#i now know why i hate taravangian but that's spoilers

[thephilosophersapprentice]

TARAVANGIAN?

STUPID IDIOT FATHERSTORMING TARAVANGIAN

ADONALSIUM DAMN FOOL DEATH RATTLE COLLECTING DUST EATING RAT OLD BASTARD CREMHEAD IDIOT VESSEL OF THE WHORE

BIGGEST CLOWN IN THE CIRCUS LAUGHED OUT OF TOWN CHULLBOY FATHERSTORMING TARAVANGIAN

STOP PINNING ME WHEN I TALK ABOUT TARAVANGIAN I HATE HIM SO MUCH WHY DOES HE HAVE SO MANY FUCKED UP PLOTS WHY DID HE DECIDE TO FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT JUST SET THEM LOOSE

IS HE DEAD IS HE A BASTARD MAN HAS SUCH A VISCERAL AFFECT ON ME NOT EVEN IN THE ROOM NEVER SEEN THIS MANS FACE AND I KNOW HE HAS THE WORLDS SHITTIEST BEARD GET AWAY FROM ME

if i wanted to get into the tranquiline halls and honor said taravangians waiting inside i would piss on honors feet for the sole purpose of getting sent back down

if i have to deal with taravangian speaking one word in person on voice in book not only will i close the book i will throw my bookmark across the room out of spite and have to reread the entire series again for the experience of being able to skip all the times when he is mentioned or alive

i dont even know why i hate him so much. he collects death rattles and draws on walls but i am just mad because i am angy

he better have some fucked up backstory to explain this if hes just some rich cremhead whos a fan of political dramas and wanted the irl version ill go ham

BETTER have had a unmade make him kill a man cuz if he didnt Im going to make him

paypal.com/IStormingHateTaravangian

books not even about him. vaguely mentioned what is supposed to maybe be his palanaeum and I lost it

where the fuck is taravangian if hes still alive im going to so deeply wish he wasnt

crusty old man

ill punch taravangian and his sad frail old man twig bones will simply flake apart under my epic huge meat fist and he will disintegrate until all thats left is one final copy of the diagram he kept on him at all times simply titled Now You Fucked Up in ancient dawnchant

im not breathing im hyperventilating at this point

i hope theres a date given for when taravangian died or will die so i can make it a reminder on my phone

everyday once a year i will see it and do anything but pay respects to the man who had so many fucked up if true plots

Special thanks to https://jurgen-leitner-rant.neocities.org/!

[puddlejumper38]

Wind and Truth thoughts under the cut

Spoilers for the entire book.

-Oof. The ending. I will come back to that, but its first up because its overshadowing everything else like a giant storm cloud. - :( speaking of. Goddamn it, I liked the Stormfather.

-I want to note, right here, that I still do not trust Szeth to make a single good decision. I don't think he should be the law. I hope he goes back to sheep farming and has no power over anyone ever.

-Interestingly, I like Nale better after this book. He was just a terrifying figure before, but now he's interesting as a person too. (He's still scary)

-What The Fuck Was With Moash Getting Spiked? As a devoted Marsh fan, I am against spiking in general. I have no words about how much I do Not like Moash being crystal spiked.

(side note: I think I dislike Moash properly now. Yes, the guy has some points, but.... he continued even with his own emotions. Attacking bridge 4. That's.... thats too far for me. If he'd decided to fight anyone Except bridge 4 I could have dealt with that)

-Saw that Gav was being prepped to hate Dalinar. Was still as tricked as Navani.

-So. We meet Auxiliary and learn what the fuck with Sigzil. I still don't like the Sunlit Man as a book and it coloured how I viewed the Shattered Plains fight here. I do like Aux.

-I trust Ishar even less than Szeth, therapy or no

-I really enjoyed the flashbacks in the spiritual realm. I loved getting all the gaps filled in, finally. (Or most of them anyway.) Also it just felt like WoK in vibes in a way that I just really appreciated.

-Appreciated the trick with Venli on the Shattered Plains. Not... Hmm. Not sure it matters anymore though. We'll see.

-I particularly liked the Interludes here. I remember those took me a while to get used to back in WoK.

-Had seen enough theories to be unsurprised about Shallan's mother being Chana, but I doubt I'd have thought of it myself

-Formless wasn't there! I thought that was off, because Shallan never fully manifested her, but still didn't clock it. I do love that. There's always details in Sanderson's books that I just don't see coming.

-Jasnah's povs... I just didn't like them. Can't quite put my finger on why, but she shouldn't have played by Taravangian's rules in the first place. She lost, but I don't feel like she lost in the way she thinks she did. I hate her lack of flexible thinking and nuance from someone who is supposed to be a good scholar. I liked her better in WoK Prime. We'll see how her book is, years from now.

-Renarin and Rlain's pov's were another real highlight. I was worried about this one, because Branderson - bless his mormon socks - can be as hamhanded as Dalinar sometimes. But this was just very well handled in my opinion. In character, not forced, and remarkably relevant to the overall plot. Nice.

-I should have known as soon as Adolin wanted to see Dalinar again that he wouldn't. That was a major hint.

-Ah shit I should get to Dalinar.

-That could be its own post.

-Kaladin first then. I.... didn't want that for him. In any way. I could see it coming - because fuck knows it couldn't be Szeth and once these ideas are raised something has to happen. But still. Its not good for anyone and I can only hope its more temporary this time. Yes, he gets a bit of a break. No, he has no friends with him. Poor guy.

-All right. Dalinar.

-I have been angry at Dalinar since Oathbringer. I think he's a good character! But yikes. I mean all of the Blackthorn behaviour, not only Evi.

-I did not want him to be Honor.

(actually I don't think I want Anyone to pick up Shards)

-Hey, he's not Honor, though. Anymore.

-INSTEAD TARAVANGIAN IS!! HEY WHY IS THIS HAPPENING

-Cultivation can try to flee all she likes this is still her fault.

-Taravangian of all people.

-It was a Good Ending, its also terrifying for Roshar in the short term - but better in the long term! - and the cosmere in general

-Odium needed to be freed from Roshar, for all the reasons thrown at us readers with all the delicacy of a chull in a china shop in those last few chapters (read fond exasperation here, I Got It The First Few Times)(last few chapters of YatNP were similar)

-Retribution is a little More than just freeing Odium.

-That said; It could never be as simple as one side winning the contest and I'm glad it wasn't. That would've disappointed me.

-So no more Stormlight in the Stormlight Archives?? Well, we'll see.

-And Dalinar is gone. I am sorry for it. It was going to happen in some way or other (I'm not sure taking up a Shard counts as surviving)(I'm not sure being bound to serve Odium would count either). But... I am sorry for it. I'll miss him.

[cosmerelists]

Kelsier and Taravangian Have A Conversation

Inspired by these two being compared in Kelsier's Coppermind entry.

[Contains major spoilers for Mistborn and Stormlight Archive!]

Kelsier: So, you're a king, huh?

Kelsier: Exactly the sort of person I'd assassinate, back in the day.

Taravangian: Yes, those in power can rarely be trusted.

Taravangian: In my case, I do, uh, run a large-scale hospital that welcomes all.

Kelsier: Knowing what nobles are like, it's probably a front to hide some sort of greater crime.

Taravangian: Ha, ha, yeah! I actually use it as a front to kill people in order to obtain the prophecies delivered by the dying, hoping to piece together enough clues to save the world. It's one of the only reliable ways to obtain reliable information about the world's fate.

Taravangian: You know how it is. Somebody has to be willing to do whatever it takes to save humanity, no matter the cost.

Kelsier: Damn it.

Taravangian: Hmmm?

Kelsier: I hate it when the worst person I know makes a good point.

Taravangian: Oh? That's not usually the reaction I get.

Taravangian: Usually it's something more like "Oh my dear god you monster why"

Kelsier: Well sure. That's a perfectly normal reaction.

Kelsier: Which is why it takes people like us to actually save the world.

Kelsier: I sacrificed myself and had a friend eat my bones to create a mystical religion and overthrow an immortal god-king.

Taravangian: How did eating your bones help?

Kelsier: Oh, it was a kandra. They can ingest bones and then reconstruct the original body.

Kelsier: Is that really the first question you had, though?

Taravangian: I mean, dramatic martyrdom that spawns a religion in order to manipulate the masses seems pretty straight-forward.

Kelsier: ...It took a lot of planning, you know.

Taravangian: Well, but that's the fun part, isn't it?

Taravangian: I may be damning my own soul, but storms if it isn't fun to lay out an extravagant plot every now and again.

Taravangian: My Diagram was written over the walls and floors of an entire room!

Taravangian: Good times.

Kelsier: Unhinged scrawls on a wall? Seems like a hard sell for your crew.

Taravangian: Bah! If people are put off by genius that spills off the page, then you need better men.

Kelsier: With all sincerity--I could not have had better men.

Kelsier: Take Spook. He started off as a just a scrawny skaa, but in the end, he was in charge of an empire with me as a his ghost advisor, and we made great progress in hemalurgy.

Kelsier: Speaking of doing whatever it takes.

Taravangian: I'm not familiar with 'hemalurgy.'

Kelsier: Oh, you'd like it. You can take investiture from people using special spikes. It kills them, of course, but the power does not die with them.

Kelsier: I think it's probably gonna save the world. My world, at least.

Taravangian: You know, I hadn't wanted to ask about the spike in your eye since it seemed impolite, but...

Kelsier: Yup. Hemalurgy.

Taravangian: Fascinating! I wonder if it would work for my world too.

Kelsier: Probably! If my agents on your world ever get their shit together, maybe we'll find out.

Taravangian: ...You have agents on my world?

Kelsier: Well, yeah. What, are you not out into the wider Cosmere yet?

Taravangian: Look, I only just became a god. I'll get there!

Kelsier: Well, I can't wait to battle with you for supremacy in the hope of sacrificing your world to save mine.

Taravangian: Aw, thanks! Right back at you.

Kelsier: We'll probably need to deal with that bastard Hoid first, though.

Taravangian: Eh, he's not so bad if you have the power to delete his memory.

Kelsier: You...got one over on Hoid?

Kelsier: Could this be...love?

Taravangian: No, I think it's just the warm glow of something bad happening to Hoid.

Kelsier: Yeah, that must be it.

[deacf-coffee-is-a-sin]

i am not the same man that i was before i finished rhythm of war

[if-one-of-us-falls]

Ok we're doing this. We're reading the stormlight 5 prologue. I'm just going to liveblog here in one post to not spam everyone this time.

Spoilers ahead, of course.

wow gavilar is INSUFFERABLE. the ego of this guy has no end.

he calls the stormfather "it"

I just KNEW he was a manipulative piece of shit to dalinar too!

"both his pain and his addiction made him easy enough to control." i hate him so much

also i'm confused. is gavilar a radiant? (feels unlikely to me) why is the stormfather around him all the time? and you need to find words to become a herald? that's interesting

haha the two bastards meet

yeah he's literally a seon in a trenchcoat huh

"how long has it been since they all laughed together - he, Ialai, Navani and Sadeas" AREN'T YOU FORGETTING SOMEONE YOU STORMING PIECE OF SHIT

this prologue has revived my love for dalinar apparently. turns out gavilar is enough of an asshole to cancel out war crimes (temporarily at least)

does he like... not know that they are heralds?

"the man can't abide someone having more secrets than him" hrrrngahhahhhhhhhgggg

i want to see nalan beat the shit out of gavilar. it would be so satisfying

i'll try to stay content with the knowledge he gets murdered that day anyway

im so confused?? are they not really heralds? did the stormfather lie to him? i assume the stormfather lied to him because he is such an asshole and the stormfather doesn't actually buy his bullshit

"the sun could love the stars but never as equals" dude sure has a high opinion of himself

taravangian?

babe wake up new death rattle just dropped (we heard most of this one before though)

gavilar is the worst job interviewee ever

a herald has died????? (like... now? or did he see into the future?)

ok yes the stormfather did lie. good for him

"and why on all of roshar would it have done so" i can't possibly think of a reason

well! i really don't know what else to say. i really want a scene where the stormfather explains to dalinar that gavilar was not worth all the credit he's been giving him

tbh there weren't as many crazy reveals in this prologue as i thought there will be. It does set up the ba-ado-mishram backstory pretty well though

[njasnyah-kholin]

Rhythm of War Reactions

I’m finished with Rhythm of Wythm! So here are some haphazardly thrown together reactions.

Major major spoilers below the cut!

- You know I started this book literally just for Shallan but I ended up loving all the POVs, as I probably should have expected

- Navani was my favorite! I found her plot to be the most engaging, her character growth, her relationship with Raboniel, not to mention:

- Math!?!? and music!?!? My two true loves!?!? The connection between which I try to fit into as many school projects as possible!?!? Can Navani hire me to work on this please?

- Other than me desperately wanting to work on this project, the whole thing with converting light into sound into oscillations back into light was so cool and set up really well from TWoK. Sand plates!

- Raboniel could stab me and I would thank her

- I stole this from another post but yeah Kaladin really was like “these people all need therapy” “none for me though”

- I really want to see Jasnah’s reaction when she returns to Urithiru and Kaladin’s like “oh yeah I’m helping all those people the ardents locked up now, isn’t this cool and probably not personally relevant to your life”

- The whole concept of “give him more time” was so good :’)

- KALADIN SWORE THE FOURTH! “I accept that there are some people I cannot save!” (Or something like that.) Good for you man you deserve it

- Interestingly, Shallan has not sworn the fourth ideal yet, though she seems really close. Does this mean she’ll swear two in book 5? Or is Brandon saving the fifth for the back half for her? (Doesn’t seem likely.) I thought “I killed my first spren” would be a pretty good truth, but who knows...

- I did not like Dalinar as much this book. For someone whose main tenet is change and growth, he was surprisingly stubborn. Yes, this is within his characterization, but I hope it morphs into something a bit more cooperative in book 5.

- TRIAL BY WITNESS need I say more? I was literally covering the next page with my hand because I knew something epic was going to happen and I would glance ahead if I didn’t

- That being said, I wasn’t all that satisfied with how the book left off the Shadesmar expedition. It felt kinda pushed to the side in favor of the climax at Urithiru. Which... maybe there was no better way? But it is Shadesmar, so I feel like the timeline could have been shifted around or extended a bit to make more of a conclusion.

- Spren culture! I want to learn more!

- Rlain is now my boy. Do not touch him or I will take your kneecaps

- I came in pretty uninvested in Eshonai and Venli. I’m still not super invested in either of them, but Venli’s pretty cool, I guess? I definitely enjoyed her POVs, I just couldn’t really pinpoint what she was all about

- On a different note Teft just, like, DIED, so... that happened

- This book lowkey had me in a bad place by that point where I felt like I had to keep reading to get to a better part and thus did not do any of my work due today but it’s okay because Kaladin swore the fourth and I felt better and now I will do my work and not procrastinate more by writing this...

- SEON???

- Shallan!!!! my babe!!!! Was scREAming all throughout the Formless chapter and it did not disappoint

- I actually don’t hate Jasnah/Wit. I don’t love it. But I don’t hate it

- Canon ace Jasnah!

- Singer lore is really cool and even though I didn’t find the RoW flashbacks all that interesting I am excited to see where this goes

- As an Asian person who grew up with squinty/shifty eye jokes, I find it absolutely hilarious that people continue to make fun of the Shin for their enormous eyes

- Canon neurodivergent Syl!

- Canon nonbinary spren! I didn’t really like how they kept describing the Sibling’s voice as somewhere in between male and female, especially considering how the Sibling is so derisive of humans’ binaristic worldview. I did like the part where they were like “why do you even gender” though, that was fun and if not a personal mood definitely a nonbinary culture mood

- While on this topic, Wit’s story was definitely about being trans (it was not but I will talk about this later, flow is important)

- Also while on this topic, I was getting real strong trans Lift vibes. Idk how that would work as Stormlight already transes your gender, but maybe she hasn’t fully figured it out yet, or she still sees herself one way Cognitively which is definitely a thing. I don’t think it’ll happen, but it would be cool!

- Kaladin would be afraid of dogs

- Idk what’s going on with Ishar and perpendicularities but it’s cool I guess. 5/10

- I’m annoyed that Taravangian went back to his old conniving ways after he Ascended. Him being a traitor already annoyed me and it felt like all his growth through the book was for nothing. Also, what about Rayse? Y’know, the villain we’ve been fighting all this time? I feel like this would have been better suited for mid-late book 5, after some sort of conclusion has already happened with Rayse, or we feel like this transition is necessary.

- Dalinar needs to attain the fifth very very quickly and that makes me nervous because he does not seem close to the fourth like Shallan does.

- Is the whole fifth book going to take place within the next ten days?

- Wit’s story was not about being trans it was about mental illness and it was really good for reasons that I cannot put into words

- And finally: Now that Shallan has two Shardblades, can she wield two swords at once??? Please???

I hope you enjoyed those reactions. Stay safe and have a nice day! :)

[whatishoid]

Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some thoughts while reading. There will be spoilers. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Stormlight Archive Epigraphs (3) - Last Words

The epigraphs in TWOK Part 1 and Part 4 record the dying words of Rosharans.

We later learn that these “death rattles” describe prophetic visions, and are caused by the Unmade called Moelach, as well as that Taravangian is actively killing people in order to document their words.

I’ve tried to organize them by content. Minor spoilers for the prereleased chapters of Rhythm of War.

The Death of Honor

1) Ten orders. We were loved, once. Why have you foresaken us, Almighty! Shard of my soul, where have you gone?

- Collected on the second day of Kakash, year 1171, 5 seconds before death. Subject was a lighteyed woman in her third decade.

Refers to both the Recreance and the death of Honor.

2) Three of sixteen ruled, but now the Broken One reigns.

- Collected: Chachanan, 1173, 84 seconds pre-death. Subject: a cut-purse with the wasting sickness, of partial Iriali descent.

The Heralds

3) Ten people, with Shardblades alight, standing before a wall of black and white and red.

- Collected: Jesachev, 1173, 12 seconds pre-death. Subject: one of our own ardents, overheard during his last moments.

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

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

This is pretty clearly spoken from the point of view of Talenel on Braize, the only obe of the ten Heralds to keep the Oathpact.

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

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

This is a reference to Shallash, the Herald associated with the Lightweavers (and with creativity and art generally), who now goes around vandalizing art of herself

The ‘Voidbringers’ (in quotes due to revelations in Oathbringer)

6) They are aflame. They burn. They bring the darkness when they come, and so all you can see is that their skin is aflame. Burn, burn, burn...

- Collected on Palahishec, 1172, 21 seconds pre-death. Subject was a baker’s apprentice.

7) I see them. They are the rocks. They are the vengeful spirits. Eyes of red.

- Kakakes 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. A darkeyed young woman of fifteen. Subject was reportedly mentally unstable since childhood.

8) That chanting, that singing, those rasping voices.

- Kaktach 1173, 16 seconds pre-death. A middle-aged potter. Reported seeing strange dreams during highstorms during the last two years.

Reference to the Parshendi calling the Everstorm.

9) Victory! We stand atop the mount! We scatter them before us! Their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms! And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn.

- Collected on Ishashan, 1172, 18 seconds pre-death. Subject was a lighteyed spinster of the eighth dahn.

This seems to be referencing the humans (the actual Voidbringers) deplacing the Singers, as described in the Eila Stele.

The Everstorm

10) The love of men is a frigid thing, a mountain stream only three steps from the ice. We are his. Oh Stormfather...we are his. It is but a thousand days, and the Everstorm comes.

- Collected on the first day of the week Palah of the month Shash of the year 1171, 31 seconds before death. Subject was a dark-eyed pregnant woman of middle years. The child did not survive.

11) I have seen the end, and have heard it named. The Night of Sorrows, the True Desolation. The Everstorm.

- Collected on the 1st of Nanes, 1172, 15 seconds pre-death. Subject was a darkeyed youth of unknown origin.

12) They named it the Final Desolation, but they lied. Our gods lied. Oh, how they lied. The Everstorm comes. I hear its whispers, see its stormwall, know its heart.

- Tanatanes 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. An Azish itinerant worker. Sample of particular note.

Specific Events in the Books

13) A man stood on a cliffside and watched his homeland fall into dust. The waters surged beneath, so far beneath. And he heard a child crying. They were his own tears.

- Collected on the 4th of Tanates, year 1171, 30 seconds before death. Subject was a cobbler of some renown.

I think this is referencing something from Dalinar’s visions in TWOK, but I don’t remember them clearly. I’ll keep an eye out for it on this read-through.

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

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

Could be a reference to Kaladin, Dalinar, or both. “The Tower” could be the rock formation of that named where the main battle occurs in TWOK, or (more likely) Urithiru. Dalinar has now taken up rulership of Urithiru. The spear is generally identified with Kaladin, as his primary weapon. Probably broadly referring to the need to refound the Knights Radiant.

15) They come from the pit, two dead men, a heart in their hands, and I know that I have seen true glory.

- Kakashah 1173, 13 seconds pre-death. A rickshaw puller.

Shallan and Kaladin returning from the chasm in WOR, specifically referenced in the chapter title “True Glory”. The use of “two men” for a man and a woman indicates that these statements do not need to be taken precisely literally.

16) All is withdrawn for me. I stand against the one who saved my life. I protect the one who killed my promises. I raise my hand. The storm responds.

- Tanatenev, 18 seconds pre-death. A darkeyed mother of four in her sixty-second year.

Kaladin defending Elhokar against Moash in WOR. Specifically referenced in the chapter title “The One Who Killed Promises.”

17) In the storm I awaken, falling, spinning, grieving.

- Dated Kakanev, 1173, 13 seconds pre-death. Subject was a city guardsman.

This may be Szeth in the Everstorm at the end of WOR, after Kaladin defeats him, but I’m not sure of it. His ‘awakening’ would be the awareness that he was, in fact, right about the return of the Knights Radiant and the Desolations.

18) The darkness becomes a palace. Let it rule! Let it rule!

- Kakevah 1173, 22 seconds pre-death. A darkeyed Selay man of unknown profession.

I think this is referring to the two Unmade in the palace of Kholinar in OB.

19) Above the final void I hang, friends behind, friends before. The feast I must drink clings to their faces, and the words I must speak spark in my mind. The old oaths will be spoken anew.

- Dated Betabanan, 1173, 45 seconds pre-death. Subject: a lighteyed child of five years. Diction improved remarkably when giving sample.

I think this is referencing Dalinar’s third oath at the climax of Oathbringer, and his creation of a contact point between the three realms; the phrasing is similar to Dalinar’s in the preface of (in-universe) Oathbringer (I hung between realms...), and “friends behind, friends before” describes him having loved ones in both the physical realm and in Shadesmar at that moment.

The Unmade

20) Re-Shephir, the Midnight Mother, giving birth to abominations with her essence so dark, so terrible, so consuming. She is here! She watches me die!

- Dated Shashabev, 1173, 8 seconds pre-death. Subject: a dark-eyed dockworker in his forties, father of three.

21) Let me no longer hurt! Let me no longer weep! Dai-Gonarthis! The Black Fisher holds my sorrow and consumes it!

- Tanatesach, 1173, 28 second pre-death. A darkeyed female street juggler. Note similarity to sample 1172-89.

This one is particularly interesting, but I’ll discuss it in combination with the other epigraphs on the Unmade.

Taravangian’s Murders

These quotes are included specifically to reveal that people are being deliberately killed to obtain these visions.

22) You’ve killed me. Bastards, you’ve killed me! While the sun is still hot, I die!

- Collected on the fifth day of the week Chach of the month Betab of the year 1171, 10 seconds before death. Subject was a dark-eyed soldier 31 years of age. Sample is considered questionable.

23) I’m dying, aren’t I? Healer, why do you take my blood? Who is that beside you, with his head of lines? I can see a distant sun, dark and cold, shining in a dark sky.

- Collected on the 3rd of Jesnan, 1172, 11 seconds pre-death. Subject was a Reshi chull trainer. Sample is of particular note.

Very interesting. The speaker may be a potential Lightweaver, as they are seeing Cryptics and seeing into Shadesmar. Or the Cryptics may be drawn by the deception of the Healers who are killing people.

24) I wish to sleep. I know now why you do what you do, and I hate you for it. I will not speak of the truths I see.

- Kakashah, 1173, 142 seconds pre-death. A Shin sailor, left behind by his crew, reportedly for bringing them ill luck. Sample largely useless.

Miscellaneous

25) I’m cold. Mother, I’m cold. Why can I still hear the rain? Will it stop?

- Collected on Vevishes, 1172, 32 seconds pre-death. Subject was a lighteyed female child, approximately six years old.

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

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

27) The death is my life, the strength becomes my weakness, the journey has ended.

- Dated Betabanes, 1173, 93 seconds pre-death. Subject: a scholar of some minor renown. Sample collected secondhand. Considered questionable.

A general reference to the first oath of the Knights Radiant, but inverted.

Unknown

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

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

Interesting.

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

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

Very interesting. What could this be referring to? Seeing the future is deeply taboo on Roshar, so it would be very strange for everyone to foresee doom from a newborn child. Based on the published chapters so far from ROW suggesting that Shallan has even more secrets predating her mother’s death (and given that her mother tried to kill her when she was still young), could this be related to her?

[black-water-simping-ships]

I posted 2.235 times in 2021

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#*slams the button for the last option so violently my laptop breaks and i need to buy a new one that can render my 25 km tall wizard tower*

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Stormlight Archive and the unequal conflict

(i’m on a reread, mid-WoR now, so my memories of Ob and my perspective on RoW are a bit...stale)

ok so the hypocrisy and unequal values got to me yesterday again. branderson makes his antagonists into “this is Chancellor Hellfire, in his society all are treated equal but he eats infants for breakfast so he needs to be stopped” and that is why we our morality must always be skewed towards the protagonists

in sla he does get around to calling himself out, mostly by kaladin arguing with syl whether killing the listeners is o.k. but killing amaram or elhokar is bad but like, it gets nowhere? there are like...3 or 4 points where this inequal morality pops up and all of them piss me off so much lmao:

- the elhokar, moash, dalinar point: imo elhokar sucks and moash was justified in killing him. branderson has a hard-on for royalty (as seen in mistborn era one which is a burning landfill in that regard i hate it so much) but elhokar proves off- and onscreen that he’s not a good ruler. yeah, by the end of OB he was about to become a radiant and moash killed that potential but...Your Actions Have Consequences and i can’t fault moash for killing him! i just! can’t! perhaps his future better actions would’ve eventually balanced the ledger but it’s not that awful that he died the circumstances and moash’s further blackening in RoW of course, again, make us less sympathetic for moash. “this man has good points about an incompetent, mediocre, unsuited for his position person but he’s allied with evil incarnate so all his arguments are automatically invalid”. way to make a nuanced argument and dalinar. where to begin? walks all over elhokar, calls the shots, and blatant amounts of hypocrisy - though he does call himself out. oh and i am still pissed about him forcefully bonding the stormfather haha

- lirin idk he just annoys me at this point, possibly because he just refuses to see another person’s perspective? ...wait, i know who he reminds me of, he just has less of a spine lmao i’m not saying who though or i’d get torn to shreds

- pre-RoW i would’ve made a point about szeth here but honestly, at this point he’s just spinning the wheel of his soul and doing whatever the arrow lands on. godspeed, idiot

- nale. complete dick by abiding to the law, also allied with odium, also a bad look even though his argument of “this is the singer’s planet” is a decent one

- taravangian. god do i understand his perspective so much, yet this is also invalidated by him bleeding people out what the fuck not to mention starting wars

- singers, listeners and all the jam: this is the last point because it’s also the biggest point and where the crux of the issue lies all the spren allying with humans and not with singers is a fucking betrayal. there. i don’t think this si very fleshed out yet? what set off the conflict? likely odium had its hand in there. but the humans fucked up their planet, right, and migrated to roshar, the planet of the singers, who then allied with odium to, likely, stop the humans from fucking up everything and taking their land because let’s be honest, that is what we always do and by allying with a force called Literally Evil, the fused’s arguments are invalid and they are evil and they must be stopped. several thousand years are several thousand years and the rosharan humans have a right to live. yet the fused were alive at that point when it all started and that would make for a more interesting conflict yet it’s good vs bad, Honour & Cultivation vs Hatred the argument isn’t helped in that the fused we see are a) the pursuer, a fucking asshole b) raboniel, a ruthless scientist absolutely down with genocide yet made sympathetic through her willingness to cooperate with a human and c) leshwi, a honourable warrior who is also sympathetic to humans. raboniel, leshwi and venli end up breaking from odium in various ways, which denotes them as the “good” listeners/fused and, like, the humans lobotomized most of the singers and then enslaved their entire race? also not a good look. are the un-lobotomized parshmen entitled to payback? they’re the descendants of descendants against the descendants of descendants, where do you draw the line and even odium’s rhythms are named along bad lines i just. this is so heavy handed

i think my point here is that honour (humans) vs cultivation (singers) would make for a better, more nuanced conflict. you can have odium exaggerating it and fanning the flames by manipulating fringe groups on both sides and end up with the humans and singers allying against a common foe, an equally transspecies army led by odium. but right now the fused are Bad and the radiants are Good and that makes the entire conflict a bit...too clean-cut

28 notes • Posted 2021-02-18 10:03:12 GMT

#4

Rhythm of War end spoilers ahoy

whoo i nearly broke my wrist reading this but here we go:

- kaladin deserves a 7000-year-old-girlfriend

- still super pissed about the narrative positioning the singers as the bad ones for siding with odium and only a handful of Good Ones Working With Humans are good when honor vs cultivation with odium pulling the strings in the background would be a far more interesting narrative

- journey before destination, motherfucker *navani punts moash through the cognitive realm until he lands in scadrial 10000 yrs ago, right in front of kelsier. kelsier punches moash in the dick. credits roll*

- branderson you coward you set up chasmfiend!eshonai, so give her to us. it’s what she deserves

- pursuer touches grieving kaladin: buenos d--

- gee, shallan, how come the cryptics lets you have TWO bonds??? (tbh this might just be branderson fixing a continuity error or establishing Pattern as the ballsiest mfer in the entire cognitive realm

- navani also deserves a 7000-year-old-girlfriend milf scholar alliance

- this was a very gay book overall

- ACE JASNAH but seriously, wit? WIT? WIT??? they’re pals, not lovers

- moash: i don’t want this pain! take it, odium! taravangian: new phone who dis

- lirin really pisses me off

- ADOLIN KHOLIN, BEST BOI

- i know lift’s feelings are about growing up but they’re also a dysphoria mood so like

- kaladin: YOU get a shardplate and YOU get a shardplate and YOU--

- adolin. again. i love him so much. he just sees someone in need of support, asks, “is anyone helping them” and doesn’t wait for an answer

- You Wouldn’t Download A Spren

- “friendly cremling” sounds pretty familiar lmao

- Shallan-Radiant-Veil wore formless on the day she went to kill a Herald

- better a cremling in the pen box than a chull down in the chasms

- need to read dawnshard soon for my chiri chiri fix

30 notes • Posted 2021-02-02 10:51:06 GMT

#3

yoooo freddy "no chill" chilton

was in pushing daisies????? as a homeopathic drug seller????

52 notes • Posted 2021-10-23 22:13:55 GMT

#2

the scene in the throne room feels like horrible comedic gold. prince jing knows he's somehow the butt of a joke, commander meng tries to warn him without xia jiang noticing, the emperor is just. being himself. and prince yu is seconds away from opening his mouth to say: "hey bro have you heard about updog this issue with concubine cao?"

52 notes • Posted 2021-05-25 18:05:58 GMT

#1

in the shower i also realized that there's almost no romance in TOG. nicky & joe have a few more relationship-focused scenes (van!) but they're an established couple and that's just a constant part of the background (headbonks etc). and andromache definitely has a lot of moments with quynh and that one scene with the drugstore employee (who's apparently important enough to get a name? maybe she'll return in part 2??).

but there's no romance involved in the plot, none of the will-they-won't-they, saving-the-damsel-as-flirting, none of the. idkyk? the platonic strength of the group is tested by the conflicts, and none of these bonds are...i'd almost say cheapened by romance.

i'm counting nicky & joe as one unit, since their relationship to one another barely affects the others and doesn't cause any tension to the plot, they're even abducted as a unit. if one was abducted and the other still free, their romantic relationship would serve as an additional drive for the rescue. instead, booker, nile & andy seek to rescue them because they're comrades in fate.

booker's betrayal and andy's quiet suffering only cause tension along (deep) platonic bonds, and nile doesn't choose to save the group because she's in love with any of them. that doesn't mean that they all have equal relationships with each other - nile is definitely closest to andy since andy recruited her, and andy and booker have a lot on interaction on-screen (though that might just be a cinematographic choice to highlight the contrast and similarities between them and furthermore, nicky & joe are completely removed from the other three for what, 40 minutes? andy should definitely be closer with them, given that she probably knew them for several centuries before booker joined the gang)

last but not least this also allows for the contrast between nile's unit sending her away for what's likely going to be the exact same horrible testing as the company did - to the point of packing her bags for her - and andy letting nile go, followed by nile voluntarily going back to save them, which includes assaulting the lab (and voluntarily entering it).

actually, hey, romantic relationships as a source of misery, from andy beating herself up over quynh to copley losing his wife to disease which motivates him to yeah i think i'd need to rewatch to formulate that one out sorry. also, again, nicky & joe

tldr something something pacific rim yadda yadda animorphs thank you for driving the (present day) plot through strong platonic relationships

83 notes • Posted 2021-11-21 20:19:12 GMT

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[mistralrunner]

Running Reads Oathbringer: Part 1, sort of

In part because for once I’m the first of my close friends to read this book and I can’t just text all my reactions to them like I used to, and in part cause it’d be interesting, I decided to quasi-liveblog my reading of Oathbringer. Stuff will be tagged with “oathbringer spoilers” and hidden under a readmore.

After my crazy adventure to actually get a book that consisted of running to five different bookstores, I was far too engrossed and not thinking of liveblogging at all, and then later wrote down some thoughts on the earlier chapters cause it felt weird to just start things partway through the book. So this portion has a lot of gaps and may be a tad out of order. 

Spoilers for pages 1-326 below.

Yesss Eshonai one of my two predictions for prologue character was right (the other being Amaram who I hate but would also give some insight into Gavilar's plans since they seemed in cahoots)

Aww little Eshonai she did not deserve all the awfulness

I'm not surprised about Gavilar's horrible plan. Either Amaram had taken things too far or you two really were in line with the whole return the ancient gods and wars given Amaram's "Gavilar we've done it". I see it is the latter. I really don't feel bad about you being assassinated.

Szeth where did you hide that black sphere and is it still there

Wow Sanderson wow. You actually didn't break the pattern of books being named after books. So sneaky.

There is a dragon in that image there why is there a dragon stop teasing us

Love how the lion is a mythological creature on par with dragons

The Nine? Odium has Nazgul?

Also golden light is not an aesthetic I had considered for the big bad but it's working

I feel like Odium’s Champion should be someone familiar to the main cast cause if I was a big bad I know that would hurt more. Albeit it would come with the risk of said familiar person turning on me.

Everyone but Dalinar re: Sadeas: He had it coming. He had it coming. He only had himself to blame

I can't believe they're getting married by the Stormfather that sounds like a crackfic but works

Wait Jasnah wrote Oathbringer didn't she if so aaaaaaa

Where is my Kaladin pov chapter

Whereeeeee

Where is it

Finally

(This is honestly why I stayed up so late that night I was just waiting for the Kaladin chapter and then by the time I got to it I was far enough in the book and it was too late)

I’m glad Kaladin isn't entirely lighteyed. Like that part of his identity isn’t entirely torn from him

FAMILY REUNION AT LAST THANK YOU

Kaladin deserves time sipping soup protected by his family

Huh Laral also has the perfectly symmetrical name also she's cool

Ahhh he has another brother and he’s crying

I like Queen Fen

No don't trust Taravangian Dalinar every storming book you trust someone and regret it why

I want to like Malata though

Okay how Dalinar got Oathbringer is really messed up. Really Dalinar.

But I do like the bookends of him taking Oathbringer via bloodshed and giving it up to save lives

Girl who looked up has white hair I feel like that's significant. Hoid has white hair. 

I love this so much

Just the ridiculousness of Kaladin being a fruit seller and the construction of everything and Pattern being delighted

The THEATER

A little sad cause this might take the place of storytime with Hoid but this is so good

The whole wall actually there to keep out humans...hmmm...I have a fondness for stories that hold truths otherwise lost to history

Musicspren with Ryshadium?

Interesting.

Fantasy Skype!

I am concerned about Shallan's Identity

Also reminds me of Shai and her stamps but Shai was more mentally stable

Bridge Four without Kaladin is weird but I'm so proud of them

I love Lyn simply because named scout character please make her a squire we need a lady Windrunner

HAHA Re-Shepir I recognize that name cause of my reread with notes

This is great party composition thank you Renarin for healing Bridge Four

How to train/scare your Unmade

Aww Kaladin, helping and training a party wherever he goes

There was an epigraph from WoK I think about their homes becoming ours

Ah yes, thank you notes, “...their homes become our dens, their lands are now our farms! And they shall burn, as we once did, in a place that is hollow and forlorn“

Not sure about the second half, but it does feel like the first fits

Kind of wanted to see this drawn out longer so we could see more of the Parshmen society and possibly change things but Fused is probably bad news

They can fly???!??!

KALADIN STORMBLESSED

Just aaaa when you love your favorite even more just helping people and then the wind and asaaaaaaandofbefonfgenpvrpvrmpmrv

Jasnah's changed? I am more concerned

The Unmade are possibly once human? Hey Shallan they're called the Unmade oh god they really are Cosmere Nazgul

Aww Shallan feels like a real adult I wish I felt that way

I do like the idea of ancient horrors just becoming an accepted part of the world and overlooked. Like the Thrill

You know the whole some spren are on Odium's side makes people assuming the talking spren are Voidbringers less ridiculous

Covering up the bottom of the page cause I don't want to accidentally glance there cause something big has to happen to end this part

JAKEJRRKFFLYRKKTFKFK

JASNAHHHHHHHHHHH

[puddlejumper38]

Rhythm of War pt 5 Thoughts

Time for the Sanderson cascade I guess. Damn it I have work tomorrow,

So. Many. Spoilers. All the way to the end of Rhythm of War.

- Taravnagiananan????????? - WHAT. - I Did Not. See THat. Coming. The implications! The consequences! I’m a good way into part 5 and this is all I can think about! They’d just made a deal! Is he bound to it as well????? hOOOOOOly SHit. - A new Vessel is not as corrupted by the power. BUt I have to assume is still bound by the Deal. Taranangian did not want Roshar destroyed. Will he still want to take the Shard from the planet? Yes? Maybe? HOw quickly will the power warp him? Does he retain the same state of mind he grabbed the Shard with or.... oh hell no emotionless intelligent Taranviagan as Odium. Oh. Hell. No. - I am going to have to learn to spell his name. - Right. So. Other things have happened. - Navani bonded the Sibling. Booooo. Did not want, but oh well. - Uhhhh, oh yeah. Ishar is full on delusional, unstable, hostile, and has reclaimed his Bondsmith powers. Oh good. - Uh. What else. What the hell will be Odium motives now??? - Hmm. - oh yikes I just remembered. Urg. Jasnah. Wit. That chapter was so dodgy. I know I said I would be happy to see an ace relationship and I think I jinxed myself. I hate it so much. Urg. I feel like I need to wash my brain out. - I liked Raboniel. My bad. - Kaladin finally said the 4th ideal despite Moash’s best efforts. I am angry at Moash... but I do feel sorry for him. He’s broken too. He’s so broken. He’s just broken in a different way to the others. - Teft goddamn it. :( - And its as I thought, the Oathpact will no longer work. - Wait. - The deal which I mostly forgot about. Y’know, because I was blindsided directly after. I don’t know that its a bad deal. I don’t think its a good deal either. And so soon. With a new Odium... well, Vessel anyway. I think I’ll need a bit of time to full digest the terms. I like them better than Wit’s terms. He was seriously pushing his own agenda there. - Leshwi with the Listeners? yeah okay, I see that working out. - Are you telling me Kaladin is being sent with Szeth? Szeth, the guy who wants to ‘cleanse’ Shinovar? Actually yes, maybe sending Kaladin is a good idea. - I have to assume Taravangian is now of his regular intelligence/emotional state balance. And yet it doesn’t seem like that will help the cosmere in general. - This was clever of Cultivation, but she definitely picked the wrong person. - I guess I’ve warmed to Venli a little bit, but fundamentally I’d rather have kept Eshonai. - Is the entire last book going to take place in a ten day window??

You have to hand it to Brandon Sanderson he knows how to stick a landing. He manages it every book. I can see why book 5 is Szeth’s book too. Those Honorblades are important and maybe we’ll finally learn where Taln’s ended up.