#and i already miss my boy adolin

[cosmereplay]

Day 9: In the shadows

Rated General, Evi/Sja-anat, Oathbringer spoilers

“He won’t answer my letters or spanreeds!” Evi grumbled to herself in a huff as she entered her bedroom. She was walking easily again, a scant few weeks after the baby’s birth, her second. “I will not have a nameless child!”

Sja-anat slid upwards, looking through a tall mirror inlaid on a stand, placed in the room facing Evi’s bed. She may have missed her husband while he was away, but she was no longer lonely, for Sja-anat kept her company, taking her secrets. These days, though, she kept more than she passed on to Odium.

The sun-haired woman, her only worshipper, sat on the edge of the bed facing Sja-anat. She had the infant tucked into a wrap dress, nestled close to her chest. She looked down, pulling open the top of the wrap to peek at her nameless child.

The baby awakened. He twisted, then let out a soft cry. He was still so very new to the world, and the present-ness of it caused Sja-anat to pause. Even now, he grows. He will never be this little again. She considered the nature of the passage of time as Evi removed her wrap, then tried unsuccessfully to feed him.

“He won’t latch. Why is this so much harder this time?” Evi cried out eventually, on the verge of tears. “I can’t even feed him. Those whitespines will take him away and give him to a nursemaid. He doesn’t need a nursemaid. He needs me. Why can’t I do this?”

Sja-anat watched and waited, knowing that sometimes Evi spoke her thoughts out loud, and could be startled if Sja-anat answered her. As she had already learned, it was possible to scare the human’s milk away. She floated between worlds, waiting for the perfect moment to speak, a time that would bring comfort rather than fear. She was certain it would arrive, just as certain as she had been that the child would arrive safely.

Evi rocked and kissed the infant, but he continued to mewl. She looked up, then, as if only just now noticing Sja-anat.

“I need to calm down,” she said. “I need a distraction. Spirit, please help me.”

There it was. The perfect moment.

“Name him,” Sja-anat said. “Name him tonight. His father has not answered for long enough.”

“You are right, of course, dear Spirit,” Evi sighed, and looked down at the baby. “The Alethi like to choose names that speak to the child’s identity. We should choose a name close to his father’s, so Dalinar won’t forget it.” She laughed, but it was sad laugh. The mirth couldn’t lift the heaviness of that truth. The Blackthorn had barely been aware of her pregnancy.

“The baby is of you,” Sja-anat countered, an anxiety urging her on. “He was made from your essence. He should be named for you.”

“He will know he is of me.” Evi cuddled him in close. “I’ll always be there for him, but his father won’t be. His name should be a reminder that he is of Dalinar.”

The words brought pain, but of course, Sja-anat kept her own knowledge close. She had her own favourite name. Re-lin, meaning ‘born unto darkness’, for the futures she saw for the boy were grim.

And yet, together, they might create something wonderful. They could be family.

“You wish his name to be ‘Son of Blackthorn’?” Sja-anat asked.

“Yes, well, not quite so directly,” Evi said, and her lips turned to a thoughtful smile. “Dallin,” she said. “Dal-lin. Born unto Dalinar.”

“I do not like it.”

Evi chuckled. “Well it must be a name you approve of, dear Spirit. How about Narin? Nar-in, born unto Dalinar.”

Sja-anat considered. “If you insist on naming him after the Blackthorn, add a part for you. His older brother is named only for the Alethi. Let this child hear some of your language.”

“We Rirans give our children their own names, as a new perspective for The One,” Evi said, then sat and thought, absently patting the baby, who had settled again. “Though there are favourites. If he were to have a Riran name, I might give him a more popular name, so he could hear himself as a part of Rira. Yah, for Yaysi? Yadallin? Hm, it sounds too similar to Adolin.”

“I do not like it.”

“Kei, for Kellai?”

“I do not wish for him to be named after a Herald.”

Evi looked at Sja-anat for a long time, thinking. “Re? It is a good name, and not from a Herald. I have known a few Res, all good people.”

“Re. For Rira. Yes.” Sja-anat hoped she had not answered too hastily. Re, for darkness, for secrets, for Evi.

“Redallin? No, I don’t like the sound of it. Renarin? Hm, that might be nice. Renarin.”

Re-Narin. Just as Re-Shephir was the Mother of Shadows, Re-Narin would be the Son of Shadows. Born unto the darkness of the days of the Blackthorn. Born unto Odium’s champion. Born unto death. Born unto long, hard days and longer, lonelier nights. 

“Born unto the Blackthorn and Evi. Born unto Alethkar and Rira. Let him know he is of two people, two worlds,” Sja-anat said.

"Thank you, Spirit," Evi said, and stepped forward to touch the mirror reverently. "I will burn incense and seal the name in the Riran way. I will tell the Vorin ardents. And I will seal my promise to name him with your blessing." She touched her forehead to the mirror, and Sja-anat could feel the warmth of her intention.

To keep him safe from Odium, Sja-anat would never be able to show a hint of interest in the boy. He would be born unto shadows, born of the love of those who could only watch from afar. In the future, she would do her best to hide him from Odium. Until then, this would be the only blessing she could give.

“Then it is sealed. His name will be...Re-narin.”

If you are thinking, hey, I would like to know why Sja-anat thinks that Evi worships her, you can read my fic Of Me (Rated Mature, 3000 words) and find out how they met in this AU

[elsefaller]

I’ve thought a lot of Stormlight and TMA fears, specifically individual characters, and what fear they’re most aligned with.

Kaladin - The Desolation. I think the lonely or the cast are the obvious answers, but so much of his character is based around loss, and the fear of losing people.

Renarin - The Stranger, other people think he’s odd or uncanny, and he doesn’t fit in. He internalizes this to a great degree.

Shallan - The Spiral, the constant fear of her missing memories, her paranoia. She’s very much a spiral girlie.

Dalinar - The Hunt, now the slaughter seems like also a good fit, but there’s already so much overlap between these two. Constantly chasing the ideal person he could be? The most important step a man can take is the next, especially when chasing something, or when running from your past.

Adolin - This one is tough, but I think it’d be the Eye. He’s constantly under scrutiny, from his father, from society, from himself. A lot of what he does seems to be posturing.

Szeth - The web, feeling like you’re trapped? That you have no option? That’s my boy Szeth alright. I could also see the buried as an option.

Gavilar -The End. I mean come on.

Jasnah - I think lonely, she pushes people away and is generally distant from others. She has people around her but only at arms length.

The Lopen - Also the lonely!! He’s the funny one, the joke. They don’t take him seriously and I think he knows it, but pretends not too.

Taravangian - The Extinction, this is another one I think kinda explains itself.

Venli - The corruption, idk how to describe this one but I feel it. Being tricked into helping the Fused all for acclaim, notoriety, and approval? Feels very Corrupion adjacent.

Bonus one: Vin - The lonely, fucking look at her (I’m so normal about Vin guys.)

Mapping Radiant Orders (Stormlight Archive) to the Fears (Magnus Archives)

Because I really like categories, and some of the orders/fears just work together so nicely! And also, both end in archives, which just makes me happy for no real reason. Yes, I know there are 14ish fears and only 10 orders, so some fears will just have to sit out :(

Windrunners: The Vast. Endless sky to fall through... forever... especially since the use of Lashings is not technically "flying", but "falling" towards a different direction.

Skybreakers: Though the Vast does fit the flying part of their powers, the Hunt better embodies the determination of Skybreakers to hunt down whoever breaks the law, to any end necessary. I mean, just look at Nale and what happened in Edgedancer.

Dustbringers: Dustbringers want to break things, and have the handy dandy surge of Division to do so. Desolation is the first fear that comes to mind, given the common themes of destruction, but I could also see a pretty strong relation to the Stranger. Dustbringers don't break things for the mindless purpose of breaking things, but to find out how they work. The inside. Sounds a little like the mechanical contraptions and the changelings of the Stranger? Except the Stranger usually breaks people, and the Dustbringers... well, actually, they probably could as well.

Edgedancers: A tricky one at first, because the edgedancers are so darn good all the time. But given that their oath is "I will remember the forgotten", the step to Lonely, while a little paradoxical, is not a large one - most Edgedancers (like Lift), were once the people who were forgotten by society.

Truthwatchers: Ah, what could make a better match than the Truthwatchers and the Eye. Both committed to seeking truth and knowledge, while the Eye represents the ideals of a Truthwatcher taken too far, such seeking truth is not merely a tool to create positive change in the world, but an end within itself.

Lightweavers: Again, Stranger is vaguely tempting because of the Lightweavers' capacity for disguise, but I think that Spiral better represents the illusory aspects of their powers in tricking the mind, as well as the deep lies that Lightweavers often have to confront within themselves.

Elsecallers: As an order whose oaths deal with reaching one's self-potential, Elsecallers are... difficult to lump into a fear. The surge of Transportation matches the Spiral's connection with doors, but Elsecallers are anything but unsure of one's own mind. But Elsecallers do make excellent strategists and scholars because of their rational nature, meaning that the Web is not a bad fit.

Willshapers: Willshapers are all about freedom, self-determination, and the capacity to choose whatever route you want to walk. The Vast and the Lonely fit into the idea of exploration and freedom against being bound by society or a greater power, but we've already used those. The Buried is the opposite of the Willshapers, but unlike the Edgedancers, I think that there's such a difference in ideals between the two that they can't be reconciled in the same way. If you have a solid argument for a better fear, I'd love to hear it.

Stonewards: You know what's always there for you? A Stoneward. You know what's also always there for you? The ground, if only because you're trapped inside a cave that's slowly crushing the air out of your lungs and will never let you go. The rocky resemblance is just too good of a fit.

Bondsmith: Another hard one. Unity is not really a big theme among any of the powers, except maybe Corruption in the sense of a hive and some of its twisted feelings of love. But there is something that all living things are united in - death, aka the End. Is this crazy to map them to? I don't know, it's the best I've got.

Some of the orders just don't work that well with the fears, but I gave it my best shot. Opinions? Arguments? I'd be glad to hear them :)

[bloomerism]

It’s respecting and loving Adolin Kholin hours 24/7 in this household

[genuinelyshallow]

Navani was the first. It wasn’t a sudden shock, It took him a moment to even realize those feelings weren’t his, That his Bondsmith abilities were transferring her feelings to him through a simple touch.

Hers were almost identical to his. The love, the desire, the warmth, the belonging. Her feelings of safety, and her peace of mind to be vulnerable with him being more intense than his own was probably the only difference.

The second was Renarin. This time on purpose, He slowly planted his hand on his son’s shoulder. Curiosity to know what in the boy’s mind held. However, He was lost.

He felt an overwhelming amount of love and respect from his son. It was dizzying enough without the many many emotions and thoughts, so entangled, so quick. He never thought Renarin’s mind would be such a storm. But before he could dig any deeper, he felt Renarin trying to wiggle out of his hands. He knew what Dalinar was doing and didn’t want to show him anymore of his mind.

Adolin came third.

The last few months have been driving them further and further apart. He hoped this can help him understand the boy better, so he landed his hand on his shoulder and lost himself to Adolin’s heart.

A Sea. As if he was thrown into a sea, not violent, not calm, like a sea on a slightly windy spring day. Waves to admire, not to fear. Waves of emotions. He didn’t only feel the undeserving amount of love the boy had for him, He felt everything in their bond. Crystal clear water, yet So tremendously deep he can only see it bleed into blackness, with something blazing from the depths.

A seething knot shone from the deep water, And he knew it had everything to do with him. He reached for it. It didn’t burn… or did it?

Sorrow, anger , frustration.. dissatisfied .. storms! the boy had it with him.

Sorrow… No, Adolin…. Sorrow… Son…Sorrow… sorrow..

He felt his own heart tearing apart. He felt the Stormfather grunt from the pain. Why ? Why so much sorrow ?

Longing.. for his mother…Anger.. Images of Evi burning, except these weren’t Dalinar’s memories. These are Adolin’s imagination? No, Dear God…Nightmares..

Dalinar swallowed the lump in his throat and was cowardly escaping by removing his hand. He carried his pain, but was letting his son drown in his ?

No, He held Adolin’s shoulder tighter, and he felt one more thing..

Longing … for his father.

Something missing. Dalinar knew this feeling all too well. He knew it from losing his memories. A part of yourself missing. A thirst while being lost at Sea.

Adolin was missing, yearning, longing for his Father even as he stood here holding his shoulder.

He looked at Adolin. And knew he didn’t need a supernatural ability to decipher the look in the boy’s eyes, those sincere eyes looking up at him. As sincere as his mother’s were. He can already see the sea in the blue of his son’s eyes.

And then it happened so suddenly.

Adolin smiled, a forced smile.. at first he thought.

But he felt it. As the waves took over. Waves of love, to his father, pushed everything back to the seething knot and drowned it deeper. Down, down, down, till it Dalinar found a calm surface again.

Adolin was commanding his heart.

He wasn’t putting a facade. The smile was sincere.

Unfortunately, It faded to be replaced by concerned eyes “Father? Are You alright? ”

Dalinar took a deep breath before he finally had the heart to remove his hand and straighten.

“ Yes”

“ So, what did you want to reprimand me for ?”

“ What? I didn’t want to… You did nothing wrong, Adolin”

Adolin frowned, then nodded.

“ Why would you think that, Son?”

The boy blinked at him as if surprised by the question, “ your grip on my shoulder. It’s usually to stop me, And you looked angry. Then I thought something was wrong when it took you along time to give me a lecture.” He said with a tone of bitterness, but his eyes betrayed his tone again, “ If you’re alright, then where’s my lecture?”

Dalinar opened his mouth to form words, any words, an apology for what he did? He couldn’t do it when the book drafts came out. He cowered then and he’ll now. An apology for his expectations? He still believes Adolin can be so much better than him, he could be one of the best that ever walked Roshar, and he still wants him to. A statement of love? The mere fact that it’s in question saws through his very bones in agony…..

Adolin turned around and left the room.

And Dalinar still didn’t take the next step.

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 10)

Hi, fronds.

I meant to keep going, I really did, but then That Thing happened and I was really upset and also a LOT of real life things happened, most good, but all busy, so. Bear with me. We’ll get through this monster eventually.

Part 10 encompasses pages 753-828 (previous parts)

I’m still super upset about the Rift, y’all. Like. Ultimate #yikes.

ANYWAY, MOVING ON

“That would give privacy to talk” Okay, but you are still in a public space with a bunch of other people, you maaayybe shouldn’t be, like...just using the king’s name casually like you’re besties?

Since this is supposed to be a stealth mission, isn’t it?

OKAY BUT ADOLIN JUST, UNPROMPTED OUT OF NO WHERE ASKING TO SEE KALADIN’S SWORD

SHALLAN PLS “It’s a little small” GURL PLS

“Kaladin liked them both...just not together.” I’m just waiting for someone to yell at them to get a room. Kaladin is the most likely candidate and I’m going to die laughing when it happens.

honestly, polyamory is the real solution here

Two Unmade.

which means we need two radiants to go fight them so Adolin WHEN ARE YOU MANIFESTING, MY BOY?

literally every time anyone mentions seeing a cremling--especially a weird-shaped cremling--I JUST GET REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. WHAT IF IT’S 200-CREMLINGS-IN-A-TRENCH-COAT???

“But Adolin had been raised by a mother with a fondness for hugs” I’M SCREAMING THIS IS FINE I’M FINE. HE MUST MISS HER SO MUCH. HELP

wait, but don’t we know for sure that shardblades can be stuff that’s not swords? Like, didn’t Syl turn into a spear at the end of WoR? So maybe the Radiants DID make other tools for their followers--maybe they did have shardhammers for building and shardbows for hunting and shardshovels for digging latrines, but after the Recreance, the spren died, so they lost the ability to change shape?

Worth thinking about, anyway.

“Thank you for being you, Adolin.” “Everyone else was taken already.” BUDDYYYY. I LOVE HIM. HE’S SO GOOD AND WONDERFUL AND AAHH

OOHH, Shallan gets SQUIRES??? Somehow I didn’t really think that the Lightweavers would be one of the orders that had squires.. they seem a solitary bunch.

Kaladin just...scooting down to sit next to the highmarshal without an invitation is. listen, he’s always been brave, but this is a different sort of bravery--doing something that might get you in trouble with social codes is different from running headlong across a not-set bridge into battle--and I know he’s done shit like this before, often, but not...not really in context of military superiors? I don’T KNOW THIS FEELS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AND I’M EXCITED FOR HIM.

I find it ironic that the COVERED walkway from the Oathgate platform to the palace is called the SUNwalk, but that’s fine.

Kishi is a really good name, dangit brandon stop taking all the really good names

Azure’s sword is a her?

YOU CAN’T JUST SAY THAT, KALADIN!! “How did you get here?” “I flew.” YOU CAn’T JUST. KAL, PLS

I’m

loev

hem

“I’ve given answers. If they aren’t the ones you want, perhaps the questions aren’t very good.” HELLO, I LOVE THIS BOY VERY MJUCH I DON’T KNWO IF YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT ME

wait come here chasing her

OH JESUS FUCK SHE’S VIVENNA ISN’T SHE

She’s from Somewhere Else and she’s got a weird sword and her name’s a color and Vivenna was SUPPOSED to show up in this book GODDAMNIT THERE SHE IS

heheheheheh gosh that’s fun

...............pleasant.

I suppose it is the HEART of the revel, after all...

I really, really didn’t sign up for a horror novel, idk why this keeps happening SIGH

You know you’ve watched too many shitty action movies when the first thing you can think of when a guy gets thrown off the city wall isn’t “oh god he got THROWN off a WALL” and is, instead, “I bet tehy’d have used a Wilhelm Scream there heh”

Listen, Kaladin, I know you CAN fight without flying, but you are currently fighting flying enemies, and you should absolutely go have an aerial battle with them, please, I just want you to be in more cinematic, badass fights pls.

OKAY, BUT MAYBE LAUNCHING YOURSELF OUT A WINDOW AT THIS FUSED GUY ISN’T THE BEST? WAY TO HAVE THE AERIAL BATTLE?

okay, I asked for this, but I rescind my request, BE CAREFUL BABE, PLS.

YES THE HEART

GO FOR THE HEART

YES

Y E S

“my red life” yah, ok, that’s definitely Vivenna NICE

hnnnngggg, every time Kaladin summons the sylbade and, like, does the thing where he rests her on his shoulder all casual and intimidating I just melt, I’m so

he’s so

and so

hnnnnnnnngggggg

mrrrghhh, OF COURSE There’s a gang that steals the food from Shallan’s informants and KILLS THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE KIDS, uggghhh. Should have known.

Continues the trend of Shallan not really knowing anything about how life on the streets work, huh?

OK this lady with vine patterns in her skin who’s Soulcasting for Azure? Actual Soulcaster suffering the effects to way too many years Soulcasting? OR........Radiant?

Honestly, I suspect literally everyone of being a radiant at this point.

pffffffffffffffffffffffttt HOID

of course.

but why did he help? Why is he helping? What’s his game?

“She hadn’t lived on the streets and she didn’t know how to help people.” NICE YOU TO FINALLY REALIZE.

“The only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone. Trust me, I’ve practiced.” COOL, NOW I’M SAD ABOUT HOID. Listen, I know his books are sooo far off, but the more things he says, the more I want to KNOW about him. Argh.

“Many people have suffered more, and they got along fine.” Oooohhh, Shallan, honey. No one ever taught you that the fact that other people have it worse does not negate your suffering.

Also, like. most people have not, in fact, had it worse than you, really. In the grand scheme of things, having to kill both your parents when they tried to kill you sucks a LOT, despite your privilege making the rest of everything better for you...

GOD BLESS ADOLIN KHOLIN, WHO, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH HIS FIANCEE IN PANTS, REACTS ONLY BY COMPLIMENTING HER COLOR COORDINATION AND RECOMMENDING HER COAT BE TAILORED A HAIR BETTER.

BLESS THIS GOLDEN SUNLIGHT BOY.

“You’ve been wanting an army to attack your palace, Your Majesty... well, we’re ready.”

YOU MIGHT BE READY, BUT I’M NOT

DO NOT JUST GO INVADE THE PALACE WITH AN ARMY

GOD, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

hi, Adolin talking to his sword still makes my heart swell, every time, he’s JUST SO GOOD AND PURE AND WONDERFUL

SUNSHINE BOY

HE PUT ON HIS UNIFORM

I’M

I lov hiiiiimm

it’s not Shallan that needs to drive this one back.

I’m still so enamored of this theory, I’m sticking with it even if it’s wrong, I don’t care. One Unmade per Radiant Order. It’s gotta be one of the boys this time. The Heart... Kaladin is nothing but heart, it’s gotta be the windrunner Unmade.

No one tell me I’m wrong, I will be SO DISAPPOINTED if it doesn’t go down this way.

OH SHIT

OOOHH SHIIIT

OOOHHHH SHIIIIIIIT

IT’S THE THING FROM THE COVER THE WHATSITCALLED THE ROCK MONSTER

OH SHIIIIIITTT WE ALL GON DIE

THUNDERCLAST, THAT’s the word phew glad I remembered

listen, Kaladin letting himself get smashed by a giant boulder just so he could Lash it away HURTS MY HEART

DON’T HURT KALADIN, 2K18

yuuuppppp it’s not a shardblade. Blergh, I didn’t finish Warbreaker, is there some wacky shenanigans with Vivenna’s sword? Does it pull the Breath from people or smthn? ...Do people on Roshar have Breath?

Adolin is SUCH ! A GOOD! COMMANDER!

.........I’m very glad that some of the palace guard aren’t evil, but. why did time move weird for them, apparently?

Is this the second Unmade? Is this one something to do with warping time??

I’m confuuuused.

oh

fuck

that’s

hot

GLOWING KALADIN WITH A TWELVE FOOT LONG SYLSPEAR, FLYING THROUGH THE THROWN-OPEN DOUBLE DOORS??? YEAH I’M F I N E, T H I S I S F I N E

nooo don’t split up

never split up

I don’t want this

Adolin giving Kaladin the Bridge Four salute. I’m cry.

oooooooooohh, Shallan summoned Pattern!! And she’s not panicking! I’m so proud of her ahh!!

Skar and Drehey just. continuing to save Adolin. Best bodyguards. Best friends. I love them so much.

mmmmmmmmmmm

I don’t

want this, this is intense this is A LOT

aaaaahhh fuck Kaladin’s wall squad came with. They are SO Going to Die, and I WI LL C RY

she’s singing? So... she’s... hm. What happened to the queen?

I STILL DON’T THINK SHALLAN CAN DEFEAT THIS UNMADE

ohnohecallshissonGav

I’m

ohnohecallshiswifeDearOne

I’m

Elhokar, please

you are so small, just. Be brave.

KALADIN, YOU MADE SYL KILL A SPREN??? I don’t care that it was an evil spren, that’s. You can’t.. Syl. Don’t make Syl kill her family, pls, I’m suffering.

oh no

what ancient spren, WHICH ONE, AESUDAN.

AND HOW

HOW DID YOU BIND VOIDSPREN TO PEOPLE

I’m assuming that’s what it is

I’M CONCERNED

Yelig-nar and Ashertmarn. 1. both of those are terrible star wars names, Brandon, you usually do better. 2. Are those BOTH Unmade? Or is Yelig-nar Aesudan’s...voidspren?

stormspren?

Ancient Parshendi Ancestor of Evil spren?

“I have taken the gemstone into me.” WELL, THAT’S A STEAMING PILE OF # Y I K E S

mmm yeah, no, she didn’t do it. Shallan didn’t defeat it, it retreated. Or was called away or something. We’re deeeefinitely going to have to deal with that again.

oh shit is this the other one?

this is the other one

Yelid-nar is Aseudan’s Parshendi Ancestor’s name. Sja-anat is the other Unmade.

I’m scared.

ON THE STAIRWELL? GoDDAMNIT THAT’S A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PLACE FOR A FIGHT

 no

n

o

don’t

make kaladin

kill his parshendi friends

please

oh fuck, Moash is with Kaladin’s parshendi friends, isn’t he?

damn, I AM NOT READY FOR THIS

yeah, no SHIT The heart fled. I TOLD you Shallan couldn’t defeat that one.

but why is THIS one helping her? OR IS SHE

WHAT IS HAPPENING

GOOD DON’T KILL EACH OTHER PLEASE.

oh Kaladin

“He’s always been able to trick himself into seeing a battle as us against them. Protect those you love. Kill everyone else. But...but they didn’t deserve death. None of them did.” HI THIS IS MY GHOST TYPING, I AM DEAD NOW. Kaladin has come so far, from scraping along, doing everything he could to breathe, let alone survive, and now--look at him. Look at him realizing that everyone, everyone is doing the same thing he is. They are all of them fighting to survive, they are all of them fighting to protect what they love.

Everyone is the hero of their own story, even if they are a villain to you.

God, this book is so literary, it’s so strong. Be better. Do better than those who have wronged you. See yourself in those around you, even your enemy, and do better. Take responsibility for who you are and what you do and who you fight.  God, THIS BOOK.

Also, Kaladin trying to stop the fighting, I’m crying.

THEY ARE ALL DYING. I TOLD YOU THEY WOULD AND I TOLD YOU I WOULD CRY AND HERE I AM. SOBBING.

noooo

no no nono

I’ don’t

want this

put it

back

I’m

Elhokar waS SO CLOSE OH M Y GOD HE

ONE MORE WORD OF THE IDEAL GOD DAMNIT

Moash

of course

he always wanted to kill the king

fuck

I knew this was coming because I got fucking spoiled but it still hurt like a punch to the gut

FUCK, HE KNEW KALADIN WAS THERE AND HE DID IT ANYWAY

god

f u ck

I’m

he knew. he saluted. he didn’t even pause.

DAMMNIT, MOASH, YOU’RE BETTER THAN THIS.

god, Kaladin screamed, I’m

not okay

So much for Kholinar, god

“If we engage the device, we’ll be caught in a disaster.” AREN’T YOU ALREADY

...sapphire is windrunners, right? so why is the epitaph.........it’s a sapphire recording. A windrunner. “Am I not supposed to want to help people?” Does that mean...what is the Fourth Ideal of the Windrunners? The order of people who help people. Why...would their Fourth Ideal...not? be about helping people?

UGH, the radiant recordings make me SO NERVOUS ALL THE TIME.

1. I hate Taravangian. A Lot.

2. Here’s a thing: Navani spent a whole book and a half thinking her eldest child was dead, but holding out hope she was alive, and getting to have that vindication when Jasnah showed up. How...how long is she going to hold out hope that Elhokar somehow made it out alive only to have that shattered when the rest of them show up and he doesn’t?

ALSO FUN FACTS, DALINAR PROBABLY NOW THINKS ADOLIN, ELHOKAR, AND KALADIN--THREE OF HIS FOUR SONS--ARE DEAD, PROBABLY, SO THAT’S FINE, I’M FINE.

EVERYTHING’S FINE.

OH FUCK IT TOOK THEM TO SHADESMAR

WHY

OH MY GOD

WHERE’S JASNAH WHEN YOU NEED HER, SHE CAN NAVIGATE THIS SHIT

also !!!! PATTERN AND SYL AND ?????? ???? ?? ADOLIN’S?? SPREN????? PLEASE SAY IT’S ADOLIN’S SPREN. HIS BLADE. WHATEVER. PLEASE.

LET ADOLIN HAVE A SPREN 2K18

god, Vivenna: HARD SAME, GIRL

also, I forgot that she would have had to have come through the Cognitive Realm to get from Nalthis to Roshar, but heeeeheheheh yeah. She knows what she’s doing here, or at the very least has an idea. Excellent.

but FUCK

SHADESMAR

AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY’RE DEAD

and dear fucking god, Moash, you’re better than this, why must you continue to make REALLY BAD DECISIONS.

these are my priorities

leave me alone.

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters 121-122 and Epilogue

And so it is that we come to the end.

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-One – Ideals

Oh, hello Moash. How are you doing, now that you've accomplished what you set out to do?

'Shouldn't Moash have felt pleasure? Or at least satisfaction? Instead, killing Elhokar had only made him feel… cold.' Yep, there it is. Cold. Like your heart, asshole.

[winces] And of course by this point the Fused have made many of the humans of Kholinar slaves, to clear out the battle-rubble of where they once lived.

Note: confirmed in-book that there are only nine orders of Fused (which means they're probably missing access to one of the Surges)

What is in the palace that they want

NO. YOU KEEP THAT MEMORY. YOU SUFFER THE MEMORY OF HOW KALADIN LOOKED WHEN YOU STABBED ELHOKAR.

Looks like there's at least some of the Fused who are trying to catch up on what they're missed in the past four thousand years.

“You have killed a king. Would you do the same to a god?” Oh maaaaaaaaan, you know where one of the insane Heralds is. Jezrien, if that sapphire is any indication (and if it has any meaning beyond just being a gemstone) but the gold-white metal sounds important too. Oh this is not going to go well.

---

I love Navani. 'EVERYONE BETWEEN ME AND DALINAR BETTER MOVE.'

That has to be a little hilarious to see, though, because while Kaladin's only just a little bit taller than Dalinar, Lopen is short. They make for rather lopsided crutches.

SHOO, BOYS. Navani please

Ahhh, that's how he thought to trap the Thrill to begin with. Remembering Taravangian's words helped capture it in the end, but Navani is the one who inspired the plan in the first place. If anyone can manage to find out why the King's Drop(/Honor's Drop) was able to capture the Thill, it's her.

'Something unconventional, perhaps uncomfortable.” “Anything. What is it?” “I want you to teach me how to read.” OH HOLY SHIT. DUDE. DUDE. WHAT EVEN IS THIS THIS IS FANTASTIC

---

[winces] Shallan is still very Not Well – and it is the true Shallan that is the most tired of course, because she is the core, and right now, it's just easier for her to be her masks.

At least she's apparently going to actually dedicate herself to her wardship now? She won't flee?

But at the same time, the inside of her mind is spinning, spinning, spinning, the two mask-personalities flickering and overlapping her and I was right to worry because she's not settling as she calms down and lets the adrenaline and battle furor fade away.

They are going to have to pull out all the stops to explain the day's events to the Azish, admittedly. With any luck, Queen Fen can help them with that.

'He skidded a little as he fell to his knees beside her, then raised his hands – only to hesitate, as if confronted by something very fragile.' He can tell. He was going in for a relieved, exhausted hug and maybe a follow-up kiss but he can see she's masking.

Flicker, flicker, flicker, 'Adolin searched her eyes. She bled from one, to the other, and back. A moment of Veil. A moment of Radiant. Shallan peeking through– Adolin's hand tightened around her own.' Excuse me while I go scream about this, this moment of quiet worry and understanding and him knowing Shallan, the real Shallan, picking her out from her shields against the world without even a word. An anchor for her to steady on.

“Most of the blood isn't mine. Well, I guess it is. But I'm feeling better.” Oh my god, way to understate 'I almost died but at least the internal injuries are healed?'

Ahhhhh, and we get a moment of pure, quiet physical contact as they hold each other on the wall in all the aftermath of the blood and fear and chaos, and it's just the two of them taking comfort in simply holding each other and being and it's lovely-

And then when he quips to lighten the mood a little of course that's when Kaladin lands not far way and Veil barges up to the forefront. And the way she looks at/is responding to Kaladin's presence… [winces] Shiiiit, that’s- that’s not a good blush from Adolin; he sees where she’s looking, sees Veil-Shallan’s immediate interest in Kaladin and abrupt dismissal of him. That’s an embarrassed, hurt, I’ve-been-deluding-myself blush. Piling that on top of his already-low self image right now, that's… haaaah. I wouldn't be surprised if he started trying to back away – women have a tendency to leave him, after all, so why wouldn't this relationship end up the same, no matter how much I love her?

I'm surprised that Radiant is on Veil's side of preferring Kaladin now, considering that she was the mask-personality that preferred spending time with Adolin in the first place. That seems almost like a switch that's Convenient Because Drama.

!!!! Shallan, exhausted and overwhelmed as she is, is managing to assert herself?! 'They were not her. She was occasionally them. But they were not her.'

You have done some healing.

---

'She attuned Appreciation anyway. An old rhythm. She loved being able to hear those again at will – she could attune either old or new, and could make her eyes red, except when she drew in stormlight.' I'm so glad that we have a Listener Radiant – I mean, I'd hoped it was going to be Eshonai, but all the same – LISTENER/SINGER RADIANT I'M SO STOKED. She can hide herself among the Singers and Fused, too, keep them thinking that she's a Regal while she observes them and listens to what Timbre has to say. (I'm betting she's a Willshaper, but I could be wrong…? Stoneward is a possibility as well, since those two and Dustbringer were the ones that were missing from Dalinar's Radiant-count if we don't include Taln as possibly 'counting'.)

Yeaaaah, I thought it was impossible too, but it looks like that's not the case.

[hums] The Singers on the ship make some very good arguments, and those same arguments are probably happening all over the world now that the Singers' minds are awakened again, and not trapped in Slaveform. After the intial 'what's going on' assessment, we haven't heard what the rest of the Singers around the world are doing.

“I know who you were. Keep working, and let me tell you of the Listeners.” Yesssss, spread the songs and history of your people! Keep them alive!

---

Nightblood. Nightblood, not everything has to be destroyed.

How the hell is 'Obedience' one of the Dustbringers' Divine Attributes when you have Nale saying of the Skybreakers “The very reason we swear to something external is because we acknowledge that our own judgment is flawed.” I mean, come on.

You say that Ishar survived with his mind intact, but isn't he the one going batshit crazy and calling himself a god/priest and wanting to kill everyone? That doesn't sound all that 'intact' to me.

“The law is made by men, so it is not perfect either. It is not perfection we seek, for perfection is impossible. It is instead consistency.” The Skybreakers continue to confuse the hell out of me.

Well, there's the Ideal. Next up, cleansing the Shin of their false leaders. Hopefully that won't be as bloody a task as the last leader-culling spree you went on was.

“You may find him a harsh master.” “He is a good man, Nin-son-God.” “That is precisely why.” ………..fair.

Aaaaand he's still going to train with the Skybreakers, or at least with Nale, despite the fact that they're technically on opposite sides now. That's going to cause some interesting clashes in the next book, I'll bet.

Nightblood, please

---

Of course someone was making tea. There is always time to make tea.

[winces] I'm… not sure how long it'll take you to find him, Shallan. He's probably not doing too well right about now, no matter how well he may look like he's managing.

'She'd seen how envious he'd been as he watched those Fused, with their flowing robes, moving like the wind.' He was probably more jealous that they got to fly everywhere than of the robes. He does like to stay aloft. The skies are Kaladin's domain.

Lots and lots of dust, though he wasn't so much fighting a bag of sand as something much more solid.

Ouch. She put his arm around her shoulders herself, when usually he's the one who's super-tactile. That alone should sound Warning bells going off! Something's wrong! for her, and he's not responding to her efforts at being lighthearted, either.

'He took a deep breath, and removed his arm from her shoulders.' Fuuuuuuuuuuuck. Warning bells heightened to Serious Alarms.

“I've decided,” Adolin said, “to step back.”' Aaaaaaaand there it is. I'm honestly not surprised. He's hurting and you can tell? so easily? But this is that crux point, that If-you-love-something-let-it-go moment of ‘I’ll step aside without another word if this is what will make you happy (even if it breaks my heart)', and he's backing that up with his body language with the way he goes all stiff and tall, like he's bracing himself and doesn't want her to see him falter.

[buries face in hands] There he goes with his concept-to-words getting screwed up between brain and mouth and I feel you on that, man, I really do, but oh my god Shallan please take him apart for that “I'm going to let him have you.” sentence.

“I'm holding you back. I see the way you two look at each other. I don't want you to keep forcing yourself to spend time with me because you feel sorry for me.” HELLO SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES. Even disregarding that, though, that's… okay, it's really dumb that he's not asking her her feelings on Kaladin first, but also it's really selfless of him, trying not to put any pressure on her about it.

I can't keep quoting here or I'm just going to end up going through the entire thing line by line-

THANK YOU FOR RIPPING HIM ON THAT LINE SHALLAN, there is no one who decides who 'gets' you because you are not a prize, but also please bash him over the head with the fact that this is your choice, not what attraction he's convinced himself that he's seen between Veil-You and Kaladin

….it's a good thing that she paused for breath because he'd never get a word in otherwise. That tirade definitely counts as smacking him upside the head with her honest opinion.

OOOP THERE'S THE PHYSICAL CONTACT COMING BACK (along with probably as much of an admittance of his inner weakness as he's going to give). And yet he still asks her are you sure, because he is going to Respect Her Choice and he'll be damned if he doesn't double check to make sure he's getting what she's saying exactly right, for both their sakes (because damn if it doesn't look like he wants to pin her against the alley wall right about now)

Still voices his worry for her concerning Veil and Radiant, and tbf she needs someone who will do that, and who will also be there to remind her who she really is if she starts slipping away and losing herself again.

“But that's the thing, Shallan. I don't want anyone. I want you.” [clutches chest] Be still my beating heart, but I'm such a sucker for things like this.

Ah, and now they get to have a heated makeout session in the alley. Good, they have some passion to work out and Adolin has some physical contact and dumbass words to make up for.

---

It is going to be a big effort to get the thunderclast's corpse out of that high tier of the city. Maybe once the next highstorm renews the spheres, the Radiants can help take care of that.

Oh good, Kaladin's not feeling bitter or jealous either THANK YOU SANDERSON. THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING THIS A CLICHE LOVE TRIANGLE

Syl. Syl you can Kaladin need to sit down and have a Talk if this is how you're going to continue to be about his relationships both platonic and possibly-romantic.

“I don't think I loved her, Syl. I felt… something. A lightening of my burdens when I was near her. She reminds me of someone.” [cups hands] THAT'S CALLED PLATONIC LOVE, KAL, AND ALSO FRIENDSHIP and he's actually acknowledging that thank you once again Sanderson for having Kaladin realize the difference between Friendship and Romantic Love

And now I'm going to go sob over the memory of Tien thankyouverymuch

“He was your first god, before you turned to Honor.” HMMM. So. Perhaps the demise of the planet that the Rosharan-humans originated on was related to the fact that Odium was their only shard? If they came here and found Honor (and likely Cultivation as well), that could mean that the original Radiants weren't Radiants as we know them at all, but bonded to Voidspren of Odium.

'You could protect your home. You could kill to defend the people inside. But what if the people you killed were only trying to get back what was rightfully theirs?… Could anyone really be expected to let go because of what ancient people had done, no matter how dishonorable their actions? Who did he fight? Who did he protect?' Not easy questions, not with the humans having been on Roshar for so long at this point that they even forgot their own origins, and they're questions that're going to require much, much more in-depth assessment in the next book from every POV character we get.

That's… given Dalinar's vision, I'd thought the Recreance a single event, but that makes much more sense.

“The oaths are about perception, Syl. You confirmed that. The only thing that matters is whether or not we are confident that we're obeying our principles.” Hence why you couldn't say the Fourth Ideal. You couldn't say it and be confident that you meant it, much less could follow it. It also explains how the Ideals within each order are similar at their core but differ in small ways, like how Teft's Third Ideal differs from yours.

It is going to end up a little bit messy, but I imagine that that's why there's seven books left.

Cultural note: kuma = crushed lavis grain and spices, served with flatbread; Kaladin counts them as travel rations

“It doesn't change us, Teft. We're still who we are.” And that's the point. Broken people, the lot of the Radiants, and now Teft has a new perspective on that reality that he didn't before. He'll understand Kaladin a little better now, knowing that even storming Stormblessed is as broken as he is. And he has Bridge Four to help him, as Kaladin does. They're not alone in this.

“We lift the bridge together, Teft, and we carry it.”

I'm not crying you're crying

---

Did the Heralds disappear off somewhere during the battle? We haven't seen hide nor hair of Ash or Taln since the Radiant-count Dalinar did before everyone split and the POVs started flipping like popcorn.

Oh hello Taravangian. FUCK OFF.

He's fairly intelligent today, and Dalinar's at least starting to see a glimpse of his true colours – but only as much as Taravangian's choosing to reveal.

!!!! You think you've found Battah in Kharbranth? Ohhhhh, is that how you found out that the Dustbringers would be the most receptive to the plan of the Diagram, you found their patron Herald

---

Oh hello Moash. FUCK OFF.

Haaaaaaah. That old madman was Jezrien, I was right. Well, not anymore, though whatever that knife is that Moash is using to murder him, it's doing something – the dark smoke coming from the stab wound makes me think if Nightblood, but that glow at the pommel insinuates that they have him trapped there. Doing that should be possible, since the Heralds are a variety of Cognitive Shadow, but how the Fused/Odium figured out that not only could it be done but how, I'm not sure. Considering that they didn't want to do it themselves, though, there's probably consequences.

---

Lopen has a spren (at least one that's attached itself to him) and he plays hide-and-seek with it (him?) and teaches him rude gestures. Should we have expected anything less?

Dru-! Sanderson, you had better bring Drehy and Skar back alive; let them have a reunion, and a happy one at that.

'Kaladin had entered, glowing softly, speaking with some of the surgeons. Knowing Kaladin, he was probably telling them how to do their jobs.' Truer words have likely never been thought, Lopen, and you well know it. The poor surgeons probably have years upon years more training than Kaladin does, but he is glowing, so of course they're listening and nodding along. Glowing does that to people.

Haaaaaah. That's the thing, Lopen – just because you have an optimistic outlook doesn't mean that you're not broken. That looks different for each individual. Just because you're relatively sane or stable doesn't mean you're not cracked through.

JOURNEY BEFORE P A N C A K E S. Lopen have you been hanging out with Lift. You have, haven't you.

OMG. Of course he'd been wanting to save it for a dramatic moment. Hah – that's not quite how it works, Lopen. That is the moment to use your double-rude-gesture, though.

Kaladin plz

---

Ahhh, and now we get back to the Heralds. That answers where they were during Chapter 120, though. 'Talenel'Elin had broken like the rest of them.' He just took longer than the rest of you -  the hardiest soul of the ten.

Uhhhhh, Ash, I don't know if you've been keeping up with Ishar, but he's kinda gone completely bonkers. You won't find any answers with him.

[eyebrows rise] 'She'd stamp it all out. She would ruin every depiction.' ….huh. Given that you were one of those on the field when Radiant Roll Call was done and there were no Dustbringers there, you might be a potential Dustbringer, considering that you're in the lineup to get a POV book in the second five. That sounds like very destructo-Dustbringer thinking.

!!!! Is Jezrien your actual father, or is that an excuse that you're giving to explain away the collapse? Also, confirmation that whatever that knife did to Jezrien, it tore his soul away from the cycle the heralds were bound to, though still unknown exactly what it did.

Midius? That must be one of Jasnah's contacts – and Jasnah definitely recognises the two of them for who they are.

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Two – A Debt Repaid

!!!!!!! Dalinar retained the ability to infuse spheres and people with stormlight! That wasn't just an effect of the opening Perpendicularity or a temporary buff!

Oh thank god Drehy and Skar are alive – and on top of that, Vathah and Red and Ishnah… and Gavinor

ohhhhhhh, Teft and Lopen weren't the only new full Radiants-!

---

Back to Taravangian – compassionate Taravangian, who in all honesty should still fuck off

Who is now hearing voices in his head, and I don't think it's a spren. (But you never know…)

And he's the one who let the Singers in! Probably by using Malata to unlock and use the Oathgate, and from there the Honorblade was stolen. Ohhh, you scheming cremling of an old man. Not only that, but he and the others of the Diagram know to call the 'parshmen' Singers when none of the protags do as of yet.

'The confrontation predicted by the Diagram would happen soon.' what confrontation. Taravangian, what confrontation are you/they talking about and are we going to see it next book

Inviting Odium in like a goddamn vampire, that's just great

'Do you really think you will ever be able to negotiate with me from a position of power?' Oc course Odium wouldn't consider compassion to be power, but only the intelligent end of the scale. Still, it's not like there's any position of power for a human to 'negotiate' with Odium from in the first place.

Golden light, golden words – gold is as much Odium's colour as red is. Considering that one of his Unmade gives the Death Rattles/the power to foresee possible futures, he likely had a hand in granting Taravangian the ability to make the Diagram as well.

'A ripple in what Odium could see… At its root, a name. Renarin Kholin.' [from the distance, a muffled 'fuck yeaaaahhhhhh']

“I need nobody.” Oh for fuck's sake, I know that the majority of this book isn't supposed to feel all ~highbrow English~ and that's fine, it's part of the writing and atmosphere, but Odium is supposed to come across as haughty, not like a belligerent three-year-old. The editor should have at least demanded that it be changed to “I need no one.”

Haaaaah, he's still trying to bargain… and even though they technically made a bragain, I don't think it'll end up how Taravangian wants it anyway. Even if Odium himself leaves Kharbranth alone, he can simply let the Singers do as they wish to it, or blockade the humans in and simply wait for them to starve. Kharbranth has nothing but the Palanaeum and its medical schools, after all. One city alone in all Roshar will still fall.

---

Back to the Shadolin Constant Physical Affection and now in front of the other highprinces/princesses, generals, etc., with added “It looks beautiful.” “You look beautiful.” “You are beautiful.”“Only because you’re here. Without you, I fade.” No goddamn wonder Brightness Teshav is rolling her eyes at them. He’s tucking her under his chin and they’re happily leaning into each other amongst a people that Do Not Do Public Affection, and being complete lovestruck morons on top of that.

AND THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED IN A WEEK HOLY SHIT

(it's gonna be a looooong week for those two)

Again with gold being Odium's colour, though this time Dalinar is the one preemptively associating it with him – burning gold, even.

(it's going to be a very long week for Adolin/Shallan)

Iri is fully allied with Odium at this point, and they've got three of the ten Oathgates. That alone will severely restrict protagonist movement in the north-northwest part of Roshar – and I bet we'll get to see that part of the continent for ourselves in the next book.

Looking out over 'Kholinar' has to be An Experience for those in the room that haven't seen Shallan's powers at work beyond the lightmap, doubly so since it shows the city under occupation. For those whose home it is – was….. the gut-wrench must be far more.

How long is it going to take them (Dalinar, lbr, it'll have to be Dalinar's realization) that Taravangian is their Traitor™

OH AND THEN ADOLIN COMES RIGHT OUT WITH THAT IDEA

But of course Dalinar shoots it down, though at least not entirely. It may take the entirety of the next book – or even longer – as well as solid proof for that realization to come.

Ooo. Oooo. I… agree with Shallan in that Adolin has the capability to be king, but at the same time, not only do we-the-readers know that he doesn't particularly want to step higher than Highprince, but he's got some serious internal self-doubt issues to deal with that he apparently still hasn't confided to Shallan (and likely won't).

I……. was not expecting that revelation, not like this. I don't see how Dalinar/the Kholins can manage to fix this, honestly, though they'll have to do something – and Dalinar is too honest to hide it. Ialai will know, and Ialai will remember, and Ialai will have her revenge. I'll bet a handful of emerald spheres that she manages to nearly kill Adolin and he survives by reviving Mayalaran (probably unintentionally/with his dying breaths).

Admittedly, he wouldn’t be nearly as good at politicking as they need in a monarch right now; they need someone who can negotiate and carve arguments. Highprince suits him better.

---

AYYY, PALONA AND SEBARIAL AGAIN

At least all the kings and princes from before decided to come back, after the whole fiasco of a meeting that happened right before the battle in Thaylen City. I’m honestly surprised that all of them are here, because while Gawx would at least listen to Lift, what led the other monarchs to believe that they could trust the Alethi again?

‘The Kholin family, it seemed, had chosen their new monarch.’ Haaahahahahah and now you all have to deal with Queen Jasnah. If the Alethi social system isn’t entirely overturned by the time the Desolation is over, this had better result in either absolute primogeniture, or even better, aptitude.

---

Moash! Hello again, and from the bottom of my heart, go jump off a fucking cliff

So. They’re depopulating the human inhabitants of Kholinar; but where are they sending them? They can’t all be sent to work as labor in farms and fields, there’s just too many - especially with all the refugees that had taken shelter in the city when Odium’s army attacked and overran Kholinar.

Even here they’re talking about Passions, rather than just down in Thaylenah where the ‘Passions’ are worshipped and therefore would be part of the narrative that Odium was feeding to the new Singers. Considering how Odium call himself the Shard of Passion, and he used to be the Old God of the original batch of humans, that worship could have a basis from those way-back-when humans, and now that Odium is ‘on the side of’ the Singers/Listeners, he’s instituting much the same now.

“We heard something. Made us want to be near you.” [squints] ….what did you hear. Are you referring to hearing rumours, or hearing Rhythms, or hearing something else…

Well, being near Moash doesn’t look like its going to last long, and not just because of the name change. Vyre, huh. It’s a lovely-sounding name, but the meaning…. not so much.

---

MARRIAGE DAY, MARRIAGE DAY

Weddings are usually a hassle, Shallan, especially for those near the top of the social order, and it sounds like ‘everyone’ wants to try to make this a spectacle in the ‘correct’ way (as opposed to the Dalivani ‘let’s have the Stormfather himself marry us if none of the ardents will).

Of course Lift would gift her something like a dried fish. Bless.

BOOTS FROM BRIDGE FOUR. Ohhhh, they are never going to let you forget that for the rest of your life - though at least at this point it’s apparently all in good humor.

(Ialai ‘[leaving] Urithiru in disgrace’ does absolutely nothing to assuage my worries/certainty that she’ll be back for revenge)

I definitely need to draw Shallan in her wedding ensemble (and Adolin too).

'Veil and Radiant faded. When Shallan looked back in the mirror, she didn't feel embarrassed by the attention any longer. It was all right. It was all right to be happy.' I am so very, very happy for how far Shallan's come – not just over the course of this book, with all its ups and downs, but from the very beginning. Actually! Allowing herself and admitting to herself that it's okay to be happy, that she deserves happiness! Her, Shallan, and not any shade of her that comes out sometimes.

AH GOOD THEY'RE ALIVE, MRAIZE KEPT HIS PROMISE. Heheh – this is definitely a time for joyspren if there ever was one. How different she must look to them, considering the last time they saw her was so long ago, a year or more! And now she's here in this tower and a Radiant and getting married.

Oooo, only part of her debt forgiven. It's not like she was going to cut ties with the Ghostbloods anytime soon, but still – she still owes them.

However, their goals still align, and Mraize somehow knows of Sja-Anat. Speaking of Glys being one of her corrupted 'children', though, can she somehow contact them through Glys, I wonder, much as she contacted the Shallan and the others through a corrupted gloryspren while they were in Shadesmar?

A celebration of being herself. This is a wonderful thing.

---

Teft gets his own Bridge of squires! YESGOOD

That has to be really weirdly awkward, though, with Szeth – the Assassin in White – taking up duty as Dalinar's personal bodyguard. WHY DID WE NOT GET A SCENE OF THEM TALKING ABOUT THIS WHOLE NEW ARRANGEMENT. Branderson I am disappoint.

W R I T I N G

It's so amazing that just the fact that this man. is writing. sends me into fits of flailing. How fantastic, how wonderful, that worldbuilding and characterization and character development can come together in such a way that this scene makes me hand-flap a mile a minute.

'We took Shardblades from women, and they seized literacy from us. Who got the better deal, I wonder?' I think you've already determined your answer to that question, Dalinar.

Writing this is going to be greatly cathartic for him, no matter how it's received by others.

!!! He calls Rock a Windrunner – is he insinuating full Windrunner there, or is that also applied to the squires for convenience?

The light – the light from that last 'vision', the one that wasn't sent by Honor or the Stormfather. That light.

Oathbringer, My Glory and My Shame. Written by the hand of Dalinar Kholin.

[insert flailing here. lots and lots of flailing.]

Epilogue – Great Art

Still in Kholinar, Hoid? Well, interesting things are happening there, though you are risking getting caught by Odium, and that could only mean Bad Things for everyone...

Of course he'd go into this deep and meaningful spiel about art, all as witty justification for “You are less a human being, and more a lump of dung with aspirations.” The King's Wit really was quite the perfect side-job for him.

'Not a mask he put on. Real sorrow. Real pain.' You don't live as long as Hoid does, be who he is, and not have a wellspring of both.

'-level the city and consider it a cheap price for even the slimmest chance of ending [Hoid]' does sound like something Odium would do.

[hums] Making the possible start of a new family from broken fragments of old ones now lost. People underestimate how much you care.

Of course Odium would have Fused – with their memories that stretch back Desolations – that are dedicated to keeping an eye out for Hoid.

!!!!!!!!

“I know you'd rather have someone else, but this isn't the time to be picky. I'm certain now that the reason I'm in the city is to find you.” Who? Someone – or something – in the walls of the palace?

Luring with truths.

A Cryptic.

“Life before death, little one.”

[muffled shrieking]

[preservationandruin]

Oathbringer Liveblog, Part Three: Chapters 68-76

I’m not sure where half of these plotlines are going, but I’m intrigued! That’s how it always seems to go with these stories, isn’t it? 

Shallan goes out for lunch with a bard, Kal makes some friends, we meet Highmarshal Azure and I fall in love instantly, Dalinar has flashbacks, Shallan is having some identity trouble, and Dalinar burns a scar into Alethi history, and I cut this off because I’m legitimately too nauseous to keep reading. 

So Shallan and Wit are going to go out to eat. Not a sentence that I expected to write, but here we are. Apparently Wit promised the owner that he would draw patrons, and not only was bullshitting (of course) but also is now trying to use Shallan as proof he did what he said. He also lifted her purse at some point. Shallan is so confused. 

Wit is such a fucking bard. 

As he ushered her in, he raised a fist toward the innkeeper. “I’ve had enough of your oppression, tyrant! Secure your wine this evening, for the revolution will be swift, vengeful, and intoxicated!” Closing the door behind him, Wit shook his head. “That man really should know better by now. I have no idea why he continues to put up with me.” 

I mean, I’m not wrong. 

Shallan asks if he’s a Herald; he replies no, because “the last seven times” he tried to get involved in religion were all disasters. 

“I believe there’s at least one god still worshipping me by accident.”

The worst thing is, this is probably true. He reveals to Shallan that he’s far, far older than the Heralds, and notes that when he was young, he made a vow to “always be there when he was needed” but has realized that he should have been way more specific, because “there” is usually somewhere useless. 

Shallan and Wit are great snark companions, though. Shallan has to break the news to him that Sadeas is dead. 

“Someone offed old Sadeas, and I missed it?” “What would you have done? Helped him?”  “Storms, no. I’d have applauded.” 

Adolin has unknowingly gained a fan. 

Anyway, Wit knows which spren is in the palace--it’s called the Heart of the Revel, and it’s dangerous; it reminds Wit of something he used to find, and he tells Shallan she’ll need to bring food for their revels to get in. The Heart of the Revel seems to spur on hedonism. 

...it may have been controlling Aesudan for far longer, now that I think about it, and only awoke to full power with the Everstorm. Only Rei-Shephir was bound, after all. 

Also Wit stole some of Shallan’s money. Of course. 

Over to Kaladin! He tries Lashing, and notes that it seems to attract the shrieking spren. Kal also approves of the Voidbringer’s spear--it’s a good one for battle. Lightweaving, being “quiet” (according to Pattern) doesn’t attract them, but actively Lashing does--although just holding stormlight does not. 

Makes sense that fucking with gravity would be “loud,” though. 

“A party,” Kaladin said, pacing back and forth in the tailor shop’s showroom. Skar and Drehy leaned by the doorway, each with a spear in the crook of his arm.  “This is what they’re like,” Kaladin said. “Your city is practically burning. What should you do? Throw a party, obviously.” 

I’m with Kaladin on this one. First of all--the palace is inhabited by a spirit of hedonism called the Heart of the Revel and you throw a party? Second of all, this is high-quality “Nero fiddles while Rome burns” action happening. 

Drehy and Skar point out that it’s sort of like going out drinking during war, which is a good point, but still. 

[Casper gestures furiously toward the giant evil party spren in the castle while making a noise like a boiling teakettle]

Anyway, Adolin got a new outfit! Kal gives his opinion: 

“You look like you tripped and fell into a bucket of blue paint,” Kaladin said, “then tried to dry off with a handful of parched grass.” 

“And you look like what the storm leaves behind,” Adolin said, passing by and patting Kaladin on the shoulder. “We like you anyway. Every boy has a favorite stick he found out in the yard after the rains.” 

Adolin also has started to call Kaladin Kal. He also talks to Skar and Drehy and get their requests for food he can steal from the lighteyes’ table. I’m so glad that Adolin gets along well with Bridge Four now. He also offers to take them drinking the next day--apparently the three of them have gone drinking a few times since the pair of them stopped Adolin’s ass from falling in a chasm at the end of Words of Radiance. 

Anyway, we get that Kaladin doesn’t like lightweaving over his face--because it feels like lying to him, which makes sense. Interestingly, if you put all the orders in a circle, windrunners and lightweavers are opposites. I know this is news to nobody ok. 

Also, summoning the Sylblade doesn’t draw screamers, so at least Kal has that to fall back on. 

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? 

THIS IS A BIG MENTALLY ILL MOOD Y’ALL. Like, god, if that isn’t the story of my life. 

C’mon, Kal, we can do it. 

Anyway, Adolin notices that Kaladin is upset, and drops back to talk with him. They discuss whether or not Kaladin should train in side sword, then--

“Maybe I’m one of those punchy guys.”  Adolin stopped in place and grinned at Kaladin. “Did you just say ‘punchy guys?”’ “You know, ardents who train to fight unarmed.”  “Hand to hand?” “Hand to hand.”  “Right,” Adolin said. “Or ‘punchy guys,’ as everyone else calls them.”  Kaladin met his eyes, then found himself grinning back. “It’s the academic term.”  “Sure. Like swordy fellows. Or spearish chaps.”  “I once knew a real axalacious bloke,” Kaladin said. “He was great at psychological fights..”  “Psychological fights?”  “He could really get inside someone’s head.” 

This is too good for me to leave it out look at these pun idiots making jokes at each other. Anyway, Adolin is really excited about possibly teaching Kaladin sword, and also points out to be a good warrior he’s going to need to learn how to fight all kinds of people--and the best way to know how to do that is to practice with their weapons himself. 

When I was imprisoned for daring to accuse Amaram, he was the only lighteyes who stood up for me.  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. 

As I’ve said before: this is the good Kaladin and Adolin content I love to see. Shippy or not, it’s just good content. 

Anyway, Kal feels sick at the idea of going into the non-noble lighteyes’ tent like he’s supposed to, so he borrows a spear and decides to walk the block. Kal goes over to the wall, and Shallan’s illusion over his brands has dropped. It might just...work less well on Kaladin? 

Anyway, there are apparently free meals for deserters. He heads over and decides to talk to them to get his information on this Azure. 

The epigraphs from the gems are mentioning something called “the Sibling” that has withdrawn some from them. 

Anyway, Kal’s with the Wall Guard now. He also notes that he’s been spoiled by Rock’s cooking. Anyway, the state of the men speaks well in Kal’s mind of Highmarshal Azure, who he assumes is some midrank officer thrust into power by the chaos. 

Kal tells the basic truth about his shash brand--got in a squabble with Amaram, who killed some of his men. The sergeant keeps trying to recruit him, and Azure apparently has a Shardblade. 

And then Azure appears and I shriek, because she’s a lady. 

fuck YES. I feel like Eowyn is an appropriate reaction image. 

She’s orange-eyed, with short hair; she wears her Blade and doesn’t dismiss it, but it looks like a Shardblade. Weird. Anyway, have I mentioned that I’m perpetually gay for women and swords? Because I’m in love with Azure now. 

Anyway, she takes Kaladin up to the top of the barracks. Apparently it’s a “secret” that she’s female, despite her, well, obviously being female. Well, if that’s what it takes for the Alethi to rationalize it. She says that the wall is redemption--they’re the only thing between the Voidbringers and the people, and she trusts that Kaladin will be back to help eventually. Anyway, Kaladin suspects that she is a Radiant--which she honestly sounds like. 

Back to the Blackthorn, eleven years ago, in case seeing a female possibly-radiant being badass made you think everything wasn’t shit. 

Dalinar’s sent Adolin back to Kholinar, and has his forces attacking from the west while Sadeas’ attack from the east and have I mentioned that I do not trust any plan that a) has already been foreshadowed to end badly and b) involves both Blackthorn Dalinar and Sadeas in the same area? 

Anyway, Dalinar notes that Evi is being the “perfect Vorin wife” and that she’s so clearly miserable that it’s crushing him. Hey, bright idea, asshole--tell her she doesn’t have to and actually support her for once. Just saying. 

He notes that this is the first time an argument has bothered him this much. Maybe it’s because she made good points that you can’t dismiss by hitting things with a sword, Dalinar. Maybe you’re actually feeling guilt. Consider that. 

Anyway, he goes to talk to her. Evi says that she was praying for Dalinar’s heart to soften--not for her sake, but for the men he was riding out to kill. 

“I hate what this does to you,” she said softly. “I see beauty in you, Dalinar Kholin. I see a great man struggling against a terrible one. And sometimes, you get this look in your eyes. A horrible, terrifying nothingness. Like you have become a creature with no heart, feasting upon souls to fill that void, dragging painspren in your wake. It haunts me, Dalinar.” 

It seems a lot to me like Evi--coming from a culture where the Thrill isn’t normal--has a much clearer view of it than any of the Alethi. She sees it as the monster it is. She asks Dalinar to hold back, saying that his mercy against Tanalan--the boy--before was a sign of humanity, not a mistake. She asks him not to “feed it”--feed the darker version of him. Feed the thrill and, by extension, the Unmade that controls it. 

God, the thrill is toxic and awful. The more we see its effects, the more it makes my skin crawl. And it’s so normalized. 

Anyway, Dalinar notes that many of the men do see the Thrill as something external to them, a companion, which isn’t creepy at all. A silent companion with you always, rewarding you with euphoric highs when you slaughter people? One so regular that not feeling it is seen as strange? 

This is horrifying. It blatantly rewards slaughter and viciousness--and explains why Alethi culture is so combat-driven and violent. They’re all trained to think that this druglike high is the best reward possible, the most normal reaction to battle. 

Does Dalinar forget, sometimes, that it almost made him kill his brother? 

Dalinar asks to walk with Tanalan, reminding him that the last time they met, Dalinar should have killed him, and didn’t. Tanalan agrees; Dalinar compliments his forces, saying it will be a pity to kill them, and Tanalan asks if he can. 

Dalinar points out that he has never lost a battle. 

“My brother attempted words and politics to bring you into line,” Dalinar said. “Well. I’m good at only one thing. He builds. I destroy. But because of the tears of a good woman, I have come--against my better judgement--to offer you an alternative.” 

A great man battling a terrible one. That’s really the story of Dalinar. This time, it seems that for a moment, the great man won. 

Tanalan doesn’t accept the parlay, of course, but he says that it could have been a trap--one decided to catch the traitor, who, he says, was Sadeas. 

I wholeheartedly believe that. 

Anyway, Dalinar decides he’s going to check this out, following the caravan that they missed leaving Rathelas. I hope this works. I hope it works so, so much. 

Back to Shallan. 

Veil says that the city has a heartbeat, one she can hear when she closes her eyes. She’s investigating a noble house--but her illusions and roles are getting to her more and more. That’s alarming. For a moment, she even refers to the actual lady of the house as “an inferior version” and considers taking her place, and hurriedly drops the illusion. 

That’s very not good. 

“Sorry,” Veil said, grabbing a sack of grain. “That woman’s head is a frightening place.”  “Well, I did say Nananav is notoriously difficult.”  Yeah, Veil thought. But I was talking about Shallan. 

ANYWAY. They were doing a Serious Food Heist, but are about to get caught and thus are sprinting out of there. They nearly get caught, and Shallan makes herself look like a horrifyingly melting Nananav, who then gets shot in the head. 

YIKES. 

The stormlight healed the crossbow bolt inside her head holy fuck, so she needs to pull it out. She’s starting to worry Vathah. Anyway, Shallan asks the kid she gave food to earlier if there’s other people who need it, and gets the name of a seamstress, some refugee kids, and a cobbler, and she gives it to them. Veil likes doing things, helping people. 

Over to Kaladin. He seems to be back in the barracks, and one of the soldiers--who tells tall tales--is saying he met the Blackthorn. He’s officially joined the Guard, because Elhokar asked him to, and almost seems to be making friends there. Anyway, the guard sees and shit-talks Adolin a little, and we get that Kal is shit at acting lighteyed. 

“But,” Kaladin said, “how can you say that? I mean, he’s lighteyed. Like us.” He winced. Did that sound fake? it sure is nice being lighteyed as I, of course, has light eyes--like you, my eyes are lighter than the dark eyes of darkeyes. 

I’m fucking wheezing. And Kaladin is legitimately wanting to defend Adolin Kholin and his stupid bright clothes. 

Side note, everyone uses he/him pronouns for Azure. I’m not sure if that’s the soldiers just doing it because it’s weird using she/her for a general, or if that’s what Azure actually uses? I’ll try to use “they” to be safe until I get an actual verdict on that one. 

Anyway, their shardblade doesn’t have a gem on it, which is one reason Kal thinks they’re a Radiant. He notes that if they have Soulcasting, that would explain why the screamers haven’t come, although it looks like they do have a soulcaster. 

Although--they can’t have soulcasting. We know that Jasnah at the moment is the only Elsecaller, and Azure doesn’t seem like a Lightweaver. A Lightweaver would be wearing a disguise. 

Apparently, if you get too close to the Palace Guard, you hear whispering voices telling you to join them, but according to Azure they can’t get you if you don’t listen. Beard, as a side note, seems to be a Rosharan atheist. Kal seems less certain. 

Kal immediately starts acting as a commander when there’s an alert and then sheepishly realizes he’s not a commander. He’s also not used to forces that actually have surgeons. 

Back over to Veil. In the epigraphs,  we get the melancholy musings of a Windrunner as they leave Urithiru: 

Today, I leaped from the tower for the last time. I felt the wind dance around me as I fell all the way along the eastern side, past the tower, and to the foothills below. I’m going to miss that. 

Veil is starting to regularly supply food to some people, when she can. People are calling her the Swiftspren--a Robin-Hood-esque figure robbing the rich, uncatchable because she’s a spren. White hat, white coat, looking and acting different sometimes. She knows she’s thinking too small-scale--but still, it’s something she can actually do. 

She gives herself the illusion of being a cultist herself, but as Swiftspren--a beautiful glowing arrowhead, golden-tasseled with arrowhead designs. And, maybe, gets a little too far into it, because she hears what they hear whispering, and it calls her by name. 

So she stops, still looking like an actual spren, and changes the chanting. 

“There are spren,” Shallan said to the gathered crowd, using Lightweaving to twist and warp her voice, “and there are spren. You followed the dark ones. They whisper for you to abandon yourselves. They lie.”  The cultists gaped.  “We do not want your devotion. When have spren ever demanded devotion? Stop dancing in the streets and be men and women again. Strip off those idiotic costumes and return to your families!”  They didn’t move quickly enough, so she sent her tassels streaming upward, curling about one another, lengthening. A powerful light flashed from her.  “Go!” She shouted. 

She’s still shaken by how quickly their thinking wormed its way into her head. 

Anyway, Elhokar says that the pattern on her skirt--which is Pattern--is familiar. We get that Elhokar’s son will be three now, and he’s so concerned. Shallan gets her sketchbook. It’s him kneeling, beaten down, but he’s looking up. He looks regal. 

She gives it to him, and he’s almost in tears. And finally, Shallan gets a note--from the Cult. 

Man, a lot is happening. Shallan is losing herself. Elhokar seems to be finding himself. Kaladin is working with the guard. Kholinar is still choking to death on its own secrets. 

And, of course, we go eleven years ago, to Dalinar hunting down the team from the traitor highprince; he’s brought his elites. Unfortunately, the idea that Sadeas betrayed them--it gives him the Thrill, pumping it through him. He thinks it gives him focus. 

I doubt that. Anyway, he was drawn into a ravine, and just as he realized that none of it made sense--why would they wear Sadeas’ colors if they were a secret envoy, their uniforms are wrong--the ravine lip collapses into a landslide. For the second time, the Rift uses its own land against him. He survived--barely. 

But it was a trap. Designed to draw him in and crush him. The men are trying to dig him out--because he has Plate and Blade. They rush him, and he sees only red--and comes back to himself pounding a man’s head against the stones repeatedly. There is an entire pile of men lying behind him. The gemstone on Oathbringer cracked; he can’t dismiss it normally and,  uh, I just want to re-state, there is a pile of corpses of men he killed behind him. 

Evi looks at him, and she goes pale. She’s terrified of him, how he looks now. He made it back, barely. Evi tells him to rest, to sleep, to think. Sadeas tells him to push on now, to punish them. 

A great man fighting a terrible one, and we see who backs each side. Sadeas was always a terrible influence on Dalinar. 

“No, [make] oil. As much as we have gemstones for. Oh, and someone take my wife to her tent so she may recover from her unwarranted grief. Everyone else, gather round.” 

And we see which man wins, and it sure isn’t the great one. He’s going to torch the Rift. 

Oh, Dalinar. 

I’m glad that this is the third book, and we’ve had two books to learn to love him as he is now. I’m also glad that he didn’t remember this, that thinking about it gives him PTSD attacks, because I’m glad to know the man he has become would be as appalled by this as I am. 

Because if those weren’t true, I’d hate him. 

There’s a red mist clouding his vision. It won’t let him sleep. An envoy comes to fly the flag of truce, and Dalinar says to shoot them dead. Sadeas approves, of course. 

This is the Dalinar Sadeas missed, isn’t it? The strong one. The one who he thought could help Alethkar. Sadeas missed and idolized this fucking monster. 

Dalinar is specifically misleading Gavilar to think that he’s still dead, so Gavilar can’t supercede his direct orders. He knows Gavilar wouldn’t let him torch the Rift. So he’s making sure Gavilar thinks he’s dead. 

Oh, and in case this scene could get any worse, guess who is of course with Sadeas’s army. 

Amaram turned from where he stood with the other generals. 

Of course Amaram is there. Of course he is. He isn’t even doing anything particularly bad, but it’s like Brandon went “oh, what could make this scene worse? I know. Putting Meridas Amaram in there.” 

God. Did Amaram learn his “do things for the greater good” mentality watching at Sadeas and the Blackthorn’s side? He very well could have. 

Tanalan is trying to save his family. He didn’t hide in the saferoom. 

Dalinar was going to call the attack off, but Sadeas reminded him that he set a battalion to kill anyone escaping. Thanks to Sadeas’ actions, there is no way to save the city. 

“At least this time you didn’t hide in your hole. I don’t know who you let take cover there, but know they are dead. I took care of that with barrels of fire.”  Tanalan blinked, then started laughing with a frantic, crazed air. “You don’t know? How could you not know? But you killed our messengers. You poor fool. You poor, stupid fool.”  Dalinar seized him by the chin, though the man was still held by his soldiers. “What?”  “She came to us,” Tanalan said. “To plead. How could you have missed her? Do you track your own family so poorly? The hole you burned...we don’t hide there anymore. Everyone knows about it. Now it’s a prison.” 

Oh god. Oh no, no, no, no, no. 

No. 

Evi defected to try to plead for mercy. Dalinar shot all the messengers. They imprisoned her in the safehouse. 

Dalinar burned his own wife to death, blinded by the Thrill. 

I. I have to cut this here. I’m legitimately nauseous and shaking. Damn it. Damn it. 

No. 

God, do Adolin and Renarin know? They can’t. They must think Evi was assassinated. They don’t know that their father burned their mother to death. 

I can’t think about this anymore or I will, actually, puke. 

[onearealiarealisaonum]

spoilers for oathbringer (in case read more doesn’t work on mobile)

i love my boy kaladin so freakin much and i need him to be happy it’s been so long since i’ve read his pov and also roshone had it coming

(i might have reread that part half a dozen times already)

(what an unfair moment to end a chapter gdi sanderson)

also kal my boy it shows how much time you spend with adolin when you think a man’s coat is several seasons out of style within seconds of seeing him

also “i will not hold back truth if i find it (...) i don’t dare lie” is gonna come back and bite dalinar in the ass when the truth about adolin and sadeas comes out

i honestly did not expect that one of the first things dalinar is gonna do during the apocalypse is get married, you go my man

as probably everybody else by now i’m team “jasnah is writing oathbringer”

(alternative theory: it’s actually navani. it’s mentioned that she’s writing memoirs and well, a lot can happen along the way for her to be branded a heretic right?)

also can i please have some shallan next week? i miss her so much

[adreamingsongbird]

fic self rec meme

i was tagged by the lovely and ever-talented @kanafinwhy!!!! thank you so much daniela <3 lets see what i can come up with here across the fandoms, haha!!

i’m tagging @pitviperofdoom, @weepycat, @sohmamomiji, and @gaymowgli if you’d like to!!!

this post got kind of long so the rest is under the cut:

Homestuck:

Drifting Between Stars (11.4k)

Or, "that one mission that goes really, really wrong, and how the crew tries to fix it". Star Trek AU written as a Christmas present for my good friend apollo-gramarye. Lots of friendships, mentions of Arasol, Karezi, and DaveJade. Also features acting captain Rose, science officer Roxy, engineer Dirk, and medical officer Jane, as well as others!

this one is p old but i still kinda like it haha!! back in the day meg and i were both really into our “uss skaia” au.

Darkness And Dreams (250k)

The Batterwitch rules the star system with an iron claw. Four young men and women are determined to set the world to rights by igniting the spark of revolution, but they are few and have little training in either their magical abilities or running a rebellion. And is that prophecy ever going to come true? (Full summary inside! Starring the kids; not ship-driven.)

d&d is on this list automatically because at over 250,000 words, it’s the longest story i’ve written ever (though that’s going to change soon, i think). even though i really don’t like rereading it bc i’m so critical of 2014 me’s writing, i’m super proud of having done it!!! (it was also my first homestuck fanfic and my first multichap fic and i think the 3rd fic i wrote ever? proving once again that i have no chill tbh)

Stormlight Archive:

Come Morning Light (4k)

"I guess you’ve never really had to worry about a little brother getting in over his head, huh,” Adolin mutters.

Kaladin actually laughs out loud.

this fic is important to me because i just really need kaladin to have love and support from people around him but also i’m not over tien’s death holy fuck

Fullmetal Alchemist:

In The Drift (10.5k)

Edward and his brother Alphonse are the proud pilots of the jaeger Fullmetal. One blustery autumn, a kaiju manages to take them down - what follows are several weeks of fretting, healing and disillusionment at being stuck on the ground. And also, possibly, Edward sorting out his awkward crush on their mechanic and childhood best friend, Winry. It should be an adventure...

written as a secret santa present for a rly good friend of mine, this fic was so much fun holy shit. to date it remains one of my fave aus tbh

As Dreamers Do (5k)

It's okay to be vulnerable sometimes, even if you are a seven-foot-tall suit of impenetrable armor. Riza only wishes Alphonse would stop being so stubborn when it comes to admitting that.

*BANGS FISTS ON TABLE* GIVE ME MORE MAMA HAWK AND HER ARMORED SUNSHINE SON anyway i feel like im one of the only people on board this (10000% platonic, parental) ship but i will keep sailing on. riza&al is just as beautiful as ed&roy (which i love but which has so much more content than riza&al :((((( )

My Hero Academia:

catch your breath in the quiet (3k)

The sun has already set by the time the dust settles on the battlefield. Creatie and Earphone Jack return home. It's all in a day's work, really.

i love momojirou a lot and there’s barely any content for them and thats a damn shame. i should write them more tbh. anyway established relationship lesbian superhero power couple = my aes

(nothing really gay about it) (14k)

If anyone had asked him what he thought he’d be doing at three that morning, Kirishima probably would have said “playing angry birds” or “making popcorn” or something. Definitely not playing wingman-slash-relationship-counselor to a hopelessly confused Todoroki Shouto.

And yet...

DORM SHENANIGANS AND FRIENDSHIP AND FLUFF look this is all i want from the UA kids living in the dorms. naturally as a kid who attended a boarding school, i had to jump on board the dorm shenans train. this fic was a looot of fun to write and i giggled my way through it.

Yuri On Ice

The Rules For Lovers (142k)

Prince Yuuri Katsuki has a duty to his country, above all else (his desires, his dreams, and his happiness included), and he knows this alliance will help to ensure the safety of his people. That’s the only reason he accepts Prince Nikiforov’s hand in marriage. The pleasant surprise, of course, is the part where they fall in love along the way. The unpleasant one, well…

That’s a long story.

okay honestly is there any question as to why i’d put this one on this list. this fic is so much time and work and i love it so much, it’s actually somewhat adhering to the vision of it i had in my head and despite being able to nitpick and find a lot of flaws in it as is (what i wouldn’t give to be able to write a second draft and publish that instead haha) i really love it a lot!!!!! plus, if current projections hold true, it’s gonna knock d&d off the #1 spot in terms of word count. B)

non te ne andare (6.6k)

“I’m fine,” Yuuri insists, one last time. He’s not fine. He’s not fine.

Viktor sinks to sit next to him, nothing but concern written all over his face. “Yuuri, I can’t help you if you won’t talk to me,” he says, reaching for Yuuri’s hands, and—oh.

~

Recovery is not linear. For all that he tells himself he has no reason to be sad, Yuuri is not having a good day.

a deeply personal fic, this is one i wrote during a really bad depressive slump earlier this year. it was partly vent-fic and partly cope-fic and partly spite-fic because the number of times ive seen self-harm represented falsely in fic angers me greatly, but overall, this is one piece of writing that i think is a window to my soul. it’s meaningful to me and i honestly really like how it turned out.

#bffs4lyfe (10.5k)

Detroit holds a special place in Phichit Chulanont's heart, mostly because that's where he met the boy who would become his lifelong best friend. Wait, no, scratch that - Detroit doesn't hold a special place in Phichit's heart. Yuuri Katsuki does.

this was both an exercise in writing phichit’s pov and also a response to my own need for some Good, High Quality Friendship™ such as phichuuri. they love each other very much and the concept of friends loving and supporting each other was something i was longing for (i was at school and really missed my best friend haha), so... this happened. i really love these two and i still enjoy rereading this one, tbh!

[stormobsessed]

Renarin watched the Radiant with wide eyes, vision blurred by the once corrective lenses he was still too afraid to cast aside. At least for once his staring wouldn't be considered unnearving, at least no more unnearving than that of his mother and brother. Evi did a better job of hiding it than Adolin, but Renarin knew his mother well enough to catch the glances she continuously cast at the stranger as she poured him tea.

The Radiant-Kaladin, they finally knew his name-sniffed the prospered drink hesitantly and his face scrunched up, seeming more confused than disgusted. “Cinnamon and cloves? In a tea?”

Evi smiled at him, at at the look Renarin could already tell that she was growing fond of the boy, adopting him into her heart as she had with many of Adolin's friends.

“Good nose” she replied warmly. “Though I supposed a surgeon's apprentice is more used to identifying scents than most. Try it, it gives a lovely kick that I've found most spice-loving Alethi men enjoy.”

The teen took a hesitant sip as Evi turned to pour Adolin and Renarin cups, and the younger Kholin caught the teen looking pleasantly surprised at the taste.

Evi took her seat just as a Gale shook the tower, causing Renarin to shiver. He caught a whirl of color and movement out of the corner of his eye and felt a moment of panic, but it seemed the Radiant couldn't see the spren either.

Renarin pulled his box out of his pocket, missing the rocks that had somehow given him so much comfort. Though as his hangs followed the familiar motion of fiddling with the box he began to calm.

Kaladin straightened as Evi sat, and his face turned serious. Renarin had expected the expression to age him, but it didn't. He still looked like a boy only just barely older than Renarin, like a teen not yet an adult, like someone in far over their head.

“This stalemate won't last.” Kaladin finally said. “My people are growing desperate and yours are growing restless. Beyond that, I know your resources are dwindling more than you want anyone to know. This land is only fit to sustain Hearthstone and the surrounding farms, maybe a little more from trade. You have ten times that, and your men destroyed any crops that existed in the initial attack. I know you want us to believe that we are at a disadvantage, but I know this isn't an ideal battle situation for you either.”

The woman seemed thrown by this. She was not a tactition, did not enjoy war and did not care to learn about it. She wasn't sure how to respond to the boy's analysis of their strategic position. Perhaps if Navani or Ialai had been there… but they weren't.

Luckily however, Adolin was. The elder teen, who Renarin knew had war treaties and history stuffed down his through constantly by the tutors in Kholinar, responded. “You're right. We have access to outside sources, but this is far from the typical merchants path, and it's expensive to pay them to come out of their way so far. We have soulcasters, but men tend to get restless quicker on soulcasters food. It's harder to keep them content. Not to mention, being away from Kholinar so long is not ideal, not with the kingdom still being so young. It would be better for everyone if we ended this. But Uncle is… stubborn, and I think he's been planning something like this for far longer than anyone knew.”

Evi nodded. “I spoke with Jasnah the other day, she was asking advice with her first ward, and she says that she discovered that Gavilar has been researching the Radiant and their leaders for many months now.”

Kaladin's eyes went unfocused and he stared at an empty part of the room. Renarin bit back a shiver. Was that how he looked when…

The young man spoke with conviction. “Gavilar is not destined to be the head of the Knights Radiant. If he was, then a spren would have bonded with him already. Syl… my spren, she doesn't like him she says he feels… wrong. I trust her.”

Renarin held his breath, but he couldn't deny the tumping in his chest that spoke of how uncomfortable he was around his uncle lately, more so than he was with most people, which was already fairly uncomfortable.

Evi frowned, but not like she was offending on her brother-in-laws behalf. It was more thoughtful. “Gavilar is already realizing that he has not approached this situation well. He is considering changing to… a different approach.”

“A different approach?”

“He wants you to join him more than he wants your lands. He is considering changing tactics and treating you like… a foreign dignitary he wishes to make a treaty with rather than a town he wants to overrule.”

Kaladin seemed to grow more furious with each word she spoke.

“So,” he spat, the anger from the previously well-tempered boy startling Evi, though the two teens we're used to the darkeye's temper. “When we're nothing but farmers he has no trouble murdering each one of us, but as soon as we have something he wants he'll play nice? What about the next town he sets his eyes on? How many other darkeyes will he slay for the crime of not having a Radiant among them? It doesn't matter how he treats me, like I'm a king or like I'm a cremling, I will not be a part of that man's crusade.”

Evi nodded, and Renarin could practically see her respect for the teen growing. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. “That is why I'm here, and not in his tent. You,” he looked between Adolin and Renarin “Have treated me with more respect than anyone else in your army, and you seem at least willing to listen. Don't take this to mean that j trust you.” He hastened to add, “Just that you're the best option I have.” His face was screwed up as though the words were painful, but Adolin cast Renarin a large grin, eyes shining with victory. However, when the dueler turned back to Kaladin, his expression was serious.

“The main problem here is that Uncle has the power, or at least he believes he does. He has the support of the other highprince, of father. He has access to scholars, surgeon's, soulcasters, merchants… he has every reason to believe that you will eventually come to his side. Which we know you won't, but he doesn't know that.”

“No-men.” Renarin said, as a though occurred to him. All eyes turned to him and the teen blushed. However, instead of ignoring his outburst all three of them waited for him to continue. “A-as in, not yes-men. Right now, he's surrounded by yes men, people who are trying to figure out how to get you on his side. There's no one asking if he should get you on his side.”

Evi nodded slowly. “We need people, more people, who are in Uncle's courts or on his side to start taking your side, make his question himself. Perhaps then you could speak with him on more even ground. Maybe if I left a note for one of Dalinar's scibes and we joined you after the highstorm it could get people talking.”

“No,” Adolin shook his head, a fire beginning to burn in his eyes. “It needs to be public, obvious. We can't let them wonder whether or not we actually went willingly. A feast!” He suddenly exclaimed, and Kaladin frowned.

“Didn't we just say neither of us had enough food?”

Adolin didn't reply, instead he grinned at Evi. “Mom, you said we were going to start treating them like dignitaries, right? We should convince Uncle to have a feast, and invite Kaladin as a guest of honor or something. Everyone important to the army will be there, it's public, it's perfect.”

Evi hummed. “And this has nothing to do with the young man who promised you could duel him for his shardblade at the next feast, hmm?”

Adolin deflated. “It's still a good idea.”

“It isn't enough.” Kaladin said. “Even if your idea does work and we get his attention, it's just one radiant and a couple members of the royal family against an entire kingdom. That won't be enough to convince Gavilar that he's wrong about leading the Knights Radiant.”

Renarin sucked in a shaky breath, fear running through him, the desire to stay silent coursing through every part of his body. Still, he was strong despite what the other lighteyes thought of him. He was not weak. This was just one more step in the journey.

He took off his spectacles and laid them on the table.

“What if there were two radiants?”

And the journey had to come before the destination

I can’t stop thinking about how much Kaladin respects Dalinar and how much he would have DESPISED Blackthorn. 

Think about it, imagine a world where Kaladin was born a little earlier, or Dalinar and Elokhar started their uniting of Alethkar later. They’re going through the country, destroying villages to weaken resolve.

In this dangerous time, all boys old enough are taught to fight, even the son of a pacifist surgeon, in the hopes that it would add even a few seconds onto their lives. 

Sadeas is promised the small farming town of Hearthstone once they capture it, which they don’t expect to be hard at all when none of the men there are anything more than simple farmers and townfolk. However, to Blackthorn’s surprise, there is a commotion on one side of the battle. He pushes through the fighting men to see a young lad, barely old enough to fight, mowing down men like a master of the spear. The young lad is dispatching dozens of his own, highly trained, men. He is standing over the corpse of an even younger boy, and tears are streaming down his face but still he fights, swift as the wind. 

Blackthorn can’t help but laugh, amazed and gleeful at the pure skill he sees in the youngster. So he makes the offer that he has made so many times before, the offer that had gained him the best archer in the land. The boy’’s face shutters as Blackthorn offers to let his town escape as unscathed as possible, and the warmonger smiles. He’s confident that the boy will make the choice so many others have. He even begins planning his training. He has made this offer dozens of times over, and they always agreed. They would always-

The boy’s face hardens, and he lunges for Blackthorn’s throat. 

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 8)

AAAAANND WE’RE BACK!

Hello, fronds, apologies for the brief hiatus, but I had to pause the reading/liveblogging because I was busy finishing my novel. YEP, I FINISHED WRITING MY BOOK, WHOOO! And then it was December, and there was Christmas, and traveling, and retail job at Christmas, and Star Wars, and what little time I had to myself I spent chilling because I was exhausted, but ANYWAY, I’M BACK, FRONDS, LET’S GET ON WITH THIS.

Part 8 encompasses pages 557-666 (previous parts) 

whooooops where did I leave off, OKAY INTERLUDES

Why...why are we doing anything near Aimia? Listen: Axies the Collector is cool, but two-thousand-cremlings-in-a-trench-coat was waaayyy too far over the horror line for me. I do not want more of this.

So...there’s a third storm? But this one is stationary and around Aimia?

MORE REASON NOT TO GO THERE

Whoa, that sure is a side effect of Soulcasting... #yikes

Or is it not soulcasting? Is it something Radiant?

Oh fuck. Fine. This is fine. You know, the previous Stormlight books didn’t have this much body horror in them.

Ahh, shit, wasn’t there an Oathgate on Akinah? I don’t want a direct line to  two-thousand-cremlings-in-a-trench-coat.

“the creatures that accompanied the spren” So...like......their Cognitive shadows? the versions of them still in the Cognitive Realm even as bits of them manifest visibly in the physical? Or...something else?

I’m sorry, did they just...die?

What the

What even is Aimia, really?

Mmmkay, actually, I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know the secret of Aimia, I am not interested in being EATEN by two-thousand-cremlings-in-a-trench-coat.

Genuis!Taravangian is an asshole. I’m not surprised, I’m just. Stating a fact.

!!!! Are his secretary and the Dustbringer a thing? Are they together? Get it, girls!

I still don’t trust the Dustbringer.

Aslo “the most likely to accept their cause” Why? Is the “cause” like...destroying the world? I don’t remember if we know the Diagram’s endgoals.

...There’s a danger line for the “too smart” end of the sliding scale? Smart.

Also his name is Vargo? Vargo Taravangian? hehehehehe

IT’S NOT ABOUT DESERVE.

I think I hate him.

Dumb question: if Taravangian wants to take over Alethkar--presumably so he can take over the world--then aren’t he and Dalinar working toward the same goal? They both want a unified Roshar. So why kill Dalinar instead of working with him? The logical solution is to work with him, since he’s more charismatic and has a higher chance of actually succeeding, and then kill him off after he’s succeeded in laying the groundwork, and take over from there?

Not that I’m encouraging this, I’m just saying: Taravangian needs to sort out his priorities.

“kill those children” seriously, fuck this asshole, what a douchecanoe.

Also Renarin the wild card HECK YES.

The farming question can be easily answered: Progression.

Not all the Radiants’ powers were battle powers.

“the part of the world that mattered” OH FUCK YOU. That’s not how it works. It’s not about deserve. It’s about having the ability to help, which gives you the responsibility to help. If you can, then you should. No exceptions. No “matters”. Everyone matters. Everything matters. Everyone deserves to be saved.

Except maybe Kylo Ren, but that’s a different story.

Buddy. Odium already made a deal. He wants out of it now. Also he’s not a spren or a god, so why should your pathetic rules hold him?

Oh. Duh. Somehow I didn’t connect Listeners and gemhearts? But of course they do. How else would they bind spren? They infuse their hearts.

Oooohhhhh snap, they done got possessed.

Aw, Venli...things not going your way anymore?

Idk, I should feel bad for her, but I don’t? She brought this on herself. And on her friends. And on her sister, who is still dead. This is her fault.

“The listener gods were not completely sane.” I mean, idk what you expected.

Though, neither are our gods, so I guess we can’t talk.

Seriously, what did Alethkar do to them?

Oh. Wait. Where was Jezrien from? King of the Heralds, right? Prooobably his idea to make the OAthpact? His fault they were bound? That’s probably what Alethkar did to them...

Oooh, the new epigraphs are from the library at Urithiru! Heck ye, Radiant archives!

Though Taln and the Stonewards need to take a chill pill on the self-sacrificing front, apparently.

(Eks would be a Stoneward, pass it on)

Wait, no, hold on--the whole of part three with no Moash pov? But I’m WORRIED about MY BOY.

I’m unnecessarily suspicious of literally every guard that’s not Bridge Four. But particularly of this Rial guy. What is he, Bridge Thirteen? I don’t trust him. At all. He’s too...glib? with Dalinar to be a proper bridgeman. Around other bridgemen, fine, but with Dalinar? I don’t trust it.

I’m with Navani. “The greasy man is...unfitting.”

ooohh, Dalinar...... he “reminds him of friends from the old days.” Tho, bud, how many of those died, betrayed you, or left to become ardents?

Dalinar should know by now to just...not trust people implicitly. Always question.

I really, genuinely can’t imagine how awkward Kaladin and Shallan’s excursion to Theylan City was. Didn’t they fly? Shallan was probably all SCIENCE!! about it and Kaladin was definitely grumpy “let me fly in peace” boy. Nerds.

Sorry, hold on--you’re counting on Kaladin “Impulsive” Stormblessed and Adolin “Disaster Bi” Kholin to make sure Elhokar doesn’t do anything stupid? That’s like asking two kittens to babysit the new puppy.

“I can’t afford to lose you.” AAaaahhh

omg, no, don’t give Kaladin land. What will he do with it? Turn it into the Land of Misfit Bridgecrews?

Five times...so what’s it been, 50 days? Not even? That’s so little time!!

“Or is someone else receiving [the prayers] instead?” ...Isn’t that just the most chilling thought.

There has to be an explanation beyond “The Heralds are nuts” for Shalash to be erasing herself from visual records.

I’m sorry, rockbuds blossom? and have fragrance? Stop and smell the rockbuds?

“I am a diplomat.” Yeah, and I’m a rockbud.

How is Taravangian such a good actor? Or is he really this emotional on days when he’s not a raging asshole of a genius?

Aw yis, non-hereditary monarchy! I love!

“Does it involve punching someone?” It’s Dalinar, so, what do you think?

“Stone-sinew, Herald of Soldiers.” But...Taln’s focus is bone? Ishar is sinew?

I suppose “Stone-bone, Herald of Soldiers” would be a little too ridiculous-sounding...

brb, changing my url to “stone-bone-herald-of-soldiers”

“It was as if Odium had a grudge against this one in particular.” SAD ABOUT TALN FOREVER: THE MEGAN STORY

I s2g Dalinar is the most Extra son of a bitch in all of Roshar.

HOw do I prove I’m not trying to take over your country? I know! I’ll let you stab me through the chest! This is the BEST IDEA.

oooooooo Tension, maybe?

TENSION!! THIS SHIT IS SO COOL OMG

Also his special power--resonance? right?--is listening and that’s delightful. Or...I’m guessing that’s what it is.

Heck ye, Renarin!

“Strength and passion, the Vorin way.” In other words...Honor and Odium....hmm

So it’s Kaladin, Elhokar, Shallan, Adolin, Skar, Drehey, and...who? Some other bridgemen? It’s gonna be a fun roadtrip, tbh.

Buddy, Shallan ignoring her problems IS a problem! Don’t support this impulse! Don’t encourage this!

omg of COURSE Adolin hates flying. Nerd.

“No wisecracks about missing boots?” No, because that wasn’t funny.

“First assess the area for danger, get the lay of the land. Then gawk.” I LOVE MY SON SO MUCH, WHAT A TRAVEL NERD, BUT ALSO #SAME BRO

...we knew that Elhokar had a kid, but every time I’m reminded of it, I get really weirded out. He’s not old enough to be a dad.

PLease meet up with Moash. Please. I’m dying. My crops are failing. My skin is dry. Help me.

the advantage of living through Bridge Four is that you can sleep well anywhere? Well, I mean. I GUESS That’s an advantage. Sort of.

OH of COURSE it’s an Unmade. We do have eight more of those to encounter and deal with.

Whose is this though? Kaladin’s? Or are Elhokar or Adolin finally going to manifest?

(This is assuming that my theory about there being one Unmade for each order of Radiants to defeat is sound.)

Elhokar is trying so hard to be good.

Also Shallan is mean to Kaladin again, news at nine. *rolls eyes*

So, it’s going to be Kaladin’s Unmade then.

Elhokar, you know that the more you tell yourself you’re going to fail, the more likely you will? Stop it. Have confidence.

“Adolin made you want to laugh with him.” Yeah, he doesn’t punch down.

Also, the Kadolin is REAL, and I’m living.

Kaladin really is too good for this world.

I’m sorry, the fancy lighteyes’ gated villas have guards to keep the refugees off their perfectly manicured lawns? Fuck that. Fuck them.

“I needed someone I’d trust with my life, or more. So I brought us to my tailor.” THIS CHILD IS A DISASTER AND I LOVE HIM

Oh snap! we’ve made it halfway through the book!

“Even his voice was adorable.” HONESTLY, people who don’t ship Shadolin: how? It’s so pure and good and supportive and wonderful!

How did Aesudan know the parshmen were voidbringers? And why did she order them killed only to desert the city?

I suppose fabrials do trap and use spren, right? So it makes sense that the yellowgold...voidspren? would be offended by that sort of...I guess, spren enslavement? Sort of? But why are they so concentrated here? Which Unmade is it and what does it do other than corrupt other spren? and influence people.

How To Corrupt Spren and Influence People, a new bestseller by Odium, found in stores near you!

“I am the only one here who has confronted one of the Unmade directly.” Yeah, you, the Kholin bros, and most of Bridge Four who protected you while you did your thing. But sure.

Kaladin, when will you stop seeing your brands as part of yourself and let yourself heal?

Aw, I’m proud of her, admitted Veil is--oh. “They are both equally fake.” Hon, no... please. Talk to someone about this.

Aharietiam, or as I like to call it, “that other stupidly long and impossible-to-pronunce “A”-word.”

Sorry, but the fact that Shallan takes pleasure in pissing Kaladin off-- “he glared at you in the most satisfying of ways” --is really....gross. Uncomfortable. I’m not here for it.

Like, yeah, teasing is fine, but like... if it strays over from teasing into Actively Pushing Someone’s Buttons Just to Make Them Angry, then it’s BAD, okay? It’s really bad. I can say from experience: it’s very bad.

Well, I mean, that explains why no one’s come back from the palace.

“As a connoisseur of things that have killed me...” honestly. what are we up to now? Poison bread. Shipwreck and drowning. Run through with a sword. Dear god, child, you need to be more careful.

Kaladin making bad puns and smiling is giving me life though. Petition for more.

So, the Skybreakers and the Windrunners did not get along? Justice vs. Honor, I suppose...not unexpected. Especially is one is corrupted.

Isn’t Ishar...Bondsmiths? Herald of Luck? Are you sure?

“He is now as mad as the rest. More, perhaps.” Yeah, I got that vibe from Edgedancer.

Shit. Of course he set himself up as a god-king.

(He and the Lord-Ruler should make t-shirts.)

Dangit, Ishar founded the Oathpact, so bang goes that theory about Jezrien and Alethkar and the listeners.

“The Stormfather hated to be misquoted.” Pppfffft.

HECK YE, Bridge Four got a sword!!

Also omg Navani invented alarm clocks. Bless her.

She packed him lunch! BLESS THESE ADORABLE NERDS. God, they are ridiculous.

Dalinar hitching a ride to Azir with Jasnah and her just going, “Byyyeeeeee” and leaving him alone is HILARIOUS to me.

I wonder if the color of the gemstones in the epigraphs correspond to the radiant orders. Like, if the Windruners recorded in sapphire, and the Lightweavers recorded in garnet, etc.

Okay, I went back and checked, and that seems legit. I’m going to guess that’s been #confirmed by people who finished this book earlier than me, but listen.

“covered by a magnificent bronze dome” Lift voice: “boobies” Me: snrk

SPIRITUAL ADHESION!? WTF THIS IS SO COOL

OMG, he brought them an essay, that’s magnificent. Especially because they all had to write essays to apply to be king. Or.. Prime? WHATEVER THAT’S HILARIOUS AND I LOVE AZIR SO MUCH

hello, I love Jasnah, this is news to no one, but girl wrote an essay in rhythmic meter and *melts*

...the Azish parshmen negotiating for pay is...very Azish of them. And the Alethi parshmen gathering for war is very Alethi. And the Theylan parshmen sailing off into the sunset is very Theylan of them.

HA, Dalinar just said the same thing in the next paragraph, go me.

LIFT ATE HIS LUNCH, I LOVE HER, HELLO BBY I’VE MISSED YOU

“The crazy spren who lives in the forest.” 1. I love Lift a lot. 2. uuhhh...we know the Heralds are crazy, and I assumed Odium was crazy, but Cultivation, too?? Is ANYONE here sane anymore?

oh wow they agreed.

didn’t...see that coming. Not with so much book left.

OOOHHH SNAP HE REMEMBERS. HERE WE GO HERE WE GO AAHHHH

Every time I’m reminded that Adolin is only, like, 24yo, I have to tell myself that I was about that old when WoR came out and he’s not actually a child.

Anyway, 12yo Adolin is a gift. “Neat!” this kiddo aahhh

“It was gratifying to see how much one could accomplish in both politics and trade by liberally murdering the other fellow’s soldiers.” PUNK!DALINAR NEEDS TO LOOK AT HIS LIFE AND HIS CHOICES AND RECONSIDER HIS WORD CHOICE AT THE VERY LEAST

hugs are un-Alethi. this is why they have so many issues. they are emotionally constipated from lack of hugs.

“The other son” fuck you, punk!Dalinar

also “she’d never be a great scribe” yeah, that’s ‘cause she’s left-handed, you Vorin jerks

haaaa, he has a point. That even if he and Gavilar know that he wouldn’t ever betray Gavilar for the throne, Gavilar’s advisors aren’t stupid and will find reasons for Dalinar to be...elsewhere.

“Storms, I don’t deserve her, do I?” NO YOU FREAKING DON’T

tbh, I’m not even sure present-day Dalinar deserves her. Like, he’s better now, but he’s still... a soldier. He’s still a strategist. And Evi deserves a soft, gentle person who loves her.

Evi deserves the world, tbh, and I’m Upset because she’s going to die and I’m going to be Sad.

[esseastri]

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 1)

Me: okay but I don’t remember the back half of WoR, I should really, really finish the reread before starting... Also me: okay, buuuuuuuuuuut................what if I just..............start

[insert evilkermit.jpeg here]

There are a few relevant points of information:

Tags: Megan reads OB and Oathbringer spoilers. (I’ll also have housekeepers on there, like Brandon Sanderson, Stormlight Archive, and Oathbringer, but those first two are the important ones.)

Everything will be under a readmore.

Above the readmore will be the page numbers covered in that liveblog, so you’ll know how far I’ve gotten (and that way, if you’ve read that far you’ll be okay to read the lb).

There's…going to be a lot of swearing? I have learned that I have no control over my language when I get overly emotional and I feel like I’m going to spend a lot of this book overly emotional. I would like to apologize in advance, and while I promise to try to keep my swearing to a minimum, there might be more than a few bad words.

Shameless self-promotion for the previous two liveblogs: WoK and WoR.

I’m pretty sure that’s all the important bits. Enjoy!!

Part One encompasses pages 1-90 (subsequent parts)

*screams quietly into the ether forever*

PROLOGUE

hoooolly shiiiiiiiittt: Eshonai

Please tell me this means we’ll finally learn why the Parshendi killed Gavilar.......

SHE’S SO EXCITED I’M SO SAD I hate knowing what’s happened to her

...the Parshendi...didn’t know about the parshmen? what? the heck?

I’m....baby Esh is so excitable and curious and I.. love her. and I’m so. so sad. that she loses this.

“an indoor privy with running water, a concept she still didn’t understand.” Who does, babe. Who does.

me, every time amaram appears: “fucking asshole. fuck off fckkkk” I just.... hiss like a cat every time his name appears on a page. I hate him. ARGH.

I spelled his name as “aramaram” and had to go correct it I was so upset he was HERE that I forgot how to spell.

“Traitors who had abandoned their gods to be free.” And they FEARED the return of their gods, before stormform and the Everstorm. They feared it--because they were not free... But...stormform isn’t freedom, and their gods are back and....history repeating itself?

Also, the fact that Gavilar took the time to learn her name is very endearing and like... Gavilar was A Good, guys. He tried so hard.

NOOPE NEVERMIND, BAD, ACTUALLY. THAT’S SO SELFISH WHAT THE HECK

“Bring back your evil, destructive, enslaving gods so that we can have our nice, honorable, fighty ones back please.” NO, THAT’S SO DISGUSTING THAT’S SO SELFISH WTH

GAVIILAARRRR. I BELIEVED IN YOU! I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU!! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU

WAIT, so he was getting the visions before Dalinar? Did we know this already? That makes sense... it’s very Boromir/Faramir, tbh, but like... what, one died, and Honor was like “welp. guess we’ll try his bro”

wait, okay, so ...the black sphere that he gives Szeth...........what. Esh knows what it is--so it’s some kind of spren. But it’s not the angerspren/hatespren that they bond with for stormform--those are red. So what’s...this one? Voidspren? Are there voidspren? Voidspren to create voidbringers...presumably more powerful than stormform.

I AM CONCERNED.

PART ONE

okay, that map tho; after reading Edgedancer, I’m VERY CONCERNED that there’s an Oathgate to Aimia... I don’t need any more 200-cremlings-in-a-trenchcoat popping up out of nowhere, but thanks anyway

it makes sense that this book stats with Dalinar, but HOW! IS! MY! BOY! WHERE! IS! KALADIN!

Dalinar is so polite tho. saying ‘thank you’ to the Stormfather

Also ONLY SIX DAYS???? AAHH

“It had been a hardy, stubborn lot who had grown in this place.” This is Kholinar: it highstorms nine months of the year, and weeps the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. The only upsides are the pets. While other places have...cats or chickens, we have...cremlings.

(Though Lisa made a good point--are there actually cremlings?? or are all cremlings just...bits of Aimians scuttling about like spy bugs?)

“The queen had gone silent.” I...genuinely don’t trust her, and I’m more inclined to believe she’s radio silence out of a need to save her own damn skin than any other reason.

......somehow I never really thought that Odium would be light...

THE WOMAN HE LOVED

YAASS.

(I have priorities)

They’re being cute. It’s been, like, half a page and I’m just over here making big, cooing noises at them being cute. help.

OH SHIT THAT WAS QUICK

THEY FOUND SADEAS ALREADY AND I AM CONCERN

(tho, I mean...it took them six days to find the body, that’s....actually not really quick. but still.)

OH WAIT NO, OKAY, IT TOOK THEM  ONE DAY WELL SHIT

oh god

Adolin, bby. pls. don’t.... LISTEN, THE FIC I WROTE ABOUT GUILTSPREN WAS A FIC

HI TEFT I HAVE MISSED YOU BUT ALSO PLS CALM DOWN AAAHHHH

this is page frikkin 37 and I’m already dying

I’M SO SCARED OF WHAT IALAI WILL DO. SHE’S GONNA PIN THIS ON BRIDGE 4 I KNOW IT. SHE’S GONNA TRY AND I’M GONNA SCREAM

WHY IS ADOLIN HERE. KIDDO PLS. DOn’T COME BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME I’M

unrelated, but I can’t stop thinking about baby Eshonai basically damning her people to war and revenge to stop their gods from returning and Venli just like...whipping a godling out her pocket like “nvmd, we’re doing this anyway” and like. fuck Venli, tbh.

Back to current events and:

I love Palona.

“steady Adolin and impenetrable Renarin” HE LOVES HIS SONS SO MUCH I’M CRY

“certainly wouldn’t have gone so far as to kill Sadeas themselves” ABOUT THAT

I love that Urithuru has safety railings. like... throwing shade at every big space opera ever.

I still don’t know how I feel about Lopen growing his arm back...

“Our ultimate goal is the preservation of Roshar” Sorry, bud, Preservation is dead...

and also on a different planet.

AAAWWW SNAP! THIRTY-FOUR YEARS AGO! HERE WE GO!!!!

“He didn’t need Shards to intimidate.” Nah, but I bet they help.

tbqh, it’s really, really weird to think of Dalinar fighting not in Shards.

excuse you, that horse did nothing to deserve that.

heheheheh, so much for your nose, bucko

Gooooddddd, Brandon writes battle so cinematically. I want to film this. Gaaaahhh

of...of course punk!Dalinar’s horse is named Fullnight. How deliciously extra of him.

“I tried to kill you!” “from a distance! Which shows remarkably good judgement!” DALINAR, PLEASE. 

Enthusiastic ultra-Gryffindor rambo Dalinar is hilarious

It’s been 50 pages, where’s Kaladin

Sadeas in YELLOW shardplate?? who is he?

Also, ngl, I’m a lil pissed that I still have to deal with Sadeas--even if it’s young, not-quite-so-vile Sadeas. Like......he’s dead! I shouldn’t have to put up with his slimy face anymore!

“What would we do without you?” “Lose.” What an asshole. What a dudebro. I hate how much I love him.

the Thrill concerns me, tbh.

I know that we know it is of Odium, but like. It Concerns me.

THAT WAS QUICK

THE EVERSTORM TURNAROUND??? THAT WAS DISTRESSINGLY QUICK?

I’m sad Dalinar doesn’t get a little spren buddy wandering around with him at all times, because, like. Stormfather. But like. spren buddy.

Now I’m trying to picture the vast and infinite Stormfather just flitting around Dalinar’s head in meetings and making faces at Syl across the table and laughing my ass off.

oh NO not her SAFEHAND

seriously, they. are. so. cute.

“Your stubborn refusal to get seduced is making me question my feminine wiles.” HAAAAHAHA OMG, DARLINGS PLEASE

also, Dalinar, omg, give it up already, bro.

I realize there are like...ecological and climatology implications of the Weepings stopping before they are supposed to, but I can’t help but be glad that Kaladin won’t be suffering for as long as he normally would with the seasonal depression...

WHAT! WAS! THE! BOON! ...unless this is the boon. Unless Dalinar asked for the Nightwatcher to take away the pain of losing his wife and instead she took away his wife... and his punishment is something else.

in which case WHAT! WAS! THE! PUNISHMENT!

“I’d let a confused dishwasher marry us.” I realized belatedly that she meant, like...a person who washes dishes. And not a machine that washes dishes that most people on earth have in their kitchens.

Also, Dalinar and Navani really need to please stop being so adorable, I’m SO HAPPY THEY’RE GETTIN MARRIED AND THE FRIKKIN STORMFATHER IS GONNA OFFICIATE THAT’S HILARIOUS I LOVE THEM

I LOVE THAT THE WEDDING IS LIKE... HIM AND NAVANI AND THE BOYS AND SHALLAN AND A FEW OTHER MINIONS. THIS IS DELIGHTFUL. I LOVE THIS

THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS I DISLIKE

Bridge Four is too important for guard duty! They’re so important! They’ve come so far!!!! I LOVE THEM!!??

she just had a wedding dress just... lying around.

god I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!

...poor Elhokar. “if only we could keep up.” boy has no confidence and no chance to learn it.

NAVANI’S FRIKKIN GLORYSPREN OMG

“What does he remember that I cannot?” Uh...your other wife, my dude. I’m sure this has something to do with how your wife died.

AAHH. HERE HE IS!!!! THE BOY!!!!! MY BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nooooo. no, kaladin please. you didn’t fail. oh god, no, come on. don’t think like that.

I’m

aaahhhhh

“It felt wrong not to bear the symbol of Bridge Four.” AAAHHHHHHH

I’M

!!!!!!!!!

I’m JUST NOT OKAY

aahh, at least he was properly concerned about the Everstorm filling his spheres with...bad stuff? of some kind? I’m super glad that it didn’t, that it doesn’t, but like. At least he was concerned about it!

hello fronds, I love Syl a LOT

also: covered safehand, that’s hilarious. She’s a real grown up, now!

nooooooooooo

it can’t be all dead

they have to have

someone has to have been smart enough to get a large part of the town into shelter

Kaladin, your dad isn’t stupid, he would have. he would have tried.

(this would be way, way more distressing if I hadn’t been spoiled for the fact that Lirin and Hesina are alive...like...I’d probably be crying right now.)

“How often are you going to make me apologize for that?” Pfffft I mean.

HE GREW UP AND THEY DON’T RECOGNIZE HIM AND I’M

AAAHHH

“Are there wounded” and he just GOES because that’s where his dad would be and he just . goes. to his dad.

I’m crying?

THEY’RE CRYING I’M CRYING EVERYONE IS CRYING

THEY THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD AMARAM FUCKING TOLD THEM HE WAS DEAD AND I’M

THEY’RE

“MY SON IS ALIVE” YEAH HE IS AND HE’S AMAZING AND YOU’RE GONNA BE PROUD OF HIM OH

I’M

AAHHHHHH

I really hate Amaram. A lot.

his mom is a good. and she just keeps her hand on his shoulder like protectiveness and like reassurance that he’s still there and I’m. aaaAAAHH

“For now, he just wanted to be here with them.” GOOD. LET THE BOY REST. LET HIM EAT SOUP AND REST.

“The wrong-way highstorm” I mean...not wrong

“They never got to meet Captain Kaladin” aaAAHHH

I HAVE A LOT OF EMOTIONS ABOUT INCARNATIONS OF HUMANS AND I’M

this is a lot

LIRIN OFFERING TO BUY THE WRIT OF SLAVERY IS A LOT I’M JUST

crying

“Perhaps it was time to stop letting the rain dictate his mood. He couldn’t banish the seed of darkness inside him, but Stormfather, he didn’t need to let it rule him either.”

I...have a lot of feelings about Kaladin.

And I have a lot of feelings about how Kaladin and his depression interact and about how he deals with it. And how he’s seen the worst in himself and promised to never let it get that bad again. And how he’s seen that even though it’s a part of himself that he has to keep fighting, keep dealing with, keep understanding, it doesn’t have to be the only thing in him, the only thing in his life, the only part of him that matters. He can have other parts, other important bits of him and his personality. He might always have bad days, but that doesn’t have to be the majority of them. Not if he chooses to be stronger, to try to get better. There’s always going to be depression, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be other things.

It took me a longass time to come to that same realization and I just...am really, really... proud of him? and of myself? and of anyone who has depression who thinks the same way we do? and though I’ve found it to be a smidge disconcerting to have your own personal thought processes spelled out on paper by someone who isn’t you, there’s a comfort in that...I’m not the only one who feels like this, who has these ideas, who makes these decisions about my depression.

Anyway, I really, really love Kaladin and I’m. emotional . and I’m. “He didn’t need to let it rule him either.” No. We don’t. We can deal.

ANYWAY I’M EMOTIONAL ABOUT KALADIN AND IN OTHER NEWS WATER IS WET, FIRE IS HOT, AND THE WORLD IS ROUND.

WAIT. Did Syl.....was she aiming for someone else? “distant yet demanding”. Who else...was she gonna bond with. before Kaladin? My first instinct is Tien, but that...doesn’t fit. One of his men? in his squad? Or before that, Hesina maybe? I’m? ...surely not Lirin...... he’s not. enough.

god, his first thought is that Adolin would be disappointed in fashion heheheheh I love these boys. becoming friends. maybe. hopefully.

KAL PUNCHING ROSHONE IS A++ 100% GRADE A GOOD SHIT

GOD BLESS

AAAAAAHHHHHHH

“That was for my friend Moash” I’M!!!!!!!!!!!! EMOTIONAL!!!! ABOUT MY BOYS!!! AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP!!!!! PERSISTING EVEN THOUGH BAD DECISIONS!!!!

Kaladin’s stubborn refusal to give up on people is. A Lot. EVeRYTHING IS A LOT. THIS IS A LOT

“and for the first time in a long, long while, he was happy with that person.” THAT’S CAUSE YOU’RE A GOOD PERSON THE BEST PERSON AAAHHH

SUMMONING SYL AND “ANY QUESTIONS” AND OHHH MY GOD. that shit’s hot. I’m. hhnnnggggggg

“until he had enough stormlight to fly home.” home. I mean, we knew that ��home” wasn’t Hearthstone anymore, but. Dalinar is home. The warcamps, Urithuru. Bridge Four. I...I am so proud of how far Kaladin has come.

“I don’t like the idea of swinging you around, smashing you into things.” “Firstly, I don’t smash into things. I am an elegant and graceful weapon.” HI, I LOVE SYL A LOT

GET IT, LARAL

HECK YE

“That’s a girl I was never going to marry, no matter what happened.” “I like her.” “You would.” I LIKE HER TOO SHE’S STRONG AND CAPABEL AND DON’T NEED NO MAN. GET IT, GIIIRRLL!!!!

I love that Roshar has a Hippocratic oath equivalent. I also have mixed feelings on Lirin’s incredibly strict adherence to his Hippocratic oath equivalent. like..yeah, Do No Harm is one thing. But being self-righteous about it to the point of not wanting your son to fight evil monsters from the void? Take a chill pill, my dude.

NAVANI SPANREEDING HIM PERSONALLY IS A LOT

also, I really have strong feelings about Dalinar generally addressing Kaladin as “soldier” and the responding “Sir.” I know they had a long talk about chain of command, but it’s just. so satisfying that it’s still going.

“Send us a glyph each evening to know you are safe.” GOOD DAD IS WORRIED ABOUT HIS SON AND I’M EMOTIONAL

AAAHHHHH HIS VERY FIRST INSTINCT IS TO HOLD HIS BABY BROTHER I’M!!! KALADIN IS SO GOOD AND LOVING AND WONDERFUL!!!

guys, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I really love Kaladin.

guys, I don’t know if you know this about me, bUT I REALLY LOVE KALADIN.

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters 64-68

In which I adore Lift, Evi Kholin deserves So Much Better (as per usual), and we finally get the full version of that story that Sigzil was trying to tell Kaladin.

Chapter Sixty-Four – Binder of Gods

...now there's a title for you.

Chapter preface is a Stoneward pleading for someone to heal the rift between the Windrunners and Skybreakers tell them to get their heads out of their asses most likely

Ooo, we're coming back to the Honorblade, finally! Do you think you've found someone worthy to entrust it to, Dalinar?

Ishar was the one that founded the Radiants, interesting. One would assume that Jezrien, 'king of the Heralds', was the one to do so, but no, it was the patron of the Bondsmiths. Makes sense, in that they're all 'bound' by their Oaths, but that's also an aspect of Honor in general.

[snorts] Dalinar cursing by the Stormfather's name and him responding is never going to get old.

Shit, Ishar's maybe more crazy than the rest of the Heralds? That's… saying something.

THE GOD-PRIEST OF TUKAR IS AN ACTUAL HERALD. PFFFFFFT-

omg Stormfather pl e a s e they kind of maybe need that information to help save the world. It might be a good thing to know

….a party trick. What can the Surges of the Bondsmiths do, exactly, Stormfather. You've been a Bondsmith-spren before, did your memory of the Surges degrade as if you were any other spren in the Physical Realm without a bond?

OOP, CONNECTION, CONNECTION, HE MENTIONED IT SPECIFICALLY

[rolls eyes] And of course no answer on who/what the other Bondsmith-spren are, even when asked directly. Stormfather's basically giving us a RAFO.

Oh hot damn, actual information on how the highstorms Invest spheres – a function of all three Realms via the power of a Shard, even Shattered. So, while highstorms existed before the Shards got to Roshar, they probably weren't Invested before that point in time. And while Stormfather now is bound with a Splinter of Honor, he can't Invest a gem at will – that power is not within his control.

AYYYY, B4

And you're giving them the Honorblade! YES GOOD YOU'RE TRUSTING PEOPLE WORTHY OF SAID TRUST THIS TIME. It's good reasoning, too.

Once again, Rock is the voice of calm in the storm.

Are you finally going to get Gawx here? Maybe Lift too? Ahh, but at least Fen decided to set foot in Urithiru! Having another monarch at his side will probably help convince the others that Dalinar isn't the warmongering conqueror that he once was.

g od but I love Queen Fen

….Navani's sending him with lunch? I'll bet a fistful of emeralds here and now that Lift's going to eat it.

All this Dalivani PDA! [scandalized gasp]

“They can't draw in Light and become Radiant; they first must be approaching Radiance, and look for Light to fulfill the promise.” That's… a really, really beautiful line.

DUDE. Ordering the angry soldiers like a Highprince, then binding them like a Radiant. Nice.

!!!! New banner? It's traditional to change the shape of the glyphs when a new Highprince takes command? FFFFFFFT, I- Dalinar's is the Tower and Crown, and that pair won't be passed exactly as it is now to Adolin? What about the Main Clan Kholin glyphs rather than the Branch Clan Kholin – the Sword and Crown is Elhokar's, and it wasn't Gavilar's as well then? SANDERSON I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS, I NEED TO KNOW-

Fuck off, Amaram, even when you're not directly in the scene. Just. Fuck off.

Ahahahahahah, so… about Sadeas' murder…

And off to face the Azish. That 'good luck' didn't sound too ominous.

Chapter Sixty-Five – Verdict

[snickers] This time a Willshaper griping about the rules, as well as the tower itself.

[cackles] They're very, very jumpy, likely because he's Dalinar more than because he appeared from nowhere out of the Oathgate. There are probably oodles of out-of-proportion rumors about him this far west. (Even if they weren't exaggerated, this is still Dalinar – the man who was the Blackthorn.)

[cackles even louder] You're still ingrained in your Vorin ways, even the merest hint of religion intertwined with politics is strange and anathema to you, even if the visiers and scions don't quite serve the same function as ardents.

!!! Spiritual Adhesion! To make Connection! Oooo, we're getting to see some of the unique Surges now!

omg the poor soldier, 'HE'S GOT ME CAPTAIN WHAT DO I DOOOO'

“The warlord speaks Azish?” this entire chapter has me nonstop laughing, I swear

An essay as the weapon of choice. Perfect for the Azish. And of course the Thaylen Queen would suggest to argue for economic benefit.

A second essay. GLORIOUS.

A THIRD ESSAY.

BY JASNAH.

This just keeps getting better and better. I feel like they should get a room alone with Jasnah's essay. Honestly.

Uh oh, buried memories about the Rift are trying to surface again…

Protestors attracting logicspren! I love it.

[winces] The Alethi/Vorin class system is nothing to brag about, Dalinar, even internally and not out loud to the Azish.

I… oh my god, the Azish Parshmen argued by the Azish legal rules. Which makes sense, as they are still Azish, just not human-Azish. Ah! And Dalinar's actually noticing that fact!

Oooo, and now you've got yourself questioning not only the power of the sword versus that of the pen, but also the strict Vorin division of gendered disciplines. Good.

LIFT LIFT LIFT

Lift, how I missed you and your delightful approach to things. You are just the person to state things in blunt terms for Dalinar to confront and mull over.

Speaking of delightful, his description of the Azish decoration is great. Back in Alethkar, Adolin probably sensed his thought and felt a moment of despair.

THERE IT IS – 'TIGHT-BUTT'. Bless u Lift

“And your order?” More food.” I am never going to get tired of their interactions.

AYYY, THEY DECIDED TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER. And with the Prime of Azir are coming all sorts of other leaders. For once, things are actually looking up! (Bets on how long that's going to last, anyone?)

Uh oh. That answer of hers - “an animal” - that triggered a resurging memory.

'He remembered what had happened to Evi.'

Well, fuck.

Chapter Sixty-Six – Strategist

Flashbaaaaack~

...does. does 'strategist' here apply to Tiny Adolin (who, at nearly-thirteen, is probably just about to be not-so-tiny). 'So full of energy.' My little ADHD prince, yessss. Look at this boy, look at him learning so enthusiastically! Attending tactical meetings, soaking up everything Dalinar's trying his best to teach him.

Suffer all the hugs, Dalinar. Suffer them. If anything else, I'm glad that you haven't steered your sons away from hugs.

All these years, and Evi still hasn't acclimated to the cold. How cold is eastern Roshar as opposed to the western side? I know they've got the Frostlands bordering Alethkar to the south and southeast, but what kind of average temperature difference are we talking?

Ohhh, Evi's trying, trying so hard to be a Good Vorin Wife, even if she's not particularly interested in reading and other pursuits that the Alethi expect of a woman. She's given up so much of herself and her people to try to fit in. And with Dalinar out on campaign, she tries to divide her time between wherever he is and Kholinar, but he doesn't let Renarin come along? Because he's 'unfit for battle'? Fucking hell, Dalinar – and oh, Evi, separated from one of her sons or her husband no matter where she is! I can't even imagine the stress she must be going through, trying so hard to make her marriage work and care for her sons, all in this cold land that she ran to, that she still might not even consider home despite all the years spent in Alethkar… She deserves better. Evi deserves better than this.

Dalinar's the 'strategist' referred to by the title, of course. Looks like he's finally settled into more of the role we knew him in at first, even if he's still The Blackthorn rather than The Highprince.

Three years since he and Gavilar last met up face to face? Daaamn. And I'll bet in those intervening years that Gavilar's  become more and more invested in his 'Sons of Honor' goals. It's, what, only about three years until he gets assassinated? He's probably putting plans in motion already to attempt to bring about the next Desolation.

The whatever-was-so-terrible event that happened at the Rift is looming on the horizon. This is going to be more than just 'putting down a rebellion'.

“I doubt we will ever settle back in Kholinar again.” Oh, that's… that's not good.

Shit, she's crying.

Seven years. “Yes, I married a soldier. It's my fault for not being strong enough to deal with the consequences. Thank you, Dalinar. You've made that very clear.”

Oh, Evi.

This has been an argument long in the making. She's put up with so much, set aside her own wellbeing and happiness for his sake, and for what? For what.

(Toh is apparently living in Herdaz. I wonder if he's still there in the present time.)

'The argument was her fault, as were the repercussions.' Oh you fucking brick-headed dumbshit sack of trash. GET OVER HERE SO I CAN PUNCH YOU

Chapter Sixty-Seven – Mishim

[squints] 'Mishim' is the name of one of Roshar's moons, isn't it? Alongside Nomon and Salas. Huh. Maybe this means a nighttime mission?

...a Skybreaker notes that 'this generation has had only one Bondsmith', stating it as a Bad Thing, and speculating that it has something to do with Honor. They didn't say which spren it was – the Stormfather or another – so perhaps this was around the time of Honor's Shattering.

Shallan is shaking off her own murder remarkably well, all things considered. She believes the figure she saw in the mirror to be the presence of the Unmade, though, which I hadn't even considered.

[rolls around in glee at the casual, fond Shadolin physical contact]

[facepalms] Elhokar, you really are stuck in denial at this point. Aesudan is either under the influence of the Unmade or dead at this point; there's really not much of an option that she'd be able to resist it.

Gavinor. For once, you say your son's name. I think this might be the first time we've actually heard you say it.

This all sounds like a fairly sound plan. I'm actually rather impressed; Elhokar is doing much better now than he was before. He's much more stable emotionally and has more confidence in his ideas. A gloryspren at a compliment from Adolin, though? I… huh. He really values his cousin's advice and approval. H e r alds I need to write more exploring these two (my kingdom for an Elhokar RPer, seriously)

He married Aesudan for her strength – because of her ambition, not despite it. I really hope we get some more insight into that whole relationship. Gavilar's marriage to Navani didn't exactly give Elhokar the best example to model his own marriage on, and seven years away at war definitely didn't foster any closeness between them.

(considering his Very Obvious Crush on Kaladin, I still wonder if he's gay and only married for the politics and an heir)

Cultural Note: at the tailor shop for women, there's a woman handling the money and a man doing the tailoring work. Looks like in Alethkar those likely aren't gender-locked roles/professions

So. There's at least one food stockpile in this area. Still don't know where it came from, but it's under the control of a minor lighteyes – one whose soldiers and scribes aren't the best at their jobs.

'Storming lighteyes'. Veil. You may be a personality that Shallan based on her understanding and imagining of a darkeyed Alethi woman but that's still Shallan's perception. Kaladin – and his more-than-justified dislike of lighteyes – you ain't. Be critical of the lord's practices all you want, but remember that you're a lighteyes too. You can't erase that fact.

Those altered angerspren are… thematically appropriate, but also creepy as fuck.

HOID. WIT. WIT WIT WIT

Oh! This is the story that Sigzil was trying to tell! But, true to form, Hoid does it with a vivacity and flair unlike any other.

Interesting – the Rosharans, or at least the Alethi, personify two of the moons as female (Mishim and Salas) and one as male (Nomon).

Wit can Lightweave, and he definitely uses it in some of his storytelling, but this – this is skill of the hand (and maybe something a little extra woven in). He's pretty much immortal, so he's definitely had time to practice!

….what did you see in your pack, Wit. Do you have a Radiant-dar.

HAH. Whether he does or doesn't, he just saw right through Shallan's illusion – either literally or figuratively doesn't matter – and she knows that he knows.

WAIT HOLY SHIT IT'S SHALLAN AGAIN, I JUST REALIZED. WHERE- [flips back a few pages] Wit's voice. She was Veil before that, and as soon as we got 'What was that sound?' she immediately shifts back to Shallan again.

I am loving the mythology behind the Natan people's blue skin. We may not have an actual explanation for that yet – knowing Sanderson, there is one – but I am definitely content for now. We got a Hoid Story, after all, and more cultural worldbuilding on top of that.

“I miss my flute.” GO BUG KALADIN FOR IT ONCE HE GETS BACK

You do have a Radiant-dar. In a jar.

Chapter Sixty-Eight – Aim for the Sun

Coming from a story about one of the moons, now we have a chapter title referencing the sun? (I will not yell about characters I associate with the sun and this being a Shallan chapter, I will not-)

This Elsecaller's recording sounds like it could be Jasnah from another place and time. What is this 'Sibling' that they mention though?

Shallan's observation notes the Alethi proprietor of this place as short, but honestly, for an Alethi, that just means around five-ten to six-foot, right?

I have missed Wit so much. So much.

Ooop, guess you should be taking thieving lessons from him, hmm?

I'm not sure the universe knows why it puts up with you, Hoid, or even if you do yourself.

“The persona...fled once you recognized me.” You mean Veil dissipated when your subconscious realized it was Wit's voice you were hearing – perhaps because of the safety/assurance you associate with him? Because these personas are protecting you – a more solid form of a mask against the world, so that you don't have to deal with things like your lighteyed privilege and lack of knowledge about people and the world in general (Veil) or your trauma regarding Pattern-as-a-Blade and killing your mother with him (Radiant) – once you heard Wit, that mask just wasn't there. There was no transition, nothing. Just… poof.

….I suddenly have a mighty need to hear about these seven time you got mixed up in religion, Hoid.

The way he speaks makes me wonder if Wisdom is a Shard, and Shallan just isn't hearing the capitalization.

Oh, we haven't seen her get in a back-and-forth this delightful since back with her early times with Jasnah, maybe even as far back as the first book! I'm getting the feeling that this conversation is really pulling the Shallan part of Shallan to the foreground.

OH MAN WIT DIDN'T KNOW SADEAS WAS KILLED. “Storms, no. I'd have applauded.” And perhaps even composed a jig on the spot in memory of the occasion.

[hums] There's the title drop, and in a much more understandable context than my silent screaming off to the side.

Oh, Shallan. As composed as Wit seems to be from the outside, once again your perception remains remarkably superficial. Did you catch nothing from the moment that you looked into his eyes and saw mountains crumbling? Though the ability to “change things”… yes, that'd be an enviable one. Even so, the way that Hoid does it isn't the way that you necessarily should.

“For men never see as far as they think they do.” Ooof. And isn't that the truth. Even ones like Dalinar who try to change it for the better don't know how that stone will eventually end up.

He's right. Be wary of Hoid, Shallan. He may be an ally, but he would let Roshar crumble to save the Cosmere. What he might in the end term the best and most necessary way to handle things may not be in the favour of you and yours.

“The Heart of the Revel”. The Unmade. So. It has influence over the members of the cult, and especially so over those of… perhaps not the inner circle, but 'those in the know'. Even if Wit can get you in, it won't be an easy infiltration.

“You already know how. Learn why.” Oh, now there's a question to ask. This being Shallan, she'll internalize and contemplate a question like that better than she would an outright story and Hoid knows it.

“He said he'd treat me like a king.” [SNORTS] Considering how he's treated kings in the past? You're getting off well on this one, good innkeeper.

Hoid feels like a spren to Pattern? Or by 'one of us' does he instead mean like a Radiant – that's the real question.

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters Two, Three, and Four

Chapter Two – One Problem Solved

Hello Adolin, my sun son, I have also missed you so.

Good man, taking charge and organizing your people just like you've been raised to. Find that purpose in usefulness. Find that distraction. You're going to need it.

Heralds, I'm a terrible person, but I want you to b r e a k.

That's not almost a relief, that is a relief that they found the body, because you are too honest for your own good and The Worst Liar and it's going to tear you apart inside trying to keep this a secret. It's almost a tiny weight off of your shoulders, being discovered and that small step closer to your own Damnation, isn't it?

Oh shit, Dalinar calling out Teft by name-

“Looking for him? You lost your highprince.” Why do I find this so fucking funny. It's such a little thing and yet I'm cackling.

'connoisseur of death' – Dalinar why you gotta be so Extra(tm)

(we all know why, it's a Kholin Genetic Affliction)

I was listening to The Way of Kings not long ago and it sticks out as Dalinar catalogues Sadeas' face and wound that Adolin likes to and is skilled at using his fists while on the battlefield. Also managed the overpowering and stabbing while beat to shit and with at least a broken wrist. If he'd actually managed to get Sadeas in the ring, I'd give the man under a minute, if Adolin didn't drag the 'fight' out for the vicious pleasure of it.

SEBARIAL AND PALONA, AYYYY

'He didn't trust most of the highprinces farther than the wind could blow them.” Dalinar. Dalinar you do know that you live in the stormlands, where I know that a Highstorm's stormwall has been known to lift boulders and carry large trees at least 640 kilometers. The wind can blow anyone pretty damn far.

…..actually, that explains everything, considering how easily you trust.

(Wisdom was your dump stat, wasn't it. Ten sapphires says you have a negative modifier for Insight.)

Palona says what we're all thinking. Give that woman a medal and a nice spa day.

L o r d I forgot how much I liked Sebarial and his combination of common sense (for a Highprince) and snark.

[whistles] I knew Urithiru was massive, but that description puts my visualization on a wholly different scale. Ten tiers, each of eighteen levels? Is 18 going to be another number to watch out for?

RICE PADDY ROCKBUD FIELDS

BrandoSando what powers do the squires osmose from their Radiant. I want a list broken down in detail, stat.

Bridge Four, never change.

Dalinar. Dalinar, he would have undermined you at every turn. Forget uniting Roshar, you wouldn't have been able to unite Alethkar with Sadeas sowing dissent and tearing down everything you try to build! Think what you may, but Adolin did what must be done.

Good man, Aladar. Good to know that you can change when faced with new information. Sebarial being Highprince of Commerce was practically guaranteed from the point we heard of him building a proper economy on the Shattered Plains. Adolin as Dalinar's right hand and general was a given.

But what is Renarin to do, other than attempt to figure out his powers? It's a high-priority task, to be sure, but Dalinar, couldn't you entrust a little less personal of a responsibility to him as well? Make him feel like part of the greater whole rather than set aside as he's always been…?

[sighs] I suppose we'll see how this plays out.

Chapter 3 – Momentum

Ohhhhh, and here we get one of the three chapters released way long ago that I did read.

'Rockbuds crunched like skulls beneath Dalinar's boots' What a line what an iconic line-

Almighty Dalinar you were more arrogant than Adolin easy; you can damn well see where he gets it from

This entire visual is glorious and I'm reveling in the descriptive flavour. Who needs a movie when this plays out in the imagination so well?

He can make a line of spearmen waver with just a war cry, Heralds

I said it the first time I read this chapter and it keeps running through my head – the Blackthorn is fucking terrifying

Even now, he's having trouble feeling the Thrill, or at least getting it to catch and hold. I can't imagine he was anything close to proto-Radiant at this point, but perhaps Alethi predisposed towards Radiant-ness have an innate resistance?

(We never read of Kaladin feeling the Thrill.)

OOOP, THERE IT IS.

I would like to rage.

Bloody as it may be, the thought of young!Dalinar spinning with his poleaxe like a dancer is viscerally satisfying on some deep level.

“I just go where he points me.” Dalinar confirmed for guided tactical missile.

And there's the arrow, and Dalinar is impressed. Nearly gets shot again with just how impressed he is. (Now's not the time for competency-kink to kick in, buddy.)

Dalinar. Dalinar, anyone else would call this a bad idea.

“He's got a hole through his chest. Tough break.” Dalinar please.

….Sadeas had golden Shardplate. Sadeas had golden Shardplate. I suppose this must be before he picked his colours as Highprince, and I am entirely unsurprised that he'd go that showboat-y. Was he forced to give up the gold at some point? Is that why his Plate during the current timeline was painted red as opposed to Elhokar's golden set?

“Oh Dalinar. What would we do without you?” Sadeas, I'm afraid your flirting isn't going to work on this one.

Chapter Analysis: young!Dalinar classed straight Barbarian. WIS for dump stat.

Chapter Four – Oaths

[squints at the pre-chapter quote] Theory that the book Oathbringer in-universe is Dalinar's biography is rapidly declining. Still possible, though.

THE EVERSTORM RETURNS.

!!!! He's feeling the Stormfather's emotions? The soulbond can transfer emotions between spren and Radiant and vice versa? Be still my heart.

Stormfather is bascially a cat, ignoring Dalinar just because he doesn't want to come when called, confirmed.

SNUGGLES

Not only snuggles but bared safehand aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh- I love how that's more a sign of trust and intimate familiarity than anything inherently sexual.

The Everstorm is at least slower than a highstorm, but that's not a whole lot of reassurance. “It wouldn't tear down cities, but it did rain destruction upon them – and the winds would attack in bursts, hostile, even deliberate.” Yeaaaah, definitely not. How powerful can those “deliberate” gusts be, I wonder?

Gavilar was your control back then, wasn't he? External control, rather then the internal discipline you keep now.

You want to- you want to get married before you let yourself 'get seduced'. I mean, that's entirely fitting with the Vorin religion and the Alethi in particular being so focused on oaths, but damn, man. I thought you two were already quietly together.

INFORMATION ABOUT SHSHSHSH GIVE IT TO ME GIVE IT TO M-

….shit. You're telling Navani about the lack of memory. Hoooooly shit.

Hostage? Hostage?!

I am abruptly SO MUCH more concerned for Adolin and Renarin, Adolin was only thirteen and Renarin even younger I thought she'd fallen ill or something but a hostage situation can you imagine how that impacted the boys, how that must have scarred them to the core – during their formative years! I- fuck. This is going to get some serious attention on the RP blog after I've finished Oathbringer.

The thought of Elhokar faced with Dalinar and Navani's wedding vows is partly so hilarious that I almost want it to happen, but on the other hand I feel he'd spontaneously combust with sheer embarrassment and I probably would too.

Dalinar you lunatic.

….still stuck on hostage situati-

'silk-covered virgin' – does that mean that the Alethi traditionally get married in silk clothing? I'm imagining the men in a vest-and-takama set, the women in something light and flowing. There's no way that Dalinar isn't in his uniform right now though.

True spren versus subspren? What would constitute a subspren? Is that akin to the difference between honorspren and windspren, or is there a further level of spren that we haven't seen yet?

What do your sons think of this, Dalinar? They who remember their mother? I don't think they're opposed to you remarrying – on the contrary, they'd want you to be happy, but… what do they think?

BRIDAL CROWN. I NEED TO ART THIS ASAP.

Red is lucky, making a note of that.

“A lady must be prepared.” Oh hush, you planned for this to happen.

This. Is not going to make Elhokar feel any less like he's being ousted as king. This will undermine his confidence in his position even further, which is not good when King Social Anxiety is already pretty much at rock bottom and recuperating from an assassination attempt.

The face of the storm itself opening up overhead, the world hanging on a suspended breath… I'm getting shivers, no wonder the crowd exploded with awespren!

OH GOOD YOUR BOYS ARE THRILLED. Grinning! And joy! And, despite the Alethi not being big on contact, hugs. Adolin you touch-starved nerd

Oooof. That is pretty heretical, Dalinar, you have to admit that. Even atheists like Jasnah are probably less 'heretical' in the eyes of Vorinism than someone 'faithful' proclaiming that God Is Dead. In this time when your goal is unity, this isn't going to help you in the slightest.

[looks at map of Alethkar at the end of the chapter] [looks up]

Why. The everloving fuck. Is there no scale for distance. THIS IS A BASIC PART OF MAPMAKING. I WILL COME OVER THERE AND BEAT IT INTO YOUR HEADS-

...still stuck on hostage situation and I’m apparently not getting over it anytime soon

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters Five, Six, and Seven

Chapter Five – Hearthstone

FINALLY A KALADIN CHAPTER

(this being one of the other chapters I read pre-release)

Kaladin is going home, aaaaaahhhhhhh

He's already depressed over being too late, this does not bode well for his mental state, he's been whiplashed from Syl's 'death', to his realization and going to protect Elhokar, to Moash's betrayal and saying his next oath, to the battle on the Plains and saving Dalinar and battling Szeth, and now this.

Let the poor guy rest.

The description of the fields with the rising motes of lifespren is giving me a Ghibli vibe. Specifically, the forest in Princess Mononoke.

Walking from the Aladar princedom to Hearthstone in the Sadeas princedom? I am now even more miffed that we aren't. given. a distance scale. on the map of Alethkar.

I'm not asking for a full elevation DEM with datum and georeferencing I just want a scale is that so much to ask

Syl is a blessing, as she's ever been. Designing herself a little havah! Immediately forgetting it to turn into a stormcloud and then a lurg!

Awwww, he's not in his Bridge Four uniform? Drat. At least it's a Kholin uniform, but still. They should have been able to scrounge up a patch at the very least. Is it an officer's open coat, or a standard soldier's closed-coat? Sanderson, these are important details.

He's really pessimistic about this, but I'm thinking it's not going to be as bad as he fears. Fingers crossed.

Not that the destruction and lack of people when he arrives puts any lie to his worry.

Even thinking about Roshone right now is enough to make me growl. Bastard. The manor is the most likely place to be fortified and survive, though. No doubt he's still around.

...except that the parshmen were there. Right.

!!! An 'aunt'? Spren-hunts? More about spren society? Interrelationships? Syl, tell us more.

At least there are still people alive and present. That's enough to give Kaladin a flicker of hope, and he of all people needs that right now.

Chapter Six – Four Lifetimes

Nobody is going to recognise you, Kaladin, you've changed too much – you've grown, in more ways than just your outer form.

“Don't make me down you, son.” Okay, I had far too much fun cackling at this man's expense. Please sir, try. Make my day.

Oh, Kal. I know this isn't the way you wanted to return, but keep moving and keep your head held high. Please.

“There are wounded?” Yes! Go! Be a medic, Kal! And while you're there, where there are wounded there will be-

LIRIN

I'm sorry but Kaladin absentmindedly handing the guard his ass is far, far too amusing

LIRIN. WHO IMMEDIATELY KNEW. AND CALLED FOR HESINA AND RAN TO HUG KALADIN, AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!

“My little boy.” even though Kaladin probably towers over his father by now, he'll always be Lirin's little boy

Shockspren, those are new

You can practically hear his voice breaking with his confession, and my heart hurts for him, oh Kaladin, you tried, you tried

HUGPILE. THIS IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR CALLED FOR.

More on food, good, good, I want all the little cultural details

Awwww, his parents are trying to protect him in whatever way they can; they probably think he escaped enslavement, stole a uniform for ease of travel…

'She talked to him as if he were a child.' Yeah, I was picking that up – you did leave when you were a child, but it's been years since then, and they weren't there for that passage of time. You've all changed, but been apart for it.

'And four lifetimes.' Chills. But good ones.

YUP they definitely still think he's a slave

I'm psyched for the sheer glee I know I'll feel when he disproves that. He's been hanging around the Kholins for too long and their Extra™ has been rubbing off on him.

….is Syl bound close enough to Kaladin to start 'remembering' his memories?! !!!!! Oh man, my love for soulbonds is having a field day with all these Nahel bond revelations!

Syl. Syl what was that 'other song'. Syl I demand to know

Kaladin, everybody looks small because you're tall now. Not to mention you've been spending your time amongst soldiers, especially densely muscled ones like your bridgemen, built-like-a-brick-wall Dalinar, and I-beat-Shardbearers-for-a-living Adolin. Also Rock, who is a small mountain.

...hello, Roshone. Fuck off.

YES

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

“That,” Kaladin said, “was for my friend Moash.”

FUCKING EAT IT, ROSHONE. YOU DESERVE THAT AND WORSE

Chapter Seven – A Watcher at the Rim

You can just see Lirin's dropped jaw, along with everyone else in the room. And yes, Syl, thank you for agreeing.

I still want to punch something in celebration, that was glorious

“unsettled debt” HEH. And one that Roshone has no idea even exists. Doesn't matter. He still needs his teeth rearranged.

Do better.

Oh fiiiiine. Still. He deserved it.

Kal dressing those soldiers down like a drill sergeant is almost just as satisfying, as is his barking orders to Roshone.

…..he's equal rank to Roshone now, isn't he? Landed lighteyes overseeing a region are fourth dahn, as are Shardbearers. And Kaladin has far more authority. Oh, this is going to be fun.

The soldiers certainly sense it. Good for them.

SYLBLADE

“feeling his eyes bleed to blue.” He can feel that? What kind of a feeling is it? Like stormlight, ozone-mist and luminous? Is it only a faint sensation, or one that can't be missed? I must know

Brightlord. Ohhhhh, I don't know how Kal's going to feel about that title….

Kaladin, you're speaking about the king by name again. This time, in front of people who probably have no idea that you are/were his bodyguard.

Oooo, Roshone might be fifth dahn, if he doesn't actually “have stewardship over any of the highprince's lands”.

“I am an elegant and graceful weapon, stupid.” Syl, I love you. Also liking the distinction between her and Wyndle here, since Wyndle also considered himself quite the elegant Shardfork but didn't want at all to be a weapon.

Some of the old spren have four genders? @spasticcharge mentioned that to me since she got the book before I did, and mentioned that it could be male-female-malen-femalen, matching with the Parshendi, considering their changes via spren-bond. Doubly reinforced by Sly saying “Because humans didn't imagine those ones, silly.”

“As much as I hate it, we don't have time to oust Alethkar's ruling class and set up something better.” START A SOCIAL REVOLUTION, KALADIN

Laral! You're… not as I expected to see either. The whole marriage to Roshone was squicky as hell. You've changed too. Grown. Hardened, but… not in a bad way, have you? Your soldiers respect you, you're competent, and Syl likes you. That says a lot.

I didn't expect you to defend Roshone, though.

No Lirin, he hasn't hardened as much as you think. He still has that emotional core that rules him. He's just used to making do with what he has, which has usually been little to nothing.

Life before death. Said to Lirin, echoed with Dalinar. [sc r e am s]

Already calling Urithiru “home”, are you?

BROTHER

I know my dash already spoiled me for it but I DON'T CARE. BROTHER BROTHER KALADIN HAS A BROTHER

Oroden

[weeps]

Glowing Kaladin standing framed in the doorway as he rises into the air, reassuring the people of Hearthstone. It's as good a guarantee as they can get, and more importantly, he's given them a cause for hope.

[nightblink]

Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters 17-21

Chapter Seventeen

So that light was a spren that alerted the Parshmen. But what kind?

Parshmen children. Free ones, now.

Yesssss, identify with these people, Kaladin. They are indeed people. You understanding that is a key part of helping them.

“They may have taken your freedom, but they took our minds.” Fuuuuuuuck. And they remember all of it too, the burning helplessness of their lack of free will. Their owners were lucky the Parshmen didn't kill them in their beds.

Well, the Parshmen aren't free from Kaladin's perspective – and experience. But free from Dullform at the very least, free to act as they choose, their will their own.

A higher spren – just not an honorspren. Is it looking for someone to bond to? A human, or a Parshendi? If it wasn't bonded, wouldn't its mental state degrade while in the Physical Plane? Or is it a voidspren?

And there Syl goes, casually dropping capitalized Connection and Identity into conversation

[winces] Trying to explain to a child how your ancestors enslaved hers. Yeaaah, that's going to go really well.

!!!! You're staying! Helping them. Oh, Kaladin, I expected it from you, but my heart still soars at reading it.

Chapter Eighteen – Double Vision

So. Veil chapter. And right off the bat we have Shallan's name dropped in favor of Veil's. That is… a worrying sign considering her last chapter with Adolin and the way she changed into Brightness Radiant.

“the part at the back of her mind that was still Shallan” yeaaaaaah, I'm worried. There's a distinct level of separation between personalities going on.

Patterm likes Adolin! That's… unexpected. (Does he sense the lie Adolin cloaks himself in now?)

“Is that-” PATTERN. ...though to be fair, marrying a Radiant is basically a package deal.

Urithiru's wells don't empty, and their water levels never drop? But they're at the top of a mountain! Most of the groundwater flow should be through the shallow stress-fracture system. You are above drainage. Are the wells super-deep? Do they draw from a confined, perched aquifer where the hydrologic head somehow remains constantly level and doesn't artesian despite the city likely having wells on different levels/elevations of the city? SANDERSON, EXPLAAAAIN.

Smooth, Veil.

Ahhh, so the colours in wines are done on purpose as opposed to a byproduct of the ingredients used to make them? That makes sense, especially considering how they're ranked by alcohol content to a rainbow gradient.

So was that a shot of vodka, everclear, or moonshine? Either way, you are not fooling anyone, Veil.

“Oh, hon.” No kidding. Shallan, unless you have enough stormlight to clear it, you are going to wake up with a serious hangover tomorrow.

Oooo, the barkeep can tell. “With eyes like those...”

That fact that you're managing to maintain enough brainpower to remember your initial reason for coming out here is frankly astounding.

Aaaand there goes the drunkenness. You're lucky you don't have to suffer that hangover (and apparently it works on poison too, good to know). [cackles] That little cheek-pat was just the cherry on top.

Oh shit. Oh shit. She's not sure if she can distinguish parts of reality from her own fictions. Fuuuuuuck.

“I can't be Veil only on the surface.” YEAH THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT

Nope, there's the moonshine.

Well, would you look at that, a possible lead?

….are you going to start a barfight, Veil.

Holy fuck.

Even thugs don't really want to mess with Certified Crazy People, and you've just cemented yourself as one of those, soooo… you may actually be safe. For now.

So the Ghostbloods aren't secret-secret? Huh. Their organization must be larger and more prominent than I thought.

Ooooo, so- it's a mirror-murder? It's not going to be the same as Sadeas every time? But it will be the exact same down to the detail as another kill? Interesting. This… I'm thinking this doesn't seem human.

But is it a sign of the coming Desolation, or something less Odious, though just as sinister?

Chapter Nineteen – The Subtle Art of Diplomacy

I think this might be the last of the chapters that I read before the book released. Ahhh, but this was a good one.

Dalinar, people are wondering if you're contemplating arson

Trust that the Alethi know very well how to wage war on their own ground, Toh. It's what they're good at.

No Soulcasters at all in Iri or Rira? Are they hoarded by the Veden nations, or do the other kingdoms/countries not have as much need of them?

Lounging there in a takama set, heh. I need to sketch out designs for that.

Whoops, and where's the missing knife? Not like you have anything else to do but go look for it, so why not just meander out into the Highstorm

You're lucky your soldiers didn't have bows ready to loose at whatever Shardbearer was making their way in unexpectedly from the storm.

Dalinar, you are a crazy, crazy man, Just. Wandering back into the Highstorm, contemplating all the things on your mind as you casually step out of the way of flying boulders. Nothing to see here.

What is the glowy thing

Well. That's one way to make an impression, that's for sure.

Where did you live before you were twelve, if you'd never seen Kholinar before that time? 'Backwater' tells us nothing. But “their branch of the house”…. Did you overthow the main family of your own clan before going after the rest of Alethkar?

Down, boy. Don't make us get out the cold water hose.

Dalinar, rude.

“A touch vapid-” Somehow I feel that that estimation is off, or at least not indicative of the entire picture.

How many sets of Plate did Rira – and Iri – have in the first place? Not many, or they wouldn't still be so outraged over this “stolen” set decades later.

Sadeas may have deserved his stabbing many times over, but you can't deny that he and Ialai were well-matched and obviously happy together.

Not ready for a political match, Dals? It's just one more way your brother uses you as a weapon to get closer to his/your end goal!

Dalinar. Dalinar please.

Is all this conversation about Sunmaker foreshadowing, I wonder – or at least foreshadowing for the current-future, as opposed to Gavilar's own death and the fragility of the kingdom afterwards. After all, Dalinar is sort of attempting to “conquer the world” in a way, though the unification he seeks isn't political or territorial.

That is an apt description of many a war, Dalinar.

Sadeas are you trying to flirt with him-

So. How did you find out about the Codes, Gavilar, and what's driving your interest in them? Considering what we know of you in later dates, I'm not convinced that you were a proto-Bondsmith.

Dalinar's first sight of Evi, fascinated by her hair and how she stands out amongst all the Alethi, mirrors Adolin's first sight of Shallan and I am entirely here for that.

Left-handed Evi? Left-handed Evi, oh man that is- the Vorins are going to try to train her out of that and into using her right hand, that's a given.

And here I though using assassins wasn't Alethi-like. Tsk tsk.

Dalinar is nothing if not abruptly decisive in following through – like Adolin and Sadeas in the corridor, thought translating immediately to action.

Dude. You are definitely a barbarian.

Chapter Twenty – Cords to Bind

Kaladin, gemheart, gentle one, I love you more and more with each passing chapter you're in. May your legacy be that of healing hands as well as protection.

Kaladin “I will adopt everyone” Stormblessed. Though really, wouldn't this fall under “I will protect those who cannot protect themselves”? It's just a non-violent kind of protection.

[hums] You are speaking with an authority that they're used to from lighteyes, Kal. Soldiers expect it, but these are civilian people. They don't do orders like those you've been used to for the past while. And Sah makes a very good point. They're following what you say, what an Alethi says, same as it was before.

They have every right to choose their own battles, Kaladin.

Makes sense that Syl can sense the storms – or the stormlight within them, perhaps. I'll bet that all Radiants' spren can do so.

[winces] I hope that there is a middle ground, I just… I don't see how.

Chapter Twenty-One – Set Up to Fail

The vision of Shallan sleeping in a nest of piled blankets is too cute.

Oh, shit, you drank the entire jug?! That's… be glad you have stormlight, or they'd be finding you dead of alcohol poisoning.

“Her actions felt like they'd taken place in a dream.” That... does not bode well at all. I'm suspecting that you might be going beyond 'coping mechanisms' and are developing Multiple Personality Disorder as a response to your PTSD.

Shallan, I'm pretty sure he puts in a lot of effort to look that effortlessly handsome. He just wakes up earlier than you do to get it done.

“Blarg.” [snorts]

Adolin, you are being adorably attentive.

“We're very mysterious creatures.” Yes, just not as mysterious as Mistborn, right?

IT IS MOONSHINE I WAS RIGHT

Shallan, you've had how much booze before to determine what's good or not? No. Shush.

You don't have to try very hard with the axehound-puppy eyes, Shallan, I'm pretty sure he's already charmed by how morning-scruffy and adorable you look in your nest.

ADOLIN AND RUBIES, I---[sc r e am s]

….Shallan. How much were you already breathing light as a child?

And how do you have stormlight if they all should have gone dun? Sanderson's not one to overrule his own psuedo-magic rules, so there must be an actual reason for it.

You two are too goddamn cute. I do so hope you're endgame.

…..oh shit. Ialai.

Every scene with Sebarial and Palona is a gift.

For more reasons than just the two of them being an utter delight – Sebarial always manages to give us a more down-to-Roshar, common-sense(-for-a-Highprince) view of events, with a much different perspective than we see with the militaristic, not-an-ounce-of-chill-among-them Kholins.

Shallan, did you forget your own guards existed. You did. Pretty much.

It's part of being a hierarchy, Shallan. Not quite honor by association, but close. You have to give them a purpose, even if that's small. Listen to Adolin, this is stuff he knows in his bones.

….Adolin's thinking back to what he said, isn't he. “My father thinks I'm a better man than he is. Unfortunately for you, he's wrong.”

It's what happens when you do figure out that mystery that he's worried about.

Looks like the general air and disheveled nature of the Sadeas army hasn't changed, what with the lack of care that the people put into their presentation compared to the Kholin army and the way they conduct themselves around their “warcamp”/territory/assigned area of Urithiru. The overtly hostile reception doesn't make it any better, as it feels like the hair on the back of your neck rises with the sense of danger with every step they take.

Oh, fucking shIT-