#also yeah kal as in kaladin stormblessed

[sunflower-bnuuy]

guess i should probably make something like this

welcome to my very disorganized blog! i'm kinda just here to hang out.

i'm oleander, but you can call me oli or kal. i primarily use he/they. i like the colors pink and green and i love bunnies and flowers. my blog title is schrodinger's anime catboy because i am both dead and alive and i used to get accused of being a catboy a lot. i am more bnuuy coded now though.

i mostly reblog things on here. as my blog description states, these usually fall into the categories of art, high fantasy, comics, and vocaloid. but if you're looking for specific fandoms, here's some:

-cosmere (mainly stormlight archive)

-realm of the elderlings (ONLY farseer trilogy so far, NO SPOILERS PLS)

-aurora webcomic

-city of blank webcomic

-nevermore webcomic

-parties are for losers

i also reblog a lot of stuff concerning politics and current events and the world!

i don't really have a tag system for anything because i usually forget to tag. if i do i'm probably screaming. sorry! though if you search something like syril or sacha you might find a few funny things about my ocs if you're interested

[diabolicalworldwriter]

Ok I'm going to ramble super long about 'and for my boon' and the ethics of cringe or something and I feel bad so here's a cut off

I find it fascinating that the fandom wide "that was cringe" moment is that of Kaladin (a character who's been mistreated and discriminated against his entire life, who's finally been treated a little better and is being reassured over and over again that he can trust these people, they won't hurt him this time, they're not like all the other people and systems that have hurt him) trying to do something right only for those people to directly turn on him the second he misinterprets something and tries to believe that for once, maybe the system could be fair for him ("and for my boon") and not... Idk. Dalinar saying "you are a minority, you do not get to operate on the same level as us, try to be one of the good ones so people will treat you nicer." once he's in prison. Or, if it's that the fandom needs to cringe at Kaladin specifically, how about the time he told Rlain that because he was a singer he couldn't just expect radiant spren to want to bond with him without some measure of force and had to "settle for what he could get"?

What specifically about the boon scene is so off-putting? A lot of people talk about it like Kaladin stepped out of line or beyond his station and that was his great crime. That he publicly said something so embarrassing that everyone else knew was ridiculous and really, why did he try to begin with? Didn't he know he hadn't earned anything better? Couldn't he remember he was supposed to behave like someone who is oppressed? If that is the reason the scene bothers you, please think a bit about why someone defying systems of oppression upsets you so much. Why you think someone should accept their trauma and always behave in a way that conforms to the paranoia it has caused.

I've tried to reevaluate personally and have come to determine my discomfort is not in Kaladin's action itself - he was doing the best he could with the information he had at the time, and trying to have a sense of optimism despite his mental illnesses and experiences so often screaming that he could expect nothing, and also he was tired but pumped up on adrenaline for having just done one of the coolest things in fiction. My discomfort is in the reaction I know is coming. Elhokar throwing a fit and turning on him. Dalinar falling in line and supporting that as a little act of appeasement; trading Kaladin's well being and trust to calm down the king who wants to believe he's in charge even though he never really has been. Dalinar being so angry for Kaladin daring to believe he could be an equal.

Do we consider honest and earnest mistakes to be more upsetting than gross misuses of privilege? Is the status quo being challenged more upsetting than the horrible continuation of unfairness and the punishment that come before and after?

Kaladin is expected to get over his trauma and distrust. To believe that the lighteyes he's met are different or better somehow, but even the "better ones" reinforce that distrust and feeling of unsafety. (See Shallan taking his boots and treating him with general disdain, Adolin straight up bullying him and othering him for like half a book, AND THROWING HIM WHILE WEARING SHARDPLATE JUST BECAUSE HE'S UPSET, Dalinar being like "I will treat you nicer, as long as you are perfect and compliant" and Elhokar being Elhokar.) A character with canonical PTSD is tsked at whenever he's not hyper vigilant and when he is everyone goes "he's always so on edge :( I wish he'd realize he can just trust these people."

Don't get me wrong, I love the other characters, I know their actions and views are also due to their life circumstances and they do their best to confront them when they realize they're incorrect... But they don't always realize, and even then that doesn't undo the harm. We also have to bear in mind in any book that we have greater context than the characters within. Kaladin didn't read all of Adolin and Dalinar's perspectives. It takes time for him to know and trust them, and that makes sense.

Oppression and the ways it affects different groups with levels of severity and ignorance is a theme that is impossible to separate from Stormlight and its characters. Without it... Well you'd lose the whole plot for one. It's one of the things I appreciate about it as a story. That does mean that there can be some... interesting takes from the fandom (I won't lie, I have contributed to those myself, I've had my own biases to unlearn and that I am still unlearning. I do think that interpretation is one of the most important parts of media consumption as its worth is what we take from it. idk. just wanting to think too much about this general fandom trend a little more critically for a second)

Just. Idk. Why is it always "and for my boon was cringe" and not "Adolin being both sexist and racist by saying 'well I guess it's ok if you have a shardblade, Shallan; Kaladin has one too and he's darkeyed and both of those things are kind of weird' then Shallan internally being like 'don't compare high class women to them, we're better than that :(' was uncomfortable"

[nevertheless-moving]

Stormlight AU 27B: Elhokar time travel

From Death to Way of Kings. Tries to get help, but unfortunately Elhokar is alone here.

Alternate version of this meeting, in which Elhokar uses his elementary light weaving skills to sneak into Sadeas bridgeman barracks, absolutely scaring the shit out of them.

Dark amorphous blob with glowing red eyes entering the barracks [it is his first time trying to be invisible. He is bad at it]: hello stormbles — do you all just sleep on the floor? And what is that smell? Heralds, this is depressing.

Bridge Four: WHAT THE — VOIDBRINGER! VOID —

Dark amorphous blob with glowing red eyes: wha — I am not a voidbringer! Stormblessed, tell them! I don't look anything like a voidbringer!

Kaladin: what? What are you? how do you know me? what do you want from us?

Dark amorphous blob with glowing red eyes: i — i thought —

Kaladin: Bissig, your knife, quick —

Dark amorphous blob with glowing red eyes: ah! keleks breath! Knife is not necessary, i, look — look — you remember, right? You saved me from assassins? We flew from Urithiru to Alethkar? Rescuing — well, attempting to rescue the queen? Come on hero, your kind of my last hope here, you have to remember —

[Dark amorphous blob with glowing red eyes turns into pretty light eyed woman]: tada! I - I swore my first oath! Just before I….you were there!

Teft: damnation! You're one too, aren't you!

Moash: uh, kal? It… might be a good time to talk about your past now?

Lopen: gancho, does this have something to do with your, you know, thing.

Skar: thing? what thing?

Rock: captain, i believe this woman too has god with her

Drehy: god?

Kaladin: i … have no idea what's going on. Who — what are you?

Brightlady [starting to tear up]: i — i thought for sure you would…you're the hero, not…oh stormfather, what am i supposed to do now?

Lopen: gancho! Very rude question! If you can't remember a woman's name you're supposed to fake it eh?

Moash: yeah kaladin, don't you know anything about women? Also, seriously? a lighteyes?

Kaladin:

Kaladin: i'm sorry ma'am, i don't — i have no idea what you're talking about

Brightlady [sniffling]: okay…alright…you don't remember, but you can still fix this— you can fly right? You could take an army to the voidbringers before they bring the desolation —

Hobber: you can fly??

Moash: don't be stupid, she's clearly insane — that black smoke must have been some kind of trick — listen lady —

Teft: lad…

Kaladin: i can't —

Syl: actually i just remembered! I think you might be able to — well not fly like me, but uh, fall? Upwards?

Kaladin:

Kaladin: I — I don't know how to fly! I'm not who you think i am!

Drehy: did anyone notice he didn't say he couldn't fly. because he definitely changed what he was going to say just now. Like i don't know how to use a bow, but i probably could, if someone taught me

Moash: Kal, just say you can't fly and end this conversation already

Kaladin: ...I have never flown before in my life

Bissig: i KNEW there was something about you — you're a herald in disguise, right?

Kaladin: what?! No! I — I might be a surgebinder, but seriously, I have no idea what's going on, alright?

Moash: what in the name of jezrians balls is a surgebinder?

Brightlady: i can't free you yet — dalinar will die…

Kaladin: wait, you can free us?

Brightlady: i mean i could probably buy you from Sadeas…but dalinar won't listen to me, he thinks i'm being paranoid — he would die — the entire kholin house would fall…

Kaladin: i don't give a cremling's leg about the kholin house! My men are dying! The bridgecrews are a death sentence and we're making runs every day now! If you want me to be some big voidbringer slaying hero then free us first!

Brightlady: oh? And the thousands of dark eyed soldiers under his command? You don't care about them?

Kaladin: what are we supposed to do as slaves that —

Voice from outside: hey! Bridge Four! What's that racket?

Moash: chull dung

Skar: Captain —

Kaladin: ah! Quick, change back to the voidbringer!

Brightlady: I'm not a —

Kaladin: if they find a brightlady in here we'll all be strung up! Hurry!

Brightlady: who would dare — oh, right right, uh —

[Brightlady transforms into nondescript herdassian man]: how — 'ows that?

Lopen: cousin!

Anyway after Elhokar leaves bridge four is left with the distinct impression that Kaladin is a herald who lost his memory.

Kaladin: i haven't lost my memory! I remember my whole life! I just don't like talking about it! None of us like talking about our pasts! Teft tell them what you told me —

Teft: …i mean i thought you were a surgebinder, but…

Moash: seriously what in damnation is surgebinding

Teft: it's people with the same powers as knights radiant. People who can breathe in stormlight and do things with it. After he survived the highstorm i brought him diamond chips…it's how he healed

Kaladin: which you didn't actually tell me right away

Skar: why didn't you tell us?

Moash: yeah. I thought we were in this together

Kaladin: i – i didn't know what to think. I still don't. For all i know I'm cursed, like the Knight's radiant were.

Lopen: you ain't cursed gancho! What kind of curse let's you stick rocks together?

Rock: stick rocks together?

Moash: alright, i can see why you wouldn't share a storming useless power

Teft: i thought you were a radiant but… most people say that the heralds come first, warning the world and then training the radiants. In some ways it makes more sense to be a herald alone than a single radiant without a herald…

Drehy: oh! Which herald do you think he is!

Kaladin: i am not a herald!

Sigzil: i believe that woman would have been Shalash — i have seen her depicted as a many faced woman capable of soul casting

Moash: huh i have heard that soulcasters are actually something unnatural under those hoods

Kaladin: seriously moash? You believe this?

Moash: i mean i already knew no one was answering prayers. If you're a herald that just means that the gods are fumbling around confused and screwing up, which would storming explain a lot about the world

Skar: oh that's a good point

Kaladin: no it's not!

Hobber: its alright sir! Er, my lord!

Kaladin: do NOT call me —

Eth: when i asked him about washing hands before and after touching wounds he just said 'wisdom of the heralds'

General bridgemen: oooh

Kaladin: my father taught me that! He's a surgeon! I grew up in a rural farming village in Sadeas! Enlisted in the army when i was 15 – i can remember my whole life, alright? Every miserable detail! I was 11 when King Gavilar died! I — and I can't believe i have to convince people of this — am not a Herald!

Bridge Four:

Rock: have heard of men whose minds make up stories after hitting head

Lopen: oh! oh! or, maybe its like, a past life thing

Sigzil: some religions do tell of mythical figures being reborn in times of need

General bridge four: ooh

Kaladin: YOU THREE AREN'T EVEN VORIN

Lopen: exactly!

Sigzil: reluctant as i am to be on the same side of an argument as lopen, it is not really heresy for us

Teft: i think jezrian and nale were the ones who could walk on walls and whatnot

Jaks: Jezrian sort of rhymes with kaladin!

Kaladin:

Kaladin: I'm going back to sleep.

[pocketramblr]

An AU about someone being lost at sea, please.

oooooh fun prompt ok

1- After Tien's death, Kaladin just... leaves. he supposes he's a deserter, but he doesn't care. He just runs, like the wind, away. No one catches him, most hardly see him. If they do, he just seems like an exhuasted traveler not to be bothered. He keeps going, until he's away from Sadeas princedom, away from all of the pointless, terrible Alethi squabbles.

2- He ends up in Thaylenah for a bit, offers his skills as a guard, a fighter, and on rare occasion, a medic. People are initially wary of the tall Alethi man, but Kaladin is honorable and there's just something about him that... draws people in. Eventually, he ends up helping protect merchant ships, and finds he likes being on the sea- he can race up the rope ladders and leap from mast to mast like a windspren, and it's almost like he's flying. He becomes protective of the crew, especially the younger boys, and he does what he can to make their lives easier.

3- But then, tragedy strikes. Kaladin is, as is so often the case, the only survivor of the crew. He barely manages to get the merchant to a safe shore before passing out. People are wary of him again, that a ship with an Alethi went down, even if the merchant is sure about him having nothing to do with it, trying to get everyone to safety. Kal quietly moves on, between a few other ships.

And then it happens again.

4- Kaladin, alone now on a smaller boat, just him and a single windspren. The others left when there were no sails to fill, but this one stayed, dancing around him still. Kaladin half thinks he's gone mad from dehydration when she speaks to him, tells him which way to paddle his makeshift plank of an oar, to one of the several tiny islands that dot the seas from the mainland. It has plants on it, she says, and though they hunker down for highstorms, they don't know to be wary of human footsteps- he can get some food.

Kaladin, at that reminder, asks when the next highstorm is- it can't be too long from now, surely. The windspren flits nervously and says she doesn't know- but he has to try.

On that little island he huddles under his overturned boat, clutches the rockbuds he'd harvested with numb fingers, and tries not to drown.

Somehow, he doesn't.

5- Kaladin learns the area, what coves to hide in, what to avoid, where to harvest. He's quite sure he's hallucinating Sylphrena, though she's very put out whenever he says that- but then one day, a ship passes and- he has to try. He paddles close enough to see the Thaylen sailors, who immediately hail him and help him up.

The man who pulls his half-starved form over the boat says his name is Yalb, and that between Kaladin and the princess's ward, he's quite had his fill of Alethi Recklessness today.

Kaladin isn't sure what to say to that, and just looks past him to see a young woman with flaming red hair gaping at him, and beyond that- a very rich lighteyes lady staring at him- and Sylphrena on his shoulder- with a little too much contemplation.

[kingjasnah]

We as a fandom don't talk enough about Danlan. First? this random ass BABE was a member of the Diagram. How that happened? Idk but it's hot. Second, she was pro-team regicide. Also super hot. She gets to the Shattered Plains and wastes absolutely no time in hitting on Adolin. She knows what she wants, h o t. But also??? She goes to a meeting knowing Mr Stormblessed, the captain of Dalinar's guard, is going to be there. Knows that the meeting will incriminate her, and she doesn't give a FUCK. She's just "lol i know you're not going to tell Dalinar, whatever." And Kal doesn't! She is so hot i want her to step on me.

im....obsessed with how this is worded tf when an absolute GIRLIE of a side character joins an anti monarchy rebel group but also oh my god i think i forgot that kal just didn't say anything about her to dalinar. im assuming she never went to urithiru post wor but yeah kaladin was so caught up in covering up the specifics of moash's betrayal to everyone but b4 he forgot about the other high profile ppl at that meeting

[basket-of-radiants]

I have many thoughts about KLM, I don't know where to start. They range from how the other two are going to react to Kal being benched (I mean one day he just stops showing up to fights) to an AU where Venli is captured alongside her Lady, by enemy Captain Stormblessed and is lost as to why Leshwi bantering/flirting with him. When her Lady's knight arrives to save them he just kinda curls up on Stormblessed's lap complaining about not being part of the initial kidnapping, confusing Venli more.

Thank you for talking to me about this.

1) I absolutely love how you’ve placed Venli as a fourth wheel in this gang (but imo she would not be confused, just exasperated like “oh god you guys are really doing this, you realize I’m still here right, you want me to translate what for him, fuck me and fuck your passions I guess this is happening.”)

2) I can’t really imagine a scenario wherein Leshwi gets captured unless it’s on purpose somehow, in which case Vyre showing up to “rescue” her would be even funnier.

3) I recognize that K/L/M isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and normally when I subject you guys to massive walls of text it’s for dumb au’s involving cereal or roller skates or whatever and not shipping, so I’m gonna put a cut here before I absolutely Go Off.

Have I said. K/L/M as a knight/lady/dragon dynamic is the most perfect thing imaginable, particularly when it’s not the knight who belongs to the lady, but the dragon (INSPIRED casting for Moash), particularly when Leshwi can fill all three roles as the scene demands it, particularly when Kaladin views them both as The Enemy and they don’t view him that way.

Like, when played straight this relationship has so fucking much potential for drama and angst. Kaladin being in love with his enemies, knowing he has to fight them and trying to kill them but also knowing that if anything happened to them it would destroy him. Leshwi navigating court politics, as someone of her station consorting with a human would be scandal in of itself, but a Radiant as well? Plus trying to balance her passions for her people with those for her lovers. Moash turning himself into a monster for Leshwi’s sake, willingly becoming for her an agent of destruction but who still pines for Kaladin and would do anything not to hurt him again but who only ends up hurting him more. These three have all given up their personhood in different ways and have all become killers for the sake of others, and yet that personhood they willingly banish from themselves is what they cherish in one another. Emotionally charged fights. Combatively charged conversations. Love conquers all in the end. Or does it, maybe they’re doomed to be tragic, which also works really well.

Or if you don’t want to be all serious and want to play this fun, there are plenty of great ways to do that too. You can have Leshwi/Vyre as a power couple who keep setting one another up with a blushing and baffled Kaladin, who had really come here to fight or so he had thought, oh storms why are they smiling at him. You can have Vyre tell Leshwi all about Kaladin while holding her hand, and she goes off and sees him for the first time in a battle and afterwards Vyre is like “weeeeeell?~~” and Leshwi is like “you’re right, he’s pretty great.” You can have Kaladin confront him and say “Moash why would join Odium’s side” and he just points at Leshwi and Kaladin just says “you know what that’s fair.” (Wait I’m about to make a joke.) You can have Kaladin and Leshwi together and Kal is like “fuck Moash?” and Leshwi is like “oh absolutely” and Kaladin whistfully goes “yeah me too.” (There I made a joke, you’re laughing now.)

These three are the perfect trio for fight-flirting because they’ve all tried to kill each other in every combination on different occasions. Plus if you want to make it cute and light, nowadays they can all regenerate, so they’re fine. I also love the idea of them teasing each other over one another’s combat prowess. (M: “Wow Leshwi you treat all the guys who kill you like this?” L: “I mean yes, but also Kaladin has never actually beaten me, I lied.” M: “Really? Wow I guess I’m just better at fighting than both of you then ;)” K: “Oh yeah, do you want to step outside and fucking try me? ;)”)

Okay, I see your “Leshwi gets captured” au but what about one where Kaladin gets captured instead, like Lezian or someone are going to kill him and Leshwi makes a deal where if she can keep him safe if he’s her prisoner so she uses one of those suppressor fabrials. Maybe Vyre goes to talk to him and Kaladin knows he should just kill him but is still in love with him so he’s willing to hear him out anyway and then it turns out to have been a setup so you can have more tragic betrayals between them, but once he’s been captured Leshwi and Vyre still spend a lot of time with him and Kaladin is like “wait hold on, you two are actually important, can we negotiate for peace” and Leshwi’s like “neither of us are actually representatives of our respective sides” and Kaladin is pleading with her like “please, no one on my side believes talking to you is even possible but they’re wrong" and he tries to instill idealism into her jaded soul. And then eventually Leshwi agrees to try and she lets him go so he can arrange a meating from his end. Bonus points if he has to kill her in order to “escape” so that the other fused don’t think she’s a traitor. So he goes back to Uritiru or whatever. And even more bonus points if Vyre didn’t know about this plan and so he goes after him pissed that he killed Leshwi, and Kaladin is able to calm him down but it’s too late he’s been noticed, so the other humans are like “holy shit that’s the traitor” and Vyre is like “bite me” and Kaladin is trying to protect him while he’s being very hard to protect. Like Kaladin will panic and say something like “it’s okay he’s changed” and Vyre will be like “I have not and I am not sorry” and Kaladin is like “you are making my life so hard right now.” Anyway, Leshwi comes back obviously and eventually there’s a meeting and idk how it goes but Kaladin and Vyre and Leshwi probably elope at some point, and holy shit what am I doing.

God. How does writing fanfic work. Someone help. I think we need something longer form for this.

Another idea I like inspired by your ask is a Venli-centric story wherein she’s a personal courier to Leshwi and since her Lady has to keep up appearances (plus she’s too busy with her own political career), Venli is the one tasked with facilitating a secret courtship between her and Kaladin, an enemy knight. Moash is sent with her for protection and Venli 1) is confused by the chemistry he seems to have with both of them and 2) is growing increasingly exasperated by how the fairly utilitarian demands, decrees, and warnings she carries seem to be getting gushier every time she’s sent with a new one. It wouldn’t be so bad but Kaladin can’t fucking read so she has to read it all out loud to him and then write down his responses herself. Her escort seems unphased by the fact that the two people he fancies are obviously trading love letters. Venli just wants to help her people, okay? She doesn’t have time for this shit.

Honestly there’s a lot to explore insofar as a domestic relationship with these three too. I’m just imagining a scene where Leshwi starts humming something and Kaladin just turns to Moash and is like “...what is she saying” and Moash is just “uhhhh I think she’s sad about something-no wait--?” Or like, the dynamic of Moash being super casual about how he treats the relationship and Kaladin being super solemn and Leshwi being super passionate.

Or you could go for a thing where Moash is a classic bad boy who Kaladin is trying to bring back to the light except he kind of loves Leshwi and kind of wishes he was working with her too. I kind of also like Kaladin and Moash and Leshwi getting together with no parties being rehabilitated or changed or anything. (K: “I hate this guy.” M: “Okay, I’ll kill him for you then :)” K: “NO!!!!!!!!!!!” while Leshwi iweighs the argument of both those statements.)

There is just so much potential. You don’t understand. There’s so much.

[jewishicequeen]

Aw, Kaladin. Such a drama queen.

You know, I never thought reading Kaladin getting stubbed will be so rejuicing, but storms, THAT WAS SOME GOOD WHUMP

I mean it, that neck stubbing over and over and over again and not giving him a chance to heal? Your local angst lover was practically glowing with excitment(or stormlight?)

Syl darling if only sleep problems were so easy to deal with

ADOLIN. IS GIVING. SYL. FASHION ADVICE. I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED IT BUT HECK I NEEDED IT.

Kaladin... stop with this mindset, please? You deserve to be happy gosh stop comparing yourself to your slave self PLEASE I thought you were over it😭

So... Shallan wants to get kidnapped... okay yeah that's just typical Shallan

Also I guess she got it together with Veil and Radiant now?

Shallan: *is drugged* oh, finaly!

Anyway I'm sad we didn't get to see Adolin yet but alright back to Kal

Hesina and Syl are amazing. Yes. Make the boy uncomfortable. Yes. Good.

LYN AND KALADIN WERE DATING?! AND LYN DUMPED HIM?!

I mean srsly girl you were dating. Kaladin Stormblessed. And you just... threw that away?

Also gosh, his brother is ADORABLE.

NAVANI'S FLYING SHIP YEAH BABY

Okay Navani POV yeah!

tHE FOURTH BRIDGE I'M CRYINNNNNNG

T H E Y H A V E T H E B R I D G E E M B E D D E D I N T O I T

HIGHMARSHAL KALADIN?!!!!!👀👀👀

Lift is still running into boulders, even after a year of training. Typical.

Also she can't pretend to not grow up anymore

She probably still claims to be 10 though

Oh yes fighting against the Alethi now will be terrifying

SO STORMBLESSED HIS OFFICIAL NAME NOW?!!!!

Dalinar's stormlight renewing wasn't a one time thing, but one of his powers. Okay, good to know.

Dalinar... give Navani some say in the matter... poor woman her husbands keep forgetting she exists(and it in no way means I consider Dalinar as bad as Gavilar's abuse but... gosh give Navani some love

I'm... crying... maybe... i was shrinking with delight during most of the chapters... expect some art, probably

[shiroxix]

Hey now hold on one heckin minute, Oathbringer spoilers - but how can you have read Oathbringer and still be a Moash lover I would love to know?

Oh yes, here we go, anon! Short answer: because Moash is a good character with complex depth and motivation who was just working toward his idea of justice and personal end-goal. Also, I was already a huge fan of him (he’s my favorite character) and seeing him get what he wanted was very satisfying. If you want to reeeaaally get into it, check out the Read More:

Right from the beginning we see that Moash is someone out for vengeance. Branderson doesn’t mask or hide this. From the moment you meet him, you know that Moash’s anger comes from pain. He doesn’t hide his hatred at all. He and Kaladin bond over Lighteyes jokes and borderline backward classism, like… CLEARLY this man has been hurt by a Lighteyes in the pass. So he, and his best friend Kaladin become closer over working under them and being subjected by them in the Bridge Crews. Kaladin works on this plan to get them out, and then, just when it’s time for them to escape he’s like “nah, let’s go help these dudes.”

And Moash feels injustice. “Kaladin, they’re lighteyed, we’re trying to get away! Kaladin, we could be killed! That’s insane, risking our lives for them after all they’ve done to us? Dude, no.”

But Kaladin wins, and they rescue Dalinar and Adolin and are promoted into their army. Kaladin sees this as a success because it means his men are safe. Moash at first is frustrated because they’re STILL in the possession of Lighteyes, but at least now he has a little freedom– and oh what’s that? The man who hurt him??? Right here??? Out in the open??? Moash has been tasked with being the body guard of someone he’s spent the last several years (probably) having nightmares about.

Elhokar, we later learn, was not the man who personally killed Moash’s grandparents, but Moash doesn’t know that. To Moash, this was the man who locked two elderly people in a dungeon and watched them slowly starve to death. To Moash, this is the man who let his grandparents die because of BUSINESS COMPETITION. This is a man who threw away two lives of innocent people for selfish personal gain. 

Moash feels injustice. But, it’s so easy. Almost too easy. He’s going to kill the King.

Things start rolling into motion, it’s all going according to plan, but the more he starts to creep toward his goal, the more he starts to run into snares… and one of those snares is his good and best friend, Kaladin. Damn it, he can’t kill the king while Kaladin is trying so hard to protect him… but the King has to die. He decides to do something very difficult. He decides to let Kaladin in on his plans and open up to him.

“Kal, this is the dude that hurt me, this is my Amaram.”

Yeah, sure, Elhokar is Dalinar’s Tien, but he’s Moash’s Amaram. You should feel the same way about Elhokar from Moash’s perspective, as you do about Amaram from Kaladin’s. He killed his family in cold blood (he didn’t, but that’s how Moash sees it). It takes weeks of convincing, but eventually Kaladin is like “yeah man, let’s kill your Amaram.”

Moash is psyched as hell. He’s going to get justice and he’s going to do it while holding his new best friend’s hand! Two Darkeyed Storming Bridgemen are going to kill the King of Alethkar and it is going to be so, so, so stormin’ satisfying. Moash spends all his time getting ready, carefully planning and making sure Kaladin knows where to be when the time comes. Kaladin isn’t enthusiastic, but hell, he was never enthusiastic about anything except loving his friends. This is going to be so choice, this is going to feel so GOOD.

–Wait Kaladin, what are you doing? That looks like you’re rescuing the King…

NO!!! NO STORM YOU, NO!!!! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS!!!

–Moash feels injustice. Moash feels heartbroken. Kaladin Stormblessed has just betrayed one of his friends. His best friend.

Moash, in a flash of anger and betrayal, goes to take Kaladin out. How DARE he stand between him and his goal–

but Kaladin is a Radiant. Those light… eyes… look down at him and Moash knows that he’s lost his best friend. Kaladin doesn’t love him any more, hell, maybe he never loved him. Either way, Moash feels heartbroken and betrayed.

He leaves the war camps.

Time skip. Completely skipping his time with the Singers, let’s just leave it at that. Moash was betrayed by his best friend. He had his victory ripped away, torn from his fingers by his BEST STORMING FRIEND. His heart aches and he’s lonely. He rips the patch from his jacket and casts it away but he can’t let go of the jacket. He can’t let go of Bridge Four. With a new hatred for all of Alethi society, he storms Kholinar with his new Singer friends, and what is it that he finds…??

There, on the floor. Elhokar. Unguarded, unarmed. Finally. Taking up his spear, Moash rushes at this opportunity and, in a final stab of victory, seizes his justice. It feels so GOOD, it feels so SATISFYING. Finally, after all these years, after having this taken from him, he finally avenges his grandparents. Feeling accomplished, he turns from his quarry and there stands the man himself. Kaladin.

Moash gives him the Bridge Four salute and turns away. 

“Hey,” it says, “Hey, I know you betrayed me, but I still care about you,” it says, “I’ll always be here for when you stop supporting the wrong side. We once cared about one another, but you hurt me. I forgive you. What’s done is done.”

So, Moash realizes, it wasn’t so much the Lighteyes as all of Alethi society. This world is trash, justice is a lie, and betrayal can come from the hands you least expect it. These are a people of revenge and war. Moash has gotten his, he feels at peace. That part of his narrative is lain to rest. It’s time to turn toward new horizons, new justices. It’s time to do what’s right and this time he’s going to do it from the side that he thinks is more Just.

The Fused give him a task. He shows his loyalty. Vyre feels justice.

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 9)

Happy New Year, y’all.

“Heavy Fuel” by Dire Straits is a punk!Dalinar song, sorry, I don’t make the rules.

Part 9 encompasses pages 666-753 (previous parts)

Pray for the mountain internet, please, that it lets me do this liveblog without dropping tumblr every five minutes.

okay, but Elhokar is drawing a map and I’m suddenly vaguely desperate for Elhokar/Eshonai map buddies.

I s2g every time someone calls him “the bridgeman” I just hiss protectively. HE HAS A NAME

oh snap his baby’s name is Gavinor. that’s... listen bud, your dad doesn’t deserve to have anyone named after him, sorry.

“Nice work, Elhokar.” *Gloryspren* THIS CHILD NEEDS MORE ENCOURAGEMENT, PLS, HELP HIM. BE KIND TO HIM. HUG HIM.

“Storming lighteyes, Veil thought as she watched [the food distribution].” YEAH HON, THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO, NORMALLY.

Okay, no, not quite--Shallan would probably not go so far as to send her servants to get food that could be given to the poor instead of rich people, but like... the principle stands. Shallan does not recognize her own privilege half the time, and I guess?? that “Veil” noticing it... might? be a step in the right direction? But... probably not until she fuses her multiple identities back into one person.

And that doesn’t seem like it’s happening any time soon.

HOID

WHY ARE YOU WEARING SADEAS COLORS? 

aw yis. storytime.

Aight, can Hoid see through Lightweaving, or can he just recognize Shallan by like... her stance and the way she moves or? HOW COOL IS HE, IS WHAT I’M ASKING HERE.

“You look like you could use the opportunity to buy me something to eat.” HOID, PLS.

“I’m not stupid enough to get mixed up in religion again.” Again. Hoid, wth does that mean.

but dear god, Hoid as a Herald would be hilarious.

THE LAST SEVEN TIMES HE’S TRIED IT. WTH, HOID, OH MY GOD.

“The sum total of stupid people is somewhere around the population of the planet. Plus one.” “Plus one?” “Sadeas counts twice.” GOD BLESS, WIT.

wait, so he wasn’t lying about the promise? About “always being there when needed” but not always knowing where or why? hm. Interesting concept. That I kind of love and wish I’d thought of first.

“Who came with you?” “Kaladin, Adolin, Elhokar, some of our servants.” I thiiiink the other bridgemen would take offense at that, but sure. Whatever.

I’m...intensely amused that chapter 69 is titled “Free Meal, No Strings.” Because I’m eleven and crude as fuck.

Idk, Kaladin, they have a point: the world is ending, so you might as well party. You can be miserable and afraid, or you can be partying and afraid. I’d go with the second.

OH OOOHHHHH OH ADOLIN CALLED HIM “KAL” AND I DIED A LITTLE BIT INSIDE

MY BOY’S GOT FRIENDS AGAIN AND HIS FRIENDS ARE ADOLIN AND I’M CRY

(but dear god, the Kadolin is real)

Also, Adolin being stupidly happy about getting a new wardrobe is giving me life, I LOVE THIS RIDICULOUS FASHION BOY

HEHEHEH Adolin is going to bring Skar and Drehy pastries from the lighteyes party, that’S SO CUTE I LOVE THIS

“What?” “What what?” “You’re going drinking with bridgemen?” “Sure. Skar, Drehy, and I go way back.” “We spent some time keeping His Highness from falling into chasms.” I’M LIVING MY CROPS ARE FLOURISHING MY SKIN IS CLEAR THIS IS ALL I EVER WANTED THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME I LOVE THIS I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.

“He felt good lots of days. Trouble was, on the bad days, that was hard to remember. At those times, for some reason, he felt like he had always been in darkness, and always would be. Why was it so hard to remember? Did he have to keep slipping back down? Why couldn’t he stay up here in the sunlight, where everyone else lived?”

The Megan-and-Kaladin-Think-the-Same-Exact-Way-and-It’s-Both-Comforting-and-Terrifying Trend continues. 

Sometimes people ask me why he’s my favorite and I just. Have literally never related more strongly to another person ever, real life or fictional. It’s wild.

ADOLIN COMING TO CHECK ON KALADIN WHEN HE FALLS BEHIND WORRYING.

THERE IS TOO MUCH. STORMING. KADOLIN. IN THIS BOOK.

I love that the phrase “and you’re lighteyed today” is a normal thing now. That it changes and he can just. change it. and they’ve all accepted it. I love it.

PUNCHY GUYS.

IT’S THE ACADEMIC TERM

SWORDY FELLOWS OR SPEARISH CHAPS. AXALACIOUS BLOKE.

bless these two nerds

“Adolin Kholin was simply a good person. Powder-blue clothing and all. You couldn’t hate a man like him; storms, you kind of had to like him.”

YOU REALLY REALLY DO. He’s infectious, this sunlight boy. And I adore him.

oh no

“Should have just gone to the party” YES YES YOU SHOULD HAVE. I’M WORRY.

also, why did the illusion wear off????? Shallan, what you do?

“The stew didn’t smell anywhere near as good as Rock’s.” HEHEH Nothing does, I’m sure.

I loooooove that Kaladin gets to tell the truth about Amaram now. Drag him, my boy.

the over-friendly wall guards are makin me nervous

I’m sure there are some good men here, and a lot of good soldiers, but... who are they and where did they come from and why are they all lighteyes and.... I have sooo many questions.

......I don’t remember if the squires’ eyes turn light when they’ve been flying with Kaladin.

I don’t think they do, but I don’t remember, and now I’m thinking...maybe the highmarshal is. some kind of Radiant whose squires are all...lighteyes?

hm

AAHH!!!!??? AAAHH!!???? A LADY SHARDBEARER!!!!!?? A LADY!!!!

Okay. That was a pretty dang good speech.

But who is shhheeee

Is she a radiant or is that an Honorblade???

Mmmmmm, Kaladin also thinks she’s a Radiant, but WHICH KIND? If she’s got a bunch of squires, it could be Windrunner, but... dangit, I just... really want to meet a Stoneward.

“In every way, she was the perfect Alethi wife--and her unhappiness crushed his soul.” IT SHOULD. SHE DESERVES BETTER.

I’m reaaaally glad that Evi recognized the Thrill as a bad thing. A monster crouching in her husband’s body.

“...the Thrill was your reward.” Reward? Dalinar, listen to your wife. Please. That is not a reward.

Dalinar, look at you go. You did try this before, the talking thing. You are talking to this angry kiddo, and you’re bad at it, but you’re trying. This isn’t very punk!Dalinar of you. I like it. I can see the bits of presentday!Dalinar poking through the Thrill-encrusted shell of punk!Dalinar. I like it.

This is such interesting character movement, gaahh.

Evi still deserves better though. “Because of a good woman’s tears” ugh the fridge doors are slowly swinging shut, aren’t they?

whhhhhhhhaaaaat

I mean, I’m not surprised, because it’s Sadeas and he’s Sadeas and of course he’s a fucking traitor, but

whhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaat

...........gross.

Shallan needs to stop getting killed, please. This is really gross.

NO, DON’T TRY TO TALK WITH A CROSSBOW BOLT IN YOUR FACE PLEASE THIS IS REALLY UNNECESSARY

I DID NOT ASK FOR THIS LEVEL OF HORROR NOVEL PLEASE TAKE IT BACK, BRANDON.

Kaladin “Good at Making Friends” Stormblessed being all sheepish at making friends easily when it took so much effort to make friends with Bridge Four, like... listen, buddy. YOU are excellent at making friends and these guys were all ready to be friends with you. The Bridge was not ready and you had to wear them down with your charm, and you did, and doesn’t that make it all the more precious that you are friends with them?

Also, I miss them. Are my boys okay, Brandon? How are they doing?

omg, Adolin, pls. Yellow?

The Wall Guards making fun of Adolin’s new wardrobe is DELIGHTFUL.

Kaladin: HELLO, FELLOW LIGHTEYES, FOR I AM SURELY A LIGHTEYES, YES INDEEDY, LOOK AT MY VERY LIGHT EYES.

Hi, I love Kaladin, I am not sure you know this about me.

“Yes, his suit was a little bright--but if they would merely spend five minutes talking to him, they’d see he wasn’t so bad.”

Kaladin.

Babe.

You’ve come. So. Far.

I’m so proud of him, oh my god.  

mmmm this food shipment stuff is so weeeiiirrd. where is it coming from? why is it going?? uuugghhhhh

Part of me is like, “I love that they call Azure ‘sir’ and use male pronouns because there is no gender on the battlefield! Everyone gets treated equal!” and most of me is like “fuck this, she’s a fucking lady in command and she deserves to be known.”

also, wtf, she had them attack a monastery? Okay, I get it, you want to control the Soulcaster, but like.... you didn’t just go in there a kill a buncha monks for it, did you?

OKAY, SO MAYBE IT IS AN HONORBLADE THAT WAS DEF MY THOUGHT

but which one.

We have the Skybreaker one.......so whose is this?

Unless it’s not.

I’m

confused. and worried.

Tell me things, Brandon!

OH. But then she wouldn’t need the Soulcaster...if she had an Honorblade for Soulcasting... so she went and got the Soulcaster to...keep up appearances? Hm.

....is it awkward that Stormlight Archive has, so far, been the story of several people slowly becoming atheist (Jasnah, Dalinar) or agnostic (Kaladin) as their lives fall to pieces around them and they slowly rebuild?

Kaladin is a Good, guys.

The best.

omg, okay, but the Swiftspren is just.... LISTEN, BRANDON, YOU CAN’T GO MAKING SHALLAN A ROBIN HOOD. DON’T DO ME LIKE THIS.

I feel so bad for Elhokar.

Buddy just needs some hugs, okay.

Okay, I know logically that Roshar is Bad At Horses, but somehow it never occurred to me that they wouldn’t have archers trained on horseback. Mounted archer is just... such a very Alethi thing, especially non-Shattered Plains Alethi. I didn’t realize, but of course they wouldn’t have that. Horses are too rare.

aight, I didn’t really think Sadeas had betrayed them THIS early on, but STILL, I was so hoping...

Still, rockslide ambush is... a pretty solid strategy for dealing with a Shardbearer.

Sucks for his elites tho. They did not deserve that. That’s shitty.

“They must know the punishment for broken oaths.” Huh. Even back then...

“for none shall remain to weep.” #YIKES, my dude. y i k e s.

punk!Dalinar needs to take a chill pill.

And maybe get some sleep.

Listen, if the Thrill is telling you not to sleep, yOU SHOULD PROBABLY SLEEP.

also, any time you are actually LISTENING to SADEAS? You should probably rethink your life and your choices.

Just saying.

So... presentday!Dalinar had a conversation with Taravangian, about sacrificing the few to save the many. That’s...sort of what Taravangian’s entire plan for world domination salvation rests on. But now here...at the Rift. This is 100% Sadeas’ argument: sacrifice the ten thousand commoners living in the Rift to make an example of their highlords to stop any rebellion further down the timeline that might result in more soldiers’ deaths. Which gives ...a really fascinating insight into just how incredibly far Dalinar has come. past!Dalinar is literally employing the exact plan that Taravangian is trying to do on a worldwide scale, and so he knows it. He understands the consequences that Taravangian can’t know and can’t anticipate and refuses to consider. And present!Dalinar learned from this, and knows what end these means lead to and...refuses. To do it again.

It’s SUCH an interesting character progression. And it’s absolutely fascinating to see it laid out in this order--to see the good, honorable man we know and love first and to see this...monster that he was and see exactly how very much he’s grown... It doesn’t excuse this bad period, the good he’s doing now, but maybe it explains it a little bit. Dalinar is getting a redemption arc and we didn’t even realize that he needed one until he’s almost done with it.

And that’s some badass non-linear storytelling for you.

Also past!Dalinar can get fucked by a cactus, holy shit, what an unbelievable fuck.

nooooo wonder Kadash leaves and becomes an ardent.

hoooooly shit.

“We’ve gone too far.” YA FUCKING THINK??

Meanwhile, Sadeas: “Nonsense!”

Fuck Sadeas, uuugghhhh I’m so glad he’s dead. UUGGHHH

what

the

fuck

THAT JUST HAPPENED.

Fun facts, y’all, the refrigerator is now on fire.

hoooollly fucking shiiiiiiit

WELP

[preservationandruin]

Oathbringer Liveblog, Part Five: Chapters 119-120

I know these are only covering a few chapters at a time, but listen. Its the end of a Sanderson book. Literally everything is happening all the time. 

Dalinar tells god to fuck off, Ultimate Unity Is Achieved (Temporarily), Radiants Do Cool Shit Constantly,  Adolin learns the name of an old friend, Amaram Vored A Rock And You Can Guess How That Went For Him, and--as always--FUCK YEAH, BRIDGE FOUR. 

The epigraphs change, to the postscript of The Way of Kings. The chapter is called Unity. 

“Dalinar? What is this?”  “You cannot have my pain.”  “Dalinar--”  Dalinar forced himself to his feet. “You. Cannot. Have. My. Pain.”  “Be sensible.”  “I killed those children,” Dalinar said.  “No, it--”  “I burned the people of Rathalas.”  “I was there, influencing you--”  “YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN!” Dalinar bellowed, stepping toward Odium. The god frowned. 

Dalinar is LITERALLY GIVING OFF GLORYSPREN. Amaram has to shield his SHITTY RED EYES from it. 

“I did kill the people of Rathalas,” Dalinar shouted. “You might have been there, but I made the choice. I decided!” He stilled. “I killed her. It hurts so much, but I did it. I accept that. You cannot have her. You cannot take her from me again.” 

YEAH! SHUT THE FUCK UP, RAYSE. YOU  DIDN’T KNOW DALINAR KHOLIN LIKE YOU THOUGHT YOU DID. 

“Journey before destination,” Dalinar said. “it cannot be a journey if it doesn’t have a beginning.”  A thunderclap sounded in his mind. Suddenly, awareness poured back into him. The Stormfather, distant, feeling frightened--but also surprised.  Dalinar?  “I will take responsibility for what I’ve done,” Dalinar whispered. “If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” 

I LOVE DALINAR SO MUCH. 

Renarin and Jasnah are sprinting through the ward, Renarin struggling to keep up. An entire stream of gloryspren flows by them. 

“I know what you are,” Jasnah said. “You’re my cousin. Family, Renarin. Hold my hand. Run with me.” 

And they head down, down to the glowing light. 

And with all the gloryspren glowing around him, Dalinar notices--Odium looks small. 

Syl looks over to the sea of beads. She pulls Kaladin tight. 

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

Dalinar reaches through the worlds. He reaches into the spiritual realm. And he hears Evi’s voice, forgiving him. Venli asks what he is. 

He says he’s Unity. 

And he fucking combines all three realms into one holy FUCK, Dalinar. 

OH MY GOD, HE OPENED HONOR’S PERPENDICULARITY. THAT’S WHAT IT IS. THAT--IT ALL MAKES SENSE. ONLY DALINAR HAS THE REMNANTS OF HONOR’S POWER. ONLY HE COULD DO THIS. 

UNITE THEM. PEOPLE, YES, BUT ALSO THE REALMS. FUCK!

Taln grips onto Ash’s hand. And he says her name. 

“How long?” He asked.  “Taln,” She gripped his hand in both of hers. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” 

He goes outside, and sees Thaylen City. The wall, the soldiers in breastplates and chain. 

And he thanks Ash. Because , in leaving him, they gave humanity four thousand years of progress. She begs him to hate her. He doesn’t. 

Teft gasps. His spren asks him--can he feel the words? He says he’s broken. And...he swears the second ideal, in the most heartwrenching form: 

“I will protect those I hate. Even...even if the one I hate most...is...myself.” 

Renarin and Jasnah reach the last level of the city. Renarin warns Jasnah about Amaram’s soldiers--and she runs straight towards them and wrecks them, soulcasting people and swiping with a Shardblade. Fuck yeah, Jasnah!

And then he looks up, and sees a column of light piercing the sky. 

Navani leans into the light,  laughing like a fool, gloryspren flying around her, brushing her hair. 

“No!” Odium screamed. He stepped forward. “No, we killed you. WE KILLED YOU.” 

And Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin split out of the pillar of light, just as Amaram was about to fight Dalinar. The explosion of Stormlight from Dalinar also sated Nightblood, meaning Lift and Szeth are alright, although their skin is stained-grey from Nightblood’s hunger. 

Dalinar realizes--Elhokar is not coming through the column of light. He grieves, for a moment. He accepts that grief. And he stands up. And he does better. 

Kaladin Stormblessed stepped up beside Dalinar before the rubble of the wall, and Shallan Davar stood on the other side. Jasnah emerged from the city and surveyed the scene with a critical air, while Renarin popped out behind her, then cried out and ran for Adolin. He grabbed his older brother in an embrace, then gasped. Adolin was wounded?  Good lad, Dalinar thought as Renarin immediately set to healing his brother.  Two more people crossed the battlefield. Lift he had anticipated. But the assassin? Szeth scooped the silvery sheath off the sword and slammed his black shardblade into it, before stepping up to join Dalinar.  Skybreaker, Dalinar thought, counting them off. Edgedancer. That was seven.  He would have expected three more.  There, the Stormfather said. Behind your niece.  Two more people appeared in the shadow of the wall. A large, powerful man with an impressive physique, and a woman with long, dark hair. Their dark skin marked them as Makabaki, perhaps Azish, but their eyes were wrong. 

The heralds, the Radiants--Dalinar did unite them. Odium is gone, fled into nothing. Dalinar is thinking--you know, there should be one more--but oh well. Stormy notes that the last might not have been found yet. 

Oh no, Dalinar’s watch got broken! He starts sending out orders. Renarin, to the Oathgate--and to stop the thunderclast from destroying it, and opening the portal so reinforcements can come. 

Shallan needs to lightweave an army--the Thrill will make the men easier to distract. Jasnah is holding the giant fucking hold in the wall--THAT’S THE COVER OF THE BOOK--Kaladin is guarding Dalinar. And settling a score with Amaram. Lift and Szeth are getting that FUCKING RUBY--although Lift needs food. 

Dalinar heads toward the water, to try to deal with the Thrill. 

Kaladin, of course, shoots into the sky immediately. Of course, he can’t stop being down on himself, because he’s Kaladin. Still. he does get to fight Amaram. 

...who immediately falls to his knees. And just when I think this will be a very, very boring fight--Kaladin notices that Amaram is coughing. Like he’d just...swallowed...something....

Over to Adolin, who is completely healed. His first complaint, when Shallan asks how he’s doing, is that he really liked this jacket! 

...Oh. She made an illusory version of him that was a windrunner. Given his self-esteem issues and feeling inadequate compared to Kaladin, that...can’t be great. 

He summons his shardblade--braces for a scream, although there is none--says he’s sorry, thanks her, and goes into battle. 

Lift and Szeth head off to try to get that GODDAMN ruby, Nightblood humming all the way. And Amaram gets up and INSTANTLY makes me furious again: 

Those red eyes cast a crimson glow through the helm’s slit. “You should thank me, boy,” 

SOMEHOW Amaram has decided that he is the SOLE EVENT that FORGED KALADIN, that MADE HIM INTO THE MAN HE IS NOW. Bull fucking shit. That same self-important assholery that makes Amaram so hateable is coming through again. 

And he’s dual-wielding Shardblades, of course. because why not. Syl is just like “don’t worry, he’s only human!” and that’s when Yelig-nar’s smoke starts to envelop him. 

Dalinar is heading towards the Thrill. He says “hello, old friend,” and then he walks into it. 

Shallan pours out stormlight, creating every person she’s ever sketched. Pattern is humming, louder and louder. All of her drawings--everyone she’s Connected to, because that’s what her drawing is. Her father and mother step from the illusion, and Shallan freezes and starts to fail--

--and then Veil takes her left hand, and Radiant in garnet Shardplate takes her right. Others try to crawl up--but no. That’s enough. They retreat into Stormlight, and hundreds and hundreds more soldiers surge up from the light. 

Adolin sees Jasnah basically toss men around like toys and is like, alright, Jasnah doesn’t need help. He runs off to help Queen Fen and her husband. 

Jasnah, meanwhile,  is abusing the closeness of the three realms to make her Soulcasting much, much easier.

Lift swears as the Fused with the ruby takes it into the sky, and Nightblood wants her to teach him swear words. 

LET! NIGHTBLOOD! SAY! FUCK!

Szeth takes to the air and takes her down, grabbing the ruby--and then three more Fused head toward him. Whoops. 

Back over to Adolin, who’s met up with Navani! She asks about Elhokar--Adolin says he’s sorry, and holds her while she cries. 

Jasnah mends the entire breach in the wall with her Soulcasting. And then just dusts her hands off. Adolin starts working on putting a stable defense together. And Adolin heads off to help the soldiers fighting one of the thunderclasts. 

Back to the Kaladin vs Amaram duel! Amaram is fighting, dual-wielding swords--the one bought with the blood of Kaladin’s men, the other given as payment for Bridgeman lives. A crystal just fucking SPROUTED FROM HIS ELBOW. Kal’s also running interference for Dalinar from the other Fused, too. 

It’s actually really handy for the Radiants that the thunderclast tore the Gem Reserve asunder--because now there are all these infused Gemstones all over the battlefield. Nice. 

Oh, shit, Amaram has pulled out one of those Shardbows. 

Amaram stood near his horse, where he’d unhooked a massive Shardbow that used arrows as thick as a spear’s haft. Amaram raised it to loose again, and a line of crystals jutted out along his arm, cracking his Shardplate. Storms, what was happening to that man? 

He sold his soul for power, and now it’s taken his body, too. Kal dives Amaram, summoning Syl as a short spear--how appropriate--and charges Amaram. 

Dalinar is in the thrill, and it’s happy to see him. I guess Nergaoul, despite being “mindless,” apparently, can still recognize people. 

He had imagined it as some evil force, malignant and insidious, like Odium or Sadeas. 

ODIUM OR SADEAS. I love how those two are put on the same level here. 

Nergaoul remembers the times that the Thrill receded from Dalinar as times it was abandoned. Oh, Nergaoul. What was it, I wonder, before Odium grabbed it and twisted it? 

Jasnah, meanwhile, cuts through a Fused’s head without even turning to look at it. She says she’s gonna do her best to stop Shallan from getting herself killed, given the rate at which Shallan is eating through Stormlight. 

Lift and Szeth (and Nightblood) are just a great comic dynamic, especially now Lift can hear Nightblood. Lift has an idea for how to steal the ruby. 

Shallan is still holding onto Veil and Radiant, and she’s burning herself out. Somehow, she’s managed to make her illusions actually fight, a little. She thinks she might be using Soulcasting as well as Lightweaving. She’s getting drawn more and more into it--

And then someone--probably Lift--asks if she could, uh, stop hugging herself for a minute to help. 

Back to Kal v Amaram! Amaram is still talking like himself--this weird hybrid-monster kept the most monstrous part of Amaram, his mind. 

FUCK, whatever Amaram is now can change stone into liquid. He traps Kaladin’s feet and snaps both of his ankles--fuck. And then he starts gliding across the ground. 

is that...abrasion and friction? Does Yelig-nar mimic dustbringer powers? I don’t know. Kaladin chucks a rock at a Fused getting too close to Dalinar, and throws another rock at Amaram’s horse to get the Shardbow away, too. 

Well, he’s fought people in Shardplate before. Syl suggests he try stabbing Amaram in the face as well. 

And then Kal is up against a Fused and Amaram. Fuck. 

Back over to Adolin! He is looking up at the thunderclast,  summoning his Blade. 

He felt something. A stirring on the wind.  “You want to fight it, don’t you?” Adolin asked. “It reminds you of when you were alive.”  Something tickled his mind, very faint, like a sigh. A single word: Mayalaran. A...name?  “Right, Maya,” Adolin said. “Let’s bring that thing down.” 

SHE TOLD HIM HER NAME. AHHHHHHHHHH IM SO GLAD THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IM SO GLAD THAT ADOLIN’S KINDNESS HAS RESULTS IM SO GLAD THAT, EVEN IN A SMALL WAY, MAYALARAN GETS TO DO THINGS THAT SHE WANTS AND CONVEY HER EMOTIONS, I’M SO HAPPY

Adolin finds a small boy huddled in the house, and gets him out of there, trying to distract the thunderclast, jumping through windows and running. 

A hand in Shardplate reached out of a building nearby, grabbed Adolin, and pulled him inside. 

WHAT

Back to Dalinar. He talks to the thrill, accepting what he was. Thanking it for giving him strength, sometimes--and it makes a happy sound, it crowds closer to him. Nergaoul almost reminds me of an animal of some sort, reacting to someone being nice to it. Dalinar admits--he understands Nergaoul. 

Venli is creeping away, feeling sick, the rhythms going crazy in her, fighting. She manages to grab onto one. The Rhythm of the Lost. The only one of the old rhythms she heard. Timbre thrums to the same rhythm, vibrating through Venli. 

Lost. What had Venli lost?  Venli missed being someone who cared about something other than power. Knowledge, favoritism, forms, wealth--it was all the same to her. Where had she gone wrong?  Timbre pulsed. Venli dropped to her knees. Cold stone reflected lightning from above, red and garish. 

Her eyes aren’t red at all. And she starts. She starts swearing the words. She gets almost through them--to Journey--and then a Fused crashes into her. But Timbre isn’t in her pouch. 

Instead, she’s in her gemheart. She’s keeping the Voidspren in there captive. Venli storms into the cabin of the ship, grabs a sphere. Ruby, glowing. 

She finishes swearing the first Ideal. Odium, you thought you killed the problem sister. But by doing that, you made the other one a problem too. 

Fortunately, the dude who grabbed Adolin was one of the Thaylen Shardbearers. They are teaming up, now--Adolin can hit, while the man--Hrdalm--has Plate and can take hits. Unfortunately, the Fused pounce for Hrdalm. 

And Adolin throws his Shardblade to kill one of the fused. “Alright, Maya. We’ve practiced this.” 

Unfortunately, he’s cornered now with the thunderclast. He summons Maya back, hits again--but it flicks him against a wall, and he definitely broke a rib. He starts counting again. 

AND MAYA COMES ON SEVEN, BECAUSE HE NEEDS HER. AHHHH. 

Maya’s also started bugging him in his mind--he gets knocked through a roof and is picking himself up, and she’s brushing against his mind to do it faster. 

Fortunately, before Adolin does anything else stupid, Renarin runs up. He reminds Adolin that, uh, he can’t heal and HAS NO ARMOR and then charges the thunderclast. Renarin’s healing is so fast that, apparently, being crushed can’t slow him down for very long. 

Adolin gives Maya to Hrdalm so that he can use her, and Hrdalm’s response is great in respect to their various religions: 

“Great Honor in you, Prince Adolin,” he said. “Great Passion in me at this aid.” 

Szeth notes that the Fused don’t expect him to have trained, when learning to use the Honorblade, with all of the Surges. And he and Lift pull a switch--one pouch with a fake gemstone, the other with the real one. With the help of Shallan and an illusory rock, of course. 

I can’t believe the Fused thought they could out-steal Lift. 

Szeth notes that the closer he gets to Nergaoul/the mist, the louder the whispers in his head become. And Lift goes into the mist to help Dalinar. 

Amaram is screaming in pain. Kaladin’s fighting the other Fused and doing his level best not to let it distract him. 

Well, there are amethysts growing out of his face, I think that might be part of why he’s screaming. He’s leaving flaming tracks--that seems to support my claim about Yelig-nar imitating Dustbringers’ powers. Dalinar is in trouble--meanwhile, Amaram is hiking off to get his fucking bow. 

There’s something weirdly funny about this human-parshman hybrid screaming in pain, and then his opponent flies off and he’s just like. welp. gotta go get my bow. Oh well. 

Oh, shit, Amaram can superjump. Not sure what’s letting him do that, but I think a good bet would be “Yelig-nar, obviously.” 

Shit, he can do Lashings too. Clearly, paying attention to which surges he’s using isn’t going to do me much good. 

Also, for fuck’s sake, Amaram still is going on about honor: 

Amaram grinned. “Odium promised me something grand, and that promise has been kept. With honor.”  “You still pretend to speak of honor?”  “Everything I do is for honor.” Amaram swept with a single Blade, making Kaladin dodge. “It was honor that drove me to seek the return of the Heralds, of powers, and our god.”  “So you could join the other side?” 

Amaram admits that he hurt, after he killed Kaladin’s men--but then he realized, it wasn’t his fault,  was it? Nothing was his fault. 

Same as Moash. Same as he tried to do to Dalinar. Nothing’s your fault, give me your pain. And give me your responsibility, your morals too. 

“I made you, Kaladin!” Amaram’s red eyes lit the crystals that rimmed his face. “I gave you that granite will, that warrior’s poise. This, the person you’ve become, was my gift!”  “A gift at the expense of everyone I loved?”  “What do you care? It made you strong! Your men died in the name of battle, so that the strongest man would have the weapon. Anyone would have done what I did, even Dalinar himself.”  “Didn’t you tell me that you’d given up that grief?”  “Yes! I’m beyond guilt!”  “Then why do you still hurt?”  Amaram flinched. 

Eat shit, Amaram. 

Nice try, manipulating Kaladin, but you protested too much. You spent so much time spouting justifications. How long have you rehearsed those? Could you even convince yourself? 

Kaladin points it out--Odium will never, never give Amaram peace. There is no absolution to be found there. Just the illusion. 

The highprince’s entire chest had collapsed inward. There was no sign of ribs or internal organs. Instead, a large violet crystal pulsed inside his chest cavity, overgrown with dark veins. If he’d been wearing a uniform of padding beneath the armor, it had been consumed.  He turned toward Kaladin, heart and lungs replaced by a gemstone that glowed with Odium’s dark light. 

How does that power feel, Amaram? Kaladin keeps pointing it out--if you’re truly guiltless, if you truly believe the sanctimony you spit, why do you still  hurt? 

And Amaram is furious. 

And he makes a mistake--he jumps into the air. And if you’re fighting Kaladin? You never go into the air. He manages--he slams Syl, a spear, against the gemstone at the heart of whatever Amaram turned himself into. And it cracks. 

Kaladin floated downward toward him. “Ten spears go to battle,” he whispered, “and nine shatter. Did that war forge  the one that remained? No, Amaram. All the war did was identify the spear that would not break.” 

Amaram is howling, clutching his gemheart--which goes out. And the area goes down into darkness. 

Unfortunately, the Fused are still coming. 

Meanwhile, the thunderclast is collapsing. Renarin and the Thaylen Shardbearer have cut off its legs and one arm--that’s good. Glys is trying to give Renarin advice--- Light. You will make it go with light. 

He summons stormlight, and the thunderclast’s eyes fade and it settles, dying back down. Renarin’s still worried--he saw himself dying on this day. But he’s alive. 

Shallan, Veil, and Radiant are losing their army. But one figure doesn’t vanish like the others. Long black hair blown free of braids, she steps in between the trio of Shallans and the enemy. 

Jasnah Kholin has arrived. 

Also, at that moment, Shallan--the one who looked like Shallan-Shallan--was a fake, and Radiant was the real one, which alarms Jasnah for a moment. We’re cycling through names for Shallan with incredible speed. They finally, finally reach the top of the wall. 

Renarin is heading for the Oathgate. He notes that while his fits seem to have stopped, he still sees the world differently--in our terms, Stormlight doesn’t heal autism because why the fuck would it? It’s not an illness. 

Twelve Fused are hovering over the Oathgate. Renarin heads into the spanreed room, and reports that Urithiru has also been attacked. Strangely, the Kharbranth faction has fallen completely silent. Unsurprising. 

So he turns to go open it himself--and is startled and surprised when nobody tells him not to. Renarin gets new fits, now--ones where it looks like stained glass spreads around him, forming panels of images. What he sees...it makes him smile. 

“You’re wondering why I’m smiling,” Renarin said.  They didn’t respond.  “Don’t worry,” Renarin said. “You didn’t miss something funny. I...well, I doubt you’ll find it amusing.”  Light exploded from the Oathgate platform in a wave. 

I’m gonna take a wild shot in the dark, here, and say: FUCK YEAH, BRIDGE FOUR. 

YEP Bridge Four has come through, let by a Knight Radiant with a Shardspear. 

Teft. 

Shallan is still lost in all three of her, but she says that after she rests, she thinks she can settle down to being one. Rock starts nagging Renarin about getting his uniform ruined, Lyn rats out the fact that Rock got hurt when he tries to pretend it’s nothing. Fortunately, they’re near Kal--they’re getting stormlight again. 

“Kaladin is close,” Rock agreed. “Ha! I feed him. But here, today, he fed me. With light!”  Lyn eyed Rock. “Storming Horneater weighs as much as a chull...” She shook her head. “Kara will fight with the others--don’t tell anyone, but she’s been practicing with a spear since childhood, the little cheater.” 

I love all the little ways people--Renarin, Kara, Lyn herself, everyone really--violates gender norms. 

Rock hugs Renarin--Ren is a little uncomfortable, as this was not a time he was okay with just being...randomly grabbed for a hug (big mood, Renarin), but he’s so, so glad Bridge Four has arrived. 

Dalinar is drifting in the Thrill. And Lift comes in, pressing the ruby into his hand. Dalinar remembers what Taravangian said about luring in spren, trapping them. 

And, for the last time in his life, he embraces the Thrill. He embraces Nergaoul. He thanks it, and it is so, so happy to be praised. 

“Now, old friend, it is time to rest.” 

Kal is fighting like eight-on-one. He doesn’t have to win, though--he just has to survive. 

Meanwhile,  whatever Dalinar is doing, it’s making Nergaoul thrash and writhe, and the Fused are running. And then it implodes, and the Everstom grows still. 

AND GUESS WHO FUCKING ISN’T DEAD: 

A scraping sound came from nearby, and then a violet light flickered in the darkness. A shadow stumbled to its feet, dark purple light pulsing alive in its chest cavity, which was empty save for that gemstone.  Amaram’s glowing red eyes illuminated a distorted face: his jaw had broken as he’d fallen, and gemstones had pushed out of the sides of his face at awkward angles, making the jaw hang limp from his mouth, drool leaking out the side. He stumbled toward Kaladin, gemstone heart pulsing with light. A Shardblade formed in his hand. The one that had killed Kaladin’s friends so long ago. 

AND HE’S ABOUT TO STRIKE AMARAM DOWN, AND KALADIN SAYS “BRIDGE FOUR.”  AND AN ARROW SLAMS INTO AMARAM FROM BEHIND. 

AND ANOTHER SHOOTS HIM RIGHT THROUGH THE GEMHEART, AND ROCK IS GLOWING ON THE RUBBLE, WITH AMARAM’S SHARDBOW. 

Sometimes, Kaladin doesn’t have to save everyone. Sometimes, it’s time for them to save Kaladin. 

Dalinar is crying as he cradles the gemstone containing Nergaoul. It’s over. It’s over. 

[diabolicalworldwriter]

idk what i’m doing but it was fun

yesterday I figured I’d just do a stupid idea I’ve been figuring out. so uh yeah, I drew Kaladin stormblessed in a prom dress, he is absolutely a gorgeous icon and I’m probably going to go draw a bunch more characters in fancy dresses because that is necessary now lmao. also, yes Kaladin is the sort of person to wear his army patch on a dress. (his hair is so perfect tho...)

anyways I hope you’re all simping now, have a lovely day. I’d love requests, especially if you have a random thought for a person you’d like in some kind of clothing that we normally wouldn’t see them in (such as Kal in a dress lol). ily guys, good luck out there!

[preservationandruin]

Words of Radiance Part Five Part Two

HELL YEAH HELL YEAH HELL YEAH, END OF BOOK 2. 

Adolin loses a friend, Cloud Yells at Old Man, Shallan finds a circle, Renarin kills a rock, Shallan teleports shit, Kaladin fights in the sky, Szeth is upset he’s alive, “What are you going to do, stab me?” is said by man stabbed, Old Man Yells at Cloud, and Hoid meets a friend of ours. 

Anyway, Adolin has just been given the order to attack the Parshendi. Sureblood hates the song, and also the fact that there are red light on the Parshendi’s arms. He’s right to worry (I say that about Adolin a lot)--that’s lightning. Also Adolin asks if the bridge four people want to come, as Kaladin doesn’t want them to fight against Parshendi...

Drehy: They’re not Parshendi anymore Adolin: nice

Aaaand LIGHTNING. 

They electrocuted Sureblood. Adolin immediately isn’t a trained warrior--he’s a youth on a battlefield, unsure of what to do, having just lost one of his greatest friends. 

Fortunately, Stormform lightning behaves like real lightning and is a bitch and a half to aim. Also, turns out Shardplate absorbs it--makes sense, it was designed to fight Voidbringers. You’d have to be able to resist lightning. All it does is vibrate, and the helm darkens in response to the lightning to stop it from being blinding. Also, these Parshendi release the red lightning-shaped spren when they die. 

Over to Shallan, desperately mapping. She notes that the wind is weird, almost like the wind before a highstorm. Or an everstorm. Hurry up!!

Also, Renarin is there to protect the scholars. He’s just...lurking in the back. Also, the other scholars think Patterns is a Voidbringer, and Pattern is HURT, he is OFFENDED, he has dedicated his LIFE to the RADIANTS and THIS is the thanks he gets????

Also, Renarin is fascinated by Pattern--probably because he’s like oh hey, another spren bonded to a person. Pattern has learned how to diss people. And Shallan gets the information that one of the plateaus--

It breaks the pattern. 

That’s where you look for the Oathgate. 

Also apparently Renarin can look awkward in shardplate. 

Also, Navani’s got her new devices up and running, and is ready to start them going to back Roion. 

And then Dalinar hears the voice he calls the Almighty, in his ears. I’m sorry you hvae to die this way. 

Over to Kaladin. The Diagram bit says that all of the evil spren they are tracking “have some relevance to precognition” which doubly makes me suspect who they’re from. All we know about Cultivation is that she’s good at precognition...

And Kaladin is trying to get to Elhokar. There are no guards at the doors--that’s a problem. And one nice thing is that he doesn’t feel suddenly certain--he’s still confused, uncertain, but he’s trying. 

That’s what we can do, I guess. You don’t always get the world telling you what you did was right. Sometimes all you can do is just what lets you sleep at night. And Kaladin notices that the guards--they’re not bridge four, but they’re in bridge four uniforms. That’s just wrong. Get your grubby hands off of those uniforms, you didn’t earn those. 

Kaladin, while injured with a bum leg, manages to knock out two men. This is why you don’t fuck with Kaladin Stormblessed. He’ll be half-dead and still fucking kick your ass, you fake-ass Bridge Four wannabes. 

And we get the moment of worry where Elhokar is on the couch unmoving. Surprise he’s fucking wasted, Kaladin. 

Back to Adolin. Navani is countering the darkness with huge fabrials that project white light--sure, Radiant technology is specially to counter voidbringers, but good old engineering and ingenuity is useful too! The Parshendi are trying to bring Adolin down with ropes now, but it doesn’t work. Adolin also realizes they’re just stalling him--they want to keep him away from the singers, not actually fight him. If they wanted to fight him, they’d send Eshonai. 

Also, Adolin decides to climb to the singer’s plateau on his own--and he doesn’t feel the Thrill. 

Oh, that’s interesting. Is this a psychological tool? Do Alethi not feel the thrill when they fight Voidbringers, as a way to disconcert and unnerve them? Or is it something else? 

We don’t know. Also, Adolin remembers Shallan talking about the inner plateaus and how they’re symmetrical, so he can do his attack. 

Back to Dalinar, yelling at the voice he thinks is the Almighty. 

“I am sorry. You have striven hard. But I can do nothing. [...] I am the one left behind. I am the sliver of Him that remains. I saw His corpse, saw Him die when Odium murdered Him. And I...I fled. To continue as I always have. The piece of God left in this world, the winds that men must feel.” 

And that’s what you’re still doing, Stormfather. God, even the Stormfather is broken. Run. Hide. I’m sorry I can’t help you, Eshonai, I’m sorry I can’t help you, Dalinar--but also, urging the honorspren not to go. Be like him. Run. Hide. Stay as you are. 

Pattern mentioned that spren are static and unchanging without the help of humans. But the Stormfather--he’s not trying to connect. He’s just trying to Hide. 

I think bonding Dalinar will be good for him. 

And Dalinar goes for Navani to help him. “Navani! I need a miracle!” 

Well, she’s going to deliver. First, rain attractors to free up their archers despite the rain. It draws away Parshendi, and Roion has good archers. And then he goes into battle. 

Anyway back to wasted Elhokar. Kaladin is just like. What in all hell and fuck are you doing. 

So we have one fucking wasted guy and one guy with a bad leg and they’re trying to move quickly. God, all this needs is Yakety Sax playing over it. Aaaand Elhokar gets knifed. He thinks he’s dead, and Kaladin is just like FUCKING GOD PUT PRESSURE ON THAT, YOU’LL LIVE. 

Also, Kaladin ripped his sutures out defending Elhokar, and Elhokar’s like, we’re both dead. And Kaladin has a realization. 

“Fleet kept running,” Kaladin growled, getting back under Elhokar’s arm. “What?”  “He couldn’t win, but he kept running. And when the storm caught him, it didn’t matter that he’d died, because he’d run for all he had. We all die in the end, you see. So I guess what truly matters is just how well you’ve run. And Elhokar, you’ve kept running since your father was killed, even if you screw up all the storming time.” 

There it is. This is why I’m fond of Elhokar. Because yeah he’s a fuckup and not a great person but...he tries. 

Aaaaand then Moash shows up, with Graves. 

Over to Shallan, of course. Renarin doesn’t have his glasses on, and Shallan realizes that the regularity of the circle of this plateau is because the whole thing is the Oathgate. Renarin is starting to have flashbacks about his visions, which Shallan discards ( ‘Great. He was creepy and whiny.”) 

I gotta say, I love Shallan but...her interactions with Renarin here rub me the wrong way. Maybe it’s becasue Renarin’s eventual breakdown here is far too similar to my own panic attacks, and Shallan’s dismissiveness and attitude remind me too much of people who are dismissive of my own panic. I get why she does it but...still. 

Also Rock calling Shallan ‘cousin’ because of the hair (and the fact that they do share ancestry) is great. Shallan asks Renarin to kill the rock. 

Over to Adolin, as he cuts through a hollow mound to attack the Parshendi singers from behind. They don’t come out of the song easily, which makes Adolin’s job very easy here. Again, he feels no Thrill, and is horrified by this even as he realizes that it’s necessary. 

Why isn’t Adolin feeling the Thrill? The previous reason for not having the Thrill has always been Radianthood, but I’m not discarding the previous psychological warfare option. He finally is just too nauseated and drops his blade--and then Eshonai happens. 

He can do this, though--this is an honest fight, and he pulls his sword out of mist again and thanks, mentally, either it or Eshonai as he starts to fight. 

Over to Dalinar again, as he got taken out of the battle by a spear. He’s getting old, he thinks. Also: 

“Storms,” The surgeon said. “Highprince, you’re all scars under here. How many times have you been wounded in the shoulder?”  “Can’t remember.”  “How can you still use your arm?”  “Training and practice.”  “That’s not how it works...I mean....storms...” 

Someone might have been using stormlight more than he thought, especially if he’s been getting the visions for a while. Either that or Dalinar is just completely inhumanly good at what he does. Also, Roion is fucking panicking. 

Also, back to Cloud Yells At Old Man, as the Stormfather apologizes again and fucks off to nowhere, just saying he’ll send a Highstorm at them. Dalinar calls him out for abandoning them, and we get this: 

“I AM CALLED. I MUST GO. A DAUGHTER DISOBEYS. YOU WILL SEE NO FURTHER VISIONS, CHILD OF HONOR. THIS IS THE END.” 

Dalinar: oh fuck me: SYLPHRENA!!!

Anyway, back to Kaladin. Moash is like wtf are you doing and Kal’s like, unlike some people, I have a conscience. Moash asks if Kal would attack a member of Bridge Four, and Kaladin is like, you aren’t one anymore--and neither am I, but I’m trying to change that. 

“But Moash, we’re not going to be this kind of men. Murders in dark corridors, killing a drunk man because we find him distasteful, telling ourselves it’s for the good of the kingdom. If I kill a man, I’m going to do it in the sunlight, and I’m going to do it only because there is no other way.” 

THERE’S the Captain Kaladin we know and love. 

Back to Shallan! Renarin noticably sighs in complete relief when he can dismiss his blade--maybe because THE SCREAMING. Renarin remains the most lowkey badass person in the books. Pattern starts pointing out that the Highstorm and the Everstorm will collide right on top of them. 

Again, Renarin winces at summoning his Blade, and the metal resists it (wonder if it’s aluminum?). Renarin’s Blade doesn’t open the key, though. 

Because it’s dead, but Shallan doesn’t know it yet. 

Anyway, Adolin v Eshonai in the middle of a storm, which is badass as FUCK. And Adolin notices that Eshonai is experiencing the Thrill. That’s alarming. Also, he sees the building Everstorm and is like. Fuck. 

Adolin has lost one gauntlet, unfortunately. He reads Eshonai well, though--the Thrill is making her reckless. Her recklessness makes her ignore her surroundings. 

He makes her pitch into the chasm. Fuckin’ checkmate. Don’t duel Adolin Kholin, even in Stormform, even in full Plate and Blade, even in the middle of two brewing hurricanes, in your home turf. You will lose. 

Also he nearly falls in himself and the two bridgemen with him are like, fuck no, get back here dude and the pair of them singlehandedly hold him out of the chasm while he’s in full Plate. Others help get him up, but damn. Do not underestimate Bridge Four. 

He turned to the bridgemen, Skar and Drehy. “I guess,” Adolin said, “I don’t need to wonder if you two can keep up with me or not.”  “This was nothing,” Skar said. “Yeah,” Drehy added. “Lifting fat lighteyes is easy. You should try a bridge sometime.” 

I like how Adolin has gone from resenting the bridgemen guards to, now, appreciating them and realizing that yeah, they’re here because they’re damn good at their jobs. 

And then he just happens to grab Szeth’s arm as he’s going through the camp and whOOPS. 

Back to Kaladin. Moash doesn’t bring out his blade--he just punches Kaladin with the plate Kaladin gave him, causing ribs to splinter and him to cough blood. Those are some fucking shitty internal injuries, Kaladin. 

And, as Moash and Graves plan how to kill Elhokar and make it look like Szeth, Kaladin hears Syl on the wind. And he remembers the Ideal--I will protect those who cannot protect themselves--and pushes himself to his knees in front of Elhokar. 

And somehow he manages to stand up. Holy fuck Kal. Moash is mildly horrified, and is about to actually kill him, but hesitates. 

Hesitates enough for Kaladin to listen to Syl, and say the Words. I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right. 

And Syl flies in, turns into mist--silver mist--it grows--and then there she is, a glowing blue Shardblade. Every single Stormlight lamp in the hall blinks out. And then Kaladin explodes in light. All the shutters slam open and let the wind in, as frost coalesces behind him into the shape of wings. 

Don’t fuck with Kaladin Stormblessed. 

Graves starts yelling about the Diagram, which, fuck that--and Graves says one thing too much, about separating Kaladin from Dalinar. 

Whoops. 

Back to Dalinar. Aladar has won his plateau--god bless. And then Adolin crashes through the tend, missing armor, with a nosebleed, and then Dalinar sees it--Szeth. 

Renarin is having his Breakdown, writing out all zeroes--the last moment of the countdown. 

Dalinar is preparing to die. He tells Adolin to remain uncorrupt, and then looks up at Szeth. He notices that Szeth is mad. 

Thank you for extending my agony by not dying easily. God, Szeth has been shattered. 

Back to Adolin, who is not doing well. And Adolin sees Dalinar fighting--and Dalinar fights beautifully. 

Dalinar did not fight for his life. His life hadn’t been his own for years. He fought for Gavilar. He fought as he wished he had all those years ago, for the chance he had missed. In that moment between storms--when the rain stilled and the winds drew in their breaths to blow--he danced with the slayer of kings, and somehow held his own. 

God, I hope Gavilar actually is the kind of person who deserves that dedication. Dalinar doesn’t win--he couldn’t, really. He realizes, in this moment, that even if he was awake, even if he was sober--he couldn’t have beaten Szeth. He never could have saved Gavilar. And--that brings him peace. He sets down the guilt of six years. 

And as Szeth stalks toward Dalinar, Roion--the coward--tackles him. God, these men were loyal to Dalinar, at the end. Roion gets fucking catapulted up into the air, screaming. Adolin tries to fight, but...no, he can’t. Szeth has nothing to lose and is an exceptional fighter with literal magical powers. 

Roion falls from the sky, and Adolin finds himself fighting alongside Bridge Four, who fear neither god nor man. 

And then Szeth catapults Dalinar into the sky. To his credit, Dalinar doesn’t scream. Adolin chases after Szeth, crying, but Szeth disarms him so quickly that Adolin’s wrist breaks. He’s stuck kneeling as Szeth moves to kill him, still seeming mad. 

And then he sees something glowing in the air, drifting like a leaf. But it’s a person. It’s Dalinar, streaming Stormlight. And Szeth loses his shit--because if Taravangian was telling the truth, and Kaladin had a Honorblade with Regrowth--

--there’s no way he could have the Gravitation to stop Dalinar’s ascent. 

Sorry, Taravangian, you fucked up. 

And then, like a falling star, a blazing fireball of light and motion shot down in front of Dalinar. It crashed into the ground, sending out a ring of Stormlight like white smoke. At the center, a figure in blue crouched with one hand on the stones, the other clutching a glowing Shardblade. 

His eyes afire with a light that somehow made the assassin’s seem dull by comparison, he wore the uniform of a bridgeman, and bore the glyphs of slavery on his forehead.

HEY FAKE WINDRUNNER, TIME TO SEE WHAT A REAL WINDRUNNER CAN DO. 

And of course, Bridge Four has plenty of Stormlight on them, and Teft has a special command for “give Kaladin stormlight.” God bless Bridge Four. 

Renarin is still breaking down, and Shallan is still unsympathetic, looking at the Oathgate--and realizing that what they have there is a fabrial. Back to Dalinar, watching Kaladin streak up into the air chasing Szeth. 

Adolin, of course, takes a moment to say I told you so. It wouldn’t be a book climax without Adolin saying I told you so! It’s a tradition at this point. And Sebarial is still a gift to all Roshar: 

Sebarial raised a cup of wine toward Dalinar. “Hope you don’t mind,” Sebarial said. “We liberated your stores. They were blowing past at the time, headed for certain doom.”  Dalinar stared at them. Palona even had a novel out and was reading. 

And on top of this they organized Roion’s army and got them moving again. I fucking love Sebarial and Palona. 

Kaladin shoots up, following Szeth. Syl is back--Syl is alive--and Kaladin is ecstatic. Syl also explains the highstorm: 

“My father,” Syl said, voice growing solemn. “He brought the storm, rushing it’s pace. He’s...broken, Kaladin. He doesn’t think any of this should be happening. He wants to end it all, wash everyone away, try and hide from the future.” 

Yeah, I really think partnering with Dalinar will work well for the Stormfather. Looks like both of them are broken. God, Honor’s death shattered everything. Cultivation and the Stormfather are both just completely apathetic afterward.

And Sylphrena turns into a spear, giving the final proof that Kaladin can’t have stolen an Honorblade. 

Back to Shallan, quickly infusing all of the lanterns to make the room-fabrial work. Adolin shows up and is like jesus fuck is EVERYONE a Radiant now. 

The fight between Szeth and Kaladin is just cinematically amazing. Two flying people with huge weapons fighting above two crashing hurricanes. Both people are glowing. And Shallan has a revelation. 

“There is something wrong with your Blade, and with all Blades. All but mine. Pattern!” 

And Szeth tries to get to Dalinar--but oops. The army vanished. 

And meanwhile, the rest of the armies are in Urithiru, because the ENTIRE PLATEAU was the portal. The radiants didn’t half-ass things. 

Back in the Windfight, Szeth and Kaladin are fighting, and the windspren show up to help light Kaladin’s way. Szeth realizes that Kaladin is a Radiant. He was never Truthless--and Kaladin points out that he never had to kill. And Kaladin gets the Honorblade. 

And Kaladin genuinely smiles. 

Anyway, the Shattered Plains have been re-shattered, and Kaladin can’t find Szeth’s body. And Bridge Four shows up! They’re here for their boss. 

AND KALADIN LEARNS RLAIN IS BACK! Teft also notes that it looked like some of Bridge Four were glowing themselves--squires. Kaladin is giving people some powers. Also Kaladin learns that his eyes are pale blue and is like FUCK. 

Back to Shallan, trying to understand Urithiru. Pattern explains that Shallan has to speak Truths to progress. Elhokar is put “somewhere safe.” and Kaladin fucking grins about it--and then. The absolutely stellar scene of Elhokar getting bossed around by LOPEN’S MOM. 

I fucking love this. It’s also what Elhokar needs. A good wholesome ego-crushing session. Lopen knows her rant so well that he can mouth along to it. And Lopen starts growing an arm. 

Over to Moash, sulking and realizing he was totally played. Yeah...yeah. 

Over to Shallan, exploring Urithiru... and getting a note from the Ghostbloods with her actual name in it. Whoops. Also, we get that Helaran sought out the Skybreakers. Now that’s an interesting note. What the fuck were you doing, Helaran? 

Also, Shallan refuses to let things get awkward with Adolin now that she’s a Radiant. Pattern also picked a room for Shallan--and it’s one with a similar layout to her father’s study. Pattern points out that they need her. They need her with her truths. And subconsciously, she lightweaves the room into that room. 

“Why did she try to kill me, Pattern?” Shallan whispered. 

Shallan confronting exactly how fucking broken her childhood was hurts. She manifested powers as a child...and her mother and her mother’s lover tried to murder her. Her mother’s lover holding her father down as Shallan’s mother came for her with the knife, and Shallan killed both of them. 

Shallan killed them, her father took the blame, and that destroyed him, and then their entire family. 

“I hate you,” She whispered, staring into her mother’s dead eyes.  “I know,” Pattern buzzed softly. “Eventually, you will kill me, and you will have your revenge.”  “I don’t want revenge. I want my family.” 

I’d like to note that, in my mind, this doesn’t excuse what Shallan’s father did. Yes, he went through something traumatic--being held down while his child daughter is nearly murdered, then seeing her murder his wife and her lover, and then taking the blame for it. That is awful and not something that he should have dealt with. 

He beat his second wife to death. He repeatedly abused people in front of Shallan to keep her terrified and under control. He ordered his son assassinated. He would have let Jushu be dragged off by debt collectors. He traumatized his children time and again--look at Balat. He dressed Shallan up like a doll. He would have beaten both Balat and Eylita to death had Shallan not poisoned him. 

That’s unforgivable, just as what Shallan’s mother did was unforgivable. Shallan, at least, only acted to save her own life or her brother’s. 

Anyway, we’re over to Amaram. He’s writing to Restares and going ON and ON about ~bringing back the Heralds~ and ~return the dominance of the church~ BITCH GOD IS DEAD. THE HERALDS ARE LITERALLY RUNNING AROUND AND MOST OF THEM GIVE NO SHITS. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN SAVE YOU ARE OTHER HUMANS LIKE YOU, BUT WITH MORE HONOR. 

Also, Amaram felt like he was being watched at one point, which is probably relevant. God, I hope someone saw him. I hope someone fucking stabs him in the back. 

“Dalinar thought him a murderer.” ASSHOLE YOU ARE ONE. 

The thing that kills me. The thing that kills me is that Amaram does have regrets. But what are they?  That he’s not friends with Dalinar anymore and that he didn’t kill Kaladin when he had the chance. 

Kaladin. One of the Radiants. One of the few chances they have left against the Voidbringers. And Amaram wishes he killed him, just so that Amaram himself hadn’t lost power. 

I fucking loathe this man. He’s the scum of the earth, Wit was right. Amaram can’t even fucking believe that Taln is actually darkeyed. 

Iyatil tries to assassinate Amaram, but fails. Dammit, you almost had him. 

Szeth wakes up and is immediately furious that he isn’t dead. Nale is there, having brought him back to life--and deemed him worthy of being a Skybreaker. 

Which is pretty damn hypocritical of the dude who thinks making new Radiants will bring the Desolation, but WHATEVER. Anyway, Szeth gets Nightblood! Hello, Would you like to destroy some evil today? 

VERY interesting Diagram piece. “The parshendi/one of them/yes/they are the missing piece/push for the alethi to destroy them outright/before this one obtains their power/it will form a bridge” 

I really hope this is about Radiant Eshonai. 

Dalinar is having a weird flashback to his childhood, including the fact that he had a bunch of wooden swords carved like shardblades. Aaaand he wakes up. 

Over to Adolin. He’s trying to figure out what he is anymore, in this weird world with Radiants and shit. He goes down a hallway...and happens to run into Sadeas. 

Also, Adolin sees a painting of mythological creatures, one of which sounds like a lion. 

Adolin realizes that Sadeas is going to pretend this is all a show--all some game Dalinar is playing. As though everything is all still a game to him. And Sadeas makes a real mistake, telling all this to Adolin. 

Because Adolin has literally waited two 1000-page books to murder him. 

“My father,” Adolin said with a grunt, sweat from his nose dripping down onto the blade of the knife, “thinks I’m a better man than he is.” He strained, and felt Sadeas’ grip weaked. “Unfortunately for you, he’s wrong.” 

Honestly, what did Sadeas expect, telling Adolin this shit? An “oooOOOO wow you’re playing this game so well???” This isn’t a game anymore--and Sadeas just couldn’t fucking see that. Adolin dumps his Blade out a window and leaves, hiding that he was there. 

And Dalinar ascends, to the very top of the city. Also, apparently Urithiru has fabrial elevators. Fuck yeah. And then Dalinar just yells at the sky some. Of course, Taravangian “listened” to Dalinar. Fuck that guy. 

So Dalinar fucking bonds the Stormfather. Also, Dalinar might now be able to interpret thunder. And he knows the second oath, without having been told. Stormfather is like FUCKING FINE, BONDSMITH, YOU’RE DOOMED BUT FUCK THIS. 

And Renarin outs himself as a Truthwatcher. Renarin is terrified, and Dalinar is very proud of him. 

And then Hoid runs into Jasnah. God, I want part of Oathbringer to be Hoid and Jasnah Shitty Road Trip Across Apocalyptic Roshar. Also, we get that Tanavast bought Hoid drinks once. 

And that’s book two! Edgedancer will be...later. Definitely not at 2am. Hope you all enjoyed this! 

[preservationandruin]

Words of Radiance Part Four Part Two

Alright, let’s keep this moving!

Kaladin Is Still In Prison, Adolin Was Also In Prison, Kaladin gets out of prison and makes a bad decision, I yell at Amaram a lot, Wit also yells at Amaram, Dalinar’s visions are leaked to the public, Shallan and Kaladin go on a Chasms Road Trip, Shallan remembers a fateful day, I yell at Amaram more, and Dalinar is ready for his big trip. 

WARNING: Shallan’s flashback includes physical and emotional abuse, as well as attempted and successful murder. 

Kaladin is still in prison. He’s noting that his thoughts are starting to distort the truth--again, That Mentally Ill Feel. He knows Dalinar will get him out, he believes Dalinar will get him out--but his mind twists it until he starts thinking Dalinar might have lied. He also starts beating himself up for being a bad guard, despite having gone toe-to-toe with the Assassin in White and lived, driving him off. 

He thinks bridge four is happy to be rid of him oh my god that is the most painful sentence I have ever read. 

Fortunately, he’s being let out. He promises that nobody will ever do this to him again, regardless of station. Aaaaaaand he runs into Adolin. Who is also in a cell. Because of course. And not only did Adolin lock himself up, he ordered that Bridge Four be there when Kaladin was released. 

Adolin Kholin is a good man. 

“Didn’t seem right, you in here,” Adolin said, eyes forward.  “I ruined your chance to duel Sadeas.”  “I’d be crippled or dead without you,” Adolin said. “So I wouldn’t have had the chance to fight Sadeas anyway.” The prince stopped in the hallway and looked at Kaladin. “Besides. You saved Renarin.”  “It’s my job,” Kaladin said. “Then we need to pay you more, bridgeboy. Because I don’t know if I’ve ever met another man who would jump, unarmored, into a fight among six Shardbearers.” 

And then they start bonding over Kaladin being incredulous about Adolin’s cologne and Adolin being mock-offended and even making fun of himself, and Adolin apologizing for ruining the plan, and Adolin pointing out that technically, Elhokar ruined it. 

Adolin also wholeheartedly believes Kaladin about Amaram--points out that you never hear about Amaram doing anything wrong, whereas even Dalinar--the best man Adolin knows--makes mistakes, loses his temper, and has a checkered history. Amaram doesn’t, which is pretty fucking suspicious. 

Yet again, Adolin’s intuition is scarily sharp. Right about Sadeas, right about Kaladin, right about Amaram. If he actually puts some more work into it, he could get really good at reading people. 

I love Adolin Kholin so much as a character like yeah, he can be a fuckup, but he is a genuinely good person. 

Also Bridge Four in unison salutes the moment that they see Kaladin and then just start cheering. Renarin is there in uniform, stimming but cheerfully talking with Adolin; Rock makes fun of Kaladin’s new beard. 

BRIDGE FOUR IS BACK TOGETHER. 

Also Adolin now apparently owns two shardblades and three sets of plate, the Kholin family owns a quarter of the Shards in all of Alethkar (actually more if Shallan marries into the family and I also know they’re not counting Jasnah, even though Ivory can become a Shardblade) and also Adolin is dueling champion now, as well he should be. 

And Adolin offers the plate to Kaladin...who gives them to Moash. Kaladin is purposely testing Adolin and actually flinches as Adolin grabs his shoulder--to ask if he’s sure. 

Because Adolin, unlike Amaram, is ACTUALLY A DECENT FUCKING HUMAN BEING. Kaladin also makes the cryptic comment that he’d be more useful against the Assassin in White without Shards. 

Moash’s new shard has a heliodor in the pommel, as a note. I wonder if that’s why his eyes go tan--is it just a lightening of the original color of the person’s eyes, or is it correspondant to the color of the stone powering the Blade? Kaladin’s eyes going blue near the end there imply it’s the power of the Blade making the eyes turn, so it probably corresponds to color? Although that doesn’t answer for why Lighteyes’ eyes don’t change. 

Rambling aside, Rock decides this shardplate shit is taking way too long and that they should be having a party. GREAT CAPTAIN KALADIN, STORMBLESSED AND DWELLER IN PRISONS, YOU WILL EAT MY STEW NOW. 

God I love Bridge Four. 

Also they were debating whether or not to break Kaladin out I fucking love them so much. my BOYS. Also they’re all willing to kick the shit out of Amaram. Same. Absolute Same. 

Aaaand Kaladin says that Moash’s friends are right about Elhokar. KAL NO. 

Over to Dalinar. Dalinar also basically says Kaladin reminds him of him when he was younger--although I have to note that Kaladin had a more level head. Also Navani is being an Engineer and Dalinar is trying to follow along. Mixed success. Also, Navani has figured out that the gemstones in Shards are not what originally powered them. 

Navani is still mourning Jasnah. “What happened to my little girl, so full of questions?” Ouch. 

Navani Deserves Better. 

Also we get another implication that Navani didn’t really care for Gavilar. Something was up with their marriage. 

Anyway, Dalinar’s trying to convince people to join his attempt to do a massive attack against the Parshendi. He’s noted that the Parshendi have stopped trying to go after gemhearts--which would be because their tactics have drastically shifted in a way that the Alethi cannot possibly be prepared for.

Also, Wit’s back. And Sadeas is purposely undermining Dalinar because he’s a shithead. I fucking hate Sadeas. 

“You always assume it’s me,” Sadeas said.  “That’s because any time I think it isn’t you, I’m wrong.” 

Yeah, Sadeas, Dalinar isn’t going to be that easy to fool this time. Easy to stymie, though, because for all Dalinar’s skills he is shit at political intrigue.

AND SPEAKING OF PEOPLE I FUCKING HATE, AMARAM IS HERE!

“Why, Brightlord Amaram!” Wit cried. “I was hoping I’d be able to see you tonight. I’ve spent my life learning to make others feel miserable, and so it’s a true joy to meet someone so innately talented in that very skill as you are.”  [...] “Do I know you?” Amaram asked.  “No,” Wit said lightly, “but fortunately, you can add it to the list of many, many things of which you are ignorant.”  “But now I’ve met you,” Amaram said, holding out a hand. “So the list is one smaller.”  “Please,” Wit said, refusing the hand. “I wouldn’t want it to rub off on me.”  “It?”  “Whatever you’ve been using to make your hands look clean, Brightlord Amaram. It must be powerful stuff indeed.”  Dalinar hurried over.

THIS EXCHANGE ADDS FIVE YEARS TO MY LIFESPAN, CLEARS MY SKIN, CURES MY ANXIETY, AND REPLENISHES MY BANK ACCOUNT WIT DRAGGING AMARAM IS EVERYTHING I LOVE IN THIS WORLD.

Also how he fucking precision-hits things that Amaram would be insecure about--his knowledge, where we know he thinks he knows fucking everything and has an inflated sense of his own importance, and his image, where Wit is basically like bitch I see you and I know you’re fake as hell. 

And then Dalinar runs over to do damage control because he can’t have Amaram getting too suspicious yet, I imagine. Throughout the whole conversation, Wit keeps dissing Amaram and I remain the most alive I have been in months. 

“I mean, I wouldn’t want to call Amaram an imbecile...because then I’d have to explain to him what the word means, and I’m not certain any of us have the requisite time.” 

I know it’s petty but I’m petty and thus I take great joy in all of this. 

“Lord Amaram,” Wit called, standing to bow, his voice growing solemn. “I salute you. You are what lesser cretins like Sadeas can only aspire to be.” 

That one still gets me because it’s not even a jibe or a joke. It’s just a statement of fact and you can tell that Wit is dead-serious with that. Amaram also is like “lmao Dalinar I understand your visions better than you! The Almighty isn’t actually dead!!111!! he’s talking in metaphors u dingus!!11!!!!!!” 

Shut the fuck up Amaram, you know jack shit about Honor, don’t talk like you know Honor better than Dalinar. That’s just fucking laughable. 

He also refers to Kaladin only as “the slave.” And says he’d like to hear an apology from Kaladin. “Not for my own ego” Bull. Shit. 

Fucking asshole. 

Also Navani bitchslaps Wit with a handful of papers, and is furious that they edited the papers to make it seem like Navani is ridiculing Dalinar. She’s also ready to eviscerate whoever did this. RIP whoever the fuck leaked this. 

“As I fear not a child with a weapon he cannot lift, I will never fear the mind of a man who does not think.” 

Yeah it’s from the Way of Kings but in context it’s a sick-ass burn. 

So Dalinar just stands on a fucking table and is like “yeah these are the visions I’ve been having, come at me, you already made me a spectacle so honestly fuck you guys for thinking i’d actually be upset by this bullshit.” 

“If you must laugh, do it while looking me in the eyes.” 

Fuck yeah you tell ‘em dad. 

Also, Dalinar notes that Adolin seems very fond of Shallan, and Dalinar wants to encourage that--as long as he can get actual answers out of Jah Keved about her family. Which he won’t be able to because Jah Keved is a fucking mess. 

Dalinar asks if Wit is a Herald--he’s amused, but says no, and also denies being a Radiant. And we get Wit’s chilling line-- “If I have to watch this world crumble and burn to get what I need, I will do so. With tears, yes, but I would let it happen.” 

Also Wit basically says that he has to stop Odium from finding him in order to not die, basically. I still wonder about that WOB that says that Hoid and Rayse were once friends. That seems...quite interesting. 

Over to Kaladin. He’s still having problems inhaling Stormlight--he’s killing Syl, and with her the Nahel bond that gives him his powers. Kaladin you dingus. Syl is acting like a windspren again. 

“You want too much of me,” he snapped at her as he reached the other side of the chasm. “I’m not some glorious knight of ancient days. I’m a broken man. Do you hear me, Syl? I’m broken.”  She zipped up to him and whispered, “That’s what they all were, silly.” 

Bridge Four is still bringing their bridge on this scouting expedition, because Kaladin is a paranoid fuck (for good reason). Rock says that it’s gotten lighter because they defeated Sadeas. Nobody else understands him. 

Also, Renarin is starting to fit in with Bridge Four and joke around with them--and also that he hasn’t summoned his shardblade since the fight. 

For good reason, although neither Kaladin nor Dalinar knows that. Also, this: 

“Sir,” Kaladin said. “If I may say so, your son seems like kind of a misfit. Out of place. Awkward, alone.”  Dalinar nodded.  “Then, I can say with confidence that Bridge Four is probably the best place he could find himself.” 

I LOVE KALADIN’S RAGTAG BAND OF WEIRD MISFITS AND THAT THEY’RE ACCEPTING RENARIN AS ONE OF THEM. 

Also Adolin is now just occasionally making casual conversation with Kaladin. Kaladin also realizes that he’s made two conflicting oaths, and that’s why his powers are going away and Syl is losing sentience. She tells him to find the words, and soon. 

Shallan is geeking out over the bridge. Kaladin notices that he recognizes one of the carpenters, and is confused by it. Moash has stopped coming over for stew nights as often. 

Ouch. 

Kaladin points out that the plains are the worst place for Szeth to attack them, because they have three hundred archers with them and he just sorta. Flies. in the air. 

Adolin asks Kaladin for girl advice. Kaladin is like. my dude. you are asking the wrong person. Too busy trying not to die to date really. Kaladin is just like dude just tell her you really want this relationship to work also why the fuck are you asking me this. 

Also Adolin trying to be nonchalant about getting information about Kaladin. 

“You won’t have a Shardblade, but won’t need one, because of...you know.”  “I know?” Kaladin felt a spike of alarm.  “Yeah...you know.” Adolin glanced away and shrugged, as if trying to act nonchalant. “That thing.”  “What thing?”  “That thing...with the...um, stuff?” 

Kaladin actually manages to smile at how shitty Adolin is at this and just says “I don’t think you have any idea what you’re talking about” which is completely true. 

Also the conversation about how Adolin would pay to see Kaladin happy. That conversation is still lowkey gay and nobody can convince me otherwise. 

Neither of them get why Shallan is so excited about stuff like moss. And bugs. Adolin is trying to make jokes. Badly. 

“You’re good at military thinking, for a bridgeboy,” Adolin said. “Coincidentally,” Kaladin said, “you’re good at not being unobnoxious, for a prince.”  “Thanks,” Adolin said. “That was an insult, dear,” Shallan said. 

God I love all of these losers. 

Anyway, Shallan and Kaladin aren’t getting along well at all. High time for a bonding friendship trip into the caverns!!!! Kaladin notices, just at the right moment, that the man he recognized with the carpenters was one of Sadeas’ lumbermen. Of course, everything happens at once, and the bridge collapses--and down go Kaladin and Shallan. 

And Syl uses the last of their bond to save Kaladin. And the Stormfather fucking yells at him for killing Syl. Both Shallan and Kaladin assume they subconsciously saved the other. 

And so they try to survive. And also not kill each other. Kaladin points out that Shallan is complicit in the class inequality--which she really is, I mean, look at the boots scene--and Shallan responds with something like “oh wow big surprise people with power are abusive” which makes sense given her background but also is not the right response. 

He also does directly use the boots scene as proof she is complicit, which she admits. He also does say she’s better than most of the others. 

Aaaand then their shouting match attracts a chasmfiend and they have to bolt. BRILLIANT, GUYS. 

Also Kaladin notices that Shallan is incredibly unwinded from all this running--wow, I wonder if she’s infusing stormlight on instinct (the answer is yes). Shallan also uses her abilities to hide them and goes to try to see the chasmfiend. Kaladin notes that they look “wrong” and “almost intelligent;” Shallan notes that the spren that follow them also follow skyeels. 

I just had a bad thought. If Parshendi change when the everstorm comes, could the chasmfiends change too? If so, what the FUCK do they turn into? 

I hope I’m wrong. 

Shallan also calls Kaladin “Kaladin Longlegs.” Also she tries to throw some chull jerky at him when he’s not looking and he just catches it. 

Listen, when these two become friends, they will be the Best Sassfriends. 

And yeah, they have a sass contest, which actually amuses both of them. They’re good at it. 

God, I hope they end up as friends instead of part of some unholy twisted love triangle scenario. I fucking hate love triangles and i feel like it would only serve to drive everyone involved apart--which is awful, because I like having two male leads (Adolin and Kaladin) who actually get along half of the fucking time, and robbing me of that is just not fair, Brandon. 

Another powerfully sad moment of miscommunication: 

“All right,” Kaladin said. “Here it is. I can imagine how the world must appear to someone like you. Growing up pampered, with everything you want. To someone like you, life is wonderful and sunny and worth laughing over. That’s not your fault, and I shouldn’t blame you. You haven’t had to deal with pain or death like I have. Sorrow is not your companion.”  Silence. Shallan didn’t reply. How could she reply to that?  “What?” Kaladin finally asked.  “I’m trying to decide how to react,” Shallan said. “You see, you just said something very, very funny.”  “Then why aren’t you laughing?”  “Well, it isn’t that kind of funny.” 

They both understand so little about each other. They are seeing what they expect to see and not what’s underneath--which is two deeply broken people trying to move forward with their lives as best they can. 

Bridge Four is trying to figure out how Kaladin could have survived--Sigzil is grilling Teft about what he knows about the Radiants. Dalinar is trying to convince them not to keep watch for Kaladin, but good fucking luck with that. They’re Bridge Four. They know their captain. Dalinar is just like. You guys make sure you’re actually eating, right? 

He’s such a Dad. 

Anyway, Shallan is making a map, and Kaladin realizes how incredible her skill with drawing and memory is. Also, Shallan is talking to Pattern--and Kaladin realizes it’s like him talking to Syl. 

And Kaladin says that in a dream, he saw that the chasms were symmetrical--and Shallan realizes she can figure out where the parshendi are, and where the oathgate is. 

Shallan tries to point out that Kaladin can’t blame himself about everything. Kaladin immediately proves her wrong. And there’s another heartbreaking moment, this time of connection. 

“Oh, all people understand pain,” Kaladin said. “That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s...”  “The sorrow,” Shallan said softly, “of watching a life crumble? Of struggling to grab it and hold on, but feeling hope become stringy sinew and blood beneath your fingers as everything collapses?”  “Yes.”  “The sensation--it’s not sorrow, but something deeper--of being broken. Of being crushed so often, and so hatefully, that emotion becomes something you can only wish for. If only you could cry, because then you’d feel something. Instead, you feel nothing. Just...haze and smoke inside. Like you’re already dead.” He stopped in the chasm. She turned and looked to him. “The crushing guilt,” She said, “of being powerless. Of wishing they’d hurt you instead of those around you. Of screaming and scrambling and hating as those you love are ruined, popped like a boil. And you have to watch their joy seeping away while you can’t do anything. They break the ones you love, and not you. And you plead. Can’t you just beat me instead?”  “Yes, he whispered. Shallan nodded, holding his eyes. “Yes. It would be nice if nobody knew of those things, Kaladin Stormblessed. I agree. With everything I have.” 

God, that section rips my heart out. Shallan represses it, Kaladin has PTSD (well, they both probably do) and they both just wish they could have helped other people. 

These are good kids. 

And immediately they just start joking with each other. Aaand then the puns happen. And then a chasmfiend happens, and they get chased into a fissure. Kaladin wants to go chase it off so that they both can live, and Shallan panics at the thought of being left alone. And so she gives him her shardblade. 

Kaladin is like what the fuck. 

Also, the blade--which is Pattern--actually glows a garnet color. That’s because it’s alive. Also, it doesn’t scream--which Kaladin attributes to him having lost his bond with Syl, but that’s not right. And Kaladin also assumes two things in one sentence: 

“At least this told him one thing--Shallan wasn’t likely to be a Surgebinder. Otherwise, he suspected she’d hate this Blade as much as he did.” 

First, she is a Surgebinder.

Second, she does hate that Blade. 

Anyway, working together--with Pattern, Shallan’s illusions,and Kaladin’s fighting prowess--they kill a Chasmfiend. Also Kaladin’s leg gets Fucked Up. 

Kaladin ends up half in a chasmfiend’s mouth and the first thing he says is fucking ow. 

Anyway, they use the Blade to cut out a cubbyhole to weather the storm in. Shallan is having to train her mind not to blank at the mention or thought of the Shardblade--and she also can make it shrink. 

That’s not normal. 

Anyway, as Kaladin climbs into the cubbyhole and the stormwall hits, we get a Shallan flashback. She’s wearing her father’s necklace and a nice Vorin-style dress, and reporting that nobody has been able to find Helaran. 

For some reason, their father summoned Eylita to their house. This has got to be it--this is when Shallan kills her father to save Balat. Shallan finds Malise’s dead body--Father found out about the plan, sent for Eylita, and then murdered his own wife as a punishment. 

Shallan pours wine as her brother and father fight each other. This says a lot about how utterly Shallan had managed to subsume herself in other personas--she is outwardly calm even with this, with having seen a dead body of her own stepmother, with her brother and father trying to kill each other. 

And she pours wine and gives it to him. He drinks it, and then reaches for the poker--and severely injures Balat by slamming against his leg as Shalan screams. 

And as the rain pounds outside, her father starts to lose control of his fine motor skills. Shallan is cold--it’s her when she’s at rock-bottom. When she lost her mother, now, when she kills Tyn--when Shallan is at rock-bottom she is a stone-cold killer. 

Which is good, because it keeps her brothers and herself alive. 

But the poison only paralyzed him, and so--Shallan asks her brothers to finish the job, but none of them can. Jushu and Wikim back up. Balat isn’t conscious. So Shallan strangles him with the necklace he gave her, while singing the lullaby that he sung to her. 

Fuck, this scene is chilling and horrible. Shallan had to do it--her father would have murdered them all, one day, and probably only avoided her because he knew that she had a Shardblade and was scared--but god, that’s so brutal. 

Back to Kaladin. He gets in the cavern as Shallan uses her sphere to pull him up; they both see what looks like a screaming face in the storm. Kaladin sees something that looks like a giant, inhuman form glowing in the storm, completely alien, striding in it. 

Cool.

Anyway, Kaladin tells her his story--everything, including Amaram. Why not? They were about to die anyway. And she tells him that she killed her father, and about her own breaking; Kaladin realizes how lucky he was that his family loved him. 

Shallan was not that lucky. 

And Kaladin also realizes that he must have killed Helaran, which hurts. Anyway, Kaladin has a vision of the Stormfather in the storm and gets chewed the fuck out for killing Syl. 

Back to Dalinar. Amaram is trying to get him to make an agreement with Sadeas of some sort. Bull fucking shit. Shut the fuck up, Amaram. And then they get the message that Kaladin came out of the chasms. 

Dalinar runs the entire way there. 

He’s such a good dad. 

Aaaand he finds it hard to get through because so much of Bridge Four is already there. They know their Captain. And Kaladin fucking brought back the gemheart as well, of course. 

“Yeah, we took care of that for you, sir.” fuckin hell Kaladin. 

Shallan lies and says it was already dead, Kaladin agrees, Dalinar notes that Kaladin is a shit liar. 

And Navani has warmed up to Shallan enough to run over to her and mother hen her hardcore. I don’t think she wanted to lose another young scholar. 

Anyway, Dalinar asks if Kaladin was what he was looking for, and Kaladin denies it--he says he might have been, but not now. Dalinar also notes that Kaladin is a hero again. 

Also wow, looks like Amaram just vanished, what a surprise, looks like he can’t stand the sight of a certain slave being a hero, huge surprise there, i’m shocked

Also Pattern eavesdropped on Dalinar and Navani and offers to reproduce the sound of them kissing and Shallan is like. You know what. no. no thanks pattern. maybe not. 

Also Adolin shows up and just hugs Shallan a lot, and then she kisses him. Nice. He also said that he would protect her and not let anything bad happen to her--which causes her to freeze up. 

Last person who did that was her father. Don’t try to hide her away, Adolin, she murdered the last man who did that. 

And Shallan also convinces them not to take the parshment with them, which was A Good Call because the parshendi are calling down the everstorm and all those parshmen would go stormform. 

Aaaand that ends Part Four!