#the adolin chapters do it a lot

[shouldprobablybereading]

Officially at the halfway point (well 49%) and so far it’s a lot better than what I expected. I’ve had a lot of fun with days 4 and 5 specifically

Biggest disappointment so far is probably the spiritual realm flashbacks. They’re not bad. But I don’t feel like they reveal enough to be worth how much space they are taking up each. Which is a bit about how I feel overall. It’s using so many words but not effectively. It’s also a bit repetitive so far since all plots points are based on doing essentially the same type of thing over and over.

Which becomes a problem when I’m expecting this to be the last time I see at least a few of these characters. That was expected as it was my main problem with the lost metal. If this is the last 400 pages that I get with the characters then I want them to be at their most interesting. But instead they get split off on 45 different missions and the entire book becomes about describing action scenes

Surprisingly Szeth is actually the best part of his own book so far. He’s never been one of my favorites so I thought his flashbacks would be a bit boring. But no shinovar is deeply fascinating and I’m starting to actually get his character

[kingjasnah]

i slept on it but im trying to pull my thoughts together. overall i had a good time reading wind and truth and it's just nice to finally get lore based answers on stuff from like a million years ago, this is the first stormlight book that didn't leave me with more questions than answers. i felt like the lack of distinct chapter povs was a choice i didn't love but i guess it made sense to get that feeling of like. what do you guys call it. like the book was a 1300 page no breaks sanderlanch. lots of first time info on the shards in the epigraphs. i feel like one of the only points of contention i had was the lack of gravitas given to characters like el and yeah actually moash who were hinted to have some insane stuff coming down but like. el fell flat for me man idk. adolin chapters were great. szeth backstory was great it really gave video game rpg energy. jasnah vs taravangian felt like a welcome return back to what i considered the crux of the series. may aladar surprise dark horse MVP of the book. shallan/ren/rlain was also great and i wasn't expecting to like the shallan chapters. sigzil stuff was devastating. maybe slightly too much reliance on reprising iconic lines from the previous four books but i was clapping and cheering so they did get me lol. more than anyone i was happiest with the way shallan ended up, it was almost exactly the time skip ending i foresaw for her even if it is a little sad. oh at least TWO major theories that have existed since oathbringer were CONFIRMED. i don't know how i feel about the ending at all tbh because it was something i feel like we all guessed would happen back in words of radiance and then. well it happened. and it kinda sucks but well it also felt very inevitable. genuine highlight of the book was adolin's candelabra

[gnckholin]

okay I need to preface this with yes I like having representation and anyone who's been around my blog long enough should know that renarin is my specialest little guy him and him and rlain are very cute and if y'all really need it this is coming from the perspective of a queer man if you turn this into a pissing on the poor type deal I will simply block you but. now that I've had time to stew on it.

the rlainarin arc was a bit boring.

part of this is I think rooted in Brandon trying to be a Good Ally™ doing Good Representation™ and he worked a lot with sensitivity readers to make sure things are handled well but it just felt a bit... tokenizing? like they were in the spiritual realm as a bit of plot convenience but also it kinda felt like an excuse to keep them relevant enough to give them pov chapters. and it's cute! don't get me wrong! but also every other characters get emotional arcs about growing as a person and they got...trying to ask your crush out? it felt very out of place.

now you might be saying hold on! they're not primarily pov characters you can't expect as much nuance emotionally as someone like kaladin. and you're right! but let's look at the other supporting cast members here. jasnah gets the struggle of power and her entire attempt to keep thaylenah which results in a meaningful paradigm shift for her! navani gets to work on her connection with the sibling and uncover the past. we don't even really see much of relationship between renarin and glys much less rlain and tumi. sure they may have been good representation! but they were mediocre arcs. even in the discussions I'm seeing lately of favorite parts, it's not that people have disliked it it's just...nothing to write home about?

it also feels particularly weird to have an arc around "my family will think it's weird" when it's been pretty well established that alethi in general are like. fine with queerness. and sure you can say "well they're nobles" but at this point renarin is in line for 0 titles. dalinar was only going to give king of urithiru to someone who wanted it, jasnah planned on being the last queen of alethkar, there's literally no point? it feels a little love Simon. and yes absolutely in modern western culture people can feel weird about coming out to people who would be accepting and that's fine! but that's also rooted in real world homophobia which alethkar doesn't seem to have.

even when we compare with the other canonically queer stormlight character, it just kinda. . .falls flat. part of this is that shallan wasn't intended to be queer but honestly it feels like it reads well. she doesn't have to turn to camera and say she's different she's bisexual she can just be a person. she can fall in love with adolin she can get flustered around jasnah veil can call women hot and it's like. fine. and it feels more authentic to the setting! a lot of the rlainarin arc in WAT felt like it was meant to be educational. for cishet people. and like that's fine! but it doesn't make for an engaging character arc. I can't even say it really makes for good reading.

and look, I get it, we all like seeing them get flustered and worry about what the other one thinks and we all get to be excited when they confess their feelings and kiss but it just feels so tonally dissonant that like. I can't believe this was intended to fit into the main plot. it feels a bit patronizing - like look we have good healthy representation now! I'm doing so good at this! and genuinely from the bottom of my heart it's thrilling that the largest name in fantasy is willing to do this even more so considering the religious background he's writing from I'm not writing all this to say Brandon is a bad guy or secretly a homophobe I'm just saying. I wish we had more, y'know? something less feel good for the cishets for being good allies something with more of a real plot that engages with the themes of the series and whatnot. I'm looking forward to arc 2 (in like 10-15 years)! I'm looking forward to more rlain and renarin and their dynamic! I just hope it feels less. educational.

anyway a lot of this was directly inspired by verilybitchie's video on good representation it really helped me out my finger on why their arc felt a bit flat so please go check it out she's a great creator.

[gabwynart]

Just finished Wind and Truth and... I have a lot of issues with this book, I love it, sure, its still a Brandon Sanderson Book and I like it, but when this books is supossed to be the closing part of the first arc of the stormlight archive I was expecting more

SPOILERS ALERT!!!!!!! READ WIND AND TRUTH!!!!!11

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The good:

-Adolin, like, if you have read the book you know why this is here, he is literally doom guy tryin his darn best to protect the city, be a friend, help his ex, help the morale of the team and just making the right thing, without powers

-Taravangian showing how hipocrite Jasnah was, I know its an important character trail that Jasnah believes she is superior to everyone else and always has a snarky comment to reflect any insult, but in this book taravangian DESTROYS HER WITH FACTS AND LOGIC (sorry I just wanted to type that lol)

-Tanavast chapters finally giving us some more lore

-Gavilar prelude is 100% the best prologue

-SHALLAN IS PREGNANTTTTTT GIRLLLLLLLLLL

-Kaladin and Syl dancing

-Taravangian winning and 3 seconds later realizing "Oh sh*t the other shards now are loooking at me "

The bad

-WHY DOES THE SPIRITUAL REALM CAN HOLD A LIVING BEING FOR 20 YEARS AND THEN SPIT OUT LIKE NOTHING?? IS THIS THE TIME CHAMBER FROM DBZ????!!! THATS SO STUPID, WHY DID ODIUM WASTED SO MUCH TIME WITH THE FUSED AND THE EVERSTORM IF HE COULD JUST TRAIN A SUPER ARMY FOR 100 YEARS IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM

-WHY DID BOTH KALADIN AND SZETH JUST DONT GIVE A F*CK ABOUT ACHIEVING 5 IDEAL ORDER?????????

-NAVANI REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING RELEVANT

-THE SO CALLED DAWNSHARD "ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPONS IN THE COSMERE" DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON THIS BOOK

-Thaidakar get your lame ass back to scadrial because you achieve nothing on this book

[transfemkaladin]

final thoughts on wind and truth:

it was kind of mid. like it was Fine but it felt a lot weaker than the others yaknow

i like adolin, okay? i like shallan as well. i like them a LOT. but their povs (also jasnah’s and dalinar’s) just kind of. dragged a little for me?

kaladins therapist arc was fun (he gave therapy to a talking sword. on ACCIDENT. that’s fucking hilarious) but felt a little unsatisfying. the whole time he was talking with szeth i felt frustrated bc like. idk

and don’t even get me STARTED on the “‘no,’ kaladin said. ‘im his therapist’” line. that bit was ASS. it broke the tone and tension of the scene unnecessarily, in a way that hindered rather than enhanced the storytelling, and for what. an unfunny joke.

by the way. for a book that was theoretically supposed to focus on szeth i really wish it had done more of that. yeah he got more pov chapters and stuff but also i came away. not knowing nearly as much about shinovar as i would’ve liked. which is a personal preference thing (maybe i just liked elid a lot tbh. i do think she should’ve gotten at least one pov chapter)

oh THATS what it was. the only outside perspective we really got of szeth was kaladin’s. i think seeing how szeth was perceived by others while living in shinovar would’ve been a good addition.

ishar’s plotlines felt unsatisfying as well. like all that shit with torturing spren and putting them into physical bodies, and then it was just written off as “oh yeah that was just part of his insanity 👍”. like yeah it was but i wish it had gone somewhere

GAVINOR. the loose end of all time to me. what the fuck happened to him after the duel. does he remember his secret handshake with lift.

i miss navaniel. toxic yuri please come back to me. with sadalinar and navaniel and kalmoash all gone and kaladin and shallan healing there’s no one to be toxic and insane anymore. it’s just taravangian. we need more interpersonal problems we need more people sabotaging and fucking shit up for no reason

im also sad abt the venli povs bc she was one of my favorite povs in past books. but then in this one she was just There. where is her conflict. she didn’t even swear an ideal or anything.

tbh i think that’s probably my main problem with the book. the plotlines were all interesting and i liked getting to know more about shinovar (and i never really cared about szeth before so im glad we got to know him more!) but it all just felt like it was kind of There. maybe it was bc of the short timeframe but everything just kinda Dragged a little and everyone was kind of There. there’s only so far you can stretch the tension on that contest of champions, and when you spend over 1300 pages covering ten days? everything starts to feel a little like a filler episode.

also a lot of things just felt kind of underwhelming. the truth behind the recreance? eh. the stormfather being tanavast? eh. chana being shallan’s mom? eh. this was probably bc of the tension problem at least a little though

to be clear, i didn’t hate it. there was a lot i enjoyed- it’s just that the parts i enjoyed weren’t really given as much narrative emphasis, and the short timeframe of the story made my sense of pacing weird.

[nevertheless-moving]

Stormlight AU #3 (Kalarin Rumors): Chapter 7 Part 2

Chapter One Premise Outlined Here

"Captain? Can we speak for a moment?"

"Of course," Captain Kaladin said, not looking up from the indecipherable chart of messy glyphs, laid atop a pile of those like it. “Just let me finish — Sigzil what about seventeenth—” Teft sighed, leaning against the door and idly picking at his fingers. A few minutes later the two managed to finish their conversation. The worldsinger gave Teft a sympathetic look and a pat on the shoulder as he passed by on the way out.

Teft felt he deserved more than that for what he was about to do.

He stepped into the Captain's private room, which functioned more like an office for how often he actually slept, closing the door behind him.

Best to get it over with. Teft squared his shoulders.

"I was hoping to talk to you about... whatever's going on with you and Prince Renarin." 

Kaladin blew out a heavy breath, leaning back against the desk. To his credit, he didn’t look embarrassed, so much as resigned. "Alright. Yes, we guessed that figured that you all had... noticed something."

"You could say that," Teft said carefully. Hard not to notice when you come back from private ‘training’ wearing each others shirts. Idiots.

The captain scrubbed a hand across his face. "Give me until tonight, alright? I'm pretty sure Renarin is about ready to talk openly with everyone."

"Uh," Teft said, face screwing up, a spark of panic rising from beneath the awkwardness. "Storms lad, I wasn't suggesting you make an announcement… we're just worried about the lighteyes noticing something. Prince Adolin basically walked in on the two of you, doing..." he coughed into his hand. "Whatever you were doing."

"I appreciate your concern," Kaladin said. "Truly, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the tremendous loyalty you've all shown, covering for us without asking questions. Not to mention how much of an effort you've made to include him in the crew." 

"He's... a decent kid. For a lighteyes," Teft said begrudgingly. "And, well. We've all noticed you've been, uh. Sleeping better. Which...storms he could be a lot more annoying and we'd probably still teach him cards, for your sake, you have to know that."

"He really is a good person," Kaladin said, looking slightly defensive.

"Of course," Teft agreed quickly.

"And he's hardly a kid. He’s barely a few months younger than me."

"You're a decent kid, too," he said, smoothing his expression with long practice. Storms really? I knew you were young but... the prince was nineteen, wasn't he? Blood of my fathers, I’ve been following a teenager. Well. At least this makes a bit more sense now, Almighty help us all.

"I'll go check with Renarin, but do you think we might be able to get the men to meet inside tonight, after dinner shifts are over? I'd rather not risk being overheard by any of the other crews, and it would be easiest if we could talk with everyone off duty all at the same time.” Kaladin scratched his chin, looking down at the pages. “Actually, if we make a few switches, if Lopen’s cousins and the old guard agree…could probably get most of the original bridge off for the evening."

"Jezrian's crown,” he whispered. “So it's… so it’s serious then?" Of course it was. When did you do anything not seriously. Stormfather, what were they going to announce? It’s been less than two weeks!

"You could say that." 

Teft looked to the sky. Oh, this was going to end in desolation. But the two were young, and had more determination than sense. "Nothing’s ever simple with you, is it lad?" 

Kaladin sighed, then stood, patting Teft on the shoulder as he walked outside.

They found Renarin polishing leathers with Mart and Bisig, all three listening to Lopen tell some story with grand gestures and whole body movements. 

The prince perked up like an axehound pup when the Captain approached. Storms. A lighteyes who acted like a loyal servant, and a darkeyes who acted like a caring lord. Maybe they deserved each other.

The two stepped away, conferring with bowed heads. Mart and Bissig exchanged amused expressions, while Lopen stared, leaning their direction with utter shamelessness.

The brightlord blanched, hands fumbling for his box. Kaladin put a hand on his arm, smiling softly and whispering something. 

Teft turned away, not wanting to see anymore. Damnation, he needed a drink. Kaladin Stormblessed could probably have had any darkeyes he wanted in all of the camps. Nales scar, he probably could have had a fair number of the tenners, maybe even a niner. But no. The ambitious moron had to reach for a third dahn, son of a highprince. Why didn't he just storming try and seduce the king and be done with it?

No. I’m being unfair. Teft groaned, kicking a rock with his nice, black leather boots. Boots he wouldn't have had if it weren't for the captain.

Kaladin was a good man. Maybe some would accuse him of social climbing, but anyone who knew him knew how ridiculous the idea was of him using someone like that. The two morons were in love, or, more likely, having good enough sex that they had convinced themselves it was love.

They should have been more insistent about dragging Kaladin to a brothel. The man just hadn’t seemed interested. In any of it! Not that he had been listening, when they were all living in Sadeas bridgeyard, without the nice privacy shields even Kholin infantryman got but he had never even heard the Captain —

"Teft?" 

He jumped, turning to face the captain guiltily.

The man gave him a slightly curious expression, but didn't ask. 

"Renarin's ready. We'll talk to everyone tonight — those who aren't on evening guard anyway."

"I'll tell the men,” Teft said, resigned. “Some will kick up a fuss about not going out, but they’ll all want to hear."

Kaladin nodded once, then looked past Teft, noticing a sergeant from bridge twelve who was hovering nearby. He walked over to deal with one of his ten ten impossible responsibilities. 

An announcement. Screw a drink, he would deserve something stronger than that after tonight. All he wanted was for the lads to be a bit more discreet. And they had to go and decide to make an announcement. 

They couldn't be planning on getting married, could they? Bad enough he strongly suspected they’d already traded soldier's oaths. It had been what — jez's balls, six days, seven? And it was insane besides, the prince's rank — Almighty's tenth name, what was the prince going to do, resign his position to be with his lover? Disinherit himself? Could he do that? 

…Highprince Dalinar might actually kill the captain. He might kill all of them, while he was at it.

Teft sighed, then went on his own way, spreading the word like a death sentence.

[rainhaunted]

very scattered wind and truth thoughts

spoilers, as you might imagine

REALLY enjoyed the reading experience. loved how fast paced it was, and the countdown format. AND the crumbling pillars on the chapter headers were sick. the epilogue one having kaladin's face appear over the rubble? good fucking shit

i think adolin's storyline was my favorite (big surprise). i LOVED the whole thing about him deciding promises mean more to him than oaths. king shit. and everyone coming together at the end!! all the deadeyes!! the UNOATHED!!! yeah that fucking ruled

there was a lot more time spent in the spiritual realm that i expected. which is neither good nor bad, just, again, unexpected

still can't believe we got chana davar confirmed. AND gavinor as odium's champion.

speaking of gavinor do you think there will be like. an actual exploration of the Horrendous Trauma that child went through in the next series. cause that was some ridiculous shit he had to deal with.

also i completely missed the foreshadowing of the towers game may and adolin played against yanagawn pointing towards the combination of odium + honor creating a power that the other shards would rally against

kaladin actually being happy was such a shock to my system lmao. but it's about time. and GOD that moment where he stood up against the pain ishar was giving to him...

ALSO WHAT THE FUCK?? MOASH??? brandon really went "hey this guy's name is one letter off of marsh's. guess that means he gets turned into a discount inquisitor." i have so many questions about how those spikes work. and i'm surprised that moash's storyline didn't get resolved in this book? i really thought he'd be dealt with, either by dying or being redeemed (or starting the path towards it at least)

shallan my darling <333 i'm so proud of her. and VERY curious to see what she does next. being trapped in the cognitive realm is Shitty but she's nothing if not a creative problem solver

renarin and rlain actual fucking power couple. loved them making the decision to free mishram together.

speaking of the listeners i LOVE that they got the shattered plains. absolutely deserved.

[realclaramorrow]

my (admittedly not very good or coherent) thoughts on wind and truth so far, divided by characters and kind of organized by storyline?

not all of us can read that fast, wind and truth spoilers up to chapter 80 below

- I love adolin and yanagawn's friendship, they are so important to me. he's teaching him towers and theyre genuinely friends and he got noura to begrudgingly approve and gah. I love them dearly. I would like lift to be able to talk to yanagawn again too. adolin trying to learn everyones name is so emotionally intelligent of him. I love that that one guard (hmask?) got to tell adolin that he saved his son, sweetest moment ever. me son you!!!!!! adolin is so much smarter than so many characters (and readers) seem to think he is, his head for battle strategy is almost unmatched and he's an incredible leader. may aladar is an icon and notum coming to help was very satisfying. his growing bond with maya is not only healing her but its healing my heart. I dont know if in the future they can bond like aliveEye spren and person can but that would be neat. adolin would make a fantastic edgedancer.

- sigzil the man the myth the legend himself is crushing it with an awful situation in narak. his plot is the most anxiety inducing to me because they are not getting shit for help and the everstorm is literally parked right there. the engineering being key to his strategy is very cool to me because no one else is doing anything like that. also, vienta being able to calculate the lashing force and distance needed to kill one of the new fused (forgot their names. the belt guys) is epic and theyre such a duo.

- venli and co. in the chasms is going to play into the battle for narak most definitely. chasmfiends being chill with them is so awesome and cool. chasmfiend pov chapter when. pure tones of roshar save the day? also want rlain reuniting with these listeners so he can a) see his friends and the remnants of his people and b) chew them out for letting him go be a spy with absolutely no protest

- dalinar is getting on my nerves, I understand he's under a lot of pressure but he's being such a dick to the stormfather. in character yes but MAN do I wish both of them were better at communicating. the spiritual realm storyline is very interesting and the way he's going about it is putting me in physical pain.

- loving the navani time but I low key miss the scientific toxic lovers thing she had going on with raboniel. I dont see how she puts up with dalinar, because he's a blundering ape. also, I share adolin's opinions about oathbringer's publication of the razing of rathalas.

- little gav is a revenge hungry angel but an angel nonetheless

- CHANA DAVAR CANON???????

- shallan has grown so much and I'm so proud of her :) I love getting details about her backstory and I love that formless wasnt a one and done defeat. she has to keep fighting her. just as veil was created to hold difficult memories I think radiant was created to battle shallan's imposter syndrome and self confidence issues. it would be cool if radiant was also integrated by the end of the book, but at this point its clear shallan still needs her. great investigating of the ghostbloods and ba ado mishram. it pleases me. dalinar take notes.

- rlain making a soul projection of him and renarin kissing and renarin being like holy shit we do NOT have time to address this was so funny. I love them too. my weird little autistic queers. they're so othered from their respective peoples that theyre each other's people. shallan is tired of their flirting after literally 1 second. they're meant to be. rlainarin canon I love gay people (and trans people. shout out that one trans blacksmith in azimir and that one person that desperately wanted to talk to the sibling and was immediately like "so what is not being male or female like")

- kaladin's journey of self care here sure seems like the way to swearing the fifth ideal, and syl being on her own journey that way is so so fantastic. spren learning how not to live for their radiants is very poetic to me in a way I can't explain right now because tired. nale gets on my fucking NERVES. I know people that argue like that and I hate hate hate them. whats up with the wind? want more info about the old gods of roshar, made directly from adonalsium. sequence with kaladin dancing with syl and the wind is absolutely gorgeous. kaladin's realization that szeth is like tien instead of like himself was heartbreaking and a great example of dramatic irony. the observant reader (me) sees him treating szeth as a man who chose to fight instead of a boy who was forced to (because reader gets the exact years ago and the ages and such) and goes NO KALADIN NO

- szeth is becoming one of my favorite characters. I love knowing about his backstory as well. the culture of shinovar is so interesting to me. the splashes? stone being sacred? the Farmer, their monasteries (I LOVE monasteries), the ritual of pilgrimage? adding and subtracting? love it all. also szeth being like "thank you kaladin I can finally off myself" and kaladin being like "no?????????" was kind of hilarious. his spren is a piece of shit. I really dislike that highspren. most unhelpful spren ever. also, is the voice odium or an unmade or the stones (like the wind) or a secret fourth thing? (edit: I haven't read much further but I'm an idiot, its obviously ishar because of the spren) I have such feelings about szeth but you need to just know them as I project them from my heart to yours.

- jasnah kholin the love of my life has finally broken up with my competition (Wit) and she's also figured out that the ships dont actually have soldiers in them which is so so smart. back to the scholar roots. best leaders are always academics (like sigzil) or genuinely caring people (like adolin and kaladin) (dalinar watch your back. however, I acknowledge that he cares). jasnah is the smartest person in this damn book and her pointing out her own fallacies and internally discussing the effects of her as a general and knowing how everything about her affects how she is percieved a role model for women all over eastern roshar shows it. I appreciate jasnah freeing slaves and learning from her mistakes and actually trying and stuff but its upsetting that this is definitely brandon's extent of addressing lighteyed privelage and displaying that complex relationship. I have read very very good fanfiction about this, in which it was good to see that other people agreed that "bridgeboy" is a much more offensive nickname than "princeling" (because of the power imbalance and racial connotations of "boy")

- why are we doing hemalurgy on roshar rn. (also aluminum negating investiture everywhere is cool and awesome.) moash is really only one letter away from marsh. also, I'm losing hope for a redemption arc for him. can't tell if its good or bad narrative for a story with overarching morals of second chances to have moash not be redeemed. on one hand, it's not realistic to redeem everyone. on the other, I don't think he's beyond redemption and I think it would tie up that storyline in a nice little bow. but in real life, nothing ends in a nice bow like that. teft's story ended beautifully, and its tragic he died, but he had reached the end. I think its interesting when characters are purposefully killed off before completing their arc or veer in a different direction because it leaves the audience unsatisfied and feels more empty and like a real untimely death. my feelings about moash are complex, but as someone invested in these characters I want him to be redeemed

[thatfoxnamedfinley]

You Cannot Have My Pain aka Oathbringer thoughts

I am an empty shell

in both a good and a bad way

it's 5:28AM as I start to write this

MOASH

how DARE you

Dalinar I actually love you

Odium, u r actually a CREEP dude

spoilers will be under the cut *bows an emotionally drained bow*

*stares into the distance, watching the waves crash onto the shore*

Do you guys ever relate to a character that's nothing like you? Like, something happened in your life that CONNECTS you to a character? For me, that's Dalinar.

And I know what you're thinking

WHAT bitch?

a warlord tyrant turned peacemaker, eh? r u a criminal bitch?

No. But I did lose my mom to cancer in 2022. My internal landscape changed overnight. The things I deemed important changed. I was able to finally see my flaws, made bare by my immense regret (a normal feeling when grieving) and it look a LOT of therapy to forgive myself. I didn't like the person I was. I was selfish, was quick to judge and didn't desire human connection, and I was so mad at myself that it took my mom dying to spark that change.

Without making this a TED Talk, I deeply connected to Dalinar's grief that struck me in an unexpected way.

"Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing." Oh...? Oh. Oh. TEARS down my face.

LET US BEGIN.

So, we BEGIN the book with Dalinar seeing a figure in black Shardplate with nine shadows and red eyes

oh ok

Oh bro when Elhokar bowed down to Dalianr trying to abdicate and name Dalinar a Highking...& Dalinar and Navani are like

!! bro !! GET UP

OMG!!

WHEN HIS MEMORY CAME BACK OF EVI

I remember reading it and they were like "blah blah blah yeah, Evi" and I was like bro WAIT A FUCKING SECOND DUDE

oh oh oh

When Pattern asked if Adolin was an option for him to marry LMFAO ok Pattern we get it hahhhahhaha Pattern is so funny dude

Even in Shadesmar when he and Adolin were pretending to be illusions and he was happily waving a glass stick above his head, I'm like damn he's....a little touched tbh

Dalinar strolling around during a highstorm looking for a fucking knife was iconic as well as him spotting the assassin in literally 0.5 seconds and murking him and everyone in the room is like

Gavilar was like "um thanks"

Blackthorn Unleashed was an amazing chapter. He went into Bloodstance - a stance for someone who didn't care if he got hit and he was RAGING

But you know what I also noticed about this chapter? Gavilar like, casually put a hit out on Highprince Kalanor and juts points Dalinar wherever he wants. And I GET IT, right? Like, the Alethi are good at war. Everyone talks about it, it's what they're known for.

HOWEVER, the enabling of Dalinar's behavior is, at times, sickening. Even though I know this is a cultural thing and they all see it as a good thing. There were several times in this book where Sadeas or Gavilar said something to push Dalinar towards violence that I was like YO this is super fucked up.

Tangerine had a interesting quote too. He was telling a story about how if there were 3 people and one was a murderer, would you hang all of them, let them all go and risk someone killing again, or keep them all in prison despite some being innocent. And Tangerine said

"Eventually you will execute someone who does not deserve it. This is the burden society must carry in exchange for order." And I'm sitting here in the US of A like

holy fuck we're rich bitches <-- my audiobook bookmark when the Midnight Mother is chased away by Shallan's phalanges and we see all the uncut gems in the pillar thingy

JASNAH WELCOME BACK BITCH I was lit and it was so unexpected, she was such a badass in this book. At the end when she isn't even looking when she's killing The Fused and when she steps into politics and I'm like oh Jasnah will STEAMROLL these mother fuckers

OMG when Adolin was like I am NOT going to be king, dad and Shallan was like "hmm have you guys ever thought of..." and I rolled my eyes and was like "Renarin, duh. He'll have more prominence in the story this way and"

*Jasnah walks into the room with a crown on*

OF COURSE!! IM A FUCKING IDIOT!!! OF COURSE JASNAH SHOULD RULE. Omg I feel like she hates politics but she's the PERFECT one for the job! She can be the best diplomat but also fuck them up with words (or she could soulcast tf outta them)

OH! Evi suggesting the Nightwatcher first was a surprise

omg wait about Evi

she was amazing. she tried so hard despite not fully understanding everything (I do blame Dalinar because he made decisions, but I mostly blame Alethi culture, here. I cursed out loud multiple times at their NEED for conquest and war, growing frustrated at how narrow minded that can make them. as well as how cruel). she was scared of him, but she had this one moment when she told Dalinar after finding out that he had actually spared that child, that she saw BEAUTY in him. i was like oh bitch you are a baby angel

she tried so hard for Dalinar. even that scene when Adolin crawled down from the carriage and he saluted Dalinar...and Evi said Adolin asked her the best way to talk to him and when she told him he was a war general he decides to salute

that's just....that moment was so sweet despite Dalinar still not understanding how to be a father

LIFT SAYING THAT DALINAR HAS A DUMPTRUCK OF AN ASS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES

Lift out here like "HEY YO TIGHT BUTT WHATS GOING ON?"

holy fuck

Dalinar in canon having a nice ass is one of the funniest, most unexpected comedic jokes of this series

oh, Shallan was supposed to take notes but was drawing Kaladin instead ok girl

Teft being addicted to firemoss and Rock saving Kaladin with the Shardbow were both so amazing characters moments. teft having so much self hatred and selling his uniform which ended up coming back around when the person who attacked bridge 4 for the herald blade had his vets on PHEEWW and Rock saving the day I SCREAMEDDDDD!!! OMG ROCK!!!

"You're thinking of me," the Stormfather sent. "I can feel it."

BRO WHAT???????????? STAY IN THE STORM WHY YOU SAYING WEIRD SHIT

Jasnah vs Amaram was legendary. She REALLY said do you feel lucky today, punk

ODIUMMMMMMMMM

yo when Odium showed up literally the nicest dude wanting to braid Dalinar's hair I was like HELL NO this man is dangerous

then when he showed Dalinar his final form I GUESS he's like all hatred and passion and sex and bloodlust and im like oh HELL NO dude

"Emotion. It is what defines men - though ironically you are poor vessels for it. It fills you up and breaks you unless you find someone to share the burden with" oh ok cool odium, lol poor weak humans, fuck us then i guess

Kaza was maybe the most memorable one off character for me, the soulcaster woman who was dying and chose to kamikaze at the end because she wanted to choose how she went out

Lift and Dalinar eating fruit together in silence is, I fear, iconic

i cracked up at the myth wit told about the queen who switched places with Mishim (the moon) to fuck Nomon (the other moon) and that's why Natanatan people are blue

like wtf bitch

Adolin telling Kaladin he talks like a girl sometimes....oh? Adolin? OH?????? *smirks in Alethi*

The Rathalas scene was nuts. The thing was he tried too, Dalinar tried to offer some sort of mercy and they fucked his ass with a pole. Then he's like ok, dope *embraces Thrill in a sensual embrace* "None will be left to weep" got it cool cool cool

I do like the little hints left, like he sees red (which we see later is the Unmade) and all the times he's briefly seen red and flashes of red we know was the Nergaoul, who was thought to be the origin of the Alethi "Thrill" which I found fascinating

OOOOOOH MY GOD

MOASH

MOASH!!!

FUCKING MOASH

HOW DARE YOU!!!

after he was EMOTIONLESS when he KILLED Elhokar then SALUTED KALADIN WITH THE BRIDGE FOUR SALUTE RIGHT AFTER IT

Literally fuck Moash (his arc is fine and it's interesting because we get more lore but I dont like him)

THEN HE SHANKS JEZRIAN like MOASH wtf are you DOING bro?!?!?!?!!!!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!!?!?

I liked how cautious Queen Fen was but then remained an ally when shit hit the fan (I liked how cautious everyone was tbh because they're all just so scared of ThE BLAcKtHoRn and youre like bro come ON but then you're like oh yeah ok i get it)

I LOVED Dalinar's flashbacks. With the Nightwatcher (then Cultivation after Dalinar asked for forgiveness and NW was like ??? and Cultivation was like "I got it from here bitch"), and when he breaks down and holds Renarin ("They talk about you, but they're wrong. You just need to rest, after all the fighting you did. I know. And I miss her too." RENARIN PLEASE!!! THE TEARS I HADDD!!!!!), when Adolin lights up after Dalinar tells him he's proud of him, how he thinks of himself as an animal, that he deserves to be hated. It's all just so MUCH.

The PANIC ATTACK he was having when the Thrill like, chased him around and threatened to consume him...

It was so well done that the

YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN was so GOOD it was so EARNED. God, the CATHARSIS I felt in that moment was so satisfying. Because bitches i really thought Dalinar was going to become Odium's champion and out intrepid heroes were going to have to fight DALINAR in book 4

Odium: lol I've had my champion for a long ass time, bro. ive been preparing him and watching him forever

Dalinar: Amaram?

Odium: lmfao bro its you bro

Dalinar: ...bro

and I was like

Then Dalinar said JUST KIDDING BITCHES and the GLORY SPREN!!! BY THE THOUSANDS!!! AND HE SMASHED ALL THE REALMS TOGETHER!!! AND HE SAVED ADOLIN KALADIN AND SHALLAN!!!

YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN!!!!!

"I KILLED THOSE CHILDREN. I BURNED THE PEOPLE OF RATHALAS!"

oh my god I have GOOSEBUMPS AGAIN

truly one of the most cathartic reading experiences I've had. The investment of 3000+ pages was worth it for that moment, and I mean that sincerely. It was that good

(Side note when Adolin's sword spren with her clawed out eyes attacked that one Fused I was overcome with emotion. What was her name? Maya? I think? that was a great scene too)

yo. SZETH. Brandon Sanderson you brilliant bastard. You did it. You gave us Szeth. Yes. YES. He's chosen to swear and oath to DALINAR. My man DK just be picking up bitches left and right to do his bidding. Kaladin, Lift, Szeth, Rial, Kmakl.

Lift was amazing. Her parts were so much FUN and the atmosphere shift to her personality was so welcome and uplifting and funny when it happened.

Jasnah's moment with Renarin was beautiful. "You are my cousin. Family, Renarin! Hold my hand. Run with me." SO SO SO SO GOOD Jasnah you are a legend you are THE MOMENT

Venli's Timbre pulsing to Victory as he has the Voidspren of her gemheart at knifepoint lmao (Im so glad she's a Radiant now, can't wait to see if she is developed more)

I feel like I have more thoughts (there was so much lore in his book but I'm not sure I have the energy to dissect it rn) but it's 7:22am and I haven't slept so im sorry if this post was unstable

good night lovelies

*sits up violently* wtf is up with sja-anat bro

ok *passes out*

*sits up again with eye mask on* yo Tangerine is gunna be a fucking problem and wtf Renarin has a corrupted spren right??

*wakes up and crawls on top of table, swaying with exhaustion*

I LOVE DALINAR KHOLIN A LOT OK I HAVE STRUGGLED SINCE MY MOM DIED IN GRASPING THAT DESPITE YOUR PAST YOU CAN CHANGE AND ITS POSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND THE BEAUTY OF LIFE MORE AFTER YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THE PAIN OF LOSING SOMEONE YOU LOVE BECAUSE THEY CAN NO LONGER EXPERIENCE IT WITH YOU

AND THAT GRIEF ISN'T FATAL BUT SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT COULD BE BUT IF YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN OF GUILT AND REGRET IT CAN ACTUALLY MORPH YOU INTO A BETTER PERSON IF YOU LET IT

[kaladinstormblessed09]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[awindandtruthliveblog]

[Wind and Truth: Chapter 147]

Well, there's the answers. Nightblood was a witness lmao. Love him. Also, husband? Szeth's just. Like. Alive. Nice.

Oh hey Wit.

Ohhh it's the minecraft bed he last slept in. Scadrial?

Ooh, minimal Lightweaving but the bond maintains.

Ah. That's why he got vaporized. But uh. That's still little tiny bits of flesh. One of them's gotta be the biggest.

Slowness bubble, so, hm. Timeskip of ten years means in or out of Roshar?

Yeah it's definitely Scadrial. Broadsheets.

Yeah alright. Dead dragon meditation realm. Ugin?

Hell yeah, Adolin baybee wooo

A month and a half later? It's been like. A few years for Hoid, I guess.

Adolin's really saving the day. Or, planet. He's made more important bonds. Less artifical than investiture-forced.

Adolin never got to say something to Dalinar. :( But, Dalinar probably knows. And sent him love, at the end.

Oh! Freeing Mishram helped the deadeyes.

The Everstorm lives up to its name. Just the making the planets shitty lmao.

Oh. No Shallan returning? Okay. Maybe she has the device and wants to get to Adolin? Without being trapped in the crystal thing?

Yanagawn has friends :)

Ooh Adolin has Oathbringer the book

Wait hold on does the light being in Azir mean all the Fused and singers can like. See the nice sunlight a few feet away. And get jealous? Also, Purelake mention.

Yeah Cultivation's gone

Months???

Pregnant???????

Felt? Yeah okay.

Ah yes. Sigzil heightening. At least he's leaving the planet? Good to get the Dawnshard off-planet.

Ah, the Iriali caravan. He really caught up. I guess months, probably. But he did.

Vienta's fair. He did hurt her.

Ah, spren can leave. Just, freely. And it's Aux!

Ooh, Era 3 might have a little Shallan in it?

Ah, they did deal with communication in and out of a slowness bubble. Good.

Ah. That's the 10 years. On Roshar. 80 off.

Oh this might be post Era 3? Or, he meant Era 2 probably. He mentions an upcoming Ghostblood war.

Haha they deal with income too. Lots of solutions.

Hm yeah Roshar isn't doing well

Oh! Saved Kharbranth. And, let me guess, he'll try to guilt someone into "killing me would kill them"

Fake Vargo? Or, did Taravangian save him?

Yeah. Taravangian's so wrong.

[ardbar]

Okay I’m getting close to being 70% of the way through words of radiance so I feel like it’s times to reupdate my thoughts.

For reference I’m right after chapter 58 currently reading the interludes

Before I believed that once enough of the parshendi took on storm form this would somehow break all of the parshmen out of slave form and begin the desolation. One piece of evidence I had for this but forgot to type last time was that Shen/Rlain had left the army. Quite a bit earlier in the book it mentioned that the Parshmen “didn’t have their song” basically meaning they weren’t apart of the hive mind and lacked freedom. I thought what this was signaling was that now that storm form is being taken it is somehow returning the freedom to the parshmen. While this may be true it could also just be that being in bridge four specifically around Kaladin and the Spren was freeing him I’m not sure.

I’m not sure I still believe all of that though. Instead of freeing the parshmen I just think that once enough have storm form in will bring back their gods perhaps in a diminished state. It could also be that the Parshendi shard bearer manages to break free from the hold of storm form as it actively seem like a small part of her is resisting it. I feel like that has to be the most likely option. In the past the world was barely surviving the desolations even with probably thousands maybe hundreds(?) Of shard bearers and storm binders and right now the only ones we are aware of that are alive is Shallan Kaladin and Lift.

I don’t know how much of the status quo Brandon is willing to upheave in this book and going forward given how much of the series is left.

He’s already done stuff that I wasn’t expecting though. Right now he has Adolin fighting for all of these shards and I was expecting him to eventually lose and the Shallan would maybe have to reveal she has one and let him borrow it so he can have one more climatic duel or something along those lines. However, I feel like the opportunity for that has passed the big 4 v 1/3 already passed and that would have been the point where it made the most sense for him to lose. But instead Kaladin fucked up and now he’s in jail. Now I’m going to use a little tiny bit of spoilers I heard to make an assumption.

I was looking on Wikipedia and it said Oath bringer the third book has Dalinar as the pseudo main character. That’s all I know about the next book. However, I’m guessing that means the king fucking dies and it makes a lot of sense. Right now Kaladin is in prison so either this is the perfect time for the assassins working with moash to strike and if that doesn’t happen now Kaladin has even more reason to help those assassins or just turn a blind eye to them if he is let out. However, I really don’t think Syl would agree with this in anyway. The thing is I don’t know if she has a say. I’m pretty sure she can leave though. And I don’t think they’d make Kaladin lose his abilities. So I have no fucking clue what’s going to happen with Kaladin. Now to best girl Shallan.

She doesn’t even fucking know what she’s doing. I mean that in a nice way. Like girl is trying to infiltrate the Ghost bloods, make moves in the court, stop the apocalypse, and find a lost ancient city. Like right now she has a million and one pathways for her character to go down and none of them can really work together. Like if she joins the ghost bloods she has to leave the shattered plains to go do jobs I assume, if she wants to stay in the camps with Adolin she can’t go do all of her other things, and the stopping the apocalypse/finding the city would also likely require her to leave the camps.

Okay honestly typing this all out has given me some ideas. I think the conflict with the parshendi has to end this book or at least majorly change. The war itself has the narrative in such a chokehold that it restricts the movement of literally every character. I’m guessing the King has to die this book and Dalinar takes over, I’m also guessing the parshendi all take on storm form and go on the offensive and the war camps start being over run. While the attacks on the war camps are happening I’m assume for whatever reason Shallan, Adolin, and Kaladin were all out exploring the plains or like looking at a chrysalis for Shallan or something its not important. in this scenario Kaladin was pardoned but bitter and maybe demoted to being a regular soldier not a captain. Somehow they realize that the camps are being overwhelmed and Shallan is like this is the only chance I have to go look for the city. Maybe this sparks some contention. Anyway I think the book ends with them finding one of those warp gates and gets moved to the place.

In this scenario Dalinar might be able to force the parshendi back but the balance of power has clearly shifted in favor of them. And begin the real count down to the desolation. This would also allow the three kids to go off and do shit because they are assumed to be dead during the raid. It honestly doesn’t make much sense for Adolin to be there but Idk it feels like there is more to be done with his character that can’t be done if he’s just stuck in the camps.

Also don’t come at me if the names are spelt wrong I’ve been using the audiobook so idk I’m kinda sounding all of this shit out. You might have noticed I refused to say the name of the actually like city of the radiances because I’m not even gonna try and do that one.

[l3st1b0urn3s-707]

I finished the first day of Wind and truth! I'm reading pretty quickly since I'm on christmas break, but I'm not sure it'll last once I go back to school on january. Anyway, so far it's going really well.

Kaladin's reaction to Szeth going with him to Shinovar was comedy gold, but him giving his goodbyes to bridge four was so sad, and it makes it all feel like it's going to end badly. The way he talked to the librarian when she was being rude to Syl was super cool tho. Also, Dalinar offered him to be his heir?! That was crazy. His last conversation with Shallan and Adolin was too short but so cute. It's nice seeing him happy for once. I think his caharcter feels more like a teenager/young adult now, which is so good because he's just a kid going through a lot, and getting to joke around and act age appropiately just seems so nice for him. I'm so happy about it. Let's hope they get to have that drink together, because if any of them dies I don't know what I'll do.

In the other hand, the Shadesmar army thing seems pretty concerning. But Shallan swearing the fourth ideal was really awesome. She's so cool. Also, is Knights of wind and truth written by Jasnah? I though it was an old book like The way of kings, but it mentions Kal and Szeth, so now I'm thinking it's from the future (?) And since the author mentioned being a historian and philosopher or something like that I can only think of her. Pretty interesting...

Things are starting to get more intense, which is making me grow more nervious each chapter, but I think I'm getting used to that. It's been a year since I finished Rythm of war and I had to get used to the Stormlight feeling again. But now I have, and I'm so excited to read more!

[lunaticbookblog]

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson

Spoilers!!!!!:

Book 5 of the Stormlight Archive. I finished the book in four days and immediately started a (much slower) reread. Decided to spend time processing before putting thought to words. It’s a book I increasingly like the more I sit with it. First, I’m a sucker for stories that circle back on themselves, where they repeat in some ways earlier events or themes. This book does this so well, both internally and back to previous books in the series. Even in how the Way of Kings Prelude and Wind and Truth Postlude were both Kalak’s point of view. Second, slightly related to the first, I love good foreshadowing. This book strikes an amazing balance between satisfyingly foreshadowed events and surprises. Third, the characters continue to shine in this book.

This is definitely a conclusion to an arc, not to the series. It answered so many questions, and raised so many new ones. But given the scope of Stormlight, it had a lot to do in a short (relatively- can’t believe I’m calling a 1300+ book short) amount of time, and it did so mostly well, but I think page constraints contributed to some parts feeling a bit rushed.

I hope audiobook listeners check out the art - especially the chapter headings. It was so incredibly impactful and a defining part of my reading experience. I cried at the epilogue arch with Kaladin’s face on the stone, and had to put the book down for a few minutes before finishing.

In my opinion, parts of day one were a bit rough (though I am appreciating it more on reread, even if it still feels a bit clunky). But the rest of the book was excellent. This book deviates from the previous format, both in that it’s separated by days rather than parts, but also in that previous books have, generally, been a slow build to a huge dramatic climax (Sanderlanche). Where this book felt as if it was a Sanderlanche of the first half of Stormlight Archive.

Favorite character arcs this story include Adolin (and Maya), Jasnah, Renarin and Rlain, and Kaladin. Jasnah’s was emotionally rough but not unexpected, and feels necessary for her character. Renarin and Rlain are just perfect, and I was pleasantly surprised at how their developing relationship was handled. Adolin and Maya are fantastic, per usual, and their interactions were a highlight. Kaladin’s plot started a bit rough. I wasn’t entirely convinced by it until the part where he fights Nale, but that scene sold me on it. Once I was sold on it, I was ALL IN and there was no going back. Considering the events of Rhythm of War, this was the only way I would have accepted Kaladin making a sacrificial play - in choosing to live, of sorts.

Wasn’t expecting how little we got of El or Moash. Curious to see where that goes in the back half. Very excited for more Yanagawn (hopefully).

This book is not a happy ending, but it is a hopeful one. People are separated or dead (or presumed dead), large portions of the continent lost. But, so much room has been left for the back half. It isn’t over. It has a distinct feeling of, as Wit said, that they will be warm again. Not quite sure how I’m supposed to wait until book 6 though. Reread to cope, I suppose.

Might edit this later when I remember everything I wanted to say but forgot about.

“A little,” Renarin said. “The thing is, the deepest truths always sound a little trite. Because we all know them, and feel foolish being reminded.”

[sweatersexual]

I'm actually liveblogging my reactions to this week's chapters under the cut

Adolin deserves to ride a flying horse. I'm so happy for him

Arguing over what to pack? They are literally so Married

They "return to WHERE they were lost?" Feverstone keep? Are we going to find out what's up with that? That was just Maya's way of saying they follow their shardbearers, apparently. Maybe that just shows how spren may think of physical locations differently than we do . . . Oh DAMN. so even dead blades still rely on how humans think of them? Idk what's worse, being stuck as a sword at the bottom of the ocean or being stuck in Shadesmar limbo

Ishnah/vathah? Uh, okay . . . I guess

OMG SHE'S GOTH

"just because something is fleeting, do not imagine it to be unimportant.” go off kelek

THAT HUG IS MAKING ME TEAR UP A LITTLE

Compasses aren't common on physical Roshar? There's a weird physics reason for that isn't there? Something something Roshar doesn't have as much iron in its core as Earth does or whatever

Is it because he's riding Gallant or has Adolin gotten A LOT more comfortable with flying over the past year?

Tien's ghost gave Kaladin a rock?? Awww

Uhhhh is making the carapace armor out of wood any better? Why would you want the reminder of the War Crime Armor

If Adolin survives this he's going to be so smug about needing the weapons after all

Yeah I also suspect Sigzil will REALLY need the support

Was that Shallan's Fourth Ideal?? wait, have any minor spren been following her around lately, waiting to become her armor? Creationspren, right? Man that was cool

[seirei-bh]

Friendship moments between sprens and Radiants

*Wind and Truth spoilers*

Some of the friendship moments I'm enjoying the most from these previews are the radiant bonding scenes between Kaladin and Syl, and Shallan with Pattern and Testament, and also both of them with their little armor-sprens.

Leaving shipping stuff aside and focusing on the friendship bond, I loved seeing Kaladin and Syl flying together, smiling at each other, and Kal defending Syl and holding her hand. I also loved seeing Shallan holding Testament's hand in previous episodes, and in this episode Shallan missing her because she can't interact with her the same way she does with Pattern. Oh, and Pattern being funny and wonderful here, admitting that he's been watching Shallan and Adolin in the shower and he gives them his approval! XD (bonus points to Shallan for not minding being watched, lol).

On one hand I'm scared because I think Sanderson is doing this so that we'll grow more attached to the sprens and then fear for them if they have the chance to suffer or die (as we already know is possible, as happened in the 4th book), but on the other hand I want to see many more moments like this between radiants and sprens, and for the sprens to have a more individualistic role, making their own decisions and being more accepted by the society. I'm especially looking forward to seeing Maya again with Adolin, or Szeth with his spren whose name we don't know yet, and seeing Syl interacting more with Kal and other characters like Szeth, Nightblood, etc.

And speaking of friendship, I've also really enjoyed a lot reading Kaladin's scenes with Bridge 4 in previous chapters, and Shallan's with the Unseen Court in these recent chapters. I'm glad to see how Kal and Shallan have grown, and learned about their mental health, to see how Kal has matured and accepted that his soldiers and friends can take care of themselves, and how Shallan tries to help her team members and now trust them completely.

Oh my babies, they grow up so fast cries