Brandon Sanderson Community discussion
Words of Radiance: Done
It was superb. I almost woke my girlfriend with a shout when Kaladin first healed himself from Szeth's shard cut lol.And...oh man, so many moments! Bondsmiths, edgerunners, truthwatchers, windrunners, skybreakers and heralds. And Nightblood.
TOO. MUCH. AWESOMENESS. Lift-style ;)
This whole book was chock full of moments that left me screaming lol.
Oh yes, it was fantastic. So what do you guys think of Nalan reviving Szeth?
Eon wrote: "Oh yes, it was fantastic. So what do you guys think of Nalan reviving Szeth?"It was worth it just for the fact that we got to see Nightblood!
Szeth wasn't my favorite character, so I wanted him to die, but I'm ok with this outcome.
Who will Nightblood target though? Sadeas wouldve been nice, but Adolin changed that...
Eon wrote: "Who will Nightblood target though? Sadeas wouldve been nice, but Adolin changed that..."Well, Szeth is now part of the Skybreakers, or Skybreaker wannabes. They seem to target "bad" people although what they interpret as "bad" is slanted. I'm not sure if he's going to go after "bad" KR or just Parshendi.
"I'm not sure if he's going to go after "bad" KR or just Parshendi."That is what I'm worried about. Nalan was the guy killing all the surgebinders right? The one who tried to kill lift and also killed that old guy?
Eon wrote: ""I'm not sure if he's going to go after "bad" KR or just Parshendi."That is what I'm worried about. Nalan was the guy killing all the surgebinders right? The one who tried to kill lift and also k..."
I believe there are actually two seperate guys killing the surgebinders, but they're probably in the same group. We think they're part of the Skybreakers (one of the KR orders) and they either are the order that never broke their oaths, or they're pretending that they're KR, when they're just normal people.
Note that Shallan's oldest brother is noted as having "gone to the Skybreakers". That's who he was working for when he tried to kill Amaram.
Mmmm.And windrunners and skybreakers are not friends.
“There came also sixteen of the order of Windrunners, and with them a considerable number of squires, and finding in that place the Skybreakers dividing the innocent from the guilty, there ensued a great debate. —From Words of Radiance, chapter 28, page 3”
Yeah, I think the Skybreakers act as the KR judicial system. The question is, are these guys actually true KR, corrupt KR, or fakers.
And Zahel - worldhopper? He's from Nalthis right?
Eon wrote: "And Zahel - worldhopper? He's from Nalthis right?"That's Vasher. Re-read his sections again, he emphasizes color and shows that he has life sense.
Really great. My only regret is that it wasn't longer. Dalinar bonding with stormfather made me happy. And jasnah! Totally saw that coming but I wasn't less excited. I really want my own spren they're like pets that talk. Some questions: where is urithiru? So are all parshmen affected by the everstorm or just some? Why was Shen ok? Are honorblades the shards left behind by the heralds? Or are those the regular shardblades?
Urithiru is in the mountains between Jah Kaved and the Aziz lands.The intial voidbringers were just the Parshendi that chose that form. The Parshmen are just Parshendi in slave form. They can't change into other forms by choice. The Parshendi can choose though, so if they don't choose Storm form, then they won't become voidbringers. The parshmen won't have a choice since they can't consciously change forms on their own as it is.
Honorblades are the Herald's old shardblades. They endow the wielder with the powers related to that order without having a spren.
Dalinar bonding with the Stormfather was just a boss moment. When you think about it you can't imagine him bonding with anyone else.Actually my first impression was that Dalinar would become a new herald. But now that he is KR I'm guessing a few of the original heralds will return. I thought Zahel was one but it makes more sense if he is Vasher.
Are voidbringers only those who chose stormform? I was under the impression that it had something to do with those tiny red spren. Pieces of odium I assumed. Like the chasmfiend who chased kal and shallan. When they killed him tiny spren left him.
Also I think this subtle little attraction between K and S will become a point when they find out Adolin killed Sadeas. I approve of what Ad did but I can't see them doing so. Especially when Kal regained his Radiance by saving Elhokar. Oh man when that happened I starting cheering "he's back! He's back!"
Very interesting about Shardblades. Dead spren? Don't think anyone saw that coming. Which raises the question, what is Shardplate? They're clearly made for one another but what are they?
I thought the "Nalan" character was Restares from Elantris. The scar/birthmark on his face was a notable feature. Feel so sorry for Szeth. He was a peaceful man and he slaughtered all those people because his oath as truthless demanded it. When all along he was right.
Aaargh. Been trying to read up on everyone's theories on 17th shard, but site is down at the moment. :(So everyone still basking in the wondrous afterglow of WOR?
Who do you guys think Rock met up at the horneater lake? Read somewhere that it's Hoid?
What say ye Luke? (Resident Stormlight Archive Expert)
The honorblades?Szeth's and now Kaladin's Honorblade... It granted Szeth the abilities of a Windrunner right, so does that mean that Kaladin's abilities will be enhanced? If not what would be the point of him keeping it if Syl can act like an even better weapon?
If it doesn't grant extra abilities for him I suspect he will give it to Adolin to create another Windrunner.
Shallan's Honorblade. Is it the blade that grants Lightweaving. If so... is Shallan a true radiant (because of Pattern I'd assume so) If she is, has the blade increased her potential as a lightweaver? or will it grant her some as yet unknown power (if her honorblade is something different)?
Why are the honorblades in Shinovar?
Elhokar is another mystery. No one as of yet has realised he is also a lightweaver (my opinion) “I see their faces in mirrors. Symbols, twisted, inhuman”.
So many question! So long to wait for answers
Hugh wrote: "The honorblades?Szeth's and now Kaladin's Honorblade... It granted Szeth the abilities of a Windrunner right, so does that mean that Kaladin's abilities will be enhanced? If not what would be the..."
Does Shallan have an honorblade? Thought it was just pattern becoming the shardblade. I know Kal has the one he took from Szeth. Doubt he will be using that as he will use his Syl-shardblade.
Also wondering as to the reason for the honorblades being Shinovar.
EDIT: Hang on, Shallan always said her blade was ten heartbeats away....
EDIT 2: Aah ok.
Quote:
"Calm, Shallan told herself. Be calm!
Ten heartbeats. But for her, it didn’t have to be ten, did it?
No. It must be. Time, I need time!"
So normal spren (pattern) shardblade. Just not a dead spren shardblade and not a honorblade it seems.
Eon wrote: "Aaargh. Been trying to read up on everyone's theories on 17th shard, but site is down at the moment. :(So everyone still basking in the wondrous afterglow of WOR?
Who do you guys think Rock met ..."
OK, after some research pretty sure Rock met Hoid. Sigzil had a definite reaction to Rock mentioning that the god he met had white hair. Also, the person/god mocked Rocks beard which sounds very Hoid/Wit/Dust like. And god of travel & mischief? lol
Quote:
Swimming in the emerald pools is death to outsiders," Sigzil said, "because you execute outsiders who touch them."
"No, this is not true. Listen to story. Stop being boring."
"They're just hot springs," Sigzil grumbled, but returned to his drink.
Rock rolled his eyes. "On top, is water. Beneath, is not. Is something else. Water of life. The place of the gods. This thing is true. I have met a god myself."
"A god like Syl?" Kaladin asked. "Or maybe a riverspren?" Those were somewhat rare, but supposedly able to speak at times in simple ways, like windspren.
"No," Rock said. He leaned in, as if saying something conspiratorial. "I saw Lunu'anaki."
"Uh great," Moash said. "Wonderful."
"Lunu'anaki," Rock said, "is god of travel and mischief. Very powerful god. He came from depths of peak ocean, from realm of gods."
"What did he look like?" Lopen asked, eyes wide.
"Like person," Rock said. "Maybe Alethi, though skin was lighter. Very angular face. Handsome, perhaps. With white hair."
Sigzil looked up sharply. "White hair?"
"Yes," Rock said. "Not grey, like old man, but white- yes he is young man. He spoke with me on shore. Ha! Made mockery of my beard. Asked what year it was, by Horneater calendar. Thought my name was funny. Very powerful god."
I'm assuming it was Hoid. Whenever a mysterious character pops up I always assume it's that guy. He is just everywhere. Kal and Shallan do not have honourblades. They, along with Dalinar and others are all Radiants. Their blades are their spren.
I think Shinovar was the place from the prelude of WoK when the heralds broke the oathpact. They stuck there blades in the ground and left.
I doubt anyone would've simply picked them up and ambled away so im assuming they're all there. Except I'm pretty sure I remember Szeth saying only 7 remain. Taln died so his blade was never there. Szeth had a blade. So there is one unaccounted for.
NEW THEORY:
The shard known as Honour is dead. By Odiums hand it seems. The Stormfather and other spren seem to be splinters of his. Cultivations fate is not known. However I'm starting to think that the creature known as Nightwatcher is her in some form. She can't be a normal spren with the powers she has.
Also what's with this Diagram? King Teravingian has one perfect day and casually creates a language and maps out the future of the universe? The ones who tried to kill Elhokar referenced it. Are they working with king T?
Yeah, Rock met Hoid/Wit. That lake is a Shardpool, a gate between two worlds.Hoid has all the cosmere powers from metalurgy (he's likely a full blown Mistborn), to feruchemy, to breaths, to some level of Stormlight control.
And yeah, Shallan's blade is just a standard "alive" spren. Honorblades don't require the bonding of spren to bestow powers, which made them dangerous. I think all the Heralds will come back for their blades. You only have to wait 10 seconds for a dead Shardblade.
There are something like 13 secret societies in Roshar. The ones we know of for sure are:The Diagram followers (Mr. T)
The Skybreakers (Szeth at the end)
The Men of Honor (Amaram and Restartes)
The Ghostbloods
Stone Shaman's (Szeth's people)
Dalinar has Taln's honorblade, Kaladin has Szeth's old one, and the Stone Shaman's have 7 others. The last one is most likely held by the Skybreakers.
And Luke dropping knowledge with all the authority of The Stormfather. Makes sense Hoid has all the powers. He was there when it all started.
I never quite understood the shardpool thing. Coppermind here I come.
I actually was wrong. The prevailing theory is that Hoid now holds Taln's Honorblade. Hoid travels with Taln to the shattered plains, but then disappears right before they get there. The blade itself does not appear to look similar to Szeth's Honorblade, and Dalinar heard the scream of the dead spren from the presumed "Honorblade" (which only happens with shardblades, not honorblades). He also didn't get any surge abilities, which a Honorblade would bestow upon the holder. So, Hoid has Taln's Honoblade and Dalinar got some normal blade instead.
Interesting. Wonder why Hoid decided to keep it with him? Maybe due to Taln being incapacitated?
Eon wrote: "Interesting. Wonder why Hoid decided to keep it with him? Maybe due to Taln being incapacitated?"Through the letters, and a tidbit of his conversation with Dalinar at the feast in WoK, we can see that Hoid is focused on killing Odium. He would/will sacrifice Roshar to make this happen if he has to. He gathers all sorts of powers throughout the worlds of the cosmere, so it makes sense that he would take a weapon that wouldn't require him to be bonded to a spren.
Aah, that makes sense. Forgot about that conversation where he said his goals might not align with Dalinar's goals and that he would sacrifice Roshar if needed. Thanks for the reminder. Hoid shouldve invited Nightblood for backup as well. ;)
Night blood. That sword is insane. I wonder which arrived on Roshar first? Nightblood or Vasher. I'm still curious about the behaviour of Odium. He didn't visit Mistborn world even though there were two fully functional shards there.
And now there's Sazed there who may be the only threat to Odiums power and yet he's focussing on Roshar. Where Honour is dead and Cultivation is...well I think she's around.
I'm done!!!!!!Now got to go back and read all those comments before
Reading these comments makes me think I need to read Warbreaker (and maybe Elantris?) and then go back and reread these stormlight books. This plan is not going to do wonders for my own writing output for the next couple of months is it?
Definitely Warbreaker at least!
Lol Mike, probably not. Yay Deano! Let the discussions begin :)
Yes I'm off to re read warbreaker.What was the link to elantris?
I think the thing that confuses me most is all the different factions and what their goals are.
I feel sorry for zeth and am glad his still in the game.
But think he maybe more than a little unstable by now.
So I'm poor with names
So nalan is also in elantris?
The factions are amazingly befuddling. Although to be fair it's probably an accurate representation of politics anywhere. Nalan is not from Elantris. He is a herald. The link to Elantris is Restares. The character who killed the shoemaker and the little boy. Although he seems possessed by something.
What I don't understand about Szeth is how he started off. He claimed that his surgebinding was proof that the radiants were coming back. But his honourblade gave him his abilities. So why did they give him a blade to begin with?
I don't think he claimed his surgebinding was proof that the radiants were coming back.
I thought he claimed the void bringers were returning Although don't know how he knew it.
I thought the shoemaker was killed by Darkness/Nalan?EDIT: Read up on a couple of opinions, and seems most people think the shoemaker was killed by Darkness/Nalan. He seems to hammer on Justice and he is also the herald associated with justice. Ive heard about the link to Elantris, but not sure what it is. Seems some people think the shardpool (lake on horneater mountain) is connected the the pool in elantris. MIght be used for travel?
Question to Brandon on the pool in Elantris:
If a live Elantran entered the pool outside of the city, could they also use it to travel to the cognitive realm?
Brandon: Let's just say that the characters in the book do not fully understand the pool or its power.
Which is way I was linking him to elantris Thinking it was one and the same lol
I'm soo glad you lot are here to set me straight
Some more interesting info via 17th shard: (Please note Kalak is the flimsiest of the assumptions)So our knowledge of the heralds is as follows....
1. Jezrien- was last seen as a drunkard/madman in Alethkar for the feast.
2. Nalan - leading the Skybreakers, seeking to prevent the Desolation from returning (although he failed in this), encouraging Szeth to destroy the Stone Shamanate for reasons we cannot infer yet.
3. Kalak - last seen in Alethkar in the company of Nalan, presumed allied or friendly with Nalan.
4. Talenel- In company of Amaram, off to hunt Honorblades. Tortured into insanity.
5. Shallash- destroying all visual representations of herself.
Another similar post:
Drunk beggar in the prologue to Way of Kings. One of the male Heralds, likely drowning their guilt away. Jezrien I'd guess.
Baxil's mistress, likely Shallash, is destroying art of herself across Roshar. Another way of dealing with the guilt I imagine.
Darkness, Nalan, is killing Surgebinders to prevent another Desolation. He's also apparently founded a secret society called the Skybreakers, after his Radiant Order. It's unknown as to whether or not they're actually Radiants, but doubtful.
Taln. He's currently insane, though you can expect that to fix itself at some point. I imagine his goals are to protect humanity from the Desolation?
Nalan's friend during the prologue to WoR, who seems to be nervous and squeaky. I'd guess he's Kalak. He's worried about "Ash" (Shallash?).
I can't remember the exact wording but I do remember Szeth arguing to his people that he had proof that the voidbringers and radiants were returning. And yes it was Nalan who killed the shoemaker but I recently re-read elantris and one of the charecters had a very distinct mark on his face. And so does darkness. I may be talking crap or grasping at straws but I assumed they were the same physical body if not the same mind.
I imagine shard pools to be slivers of whatever shard they were created from. Maybe of the cognitive part of the shard itself.
Interesting. I will have a look through Elantris as well Obaid. Haven't read it in a while.
Anyone got a solid theory on Jasnah's second surge ability is yet, and what the name of her order would be? I'm thinking Transportation, given the last scene, but I figured it could be possible that she just travelled to Shadesmar in a process similar to what she appears to do when Soulcasting.
Mike wrote: "Anyone got a solid theory on Jasnah's second surge ability is yet, and what the name of her order would be? I'm thinking Transportation, given the last scene, but I figured it could be possible tha..."She is a Surgebinder with access to the Surges of transformation and transportation.
Via the coppermind:
The Order of Elsecallers was an order of the Knights Radiant on Roshar.
The Elsecallers were Surgebinders who used the two Surges of Transformation and Transportation, and they absorbed Stormlight from gems. So far it is known that the Elsecallers had the power to Soulcast. It is very likely that they also used a Nahel bond.
Elscalling
Transport oneself into or out of Shadesmar in the flesh. The full extent of this ability is not yet known.
Nalan / darkness killed the shoemaker and the boy with lift.So restares who is working with amaram but did we see him at any point and why is he connected with elantris.
I'm sure nalan with his crescent scar is in elantris
Yeah, I'm not sure who Restartes is, but he's supposedly the link to Elantris (he's part of the "Men of Honor" society that Amaram's in).
I have just done a few quick searches and the man I thought appeared in both Elantris and Stormlight died during the conclusion of Elantris. I had forgotten that tiny detail and assumed that Duke Telrii was the man on question. He had a large birthmark on the left side of his face.
My apologies for the confusion.
Thanks for clearing that up.At the end zeth thinks he recognises the scar from before??
Any idea what that's about
Saying that oh my god it was fantastic. Last Clap. ShardSpear. Dalinar bonding with Stormfather.
Just brilliant.