Chapters 05-11

[Matthew]

Shallan and Jasnah. Two great characters, yet different from each other.

Let's start with Shallan. In chapter 4, she arrives at Kharbranth to seek a wardship with Jashnah Kholin. We also start to see that Shallan has a gift of memorization or drawing. She is consciously able to blink and memorize a scene and then later redraw it perfectly.

Shallan meets Jasnah as Jasnah evaporates a boulder with a soulcaster. It's a pretty great scene (one of those "movie moments"). We then find out that Shallan's wardship is a secret lie because she's really here to steal the soulcaster from Jasnah. There's also a line that mentions Shallan that ends with "...and the secret she now carried, hidden ten heartbeats away."

Ten heartbeats. What secret is Shallan carrying?

Chapters 5+7 are some of my favorite chapters in the book. It's brilliant, smart, and well written.

Note: This is a good time to mention something about Sanderson and religion. One of the greatest reasons I love Sanderson's writing is because of his focus on religion in his works (particulary Elantris). Sanderson is a Mormon and (IMO) that factors heavily into his works. Mormonism's belief in the ability to become a god (eventually) is a heavy theme in many of Sanderson's books, though I honestly can't say for this one.

Despite Sanderson's personal Mormonism, I've read comments from atheists who say that Jasnah is their favorite character. They say that Sanderson nails what a well-rounded atheist character should look like. So I would recommend paying attention to that.

In the end, Jasnah accepts Shallan as Shallan completes her history studies.

Creationspren are some of my favorite spren.

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Now for the darker side of things: Kaladin.

The bridge runs are made to feel like a deeper kind of hell. While reading it, you can feel the weigh of the bridge, the dust in the air, the death and screaming around you. What a nightmare.

Altogether it brings Kaladin to the literal edge of suicide, until Syl brings him another poison leaf as a cheer-up gift. It's one of those moments you don't expect to chuckle at.

Kaladin:"There's nothing left to lose."
Syl: "So it can't hurt to try one more time."

Please tell me I'm not the only one who felt those lines.

Also, GAZ. GOT. SHOOK. Kaladin's different and he's out to change things.

"The end of part 1"

Did anything speak to you about Kaladin's trials or depression? How can we see the positive side of our trials and situations to motivate us not to give up?

[Bob]

So there is mention by Jasnah that humans are... So This is a human world. Guess I expected another planet or race?

As an experiment I have used kindle look up and keep getting no definition found for a lot of vocabulary.

Waiting to see when and how the characters and their stories are connected.

[Garrett]

Bob wrote: "So there is mention by Jasnah that humans are... So This is a human world. Guess I expected another planet or race?

As an experiment I have used kindle look up and keep getting no definition found..."

The POV characters so far are humans on a planet called Roshar. There are other species of humanoids like the Parshendi and the parshmen on this planet as well.

[Matthew]

Garrett wrote: "The POV characters so far are humans on a planet called Roshar. There are other species of humanoids like the Parshendi and the parshmen on this planet as well."

Correct. However, the humans in the SA are not connected to real Earth in any way. Think an alternative universe that doesn't have our Earth in it. The people on this world were created on this world. They did not trvael to it. It's an important note.

We are starting to touch on the "Cosmere". I don't think it's time to talk about it yet. But we will before the end. :-)

[Ethan]

Ch 5-11
I have loved getting to know these two characters and their different motives. The hopelessness Kaladin feels in such a miserable, harsh environment - I feel the weight of it. “Stunned and unresponsive” I feel was a realistic description of such horror in ch 11. Also, I’ve loved the aspects of setting that seem very unique and are shaping the world - the strange but ever present spren, the plateaus with grand chasms below. The idea of being stranded on one of those feels like being stranded on some strange planet far away.

But I think Sallan’s story captures my interest the most.

The idea of jumping off a long deep sea adventure right into this port town feels so cozy and make me think of Mykonos for some reason. Also the constant bell chimes (again reminding us of the ongoing storms) breathes life into the setting for me. Probably because I love that moment before the storm where it’s so windy and cool and dark.

Jasnah is such a strong presence already even though I don’t know much about her or her power/influence. Her soul caster sounds dope and I want to see it more in action.

I am not sure about the ten heartbeats away. I love the imagery though and I want to see it play out, but not as much as I want answers about Sallan’s drawing.

“When she drew, she didn’t feel as if she worked with only charcoal and paper. In drawing a portrait, her medium was the soul itself. There were plants from which one could remove a tiny cutting—a leaf, or a bit of stem—then plant it and grow a duplicate. When she collected a Memory of a person, she was snipping free a bud of their soul, and she cultivated and grew it on the page. Charcoal for sinew, paper pulp for bone, ink for blood, the paper’s texture for skin. She fell into a rhythm, a cadence, the scratching of her pencil like the sound of breathing from those she depicted.”

If this isn’t some serious foreshadowing... this notion of creation and memory is something that has always drawn me in like dust to a vacuum. I am excited to see anymore of this played out but idk if it will move in the direction that I want it to.

[Amanda]

I love Shallan. Her determination and drive are something else. I just loved how she wouldn't give up, even though she had no reason to hope things would work out better. The thing that jumped into my head when I read the part about her secret is maybe she's pregnant?

Jasnah is a really interesting character. I'm looking forward to more explanation of the religious system in the book. Is "heretic" simply another word for "unbeliever"?

I can really, really relate with Kaladin. His conversation with Syl - "So it can't hurt to try one more time" - gave me chills. She's right. If he has nothing to lose, then it doesn't matter if he tries and fails, which sounds depressing but is also incredibly freeing. Watching him descend all the way to the point of suicide and then remember himself and decide to try again - amazing. Oh, how I loved his interaction with Gaz! I cheered! The only reason Gaz has so much power is because the men have given up hope and so they won't fight, but Kaladin regained some hope and gained the upper hand.

[Amanda]

I also greatly appreciate Sanderson's ability to bring out the horrors of war and death without being incredibly gory. I can't stomach gore.

[Bob]

Enjoying getting to see characters developing and still wondering who intersects with who and when. Also appreciate getting a little more cultural, religious or spiritual context in 10.

And the spren. Are they visible to all or just who they are connected to? If they are connected to individuals, can other people see them? Definitely an interesting detail that adds some color to the story.

[Thomas]

I loved the chapters with Shallan. I just had a lot of fun reading her character and Yalb too. Especially that scene with the book merchant was so much fun. And I’m glad you mentioned that line about the ten heartbeats because somehow I missed that!!!!! Is she a Shardbearer!?!?!?! I guess we’ll find out...

As far as Kaladin, that scene with the (almost) suicide was pretty powerful.

“One more try...”

Just a simple encouragement like that from someone who cares about you and believes in you can really change your perspective. I love the relationship between Kaladin and Syl, I’m excited to learn more about this curious little windspren. And that scene where Kaladin and Gaz was great too.

[Amanda]

Bob wrote: "And the spren. Are they visible to all or just who they are connected to?"

My understanding (and I may be wrong) is that most spren are visible to everyone - rotspren, gloryspren, etc. Syl is visible to Kaladin and not others, but she is different from other spren, so maybe that's part of it?