learhpa

I don't think it works for Pattern's presence to be based on sensing Shallan's fate, because that fate was largely a result of his presence. Her mother's insanity and death, her father's insanity and death ... neither of those would have happened had Pattern not been there. So I think there's a really interesting question that may be unanswerable (because of the nature of the memories of children) about what was happening in Shallan's life which drew Pattern in the first place.

I don't think they're explicitly evil. I think they're like the skroderiders in _A Fire Upon the Deep_.

And knowing, just for a moment, that it was going to happen, but realizing it too late to stop it. :{

Yeah, I was really, really puzzled by this. I feel like everything that happened after her mother's death is explained, but I'm baffled as to why she was *already* bonded to Pattern at that time.

Sure, that was me.

* Adolin's duel-with-four that Kaladin and Renarin stepped in to rescue him from. * Shallan's exploration of the Santhid (combined with the Santhid obviously rescuing her) * Hoid's visit to Shallan early in Shallan's childhood * Shallan telling Pattern she hates him.

We know, by the end of the book, that Gavilar talked to Taravangian about his visions and his plans. > "He had taken the first major step toward unifying the world, as Gavilar had insisted would need to happen if they were to survive." > "That was, at least, what the visions had proclaimed. Visions Gavilar had confided in him six years ago, the night of the Alethi king's death." We know, by the end of the book, that Gavilar talked to Amaram about his visions and his plans. > "It was happening. It was really happening. The Sons of Honor had, at long last, achieved their goal. Gavilar would be proud. But we also know, from the fact that Dalinar didn't understand his visions and was confused by them, that Gavilar never confided in Dalinar. And we know, from the fact that Navani didn't understand his visions and was confused by them, that Gavilar never confided in Navani. Why did Gavilar decline to confide in his immediate family about something this important and critical?

There doesn't appear to be anything in place for this right now, but there might be later. Brandon Sanderson mentioned this on reddit about a week ago: "I'm working on getting the publisher to let me give ebooks for free to people who have bought the book. There's a chance I'll make it work for Words of Radiance." http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1yssw6/because_a_fair_number_of_authors_frequent_here/cfo1n70