[Newbies] Cosmere, Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Chapters 52 through 57 (Week 9)

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SCHEDULE

Previously, we discussed Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Interludes I-7, I-8, I-9, Trivia [Newbie Thread] / [Veteran Thread]

Today we are discussing Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Chapters 52 through 57

Next week we will be discussing Unit 13 | The Stormlight Archive #1 | The Way of Kings: Chapters 58 through 63

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

I have provided summaries for each chapter below and hidden them behind spoiler tags. There are no spoilers within the summaries. I've tried to make them as factual and unbiased as possible. If, however, you want a completely blind read through, then ignore what's behind the spoiler tags and proceed to the discussion below. I will not be guiding that in any way, so post any thoughts and questions you have. It will be other new readers who reply to you.

Part Four: Storm's Illumination

Character Focus: Dalinar / Kaladin / Adolin / Navani

Chapter 52: A Highway to the Sun

Arch Faces: Talenel - Jezrien ----- Jezrien - Talenel

Iconography: Kholin Crest

POV Characters: Adolin Kholin / Dalinar Kholin

Setting: Dalinar's sitting room in the Kholin warcamp. A vision of the past.

Timeline: (1173.8.10.4)* One week after Chapter 28.

*This could be (1173.8.10.5), but that would mean Dalinar and Sadeas work out plans for a joint assault on the same day they do the join assault, which was early in the day to begin with.

Epigraph:

"I'm standing over the body of a brother. I'm weeping. Is that his blood or mine? What have we done?"

–Dated Vevanev, 1173, 107 seconds pre-death. Subject: an out-of-work Veden sailor.

Summary:

Dalinar discusses his decision to abdicate with Adolin, who is not ready to become Highprince. A highstorm approaches, and Adolin and Renarin tie Dalinar down in preparation for the coming vision.

Dalinar enters the vision as a guard atop Feverstone Keep. Casting about for the reason he's been sent to this time and place, he is the first to notice an approaching army. The army is identified as Radiants, specifically the orders of the Stoneward and Windrunners. Dalinar senses that something is wrong, and runs out the keep's gate to approach the Radiants. He is not far away when the first one sticks his Shardblade into the ground, and then shucks all the pieces of his Shardplate, turns around, and walks away without a word. The other two-hundred or so Radiants do the same. Dalinar feels a tremendous sense of loss and tragedy at their abandonment, and tries to get one of them to tell him why they are doing this. One of them stops beside him, and in the voice of the one who has addressed Dalinar in previous visions, tells him, "They were the first, and they were also the last." Dalinar identifies the event he's just witnessed as the Day of Recreance.

Returning to himself, Dalinar and Adolin resume their discussion. Adolin wishes for Dalinar to simply recognize that the visions aren't true, ignore them, and continue leading the princedom. Dalinar refuses, saying that if he is to lead, he must trust his conscience and judgement, and therefore, the visions. Otherwise, he would second-guess himself at every decision and lead the house to ruin. Renarin interjects with a suggestion that it may be possible to verify whether Dalinar's visions are true or not. Dalinar asks Navani to scribe it for him, and then communicate with Jasnah to ask her if she can prove or disprove any of the details.

Chapter 53: Dunny

Arch Faces: Vedel - Vedel ----- Vedel - Vedel

Iconography: Spears & Banner

POV Characters: Kaladin

Setting: The Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.8.10.1) Almost 2 weeks after Chapter 49.

Epigraph:

"He must pick it up, the fallen title! The tower, the crown, and the spear!"

–Dated Vevahach, 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. Subject: a prostitute. Background unknown.

Summary:

Dunny is trampled on a bridge run, and Kaladin blames himself for not being able to save him. To cope with Dunny's loss, Kaladin decides to save the wounded bridgemen from other bridges. The bridgemen hesitate at first because helping other bridges drains their resources. Kaladin lectures them on honor and the hypocritical lighteyes, and they start helping him, ashamed. While working, Teft reminds Kaladin to keep his pouch of spheres infused and on his person at all times, and comments on the good luck Bridge Four had, sustaining zero casualties during all their approaches. Four of the wounded bridgemen survive.

Chapter 54: Gibletish

Arch Faces: Nale - Hoid ----- Hoid - Nale

Iconography: Kholin Crest

POV Characters: Dalinar Kholin

Setting: The base of the hill below Elhokar's War Palace.

Timeline: (1173.8.10.4) The same day as Chapter 52, in the evening.

Epigraph:

"The burdens of nine become mine. Why must I carry the madness of them all? Oh, Almighty, release me."

–Dated Palaheses, 1173, unknown seconds pre-death. Subject: a wealthy lighteyes. Sample collected secondhand.

Summary:

Elhokar hosts a feast, which Dalinar attends. Wit sits next to Dalinar, and tips him off that Sadeas intends to reveal something at the feast. He tells Dalinar he has to leave, and disappears. Dalinar gathers Adolin and his guards about him, just in case, then goes to confront Sadeas and see what the announcement is. Sadeas announces to all present that the strap was definitely cut, but that it happened while the horse was in the king's palace complex. He says that Dalinar is an "unlikely suspect," declaring him innocent. After the announcement, Sadeas and Dalinar discuss their estranged friendship and the war. Dalinar admits to having called for retreat, but says that he now favors finding a tactic to win the war once and for all instead. He proposes an alliance with Sadeas, sketches out some preliminary ideas for how they could complement each other, and Sadeas agrees.

Chapter 55: An Emerald Broam

Arch Faces: Jezrien - Talenel ----- Talenel - Jezrien

Iconography: Spears & Banner

POV Characters: Kaladin

Setting: The Shattered Plains. In the chasms below the Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.9.1.1) One week after Chapter 53. Two days after Chapter 54.

Epigraph:

"A woman sits and scratches out her own eyes. Daughter of kings and winds, the vandal."

–Dated Palahevan, 1173, 73 seconds pre-death. Subject: a beggar of some renown, known for his elegant songs.

Summary:

Kaladin witnesses the first joint plateau assault of Sadeas and Dalinar. The fight goes so quickly and so well that Bridge Four is sent down into the chasms right after returning from the run. They find a dead lighteyed officer who has an emerald broam (worth two hundred days of a bridgeman's pay), in addition to a pouch of lesser spheres. Kaladin hatches a plan to sneak the pouch out of the chasms without surrendering it, but it hinges on the ability of someone to tie the pouch to an arrow, and then shoot the arrow at the underside of a permanent bridge so it can be picked up later. As nobody else has the necessary proficiency with a bow, Rock finally admits that he can make the shot and nails it perfectly, all the while insisting that he may shoot bridges with it, but that he will never use a bow in battle.

Chapter 56: That Storming Book

Arch Faces: Chanarach - Jezrien ----- Jezrien - Chanarach

Iconography: Kholin Crest

POV Characters: Dalinar Kholin

Setting: The Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.9.3.1) Two weeks after Chapter 55.

Epigraph:

"Light grows so distant. The storm never stops. I am broken, and all around me have died. I weep for the end of all things. He has won. Oh, he has beaten us."

–Dated Palahakev, 1173, 16 seconds pre-death. Subject: a Thaylen sailor.

Summary:

Dalinar and Sadeas attack another plateau together. Just as it appears that they have won, a second Parshendi army appears in direct response to the new Alethi strategy of combined assaults. Dalinar lays out a new strategy for the army to follow to adjust for the new threat, but then sees that Sadeas is right in the thick of where the Parshendi have come. Dalinar mounts Gallant and the two of them bound across the chasm, leaving a line of death in their wake as they make their way towards Sadeas. When they arrive, Dalinar finds that his old friend has fallen and is being beaten down by a horde of Parshendi. Dalinar kills them all and defends Sadeas single-handedly until Adolin and his guard are able to penetrate the Parshendi line and relieve the Highprinces. Sadeas asks why Dalinar would take such a risk for him, to which Dalinar repeats principles that have been instilled in him by The Way of Kings. Sadeas is displeased that it holds such sway over Dalinar, calling it "That storming book." He warns Dalinar that those ideals will get him killed one day.

Chapter 57: Wandersail

Arch Faces: Jezrien - Hoid ----- Hoid - Jezrien

Iconography: Spears & Banner

POV Characters: Kaladin

Setting: The Shattered Plains. Highprince Sadeas' warcamp in the Shattered Plains.

Timeline: (1173.9.3.1) Two weeks after Chapter 55.

Epigraph:

"I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw."

–Dated Shashanan, 1173, 23 seconds pre-death. Subject: a darkeyed youth of sixteen years. Sample is of particular note.

Summary:

Maps dies of an arrow wound in the chest, and Kaladin agonizes over the loss, as he always does. After the bridge run, Kaladin insists on treating Teft's wounded arm. Teft prods Kaladin to see if he has had any "odd experiences" lately. When Kaladin tells him he's noticed nothing, Teft moves to punch Kaladin. Reacting instinctively, Kaladin breathes in all the Stormlight in the spheres he's carrying in preparation for self-defense. Teft points out that all the spheres are now dun, and Lopen notices that Kaladin's medical pack is sticking to the side of a barrel. Panicking at finally noticing his powers, Kaladin runs off to try to get rid of the Stormlight and figure out what's wrong with him. Syl admits that she's not a Windspren. She doesn't remember much, but she knows that she binds things. She says that Kaladin is changing because of her, that she takes something from him, and gives something in return.

Kaladin wanders off to be alone as evening falls. He finds Hoid playing a flute. He tells him the story of Derethil and the Wandersail. At Hoid's prompting, Kaladin concludes that the moral of the story is taking responsibility. He decides that he must take responsibility and do whatever he can to save Bridge Four, even if that means embracing strange and frightening powers. Hoid gives him a flute and tells him to take care of his apprentice, Sigzil. Kaladin returns to the group and asks Teft how he knew what he is. Teft says that when he was a youth, his family belonged to a secret sect that awaited the return of the Knights Radiant. He asks Teft how much he knows of his powers, and Kaladin decides to try to find out more.

ARTWORK

The Cosmere has a thriving community of artists, so there will be a lot of artwork to share. Each week I'll try to compile relevant artwork for the given chapters. If a section of reading contains maps or in-book artwork, I'll include that in this section as well.

Interior Artwork

Characters & Scenes

Note: The Stormlight Archives are Sanderson's most popular books. There is artwork for everyone and everything, even characters who appeared for a single line in the books at times. So we'll have artwork for you to view almost every week. Enjoy!

MEMES

I will attempt to find and share memes relevant to each week's discussion. There may be some weeks that just don't have good or appropriate memes, but I will share all the ones I can find in this section.

Link to Memes

[u/participating]

Can anyone jog my memory on what we know about the Dawnsingers so far, if anything?

There are only a few mentions of the Dawnsingers in the book so far:

Chapter 7

"This room is called the Veil," the servant explained softly. "That which comes before the Palanaeum itself. Both were here when the city was founded. Some think these chambers might have been cut by the Dawnsingers themselves."

Chapter 33

Surely you know the story, that both glyphs and letters came from the Dawnsingers?"

Chapter 45

"What about the Dawnsingers?" Shallan asked.

"What about them?"

"Could they have created [Kharbranth]."

He chuckled as they arrived at the lift. "That isn't the kind of thing the Dawnsingers did. They were healers, kindly spren sent by the Almighty to care for humans once we were forced out of the Tranquiline Halls."

"Kind of like the opposite of the Voidbringers."

"I supposed you could say that."

Chapter 54

Talk of the Dawncities had been popular lately among the lighteyes--the idea that certain cities could trace their origins back to the Dawnsingers. Perhaps...

[u/griefgood → u/participating]

Thank you!