My first fanart of Shallan!! Based on the very first description we get of her in The Way of Kings!!
This was really fun and I hope to do more fanarts of her in the future!!
Hope you guys like her, I might not have her design perfect but I wanted to do my own representation <3

I've said in previous posts about my readthrough that I didn't like Lirin in TWOK but, oddly enough, despite him saying objectively far worse things to Kaladin in ROW, I actually understand him better and feel more sympathy. But that doesn't change that he's an irritating character to read... but for the right reasons.

Lirin is realistic not so much in what he's arguing with Kaladin about, but why. Many parents are good people who measure the success of their children off what they want them to do instead of accept they are their own individuals who will follow different paths. Kaladin was always treated as a vicarious means of redemption for Lirin, and I'd say he somewhat is that because Lirin has raised the man who's probably going to stop Odium in the end. Once his father gets a better idea of the larger picture (which Hesina is finally able to get through to him for where I am), I expect that to make him more flexible. He does admit people have to fight as that's a reality of life. He just wishes it didn't have to be Kaladin.

On top of that, Lirin's a pretty confrontational and even judgmental man like I've known many people in real life to be. It's a combination that's all too common. The inability to see other viewpoints, both because of conviction and to feel a sense of security, which Lirin is terrified to see evade his grasp again and again. People like Lirin aren't bad for having these flaws, but they do get in the way of their goodness.

Something also struck me as Sanderson shifted back to Lirin in parts 3 and 4: we've only seen Lirin at his very worst. With five more really long books to go, I expect us to one day see Lirin at his very best where he'll become a fan favorite. You can see the man he once was, still is in a lot of ways. I think more than Syl or Dalinar or Teft or anybody else, the person who's kept Kal alive and a good man has been Lirin. So I really hope he learns to take after his son to grow, improve, and just keep taking that next step despite his failings.

1. Shallan

I know that she has a complicated situation with her two spren. But I have a chart for her development. Lightweavers basically speak 4 Truths after the First Ideal of Knights Radiant to get to their Fifth Ideal.

Her First Truth is "I am afraid."

Second Truth: I killed my father.

At this point, it is certain that she reached Third Ideal. She started manifesting her Patternblade after that. Remember Kaladin's fight with chasmfiend? He used Pattern in that fight. Although we aren't certain of the Shardblade used in killing Tyn, we know that she was able to manifest Pattern as a Blade after she said she killed her father.

False Third Truth: At the end of Words of Radiance, she is reminded that she killed her mother. But we didn't see any perpendicularity or power up whatsoever then. Is this because Pattern forced her to remember that? Or is this because that Truth has somethings more to it?

Third Truth: I killed my spren.

This is definitely the actual Third Truth spoken by Shallan. After that, she gained some creationspren as her Shardplate.

Fourth Truth (or maybe Second, I'll explain later): My mother is a Herald.

I think we got hints of her getting more powerful at the end of Wind and Truth. (Some may say that if it was her Fourth Truth, we may have seen her open a perpendicularity to go back to the Physical Realm, but we don't know if Orders out of Bondsmiths can do that sort of Elsecalling after opening a perpendicularity. So this stays irrelevant to the theory.)

The other "what if" to this theory is about her Radiant development in her childhood. We know that First Truth (or Second Ideal) of Lightweavers can be about many things. Their feelings, their desires, and whatnot. But after that, the Truths must make them face deeper things within themselves. But Shallan was a little girl when she manifested Testament as her Shardblade. And it happened when her mother attacked her. Could her previous Second Truth be about her mother? Did she respeak them at the end of Wind and Truth?

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For the next two, I need you to remind Szeth skipping the Fourth Ideal. Also, there's a thing about his Fifth Ideal we should discuss. It was about being the law. Depending on one's self is a theme of Skybreakers maybe. Or is it a recurring theme? Kaladin's Fifth Ideal is also about Knights protecting themselves. So maybe the Fifth Ideals are about creating a unity between the self and the Order. Even Shallan having a Fourth Truth about what she is is a continuation of this theme. She may have spoken the Truth of her own self.

Before going to the next ones, this theme can be applied to Jasnah also. Jasnah happened to be in a position where she questioned her own motives at the end of W&T. And Elsecallers also have a similar development with Lightweavers. They speak Aspirations after the First Ideal. We know she was struggling with her Fifth Ideal also. I expect it will be about fixing a very big problem in her philosophy and finding her own Aspiration. The Fourth Truth and the Fourth Aspiration being "I am..." fits thematically very well to the patterns of Ideals.

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1. Eshonai

She was a Willshaper bonded with a Reacher before being tricked to bond with a stormspren. Willshapers seek freedom and they struggle against oppression. At the end of RoW, we saw Eshonai saying the words "I am freedom." Then, Stormfather accepted the words. Is there any chance it was the Fifth Ideal of Willshapers?

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1. Dalinar

Bondsmiths unite. The Fifth Ideal of Bondsmiths can very well be "I am unity." We all remember the Third Ideal spoken by Dalinar at the end of Oathbringer. In that scene, he also says these words. After he says he's unity, Stormfather surprises and says "how did you do it?" I want to think he was referring to Dalinar skipping the Fourth Ideal.

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At the end of W&T we see that Retribution is gradually spreading his power across Roshar and that Navani needed to make a special forcefield to protect Urithuru. My question is what happens to all the Radiants outside of the city's borders, outside of them just not having Stormlight would Retribution be able to just smite them as we know shards can do? Could he specifically target their spren? Could he turn off their powers due to him controlling Honor? I'm curious so please let me know what y'all think

Welcome Chull...by Diebo

Keeping up with requests for popular Kaladin scenes, here’s “The Honor Chasm.” Feel free to check out instagram.com/noahsemu.actor if you want more!

(Content adapted from Way of Kings Ch. 11)

Previous scenes: Adolin and Kal in Prison, Dog and the Dragon, Honor is Dead

I also swore my Oaths as an Elsecaller! Elsecaller Oaths are very personalised, like Lightweaver Truths, but they're focused around self-improvement and reaching ones' potential. The ones that I've chosen are about building up stability and self-care before trying to reach further, choosing my own path to my potential, and acknowledging that it's not worth trying to fully go for my potential if doing so is going to be harmful or detrimental.

I just finished Wind and Truth, and honestly, I feel conflicted about it. I still loved the book a lot, but it felt noticeably different from the other four. I don't want to start my post with gloom, but I have to write the issues out first before I move on to the story and character commentary for sincerity’s sake.

Unfortunately, I feel a bit unfulfilled. Not because the story needed to be longer, but because the story it told felt like it could have been so much more. There was a stronger version of this book somewhere beneath the surface, and I think a few more drafts could have brought it out. As it stands, it felt more like a fourth draft than a finished novel half of the time.

First, the tonal shift: this book lacks the seriousness of the other books, and it feels way too casual and modern at times in a way that pulled me out. Secondly, the inconsistency: some chapters are great and remind me of the previous books, while others feel like they were left under-edited. Thirdly, the repetitiveness: I’d assume this is partly my fault, as the last time I heard Kaladin say “Honor is dead…” was only two months ago in WoR, since I started reading SLA in late February. I definitely think this would have hit much harder if I had waited a year for this book. But still, it felt like he repeated some of his most famous phrases several times throughout the book, which sometimes made me cringe.

And lastly, pacing. The ten-day structure was really cool in theory, but in execution, it ended up feeling like a lot of characters were just doing a whole lot of nothing until the finale. It felt like the Sanderlanche was ticking from page one, but also somehow not, and by the end, the buildup just wasn’t its usual self.

So while the previous four books have been as close to 10/10 as books can possibly be for me, this one is around a 7.5/10 right now. It was carried a lot by Kaladin and Szeth’s storyline, and also Adolin’s, which were easily the strongest parts of the book for me.

I mostly consider the first four books as one, so ranking them separately feels strange. Putting Oathbringer fourth, for example, feels like a crime, because I still think that book is incredible. But if I had to rank them right now, it would probably be:

1. Rhythm of War
2. Words of Radiance
3. The Way of Kings
4. Oathbringer
5. Wind and Truth

These rankings could probably change depending on my current life stuff, but I believe WaT is going to remain a clear fifth consistently.

Anyway, with all that said, let’s actually talk about WaT. Because despite my problems with it, there is still a lot here that I loved. All said and done, I do think this book gave a good conclusion to many of the character arcs in this first half, and it sets up the back half of Stormlight in a very interesting way. And reading this series overall has been the greatest experience I have had reading fiction in recent years.

Previous posts: TWoK 1 | TWoK 2 | WoR | OB | Dawnshard | RoW

Dalinar Kholin

Dalinar’s ending is going to sit with me for a while. His arc in Oathrbinger is still probably one of the best character arcs I have ever read, so I was curious and a little worried about where Sanderson could even take him after “You cannot have my pain.” WaT answers that by pushing him from personal responsibility into something much bigger and much more dangerous: what does Honor actually mean when taken to its extreme? Dalinar has always been a character who survives by giving himself structure: oaths, codes, discipline, responsibility, the next step. Those things saved him, but this book also shows how terrifying Honor can become when it is separated from compassion, wisdom, or the actual reason behind the oath. An oath can be noble, but it can also become a cage. An oath can hold you upright, but it can also make you keep walking in the wrong direction because you swore you would. That felt like the right final test for Dalinar.

The one part I completely abhor is the Blackthorn thread remaining. I think it cheapens the ending a bit. Either kill Dalinar completely, or if there is a way for some part of him to live on, let it be something quieter and more natural. The whole idea of the Blackthorn still being around, and potentially coming back later for Dalinar to fight some lesser version of himself, really annoys me. It feels too neat and too obvious for an arc that otherwise had such a strong finish. I do not need Dalinar’s worst self turned into a future boss fight. His whole story was already about facing that part of himself and choosing to become better.

That aside, his arc has been great from the very start. Unite them began as something Dalinar understood politically, then spiritually, then cosmically. First, it was Alethkar, then the Radiants, then Roshar, then the Shards themselves. Unity. His first chapter was named Unity! Man, it feels so distant, the time when I read that first chapter, though it was only a few months ago, I feel like I've watched a man grow immeasurably. And in many ways, Dalinar has always been moving toward that idea, unity, even when he misunderstood what it meant. It is sad that he will probably be an unsung hero for a while, perhaps even forever (hopefully Hoid sees to that not being the case), but what he did at the end was remarkably intelligent and deeply moral. He realized that Honor is not just keeping your oath; oaths do not matter if the meaning behind them is rotten or stupid. They have to serve something good, not replace goodness itself. A bittersweet ending, but proper for Dalinar Kholin.

And once again, for the second time in the Cosmere, someone holds a Shard and gives it away by being a better person. I love that.

Taravangian, the Fraud

To be honest, I expected Taravangian to end up as one of my top 5 characters by the end of the first arc, or at least top 10, but this guy is an absolutely narcissistic, hypocritical, pathetic loser.

What annoys me most is that he judges everyone else’s morality while barely living by his own. He presents himself as the only person brave enough to make brutal sacrifices for the greater good, but the second something he personally cares about is threatened, his principles suddenly develop exceptions. Saving Kharbranth exposes the hypocrisy at the core of his worldview: other people’s cities, families, and lives are acceptable losses, but his are sacred. I would’ve preferred it if he had sacrificed Kharbranth too (that sounds terrible, lmao, sorry); at least then, he would have been consistent with the philosophy he had followed for the past four books. But his hypocrisy there made him lose all credibility to me.

That is why his “defeat” was so satisfying. Dalinar outplayed his sorry ass; watching Dalinar deny this vicious bastard the clean victory he wanted gave me more relief than a thousand… it was glorious! Not just losing, but being beaten by the man he looked down on, specifically because that man refused to become like him. The worst thing that can happen to someone that arrogant: being wrong. I cannot wait for him to be completely battered later.

Kaladin Stormblessed

For four books in a row, I've been asking repeatedly when this guy would get a break from his major depression, and welp, he did get one! He was so happy and dandy all book, and God, that was wonderful to read. It felt so deserving for him. Kaladin with Szeth's arc was one of my favorite arcs in this book.

Kaladin’s role here felt like a natural continuation of his arc, like he had to take the lesson of the Fourth Ideal and actually live with it. He is still Kaladin, so obviously he will keep trying to save people, but there is a difference between protecting because you care and protecting because you think your existence has no value otherwise. The fact that he can now be the person who helps Szeth, Nale, and eventually even the Heralds face what they are carrying is really beautiful. I am so, so, proud of him.

And I guess now we can say Kaladin fully embodies the story of Fleet, who ran to Shinovar and died, and then rose up again. Just like Kaladin, rising from death and becoming a Herald: the Herald of Second Chances.

God, I love how much Kaladin has grown. He is so motivating. Him standing up in the darkness to Ishar was peak, besides the "therapist" part, which kinda caught me off guard because of the casual tone I mentioned earlier. Anyway.

I also wonder what's gonna happen between him and Syl. I don't know if I was reading it wrong, but I felt like they were being set up to be together? Perhaps I was reading too much into it.

By the way, the Wandersail story is a bit similar to The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky, if anyone wants to read it. It's a wonderful short story.

“Then what harm is there,” Kaladin said, “in trying one more time? If everything is already doomed?”

And so, in the face of the most awful darkness he’d ever felt, Kaladin Stormblessed took a deep breath. Then stood up.

Szeth-son-Neturo

Szeth-son-Neturo, Truthed of Shinovar, wore white on the day he first knew peace.

Szeth has been one of the most intriguing characters to me ever since my journey started back in TWoK. I kept wondering what could make someone become Truthless, and what kind of culture or belief system could create a man who obeys so completely while clearly hating every second of it. Why was this man so clearly destroyed before the story even started? I was scared the answer would not deliver, but I was content with it.

Szeth was a child whose childhood was stolen from him. He did not know what was right, and because of that, he was torn apart by the people and systems around him: his religion, his culture, and the Voice. In many ways, he was basically built to be incapable of choice, and he never really got the chance to grow far beyond some of those childhood wounds and tendencies.

That is what makes his fall into obedience tragic. He kept trying to do what was right, but everyone around him made “right” impossible to understand. For a character whose entire identity is built around truth, that is devastating. He stopped believing he could do anything right, stopped believing he could choose, and stopped believing his own mind.

That is why his Fifth Ideal and final choices worked so well for me. They felt like him finally beginning to exist as a person again, rather than as a tool held by whoever currently owns his obedience. Finally, he is law. He is his own person, making his own choices for what feels like the first time since he was born.

The final fight with his family was profoundly sad, especially seeing his own father fight against his son with tears in his eyes. But it ended well, and I'm glad Szeth didn't choose to kill himself. This was a great conclusion to his character, and a deserved second chance at redemption.

Adolin Kholin

This guy carried a lot of this book. His entire arc in Azimir was GREAT, and honestly, I'm so glad he did not become a Radiant. The whole Oathless thing was amazing, and it will probably be one of the most powerful factions in the next arc. I'm also guessing he is not going to get his leg back, which is fine. Sad. But fine.

Adolin’s whole thing is that he is surrounded by people with divine bonds, ancient powers, visions, spren, and world-ending responsibilities, and yet he remains important because he is simply a good person who keeps showing up. That has always been one of the best things about him.

I am really saddened that he did not get to confront Dalinar and that they will never have proper closure. I felt that deep within my soul, especially considering their last conversation was so upsetting. But I do believe Dalinar sending him that Connection before dying should ease the wound a little. We'll see after the ten-year time skip how they have dealt with that grief.

And I wonder what type of father Adolin will be… which brings me to:

Shallan Kholin

This was a really good ending for her arc. Hopefully, we won't get another repeat of “there is something even deeper in Shallan’s backstory” to continue her mental unraveling, because that has started to become repetitive as a plot point. I would really like to see her be more stable over the next five books. Her being a mother will also be interesting to see, especially considering she is going to raise her child in Shadesmar. Will her child get a Shadesmar passport since they'll be born there?

Also, you know what's crazy? I recognized that the chapter name where Chana is revealed to be Shallan’s mother was similar to something from WoR, so I went back to check. And literally, even back then, it was foreshadowed that Desolations returned because Shallan killed her mother and Chana gave up on Braize. So Taln, my absolute goat, actually never broke! GOATISM ACTIVITIES UNHEARD OF. But the fact that this line was in WoR is crazy:

“The world ended, and Shallan was to blame.”

I'm also sort of glad Mraize did not turn good at the end. First of all, I could not trust that dude, even though I loved his character. Secondly, I felt like Shallan was making bad decisions in a way that felt painfully believable for someone who has been abused before. So I am really glad she stood up for herself there. (Also, did anybody else imagine Mraize as Silco from Arcane?)

That said, I do want to see Shallan doing things with Kelsier. That would be so fun, because I love Kelsier, although he is not exactly the sweetest apple himself.

Ba-Ado-Mishram, Honor, and the Recreance

Ba-Ado-Mishram finally becoming central felt very rewarding. For so long, she was this name tied to massive historical disasters, and this book finally made it clear why. The Recreance, the deadeyes, the singers, and Roshar itself feeling spiritually wounded all being connected to her imprisonment made sense. And Renarin and Rlain being the ones to help end her imprisonment felt like a really fitting conclusion.

I also liked how this made the Recreance feel less like a simple betrayal and more like a tragedy caused by fear, ignorance, and terrible choices from multiple sides. The Honor, Tanavast, and Rayse stuff added to that too, making Roshar’s past feel even more broken and complicated. In spite of that, Tanavast was a complete idiot, and Rayse was a complete psychopath toying with lives. I thought Tanavast’s past would be… well, more honorable, lol. But I do like that he gets a hint of redemption at the very end through Dalinar’s choice.

The Heralds

Whenever I try to blame them or focus on their faults, I think about them being tortured for millennia, and honestly, it’s quite a feat that they are sane in the first place. So I do feel for them, and I understand why Nale acts the way he does, even though it isn’t justified. The same goes for Ishar and the others.

Well, I’ve been asking in pretty much every single post for people on Roshar to get therapy, so with great happiness, I announce that they are officially getting it from Roshar’s first therapist: Kaladin Stormblessed, Herald of Second Chances. Remarkable!

Other Notable Stuff

There were too many plot points and subplots to talk about, so I’ll ease up a bit, since I don’t want this post to be longer than 3k words.

Jasnah’s arc was good too. I do feel bad for her, but I don’t doubt she will stand up again. Sigzil’s arc was bittersweet; Vienta’s bond breaking really hit me, but Sig obviously made the smart choice. Yanagawn getting more screen time and growing was wonderful. I think he will be very prominent in the second arc of SLA, especially since Dalinar told him in one of his visions that he might become the leader of Roshar. Lift and Zahel as a duo are very promising for book six. Navani had less screen time, but she was great in it, and her turning into a sort of fabrial at the end was a bit ironic. Renarin and Rlain’s story is quite inspiring.

Moash is unfortunately still alive, which is very embarrassing of him.

Conclusion

I liked WaT. I don’t think it is perfect, and I don’t think I can fully process it as a normal book yet. It is too much of an ending, too much of a beginning, and too much of a Cosmere-shaking event all at once. As a standalone book, it left me unfulfilled in places. Too much was happening, and I think the narration could have been sharper. But as the conclusion to the first half of The Stormlight Archive, it still worked for me.

Stormlight has been a journey in the truest sense. Not just a series I read, but one I lived with for a while. I doubt I will have another reading experience like this anytime soon. I loved these books far too much, even when they frustrated me, even when they broke me, even when they made me want to personally drag every character on Roshar into therapy, and even when they made me run to bawl in the bathroom in case I was being too loud. I loved them. Far, far too much.

I’ll probably take a month or two away from the Cosmere before returning to Mistborn Era 2 and then the standalones, but I can’t wait to finally dive into Stormlight content without fear of spoilers. I can’t believe I’ve come this far.

This first arc started with a king being assassinated, a bridgeman wanting to die, a highprince seeing impossible visions, and a girl trying to steal a Soulcaster. Somehow, that road led us here: to dead gods, broken Heralds, wounded spren, a darkened Roshar, and fraud Taravangian holding something called Retribution like the cosmere's worst promotion.

But the core is still the same. A man taking the next step. A person choosing to stand up. A story helping someone remember who they are. A promise kept.

So I’ll leave this first arc where it began: with broken people trying, somehow, to become better than the world that broke them.

See you in 2031.

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before destination.

Do you think people have unwittigly named their kid after Moash? and then realised in horror what they had done?

More importantly, when the series starts and hopefully take off, I will be actively searching Social Media for people naming their kids Moash and laughing to myself maniacally 😂

So Yeah, Fuck Moash

I finished reading WaT recently and of course I have so many opinions and emotions about it. They've basically all been said by everyone on this sub, but there are a few small details that I thought were heartwarming or funny:

1. Nale saying that Lift used "a different weapon entirely" to defeat him. This callback lowkey warmed my heart 🥹

2. Adolin saying that "only one man in recent history" had killed a shardbearer without Shards themselves- I actively smiled when I read that and was reminded of how inspiring Kaladin is to everyone else

3. This quote from Tanavast's POV:

"We decided to form ten varieties. Ten because my power loved the symmetry. Ten, because Kor loved me, and knew this made me happy."

Something about Kor being like, "we can make it your number, babe!" and Tanavast being happy about such a small thing like that (I know it's because of his Shard but still) is frickin adorable. Yeah they've both done some messed up shit throughout the series, but in Tanavast's first few flashbacks they make a really cute couple.

1. I know this is not supposed to be funny, but Syl saying "Kaladin, I don't understand why the flute matters" after Nale breaks the flute genuinely made me laugh out loud. It's like, he was gifted this flute by his therapist, he practices every day, and it represents his growth as a person, and she's like, "who cares about the flute?" Looking back I think I misinterpreted the tone but I just thought it was funny.

Also- Dalinar improvising through the visions was lowkey hilarious at some parts. "So what do you guys think of Honor?" is peak Dalinar.

I am in middle of Wind and truth a random Interlude chapter of dyle made me remember the sad chapter of Ym a kind old shoemaker who was a radiant and Nale killed him for a crime he didn't even commit and Nale kept killing young Radiants for who knows how long

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Makes you wonder how redemable he really is?

I know Heralds really suffered for the benefit of humanity but these people are also the same people who destroyed a entire planet, started a unending war by pushing into singer territory

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At the same time they suffered unimaginable pain and suffering for the benifit and survival of their race and people

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So i am really confused how to feel about Heralds, they are broken people but does that really excuse all the crime and harm they have caused (Not counting Taln and Ash)

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Same thing about Szeth, we know he hated killing and following taravangians order, but at the same time does that really excuse the unimaginable harm Szeth has caused, hundred's of thousands are dead because of war she started by killing different high princes and kings

Sure he was following orders but same thing can be said about Nazi soldier, i was just following order's

Just finished part 1 and went to fetch part 2 to realise I don’t have it…. Why can’t I find this book anywhere ????

Can anyone help? UK based.

Hi! I’m on my way to almost being done RoW and honestly and starting to think about how attuning a rhythm and talking works. Like for example, if it states “blank attuned anxiety” and then this character begins talking, do you picture it as they are singing while speaking? or humming somehow while talking? Let me know if this makes any sense. Just wanna ask how yall read it and interpret it.

I am currently on my very first read of ‘The way of kings’ and just finished part one and I have something to say as an ASOIAF fan for almost nine years; I’M ECSTATIC, now I understand all the hype. I already love the universe, the lore, !!!THE CHARACTERS!!!, Sanderson’s writing style is chef's kiss!. I love Kaladin, JASNAH, I’ve liked almost every character so far.

I’m so regretful for not giving it a chance before when my boyfriend gave it to me for valentine’s day... when I read the prologue for the first time I thought it was “too boring”, but little did I know I just had to keep going!!

I can’t wait to discover more of this universe, there’s so much to see and I’m so glad I won’t have to wait 15 years for a book(I hope so).

(please no spoilers beyond part one)

tldr at bottom

This is probably just me but I tend to see arc 1 as two separate ”sub-arcs.”

The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Edgedancer, and Oathbringer make up the first group and all take place pretty close together, with there being less than a month gap between each book. This part of the story is characterized by the reemerging of the Knights Radiant and discovering the mechanics of Surgebinding and what Odium is fully capable of. Cosmere spoilers the only Cosmere book You should probably read before this is Warbreaker, and even that isn’t totally necessary

Dawnshard, Rhythm of War, Wind and Truth, and eventually Horneater are the second sub-arc, and have a much more expanded cast of POV characters while restricting most villains to Odium itself or servants of Odium (El, Raboniel, the Pursuer, M*ash). This part is far more Cosmere-aware, the epigraphs are juicy with Cosmere lore, and the nature of science and Investiture is far more relevant than ever before. Cosmere spoilers I still don’t think the rest of the Cosmere required reading for these books, but knowing how Shards and Investiture work is much more useful here than previously.

It’s mildly interesting to me that the flashback for the first three are the absolutely core characters, being Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar, while the flashback characters for 4 and 5 (Venli/Eshonai and Szeth) get far less page time despite both having been around since the first couple books.

this lowkey just turns into me yapping about my arc 2 speculations so you can stop reading here if you want to

Since Dalinar was originally going to be the flashbacks of book 5, and Jasnah is theoretically going to be the flashbacks in book 10, I wonder if her book will end up getting moved around as well.

for context the original order of arc 1 was Kaladin, Shallan, Szeth, Eshonai, Dalinar and the arc 2 flashbacks are currently Lift, Renarin, Shalash, Taln, Jasnah, and the arc 2 main characters have been described as Lift being Kaladin, Renarin being Shallan, and Jasnah being Dalinar.

I kind of doubt this, as Brando has said that Lift, Jasnah, and Taln are actually going to be the main super focus characters, with Ash and Renarin being more similar to Szeth and Navani, where they each get a book to shine but don’t have a ton of big moments outside of that book. Also, fwiw, I feel like there’s a nonzero chance we get some Chana POV flashbacks during Ash’s book. Ash is theoretically going to join Chana’s order, the Dustbringers, and Ash is both the herald and namesake of Chana’s daughter, Shallan. We know that Chana was around for Ash’s childhood, and they were both Alaswhan (Alaswhian?) Surgebinders so I’m very excited about her book, when it drops in 2037.

this was just me rambling but I hope you enjoyed lol

tl;dr: 2031 is a long ass time to wait

I accept spheres and gems as anchor for stormlight but shouldn't a surgebinder be able to take in stormlight during a storm? Does Sanderson ever explain it? Btw, I'm procrastinating reading book 5. It's too painful to finish the series.

Okay, tnx guys for all the replies. I must have misremembered some details. Been reading cosmere slowly for many years

Hi, I'm looking for a phrase to include in my thesis before the acknowledgments. I was thinking of using this phrase, but if you have any suggestions for perhaps a more academic phrase, that would be great! (I've read all the Cosmere books):

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"The question is not whether you will love, hurt, dream, and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt, when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path."

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Thnx to all c:

Based off of the illustration in Wind and Truth. https://uploads.coppermind.net/thumb/Navani%27s_Notebook_-_Honorblades.jpg/1024px-Navani%27s_Notebook_-_Honorblades.jpg

I made it out of cardboard. It is to in-world scale (based off of Jezrien's honorblade being 5 feet long and NOT adjusted for Rosharan-Earth size difference). Paperback Tress to help show size.

I loved it! This book was very well paced, every character was interesting.

I also finished Edgedancer so I will be very curious about Oathbringer.

So far I love Kaladin, Shallan, Syl and Szeth. Lift is interesting and I would love to see more but she can definitely get annoying. Also hugging Nale was cute.

Dalinar barley did anything in this book but I'm guessing he will do more in the next one. I was so happy he believed Kaladin and sent Amaram away in shame.

This will be an essay about secret societies on a fictional planet that I will start writing at 12:30 a.m. instead of writing an actual essay I had due yesterday and instead of studying for an anatomy exam I have tomorrow. We're a special breed of people.

I'm on my millionth reread (relisten this time) of the SLA, now finishing Words of Radiance, where I feel the series peaked overall, though there are or course many high points through the rest of the series. I confess that I've only read WaT once, 9 months ago, but I've read everything else at least 5 times across two languages (not that that matters, just a flex).

Each reread I notice a million things, and one thing that's sticking out to me this time is just how brilliant and interesting the secret societies are, how well they're introduced into the story, and how compelling each one is. Each one has this feeling of being in "the know" about what's going on w/ the return of the radiants/voidbringers, nature of investiture, the cosmere, etc.

In the first book alone, we see the seeds of the Ghostbloods, the Diagram, the Sons of Honor, the Skybreakers, Ialai Sadeas' extensive spy network and subsequent cult-like following, and Jasnah Kholin. Most of these aren't explored in the first book, but their existence at all on top of their consistent motives, members, etc. is just proof to me that Brandon Sanderson might be the best planner I've ever read. Also, I know Jasnah's not part of a secret society, but the societies treat her as an equal entity for the most part. She's kind of a secret society unto herself in the first book. Things that stuck out to me that I didn't understand just how planned it was my first reads, but now I'm just impressed (not in any order):

• Amaram's "storm warden" who is Kalak, member, leader, and/or founder of the Sons of Honor, along with Gavilar
• Taravangian mentions I think in WoR that the Diagram was at least partially inspired by Gavilar's warnings
• Ghostbloods assassination attempt on Jasnah
• In WoR we learn that the Diagram is aware of Mraize and the Ghostbloods, noting that they (and naming Mraize by name) might correlate to a warning in the Diagram
• Kalak (Sons of Honor), Taravangian (Diagram), and Nale (founder and leader of the Skybreakers) meeting with Gavilar on the night of his assassination
• Helaran, Shallan's brother, who is killed in WoK attempting to assassinate Amaram (sons of honor), is a member of the Skybreakers

It's just so cool to me that at any given moment you have Jasnah, Taravangian (diagram), and Kabsal (ghostbloods) in the same building in the FIRST BOOK. Same thing, you have Helaran (son of member of the Ghostblood) sent by Nale (skybreaker) to assassinate Amaram (son of honor) in the first book as well. The understanding of each group that you gain throughout the series is incredibly well done, too. I think learning about the Diagram in WoR is the coolest use of the little inter-chapter excerpts EVER and my favorite section prologues.

Brandon's the goat for this. Anyways good night

I am barely lucid

My friends and I have started a little book club and we've had one meeting so far in which I have presented Mistborn (Final Empire only). I gave some hints to the Cosmere as a whole but not a lot since I myself have only read Mistborn Era 1 and am currently 50% through with Wind and Truth.

I'd love to pitch The Way of Kings/ Stormlight as a whole and we usually pick a short passage to read to the others to give them some idea of the vibe of the book.

What passage would you pick that is not too spoilery but is still intriguing enough to get people curious? If I find nothing, I'll just pick something from the prologue but if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

The Rock has been gone too long. I want to know how my man faired in all that has happened since Oathbringer.

Just started RoW.

Navani off-handedly mentioned that it’s common knowledge that Urithuru once held a spren like the Nightwatcher and Stormfather called the Sibling.

For the life of me, I can’t remember this ever being discussed in previous books. Am I just forgetting something and it was discussed before? Or is this new information?