#I have just.. realise I love kaladin so much. so much.

[eviefrve]

I wish to read words of radiance so bad

[mistywitcher]

finished wind and truth about 2 hours ago and I have just finished crying enough to compose some thoughts.

my heart is broken for Dalinar, and watching everyone grieve for him. I kinda felt like it was coming, but I refused to believe it, and when it did happen, I don't think I've sobbed like that over a book since Mistborn era 1.

I take back what I said about Adolin being angry in a different post. I still agree he got to be angry and that was valid, but never seeing Dalinar again and his last interaction with him being so awful absolutely killed me and oh fuck I'm crying while writing this. I'D ONLY JUST MANAGED TO CALM MYSELF.

Kaladin. KALADIN. that hurt too, In a bittersweet way. I fucking bawled at the idea of everyone thinking he's dead, and Szeth burying him. ruined, I won't recover from this for a long time.

I am beyond pleased he got such a wonderful ending and set up for the next arc, cannot wait to see everyone's faces when he fucking shows up as a HERALD!!!

Adolin fucking princeling wonderful human best guy Kholin was probably my favourite part of this book. His stunning relationship to Maya. His whole arc was incredible, his courage, his acceptance and realisation, FORMING THE UNOATHED. What a fucking baller move, so proud of my pretty boy, I didn't think it was possible to love him more but I do.

Shallan was brilliant as well, although she didn't feel like as bigger part as I expected for this ending, I feel like she was set up brilliantly for Arc 2 and I cannot WAIT to see how she escapes Shademar.

Also I could be so so so wrong, but I feel like, maybe, just maybe, she may, perhaps, could be... pregnant???? idk why I get this feeling but I do. only time will tell.

Renarin and Rlain absolutely shone in this book. I loved every second of it. Was so glad to see how much time they both got! As a neurodivergent, gay person, it was a fucking honour to see myself represented so much and so well in Renarin's chapters. beautiful, stunning, can't wait to see what happens next with my fave gay boys.

Poor Jasnah, those last chapters of hers were so rough. I felt so sad for her, and also so taken with how Sanderson wrote her failure, in such a compelling, tragic way. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Szeth, oh my sweet man Szeth. I wasn't that bothered about Szeth before this book but now I would die for him. I LOVED his chapters and flashbacks, I loved his journey, I simply loved him.

GAVINOR!!!! that twist at the end, with him being a grown man now, I look forward to seeing more of him, and honestly I found his child character to be massively entertaining and so so lovely.

there is so much more I could say, but I am so tired, I read for 7 hours straight with no breaks and then cried for 2 hours, and my head hurts.

so in conclusion, I am slightly broken right now, intimidated by the huge wait we all have, grieving for Dalinar, but ultimately, incredibly satisfied with that ending to Arc 1.

Life before Death

Strength before Weakness

JOURNEY BEFORE DESTINATION

[joonipertree]

ok I'm gonna send my prompt by ask so it's more formal HIHIHI I'M SO EXCITED. idk how's gonna appear for you (if its my joel account), but here is @yujichoso 😭

ok so I was thinking about injured!reader (they are already in a relationship but it's not out yet) going to the clinic and it's Kal who's in charge of taking care for her and they're all flirting and saying doctor kaladin is kinda sexy and if you could add a kiss somewhere I'd love it too, a kiss that disoriente his system for the rest of the day 😭😭😭

You had half a mind to just go home and have Kaladin patch you up when he got back the second you stepped into the clinic. But alas, you loved seeing your beautiful doctor boyfriend at work. The only thing gnawing in your head was how worried he would get, just like all of the other times you'd gotten sick or injured.

With a little hobble and a lot of energy, you got to the front desk of the reception where a man sat looking over a computer.

"Is Kal- Dr. Kaladin in?" You asked.

The receptionist looked up and smiled politely before checking his watch. "He'll be free in a while, I'm afraid. He's running a bit behind. Is this an emergency?"

You shake your head, " I just fell hard but nothing besides that. I'll wait, okay?"

The man looked at the bruise that was slowly forming on your cheek before he leaned in, "I'm sorry if it's not the case but we're mandated to ask...did someone do this to you? A partner?" He whispered.

You shook your head vehemently, "No, no! Never, my boyfriend would never."

The man took a second to analyse you before he nodded, "Fill this form and take a seat okay?"

With slow limped steps and the realisation that the added weight is causing your other ankle to hurt, you sat down and waited patiently. It did cross your mind that you could just text or call him but you also knew that Kal might be busy and that this didn't really qualify as an emergency.

And Kaladin just got his lunch break, you'd prefer he'd eat first rather than fret over you.

"Hey, Sigzil." Your head whipped up at your boyfriend's voice.

Kaladin looked as fine as ever, even if he would disagree in that moment. With his long shoulder length hair braided back, tan skin and angular features with a defined nose. And oh he looked extra tall that day, in his white coat.

"I'm going on my break okay?" Kaladin said, deep voice with a tinge of exhaustion coming through.

Of course he didn't go on break yet! That man is always stalling for it, thinking of how he can treat others than take care of himself. It made you feel guilty for coming in before he could eat and not bringing anything but, maybe he wouldn't notice you?

Hah, Kaladin not noticing the love of his life was the biggest joke because he instantly clocked you in afterwards, doing a double take. His neutral face went from happy to confused to worried, being able to tell when something was wrong with you.

He strode forward, struggling to keep things professional and his anxiety from showing. No one really knew he was in a relationship and that you were his partner. And as much as he would love to be open about it, paranoia held him back from being openly affectionate towards you. But still, he crouched down so he was eye level, something that multiple people would probably recognise as unusual.

"You're hurt." He stated more than asked.

You nodded, "Sorry, I know you're going on your lunch break-"

"How?"

"I fell."

With a quirk of his eyebrows, you grimaced and continued, "So there was this mini hiking trail and I just sorta was climbing on a big rock and then next thing I knew, I was on a bunch of smaller rocks."

Kaladin stared pointedly at your fucking sandals that were inappropriate for any kind of adventurous walking. "You are a goddamn idiot."

"But....yours?" You made sure to whisper in case he didn't want anyone else to hear it.

"Hon, you should've called me immediately. Did you come here on your own? Were you waiting for me??"

You looked sheepishly at him, "well, I mean....I'm just following the law."

Kaladin's head dropped with a sigh before he got up, "the law between you and me is you call me when you get hurt, okay? Don't be a dumbass, stay here."

After a minute, he came back with a wheelchair and you felt a heat on your cheeks because oh fuck that was way too serious for a rolled ankle.

But you let your boyfriend help you up and put you on the wheelchair before carting you away. You leaned back and looked up at him, his face still looking good from that angle. You kicked your feet like a child, excited to be taken care of.

When you were in the privacy of a room, he didn't hesitate to pick you up bridal style and plop you onto the medical table. You swooned a bit at the feeling of his muscles flex against you.

But Dr Kaladin kept it professional for the most part, inspecting your ankle by pressing on them, you felt pain and it was inflamed but it seemed most likely a sprain.

"I'll have to lift your shirt up." He murmured, careful gloved hands doing so and prodding at your ribs.

"Take me to dinner first." You murmured and he rolled his eyes with a smile.

"I was thinking Pad Thai?" Kaladin played along, making quick work of his inspection.

"Are you this forward with all your patients?"

"My partner would kill me if I was."

"Boooo." You said with a giggle.

And while it was utterly unprofessional of him, Kaladin couldn't help but plant a kiss on your forehead before taking out the bandages.

"You're lucky it's only a few scraps and a sprain. I hope I don't have to convince you of wearing proper shoes to hike?"

"Won't make that mistake again, doctor!" You saluted.

"You stress me out."

"Thank you!"

He took care to wrap you well, patting your head afterwards. You patted his in return because really, he did all the work.

"Okay so now I suppose I should walk outta here like we've never met each other in our lives right?"

"Hmm?" He said as he took off his lab coat, showing a black dress shirt underneath, "no I'm taking you home and we're having Pad Thai."

"Kaladin."

"What?"

"You have a few more hours of work, why would you take me home?"

"Because you're hurt and someone has to take care of you."

"I can do it on my own!"

"You shouldn't have to when I'm here." Kaladin said sternly, packing his bag for the day.

"You have a job--"

"I don't have any more appointments and everyone can handle the walk-ins. My staff is more than capable. Now, do you wanna piggy back or get a wheelchair?"

"I can wa--"

"That's a very dumb thing to say to your doctor."

You grumbled for a second before accepting defeat, asking for a piggy back since he was offering.

Kaladin called in to the desk and let them know that he was off, he could hear the smirk in their voice but didn't bother commenting on it.

Once you were on his back, you melted into him and realised that maybe getting injured wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"You're a pain in the ass."

"I'm yours."

"I need a refund."

A/N: Im sorry this is rushed but i hope its what u wanted!!! I am always open to more requests.

Also...yes i did try to hike in sandals....very bad idea....I am kaladin's worst nightmare.

[little-cute-pink-horrible-being]

Whose your favorite cosmere character (other than Lopen)

Hey, anon, thank you for asking! Sorry for taking so long to respond. My favorite cosmere character (other than Lopen) is...

Well, it's a long and complicated list.

Jasnah has to be there. I love her so much, she is the character I fell in love first when reading Stormlight. She deeply imperfect, she is not the kind of person I would like to meat in real life and I love her all the more for it and can't wait to see her in a more main-character role.

Elend Venture is there too. I could talk a lot about his arc and character but overall, I love everything about him, starting from him reading books at balls in Final Empire to where he ends up (it's tragic, but so good)

Shallan is also there for actually much the same reasons as Jasnah, minus not wanting to meet her in real life. I love this mess of a girl.

Then I have my girls Steris and Marasi (the list is not in order of favoritism btw). I love era 2 dearly, but these characters especially. Most of which I can say about Steris have already been said and Marasi is just so cool, man. Smart, capable, love her arc of slowly gaining confidence in her own abilities.

Hoid. Just Hoid. I could gush about him forever. The girl who stood up is maybe my favorite moment in the whole cosmere. Every time he is on screen the scene just become SO. MUCH. BETTER.

Vivenna - first of all I relate to her SO MUCH it's insane. I won't go into details right now but I feel like I understand her very well and that makes me appreciate her journey even more. Love me an annoying prrotagonist who slowly grows and realises their mistakes. Gets me every time. Love her as Azure too, all confident but still having a lot of room to grow.

I know you asked for one, but I can't pick) Don't worry people, I love Kaladin, Adolin, Vin, etc too, just had to limit myself to a certain number of characters, cause I dodn't want the post to last forever.

[earlyspringtranscendence]

i licherally.... i feel like shakadolin is gonna happen. i know i’ve been going back and forth on this but i feel it. i can feel it. she likes adolin SO much there’s no way she’s gonna dump him for kaladin (she also shouldn’t because shallan and kaladin suck together so bad without a buffer) and kal and adolin also like each other so much (although lbr there’s not gonna be sha/ka/dolin its gonna be sha/ka and sha/dolin but i’ll take it)

[luckspren]

I’m starting Rhythm of War today, which I’m very excited about. But first some thoughts about Oathbringer under the cut

I looove Queen Jasnah. She was already pretty much a queen who was just missing a crown and I really hope she gets chapters in RoW to get her perspective on how she views this new responsibility, especially considering her little brother had to die for it.

Elhokars death made me sadder than I thought it would. If he had died earlier I think I would have cared only in regards to his families reaction and less about the death itself. But there is something about a character that realises his shortcomings and works to better himself only to fucking die right when he starts to change, that’s just a punch to the gut.

Dalinars backstory is brutal and I’m wondering if he will tell Adolin and Renarin about the actual circumstances of Evis death. There is so much potential there to explore the family dynamic more in how the brothers might react differently to the news and the tension that it could put on the different relationships, but I think there is probably not enough time for extended Kholin family drama

I’d love to see more of Renarin in general, though. Loved his scenes with Jasnah and I also hope we get more interactions with Adolin. Also have no idea how that whole corrupted-spren business will develop. What exactly is even the difference to regular Truthwatchers? If they didn’t see the future because that’s bad, then what could they see?? I really should have paid more attention, when the little blurbs at the start of chapters talked about the Knights Radiant...

Sooo ...is Maya coming back to life? I mean she basically saved Adolin in shadesmar and she was able to tell him her name  and that has to count for something, right? So Adolin could possibly become an Edgedancer and I like the thought that the ‘dead’ spren could be saved (Also the thought of Adolin and Lift training together is pretty hilarious).

That said Adolins insecurities about leadership and his role in the war effort, now that practically everyone around him is Radiant, have to come back in some way. He dodged the crown, but maybe those themes could also be explored in his new position as Highprince? Thrusting him into a leadership position he didn’t want or prepare for, would probably more effective for this, though.

I was right and Shallan and Adolin got married and then I didn’t even get a wedding scene. Still happy about the outcome though. And I know Sanderson didn’t intend this, but with the way Kaladin and Adolin think about each other and the feelings they both have for Shallan and vice versa, there’s like a perfect set up for the Kaladin/Shallan/Adolin OT3 in the canon text. Obviously that won’t actually happen and I am happy with canon as it is, als long as I get plenty more interactions between these three.

I don’t think Moash will be redeemed and I think it has to be Kaladin who takes him down. I’m not sure what the next words will be, but I could see something along the lines of accepting that not every person can be or even wants to be saved, maybe??

So Azure is Vivenna and Zahel is Vasher, right? Where there like hints I was too dumb to notice in the Zahel-scenes? 

I hope RoW dives more into Ghostbloods-plot (which by the way is a pretty sick name for a secret organisation)

So far there hasn’t been a really major character death and that still makes me nervous. Like disaster did strike, but all in all the pov-characters got through it more or less unscathed. I’m still kinda waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[starling-illu]

I have so many thoughts about Dalinar and Adolin’s conflict, especially post-RoW and how much time I’ve spent thinking about Evi.

The difference between how Dalinar treats Adolin and Renarin especially is telling to me, it’s clear that Dalinar is only recently realising Adolin has grown into a person that is very different than who he expected the Blackthorn’s son to be, while Renarin has always been a mystery to him.

I think just the story of each of their names, Adolin and Renarin, sets up their places in Dalinar’s mind. Adolin is Dalinar’s son, a true Kholin, while Renarin is an outsider, like Evi, if anything the reverse is more accurate temperment wise. 

Dalinar begins to make an effort to be inclusive of Renarin from around the time of tWoK onward, spurred by seeing how his peers, like Sadeas, mock him. He can see clearly what the issues are, as he’s always seen Renarin that way himself (telling him to join the ardentia, never giving him plate or blade etc.) but is excited to see that his younger son is perhaps more Alethi than he had judged, he has some fight in him after all.

With Adolin, the issue is lost on Dalinar. This is his master duelist son, he’s had plate since he was born and practiced with a sword almost as long. Sure, he had some interest in fashion but so did plenty of Alethi men back in Kholinar and in the other warcamps. In reality, Adolin got to spend more time with Evi than Renarin did, and at an older age where he could begin to understand the cultural differences between his mother and his father more. I don’t imagine that Evi raised him on Alethi stories of bloodshed and war. 

I think it frustrates Dalinar that Adolin could so easily fit the status quo but he chooses not to. Unlike Evi or even Renarin, the Alethi nobility accept him fully. I think it is the fact that he doesn’t outwardly struggle that is the source of the love lost between him and his father, Dalinar is so emotionally unavailable that he can’t fathom that someone could appear one way and have a completely different internal life. Adolin is just going through a rebellious phase and will grow out of it, be the heir he’s supposed to be.

Since Sadeas’ death back in WoR I have been hoping to see more of what’s going on in Adolin’s head because he is very obviously hiding something very dark. I think this is one reason that he and Shallan work so well together, while he doesn’t understand her entirely he does understand to some degree feeling fractured between an external and internal self and putting on a facade to appear stronger than you may truly feel. And even his looking out for Kaladin in his darker moods, I’m sure is rooted in wishing he had a way to express his own struggles and comfort himself.

[albelen]

book talk: oathbringer

So. MUCH. HAPPENED.

Granted, it took me two months to read this because I had finals and sometimes I was not in the right headspace to read.

Where do I even begin? My thoughts, as always, are so scattered and since I have the smaller copy of the book I didn't use any sticky notes to write my comments, but instead just doggy-eared some of the pages I deemed important / I liked:

● this is from a conversation between Jasnah and Dalinar about the claims of the latter's heresy:

"I don't mind people believing what works for them, Uncle. That's something nobody ever seems to understand- I have no stake in their beliefs. I don't need company to be confident."

Among all the characters in the book, I feel like I respect Jasnah more than anyone. Her intelligence and confidence in herself and in her work are the things I admire about her a lot.

In particular, I resonate with her when it comes to religious views, which I'm not gonna talk about because that's a conversation for another day.

● there is a page of Moash marching with the parshman and Voidbringers, he's contemplating about the how humans can't govern themselves.

I honestly don't remember why I thought this was an important page, but upon re-reading it there's this line:

Moash had failed Kaladin and the others- but that was merely how men were in this debased age. He couldn't be blamed. He was a product of his own culture.

Now, I don't want dismiss Moash's hatred for Elhokar and the lighteyes, he's more than entitled to feel that way after his grandparents were killed unfairly, but the fact that he thought he couldn't be blamed for his actions and that he is what he is because of his culture... that's just way too easy, Moash. Just because the society you grew up in is as is, doesn't mean you just take it, storming man. I feel so strongly about this because I love everyone from bridge four, but after what Moash did in this book... I don't know if there's a way for him to redeem himself.

● Adolin hanging out with Bridge Four!! ISTG, Adolin is the real GOAT in this series.

I feel for him when he felt small, being surrounded by Radiants.

I mean, who wouldn't? Your father, your brother, your fiancé, your cousin and your friend. Personally I would have had very low esteem in myself, but Adolin fought through it and just did what he can. He is a character I admire a lot too. Because despite his upbringing, his background and his privileges, he still choses to be humble, be nice to anyone and work hard.

All in all, he's really the most likeable character imo. He and Shallan haven't known each other for the longest time, but it really feels like he's sincere with his feelings despite his prior reputation with girls haha

● Kaladin's friendship with Adolin and Shallan: I know our favorite bridgeboy has his Bridge Four and thinks that's they are all he needs, but I can't help but feel relieved that Kal has Adolin and Shallan.

Like I've said previously, I don't think Kal had any romantic feelings for Shallan, but he thought he did because she reminded him of Tien. His friendship with the two newly-weds are important and it's gonna help him along the way. I love that for Kal ;w;

● I need a Wit in my life, I need him to make me see things I don't see, to make my reflect and realise all the important things in life.

There is this line I particularly liked when he found Shallan:

"[...] You mostly failed. This is life. The longer you live, the more you fail. Failure is the mark of a life well lived. [...]"

This is something a lot of us should probably hear, because I know I do especially when I have doubts in myself and I'm scared of doing things for the fear of failing.

● I don't like Taravangian, and I know he's just trying to save the world but also just actually trying to save his people but when he told Dalinar this:

"This is the sacrifice, isn't it?" Taravangian said softly. "Someone must bear the responsbility. Someone must be dragged down by it, ruined by it. Someone must stain their soul so others may live."

This reminded me of someone, but for the sake of not going into a more serious tone I shall leave it like that.

● As this post is getting longer, these two lines are the last ones that I'm gonna mention:

"I will take responsibility for what I have done," Dalinar whispered. "If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man."

I feel like this is pretty self-explanatory. Dalinar frustrated me all throughout this book. I wanted to slap young Dalinar, especially because of how he treated Evi. I have to admit he was so cool in the last part of the book lol I loved his interactions with Lift.

I kinda wish we had interactions between Lift and Kaladin - I hope we got one in the next book.

And the last line and the one that gave my goosebumps:

She pulled him tight, “Maybe you don’t have to save anyone, Kaladin. Maybe it’s time for someone to save you.”

Kaladin always thinks of saving others, but never thinks that maybe he’s the one who needs to be saved. He helped the parshman, he bonded with the Wall Guards... he cares so deeply for anyone he barely thinks of himself. 

Oh, Kaladin, I just wanna wrap him in a blanket and give him a warm soup. :(

I’m itching to read Rhythm of War, but I think my brain needs a break from fantasy books.

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2021: The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

I have a few things to acknowledge here before we get into the proper review - this is REALLY LONG and VERY CRITICAL. I promise you I do genuinely love The Stormlight Archive, but if you are someone who doesn’t like to see criticism of Sanderson or Stormlight, then please don’t read this.

This review has spoilers for The Stormlight Archive - you have been warned.

I’ve made no secret of my love for the Stormlight Archive - it’s my favourite ongoing fantasy series. I’ve also avoided reviewing it, and I’ve been putting it off since I first read it back in 2016 (could be 2017? It was a while ago.) How could I review something I love so much? How do I approach reviewing a 1,100 page epic fantasy novel? I just didn’t know. To be honest, I still don’t. I adore this series, it’s become part of my identity - if you asked any of my friends what’s Lizzie’s favourite book they would probably say Stormlight. Maybe Lord of the Rings but that’s a different kettle of fish.

I’ve reread The Stormlight Archive annually for the last five years. I promise myself I won’t reread it and let myself come back in anticipation for the next book. I’ve failed miserably every year. And these aren’t small undertakings - they’re each 1,000 pages and there’s four of them now! For context I usually only read 2,500 pages a month. 

So, I’ve finally decided to review these doorstoppers dressed up as fantasy novels. These reviews are mainly for myself, they’re going to be self indulgent, long, and focus on what I want to discuss like characters, structure, and prose - rather than reviewing the things I should probably talk about (like the actual plot…) I want to work through all the things I love about this behemoth of the modern fantasy genre, but also focus on its flaws. The praise for Sanderson is everywhere, so I want to work through my honest opinion of these books, work out why I love them, and I’ll invite you on this journey of self discovery with me. 

Structure

I’m yet to work out why I’m starting with structure but we are, I guess it helps with the framing. In case you’re reading this having not read The Way of Kings, each book in the Stormlight Archive is made up of 5 main parts that follow major viewpoint characters, and the parts are split up with small interludes that expand the worldbuilding, follow important secondary characters, or foreshadow future moments. Everybook is centred on a key character - in The Way of Kings it’s Kaladin - who we follow in the present day as a major viewpoint character and explore their backstory through a flashback sequence. Each book also has a prologue which retells the assassination of the Alethi king, Gavilar Kholin, and an epilogue from Wit. 

Firstly, this book takes FAR too long to get going and even longer to get into as a reader. I’m not joking when I say there are FIVE introductory chapters: the prelude, a prologue, Cenn’s second prologue (technically the first chapter but it’s a prologue), Kaladin’s introduction, and Shallan’s introduction. It’s too much. We’re jumping around, nothing really makes sense, and we’re not sure how these characters are related. They could be taking place in different worlds for all you know on a first read.

When I first read this book I was a lot more patient with long introductions and multiple false starts - I had the time to dedicate to getting into the story. I could, and did, forgive the THREE false starts to this story before we get to Kaladin’s first chapter. However, the opening structure of this novel is a mistake. If someone gives up in this section I honestly don’t blame them - if I was reading this for the first time in 2021 I probably would too.

The prelude and prologue are both excellent. The prelude in particular is weird and confusing but also sets up a clear mystery and sense of the sheer scope of this story. Szeth’s prologue, the first time we see Gavilar’s assassination, is flawed but still wonderful. The fight scene needed a bit of cutting, for my tastes, and I think the introduction to the magic system is clumsy - there’s far too much obvious info dumping and it needed some serious editing, especially as the complicated use of the magic that Szeth uses is barely relevant in this book. However, I think the Herald’s giving up the Oathpact and a magical assassin is great! They’re a bit weird and you’re not sure what���s going on, but it’s engaging. 

Then there’s Cenn. Poor, innocent Cenn. I’m sorry but he’s completely unnecessary. Independently of the rest of the introduction to the Way of Kings Cenn’s chapter would be a pretty good prologue as he’s there to set up our main hero Kaladin from an outside perspective. We love Kaladin and Cenn’s chapter is fine for establishing him as a typical fantasy hero – he’s a warrior, cares about the people, and so forth.

However, Cenn’s chapter in the context bogs down the opening too much. It’s too long, not particularly relevant, and adds yet ANOTHER prologue to this already enormous book. Cenn’s chapter offers nothing to the reader that we don’t learn later on in the text when the content of Cenn’s chapter makes more sense. We even see the exact same sequence of events from Kaladin’s perspective in a flashback! Not having Cenn’s chapter would add more interest to Kaladin’s character and add more weight to the flashback sequence because we wouldn’t have met Kaladin at his peak (sort of…?) 

Kaladin’s flashbacks aren’t that engaging as it is, he’s a fairly standard fantasy hero from a small village who ends up leaving his happy family to go to war. So leaving a small mystery around him in addition to ‘how did he become a slave’ would help with my engagement. It would leave me wondering how reliable is Kaladin as a narrator, is he really as good with the spear as he claims? I wouldn’t know but Cenn’s chapter removes all the mystery apart from ‘how does Kaladin become a slave’. It needs to go to make Kaladin more interesting and cut down on some of the unnecessary page count.

While we’re at it… Just cut out ALL the interludes in this book, except for the Szeth through line. I KNOW they are here for the Cosmere connections and to foreshadow things much later in the series. However, new readers and Stormlight only readers don’t know this and, quite frankly, they SUCK. In later books the interludes make sense but here they add so much tedious, pointless crap to an already bloated book. They’re too much and add next to nothing – other than seeing Szeth lose it as he kills people, that was fun (in a disturbing, creepy way… Can you tell I like Szeth?) Either this stuff needs to be relevant to the book we’re in now, or painfully obvious that we’re coming back to this stuff in later books. I still don’t know why we got Ishikk’s interlude with the Worldhoppers, and I completely forgot Nan Balat had an interlude. I’ve read this book 5 times… THAT IS HOW POINTLESS THEY ARE! Sanderson should weave the necessary foreshadowing into the main text, intersperse the perspectives we do need for THIS story into the main sections, or cut them out. When I get to the interludes I physically sigh and sometimes put the book down - now I just skip everything but Szeth - but on a first read they’re really off putting. 

To finish up with my complaints about the structure, and this is a big one for me - why do we have huge chunks of this book without major viewpoint characters? I’m biased here but Dalinar is probably the most important POV character in the story because he introduces the real stakes of the story. He has the groundbreaking visions of the past, he is the viewpoint we get into the politics of the war, he is the character who does and continues to have the most impact on the development of the story on his own.Yet, we don’t meet him until we’re 190 pages in… 

Sanderson alternates Shallan and Dalinar’s chapters between the five different parts and that means they vanish for 400 pages at a time. Why? I ended up caring about them right as we’re about to lose their viewpoint again for the next part. We needed to see the three major POV characters interwoven together throughout the five parts, not randomly dropped and picked back up again. The structure of this book was a mistake. 

Okay, I promise I do actually like this book…

Worldbuilding

Something I do love is the worldbuilding of Roshar, and I usually don’t care that much about worldbuilding. I can really appreciate good worldbuilding, especially on the history side of things, but for most novels it’s just fine? If I roughly know what’s going on with the world then we’re good, I can just get on with the story and not worry about it. However, Roshar is genuinely beautifully built! It takes A LOT to get me to visualise a world as I’m not a visual reader. I can feel the atmosphere, get to know characters, but can I imagine a face or setting? No.

There are three fantasy worlds that have allowed me to actually see the world and it’s landscape: Middle Earth, Discworld, and Roshar. The bleak, storm weathered landscape of the Shattered Plains is so embedded in my mind it’s ridiculous, the only place I can picture more is the Shire – and Lord of the Rings has a film to help it!

Now, to be fair it’s hard for me to separate the worldbuilding in The Way of Kings from the rest of the series, so I now have 4,000 pages worth of worldbuilding in my head… However, it’s certainly strong and I distinctly remember having a vivid image of understanding this world, the atmosphere, landscape, and so forth, on my first read. Although it did take me until Oathbringer to realise that everything, except humanity, was basically a crab… (I think that was just me being dense.)

I do think Roshar needs much more of its history to be expanded on. We don’t have much between the Last Desolation (don’t ask me to spell it's in-world title!) and it shows at times. I don’t expect something on the level of The Silmarillion for Roshar, however, I do think we need to see something more substantial in the period between the Desolations and the present day. We know about the Recreance, the attempted takeover of the Vorin Church, and the Sunmaker? That’s 4000 years! To put it into context it’s the distance between us and Jesus’s birth TWICE, it’s like we know about the end of the 11th Dynasty of Egypt, the Reformation, and the British Empire in our own history... We need to find a balance, especially as we get so much development of science in the later books. More history please - but this is a personal issue and a series wide problem, not just The Way of Kings.

Magic System

Now, this is controversial for Sanderson, but I’m going to skip this for now. This review is already well over 1,000 words long and I’ve not even started on the meat of the novel yet. The magic system isn’t really fleshed out in The Way of Kings, we only really know stuff about the Windrunners (in an abstract kind of way) and the very basics of the Knights Radiant in general. So I’m going to discuss the magic when I get around to reviewing Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Rhythm of War, basically whenever I have the energy and more space.

Safe to say I actually really like the magic system in the Stormlight Archive. I usually dislike hard magic systems (I think I’m the only person who dislikes Mistborn’s Allomancy - while very well developed, it’s a bit silly and is far too much for my tastes...) as they often take some of the wonder, mystery, and excitement of fantasy out of the story for me. However, I think surgebinding is a fun system and there is a lot more of it for use to discover, preserving some of that mystery. Oh and, if you were wondering, I would be a Skybreaker!

Prose

Okay if you read the structure section and were wondering - why is this woman still reading these books, you’re in for another head scratcher. 

If you’ve ever talked to me about literature you’ll know that there are two things I look for in a really good book: characters and prose. Now characters are something Sanderson does phenomenally well in the Stormlight Archive, but that’s not something you can tell 100 pages into a 1,000 page tome. You have to sit with the characters for a long time and give the author some page time to familiarise you with the people you’re following. If you trust him, Sanderson pulls off some stunning character arcs, especially in the long term and I’ll talk more about characters later on (or you can just skip this section? Up to you really!).

However, prose is something you notice immediately, and Sanderson’s is…utilitarian at best. At worst it’s abysmal. These days I’m very picky about prose, a utilitarian style is fine but a book is unlikely to become a new favourite of mine without good writing. This doesn’t mean I want or expect the writing to be flowery or elaborate, but it does mean I want, and appreciate it when, the prose suits the tone of the narrative and world. I must acknowledge that I’m in a (vocal) minority here, a lot of people either don’t notice Sanderson’s style or like it - I certainly didn’t mind it when I first read ther series - so this is definitely a subjective opinion but one I’m certainly not alone in. 

Nevertheless, for me Sanderson’s prose is overly simplistic, repetitive, and very American. Okay so the American is probably only noticeable if you’re not American. However, I’m used to fantasy having a certain Britishness to the writing style, even when the author isn’t British, but to me (as a Brit and fantasy reader) the Americanisms are painful at times… There is no way in hell I’m ever going to acknowledge that aluminium is aluminum no matter how many times Sanderson uses it! 

Yet it goes beyond a spelling issue because, let's be honest, in this day and age American English is widely spoken and regularly used in fantasy literature - you can’t escape from it as much as I want to. It’s in the style of writing and construction of sentences. The entire narrative reads like an American has decided to tell me a story using their colloquial, everyday speech. It’s a deliberate choice on Sanderson’s part to make things accessible and digestible, and for some people this works. I do think he has a fantastic style to get readers in, especially readers who are getting to grips with high epic fantasy as it’s one less barrier to entry in an already difficult novel. But it does mean rereading isn’t always the best experience and sometimes the writing can jar me out of the story. 

In places it’s too simple and colloquial, so much so the writing becomes clunky, clumsy, and unrealistic to the world he’s creating, especially in descriptive passages and dialogue. It reads like Sanderson could have used more lyrical or formal writing but deliberately chose not to - at the detriment of the prose. This is particularly noticeable with characters like Jasnah Kholin. Jasnah is a princess, brilliant scholar, and political mastermind, she’s known for her poise, elegance, and intelligence. Yet she often speaks like an everyday 21st century American and other characters who haven’t had the same education or training as she has? I can’t believe this for a moment, her dialogue is so egregious in places that it’s like I’ve been hit over the head with my own book! I physically cringe when she says things like ‘“scoot over here”’ (chapter 70, p.1083). WHY is Jasnah talking like this?! It doesn’t make sense to me – Shallan maybe, but Jasnah? No. It doesn’t fit with what we’ve been told about her character.

(Just as an aside, I loathe the word ‘scoot’ – it should be burnt from the English language as an abomination!)

Part of the issue with this is Sanderson usually doesn’t distinguish between the character's voices, both in the dialogue and prose. Most of the time if you dropped me into a random section of the Stormlight Archive with no context I honestly couldn’t tell you who’s speaking or narrating without the signposts Sanderson gives us. This isn’t a huge issue as he’s writing in third person limited, and with context and the chapter icons we know who we’re following. However, it does mean we don’t have any idea of character voice – in the general prose, internal narration/thought, or speech. What’s the difference between Kaladin’s dialogue and Jasnah’s? I have no idea from the sentence construction or speech patterns. Certain descriptions of how characters speak help to differentiate (Jasnah is commanding, Shallan squeaks, Kaladin grunts, etc.) but from their speech patterns I wouldn’t have a clue.

All of this comes back to Sanderson’s overly simple and Americanised style. It’s his choice and it does work for many people, but personally it doesn’t always work with the characters or story. I’m not expecting him to write like Robin Hobb or Guy Gavriel Kay, but some finesse and awareness of character would be appreciated, especially if it helped to differentiate character voices.

I’m also going to throw this out as a very personal issue because I’m not sure where else to put it… Sanderson has the worst sense of humour I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. The comedic moments are occasionally amusing… However, Shallan’s puns are worse than my Dad’s jokes. Every time she says something apparently ‘witty’ and someone else remarks how clever and funny she is I want to hit them... At best she’s mildly amusing, at worst she’s cruel. It’s never funny. (This only gets worse with Lift, I almost DNFed the entire series because of the Lift interlude in Words of Radiance. And don’t get me started on Lopen.)

Characters

At last! Something I genuinely love and the reason I read these books! Sanderson has created some of the best characters in modern fantasy in this series and they are the only reason I’m still going. I like the worldbuilding and plot, but I adore the character work in this book and the series as a whole. The characters are generally so good that, even when I dislike them, it's because I dislike them personally, not that they’re badly written characters! Usually I love Sanderson’s characters though, even when they’re incredibly flawed (looking at you Dalinar!) because he’s particularly good at complex character arcs. 

Szeth – I love Szeth, slightly irrationally for how much he’s in both this book and the series as a whole, but he’s one of my favourite “secondary” characters in the series! Szeth is actually the character who made me fall in love with the series in the first place, which feels weird to say because he only has five or six chapters in the entire novel. However, a magical assassin with a strong, if morally dubious, sense of duty and obligations? Sign me up! The opening prologue from Szeth’s perspective is wonderful - it’s far too info-dumpy but it’s highly engaging and one hell of a way to open the series. 

What really intrigued me about Szeth was his role as the interlude throughline character for The Way of Kings. His internal conflict between his obligation to follow the Truthless’ laws and his personal morality is fascinating. Szeth’s character development has been one of the highlights of the entire series for me, especially as we explore his personal morality, questioning of power, and commitment to law and justice. This conflict is one of the reasons I love the Skybreakers in general and I sincerely hope we get to see more of this (and their conflict with the theoretically similar, although realistically very different, Windrunners) in book 5. However, Szeth is a promise that Sanderson hasn’t kept yet. So much has been built up around his character and we haven’t explored him properly (as of Rhythm of War) and I’m mad about it! He’s an incredibly interesting character, morally and thematically, and I hope Sanderson can live up to the hype he’s built up around him in the first four books of the series. 

Kaladin – Okay the real reason we’re all here, the shining beacon of the Stormlight Archive, everyone’s favourite heroic bridgeman: Kaladin Stormblessed. Confession time – I didn’t love Kaladin the first time I read The Way of Kings. Don’t get me wrong I liked him but I’m generally not a massive fan of underdog superhero narratives. (I’m still not a fan of Bridge Four in general for the same reason, I would apologise but I’m not sorry…)

Kaladin spends most of this novel running bridges for Highprince Sadeas on the Shattered Plains. Unjustly enslaved by a corrupt member of the aristocracy, Kaladin is fighting to keep himself and his bridgecrew alive during one of the most pointless “wars” I've read in a fantasy novel - the pointlessness isn’t actually a criticism. He’s facing systematic oppression and disregard for human life, as well as battling his own depression and forming a bond with a spren named Syl (I absolutely adore Syl! But I want to talk about her in my review for Words of Radiance.)

So… I’ve always been frustrated with Kaladin’s fundamental drive to save people and take responsibility for people’s deaths, even when there was nothing he could have done to save them. This book is probably the worst for it out of the four currently published and I just found it a bit much because I personally struggle to relate to his attitude. This level of personal responsibility is a completely alien concept to me, at least to this level, and it’s Kaladin’s entire thing - his driving personality trait - and I just didn’t get it. Kaladin and I are very different people and for a long time I really struggled to relate to him on the same level everyone else seems to in this book. It also didn’t help that the main plot around Kaladin running bridges, struggling with his depression, and trying to keep his men alive is very repetitive… So when you’re in the midst of it and struggling to connect quite so deeply with Kaladin this book can become a slog - yet, the pay off for his struggles is so satisfying and it is very much worth it for making the end feel earned. 

However, my issues with connecting to Kaladin is definitely on me and this is by no means to say Kaladin is a badly written character, I’ve always admired how well Kaladin is drawn in this book. Within a few chapters I understood who Kaladin is, and really loved the conflict he had with his depression and role as a fantasy hero. It's beautifully painful to watch and, even when you’re a bit ambivalent about Kaladin, you really care about whether he and Bridge Four are going to survive the bridgecrews – and the climax sequence with Kaladin becoming Stormblessed again at the Tower is still one of my favourite moments in the entire series!

However, on this reread of the series I had a completely different experience to what I’ve had on previous reads, and a lot of this is down to Rhythm of War. I don’t want to say too much here because it’ll involve spoilers for Rhythm of Warm but having seen Kaladin confront his, as Ron Weasley would say, “saving people thing” and really struggle to keep functioning as Stormblessed, I was so much more on board with this book. Rhythm of War’s much more personal approach to Kaladin really helped me understand him as a person, not just the underdog hero. The struggle with his sense of self, the way his depression impacts his ability to act, and the way he’s moving forward in Rhythm of War let me appreciate the character work for Kaladin in The Way of Kings. The struggle, graft, and determination, especially given his mindset, is much more admirable when I can strip away the focus on doggedly protecting everyone no matter the personal cost. 

Kaladin and I are very different people, but that’s okay and I’ve come to appreciate him a lot more in the last 7 months. Now I can happily adore him alongside everyone else, and not just nod along with the rest of the fandom because I understand he’s objectively a well written character. Also Kaladin’s mental health rep is some of the best I’ve seen in an epic fantasy series. However, I would approach this book, and series, carefully if you’re sensitive to depression.

Shallan – confession time round two: I hate Shallan. I really loathe her on a deeply personal level. And I’m still bitter about it because I used to love her, when I first read this book she was my favourite character! This was partly due to relating to her and partly due to my frustration with Kaladin. However, as I read Words of Radiance I grew uncomfortable with her and by Oathbringer it became a full on HATED of her…and it’s never gone away.

I first met Shallan when I was a shy 18-year-old, budding historian and scholar. I got Shallan, I loved her plotline, and found Khabranth a lot more interesting than the endless bridgeruns with Kaladin (sorry Kaladin!) I connected with her because she represented (projected) a lot of what I was at the time - and still am today, just an older version of that person. She was the main character that really drew me into the story - yes I loved Szeth and thought he was brilliant, but Szeth is largely absent from this novel and Shallan is the main female lead. 

And then I got hit in the face by the infamous Words of Radiance “Boots” chapter, and I immediately got iffy vibes, then there was the Chasm sequence, and so many other moments that made me uncomfortable. I’ll avoid spoilers and, for now, just say I got hit in the face by Shallan’s innate privilege, her causal abuse of social rank, and complete lack of social and self awareness. To top it off the narrative gives her no consequences for this and even rewards her for her behaviour, rather than making Shallan work through the issues around classism (something I, as a Brit, am hyper aware of and it SHOULD NOT under ANY circumstances be ignored, especially with Kaladin’s narrative running parallel to Shallan.) However, this is later book issues and a major dropped theme that I’m fuming about, but I still found I liked Shallan in THIS book when I reread the series.

Not this time. 

There are moments in The Way of Kings where we can already see Shallan’s privilege and complete disregard of anyone who is remotely lower than her in the Vorin hierarchy. The scene with the book merchant stands out. No one in that scene is innocent, and I’m much less annoyed by it than I am at the “Boots” scene, however, it shows an early form of Shallan’s complete inability to reflect on her own behaviour towards those with less power than herself. She’s casually abusive and manipulative, but no one really calls her out on it. The few moments when someone does confront Shallan about it, and the narrative consistently forgives her because Sanderson allows her to come across as the victor in each of the arguments. This isn’t to say Shallan’s causal abuse of the Vorin social system shouldn’t be present in the book. It’s actually very realistic, in our world white people (especially white women) have behaved like Shallan for centuries. However, what does matter is the narrative framing. However, I’ll dig into this when I get to reviewing Words of Radiance because a lot of my planned review for that book is centred around this issue.

I’m also resentful that Shallan’s character in The Way of Kings is a complete lie – we don’t know her at all, but not in the same way as Dalinar? We KNOW something is off with Dalinar, we KNOW he was a terrible person and a warmonger from the way people talk about the Blackthorn – but Shallan’s reveal largely comes out of nowhere in some respects and I HATE that the person I loved so much 5 years ago was a complete lie. I’m a bitter person and I will continue to hold a grudge until Shallan dies or the series ends, whichever comes first.

Jasnah – my problematic QUEEN. Is Jasnah a shitty person? Yes. Do I love her anyway? Yes. Difference is I knew Jasnah was shitty from the start… I like problematic characters, I just hate being lied to (*cue insincere smile at Shallan*)

Jasnah is a difficult character to talk about in this book because we don’t know much about her other than her public persona, however, she’s a large part of why I love it so much. I just like brilliant women who would kill me, okay? It also helps that she's an historian, I have a soft spot for murderous historians. I’ll talk more about Jasnah when I review Oathbriner, hopefully that won’t be in another 5 years…! I just wanted to highlight that I do love a female character in this book!

Actually on the topic, Sanderson is still a shitty author for female friendships – he has included more female characters in Stormlight but why are there no female friendships that aren’t rooted in backstabbing and lies?!

Dalinar – if Jasnah is my problematic Queen then Dalinar has to be the problematic King. Dalinar is my favourite Stormlight Archive character. I could wax lyrical about what a BRILLIANT character he is. You may not like Dalinar, you may not forgive him, but you have to admit he is the best written character in ANYTHING Sanderson has written, and one of the best in modern fantasy. Nevertheless, much like Jasnah I’m going to wait until I review Oathbringer before I talk about Dalinar because I can’t do him justice without his flashbacks. However, I will tell you a story about the time I first met Dalinar Kholin.

So, I first read The Way of Kings on my commute back and forth to Worcester Cathedral because I had a work placement in the Cathedral’s archives. I’d been doing this commute for months and reached the point where I knew when to get off the train by feeling, no need to check the stations (this is relevant).

 I was on my commute home, and as I was walking to the train station I started part two. I met Adolin and he was fine. I was a bit confused because this was a whole new perspective and set of characters, but I was doing okay. (Yes I was walking and reading, no I do not recommend this arrangement for health reasons.)

And then I met Dalinar. As I got on the train we got into his own head, with the mystery of the visions just starting, the hints towards his complicated relationship with Elhokar, and the amazing fight with the Chasmfiend. Bearing in mind I was automatically doing my commute through this – I’d become so invested in Dalinar, I missed my transfer on the train. I’ve never done anything like this before in my life. I’m paranoid about it! But I was so engrossed in this aged general, who was potentially going mad, that I missed the stop on my train and didn’t even notice until we hit Birmingham New Street.

I was so in love with Dalinar Kholin that I travelled to the wrong city… And my love for him has only gotten stronger*.

Conclusion

Overall I have a complicated relationship with The Way of Kings, and The Stormlight Archive in general. I love this series, I particularly adore the characters and character work Sanderson is doing as the books continue. However, it is severely overhyped. There are a lot of flaws in this book, especially with the writing and structural aspect of this novel. It’s poorly paced, clumsily written, and lacking finesse. For me Sanderson is an okay writer but a wonderful storyteller. As a storyteller he’s made a huge contribution to the fantasy genre and I’m here for the major improvement he’s made in popularising more complex character work and the inclusion of mental health representation. We’re just seeing the start of this shift in the fantasy genre and I’m excited to see where Stormlight and fantasy are going to go with this movement. 

However, as a writer he has a long way to go in improving his craft of writing. These are big books, and I will often forgive mistakes with narrative structure in books of this size because they are so huge. However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t acknowledge them when reviewing the novel. Mistakes were made, especially in The Way of Kings, and are still being made but Sanderson has been slowly improving with the later books.

There’s a lot to love in The Stormlight Archive - the worldbuilding is insane, the characters are incredible, and the plots are gripping. I love them, and I will continue to eagerly await the next installments! But they’re far from perfect, and that’s okay. Sanderson has captured the imaginations of thousands of fantasy readers and I would highly recommend you give these books a go, despite my critical review. This is a fabulous time to be a fantasy reader and The Stormlight Archive is one of the most exciting reasons to be reading the genre!

*Dalinar and I are going to be on thin ice if Sanderson continues with his character as he did in Rhythm of War, but again I’ll address that when I review Rhythm of War.

[kidrat]

☕ moash?

so like,,, back when I first got into stormlight I disliked him bc a) I was 15 and didn't always have the best takes I will admit it lol and b) that was the Vibe you know and then a while later like, it was one of those things where you share a fandom opinion but you don't really interact w fandom so then when you do go in tags and see the Takes you're like oh you guys weren't... joking??? lol

like specifically I thought we were all saying 'fuck moash' partially for the meme and partially because he upset kaladin. and to be honest I did/do find Elhokar somewhat interesting!! He's a great case of shit person good character and it was kinda fun to be like 'yeah fuck moash' as shorthand like.. 'I understand and agree with the choice to kill off elhokar but I also wanted to see what Brandon would do with him and if he would grow as a person seeing as the series is based off that kind of arc and Also I am fifteen and it's fun to do the fandom thing of silly exaggerated grief for some rando getting killed off'

and then when I started to see more good and nuanced takes around Moash when I started engaging with the fandom again I did agree w those BUT I can tell you the specific moment I was like 'actually Moash Rights'. which is when someone in the tag was complaining that the moash critical group were referring to moash moving gavinor(?) out the way pre assassination as 'moash kicking a child' and i was like the who are what now. (again I thought we were being HYBERBOLIC and unnuanced FOR THE MEME hello???) and that was just so stupid that I decided to embrace moash apologism.

anyway. speaking of the moash brain rot bc I realise I've mostly talked about my own character development so far lol:

more characters should be involved in failed assassinations. (ik he succeeded but it's so funny it's the Second killing-elhokar-plan after the guy he'd been hyping up as a great killing-elhokar-candidate bailed) more characters who needed a plan b for their murders please. it's so good

I've said this before in notes somewhere but I'm infodumping <3 so <3 in the kaladin isn't a centrist au, I like to imagine it's either kaladin who kills Elhokar, or that Kaladin helps moash or guides his hand to the stabbing. Specifically I crave the moment where kaladin sees moash reconsider or feel apprehensive about the murder and realise moash isn't bloodthirsty or evil, that he has doubts just like Kaladin, and that in fact he is incredibly brave for doing what needs to be done despite not being a cold blooded killer at all. and kaladin just kind of softens. and now I'm just thinking off the top of my head but imagine if killing elhokar was an act of love. imagine if the enduring imagery of elhokar's murder was kaladin's arm on moash's back and an easing of moash' burdens??? imagine if it was beautiful and the sun set over them and elhokar went out quietly.

related. kinda the same point in fact but we needed a paragraph break SO i just reread that scene and it's kinda sexy that moash a) uses a spear to do it when the series has so much symbolism surrounding weapons and has associated spears so much w darkeyes and specifically the oppression of darkeyes! and then that b) he KICKS AWAY ELHOKAR'S SHARDBLADE!!! he really said 'i will take down the bourgeoisie with the symbol of my low status and then reject the symbol of their power, explicitly stating that by removing those in power I do not intend to replace them but to reject the entire system that gave them power' that slapped. and then ofc the bridge four salute which is more of the same

'He looked at Kaladin, then quietly made the Bridge Four salute, wrists tapped together. The spear he held dripped with Elhokar's blood' worm

something something rosharan communist flag but it's a spear instead of a sickle idk what the other thing wld be tho

also going back to that quote, the dynamic of an assassin working For someone in their mind without that person wanting it is kinda cool like to take a break from political commentary... fellas is it gay to dedicate your kills to a man who is horrified by them and renounces you completely despite how you are tied to each other? fellas is it also very outdoor housecat to do that? in conclusion uuuh catboy moash I think? kinda lost the track on that one

to speak on the ship I do think they're both gay idk if Kaladin has a specific crush on Moash (i think he had like a small one on him in WoK/WoR) but Moash definitely is attracted to Kaladin. Like i'm not necessarily invested in the relationship, tbh it takes a lot for me to ship anything But i like the dynamic and the potential attraction involved in the dynamic and the fact it's a Queer Dynamic regardless of if it's a queer *relationship* does that make sense??? it does

I am cutting myself off here for the sake of my remaining dignity send tweet

[whatishoid]

Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson

“That’s the problem with your worldview. You gave up before the battle started.” 

4th book in my favorite series The Stormlight Archive. I loved this book so much and I will do this review a little differently because I have some thoughts. First part is spoiler free and under that will be thoughts that I had while reading and after finishing the book. 

Characters: I was really happy with the characters who got more page time in this book. And especially Kaladin’s journey in this book was so good. Navani is amazing. She is one of my new favorite characters for sure. There were also many interesting characters that I just wanted to follow more. It didn’t bother me that we didn’t see that much of Dalinar in this book. I do like him as a character but in this book I was interested more in the situation that was going on elsewhere. Characters are my favorite part of The Stormlight Archive and I loved the way they were written in this book also. And my favorite character list just continues to grow. 

Pacing of the book: I think that people have mixed opinions about pacing in this book but for me it worked. And well if you enjoy this series you know what you get with the pacing. The beginning was my least favorite part. I don’t even know why. There were scenes that I really liked but at that point I wasn't yet that invested in. But at the end of part 2, I was so excited because after that the stakes were high and all the scenes and characters were so interesting to me. I also liked the ending and the epilogue scares me a little. That was something I didn’t think would be possible. 

World: I love this world and I enjoyed knowing more about it. I don’t have anything more to say about it. I just love this world so much. 

I feel like this might be my favorite book in the series but I’m not sure. I love all the books in this series so much so it’s hard to decide which one is my favorite.   5/5

Some thoughts while reading. There will be spoilers. 

These might be all over the place and I apologise for that.

It was so hard to listen to all the things that Moash was saying to Kaladin and trying to break him and later how he and Odium were trying to break him more. F*ck Moash. But I loved that Renarin was the one who took Kaladin away from there.

I really loved how Kaladin is trying to improve mental health care because that is not handled very well in Roshar. And I have to say that Brandon writes depression really well and I’m really thankful for that. Sometimes it’s hard to read what’s going on with Kaladin but it’s still really important to me. Noril said it so well,  what Kaladin means to so many people. “He’s got the emptiness, bad as I do. But he still gets up. He still fights. So I figure I can too.” And I hated Lirin in this book. He is not the worst but I just don’t like him and the things he said to Kaladin. 

I loved to see Navani and Kaladin working together in Urithiru.

And about Navani, when someone was contacting her I just instantly thought they were a spren and Navani would bond with them. So yay I was right about that. And I loved how it happened. We get to see that Gavilar was telling her that she is not worthy and Sibling telling her the same thing but she just refused that. The character growth in that moment. 

And someone as amazing as Navani thinking that she is not enough or that she is a fraud. So that moment where she bonded with Sibling and faced Moash was so good.

Wit and Jasnah are something I didn’t know that I needed. I love how they work together. And the scene with Highprince Ruthar, damn. 

I love that Adolin is bringing Maya back to life through their friendship. Adoling is such a sweet and caring person. He tries so hard to help everyone and deserves so much more. Also I was a little disappointed with his arc in this book. I just want to see him show what he is capable of and I didn’t feel like we get that yet in this book. But other than that I really liked him in this book. I just want to see more of him. The scene where Maya joined in the fight with him was so cool. And winning the trial because Maya could speak for herself with the help of their friendship. I loved that scene. 

Raboniel is a really interesting character. I like the fact that no one seems to know what she’s planning. Also the fact that she is somehow so calm in certain situations and seems even amused even though her plan is interrupted. And after reading the whole book I loved Raboniel. She is one of my favorite characters now. It's a shame that we won't get to see her in the future. Also I really liked Navani’s and Raboniel's friendship in this book. Yeah I'm calling it a friendship. 

After reading the chapter with Jasnah in the battle I realised that we have usually seen her through other character’s point of view and I want to know more about her, the way she feels and thinks. I just need more Jasnah and to get to know her better. Not only others' opinions of her.

I’m so excited to see that Renarin will have a big role in solving everything. At least I hope so. And also after the ending  I'm afraid for him because Taravangian knows. 

I want to know what Taravangian's plan is if it's something Dalinar would not do, I just want to know. It’s so funny because I was such a fool. I trusted in Taravangian and really thought he would help them against Odium. Well that did not go the way I thought. 

Venli helping Rlain makes me so excited and I'm waiting to see her learning her powers and everything with that. Also the scene where Leshwi finally knows about Venli having those powers and her reaction to that was so touching. 

I hate how Shallan is acting towards Pattern. Yeah he lied about something but still it’s Pattern. Could you just listen to what he is trying to say. I like Shallan but so often she just annoys me too much and this situation with Pattern is one of them. 

Just ask and don't run away. I’m so glad that I was right about Pattern. I just hate that Shallan so quickly thought the worst of him. And he was just trying to help Shallan. I feel so bad for him. 

Rlain deserves better. I hate how everyone treats him. And even though I somehow know that Navani is the one bonding with Sibling, I really hoped that it would be with Rlain when they were talking about it. But I’m glad that Rlain is finally bonding with spren. Also when Renarin was talking about someone suitable for that I just knew he was talking about Rlain. And I’m so excited to see them possibly getting closer in the next book. 

So if Shallan will do what Mraize is telling her to do I will be so disappointed because I want to see what Adolin can do to win that trial and not this. So glad this didn’t happen. And about Shallan in this book. I didn’t love it. I think the end with this new persona Formless was too fast. And at the same time I really liked how Veil helped Shallan to get better. So I don't know how I feel about that. It was okay but it just felt too fast. 

So the chapter with Dabbid made me cry and I hope that Dabbid will bond with the same kind of spren that Renarin has.  

Teft finally thinks that he was worth saving and after that Moash kills him. That hurts so much.  

I knew that Kaladin would say the words in this book to reach the 4th ideal and I really liked how that scene went.

Taravangian killed Odium and took his place????? I did not see that coming. Also he fooled Hoid and took some of his memories, I’m scared because who can do that. What is going to happen. Part of me is so excited for this because Taravangian is such an interesting character and part of me is scared. I have no idea what is going to happen and can’t wait to read the 5th book. 

I could talk about this book so much more but I think this is already too long. Sorry about that. But yeah I enjoyed this book so much and can’t wait to reread The Stormlight Archive. 

[irithyllians]

for tama, past: 2, 10, present: 5, 13, future: 4, 8

PAST

2) Which social class did they belong to growing up? How did it affect them? 

He’s a darkeyed Alethi, so... low. His mother is actually lighteyed! And uh, terrifying! I’m not gonna pretend to fully understand people like her, but she chose to raise Tama, when her lighteyed family members recommended pretending he was stillborn. I think it’s partly because a child would be required to love her, and couldn’t leave (yikes). She made a good show of pretending to be a loving mother in public, but in private she’d dart between being sickly sweet and violent, with no warning. He’s been mentally AND physically scarred by her. This resulted in Tama being very much fixated on rules, order, and certainty as he grew up, because his childhood was so chaotic and uncertain (just btw, Del ends up killing her and taking teen Tama to Urithiru. I love Skybreakers). None of his family was particularly inclined to defend him, when criticized or attacked (especially by his cousins), which has given him a very strong “defend the underdog” instinct. 

10) What did they dream of doing when they grew up? How and why did it change, if it did?

I’d love to say something dramatic here but I’m gonna be real with you, he wanted to be a pirate. That desire to explore and escape is still there, but his priorities have definitely changed. 

PRESENT

5) What kind of people do they usually interact with? Who are their friends, the people they look up to/trust, and who are their “associates”?

He’s usually drawn to people that are no-nonsense and brutally honest. Before acquiring a little more self worth, he was drawn to a lot of rather cruel people, just because he appreciated knowing what he was signing up for. BUT, as his life improves, upon getting therapy from Kaladin and becoming Del’s squire: 

Kaladin -- upon bringing Tama to Urithiru, Del dragged him kicking and screaming to see Kaladin for therapy. An uphill battle, but one Kaladin is very familiar with, lmao. It takes a hell of a long time, but Tama comes to respect and trust Kaladin. Before he knew it, he was confiding in Kaladin, and I’m smug about it 

Del -- his mentor, and as he discovers, almost a mirror image of himself and his issues. This is not always a good thing, and makes them both very uncomfortable a lot of them time RIP, but their bond is unbreakable. Prior to this realisation, he was TOO respectful. There isn’t exactly a guidebook for dealing with the woman that slaughtered your abusive mother in a court of law. He appreciates how open and truthful she is, good or bad, and they grow closer as he becomes more confident and starts questioning actions she takes that he doesn’t agree with. Found fambly... they’re important to me ;-;

Par -- oh boy they did NOT get along at first, lmaooooooo (ngl, I think Tama was attarcted to him almost immediately tho). Del travels with him all over Roshar, but spends a lot of time in Rall Elorim helping Moash and Oro run Light in Shadow, and Moash recommends their squires train together. They clash a LOT, because Tama is so focused on order, and Par on chaos. Typical Skybreaker/Dustbringer conflict. But he comes to see (thank u Del you nerdy little empath) that much like their Orders share a Surge, they also share values, and their differences complement each other. They grow to trust each other, despite their scars, and that trust eventually becomes love and NEITHER of them know how they managed to end up in this relationship sagdjhs

Lift -- Par introduces them and I swear she dials up the chaotic dumbass energy and pretends to trip near sheer drops JUST to give Tama a heart attack. But even Tama and the stick up his butt that makes him stand straight aren’t immune to her warmth, and good heart. 

Moash -- yes I fully count on him surviving and he joins Light in Shadow as a Dustbringer in our canon, I will not be taking constructive criticism, congrats on your uncle figure, Tama. 

Oro -- the grandma he never asked for. They love each other. 

13) What’s the worst (in their mind) way their current situation could end up?

Aha, this list is extensive, but in simple words he still has nightmares about being back with his long dead mother, or anyone like her. He’s arguably seen “worse” as a Skybreaker, but I don’t think he’ll ever fear anything like he feared her. Del, Par and the few others dear to him have proven that they are nothing like her, but some scars run very deep. 

He also fears becoming his mother, which Kaladin and Del have done their best to convince him will not happen. But it’ll take a lot of time, and a lot of convincing. 

FUTURE 

4) What’s something they were sure would happen in their future but didn’t?

I think he expects to fail, as a Skybreaker. His Order has to constantly tiptoe the line between being merciful and being cold. Del would have turned out to be a great mentor, but there’s only so much you can prepare a person for, Bonding Eleos, swearing to Light in Shadow, and becoming an official Skybreaker would have been terrifying for him. 

Hm, I still don’t think he cares all too much about dying, himself, but as anyone would, he thought he’d lose the people dearest to him. Thankfully, we won’t know if they die until MUCH later, so even though death in unavoidable he doesn’t have to cross that bridge yet! :) right Sanderson? :) 

8) Would they become a mentor figure for anyone?

Afdsghd, he’d say no in the present, but I think after a firm nudge (or 85) from Del, he will! He has a great deal to teach a squire, and one day he’ll see that because I, the creator, and everyone close to him, demand it. 

[mistywitcher]

Stormlight Archive Characters at a Waterpark:

following my stormlight characters at a theme park post, here’s my take on some characters at a waterpark lol:

Dalinar: likes the waterpark, but forgets it’s there for fun purposes. finds a place he can swim laps, sometimes aggressively, sometimes passively. likes to read all the safety signs, you will NOT catch him running in the park. enjoys the flumes! you will also find him telling off other members of the public for not following the rules, the lifeguards are confused by this.

Adolin: the waterpark is just as good as a theme park! totally runs when no one is looking, and also does sneaky cannonballs into the water when he can get away with it. FIEND FOR THE FLUMES AND SLIDES and will willingly carry everyone’s rubber rings like a pack horse just to make them go on the slide with him. takes great joy in splashing Dalinar, and Jasnah specifically.

Shallan: the waterpark is fun! but she doesn’t enjoy wearing swimming costumes so feels a little self conscious the whole time. sticks with Kaladin for a lot of the time because he looks just as uncomfortable as her! when she does let loose, she enjoys going down the slides in a train with Adolin and goofing around in the pools with beach balls! she manages to accidentally throw one in Jasnahs face, and she swiftly breaks the no running rule when she sees the death glare…

Kaladin: finds the waterpark a little bit overwhelming, but still enjoys it. also not a huge fan of being so undressed, many women and men keep staring at him… absolute slut for the lazy river tho, and you will find him in a ring just going round and round and round. when Adolin makes him go on the slide, he figures out how to balance the ring to go super fucking fast, much to Adolin’s delight, and agrees to teach Adolin how to do it.

Navani: the vibes of the waterpark are good, but she will NOT be participating. does everyone not realise how many people would have urinated in that water? she hadn’t had a chance to see the filtration systems so therefore does not trust it. she’s quite happy to lounge about tho and take a break! she will order a sneaky cocktail, and chill in an outside lounger in the sun with a book!

Renarin: weirdly loves the waterpark in his own way. the water feels nice and he likes the feeling of all the different spouts and fountains and how they all feel different when they hit him. has to take breaks from all the colours and sound, but is a pro at finding quiet spots to just vibe out. goes on a slide with Adolin with a double ring and actually has a great time!

Szeth: is a little freak at the waterpark lol. you will find him standing under those huge spouts that just POUND water harshly on top of you. he just stands there and let’s it happen. the public is concerned. Dalinar eventually pulls him out before he drowns himself. when he’s not doing that, he’s trailing either Kaladin or Dalinar and doing whatever they do.

Jasnah: has a good time at the waterpark, there’s lots to study. how does the lazy river work? how does one get the perfect experience on the slides? she likes to swim around, but her guilty pleasure is the hot pools, and she will boil herself in them.

That’s my take! Again feel free to add more in a reblog/tag!! I love to read them lol ahahahahah!

[luchibelle-throughthecosmere]

Hi! I love your blog. 😊 I’ve started reading The Stormlight Archive & kust finished Words of Radiance. Now I’ve heard that a lot of people think that Kaladin will die, probably in book 5. Do you agree?

NOPE.

That is everyone's greatest fear to be honest. Shallan and Adolin will most likely stay alive to rule together (all the arrenged couples in the cosmere are happy and successful, ALL-OF-THEM). Dalinar might live as well to restablish the Knight Radiants. But what about Kaladin?

We all agree that the end of Arc 1 will provide something big for Kaladin. For five books we have been following him through the hero journey. Out of all the Radiants, Kaladin is in my opinion the most powerful one; they all are awesome but Kal is extraordinary. Beyond that, he has become a legendary/mythical figure to almost everyone. Which is great until you realise that the fastest he runs, the earlier he is gonna arrive to his final destination. Did you see that? Journey and destination in the same paragraph.

There is also the fact that Kal has no real ties to the world: his family has been living for years without him and his men are becaming Radiants on their own. And while there is room for a romance, he is not the kind of person that wants to have a relationship. He has other priorities. Besides, there will be a lot of new characters looking for protagonism in the second Arc. Where is Kal's place in all that?

Seriously, where?!

Some people think that he will die, sacrificing himself for the rest of them. And even though it is very plausible, I don't necessarily think so. Maybe this is just me being in denial but I reject to believe that he will die. There are other roads for him to take that might allow him to keep growing in a different form.

A few days back I made a post* speculating about Kaladin becaming Honor's vessel as a possibility. By becaming a Shard, he would remain alive and have a new journey once his human one is completed. The first five books would follow him through his human journey and in the last five Kaladin would step down as a secondary character giving everyone else a chance to shine. He is already more myth than human to almost everyone, including his friends. But this theory of mine has a lot of IFs and it could be consider a crazy one by many if not all of you. We don't know much about the state of the power Honor once held, it can very well be gone for good and impossible for someone to Ascend (ascending is the term used to describe a human/vessel taking in a Shard).

To give you some context, my expeculations are based on Kaladin being called son of Tanavast by Stormfather in tWoKings and Syl being an honorspren. Tanavast was Honor's vessel and no one else has been called a son of his, only Kaladin, it has to mean something.

Following a less crazy road, Kal could become an herald-ish figure. Something between a Shard and a Radiant. There is so much we don't know about the Heralds and how they became what they are now. We could form a new group of Heralds starting with Kaladin. Did I say less crazy? I clearly meant MORE crazy. But this is more of an after thought.

Being completely delusional Kaladin goes on vacations for five books.

If there is something we have all learned today is that YOU SHOULDN'T LET ME TALK THIS MUCH. Have you seen how long this is? How many of you got bored?

PS: Thank you for your kind words! It makes me happy to know that you like the things I have to say about this even if I am too new in the fandom.

PSS: If you comment on this post remember that the person that sent the ask hasn't read Oathbringer yet. Try not to be too spoilery or add a spoiler warning.

[xianglingslesbian]

way of kings, Satsuki’s moving castle (👀), Daiki’s basketball (👀👀), oh no he’s hot, and unstoppable force/immovable object pls

ah hihi! ty for the ask!! <3 this got very long so i am putting it under a cut

the way of kings

this is basically just a knb stormlight au lmaooo. i actually dont have much yet its just a vague outline and the main character placements. i also have to work out a LOT of stuff bc. heralds. i’ll list the placements i have for now!!

kaladin - hyuuga OR aomine i really cannot decide smh. EDIT HOLY SHIT MIDORIMA IS THE PERFECT KALADIN 

adolin - kise bc you cant tell me that ‘“fight me!” adolin said’ isn’t PEAK kise energy

shallan - .......izuki. puns? puns. also yay for shared insecurity complexes and refusal to address their own mental health

dalinar - kasamatsucchi <3 he has the eyebrows and the blue uniform don’t @ me

jasnah - uhh araki, solely because i didn’t wanna change au!jasnah’s gender. otherwise 100% would have been midorima

sadeas - imayoshit :) everyone flip off the manipulative bastard

renarin - kurokooooo!! okay but the idea of a person construed as weak finding their own way in the world is really similar b/w these two

sylphrena - momoi <333 syl rlly do have momoi energy tbh

i do have a couple more placements BUT idk where ur at in the series and it could be a potential spoiler so i’m gonna shut up now. tagging @serenesavagery bc i think she’d like this ily saori

satsuki’s moving castle

ok here’s an AU i actually have shit planned out for (and some chapters written) lmaooo it’s a momoi/riko howl AU!! riko = sophie + momoi = howl is rlly fun to write lol. also aomine is calcifer bc let’s be real that tiny fire demon was basically just demon!aomine. the chapter titles in this one are gold tbh i’m really proud of them -- examples are, “Do YOU Want A Charming Stranger To Sweep You Off Your Feet? [Not Clickbait]” and “Riko Aida Presents - Being Old Sucks, Part 1/? (Also, There's A Demon But That’s Not Important)”.

tiny snippet: 

Riko could feel the stirrings of heat in her cheeks as Satsuki pressed against her, arm laying on her hand. 

“Let me,” she said sweetly. Dazed, Riko did so, moving aside so Satsuki had better access to the food. 

“Hand me a couple of eggs and some more bacon, please,” Satsuki instructed. Riko complied, doing her best to keep her composure. This was the wicked wizard Satsuki, not just any pretty girl - she had to be on her guard. 

Satsuki cooked much the same way Riko did, planting a few doubts in the now-aged girl’s mind. Eggshells in the eggs, blackened bacon… perhaps her cooking really was bad.

Then again, from what she’d seen of Junpei, he did have a tendency to exaggerate.

“no its totally not gay for a girl to cook over your shoulder what do you mean” - aida riko, circa 1920 (approx. when this is set bc it follows the ghibli movie)

daiki’s basketball

yes its an aomine-kuroko roleswap yes i like torturing myself because it comes w/the bonus of inflicting this upon my readers. it’s my first multichapter, and like ewbts it’s also half posted and then i realised how shittily i’d written it so i started rewriting smh. the only redeemable bit about v1 is the summary bc it’s good for my summary standards: 

tetsu had changed. tetsu was no longer his partner. but daiki saw that same spark in kagami, and even if he wasn’t one for sappy romantic stuff like tetsu, maybe this time… maybe this time the light he picked would stay with him.

im not crying you are

a small snippet: 

“Well, you like painting. Maybe paint a basketball on the school wall or something?” Satsuki suggested absently, still looking at the giant chocolate fountain. It couldn’t hurt to go in and try it, right?

“Thanks, Satsuki.” Daiki’s voice had a sudden spark to it, and Satsuki’s eyes shot wide as she realised what she’d said.

“No - Dai, wait! You can’t-” But he’d already cut the call.

Oh, God save Satsuki Momoi.

(yes. he did actually. paint the fucking school wall. god save momoi indeed)

oh no he’s hot

this is an older idea but one i still love tbh! i have to work around the setting bc i wanna set it in not-america 😂 i have a summary written up which describes it well so i will plug it: 

Everything was in place. Zuko would have adopted Izumi by this time tomorrow; would have met the demands of his company; would be a father, the best one that he could. He had to admit he was a little more than excited - it’s not every day that you get to be a father, and especially not to a firecracker like Izumi. Now, if only Izumi’s social worker weren’t this attractive… and if only he weren’t the same man that Zuko had been absolutely, abominably horrible to the previous week.

its a zukka modern AU in which zuko is running his dad’s company after ousting ozai, and the board pressures him to get an heir. ace gay bean zuko decides he’ll adopt instead. also azula/katara subplot with katara being an intern at azula’s hospital (NOT in charge of azula tho bc that can lead to some weird power dynamics). highkey slowburn romance tbh. zukka hate each other for only a bit, but the friendzoning is unreal lmao

immovable object meets unstoppable force

this is a set of legend of korra rewrite oneshots! basically im trying to fix all the colorism, sexism and other issues + give a better rep to korrasami bc lbr we deserved more development. also side character rights <3 

i actually have posted one fic of it here so i suppose this counts as a snippet? its pema/lin hahaha yay for lesbians

--

thank you so much for this ask i just really ran away with it i get excited talking about my projects and wow now i have fuel for daiki’s basketball again so that might just be the one i finish soonest <3 

[lisasnarts]

top 5 cosmere characters?

Thank you so much for asking!

Ooh this is tough and I am realising I really need to re-read mistborn so I'm not gonna include any characters from that because I've just re-read the other stuff more recently. Also the top three are really close, it was hard choosing between them. 1) Shallan Davar, I love how complex she is, how's she allowed to have flaws and fail and break down and mess up but she's not punished by the narrative or expected to be perfect and how instead she's allowed to grow as a person. How she makes the tough desicions, one's no one should have to make, and how deeply those are shown to affect her. I love her puns and sense of humour, how she uses it as armour. All the stuff where she's a spy, I just really enjoy reading her chapters. I love her relationship with Pattern and just lightweavers are the coolest order, the illusion magic is awesome. I just want to give her a hug poor woman. 2) Adolin Kholin, so close to getting number one, I love that he's a duelist and a prince and he absolutely can be cocky and all that but he's also just the most compassionate person, so affectionate and honourable. He's just a wonderful person to the point his love and respect is doing something thought impossible in bringing back mayalaren. Just he's so good. Absolute fashion icon. Also him stabbing Sadeas was incredibly satisfying. 3) Kaladin Stormblessed - another wonderful person who does not deserve the hurt he's gone through. He cares so much about people and gets attached so quickly despite pretending he's all gruff and grumpy (well maybe not pretending exactly, he definitely has his grumpy moments) and just expects too much of himself. He basically manages to save people through sheer force of will but the narrative shows just how hard it is for him, how much he struggles and just, Kaladin needs a hug and he needs to go to therapy now he's basically invented it. Deserves the world. 4) Hoid - mysterious gremlin man, knows too much, doesn't tell enough. I just love his sense of humour, he makes me laugh. I'm so curious to find out more about him. I also love how he just shows up whenever he's needed to help out the main characters, whether that's with info or just to give them a pep talk when they need it (the scene with him and Shallan in oathbringer makes me cry bucket loads and means so much to me). 5) ah this is tough to choose between Vivenna and Navani but I think I'm going to pick Vivenna because I just absolutely love her character arc, how she's shown unlearning the prejudices/ straight up wild conspiracy theories she's been taught whilst not dismissing her anger at how messed up her life has been and how she's basically been raised for one thing her whole life only to have it taken away, how's she never really been allowed to be free and has had the weight of so much expectation on her (I mean can you imagine as a child being told one day you have to go to another country and marry their king, who may kill you, otherwise your country will get invaded and your people will die, poor Vivenna) only for her to find a new place at the end, I just think it was the perfect example of a brilliant character arc managed in one book, and I loved her appearance as highmarshal Azure.

Sorry that got so long, I have a lot of feelings about cosmere characters 😂