presume it refers to Fused and/or regents. (Is that the word we used for higher forms that don’t overwrite a singer’s mind? I don’t recall. Pretty sure it started with an R.)....Ah, nope it was Regals. That sounds much better. Thanks for the reminder, Venli.
    Venli has a scepter. Huh. I wonder what significance has been attached to that, and whether it is a feature borrowed from a human culture or something instated by Fused with their long memories.
    Above the Fused in hierarchy are “mysterious creatures like the thunderclasts and the Unmade.” Looks like Venli isn’t going to infodump for us. Come on, Venli, why haven’t you been studying the fans’ questions this past year? 
    Venli is in Kholinar. I was sort of expecting her to be on the front, or traveling around the continent to some of the disconnected populations, taking advantage of her envoyform abilities. Still, it’s been a year. She might have already done that and been recalled, or I could have just had a mistaken idea of her intended tasks.
    Good to know that your ruling class are all some flavor of insane. If they weren’t immortal, I expect at least one group of the singers would have cast them off by now. I’m fairly certain the process of creating an independent singer culture is going to be more difficult than that, though. (i.e. 6 books worth of difficult, including time skips).
    … and I just realized how that insanity comment is also applicable to the Heralds and humanity. Great. There are multiple methods of achieving longevity/immortality in the cosmere, but I think it’s safe to say that some of them come with significant drawbacks on the mental stability front.
    Yup, she’s serving under Leshwi. Oh, shanay-im was the word translated as “Heavenly Ones” before, rendered here as “Those Ones of the Heavens.” I’m going to have to learn a whole new set of singer and human names for the so-called “voidbinding chart” aren’t I? 
    Wait, those topple-prone towers are individual penthouse suites for the flying Fused? That’s definitely crazy. Why would you want to do that? “I know what sounds like fun: getting right up next to the lightning and flying boulders during a highstorm! Experiencing it on the ground is just too tame.”
    Leshwi is uniquely sane--and she still wants the sky room. Awesome. Interesting that the Heavenly Ones are less affected by raving madness than the other “brands” of Fused. I wonder if we’ll learn a realmatic reason for that, or if it’s just a quirk to memorize?
    I wonder how many bodies Leshwi (and the other Fused) have gone through in the past year. Venli speaks of the transitions as something of a regular occurrence. That’s really pretty horrifying in the cultural sense, where at any moment the theological leaders may ask a random singer to sacrifice themself so that a Fused can reincarnate. It evokes the Hallandren gods in Warbreaker, but without the arguments about “it’s a privilege to give up my Breath, and it’s not really my soul so donating it doesn’t harm me anyway.” In this case, sure, you may see it as a privilege but it outright kills you.
    Looking into Shadesmar, huh? And that’s being attributed to the Willshaper powers here. I would have thought she could access that particular ability through her Regal form. We saw way back in WoK interludes that the listeners could see deeper into Shadesmar than humans, to the extent that spren appeared noticeably different to them. I presumed that greater degrees of investiture, such as a Regal form, would enhance that. Maybe it does, just not to the same extent? But I guess others can’t do that trick. I’m not sure why it would be visible to others when she does it, though, unless it actively consumes stormlight. As long as she doesn’t glow, she ought to be okay, right? Maybe voidspren can sense when someone uses stormlight?
    This does make me start to wonder how far Venli has progressed in her bond with Timbre in the past year. I hadn’t really considered that she might have spoken more ideals during the time skip. I guess we’ll find out. When she does advance in her oaths, will that alter her form at all? If not, is that because Timbre is trying to be stealthy? Will it make her more or less obvious in an investiture-sense way? When Kaladin advanced he seemed to use stormlight more efficiently, leaking less, which would be a good thing for Venli. On the other hand, it was always pretty spectacular, which would be less good. That could well be a Windrunner thing, though, since Lift was a lot more understated when she progressed.
    ...and Timbre immediately answers my question. Venli’s not a KR yet, not having spoken her second ideal yet.
    Oh no, creepiness intensifies. Is this “new recruit” being brought as a potential host for Leshwi?
    Ah, thankfully not. Venli is conspiring to get her own loyal network into positions of power. Interesting. I wonder what form the subversion is taking.
    “Stormsetter” sounds like a great job. “Your job is to clean up before the super hurricane so that nothing blows away. In the open-air penthouse. Good luck.”
    Hm. This whole translation business serving as Leshwi’s voice is quite cool… but it doesn’t really help sell the image of Leshwi as “super sane Fused who can talk normal.” It also makes me wonder if other Fused have an envoyform Regal to be their voice. Venli was very much a special case when she assumed this form, so I wouldn’t think so, but why waste a super rare interpreter on one of the more sane Fused who doesn’t need one?
    That sounds like a horrible system. This is not going to build the strongest of societies.
    The conversation about “did you kill your crush the evil Windrunner this time” is a lot of fun and does nothing to dissuade my shipping senses.
    Pursuer as a name for the teleporting Fused is fitting and ominous. 
    A Thaylen tailor. That really just rolls off the tongue. I wonder if that’s part of what made Brandon create this character, or if he really just loves elaborate eyebrows.
    Oh, she doesn’t get the job. Will we see Yokska again in the story? (Is the penalty for failing the job interview getting tossed off the tower?)
    She picked a human for the job of “He Who Quiets,” and I really don’t know what that entails. All of my ideas from that job title are creepy.
    Oh, good. Yokska survives to teach the singer who will actually be Leshwi’s tailor.
    Leshwi floating off to meditate in the clouds really drives home that they are not limited by stormlight reserves in the way that Radiants are. She can just hang out indefinitely in the sky, and that’s all kinds of cool.
    Venli “thumped her scepter against the wooden floor.” How big is this scepter? I might need a description, because I was imagining something more club-sized, either along the lines of the European royal scepters that would be ~2 feet long, or the similarly sized but differently shaped items from Asia that Brandon based the Moon Scepter on for the Emperor’s Soul.
    Dul and Mazish following human (Alethi) marriage customs is sweet but also leaves a somewhat bitter taste.
    I like the metaphor Venli uses here of  a cremling shedding its shell, but not until it outgrows it. It fits so well in meaning and also in context.
    Shumin swearing with the Alethi “Stormfather” is notable, but not surprising seeing all the other cultural absorption that has been shown. Calling Venli “Brightness” is more disconcerting to me, despite having that be the address for Abiajan back in chapter 1. That was in a town with a majority-human population, in contrast to the apparent center of singer power.
    I like that as a mission statement, Venli. It is the right flavor of empowerment to attract a wide base of support, and it lends itself well to spreading in the until-recently enslaved population of singers.
    This, on the other hand, is terminally stupid overconfidence. Good luck, Venli, if this is what you have to work with. It is good to see that I’m not the only one noticing the horror of the situation.
    Ayup. That’s… basically what I was thinking. Eeesh.
    Venli is generalizing to a disturbing degree. “All humans are the same. They and Fused only care about controlling others.” She’s doing such good work, though, I feel bad hoping that she’ll be more nuanced about it. Her position really demands a degree of absolutism. (Like the Assuredness movement! Callback!)
    Ooo, Venli gets to use both flavors of light. That’s almost as convenient as Lift getting to use food. More useful for the covert role Venli is taking, of course. It’s notable that voidlight can apparently fuel normal surgebinding, provided the user can invest with it. No further conversion between types appears to be required.
    I’d forgotten, or not really thought about, where Willshapers fall on the chart. The stone manipulation power was one I’d forgotten they had. It’s also fairly obvious that looking into Shadesmar isn’t the limit of her ability (at least eventually), though I imagine that more active use of that surge would draw secretspren when more passive use for just looking does not. Just like the Lashings vs. Lightweaving we observed in the last book.
    Mavset-im “Those Ones of Masks” are Fused that presumably use the illumination surge equivalent? Or do they physically take other forms through reshaping their own bodies?
    Workform comes from gravitationspren? That is not what I would have guessed. Time to make a new list, I suppose. Someone else will probably beat me to cataloging the forms and their associated spren, but I’ll note the ones we learn about to see if I can come up with anything useful.
    Preach, sister!
    All aboard for a road trip to Shinovar...Shadesmar...Ashyn...Braize...whole lotta nope. Scadrial maybe? Nalthis? (Silverlight?)
    ...First of the Sun? Oh, God Beyond that’s a terrible idea. Do not go there! You need a lot more chickens before anyone with the cognitive presence you have can possibly survive in that neck of the cosmere.
    Ah, here comes the nuance. Venli is recognizing the Fused are people with personalities and individuality.
    Does this actually mean that the Willshapers as an order will be fully or mostly composed of listeners? Is Timbre really representative of her type?
    Dun dun dun! 
    Rhythm of Agony, huh? Good work, Leshwi. That’s how you make a properly ominous pronouncement. 
  18. ccstat

    Chapter 110

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 110 (Reborn)
    Icons: Jez and Ishar. We’re back to our regular mirrored doublet, so maybe things are calming down? Looks like windrunner and bondsmith shenanigans inbound.
    Epigraph: Really? Now you’re teasing us with one word at a time? This is getting silly.
    Okay, that is a lot more windspren than I expected. Kaladin is overachieving again, opening a glowing channel from the top of the storm to the bottom. No wonder the giant window was lighting up in the tower.
    Hm. This is a nice moment of earning his Plate, and it’s great to both see it and feel the significance of the windspren choosing that connection. HOWEVER! Why does Kaladin get this scene? Jasnah has had her plate for over a year, and she’s not the only one. We all knew where plate comes from by now, so this isn’t a reveal of any sort. Doesn’t Jasnah deserve some time in the spotlight? This isn’t just the Kaladin show. The other characters matter too. 
    And the PoV cuts off right as he is about to grab Lirin, or they’re both going to smack into the ground. It’s cinematic, but does anyone actually think Brandon’s going to let Kaladin fail to save Lirin right here? I guess it would be a test of his new oath…
    ***
    Yes! Go Navani! Reject those internalized judgements of not being good enough. You are a scholar. You are a creator. You are enough, and you are worthy! We’ve been waiting for this culmination of your character journey. Take that, Gavilar.
    Navani is willing to compromise, to unite. It’s a different conception of unity than Dalinar encompases, but it’s an important one. Perhaps more important for that difference.
    Navani hums Odium’s tone, as the only one she can hear… but she can invert it in her own voice. This reclaims some of the Sibling and forces Moash to hesitate. This is what you’ve discovered, Navani, and a skill you’ve earned.
    Sibling can hear Cultivation’s tone, but not Honor’s. So the answer is no, cultivation’s investiture was not replaced by the infusion of Voidlight. 
    Navani unknowingly echoes Notum and the other honorspren here, “Honor is not dead. He lives inside the hearts of his children.”  And she makes it a reality, drawing on her own heart to bring forth Honor’s tone. 
    All her practice jamming out with Raboniel means she can immediately and on the fly harmonize into the Rhythm of the Tower, finding that common ground with the Sibling. Yep, she’s awesome.
    Also, I love that Navani is speaking to these Rhythms now. She’s going to be welcomed by Leshwi and friends.
    The Sibling says their initial creation was in order to create common ground between humans and spren. What does that mean for the founding of Urithiru, and the formalization of nahel structure by Ishar? I doubt we’ll find out soon.
    I find it significant that the Sibling accepts her oath. It’s not weird, since they are of equivalent stature/standing as the Stormfather and he’s the one who usually does it. But this is personal and the result of long negotiation. I approve.
    She’s somehow healed the Sibling’s ability to create Towerlight, and they do it together. I don’t have a problem with that, except that it appears to trivially revert all of the Unmaking that Raboniel has been doing for weeks. Sure, that was needlessly drawn out in order to push Raboniel’s other plans, but it was still a huge infusion of voidlight into the very being of the Sibling, to the point that their mind has been undergoing fundamental alteration. I don’t think you should be able to gloss over that with a single power-up sequence. 
    In fact, I was looking forward to Rlain the Bondsmith in part because of the partial unmaking of the Sibling. It would be something new and interesting to work around. 
    On top of that, I think it would have been better and more Significant for a listener/singer to be the second Bondsmith. That would recast the conflict significantly, and draw a lot more eyes than Venli’s bond. Maybe that’s why Brandon didn’t do it? Because he didn’t want Venli overshadowed? But then why give the job to the Kholin family?
    In fact, I’m a little irked that Navani’s “yes I matter, yes I’m good enough” moment leads directly into phenomenal cosmic powers. She was unique among the core cast as being someone without magical skills but still getting by through fabrial tech and family bonds and sheer gumption. Why undercut that role by giving her powers, right when she starts to accept her own contributions? I’m not fully happy with this development, as great as it is.
    Still, “Journey before destination, you bastard.” That’s a badass moment and something we’ve all been wanting to spit in Moash’s face for a while. You go, Navani!
    ***
    Lirin accepting the shash glyph is a nice touch to this reunion scene. Kaladin’s brand healing is nice and symbolic, but doesn’t make sense. Why would accepting his inability to save people negate his self identity as branded and enslaved? This doesn’t jive for me. It’s too sudden. Sure, elevations to another tier of Radiant Oaths are empowering, but he was accepting loss and weakness, not whatever this is.
     
  19. ccstat

    Chapter 111

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 111 (Unchained)
    Title: Probably most intended as a reference to the Sibling, but I imagine it will be a broadly applicable theme.
    Icons: Quartet of Chach, Ishar, Palah, and Jez. Hard to speculate for Chach and Palah.
    Epigraph:
    How recent are we talking, here? I assume this is post-epilogue material, and El is aware that Urithiru was retaken and the Sibling revived. He really doesn’t think it matters, does he. I guess it’s a positive thing for him, since humans are resisting annihilation, and he was already arguing against exterminating the race. He doesn’t think there’s any chance at all that humans will come out the victors, though.
    ***
    Wait, before we get into this, does Navani’s revival of the Sibling and apparent healing of that whole Unmaking business mean that the tower’s suppression can immediately revert to blocking Void-powered abilities? That would make a dramatic and instant difference in the balance of power here. I almost hope that’s not the case, since it feels sort of like the frequently used “shoot the mothership to deactivate everything” trope in movies that often comes off as a cheap victory.
    Anyway, on to Dalinar, who is our first PoV.
    Oh. It was Dalinar who accepted Kaladin’s oath. I had that totally wrong. Makes sense, though. Bondsmith power!
    New swear construction for the list. Thanks, Dalinar!
    Dalinar immediately recognizes Ishar through their Connection. That’s the bondsmith’s domain, so it makes sense, but I also wonder if it’s partly to do with the way Ishar founded the nahel system. It’s more than any of the other Radiant orders have recognized of their own patron heralds. 
    Well, that’s a bit of an info drop. That’s not how imagined Ishar either, mostly going by the closed-eyed icon, but that’s neither here nor there. He was the one who saved humanity from Ashyn by discovering the path through Shadesmar. That’s a remarkable achievement, and it means that events happened very rapidly on early Roshar for him to have become a member of the oathpact. How swiftly did it become necessary to lock away Odium and his Fused?
    Ishar thinks he’s Tanavast, and that he’s the one meant to fight Odium’s champion? That’s more delusional than I was expecting.
    Apparently he is “Herald of Heralds, sole bearer of the Oathpact.” Not only that, he’s going to absorb Odium’s power and become reborn into a new incarnation of Adonalsium. I’m not going to say that he’s harmless, since he obviously has plenty of power and ability, but I will say that recruiting this guy sounds dodgy.
    Ishar reclaimed his own blade, and apparently it was the one that Szeth’s dad was entrusted. I’m not convinced that Ishar would need to do anything at all to Szeth’s dad in order to get the blade back, since I doubt it was actually unbound from him in the first place. But the Ghostbloods lost track of some honorblades and their wielders, so something might be up.
    ***
    The cremling is following their group. I guess we’ll find out if it’s actually possessed by a voidspren rather than being part of a sleepless. However, Timbre taking a chasmfiend taxi to reach Eshonai in the flashbacks gives some credence to the idea that the voidspren really are hiding in these cremlings.
    The Rhythm of Executions. Why do they even have that rhythm?
    Rlain asks for a spren. Timbre says he’s “already spoken for.”
     
    Okay, there’s quite a bit to unpack here. Yes, he gets one of Sja-Anat’s children. I was hoping for Unmade Sibling, but I guess we’ll go with semi-Unmade nahel spren from another order instead. I do still like his association with Renarin here, and bonding one of Sja-Anat’s children fits.

    The titles are interesting. Son of Thorns I like because it acknowledges both Dalinar the Blackthorn but also Renarin’s mother. (Whether that refers to Evi or Navani or both, I’m not sure. Probably Navani due to recent events, but who knows?) As for Bridger of Minds, that’s a fascinating one because until the recent alliance of convenience against the Pursuer, Rlain really didn’t do much to act as a bridge, being too much an outcast of both worlds. That title also suggests a role in connecting people or in pursuit of knowledge, which brings us to the last point:

    The spren’s speaking patterns are reminiscent of Blended and Ivory, suggesting that prior to their corruption by Sja-Anat they were an Inkspren. That’s certainly not conclusive, and I could be wrong entirely. Current guess, though, is that Rlain will be a weird Elsecaller in the same way that Renarin is a weird Truthwatcher.
    ***
    There’s a new word. “Skepping” is the act of quickly dismissing and resummoning the blade so that it passes through blocks. 
    Whatever else Ishar has lost, his fighting ability is still top notch.
    Ishar was average among the Heralds, Taln was the best. 
    Ah, the Stormfather’s warning is important. WIth his honorblade, Ishar is “a bondsmith unchained” by the rules of the nahel system he instated.
    The perpendicularity brings Ishar to his senses…almost. But no, the conclusion must be that Odium has corrupted the Stormfather.
    He’s trying to steal the bond to the Stormfather, and Dalinar’s status as someone opposed to Odium? That can’t be good.
    It almost works, except that Szeth chops through the theft with Nightblood. Holding Nightblood drawn in the middle of a perpendicularity has got to be making sword-nimi really happy right now.
    Ishar went to the Shin and revealed himself in order to get his Honorblade back. What did that do to Stone Shamanism to have a herald tell them the conflict wasn’t over? 
    Szeth doesn’t believe it, and Ishar elaborates:
     
    All of that is concerning. Given Ishar’s demonstrated grasp on reality I am not sure how much truth is in those statements, but it’s certain that Shinovar is worse off now than it was before Ishar and the Unmade visited.
    Nightblood chipped the Honorblade. That’s not surprising to those who know where it came from, but it’s a big shock to everyone here.
    Ishar has a brief moment of lucidity when Navani says her vow. He knows he’s insane, but he wants everyone to meet him in Shinovar to restore the Oathpact, provided they can restore his sanity at the time by having a whole bunch of Radiants swear their next oath in sequence to grant him lucidity.
    ***
    Okay, so the Voidlight is still present in the Sibling as a corrupting influence, but the Sibling’s nature and use of Towerlight has not changed. Navani is going to try to purge the Voidlight I guess?
    Okay, she can do it but she needs her scholars and the anti-Voidlight plate to make it work, and all of this will take time. Despite being driven back, Moash is not a solved problem, yet, that she can spend her focus elsewhere.
    Hm. I guess Moash fled and she really can focus on this problem now.
    ***
    Hm. So Ishar’s trick was to make their bodies and the ground Connected to the point that all their investiture flowed out to try to fill the ground. That’s a scarily effective ability.
    Apparently Ishar couldn’t do that before, because even without the restrictions of the nahel system he was limited by Tanavast. So how limited is Dalinar at this point? What enforces his restrictions?
    Well, that’s a whole can of worms we didn’t know about the Ashyn situation. Not only is Ishar the one who discovered how to escape, he seems to have precipitated the crisis that forced an escape to be necessary. It also appears that Odium was confined to Ashyn somehow, and trickery was necessary for him to escape to the wider Roshar system.
    This explains why the Oathpact was immediately recognized as a necessity. The survivors from Ashyn knew that Odium would cause the same destruction to Roshar if he wasn’t checked. So somehow they devised a way to consign him to Braize. I’m eager to learn the story of how that happened.
    Szeth is ready to graduate from following the Blackthorn to following his quest to the Shin. Set up for Stones Unhallowed? Storms, yes!
    Yes, sword-nimi, you destroyed a lot of evil this time. 
    What does Szeth have to do before he leaves? Is it something to do with Taravangian, because otherwise the meeting with Odium may not be engineered appropriately. What was it Ishar knew that unnerved Szeth? The thing about the Unmade? Something about his father? I don’t know.
    Dalinar: “I don’t know if Szeth or Nightblood are more insane.”
    Stormfather: “Neither do I, but Ishar’s got them both beat.”
    I wonder what they’ll actually get from Ishar. I don’t know that much of his writings will be useful or relevant or accurate, even if he did leave things behind.
    ***
    Adin again. I don’t know how I feel about returning to an interlude character in the main text (excepting the main throughline interlude, which in this case is Taravangian). The only reason to do so now would be to show off that Adin is actually getting a spren, or to do something with a commoner’s view. The former doesn’t feel worth taking space here, and the latter could be accomplished with someone else. This undercuts the use of the interlude chapters. Either take out Adin’s interlude, possibly pushing it into the main text (my preference) or skip this PoV now. 
    A bright spot in Alethi sexism, and a reminder that as brutal as their culture is, war is formalized and has certain rules around it.
    So can Kaladin lend his plate to other people? That’s neat and unexpected. I’m going to guess that other orders can’t do this. But see, this would have been a much cooler thing if it were the Moment of Awesome for Kaladin, separate from our first sight of living Plate. We definitely should have had the introduction to that from Jasnah first so that this could be special. 
    And yes, this PoV could have been anyone else rather than Adin. My vote would be Dabbid or Leshwi, personally. The superficial connection to Tien, where Kaladin gets to save a kid instead of watching them die, is only there in subtle reference and could be there just as much from another PoV.
    Huh. It didn’t take Navani long at all to purge the Voidlight and get everything functional. The Tower is alive again, and the suppression is working correctly. 
    Ewww. Suppressing the Deepest Ones while they are halfway merged with the floor does not go well for them.
    I’m hopeful that the Sibling can be more selective in the future and allow allied Fused to function in their halls. I’m not confident, though. What will happen with Leshwi? Best guess right now is that she and her entourage will ferry Venli and Rlain to the Shattered Plains to find the lost listeners.
    ***
    Ishar is doing autopsies/dissections? Are they … not singers, it appears. Apparently humans, but possibly Siah if their bodies become depigmented upon death? No, it is pale blue so probably a Siah Aimian. Or maybe just a Natan like Dalinar thinks.
    This other body, though, is weird. Should I recognize this? Oh, wait. Is it a Cryptic brought into the physical? It totally is. That description matches and is disturbing, but it is definitely what we’re seeing. 
    Yes, Stormfather agrees. It’s a Cryptic. And there are more. Cultivationspren… The first one must have been an honorspren, with the bluish skin. 
    Yes, Stormfather agrees again. Not only that, he recognizes the body as an honorspren he knows.
    Storms. I thought the reveal at the end of Way of Kings, with Taravangian exsanguinating people to harvest death rattles, was bad. This has the same shock value and greater atrocity. Ishar’s madness is worse than anyone expected.
    ***
    Moash’s Honorblade-granted abilities are unhindered, but his connection to Odium is suppressed by the revived tower, and, as anticipated, his passion comes roaring back. His pain and guilt return with a vengeance. 
    What did he run into and land on? The description makes me think he smacked into the cliff and then fell into a snowbank, but it could be something magical rather than physical. 
    Why did the Towerlight burn him? Was he too steeped in Voidlight to survive? That’s bizarre, since nothing like that happened to the Fused.
    He gets rescued by Heavenly Ones, and begins to heal. Odium steals his guilt and pain again, and his body mends…except for his eyes. He’s permanently blind. What does that mean for him going forward?
     
  20. ccstat

    Chapter 112

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 112 (Terms)
    Title: Are we really going to try making a contract with Odium now? I sure hope not. It doesn’t feel earned. Hopefully this is about the terms they will set with their allied Fused in the Tower.
    Icons: Betab. Patron of Elsecallers, also Wise and Careful. I’m going to hope it’s something to do with Rlain’s new Elsecaller status.
    Epigraph: This might be the first in-text confirmation that Odium is waging (or preparing to wage) a war beyond Greater Roshar. We’ve had Wit’s comments about preventing Rayse’s escape and limiting his ability to harm others, but nothing from Odium’s side to confirm that he actually has designs on the greater Cosmere. Obviously we know something about his plans due to WoBs over the years, but in-text citations are always better.
    ***
    Dalinar’s exhaustion is greater than expected, and leaves him vulnerable. I think Odium is going to approach him in a vision while he’s down for a rest.
    Odium didn’t even wait for him to lay down. As soon as he stepped through the door, it was all business. Will there even be small talk?
    Another addition to the list of swears! Thanks, Dalinar!
    It does seem as though Rayse’s self control is lacking. He barely keeps his anger at bay, and his image seems to match Wit’s description of his power and mind working at odds with each other.
    Odium thinks Dalinar has been getting coaching from Ishar. He can’t see Dalinar’s future, but this means he can’t really examine his past either.
    That’s a pretty skillful lie that Dalinar just came up with on the spot. Good work.
    Going to see Ishar wasn’t useful in itself, but it did let Dalinar bluff really well and provided great misdirection for Odium’s paranoia.
    Wait, when did Dalinar learn that Renarin was a blindspot? Looking back… it was in chapter 54 when Renarin apparently deduced it for himself and shared, plus in interlude 9 Taravangian told Szeth…though that meeting may not have been reported to Dalinar. I totally forgot that Renarin had figured it out and told Dalinar. I guess that’s what I get for taking so long to read this book.
    He immediately knows that Wit wrote the contract. He doesn’t seem to have much affection for the man, to put it gently.
    Okay, here’s clarification of sorts: Honor chained Odium to the Rosharan system and prevented him from using his power on most people. And if he breaks his word, he’ll be open to attack from Cultivation.
    The Everstorm somehow is beyond Rayse’s control, and he can’t agree to withdraw it. That’s weird. But let’s see where he’s going with it.
    This is remarkably similar to the Alethi concept of the Tranquiline Halls and the fate of those worthy warriors who die in battle. I wonder if that belief was directly engendered by the thrill or by Odium’s whispers. Or is it the case of glorifying something that used to be warned against?
    Odium’s proposal is exactly opposite to what Wit wants. “If I win, I go free of Roshar and leave you all here to rot.” That’s not great for the wider Cosmere.
    Good. Dalinar doesn’t trust Wit, but he also knows that Tanavast died to trap Odium here. He’s not going to just undo that.
    Woah, wait. This is a huge hint:
     
    So Odium has been playing a serious game from the start. He discovered Surgebinding on Ashyn, tricked the people there into exploiting it until the planet suffered the consequences, and proceeded to begin the same here on Roshar. 
    The spren copied this, and Ishar saw the danger of history repeating, so he limited surgebinding under some formalized ruleset. But surgebinding isn’t just the magic of Roshar or the Rosharan system, it is apparently an exploit of investiture at a fundamental level. It’s something that can be done on all shardworlds, as an enhancement of or as a distinct system from the magic that already exists there. And it’s powerful enough to kick off full-scale inter-system war. 
    Ah. Odium is scared because the Fused and the Radiant spren can now kill each other, and each death reduces the forces he will be able to bring to bear when he does eventually break free. He is in a hurry to settle this while both sides are at full power so as not to lose the one advantage he’s been banking on. Sadly, Dalinar doesn’t see this, not being aware of what happened at Urithiru.
    Ten days until Odium’s proposed contest of champions. I guess the epigraphs make sense: “Musings of El, on the first of the Final Ten Days.”
    The terms if he loses are that Odium will keep his conquered lands and enforce an end to the war. I guess that explains how we get a timeskip between books 5 and 6. This will also let him send his agents through the cosmere.
    And if Dalinar loses he joins the Fused, immortal and subservient to Odium in all things. But at the same time, the end of the war is still enforced, with the difference that Alethkar and Herdaz are not returned. It’s clear that while Odium covets Dalinar, what he needs is to preserve his army of Fused and Radiants before they can destroy each other.
    Dalinar accepts, on the sound logic that if they lose the contest of champions then he’ll have to surrender anyway and the terms of that surrender will be no less restrictive than this win condition he’s negotiated.
    Wow. That is a very different set of terms than I would have ever expected Odium to agree to, and a lot more information about Odium’s past and plans than I thought we would be getting. Brandon does love his end-of-book reveals, doesn’t he?
     
  21. ccstat

    Chapter 113

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    NOTE: Many, many apologies for the delay. Yes, it's been six months since my last entry. Don't worry, we're in the home stretch now. The end is in sight!
    Chapter 113 (Emotion)
    Icons: Compassionate Taravangian at the top. Chach and Nale as dual herald icons, but not mirrored. Weird. What’s this intended to mean?
    Epigraph: Best guess is that El is going to be Odium’s champion. I don’t think we’ve met him yet, though.
    Navani having a sensory awareness of the tower’s mechanisms is a cool thing, even if I’m still a bit unhappy about how this whole Sibling bonding thing went down. At least their relationship is still explicitly a work in progress.
    Raboniel is alive? Woah. Aww, they get to say goodbye! And she asks Navani to perma-kill her so that she can finally rest (and also avoid the inevitable madness that would ensue from her injuries). I love this dynamic between the two scholars.
    And then they sing the Rhythm of War together again, to send Raboniel off to the Beyond. Ow, the feels!
    ***
    Vargo is having a very emotional day. It’s sweet that he still feels Dalinar is a true friend.
    A note from Renarin: “I’m sorry.” And it’s accompanied by two gems worth of stormlight. 
    Vargo’s first thought is “What had the boy seen?” 
    He’s right to be afraid. You never want to get an apology from a precog. (Admittedly, I’m also coming at this as a member of the Worm fandom, where the main character gets a similar note from a precog at a pivotal moment, so maybe I’m reading more into this than I should.)
    Oh, right. It’s been long enough since I was in this story that I forgot about the Sja-Anat spren that were being delivered. It’s not just stormlight in there.
    Szeth’s father is dead, Ishar having killed him to reclaim his Blade. And now he wants answers from Taragangian.
    Taravangian is too dumb to manipulate Szeth… but it’s okay, because he asks for the wrong thing, which becomes reverse psychology, so the right thing happens. That’s quite the coup.
    Taravangian is on his deathbed, injured again by Szeth, and Odium is arriving. Feels like a suitably dramatic moment for something. 
    Wow. Go Taravangian! Nine parts dead, brain of the nine fools, and he still manages to slam Nightblood through Odium’s chest!
    What.
    WHAT??
    What the what? Vargo’s plot worked so well that he ascended as the next Odium? I did not see this coming at all.
    I am trying to type out my thoughts and keep getting stuck with inarticulate screaming. Gah!
    Okay, so, here’s what we’ve got. 
    Taravangian’s soul gets sucked into the vessel-shaped hole left by Nightblood eating Rayse.
    And it could only happen today, on his day of 100% passion, since that is what resonates with the Shard’s mandate.
    Taravangian is Odium. Gaaa! This could be very good or very, very bad, or more likely both at once, but this absolutely, fundamentally changes the game.
    And to think, two chapters ago I was feeling disappointed in the number of end-of-book reveals.
    Right now I’m wondering what Szeth noticed, if anything, from Nightblood suddenly devouring Rayse. We’ve seen before that Nightblood doesn’t retain memories from when it is drawn, so he won’t be able to learn what happened, but surely he noticed something going on. 
     
  22. ccstat

    Chapter 114

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 114 (Broken Gods)
    Icons: Betab and Palliah, doubled but not mirrored, similar to last chapter. Hm. Has the symmetry been broken by the ascension of a new Odium? Is that what’s going on here? I guess I’ll have to see if the pattern holds.
    Chapter icon is intelligent Taravangian.
    Epigraph: Speaking as a human, I’m not too keen on being helped to my “final Passion,” thanks. Sorry, El. Not a fan of this approach.
     
    Rlain’s spren is named Tumi, and it’s the one they kept thinking was a voidspren. 
    I like the title “Bridger of Minds” for Rlain, and I’m glad that he got a spren, but I’m not really enthused by him being one of the aberrant Radiants via Sja-Anat, or being a Truthwatcher. Neither feel right to me, and I’m still salty that he didn’t end up as the Bondsmith with the Sibling. I suppose that would have undercut Venli’s first-listener-Radiant accomplishment, and Rlain’s not really the strong personality type to negotiate with Dalinar, so it’s probably for the best. But still, why have his spren be the special-flavor kind? It sets him apart as different yet again. Also, why have another truthwatcher spren be the sja-anat touched one?
    Leshwi and company have become listeners and are following Venli into the hills to find the lost legion. Nice, and it’s great to see Kaladin and Leshwi parting on mutually acknowledged positive terms. Still, it’s kind of sad that they won’t be best frenemies any more. That dynamic was ship-tastic.
    And Teft gets a funeral.
    ***
    Well, that answers the question of Szeth. He figures that the burned-out corpse is Taravangian. 
    Taravangian is struggling against the overwhelming Passion of Odium’s mantle, but he’s been prepared for this. He was given the capacity to stop what was coming, not only by being attuned to pick up the power, but also by being trained to handle overwhelming emotion and overflowing intellect. He is uniquely able to remain himself under its weight.
    And he’s about to talk to Cultivation, but of course we don’t get to see any of that.
    ***
    Teft and Phendorana get memorials in Urithiru. Everyone is there except Rock.
    And things are ambiguously worded again to try to convince us Rock is dead. “Kaladin wouldn’t be seeing Rock again.” Right, we believe that, definitely. It’s not as though he’s obviously passed through into Shadesmar for a reappearance down the line. *eyeroll*
    Nice moment with Kaladin and Syl, here. I still find it weird that she gets to be human sized sometimes, though. Spren should always be chibi-sized, imo
    ***
    Oh, we do get to see Cultivation!
    Description: black hair, dark skin, and “another shape as well, deeper and truer than the others.”
    Welp, I guess she’s one of our dragon Vessels. I don’t know if we’ve established how many of those there are, but here’s one accounted for.
    And Taravangian explains the whole training/attuning thing better than I did.
    That “with honor” is a loaded phrase, given the other dead god in the room.
    Oh dear, Taravangian is very spookily thinking of all the loopholes he can use to win that Rayse was too blinded to see. He’s thinking of ways to get around what Cultivation is asking him to do. He has a lot of agency here, and we have no idea what he actually wants. 
    Well, crap. Looks like we have an antagonist, folks. I have to say, though, this is a much more interesting antagonist than Rayse ever could have been. If this gives us another complex character and relationship like Raboniel, I am all in favor.
     
  23. ccstat

    Chapter 115

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 115 (Testament)
    Icons: Kalak and Ash, mirrored as per usual. My guess about the symmetry being broken is wrong, or only applies to chapters with the new Odium.
    Epigraph: This El seems like a jolly fellow. Let’s support his candidacy for overlord.
    Shallan is trying to rehabilitate her first spren, now named Testament. This is going to be a long, laborious process. Props to Shallan for embarking on it essentially without hesitation (once the decade of repressed memories finally resurfaced, at least).
    Huh. Mraize’s radio is a seon. Looks sadly abused :-( I don’t know Aons at all, so no clue what Ala means. I’m sure it’s on the wiki by now, though.
    So Radiant has stuck around. That’s interesting. I’m not sure how that dynamic is going to work without Veil. Nor am I quite certain why Veil is the one who was reabsorbed for this set of memories. I’m going to have to review my notes and see how the developing personas interacted with those forgotten parts of Shallan.
    This is a cool speech you’re giving Mraize, but it feels a little bit like you’re giving up way more information than you need to. Why tell him you’re coming after him? That’s way more warning than you should offer.
    Thaidakar. The Lord of Scars. Someone Wit threatens to slap around. Again. 
    Gah!  This is where I facepalm. 
    Thaidakar is Kelsier. Kelsier is leading the Ghostbloods. 

    Let the record show that I was the one who asked this question years ago, allowing Brandon to troll us on this:
    ccstat If Kelsier (when Vin knew him) were to join one of the Rosharan secret societies, which one would he choose? Brandon Sanderson He would become part of the Ghostbloods, most likely, and would be in charge of them within a year. https://wob.coppermind.net/events/100/#e3585 So close, and yet so blindly, stupidly far.
    Okay, that’s a cool line. Good work, Shallan.
    ***
    Yeah, that’s a pretty quick turnaround to let Venli do strange things with strange spren. I can see why she got away with it the first time. 
    I mean, I get that we’re in the epilogue and can’t belabor the point much, but really? You just let her waltz into the camp and talk about bonding new spren again? It’s convenient that she’s right this time, and we the readers want you to listen, because otherwise I’d be pretty cross.
    “Hundreds.” She’s going to turn the whole listener encampment into a band of Willshapers? That’s pretty awesome, and that would be a significant deterrent to summary destruction by a handful of Fused. Good move.
    Venli singing the old songs for her mother is very sweet. 
    And the listeners have allied with the chasmfiends. That’s pretty awesome, and another strong deterrent. I guess I’m not too upset after all. You had good reason to allow her into the camp. If she tried something, there was a defense available. 
    Aww, Jaxlim wakes up, her senility cured (? at least partially) by radiance, and she gets to reunite with Venli.
    And that’s the moment that Venli’s words are accepted, because she’s made enough of an effort to make them real. …but we don’t get to see her second-ideal power up. Too bad.
  24. ccstat

    Chapter 116

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 116 (Mercy)
    Icons: Shash, Jez, and double Ishar (not mirrored) 
    I’m about to give up on interpreting these odd arrangements. What is up with the mirroring/not-mirroring thing? Why 3? 
    Epigraph: El is aware of the change in Odium’s vessel, and has been “waiting to worship” the new one. I’m not any more enamored of this guy than I was from the previous musings.
    Good, Kaladin is intentionally taking a step back. He acknowledges that the mental health work he’s doing is valuable both for its own sake and for the healing he gets from it. Not a big moment, but it’s the right note to end his arc.
    They have ten days to capture territory before the borders are finalized. That’s going to make it hard for Dalinar to keep his promise to the Mink.
    “Oh, you want to be a mental health expert? Perfect timing. You have ten days to up your game and perfect your techniques, abduct Ishar for an intervention, and have him train me to fight Odium. Time to get good, soldier.”
    And here I was thinking that Kaladin’s focus on healing would take him out of the front lines. Silly me.
    The flute is back! After Brandon’s exasperated answers to the many times we asked about it, I figured it was going to stay lost.
    I love it. Oh, and she kept the chicken? Nice! Wait, no, Wyndle kept the chicken? How is that going to work? You garden chairs, you defective voidbringer. You’re not ready for an exotic chicken as a pet!
    ***
    Here we’re meeting El. I have to say I’m a little disturbed by this description. He rips off his natural carapace every time he possesses a new body, and replaces it with metal. He speaks with no rhythms. He is “The one with no title.” None of these are good signs.
    El was forbidden rhythms. Good grief, what did he do to earn that punishment?
    Navani stole El’s title. Go Navani! 
    Welp, the Pursuer is toast now. It really makes me curious what New!Odium and El felt the need to test this. I mean, it makes sense that Taravangian would want to see it for himself, since he missed the whole development series Navani and Raboniel did, but what’s the goal? What is he so eager to purge from his forces/his self to reshape his new divinity? There are lots of options, and few of them are good.
    ***
    Urithiru is finally alive. Hooray!
    Aww, Kaladin found the wooden horse. More mysteries!
    ***
    Oh, the irony is delicious!
    Interesting take on the agreement: “Wit thinks we’ve already won, but he got what he wanted.” Dalinar is right to be worried, even if Taravangian hadn’t pulled off that switcheroo. With that change, everything is much more in flux than anyone knows.
    Stormfather’s mercy is… the final Eshonai flashback! Nice. Excited to see how that manifests.
  25. ccstat

    Chapter 117

    By ccstat,

    Welcome to my liveblog of Rhythm of War! Index post here. Beware of spoilers.
    Chapter 117 (One Final Gift)
    Icons: Kalak and Jez, mirrored.
    Okay, I’m a little conflicted here. I need to admit that I read this chapter twice, since I mostly neglected to take notes on it the first time through. The strange thing is, the first read-through I was annoyed at the placement of the chapter. I thought, “why wait until now to show us Eshonai’s death? Wouldn’t it have been better at the end of Words of Radiance, so that it’s a continuation/conclusion of her story there, and then we know ahead of time to expect Venli’s protagonist?” It seemed odd to wait two books to give us this scene.
    However, on my second read through I distinctly thought, “I like this framing. Eshonai survives the fall, but we know Venli finds her corpse, so there’s a tension and anticipation about how she’ll meet her demise.” 
    I think I mostly agree with my second opinion, especially as this whole book of Rhythm of War has given us a look into Eshonai and Venli’s past, so this intersection between the flashbacks and the on-screen events of the books is an appropriate ending. It’s also a good way to tie it together, given it’s also the Stormfather’s answer to Dalinar about mercy.
    At the same time, though, the triumphant feeling of Eshonai finding the Rhythm of War and freeing herself from her servitude to Odium is undercut by the knowledge that it will be two years in-world before that feat is repeated, and Eshonai’s success won’t contribute to that at all. Her escape is personal and sadly divorced from any direct impact on events.The overt contrast between her fight for survival and her fight for her freedom is well done, and that she finds it a victory to win one but not the other is touching.
    I’m not clear on whether this is something that could be the case for all Radiants or if Eshonai’s transition to Radianthood is important. We see a burst of investiture each time Kaladin progresses to a new oath or ideal, so it’s certainly plausible that if Eshonai had died twenty minutes later she wouldn’t have lingered as much. On the other hand, simply being connected to a nahel bond is fairly investiture intensive, so the transition points might not matter so much for this.
    Eshonai and the Stormfather have a nice Life Before Death sort of discussion, though the flip-flop of their positions in this philosophical dialectic is a little odd. Stormfather doesn’t take the same perspective for the whole thing, almost arguing in a devil’s advocate sort of way.
    Eshonai, as the first listener Willshaper, getting to ride the storm and explore the whole of Roshar is definitely a fitting a merciful gift. Good job, Stormfather!
    And tying the movement Beyond to her exploratory nature gives the ending an even more hopeful tone. Nicely done.
     
×
×
  • Create New...