#and I do understand adolin and kaladin like i REALLY do

[knightsgaydiant]

god, I know I’m getting old because I keep being like buT cAn’T you sEE it fROm DaliNAr’s/LiRin’s pOV??

[starry-stormy-knight]

taken me ages but behold archive karecktors

adolin and maya beloved but also the most time consuming because i had to figure out how the hell i was going to do adolin's hair and not hate looking at it, and maya took me forever to figure out the colours lol. looked at so many references trying to figure out what dead vines should look like and what i would like it to look and i couldnt really find what i wanted lol. but what i went for was like really dried out and very very dead looking fibre. that wasnt too bad but trying to figure out her clothes that would look decent before and after she becomes a deadeye was hell for me an amateur colour theory understander lmao

i have drawn shallan before so she wasn't too difficult but i was truly torn about which version of pattern i wanted to show?? so i did a few of them hahah. i did a canon compliant version, alluding a bit to BE NOT AFRAID angel vibes. but im pretty passionate about ferrofluid-looking pattern as thats what i picture in my head (but i couldnt really find a good reference so i couldnt really do it well. it's also like, about the way it moves more than a still frame so extra challenge). and if you've seen my shallan art you know i. asdlkfjh. i originally pictured pattern as a QR code so i was compelled to continue it. @mistbjorn this one's for you because youre so right <3

syl i usually picture similar to kida in disney's atlantis when she merges with the crystal and you can see her scalp beneath her transparent hair, so thats the inspo for her. for the sylspear i designed it to look a bit like a caduceus as homage to kaladin's medical training and his dad, and like it's not that deep but i guess the swirly glowy bits are his duality and being torn between two worlds etc etc or you can just picture spren zipping about if you want lol like i definitely pictured syl was one but the other makes no sense

the kholins i dont have much to say since they were not part of my original plan hahaha but i couldn't help adding them too. i lowkey struggled to make them unique but also similar because family alksdjfhs i was sketching this around a time i did a lot of face studies so it was so whack and the colouring absolutely killed me so it is what it is asldkjaklsdjf

[radiantmists]

i didn't want to add this to the post because it would add a bit too much seriousness to a good meme, but i do think it raised an interesting point. because obviously kaladin didn't forget that racism existed in that moment, he was confronting one of his primary oppressors, the guy who betrayed him multiple times over specifically because he was darkeyed.

what kaladin does forget in that moment is the pervasiveness of racism, and the extent to which it's baked into his society's institutions. and i think it makes a lot of sense for kaladin specifically to forget that (even though he absolutely knows it intellectually)!

because kaladin has always been an 'exception'. his father was a doctor, much higher nahn than anyone else in the town. kaladin is as close to literate as an alethi man is allowed to be-- more literate than adolin, presumably than elhokar. marrying the child of the citylord and having lighteyed children-- theoretically 'escaping racism', though of course that wouldn't have worked out too well in practice-- was not only thinkable but likely, unlike the false hope of defeating a shardbearer that others cling to.

before roshone, kaladin did suffer from racism-- but less than others, and in a way where he was led to believe that it was escapable and conditional.

and many of the worst things that happened to him went against the rules of alethi society. roshone was corrupt, and should never have been promoted. kaladin was immune to the draft due to his apprenticeship, and tien was young enough that choosing him was taboo if not forbidden.

similarly, tien being sent to the front lines was the sort of tactic that 'honorable' alethi norms like the codes of war would have considered reprehensible.

and of course when he saved amaram and defeated the shardbearer, the rules of society dictated that he be rewarded; i imagine choosing to give the shard to amaram should, from an honorable man, have been rewarded with pay and retirement for his men or something similar.

kaladin's enslavement was not just dishonorable by alethi social norms, but illegal.

and the kholins, up to this point, have signaled commitment both to the law and to those alethi social honor codes. and while they (especially elhokar) have been casually prejudiced, they've also welcomed the idea of kaladin as the captain of the cobalt guard, suggesting that they aren't so racist that they can't sometimes see reason.

kaladin not realizing the boon was only for lighteyes was a little naive of him, but him expecting the legal system to work for him-- when he took the issue directly to someone who knew him, respected him, and owed him the lives of his whole family-- is very understandable in the light of his experiences.

kaladin is the kind of person from a minority who was raised genuinely thinking that if they behave well, they might experience some prejudice, but no door is truly, systemically closed to them. he's had some knocks to that belief (and is kind of a suspicious person), but in the first part of words of radiance the world seems to be trying to reassure him that not all lighteyes are (too) racist, that the system is not (inherently) unjust, that he's simply been the victim of some of the more prejudiced fringes of lighteyed society.

and then the rug gets pulled out from under him.

because no amount of familiarity or respect will make elhokar side with him over one of the good old boys, no accomplishment will allow a darkeyes to challenge a lighteyes, and no amount of good behavior or education will make kaladin white lighteyed.

but a shardblade would.

...right?

i think this and the immediate aftermath, with adolin giving kaladin a blade and him giving it to moash, could have been a really interesting examination of that idea, because i don't think that lighteyed society would have smoothly accepted either of them. even by rhythm of war, we get hints that kaladin occupies a weird social place where he technically has a lighteyed rank but he seems to have a complicated relationship with 'other' lighteyes (obviously made particularly weird by him being a radiant and because most of the lighteyes he interacts with heavily are also royalty, but he doesn't quite seem to be equals with most of them).

but i don't think sanderson quite understood the experience he was writing about with kaladin, and he set out to write a series about an apocalypse. and so kaladin's complicated-- but not unrealistic-- perspective on alethi casteism will go unexamined.

[cosmerelists]

How Cosmere Characters Would Flirt With Kaladin

Warning: Adolin & Shallan are NOT in this post! Before you cry, "How DARE you?!", please understand that it's only because I already wrote an entire post that was just Adolin & Shallan flirting with Kaladin. It's linked here.

Anyway, here's how various other characters would flirt with Kaladin if they were so inclined!

Edit: I have this tagged as WAT spoilers- just so you know, it’s the only the last entry that contains a spoiler-y joke so I put it under a read-more. The rest is safe!

1. Leshwi

Leshwi: [stabbing Kaladin straight through the chest] Leshwi: Your eyes look so beautiful tonight. Kaladin: [spitting blood] I-- I'm getting kinda mixed messages here... Leshwi: Mixed how?

2. Azure

Azure: [Stabbing a Fused at the same time as Kaladin does] Azure: Your eyes look so beautiful tonight. Kaladin: IS NOW THE TIME

3. Teft

Teft: I mean to be by your side forever, you know, Kal. Kaladin: I know that, Teft. Teft: Specifically tonight. Kaladin: Why what happens tonight?? Teft: Dinner happens. Teft: While you're there and I'm there. By your side. Kaladin: Uh...okay? Teft: ... Teft: I am not nailing this.

4. Szeth

Szeth: You know...I no longer fantasize about killing you. Kaladin: You fantasize about killing me?? Szeth: I just said that I do not do that. Any longer. Kaladin: Well that's...good, I suppose. Szeth: You still share space in mind with all of the voices, though. But sometimes your presence in there stills them momentarily. Kaladin: ...yay? Nightblood: Eeee, you are SO nailing this!

5. Renarin

Renarin: Hey, uh, Kaladin? Renarin: I had Jasnah help me, and I looked into the history of the treatment of insane people. Renarin: I found some really interesting historical facts about ways the treatment and methodology has changed over time! Kaladin: Yeah? Well, I'd be interested to hear about it. Renarin: (I knew researching your special interest would work!) Kaladin: What was that? Renarin: N-Nothing!

6. Veil

Veil: Oi! Stormblessed! I challenge you to a DRINKING CONTEST Kaladin: We both know you can beat me at that, Veil. Veil: Awwww, you're supposed to say, "How dare you challenge me? I can take you! I can take you right now! I can take you all night long!" Kaladin: In what world does that sound like me? Veil: ...This went so much better in my head.

7. Moash

Moash: [Is sitting in front of his beer, eyes downcast. Various members of Bridge 4 sit around him, looking at him sympathetically] Moash: I just--I can't storming believe it. Skar: We know, man. We know. Moash: I storming looked RIGHT at him and said, "I bet I can swallow it." Rock: You did. You did say that. Moash: Were my eyes not glittering hungrily?? Did I not indicate a GIANT gemstone and say how good I was at swallowing?? Is Kal STUPID?! Sigzil: Like I keep telling you all, formality exists to avoid misunderstandings like... Moash: I AM NOT GIVING HIM A NOTARIZED FORM OF INTEREST, SIGZIL Sigzil: (muttering) Like YOUR way is working...

8. Sigzil

Kaladin: ...What is this? Sigzil: It's...well, it's a notarized form. Of interest. Kaladin: Interest in what? Sigzil: In, uh, you. Kaladin: What for? Sigzil: ... Kaladin: You know I can't read, Sigzil. You gotta help me out here. Sigzil: ...Maybe Moash did have a point...

9. Lyn

Lyn: Hey Kaladin, let's try dating. Kaladin: A-Are you flirting me with me?! Lyn: It's more that I am asking you directly, but the fact that only that level of directness gets through to you is admittedly pretty cute. Lyn: (THAT was a bit flirtatious) Kaladin: Wait what do you mean "only" that level of directness...? Lyn: Come on! We'll discuss it over drinks! <3

10. Dalinar & Navani

[WARNING: WAT SPOILERS IN THIS! SKIP IF YOURE NOT READING PREVIEW CHAPTERS!]

Dalinar: Kaladin, you know how I asked you to become king of Urithiru? Kaladin: You said I could think about it! Navani: We're not trying to rush you. Dalinar: We just wanted to know if you wanted to be "king" of "Urithiru" along with me and Navani tonight. Kaladin: What Navani: You did an amazing job of pronouncing those quotation marks! Dalinar: I learn from the best. Kaladin: WHOOPSITHINKIHEARSZETHCALLINGME

[nevertheless-moving]

stormlight au number 35 (help me i'm lost in the sauce)

Jasnah, Dalinar, and Renarin (surviving Kholin Radiants) travel from End of World all the way to right after Gavilar's death.

Vengeance pact still happens, but plays out very differently. We don't need absolutely every man in the kingdom to join the army, alright Elhokar? And we're making sure Dalinar is there to accept their surrender, actually win in reasonable time frame and 'conquer' them (no Alethi want to live out there anyway, and as long as they send gemhearts in tribute we won't enslave them. actually elhokar, your sister wanted to talk to you about slavery—).

Honestly, just an excuse for:

A) Adolin to have a breakdown that his entire family has been replaced by voidbringers, before eventually accepting with relief that they're still his family, they've just become voidbringers, but its ok because he loves them and will protect their increasingly heretical actions with his life. Hugs his glowing red and green eyed little brother a lot.

Adolin: do I — should I also learn to read?

Jasnah: do you want to?

Adolin: not really, no.

Renarin: to be honest, it's probably for the best if you just focus on being, well, a good Vorin Alethi. One of us probably should be, if we don't have a desolation as a distraction.

Adolin: ok! sure! I can do that. Also thought id mention that if possible, I would personally appreciate *not* having a desolation.

Jasnah: it may prove necessary.

Adolin: I know, i know. Just thought I'd put my feelings out there.

Dalinar: and we'll need you to produce Kholin heirs. Neither Renarin or Jasnah are likely to, and I'm not remarrying a younger woman.

Adolin: Sounds good!

B) Kholin family to have way too strong a reaction to this random darkeyed surgeon in training when they visit Kharbranth, scaring the absolute shit out of said darkeyed surgeon. Adolin walks into a wall when he sees Kaladin. He doesn't even know about the Radiant thing, it's just that

C) Kaladin dresses really hot in this au. Ok. I lied. this is actually the main reason for this au. It — there's a whole chain of events. I – don't look at me like that. The character development works, alright?

A lot of it boils down to distracting people from groping the female medical trainees.

He realizes that breathing in a certain way, while it makes you focus better and move faster, it also makes you more...present somehow? people pay attention to you, for better or worse. Some of the ladies teach him that there are different ways to channel people's focus on you, if they're looking anyway.

And apparently, for the first few years Kharbranth medical students, light and dark eyed alike, have basically no protections from wealthy patients or Lighteyed chief's of staff who are a bit too interested in teaching you to use your safehand, and its not like Kaladin can challenge them to a duel - he doesnt know how to fight, and it would get him and the person hes trying to protect kicked out of the program. So much for honorable lighteyes being real.

But I mean. If wearing some eyeliner, and a gemstone in your hair, if taking your right glove off first after an exam, conspicuously leaving the left on while talking, if bending over to pick his clipboard up in a certain way... if it gets people to not focus on his friends...

...one could probably get pretty angsty with this concept, ngl.

The Stormlight understanding and oaths come in time. There might also be some Radiant Disguise Superhero hijinks, havent fully decided but it's not really a major stretch from canon to say that Kharbranth struggles with violent crime. Also Kaladin gets to learn about institutional racism in school. It's great. I have a lot of Kaladin thoughts but so does everyone in this au so its ok.

Kholins visit Kharbranth:

Jasnah: you've been moping for days. Is your new fixation of the week not responding to your advances?

Adolin: I don't want to talk about it

Dalinar: son, you've clearly been in a mood��

Adolin: look, I'm not — the individual is not suitable for my station, alright? I'm not courting someone I could never actually marry, because that would be stupid.

Jasnah: while it would complicate matters, you know your brother and I have plans to alter the alethi codes around eye color, considering they're clearly a crude derivative of radiant mythologization

Dalinar: I thought we agreed that was low on the priority list

Jasnah: You said that uncle, Renarin most certainly did not agree, and his arguments are sound

Adolin: He's just some surgeon, alright! He's not just darkeyed, he's a darkeyed man. I said I'll get over it! I always do.

Dalinar: ah.

Jasnah: ...did you say surgeon?

Adolin: Yes? Why?

Dalinar: why does it —

Jasnah: how did you meet?

Adolin: He was — he was with this group of women at a winebar, and he was dressed like – but it turned out he just goes to protect them from - and it was so — why are you asking me about this?

Dalinar: Oh! A darkeyed surgeon. Protecting, you say? He sounds...honorable.

Jasnah: Very honorable.

Adolin: He is! He volunteers at this house for injured soldiers, and you wouldn't believe he'd never been to war, I mean his spear Katas — he's – it's like he was born for it —

Dalinar: He sounds like a fine young man. Perhaps you should bring him to meet us.

Adolin: I — while I appreciate that father, I really do, I thought I was the one who was supposed to well. I mean my role in...all of this is to produce heirs and look proper, right?

Jasnah: Hm. when you put it it that way...

Dalinar: I mean, Navani and I might be able to...

Jasnah: Don't be ridiculous. I'm perfectly capable of producing a child, should it prove absolutely necessary,

Adolin: Jasnah?

Jasnah: Provided the man you're courting is of worthy quality.

Adolin: We're not — I haven't been courting! I didn't think it was an option! I don't even know if he's interested! From what I can tell he has people throwing themselves at his feet all the time!

Jasnah: An abnormally honorable darkeyed surgeon, natural warrior, magnetically charismatic personality...yes that might make a worthwhile addition to the family.

Dalinar: I can write to Elhokar at once, recommend that he and Aseuden —

Jasnah: Uncle we've been over this — this is exactly the sort of thing that led to me insisting you come with me on this trip! If we cripple his ability to lead—

Adolin: Are we — are we moving into the discussing the future part of the evening, because I can go guard the door—

Dalinar: wait, when you say produce a child, you don't mean through soulcasting, right?

Jasnah: I don't see why I should answer that question.

Adolin: Yeah, i'm just going to go guard the door now

[kaladinstormblessed09]

Okay, now that I’m more composed I wanna give my actual thoughts on Oathbringer. This is my favourite stormlight book so far, and I’m 700 pages into RoW so please no spoilers for that. Spoilers for Oathbringer down below obviously

Oathbringer focuses a lot more on Dalinar, but I'll get back to him. Bridge 4 gets their own pov chapters. Teft struggling with his addiction, Rock with his family, Skar not being able to take in stormlight, Rlain being alone amongst people who mean well but can never truly understand what he’s going through. I love this crew so much! The side characters shine in this book. Elhokar! I ended up liking him so much in it just for him to be brutally murdered right in front of his son. Moash even kicked the child. I was sobbing, I was so upset. He had so much potential. He was becoming a better king, a knight's Radiant. All for it to be just gone. And kaladin took that failure so personally. My baby. You can't always save everyone, but this is something Kal always struggle with. Moash even had the audacity to salute Kaladin, after murdering Elhokar!

Shallan just gets better and better in every book. I love how much she's improved in lightweaving. She was making her own little movie in Urithiru. I freaking love Veil. She's going around stabbing herself and getting arrows stuck in her head saying it's just a flesh wound. And everyone is rightfully baffled at her. I love her. I really loved her scenes with Wit/Hoid. It seems to me wit has a soft spot for Shallan. I love that Shallan and Adolin are married now! I love love love Adolin. Kaladin is right. You can't not like Adolin. He's got such sunshine golden retriever energy. Also, I love that Kaladin gave Shallan boots as a wedding present. LMAO.

Jasnah is the real mvp! Her just breezing through the final battle soulcasting her enemies was so fucking cool! She’s obviously the one who has the most control over their powers. When she decides not to kill Renarin oh man I cried! In fact I cried through the entire last 150 pages!

When szeth swoops down to save Lift and uses Nightblood to kill that thunderclast? When Lift tries to save szeth from Nightblood?! So many epic fucking scenes!

Dalinar really gets his avenger endgame moment with all the radiants! So so so cool!

And now speaking of Dalinar. So, Dalinar. How do I talk about him. He's probably the best written character I've ever read. He's your classic reformed character. His flashbacks when he was in his prime, being the blackthorn was difficult to read. But it shows you why the other country leaders are scared of him. And it's a legitimate worry. Now that the whole world is at the brink of an apocalypse, and he can save people no one trusts him because of his reputation because he used to be a war monger and a tyrant. and he knows that he can just do it again. He can be the balckthorn again and unite the world forcefully so they'll listen to him. It'll be so easy for him. But he doesn't want to do that. He's not that war monger anymore. And no one believes him. It's such good story telling. But after I read what he did to the rift, and to Evi, I didn't know how to root for him anymore. How do you root for a character who has burned a whole city down killing thousands of innocent people, including his wife. how do you root for someone who killed his own wife?? That's why it was so cathartic when we got to that moment between Dalinar and Odium. Odium telling Dalinar to just give in. Give him all his pain, and that he's the one who influenced him into doing bad things. telling him not to take responsibility. I thought Dalinar was gonna give in. He was gonna become Odium's champion and Kaladin would have to fight him. but for once Kal doesn't save the day. Dalinar doesn't give in. This is the best scene in this book, which is hard to choose cause this book is filled with epic scenes. "The most important step a man can take is not the first one. it's the next one. always the next step. You cannot have my pain. If I pretend I didn't do these things it means I can't have grown to become someone else. I'll take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall I will rise each time a better man." It's about him taking accountability, acknowledging the wrongs of his past. it's about trying to be a better man. It's about forgiveness and doing better. People complain about the lengths of these books but we needed these pages to get that character development to get to this moment where Dalinar defies Odium. I love this book. this 1200 page behemoth and even than I wanted more. I’ve gone back to this sequence multiple times in the last few days. Even as I read RoW now I go back to reading that sequence. And I cry every single time.

In conclusion, Oathbringer was amazing. I can’t wait to finish RoW. Then I’ll only have the secret projects and TLM left until I’m fully caught up with Cosmere! I can’t wait!

[thatfoxnamedfinley]

To Erase the Past aka Words of Radiance thoughts

Why yes, I was awake until 5:00AM finishing this book, thank you for asking and understanding

Why no, I'm not okay

I'm so proud of Shallan

I'm so disappointed in Moash

I'm so thankful for Kaladin

I'm so triggered by Tangerine (I know this isn't his name but that's what I'm calling him, throw him into the pile with Capsule)

I've become a Dalinar apologist

YOU KNOW THE DRILL

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

Lets GOOOOOooOOOOoooOooooooOOOOo

So last night, I'm whooping and hollering. Sweating. Fist pumping. Being trampled by the last sequences in the book. It's 3:00AM. My roommate who fell asleep downstairs finally makes it up to his room. He looks into my room, eyebrow raised.

Him: I could hear you downstairs.

Me: Okay?

Him: ......it was bad

Me: ...

That is a quick summary of my thoughts of this book. I feel like between these two books I've read like 2 trilogies.

BITCH I KNEW JASNAH WASN'T DEAD, I FUCKING KNEW IT. I EVEN SLAMMED THE BOOK SHUT AND STOOD UP LIKE "I BET YOUR ASS SHE IS IN SHADESMAR SOMEHOW"

*sits down and takes a deep breath*

So apparently Shadesmar is the mythological kingdom of the spren

PATTERN IS AMAZING, I loved him. Ok ok ok when he was first introduced and Shallan and Jasnah were like "damn I'm kinda disappointed." and Jasnah was like "He's a little..."

and Shallan was like *nods sadly* "He's a little retarded?" and Pattern is like spinning in circles in the corner of the room and trying to get up walls but keeps like, slowly sliding down

I almost spat my water out

ok ok so Kaladin is a Surgebinder, Shallan a Lightweaver, Dalinar a Bondsmith and Renarin (wtf this kid is so weird bro) is a...Truthwatcher

Ok I'm sorry, let me consult my notes because my mind is ALL OVER THE PLACE

Very early the glyphs appeared and honestly, we all knew it was the Everstorm. Dalinar FINALLY knowing he wasn't crazy was just so good. There was a moment after the first set appeared and Dalinar is listening to the people in the room. His inner dialogue is to have a straight back and head up despite his exhaustion. Telling himself to be in control. And I'm like DAMN this man really is a leader amongst men. The way he carries himself is just so GENERAL like and so so good!

Even though Dalinar apparently had the fewest pages dedicated to him this book, it really felt like he was looming over the story with how much of this seems to center around him (uniting Alethkar) and how many of the character's POV's intersect with what he doing.

Jasnah? Thinks Dalinar may be one of the best men she has ever known. Syl? Loves Dalinar and thinks he's a good man. Kaladin? Has several moments when he realizes that yes, Dalinar IS a good man and he MUST live. Hell, he was almost part of a plot to kill the king because he and that crew he met were like "Bro, Dalinar should be the king. We all know it." And at first Kaladin was like WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE WE CANT KILL THE KING WERE PROTECTING HIM WTF ARE YOU- wait...Dalinar the king instead?

Kaladin was like

Sadeas was such a bitter ex boyfriend. When he asked his wife to activate all her spies to find something to hurt Dalinar with I'm like BRO WHAT IS YOUR FUCKING DAMAGE DUDE. Admitting to himself that even if Dalinar was the Blackthorn and was still the conquering warlord, he'd kill him regardless because he wanted to be at the top was telling because I was really wondering if he'd ever admit it.

((Adolin sniping tf outta him was so fucking satisfying. Holy SHIT))

Shallan. Ooooouuu girlie! GIRLIE!!! The CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!!!! I liked her in book 1 despite many people saying she was a weakness in the book because Dalinar and Kaladin were just much more INTERESTING than her POV. Brandon Sanderson said "lol ok BET" and look what we got. A cesspit of trauma and growth. The goal? To find Urithiru because it holds secrets of the Voidbringers. Oh, and marry Adolin. Oh, and infiltrate the Ghost Bloods. Oh, AND SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD NO FUCKING PROBLEM

HOLYYY FUCKKKKK THE REVELATION THAT SHE KILLED HER MOTHER HOLY ACTUAL FUCKKK!! Her dad was PROTECTING HER by making everyone think he did it! I sat back in my chair like yo WTF Shallan. You murked your mom AND your dad. Holy fuck. And I guess her mom tried to kill her because she said Shallan was "one of them" and had powers at a younger age? When we meet Pattern, this isn't the first time Shallan has. Hints to it but Shallan's brain just

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETT

dissociation

The flashbacks were so good. Seeing her brothers (RIP to Heleran, Balat is NUTS he abuses animals and pulls legs off crabs). Her father was horrible. Being surrounded by all the constant yelling, the fear. Being put in her corner and not speaking. Her humor helping her brothers. Despite how afraid she is, it is SHE that holds the family together. It was SHE who got her gambling brother free, who made her brothers laugh.

OOOOO When she was about to join the caravans, there was a line she said...

"What would you do, Vathah," Shallan said in a loud voice, "to erase the past?"

And it's pitch black and you hear the screams of the caravans being attacked by bandits and she's standing on the sand and she's Lightweaving an illusion that she's a QUEEN and her hair is blowing around her and now KNOWING her past I'm like holy FUCK that was so GOOD!!!!

(I was also like holy fuck THERE's Gaz!)

oMg when Jasnah was "assassinated" I did indeed gasp. When Shallan watched the guy stab her in the chest with a knife I was like NO FUCKING WAY BITCH but Sanderson was clever. By NOT having her in the rest of the book and bringing her back in the EPILOGUE it didn't feel like we were cheated. Because Jasnah's death was a huge motivator to Shallan and a catalyst to her change in the book.

yo Shallan is so smart. This bitch infiltrated the Ghostbloods with ALMOST ease because of her abilities. WHEN SHE WENT TO THE HERALD AND AMARAM WAS THERE AND SHALLAN WAS IN THE CORNER like

I'm like this bitch is about to be a fucking PROBLEM

watch for that dark haired cunt in a rimmed hat

rumor has it her name is Veil

ok random gear switch

Sadeas CASUALLY talking about killing Dalinar and Elhokar? BRO what is your DAMAGE???? I get that Alethi are super ambitious and war driven but WTF Sadeas

OOOOOOMGGGGGG

WHEN SZETH CAME BITCH

OOOOMMMMFFGGG I SCREAMED

The chapter was entitled The One Who Hates

like excuse me bitch?

One of my bookmarked notes in my audiobook is "No spren guides him. WHAT????? HOW SWAY????"

We learn later on the nature of his blade but STILL. In the moment I was freaking out. Kaladin has that dream and knew something was wrong. He and Adolin and Dalinar are f.i.g.h.t.i.n.g. f.o.r t.h.e.i.r l.i.v.e.s and Szeth is flying around, sending Adolin flying up to the ceiling and he cuts Kaladin's arm and it goes grey and I'm just reading this chapter

UNSTABLE

UNWELL

My heart was beating so fucking fast. Dalinar is like

"YOU TOOK MY BROTHER FROM ME. YOU WILL NOT TAKE THE KING, YOU WILL NOT TAKE THE ONLY THING OF HIM I HAVE LEFT"

And Szeth is like

"I'm not here for him, Highprince. I'm here for you." Then Dalinar CATCHES the Shardblade in his bare fucking hands and Kaladin and Szeth fall midair from the window and then Szeth flees after Kaladin heals and shows his powers and I'm SHOUTING at the spine of the book

(Adolin sitting outside his father's room the rest of that night because he was scared Szeth would come back to kill his father was just...UGH I LOVE the relationship Adolin and Dalinar have. Adolin idolizes his father so MUCH)

and and and

that part with Shallan (I am so frazzled I'm so sorry I've barely had any sleep and this book HAUNTS me do you understand it HAUNTS me...I had a dream last night about this book)

"Can't run, can't run, can't run....

FIGHT."

And she attacks Tyn and kills her with a SHARDBLADE

Oh I'm sorry? Hello? WHAT???? WTFFF BITCH???

A SHARDBLADDDEEEEEEEE????!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? I just got goosies again bitch omg I'm actually panting hold on give me a moment

ok sidenote but The Stormfather is kind of a dick???? And to be fair, I'm going to assume after as many Desolations as there were that the spren are tired of helping humanity maybe and that's what Stormfather is talking about. Like "bro this is not my first, second, third or even eightieth rodeo. everytime it's the same and SOMEHOW humanity still finds new and clever ways to disappoint me. So...HELP YOU? lmfao" And I know we'll learn more about it so I'm willing to accept that thought process for now but at the end when he's talking to Dalinar (EXCUSE ME IS THE STORMFATHER DALINAR'S *SPREN* NOW???????????) I was like this Stormfather is a little bit of a bitch. This was my INITIAL reading because my adrenaline was still through the roof after

KALADIN FOUGHT SZETH AND SHALLAN TELEPORTED THE ARMY TO URITHIRU

but after thinking about it I was like yeah no I get it. He's seen this movie in theaters so many times and has to pretend to be excited but he really is just pissed his friends keep forcing him to come

Sebarial and Wit were iconic. Their insults were so fucking good. During the end when they were all making their way to the Oathgate and Sebarial was drunk and Palona was reading a book and Dalinar was like ????

AMARAM GOT PUT IN HIS PLACE bye bitch

Aladar, Roion (r.i.p you cowardly prince, you actually did us a solid in the end, and I underestimated both you and your kin. salute) and Sebarial joining him to form a force of 30k against the Parshendi that were SINGING THEIR LITTLE HEARTS OUT for the apocalypse

KALADIN REALIZING THAT ELOKHAR WAS DALINAR'S TIEN ARRGgggggg *squeezes stress ball*

Then Syl. My glorious Syl.

"YOUT WILL MATTERS NOT!" Syl shouted. "YOU CANNOT HOLD ME BACK IF HE SPEAKS THE WORDS! KALADIN! SAY THEM!"

BITCHHHHH I was *unhinged* Then Kaladin lit up like a fucking Christmas tree

I am so disappointed in Moash. I want to say I get it but like...MOASH. REALLY? After all that? After being Kaladin's friend and OH YOU KNOW him giving you a Shardblade and Plate because he trusted you and now we're here

Though he did get 1/18th of a brownie point for not letting anyone else touch Kaladin. Then he lost 1,476,998 brownie points for punching Kaladin so hard that his ribs broke INWARD. "Oops I hit him harder than I meant to." Are you fucking kidding me Moash. Are you? Because you're an EMBARRASSMENT. I hope when we see him next it's ON SITE. Count your fucking days, bro

So...Szeth's weapon was an Honorblade, a weapon of the Heralds....? And two of them are back? The one that Amaram snatched up (Herald of War) and the one that saved Szeth (Herald of Justice). They are returning. So now Szeth is just a normal human being with a normal life...? I'm very VERY interested in Szeth's development and where he goes. I want him on our side so bad and idk how tf Brandon Sanderson plans to do it but I just need it to happen

Adolin murdering Sadeas was SO satisfying. Sadeas going on and on and ON. That isn't it SO CONVENENIENT that the head of Dalinar's guard and Adolin's betrothed are both Radiants and that Dalinar has an ulterior motive. And Adolin is like WHY SADEAS? WHY are you like this. What is your damage? And Sadeas is like WELL if Dalinar stays alive then I can't be more powerful, so lololololol

And Adolin is like

OMG I FORGOT tO MENTION ADOLIN's DUEL

amazing. so good. captivating. unexpected. Adolin grappling from behind and they won!

"Dalinar growled softly. It was a sound Kaladin had never heard from him, The growl of a beast on a chain. It surprised him. " ooohhh?????

And no one standing to help and Kaladin like "literally hold my beer" then when he asked for his boon I was like welp FUCK here we go

Then he was thrown in jail and I was like YUP that tracks

I absolutely LOVED his book. Truly. I liked it better than the first if that's even possible. It made me appreciate book 1 even more because of the world building and set up.

side notes from my audiobook bookmarks:

Kaladin mentions Dalinar's eyes a lot mmmhmmmm

"Dalinar Kholin slowly stood up. He moved like a rolling boulder. Inevitable, implacable." oh. OH?

PATTERN CAN READ DAWNCHANT what a g

"I wouldn't want you to go flying off on me. You know, flying off in an angry tirade." Wit is a legend, I love that he seems to be all knowing and everywhere he needs to be for certain characters. WHO/WHAT IS HE?

Renarin is...I don't have words. What in Damnation are you doing, man? Because he's llike WERE ALL GUNNA DIE WERE ALL GUNNA DIE then they don't so like...how reliable are his Truthwatching abilities?

Shallan and Kaladin EYEBALLING EACH OTHER????? Thinking about each other????? HMMMMMMM???

"He danced with the slayer of kings" HOLLLLYYY FUCK IM *UNHINGED* RN DALINAR YOU ARE TRULY A GOAT AMONGST GOATS <- actually quote from my bookmark

Gallant not fleeing the battlefield is actually iconic

Shallan and Dalinar looking out below and people teleporting to their location and saying "Life before Death, Radiant" is, I fear, legendary

Ok phew I'm so tired from this post, I needed to spit my thoughts out before reading book 3 (which is apparently about Dalinar and I am already such a Dalinar apologist that I can't WAIT)

ok bye *snooze*

OH!! AND TANGERINE BEING EItHER RETARDED OR A GENIUS ON ANY GIVEN DAY bro WHAT and THAT is what you're going off of? THAT is why you're assassinating everyone???? Bro you are FUCKED

[laraluu2]

Lol seeing a post about how people who like moash are all "moash did nothing wrong". As one of those moash enjoyers I think I can definitively say that anyone who is saying that is just fucking around and very much know his crimes. Counterpoint - Dalinar, Kaladin, Jasnah, Adolin, and Shallan have all done crimes that would warrant jailtime.

I've talked about this before but I really do think here on tumblr people can explore the paths less traveled in terms of character study. Sanderson has literally said he's not too much of a fan of moash but I think it's cool how you have people on here who show him a little more love. You take a character that has gone through the worst and has a literal evil god influencing him but I think he falls under the "would be entirely right if he didn't kill people" liberal leftist antagonist that gets pretty annoying to constantly see. When in the real world violence is a valid form of protest you have these constant depictions of people lashing out against their oppressors as a bad thing it's understandable to be a little annoyed with how moash is depicted.

Not to mention the tragic aspect is kind of cool too??? Not everyone is going to get redemption, some people make bad decisions and fuck up and won't make it out and it's cool to enjoy that aspect. I enjoy a nice tragic character foil - there's some real nice fanart too of him.

[lost-boys-chapter]

I am continuing with the sa reread!! hopefully it'll speed up now bc the bartending ✨️chaos season✨️ (aka the euros) is over, so I should have more time. also am on holiday this week and convinced I can get through the entirety of twok by saturday. I'm almost to part 3. my thoughts are as follows:

who are the three guys in the ishikk interlude? I say this, knowing 2/3 of the answer. one of them is galladon, right? and another is demoux? I know one if them is the nale lookalike mentioned in the sa5 interlude preview? do we have any more info on why they're looking for hoid yet? I vaguely remember these three always confusing me.

are the epigraphs for p2 the letter from hoid to frost? the 'old friend' threw me off bc that's how sazed refers to everyone in tlm, but I'm increasingly sure it makes sense that it's hoid.

also, GOD, dalinar and adolin's opening chapters are boring. ik they end up being two of my faves in the rest of the series so I've been slogging through them but they just seem to....not be doing a lot. obviously a lot of the point of their chapters is that the vengeance pact is becoming long and drawn out, and more about sport than anything else, so it kind of makes sense thematically. but still, doesn't feel like there's a lot to sink my teeth into.

relatedly, increasingly it does feel like kaladin is the Personality Hire of the original pov characters. like, he's got a lot less to say in terms of worldbuilding and setup for the general arc of the first half than shallan and dalinar, but he's the only real character who you care about enough to sink your teeth into the plot and properly root for on first read. I definitely felt that way to begin with and I still feel so on reread, so. you can also quite easily see him becoming marginally less relevant in later books so I wonder if part of it really is that he's just the first character you can really begin to love in this series. not saying I don't care for him in later books, obviously. but idk just a thought

rock my beloved !! I had completely forgotten he'd become a bridgeman by putting chull dung in sadeas' soup LMAO he's my favorite ever. also, when him and teft were asking each other's names and teft asked him what his real name was, I immediately said, out loud, 'numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor.' not sure what it says that I remembered this but forgot other characters' entire existence.

the other bridgemen make me 🥰🥰🥰 also. it surprises me on reread that sigzil was one of kaladin's biggest critics to begin with. it reads as kind of weird to me but I suppose the realities of bridgeman life would strip the fundamentals of anyone's character. still, I'm yet to read the sunlit man and we know how much I've forgotten regardless so maybe I've been shaped by fandom perception a little too much.

dunny :( I've not got to the bit where he dies yet but I remember his being the bridgeman death that hurt the most in twok so every time he shows up I get a fun burst of sadness. also for some reason I thought it was hobber who originally almost died, not leyten, but maybe I'm right and just haven't gotten to that part yet lol.

just remembered that lopen exists too. looking forward to him showing up.

and syl!! I love her so much, it's cool in retrospect to see what spren lose and how they slowly regain their sentience while moving into the physical realm to form a bond. seeing her confused about understanding abstract concepts is great. I was listening to the wind and truth predictions shardcast the other day and someone came up with a theory that the way windrunners are recruited might be turned on its head in era 2. in retrospect that would be super cool to see.

speaking of, that episode of shardcast also convinced me that syladin is a possibility, which ruined my day.

unrelatedly: navani is such a badass, that text post that's going around that's like 'navani really showed up at the shattered plains and immediately told dalinar that her son is a loser' is so so real lol. I don't think I originally liked her in twok bc I didn't understand her... purpose, I guess? this time around I'm like 😍😍 mine scientist lady beloved.

also, could the stormfather really not think of a better way to investigate a possible bond than random prophetic visions? though the one we see onscreen first with the weird midnight creatures is very cool in retrospective.

regarding flashbacks: I'm not super invested in kaladin's past, once you've read it once it's not difficult to remember what happens so I'm pretty much just skimming. but I think rereading it a few years older makes it a lot easier to understand that lirin is a far more complex character than I originally thought, esp regarding row. obviously he's got kaladin's best interests in mind, but I feel like his moral reasoning is a lot clearer on reread. I don't think hes a great person, but i dont think hes necessarily more flawed than a lot of other main characters. I don't exactly remember what happens in row but I remember he gets... worse. I'm interested to see how my opinion changes.

and finally on a meta note: I know the first arc is supposed to thematically parallel a ketek, which I remember being able to spot elements of between wor and row. I'm super curious to see if I can spot anything in twok which might be paralleled in wind and truth. I do think I thought of smth regarding syl earlier but I forgot what it was 🫠-- maybe something go do with the recreance questions we're hoping to get answered?

this has been a very long post for which I am sorry but I'm open to discussion points!! would love to hear people's thoughts on my thoughts lol. will inevitably be back with more lukewarm takes

[turttastic]

Ranking potential Kaladin fates from best to worst in my opinion. Obviously this is just my personal feelings:

Desirable Outcomes:

1: My Ideal World:

Kaladin stays romantically uninvolved, but ends up in a position where he is responsible for kids. Maybe he's a teacher, maybe he raises Shadolin's kids if something happens to them, maybe he raises Oradin. He would be great with kids, he's such a protector and I think the unconditional love of a kid would be good for him personally. He is ideal for a found family setup, honestly, and I don't particularly want to see him get paired off with a woman just to create a nuclear family.

2: Impossible but beautiful world:

Kaladin, Adolin, and Shallan polycule. They understand him, they love him, they are both capable of providing him with different types of support and won't be intimidated by his personality. Adolin is an absolutely crucial part of the puzzle here, though. To me, Adolin x Kaladin can work without Shallan, Adolin x Shallan works without Kaladin, but Kaladin x Shallan cannot exist without Adolin because it would be catastrophic.

3. Monster fucker win:

Kaladin ends up in a partnership with Leshwi that is probably somewhat ambiguous but has a distinct romantic undertone to it. They already have a warriors bond and respect/have a vested interest in each others continued survival. There's a deep relationship there for sure. I don't personally see it as romantic but I think it'd work fine if it was. Wouldn't detract from either character.

Neutral Outcomes:

4. The Easy Way Out:

Kaladin finds Tarah again and ends up with her. This feels like the most obvious and perhaps most likely possibility. It's boring, it's uninventive, I don't want to see it happen, but I guess it's fine? It's a nice conclusion to Kaladin learning to live in the present, but it just feels too easy.

5. Windrunner bloodline:

Kaladin gets back together with Lyn. She can do better tbh. I love Kaladin but hes a lot. He also is kind of a traditional type of guy when it comes to gender and relationships I think, and Lyn is the type of woman who wants to break away from tradition. They just don't fit to me. Only reason this happens is because they specifically want Kaladin to marry a Windrunner and have kids that seem destined to be Windrunners also until they're not.

6. Blaze of Glory:

Kaladin dies in book 5 saving someone else. It would be so so so upsetting for this to happen and unfair to Kaladin personally but it wouldn't butcher his character at least. Like it would suck, I would go catatonic, but it'd be like Vin and Elend dying. It seems like a believable fate for him to meet, as heartbreaking as it is.

Bad Outcomes:

7. White Woman Jumpscare:

Kaladin ends up with Laral. What can i even say about this. Childhood friends to enemies to strangers to Kaladin pitying Laral in a way that really pissed her off because of how condescending and patronizing it was. I don't want them together.

8. Chrom's fate:

Kaladin gets married to a random, unimportant woman between books 5 and 6 solely for the purpose of creating plot relevant children that will likely ultimately be used to hurt him.

9. Depressed together:

Adolin dies and Shallan ends up with Kaladin. Any outcome where Adolin dies is unacceptable to me but thus one especially. I love Kaladin. I love Shallan. I love them both in a relationship with Adolin, mutually or separately. But they cannot under any circumstances be allowed to date just each other. They understand each other's trauma and are drawn to each other, but neither of them is capable of helping the other process their trauma while also dealing with their own feelings. It's a relationship destined to crash and burn from my perspective.

10. Hell and hate on planet Roshar

Syl takes a physical form and gets romantically involved with Kaladin. Literally the worst possible thing I can imagine happening to either of them. Their souls are bound together, they are vital to one another, and they love each other, but not Like That. It's closer to a sibling relationship than anything. This particular situation could only arise from a gross misunderstanding of their relationship as its been developed thus far.

[spacetimeaccordionfolder]

The stormlight archive but it's starkid/tcb

this is basically all hatchetfield, solve it squad, and a little avpm and spies are forever. I am copy and pasteing from my notes app so it's not very well explained. I can explain more if need be.

Hatchetfield:

What if tomorrow comes- Renarin Really nearly anything Hannah that is Renarin

The musical zombies from tgwdlm as the Fused, especially "Join us and Die" ending.

"Hey kaladin want to join the company softball league" "no." "Oh well it'll be fun" "yeah… I don't want to though"

"Feast or Famine" and "Hatchettown" the Thrill and Alethi

hatchettown is also that one coalition meeting in Oathbringer

Solomon Lauter as Gavilar

"I am trying to have an intelligent conversation with you. In other words, shut up."

Cursed thought: "don't be friwtened you're my bestest buddywud!" Odium to Dalinar

I really want to have "kick my head" somewhere in here. Thinking Adolin or Shallan and Kaladin pre friendship??

the very brief fight between Adolin and Kaladin on the training grounds or Shallan and Kaladin in the chasms.

Lift trying to grab the Kings Drop as Hannah in Do You want to Play

Bridgemen having to search the chasms : "it's like I have another shitty paying job on top of my already shitty paying job"

"Oh I've met God. He had nothing nice to say about you" Moash with Elhokar

If I Loved You - Dalinar and Navani in the Way of Kings

"sure I'm a sapiosexual you're an intellectual but I cut my lover losses when I can" Dalinar

Shallan as that Grace Chasity line "Me and Kabasl [what's his name] / Adolin? In carnal embrace? I'd never think of it"

wait better "kabasl asked if he could hold my books for me" jasnah: I didn't know ardents did that sort of thing

Avpm "So you came back?" "I came home" Dalinar and Navani.

"Turns out killing people doesn't make them like you. It just makes people dead" Moash.

Or Amaram, considering his whole "I made you!" fight/ conversation with Kaladin in Oathbringer.

Spies are forever: Not hatchetfield but torture tango and Moash and Kaladin. Owen's lyrics don't quite fit Moash but Curt's lyrics Mostly fit Kaladin.

Alt - DMA's Vyre and Curt's Moash in the ending section "I've been waiting so damn long for this" "it's not supposed to go like this" do you see what I mean

more on that the part where the dma and curt's lines over lap- Moash's different views of what he's doing in ROW "To show you the horror of staying alive" at the same time as "doesn't even matter if I killed my best friend" do you understand.

Shallan and Kaladin - "so we're just" "Friends?? :)"

Solve it squad- Shallan as Gwen trying to ask if Keith (Adolin) will be at the reunion

Renarin explaining visions as Esther's monologue about information.

also at the end with "Uh oh here come the neurons!"

that monologue also applies to other truthwatchers

Adolin as Keith saying he killed the demonic apostle (Sadeas) a while ago "Oh I killed Sadeas months ago… He was jaywalking and I hit him with my car. Accidental manslaughter not a big deal! Besides he was jaywalking so two crimes at the same time kind of cancel each other out . . . So! He was laying there dying and bleeding out in my arms and he told me everything. . . and then he died and I put him in my dad's yard."

The whole Esther intervention scene with scraggs as bridge 4 talking to teft and or Navani talking to young Dalinar "Ambien! I'm on it!" Teft Also the "nice to meet you I'm addicted to drugs" collapses with Kaladin or Rock as Scraggs trying to grab him as he falls.

Esther's "a boyfriend with a girlfriend" - is this Shallan/Adolin/Kaladin or Navani/Dalinar/Evi. Better idea!! It's actually a "girlfriend with a boyfriend" so Raboniel with Navani and Dalinar Yeah I like the Raboniel idea better.

"I am a scholar at Urithiru. I have a routine, [don't know what to have for home with a refrigerator], girlfriend with a husband, and enough void light to last me through a desolation. And I am happy, alright?"

"It's all going to go the way those 3 writers in the sky demand it!" average rosharan finding out that there's 3 shards on the planet (line is paraphrased)

[tbookblurbs]

Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #4)

4.75/5 - Kaladin :(((; love the new POVs; quantum physics in a fantasy world?

SPOILERS below!

The time skip before this book caught me by surprise (again...) but I'm not opposed to it, especially since it seems like characters have grown and changed during that time. You can't say that for every series. That said, I do think that it leaves out some potentially important scenes, such as those where Adolin and Renarin find out their father is directly responsible for the death of their mother.

Kaladin's arc is, as per usual, my favorite in the book. He's got PTSD, he's seven feet tall, he's inventing group therapy, who's doing it like him? Multiple of his scenes move me to tears however. It's an incredibly real struggle with clinical depression on top of his PTSD and experiencing multiple lifetimes' worth of trauma in less than five years, that culminates in a passive suicide attempt. His final "hallucination" with Tien in the storm is everything to me.

I also loved Venli as a new POV character. She's so flawed as a character, and that makes her much more interesting to me. I also think that she's much more understandable/easier to empathize with in her destructive actions, even as they bring the end of the world, because of her positioning in the world. She has very natural desires that are twisted against what is good for her and her people, and I would argue she's taking too much responsibility for her part in the Everstorm. Yes, she's selfish, but no more so than any of the other lighteyes in this novel.

The other major highlight for me was the science in this novel. Much of Sanderson's descriptions about "axons" are just quantum physics and atoms, as I'm sure many people picked up. As somebody with a physics background, seeing these different ways of exploring and explaining things like quantum entanglement and seeing it actually matter in a fantasy novel is like having my cake and eating it too. Navani's work with Light (and her homoerotic relationship with Raboniel) are very well done.

Things I don't entirely like and the reason for the .25 point-dock are Navani bonding the Sibling, and Dalinar as a whole to be honest. With the former, as much as I like Navani, I really wanted to see Rlain as a Bondsmith. He is actively trying to be a unifier in a way that Navani is not, though Navani and her fabrial knowledge is very well matched with the Sibling.

With respect to Dalinar, while I still find him an interesting character, the things I didn't like about him in past books come out in full force here. He's overbearing, he micromanages, he believes that his vision (and only his) is the correct path forward, he can't accept disagreement, he holds everyone to standards he himself doesn't meet, etc. He also doesn't face any significant challenge to those beliefs in this book, aside from Jasnah verbally challenging him. I also just don't understand how Renarin and Adolin continue to see Dalinar as "the most honorable man they know" when, and this is explicit in the text, he is not. I also don't love the deal he makes, but that's a smaller issue I suppose.

Now that Wind and Truth are coming out this year, I interested to see where Sanderson ends this final chapter. Hoping to see more of Lift and a less-depressed Kaladin!

[lillytalons]

Something I love about Adolin specifically in regards to his relationship with Shallan is how different he is from her whole family. Like he thinks she’s the coolest thing since fashion when they meet, and when he figures out she’s a radiant?? All bets are off, no one will ever be as cool as her. He doesn’t even seem jealous (so far, I’m still reading), unlike her mom who tried to kill her for what she is.

Unlike her father, he places the blame on the right people and doesn’t punish people for someone else. Like even at the height of his exasperation with Kaladin, he didn’t punish bridge 4 or other dark eyes, heck he doesn’t even punish Kaladin he just gets really sassy. He has such a strong sense of self that he doesn’t take his demons out on anyone else. Like the only issue I’ve seen so far is his playboy tendencies, and part of that is that he’s a powerful guy in his early 20s that has women falling over themselves for him, many of whom probably care more for his wealth and reputation than who he actually is.

Unlike Helaran he doesn’t leave or run away, and while Helaran was justified and I don’t blame him for leaving, Adolin faces most of his problems head on. They’re both Shardbearers but Shallan is able to see Adolin use his for good while she never knew Helaran as such.

Unlike Jushu, he takes direction and course corrects. Heck, even when he hated every moment, he did withdraw from the plateau when Kaladin told him to. When he figures out the best person to listen to, he listens to them, regardless of station. When he’s told not to do something, even something he loves and craves like dueling, he listens as long as you can give him solid reasons.

Unlike Wikim he’s not stuck in a cycle of depression, and I’m not blaming wikim in any way, but Shallan had to mother all of her older brothers in a way and when you grow up picking up slack for someone else, it’s often a relief to find someone who is the opposite from that. Adolin can stand as an independent person that can rely on Shallan as a partner, not as a parent or babysitter.

And what made me really think about this, is how different he is from Balat. He likes dueling but hates battle. He’s incredible at fighting and killing but will only do so if he must to protect people or serve his duty. Balat at least doesn’t hurt people at this point but he does destroy creatures weaker than him because he needs an ‘outlet’. He gets better admittedly, but the fact that Shallan knew about it when she was really young was obviously impactful.

Her siblings and father want her to fit a specific mold and even though she is good at drawing they want to limit her to appropriate subjects or just think it’s not that significant, but Adolin loves how much she cares about things, understands that she is brilliant, and is always impressed by even her casual drawings. Whatever insane direction she wants to go in, he’s there to support her not hinder her.

All the siblings give themselves the excuse of their terrible childhood and parents for their actions and attitudes. Shallan is growing out of that and was never as bad as her older brothers and Adolin’s family is perfect for her because they are also good at taking responsibility or learning to.

[eclipsecrowned]

s.tormlight for the fandom meme 🩷 & stormlight! (for the fandom thing) // @dcviline + @weavinglight

The first character I first fell in love with: Jasnah. It was immediate, and I never recovered. Her poise, her wits, her Ace rep, her capacity for good as well as her ability to be that bitch. Will not lie, my bestie hyped her up and she has not disappointed me once.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: He was just one-armed comic relief. Now I muse the little bastard. I thought he might be somewhat cringe comedy and tbh as it was my first Sanderson outing I didn't know what to expect when I heard 'Mexican-coded comic relief' but tbh? He's my one hand arm man, my confidant, my best friend, my silly mink. Love The Lopen, no notes.

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: This is such a cop out but I can't think of any universally beloved characters I don't like? One of the gifts of the series to me is the nuanced and thoughtful characterization of each main player, making them feel more well-rounded than a lot of fantasy without any of them bleeding into each other/relying on authorial tropes. Even stuff I don't like about them, I understand or respect from the sense of 'this character is a tool of the story and is performing that function spectacularly.' The work is put in such that I don't really dislike any of the fandom favs like the Kh0lins, Bridge Crew, Sz*th, etc -- I just side-eye some of their choices.

The character I love that everyone else hates: Moash, and it's downright pathological how much this fandom has it out for him. I get he's a villain and makes some really selfish, awful, narrative-redefining decisions, but there's some takes out there that frankly make me wonder if people read the same book I did. To wit, there is discourse surrounding if this man kicked a literal infant. I, meanwhile, am damn near his public defender at this point. He has layers. He's so Cool Motive Still Murder coded.

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Dalinar is really one of those characters where your feelings about him get more complicated on a reread. He's still wonderful in narrative and a favorite because no one else in the genre is doing it like him but... Holy shit dude. The way his flashbacks reframe everything. Where is the justice for my girl Evi --

The character I would totally smooch: OK SO FUNNY STORY ax the bestie that got me into the series called my dyke ass would be bewitched by Jasnah. She's so my type it hurts. But they forgot a core aspect of my being: I'd do anything for a MILF. I love Jasnah -- twenty years older and a little more plush, since it's established she's a younger version of her mother. The LOML. My queen. Navani. I get choked up remembering she wasn't getting the good good for 6 years --

The character I’d want to be like: The way I actually want a Dalinar quote tattooed on my body. The way I strive for that level of getting my shit together and turning it around. The way I want to be Evi and Navani's husband. Wait what no delete that footage --

The character I’d slap: Can I lovingly backhand my beloved Moash just to try and convince him he's in a cult and needs to get back on that whole 'destroy the system' wagon? Not even like a hard slap. Just something less taxing than killing one of his buddies to realize how far he's fallen.

A pairing that I love: Have you heard the news of our lord and savior Szopen -- Jokes aside, I am not immune to mad scientist war criminal crab milfs and their captive engineering genius morally complex human milf. Navaniel or bust. It's everything I have ever wanted in my life.

A pairing that I despise: SHALAD1N. Obscuring it so I don't post negativity in the proper ship tag but oh my God my genuine fear is that given the nature of Sandertropes Adolin is gonna be the deadpool for KoW, Shallan will be our grieving widow protag, and 15 years later she and Kaladin hook up. Don't get me wrong! I love their dynamic platonically! I'm not even opposed to Shakalodin! But they NEED that buffer, I can't stand the thought of them 1:1'ing this ship. There's too much between them, too much trauma overlap and high key inflicted on each other, for me to see the endgame appeal. I think it'd self destruct messily and leave them both worse. They need sunshine boy or the romance will tear itself apart.

[cosmerelists]

Renarin Ranks Starting Places For New Readers of the Cosmere Series

"Renarin ranks something" requested by @themoonstonechronicler :)

Fans often argue about where new readers should start in the Cosmere: which book is the best starting place? In this list, Renarin will rank various options. Because if any character can break the fourth wall, it's either Hoid (of course) or Renarin with his funky corrupted Future Sight.

[Contains Stormlight Spoilers through Rhythm of War!]

1. Way of Kings

"Starting with Way of Kings is like jumping into a 4 versus 1 Shardblade duel armed with a sword that screams when you touch it after a lifetime of not really being allowed to train in real combat scenarios due to your blood weakness. Will you be in over your head? Yes. Might the experience harm you? Very possibly. Will Kaladin's presence save you? Absolutely. Is it a bad idea? Objectively yes. BUT does this choice make you inherently cool? I think so. At least, I have no regrets."

...

"Make that very few regrets."

"I give this an 8/10."

2. Elantris

"Listen...I get it. You want to start from the beginning. Proceed chronologically. I think my cousin Jasnah would be inclined toward this. But speaking as a 'funky time guy,' as Adolin called me once, I have to say that the past doesn't necessarily predict the future and uh...this one just might be a little tough to start with. In my opinion."

"4/10."

3. Tress of the Emerald Sea

"I think...I think I like Wit. Mostly. There was that one time he tried to make everyone think I was hooking up with, like, multiple women at once, which was...weird. But he also made fun of me. Which does not sound good, but it meant he respected me in a Wit way. In any event, this book is like sitting and listening to Wit for hours. Is it good if that is the first thing you ever do? Maybe? The little rat is cute."

"9/10."

4. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

"This one is Wit too. Just to get that out of the way. And I think it might be a little bit confusing for a first-time reader since it is clearly being told to a Rosharan, which is not something a new reader would understand."

"But on the other hand, it is maybe...refreshing to have a main character who hasn't yet realized what he's good at, and another main character who hasn't yet realized that not all aspects of her religion should restrict her as much as they do."

"So a confusing place to start, but not necessarily a bad one."

"6/10."

5. The Emperor's Soul

"This one is short! That might be good for someone who is looking for less of a commitment. Plus, it involves a lot of research into how things work, if that appeals to you. But I think the real benefit is that if someone is reading it to you, it would probably only take a few hours."

"10/10."

6. The Sunlit Man

"This book is like seeing into the future, since it is literally about the future. It's also very painful. Which, in my experience, the future often is. The future can be changed...but not in this case, because now it's written down. So I would say: start here at your own risk. On the other hand, it will probably seem less sad if you read it without any backstory. But it will make other things sadder later, trust me."

"3/10."

7. White Sand

"This one can be good if you're a man, since there are a lot of pictures. There are also a lot of words, of course, but if you're just starting out on the reading thing, then having the pictures would help a lot I'd imagine."

"6/10."

8. Warbreaker

"Speaking as someone who...well, I can't say that I deliberately make dramatic reveals, but I have been known to do things like scrawl warnings on a wall or appear suddenly from the shadows or, you know, stuff like that. So I might actually recommend reading this before you read our books, just so you can have those, 'Wait, it's YOU!' moments over and over again."

"Seriously, why did so many of those characters end up in our series?"

"I'm not answering the question, though. This one is standalone, and not too long, yet still manages to have a pretty big cast of characters and a bunch of storylines. It is like Sanderson training."

"8/10."

9. The Final Empire

"This is what everyone always tells you to do. Sometimes it can get frustrating when everyone is SO SURE that they know what's good for you, especially your dad, who won't listen when you tell him that you don't want to become an ardent even though he thinks it's the best. And you know what? In the end, I am a fighter, but also a scholar, since men can do both now. So sometimes what people say is good, but only when it happens in the way you want it to and...I think I lost the thread. Um. You can do what people tell you that you should do IF you want to. "

"If you start here, I imagine you'll like it. Sometimes what everyone tells you to do is a good idea...but only if it's what you want too."

"9/10."

10. The Alloy of Law

"Starting with Mistborn Era 2 is like bonding a corrupt spren. It's almost what everyone agrees is a good thing to do (start with Mistborn / bond a spren), only you're going about it in a...different way. But different is not necessarily bad! Yes, I have abilities that are maybe from Odium and that give me a maybe sacrilegious ability to foretell the future...but when given the chance, I immediately recommended my best friend do the same thing."

"Being different can be good. 7/10."

[nevertheless-moving]

I started writing a Tarah Kaladin reunion fic because of @sorchasolas and i gave Tarah a fiancee and i actually have grown extremely attached to Rob and do NOT want the him and Tarah to breakup (sorry @sorchasolas). Unfortunately the more i describe him the more he sounds like the hallmark boyfriend that you leave 3/4 of the way through the movie.

he's genuinely a nice young man. he works in shipping and likes sailing for fun. he couldn't attend the parade with Tarah because he had to work and he's trying to get promoted so they can afford to get married and move in together. he's a good cook. he is devastated but also completely understanding of the idea that his fiancee of several years might leave him for her teenage sweetheart. I mean. It's Kaladin Stormblessed.

anyway I want him to honestly get along with Kaladin once he gets over the starstruckedness and the concern that Tarah is going to leave him. I want Rob to teach Kaladin how to sail and they have a really nice time. Rob gets promoted at work because apparently he's now fishing buddies with Kaladin Stormblessed (they don't actually fish, neither of them like hurting worms, they just sail around). The three of them play cards and share a bottle of blue and don't discuss the fate of the world or intense trauma. It's the first actual vacation Kaladin has had since he was six years old. I desperately want Kaladin to buy the two of them a house as a wedding gift.

I also want Shallan and Adolin, having very slowly established a Shakadolin situation over the course of years, with a lot of crying and frank discussions of sexuality and racism and falling asleep in eachothers arms after nightmares, having finally exchanged some form of throuple oaths, to be losing their ABSOLUTE MINDS over spanreed because of this.

Like Adolin is biting a leather belt because he heard that that the two of them went on ANOTHER buddy sailing trip. Shallan is whiteknuckle gripping a bannister at the very top of the tallest tower because Tarah and Kaladin went to the farmers market. They are THE melodramatic bitches.

Beryl phrases it over reed as a 'don't worry about him leaving Urithiru for good' because 'yeah he's for sure not getting back together with his ex they're just good friends now. he seems to get along really well with her fiancee actually. The three of them went to minigolf.'

HOWEVER beryl knows full well about the secret Shakadolin thing because Adolin and Shallan stopped inviting her for occasional threesomes years ago and there's literally only one reason why they would do that. She is a little offended that Shallan has not spilled any details about Stormblessed in bed and is ruthlessly taking revenge by describing how peaceful he looks spending time with Tarah and Rob at little darkeyed diners and oh yeah he's staying in the guestroom of the new house he bought them.