The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1)[August 16, 2024]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sanderson has RAFO cards he hands out to fans at Q&As when they ask questions he isn't willing to answer... you never know when you'll get one, because Sanderson will answer alot of stuff that he maybe he shouldn't, in the moment... he's a fan of his own lore and has tons of knowledge that may never make it into a book, since it may not be relevant to the plot going on... I've seen tons of bloggers talk about meeting him at his Dragonsteel HQ, like Merphy, and how he's willing to just spout spoilery answers if you ask technical questions (off-camera)...

So anyway, all that to say that at Q&As, he might answer a spoilery question, if he doesn't think it spoils a future book plot, and is just an interesting interaction between magical systems from different worlds (there's alot of answers like that floating around that will only really become relevant in the sci-fi books when people are interacting across solar systems alot more)...

The only content that exists from that time so far is Sixth of Dawn, Sunlit Man, and Tress of the Emerald Sea... and technically Yumi and the Night Painter, but that seems to exist in it's own bubble that's too dangerous to interact with... Yumi & the Night Painter is more comparable to Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, I think...

[Marie]

I just finished chapter 15 and although there were some slower parts I am actually getting more eager to devour this book rather then enjoy myself bit by bit.

Idk really what to comment on first so just sharing some thoughts I noted down.(view spoiler)[I am really curious about the men not reading thing. I must say I am really focusing on every new info I get to judge if it's still making sense. Idk what was the reason originally that made this reading ban into religion, was it some way of getting more control? I guess it can be practical to leave women to reading and study and science as it leaves men more time to focus on war and governing? It also brings lot of dependency, though. Maybe whoever managed to push it into the religion was a woman. I am sure we will learn more about that. Tbh we don't know that much about the religion yet besides the taboos.

Hoid got mentioned. Made me thing if he is the Wit as Wit was described as being someone that doesn't fit in and knowing things... Curious to finally learn about the whole Hoid business. Also the name Cosmere got dropped! Excited to finally get to the connections. Besides the 5th book coming out my reason to finally reading this was that I was getting more and more worried about getting spoiled. Can't wait to be caught up and not have to worry anymore.
(hide spoiler)]

[Quinn]

I'm going to be delving into the lore with my reread here. With the mind of someone who looks up every new word and concept on the Cosmere wiki, I'll be spoiling basically all of Stormlight Archives and some of the other Cosmere books in my reviews. If wouldn't recommend reading my posts if you aren't caught up on ALL the books.

Prelude -> Prologue

(view spoiler)[
PRELUDE

The prelude as a whole is the kind of opening in a book that will not make sense until probably the 2nd or 3rd book. I believe there are some allusions to these events in Dalinar's visions, but we don't get a definite answer until way later. That being said, I love the concept of breaking an oath by having one member of your group take the all of the torture for millenia, just because he is that strong-willed. It's a testament to Talenel's strength that he held out for as long as he did.

Concepts presented:
- Thunderclast: Giant stone monsters that serve Odium. Often synonymous with Voidbringers, since the history of the Desolations were lost. The image of them has also been lost, leading one artist to depict them in a drawing we will see later as a giant chasmfiend-like creature.
- Red, Orange, and Violet blood: The humans, of course, have red blood, the orange blood belongs to the Parshendi, and the violet blood belong to chasmfiends and other crab-like creatures native to Roshar. I'm not totally certain why violet blood is here. Did chasmfiends join the battle? Were they controlled? There are also different races in Roshar with different colored blood as well, like the two races of Aimians (one of which is the Sleepless), who have different blood from each other.
- Desolation: Cataclysmic wars of Humans against Voidbringers. We learn later that when one Desolation is finished, the Heralds go back to Braize, a planet used as a prison for Odium and the Voidbringers, where they are met with torture. If one of them breaks, they go back to Roshar, allowing the Voidbringers to eventually escape, setting off another Desolation. Each Desolation causes the technology level to devolve to at best bronze age tech. There have been, at most, 15 Desolations, the last of which, we learn between the Prelude and the Prologue, was 4,500 years ago.
- Oathpact: While the Oathpact isn't what directly binds Odium to Braize, it is a part of what allows him to be imprisoned. Whenever the Heralds die, they return to Braize, though they are supposed to willingly go back anyways if they don't die, to keep the enemies known as the Fused from returning indefinetely. The Oathpact was broken 4,500 years ago, but remnants of it still remain, allowing the Heralds to sense each other to an extent, especially when one is permanently killed.
- Radiants: Essentially, those that can use the magic system of the Stormlight Archives. Making a pact with a specific Spren allows them to use the natural "lights" of Roshar to use abilities according to the group they took the oath for. Each group has 2 of the possible 10 abilities. We know some of the abilities rules, but theres a lot of wiggle room of what can exactly can be done. Some groups use a shared ability differently from another group, for example. I desperatly want to know everything about the Radiants, but we truely don't know THAT much about them.

PROLOGUE

In each chapter, excluding the Prelude, the header has images of certain Heralds. For the Prologue, we have 2 sets of images of Jezrien the Patron of the order of Windrunners. There’s extremely good reasons for why it’s only Jezrien here, despite the fact multiple Heralds make ‘blink and you miss it’ cameos in this chapter. Szeth uses Jezrien’s Honorblade to use the powers of Adhesion and Gravitation for the assassination. Jezrien is also named the Herald of Kings, as well as associated with sapphire gemstones, the kind of gemstone Szeth takes the power of for use in his magic.

I think this is a much better introduction to the world and magic system of the world. It presents us with some answers while leaving just enough out to ask questions throughout the book. There’s a few parts in here that make me question whether Sanderson had everything planned out yet. For example, Szeth notes his blade as a Shardblade, rather than an Honorblade, which is what it comes to be known as later. I wonder if Sanderson hadn’t yet thought up the concept of Honorblades yet.

As I mentioned earlier, multiple Heralds make cameos in this chapter. We see Jezrien as a supposedly drunk old man saying “Have you seen me?” Both Nale and Kalak are seen talking with Elhokar before Szeth slinks off. We learn in a later chapter that Shalash is also present.

Concepts presented:
- Stormfather: One of the most powerful Spren created by the shard Honor. It commands the Highstorms, able to redirect it at different times and locations if it willed, though it usually sticks to a schedule. It sends visions to Dalinar through these storms and later bonds with Dalinar as Bondsmithspren. The Stormfather created the modern Honorspren. It has also merged with Honor’s cognitive shadow, becoming kind of both a Splinter and Sliver of Adonalsium.
- Everstorm: Said solely in the quote at the beginning, this is essentially the opposite of the Stormfather’s Highstorms. It moves in the opposite direction of the Highstorms, causing the infrastructure of the world to be overturned in an instant. It also has a whole host of different abilities that I will explain more when it appears. The world as we know it now, though, probably doesn’t fully understand what this would mean.
- Spren: Multiple spren make their first appearance here; Musicspren and Fearspren. Both non-sapient spren, they are attracted to their namesakes. The appearance they take on in the Physical Realm is only a portion of their bodies that are in Shadesmar. Musicspren are attracted to Rhyshadium and are possibly bonding with them, allowing them to be tougher and more aware of the world. A single, pure note is enough to attract at least one spren, so with what we learn about how the light on Roshar works in the 4th book, I wonder if they will have a more prominent role later in the series?
- Parshendi: Translated as “Parshmen that can think” and later revealed as “Singers”, they are the true natives of Roshar. They were ordered by Honor and Cultivation to help the humans who traveled to Roshar, allotting them land. The humans went to war with the Singers after being unhappy with the amount of land they received. At some point, Honor, Cultivation, and the Spren switched sides and started helping the humans, while Odium helped the Singers, making some of them powerful and immortal to and extent, naming them The Fused. One group, the “Listeners” would split off, not wanting more war. (This is the group we follow in these first couple books.) There is more history to these people that I will get into when we learn about the False Desolation.
- Shardblade/Shardplate: Shardblades/Plates are spren taken on physical form, being a splinter of Honor and Cultivation. Blades can cut through anything, yet can’t cut living objects. Instead, it will sever a being’s soul. Both Shardblades and Shardplate can resist the strike of a Shardblade. Technology gets developed later than can also withstand strikes, though not as fully as the Blades or Plates. Aluminum, because it seemingly resists all form of investiture, can also resist the strike of a Shardblade. The Blades and Plates we see that aren’t tied to a Radiant are dead spren, a term that will be more important when we talk of the False Desolation.
- Wine: The language on Roshar often generalizes terms into one category. Wine is one such example. Wine refers to a lot of different kinds of spirits/alcohol, with the colors denoting the strength of the drink. In order of strength is; Pink (non-alcoholic) > Orange > Yellow > Auburn > Red > Sapphire > Blue > Violet.
- Stormlight: A gaseous form of Investiture associated with Honor. While it’s not the only form of Investiture on, it is by far the most common. Delivered via the Highstorms, it is held within gemstone spheres and glows with a white light with a slight bluish tint when in a non-colored gem. Can be used by Radiants to fuel their powers and fuels the growth of plants. The gemstone spheres are used as currency and are considered more valuable when infused with Stormlight. Stormlight itself, not the gemstone, is used as a currency in Shadesmar.
- Lashings: We get a lot of explanations over how the Windrunner’s Gravitation magic works, much more than any other power. We essentially get a full explanation in this chapter, while updating and providing more clear physics in later books. The magic is pretty fully realized at this point, and I’m left to question if maybe Sanderson ONLY had this one portion of the magic thought out at this point.

I love the Cosmere so much and how thoroughly Sanderson thinks of his worlds. Some of the Lore doesn't get brought up in the books, because they aren't important yet or are just fun facts. I'm loving delving into the Lore that doesn't really get explained fully, and being able to link up concepts into this interweaving tapestry of worldbuilding. I'll definitely be reading and reviewing this very slowly, though, to digest all this.
(hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Quinn wrote: "I'm going to be delving into the lore with my reread here. With the mind of someone who looks up every new word and concept on the Cosmere wiki, I'll be spoiling basically all of Stormlight Archive..."

Iain, I think you've met your match with Quinn :)

Quinn, that's an awesome post, which I only skimmed parts of. This is my reminder to myself to go back and reread all Quinn's notes after finishing Book 4 haha He's serious about his warning.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Quinn definitely has me beat, for thoroughness and just freshness of knowledge... it's been a few years since I was that/this steeped in the lore/wiki... I read too much these days to devote as much time to a single passion...

Means less work for me, honestly, and I'll probably learn something...

[Quinn]

Chapter 1!

(Reader beware, spoilers for the entire Stormlight Archive series/some Cosmere)
(view spoiler)[
CHAPTER 1

In chapter 1, the heading is composed of 2 sets of the Herald Talenel. He is known as the Herald of War/Soldiers and is the Patron of the Order of Stonewards. He’s described as one of the most skilled warriors in all of Roshar when he was a Herald. In the prelude, we’re told he has a tendency to face and win impossible odds, even at the cost of his own life. We can see with these values that Talenel and Kaladin have quite a lot in common, fitting since this is a Kaladin chapter. Kaladin’s self sacrificial nature and incredible prowess as a warrior are aspects we will come to know Kaladin very well for.

Sanderson only has annotations up to chapter 11 for WoK, but I think the chapter 1 annotation is very important. We rarely get chapters where the main focus isn’t the POV, so when introducing THE main character, why are we in Cenn’s head? In Sanderson’s annotation, he says he didn’t want to give a sense of control to the reader. Kaladin is in control of his life at this point, but going from this to the next chapter would feel abrupt. Therefore, keeping in Cenn’s POV gives the sense of chaos we need for a throughline into the next chapter where Kaladin is at his, seemingly, lowest. Having an outside view of Kaladin also gives a better impression of who Kaladin is as a leader, warrior, and person. We see his actions without his thoughts muddying the waters and confusing his character. (Also a fun fact, in the original draft of WoK, Kaladin was more like Cenn.)

Throughout the chapter, we get some examples of Kaladin’s self-sacrificial nature: Moving Cenn to his crew, saving Cenn when he is overrun by a mob, using his own funds for his crew, etc. We also get some foreshadowing into Kaldin as a Radiant. When he saves Cenn, Cenn notices a sort of warping of the wind around Kaladin as he fights, a clue into his already embodying the idea of a Windrunner without taking the Oath. We also see a bit of the Thrill in this chapter, when close ranks of soldiers break off willy-nilly into a throng of chaos. Kaladin’s crew, however, are still taking tactics into play. Kaladin is immune to the Thrill, and it seems he can pass that onto others to an extent.
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Concepts presented:
- Darkeyes/Lighteyes: We get to see how oppression works. Yay. Lighteyes being the leaders and figureheads stems from the old Knight Radiants. When wielding a Shardblade, Radiants eyes would always light up to a light color, no matter their previous color. Due to the peoples elevation of the Radiants in history and mythology/religion, those with light colored eyes gradually took over the systems of power before creating the system of ranks we see now.

- Shardbearer: Simply, those that have either a Shardblade, Shardplate, or both in battle. It’s a legend in Vorin (the primary religion of Roshar) society that if a darkeyes takes down a shardbearer and claims their Shards, they instantly become a lighteyes and rise the ranks. It’s extremely rare for this to occur, but it’s likely the only reason why darkeyed soldiers would even attempt to take down a shardbearer.

- Vedenar: The capital city of Jah Keved. It lies at the very bottom of the country, right on the Tarat sea. It has a nearly symmetrical layout. It’s known worldwide as one of the greatest cities in the world, until the recent assassinations and civil war. It’s known for its lush atmosphere and incredible gardens.

- Rockbud: Because Highstorms travel solely East to West along Roshar, plants in the eastern region have evolved to protect themselves against the worst of the storms. Rockbuds evolved to have a protective rock-like shell around the sensitive inner plant. By the time the Highstorms reach the western region of Roshar, the storm has mostly petered out, so they are more akin to Earth’s storms. Thus, plants on the western region have not needed to evolve to protect themselves, and they more resemble Earth-like plants.

- Brightlord, Highprince: We are introduced to 2 separate titles for a lighteyes, clueing us in to the system of ranks for lighteyes. While darkeyes have the nahn system - which hasn’t been fully explored yet - the lighteyes have the dahn system. The ranks go as such, from least to highest:
10th: Tenners (workers)
9th: Landless with some wealth
8th: Soldiers, Moderately wealthy landless
7th: Landless officers, Very wealthy landless
6th: Captainlords, Those with land
5th: Companylords
4th: Battalionlords, Shardbearers
3rd: Generals, Highlords, non-inheriting children of 1st/2nd dahn
2nd: Highprinces, Highprince direct heirs, Monarch direct heir
1st: Reigning Monarch

- Cremlings: Once again an example of Roshar’s generalized language. Cremlings aren’t a single species. Rather, they encompass a large group of creatures that are akin to bugs, though bigger and having the appearance of crustaceans. They are scavengers, and generally reviled, often being used as an insult. Because they are so common, they are considered a reliable food source. EARLIER EDIT: For the prelude, I mentioned violet blood, and not knowing why it was there. Just like Chasmfiends, Cremlings have violet blood. The Sleepless, a group we learn more about in Edgedancer and Dawnshard, are composed of a hivemind of Cremlings. Thus, it’s very likely The Sleepless fight alongside the Heralds and Radiants in the Desolations.
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An excellent, if not also unique way to introduce a main character. I think Sanderson pulls it off masterfully, leaving a big impression on who Kaladin is before ripping the rug right out from under us to see his pitiful self in the next chapter. I might start ranking chapters by how much I like them/how important they are. Keep a lookout for that in the next thread!
(hide spoiler)]

[Ryan]

Nice posts, Quinn. Are you writing these on the spot now? Reminds me of some of the reactormag analyses.

To answer one of your questions, I think it's likely Sanderson had it all planned out, at least in generalities. He's said he's a planner, and he has a couple people on staff who work with him on ensuring consistency within his books. Szeth calling his sword a shard is likely his own error, rather than Sanderson's.

[Quinn]

Ryan wrote: "Nice posts, Quinn. Are you writing these on the spot now? Reminds me of some of the reactormag analyses.

To answer one of your questions, I think it's likely Sanderson had it all planned out, at l..."

I micromanage a ton of things for these. First I do a readthrough, taking notes and jotting down concepts and words that, if I were a new reader, I wouldn't immediately know what it was. After I'm done reading, I go to the wiki and look up the information for the heading, the epigraph, and all character appearances/mentions. I do this because easter eggs, foreshadowing, and Cosmere relevant characters aren't immediately apparent. After that, I go back to my notes and write down a ton of information from the wiki about everything I wrote down. If theres any relevant text that would be better suited for later, I save that for their reveals when/if they happen.

It's quite a bit to keep track of, so I have like 10 tabs open everytime I write one of these lol

[Ryan]

I, for one, appreciate your posts! I'd recommend contacting someone on 17th Shard or reactormag to see if they'd archive your work so people might access them in the future. This is great stuff.

[Narilka]

Finished Part 2 and the second set of interludes (view spoiler)[Just as I was feeling hooked by Dalinar's story the section ends and it's going to be several hundred pages to get back to him.

I liked all 3 interludes a lot this time. Wish we could see all these characters again. There is so much more to this world than the war. (hide spoiler)]

[Quinn]

Chapter 2!

(Reader beware, spoilers for the entire Stormlight Archive series/some Cosmere)
(view spoiler)[
In chapter 2, the heading is composed of 2 sets of the Herald Vedel. She is the patron of the Order of Edgedancers. Not much is known about her as she hasn’t popped up in the story at this point. The few things we do know, however, fit with Kaladin’s arc involving helping others. Before Desolations, Vedel would train surgeons, a direct link with Kaladin’s surgeon training. She is also tied with the attributes Loving and Healing, two attributes Kaladin struggles coming to terms with in his stories.

The epigraph for this chapter is talking about the ten orders of the Radiants. It’s very likely that this quote is set in the past in the viewpoint of a Radiant during the Day of Recreance.

Straight up, no fluff, this is the best chapter of the book. No bias whatsoever, I promise. :) Everything about this chapter is a microcosm of Kaladin’s arc throughout the whole series: he tries to help people, they end up getting hurt or killed beyond his control, he has a gut reaction of revenge, then feels hopeless. This is the one chapter in the series I constantly think about, especially in terms of efficient story-telling.

A couple things I noticed: Syl is speaking in riddles a lot when we first meet her. This is most likely due to Kaladin not saying the Oaths yet, but I’d just gotten used to her being more human that I forgot how she was before. Also, slaves are technically part of the dahn system of ranks for darkeyes. This to me signals a threat, letting every single darkeyes know that they could end up just like a slave very easily. The system was designed this way purposely.

One thing I forgot to mention in the Prologue are the names Gavilar mentions when he is dying: Thaidakar and Restares. These are two extremely important people in the Cosmere mythos. Thaidakar is the leader of the Ghostbloods, and seems to be more of a title than a real name, as we come to learn in the Mistborn books that the leader of the Ghostbloods is actually Kelsier! Restares is also either a fake name or title for the leader of the Sons of Honor, which Gavilar is a member of. That’s why Gavilar would have been surprised if he was killed by Restares. Restares, as it turns out is the Herald Kalak who we get to see almost assassinated by Shallan in RoW. As far back as before Gavilar’s death it seems the Ghostbloods and the Sons of Honor are opposed, and there’s lots of things happening in the background that will seemingly become more apparent as we lore dump.

Concepts presented:
- Tallew: There’s no wiki for this word, but Tallew is a grain that puffs up when boiled. Probably not especially tasty by itself considering how Kaladin reacts to it.
- Unclaimed Hills: The hilled region marking the eastern border of Alethkar. It contains the Shattered Plains and a few independent cities on the ocean coast, but otherwise is larger uninhabited.
- Wind/Hunger/Rot/Luckspren: 4 spren are mentioned, one of them in the drawn image at the end of the chapter. Windspren are one of the few spren to practically live on the Physical Realm. During Highstorms, thousands can be seen within the storm as well as chasing it as it moves on. They are also closely related to Honorspren, as they can both use a form of Adhesion, which Windspren use for harmless pranks. They appear as ribbons, though they can change their appearance at will. Hungerspren appear when someone experiences extreme hunger, and they appear as brown flies. Rotspren appear around infected injuries and rotting corpses. They appear as small, red insects. For whatever reason, unlike most spren, they are believed to cause rot in wounds, rather than just be attracted towards it. Luckspren float around skyeels and greatshells. They bond to greatshells and allow them to grow larger than their body would allow without being crushed by their own mass.
- Amaram: One thing to keep in mind with about Amaram is that he joined the Sons of Honor around the same time as Gavilar. Their goal is to bring back the Voidbringers, which they believed would bring back the Radiants, their ultimate goal. Everything we see Amaram do is in pursuit of this goal.
- Glyphs: Glyphs are a form of writing that we don’t fully understand. We know some of the meanings for some lines of a glyph, but every glyph seems to break the rules in some way. Unlike with regular written language, which is a feminine art, it doesn’t seem to be a stigma for men to understand or write glyphs. Rather, it seems to be reserved for lighteyes/the wealthy to learn them. Glyphs often, though not always, take the shape of objects. For example, the glyph for Roshar, takes the form of a sword, with either energy radiating off it or wings.
- Vorinism: Vorinism is the main religion of the eastern countries of Roshar. Followers of Vorinism worship the Almighty, based on Honor, as well as the Heralds. It’s possible the origins of Vorinism come from before humans arrived on Roshar, as Kalak uses the term “Almighty” during the Prelude. Whatever the origins are, it seems the modern form of Vorinism are a bit different from how it used to be, especially regarding what is and isn’t considered allowed/taboo. Since the Hierocracy, which is mentioned in the next chapter, Vorinism and the culture of Eastern Roshar are deeply entwined, even impacting government and laws. More on Vorinism as we hear more about it.
- Taln’s Scar: Taln’s Scar is a star system that is able to be viewed from multiple planets in the Cosmere. It’s unusually bright and tinted red, often associated with corruption in Cosmere stories. On Roshar, it is called Taln’s Scar, named after the Herald Taln, though no reason is given. It apparently gives off enough light to be able to find your way around, though not enough to read or write by. On Threnody, it’s known as Starbelt. On Post-Catacendre Scadrial (AKA Era 2 Mistborn), it is known as Red Rip.
- Moons: Roshar has three moons, named Salas, Nomon, and Mishim. Salas is first, smallest, and violet. Nomon is the middle, biggest, and bright, pale blue. Mishim is last, middle-sized, and green. The Shin call the moons the Three Sisters, though Modern Natan’s call Nomon male, and the singers call Nomon Honor’s Moon. The moons rise and fall twice a day in the same order every day. They are relatively small and orbit quite close to the planet, and they also have highly unstable orbits. It’s possible that they were placed artificially, though this wasn’t a thing Sanderson said.
- Thaylenah: Thaylenah is a set of islands to the south of Alethkar. The people’s biggest feature are their long white eyebrows. Their eyebrows don’t seem to stop growing, so they either tuck it behind their ears or style them. They seem to be partially resistant to low temperatures, as they have relatively little clothing for their low-temperatured homeland. Their culture is known for their merchants, bankers, and sailors.
- Selay: Though the Silver Kingdom that the name comes from, Sela Tales, is gone the people in the region are still considered ethnically Selay. The Sela Tales borders the Purelake. Cultivation influences the lake in some way. It could be the fact that spren bond with the fish in the lake, granting them powers, but it’s ultimately unknown what this means. Along the northern edge of the Sela Tales lies the Skybreaker stronghold. A region along the Purelake is where the first Interlude of the book is set, and that Interlude has a lot of Cosmere relevant information.

I’ve started ranking the Way of Kings chapters with a completely scientific system I’ve coined the W.I.T. Scale. For those inclined, you can find the ranking sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

We might have peaked very early in the book, but there are many more interesting tidbits to get to! (hide spoiler)]

[Felina]

I started a few days ago. Slow going. Only at 17% but it’s so good already. I believe I’ve read through the third in this series and it seems insane to me how much, but also how little, is in these books. Like some stuff I have read only in the first few chapters I thought happened way later. Then I’m like wait, only this, this and this happens until the end of where I’ve read so how do I have three full books for that?!

I like Brando Sando cause he writes in a way that makes intricate stories easy to understand. James S.A. Corey is also good at this. GRRM is not good at this. His books are intricate and they feel intricate. You sneeze while reading a GRRm and there’s a good chance you won’t understand the 3rd book in the series. Like, ‘you didn’t notice that random guy at the bar who twitched his hand? He was the dragon!’

[Choko]

I am with Felina here ... I am reading the actual book and it is going slowly. However, I love all the headings of the chapters and what they imply....

Quinn, you are awesome!!! This is such thorough and thoughtful information! I am spending a ton of time just reading through the posts so far and I really appreciate them!!!

[Choko]

I am up to Ch. 3, but going through everyone's comments, you guys have covered everything already! I guess I am here for the ride and to enjoy the chat:)))) Kind of restful this way:)

[Felina]

Yeah, I was avoiding this thread until I realized I’ve already read this book. Then I had fun going through the spoilers.

[Marie]

I feel bit lonely here as a first time reader 😅

I also realised that even after reading everything one time I will still want to do a re-read before going through all the speculations/discoveries so that I can make my own re-read ones... 2025 re-read anyone? 🙃

[Choko]

Haha! We love the new readers!!! I love rediscovering the book through fresh eyes:)))

[Narilka]

Ch 32 (view spoiler)[This just got more depressing. Kaladin finally figures out how to prevent his bridgemen from dying and is punished for it because it hurt the army. So stupid. (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Marie wrote: "I feel bit lonely here as a first time reader 😅

I also realised that even after reading everything one time I will still want to do a re-read before going through all the speculations/discoveries ..."

I'm a first time reader too :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "Ch 32 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Sadeas is the worst... but... really... this is just another rock on the pile...

Things are so dreary, there's not much room for anything but improvement, at least... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Marie wrote: "I feel bit lonely here as a first time reader 😅

I also realised that even after reading everything one time I will still want to do a re-read before going through all the speculations/discoveries ..."

It was my first time reading as well :)

[Marie]

I-5
(view spoiler)[Didn't expect two funny interludes.
Now I finally know from where such an exotic delicacy known as chicken comes ;)
Imbecile drooling grass 🤣 I felt offended lol

Now it makes sense to me how Shin can avoid stepping on stone. Very interesting culture. Also do they not tell any lies and someone that lies becomes truthless 🤔 There might be more to it than just that but the trader did say to always be honest with them.
Edit: Reading the next Interlude and now I am thinking if it's his powers that condemned Szeth? Although that might just be something common to the race, too.

Yeah I don't really know what to comment on regarding the main story. It's too early to draw any conclusions. I just love all the little weird lore things that somehow make sense within this world. Poor Dalinar is so conflicted. I am really curious what happened to his wife and how he forgot her. I heard a bit about his character so I am curious about his backstory. (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain wrote: "[spoilers removed]"..."

Yeah, I'm ready for that.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Rysn (I think that's the character name), is one of my favorite super minor characters in the series...

She's the apprentice to the traveling merchant, that appears in Interludes throughout the first couple books...

(view spoiler)[She actually features in a novella later on, as well... was so happy when that happened (hide spoiler)]

[Chris]

Just finished Chapter 32 as well...

I'm just enjoying the slow move through this as a reread, with little things popping up that I see as important but missed the first time through...

[Narilka]

Through Ch 40 (view spoiler)[It's nice I got confirmation that Kaladin definitely absorbs stormlight. Now to get him hooked up with Szeth or someone who can show him how to control it and then use it. And, you know, actually move some plot along in this story.

I'm feeling ambivalent about Shallan's story line. She's obviously has seen/done some things in her past that she's not proud of and now stealing the magical thingy isn't helping. I do find it interesting how Sanderson has set up her moral crisis. Based on the last picture she drew I'm wondering if she killed father or if she just witnessed his murder. I suspect I won't find out until we get the book with Shallan flash backs but we will see.

This book has way too many pages to go still. (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Quinn, re: Ch. 1.... (view spoiler)[ I had no idea Kaladin was supposed to be more like Cenn. That is a really cool tidbit and it makes perfect sense to me...

Connecting K with Herald Talenel is also a great start at giving us subliminal intentions about their respective characters...

The first signs of potential wind running power! I knew I would find something new to me:) The resistance to the Thrill is another thing I had not previously noticed this early on...

The whole light/dark eyes system is f@#$ed up, but as many psychological and anthropomorphical research shows, even if all humans are the same race and coloring and size, they will still find a way to subjugate/put down a group of their fellow beings... (hide spoiler)]

Ch. 2 (view spoiler)[ The Harold Vedel trained surgeons before the Desolation? Cool... A connection with K and his dad ...

Yeah, Kaladin's savior complex always tends to backfire on him when those he tries to save get hurt... A good first responder has to find a way to logically work through those moments and distance themselves, or it becomes detrimental to their mental health... Which we obviously see with K...

Syl!!!!<3

Slavery is a big emotional trigger for me and most people, I would think, and because of that and because it has been an integral part of the Human experience, authors keep using it to provoke exactly those emotions from us... (hide spoiler)]

[Quinn]

Chapter 3

(Reader beware, spoilers for the entire Stormlight Archive series/some Cosmere)
(view spoiler)[
In Chapter 3, the header is composed of 2 sets of the Herald Shalash, also known as the Herald of beauty and the Patron of the Order Lightweavers. She is the daughter of the Herald Jezrien, and is possibly in a romantic relationship with the Herald Taln. She is associated with the attributes Creativity and Honesty. While Shallan is a very creative individual throughout the series, her main struggle and arc, at least so far in the first 4 books, are about being dishonest. Not just with others, but also herself. The header to me represents what she is while also what she has to work on and achieve.

This chapter has the first epigraph that I believe we haven’t seen yet in the series. My theory, however, is that it will come to fruition in the next book, when we get to Shinovar. The epigraph mentions cliffs and waters; Shinovar has large hills and long winding rivers. Szeth, in the past, tried to help his homeland, but they branded him a Truthless and cast him out. Now Shinovar has been taken over by the Unmade and/or Ishar, and Szeth is traveling there with Kaladin to see what’s up. This is when I believe the epigraph will become true.

Now getting into the meat of the chapter. When I first read The Way of Kings a couple years ago, I was not a big fan of Shallan’s chapters. I loved everything happening with Kaladin that I viewed these chapters as nothing more than a distraction. However, I love what Shallan’s grown into after this book, so I’m going into this reread as a Shallan appreciator, especially knowing that this isn’t the true Shallan we’re seeing, rather the repressing memories version of Shallan.

The chapter picture that we associate with Shallan in this book changes starting Words of Radiance. It depicts Shadesmar. I believe the reason Shallan has this picture now is because she hasn’t regained her oath. (She had a previous oath with a separate Crypticspren, but inadvertently killed it after repressing the memories of killing her mother in self defense.) It’s also possible the picture is tied with the Surgebinding of Soulcasting, as Jasnah requests Shallan to not use it, which Shallan obliges. She almost exclusively uses Lightweaving when her picture changes to its future iteration.

I had a few questions regarding some people in this book that I couldn’t find answers for. I don’t know what language the Porter was speaking. It’s possible he’s Makabaki, as he has dark skin, but as far as I can tell, their language isn’t described. Next, there’s two groups of people that Shallan notices, one group tall, in black robes. The other with beards wrapped in cords. The bearded group could be people from Tedradel, as they are described with having beards tied in a cylindrical shape with a leather cord. Ultimately, this is an instance of Read and Find Out, according to Sanderson, but it’s been so long since this book that I’m not sure if it’s truly important.

Lastly, I think it’s interesting that diamonds are considered the least valuable currency, since it’s so rare on Earth. Perhaps it can’t be used for soulcasting, and that’s why they aren’t as valuable?

Concepts presented:
- Kharbranth: Kharbranth is known for its surgeons and medical school, its colors of burnt orange and white being synonymous with healing. It also holds the largest library in Roshar, the Palaneum. The epigraphs we see in Act 1 are produced here in a secret “hospital” where people are being killed to produce death rattles to study for the Diagram. It is located on the west end of the Frostlands, right on the Tarat Sea.
- Jah Keved: Other than the Siln and Unkalaki people, it seems the vast majority of Jah Keved, since it is a Vorinist country, is very similar culturally to Alethkar. Though, they don’t seem to have the same reverence for combat and military that the Alethi do. They are located directly west of Alethkar.
- Tashikk: Tashikk is part of the Azir empire, though they are ethnically Makabaki. The Tashikk people wear a religious wrapping along all their body and face. This is to keep the eyes of Nun Raylisi (Odium) off of them. They worship the Heralds under a different name, with the God of Gods being Tashi (Ishar).
- Parshmen: During the False Desolation, a fight between Singers and Knights Radiant that is considered pseudo-historical by Vorinists, one of the Unmade, Ba-Ado-Mishram, was trapped within a perfect gemstone and hidden. This led to the defeat of the Singer Regals, but had one side effect; It stripped them of Connection and Identity (A very complicated set of rules of how the Cosmere works called Realmatic theory. In a very reduced summary, Realmatic Theory is a way in which all magic systems in the Cosmere are connected. It’s only mentioned 3 times in all of Sanderson’s novels, and the next time is in the Rhythm of War. I’ll likely look into making a summary for this sometime, but not now). This forced them into a form called Slaveform, and left their awareness extremely reduced in a dreamlike state. This happening is one motivation for why the old Knight Radiants broke their oaths, no longer thinking they were on the right side because of how they forcibly enslaved the Singers.
- Hair color: The Iriali have blonde/golden hair that always shows itself in children. The Unkalaki red hair color is in some Veden peoples, namely Shallan. It might not breed true like the Iriali, but it’s fairly common. If someone with Iriali blood and someone with Unkalaki blood were to have children, they’d have very unique hair.
- Safehand: The views of feminine and masculine arts in Vorinist societies derive from an ancient book titled “Arts and Majesty”. It claims feminine arts could be performed with one hand, while masculine arts could be performed with two hands. After the Recreance, the book was adopted by Lighteyed men as justification for why men should wear Shardplate and wield Shadblade and not women. This would be taken up by the Vorin religion, then exasperated to a point where now only women read and write non-glyph language. It wasn’t originally intended to be a sexual/nudity taboo, but after this book readers connected this point, and Sanderson made it a part of the world.
- Natanatan: An ancient kingdom that used to encompass the southeastern portion of Roshar. The city-state of New Natanan is the last remnant of this kingdom. The people of Natanan are human-Siah Aimian hybrids, giving them pale blue skin and extended lifespans.
- Glory/Calling: A Calling is a talent that one wishes to practice until their death. It is believed in Vorinism that pursuit of a Calling allows one into the Tranquiline Halls. A Glory is closely tied with a Calling. It’s an aspect of the Almighty that one wishes to embody, usually chosen in accordance with importance to their Calling. In the various varieties of Vorinism in other countries, different types of Callings are given more importance than others. For example, in Alethkar, fighting is considered the most important Calling.
- Last Desolation: In Vorinism, believed to be the when the Heralds finally defeated the Voidbringers, ending the cycle of Desolations. We saw the end of this in the prelude.
- Shadowdays: A point in history before recorded memory. The time of the Shadowdays isn’t completely agreed on, but it at least includes up to the Last Desolation. Dalinar suggests that the Recreance is a point of history old enough to be in the Shadowdays itself.
- Hierocracy: After the Recreance, the Knight Radiants were considered traitors. Vorinist texts moved from Radiant texts to the book mentioned before, Arts and Majesty, leading to the clear gender divide. Eventually, Ardents took divine mandate to take positions of power/rule governments. The priesthood held near-ultimate power as they attempted to spread Vorinism across Roshar. Ardents would control their subjects through access to information, claiming only the priesthood had the authority to read holy text. They would also heavily censor anything related to the Knight Radiants. Everything that remained was altered and mythologized to fit doctrine, and they claimed to be able to see visions of the future.. Because the Hierocracy grew to big, and fractures within the empire began to form, Sadees the Sunmaker made war on the empire. During the War of Loss, the ardents were stripped of their power and fractured into separate devotaries. They were no longer allowed to hold land or own property. They had become, effectively, slaves to lighteyes. It also came to light that the visions of the future were just fabrications, and thus “visions of the future” were demonized and considered heresy henceforth. While Ardents are still technically slaves, they are not treated as such any longer, having clawed their way to prominence but not power.
- Voidbringers: The original Voidbringers were actually the humans who had come to Roshar after destroying their previous planet, Ashyn, with Dawnshards. During the Desolations, when Honor switched to the human’s side, the term Voidbringer would switch into referring to the Singers. Due to the Shadowdays, information and drawings of the Voidbringers were nearly impossible to derive.
- Recreance: The day when 9 of the 10 Radiant orders knowingly broke their oaths, killing their sprens and leaving humanity to label them traitors. Many motivations for the Recreance are attributed, but the two we know of are the creation of the slaveform for the Singers and the knowledge that humanity destroyed their previous home, Ashyn. The only Radiant order to not abandon their oaths were the Skybreakers, instead hiding themselves away in case the Voidbringers returned.

I’m ranking the Way of Kings chapters with a completely scientific system I’ve coined the W.I.T. Scale. You can find my rankings here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

(hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Quinn has taken the pressure off me to be the Cosmere font of knowledge, honestly... lets me focus on my other commitments :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

For first-timers that don't want to spoil too much before a re-read, I/we should try and search up me and Veronica's 2018 BR of Way of Kings... see me finding things for the first time, and spoiling less...

[Choko]

I am quite a bit ahead of Quinn in the book right now, but I am really enjoying his commentary! I still don't think newbies should read them though, unless they are OK with series spoilers:)))

I really appreciate the notes on who the Harolds are in the heading graphics, because I don't have any idea about those. The epigraphs though, I am quite on top of those:)))

re: Ch. 3... (view spoiler)[ Yeah, I was wondering what exactly this epigraph refers to. Shinovar, it will be interesting to see ...

The biggest problem I have with early Shallan is the dialogue writing. I understand what Brandon is going for, but I do think he goes a tad overboard with the "clever" dialogue. Instead of this breezy quickness of wit, it comes off as forced and a tad unhinged. Now, we know she is a mental mess, but I think we could have been taken there slightly easier...

The masculine and feminine traditions in this world are fascinating! From the first time I read the book I thought how taking away reading from the men cripples them knowledge wise, while taking away the use of one hand from the women cripples them physically. Does this mean that physical power is more valued than mental knowledge? Or does this value mental knowledge higher and in order to equalize the two genders it limits them in different ways? However, the Ardents are mostly if not all male, right? And they read.... So knowledge and the control of it are still considered more important...

The Heralds didn't do this generation any favors by lying about the last Desolation being the Final one.... (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Iain, it is kind of restful to have someone else do all the research, right:))) Kind of awesome:)

[Quinn]

Choko wrote: "I am quite a bit ahead of Quinn in the book right now, but I am really enjoying his commentary! I still don't think newbies should read them though, unless they are OK with series spoilers:)))

I ..."

Haha, I'm definitely going slower than I thought I would. When I read this previously, I had a job with a lot of downtime where I could read most of the time. With my new job, I have less time to spend reading. If I could concentrate while listening to audiobooks I'd def be going faster.

(Spoiler for Ardent talk, just in case)
(view spoiler)[Also, as for ardents, there are both male and female ardents, but they are all technically considered genderless socially, so female ardents don't have safehands, and male ardents learn to read and write, and they can both eat whatever food they want. They seem to be encouraged to pursue the gendered arts based on their gender, though. (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

See, once again, Ardents have mostly removed the handicaps from themselves... Despite being "slaves" to the people, they still have tremendous amounts of power...

Quinn, we all wish we had more time to read!!! I am one of the lucky ones who does very well with audio and it definitely helps with time, but there are books you just want to devote some eye time with...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Started my re-read...

Through end of Part 1 and first set of Interludes, between work and a bit after work...

Starting a re-read always gets me a bit hyped, as I remember all my favorite big moments in books 2-3 to look forward to...

The first set of Interludes hits you with some Cosmere / cross-series connections right off the bat, for the keen-eyed... (view spoiler)[the 3 people asking for info are presumed to be foreigners, with vague descriptions of skin color and dialect and assumptions made about what foreign country they're from, but they're really from Elantris, Mistborn, and White Sands, if I remember correctly...

of course, the mention of Hoid at the end, is a big clue... (hide spoiler)]

[Felina]

I want to come back when we’ve finished this in December and go back through Quinn’s comments. Ha ha. Someone remind me.

[Choko]

I loved the lake interlude! It makes me wish I lived in a place like that! Laid back and perfect weather... And I loved the logic about the G-d you pray to, so you trick him like you believe in him, but you actually believe in the other one:)))

[Marie]

Chapter 30
(view spoiler)[Didn't expect Gaz's POV. I think that's a first we get this kind of side character POV. I swear it's much better to violate a bit your POV approach so far rather than doing some kind of overhearing scenes or later explanation... This one sets up the anticipation and really makes you understand Gaz's character much better. (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Felina, a very good decision! I think you would really appreciate them at that time:)

[Choko]

Marie, not quite there yet, but I am looking forward to it...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The other problem of re-reading (for like the 4th time) is that most things I want to comment on, off the top of my head, are just big spoilers and future connections... like Quinn, but much less detailed...

And just random moments, like the epigraph (view spoiler)[that mentions Ati, the guy who was Ruin during the first Mistborn trilogy... Ati/atium... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I still like seeing new reader comments, tho, even if I feel like I should just keep my mouth zipped...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor is a pretty short name at 3.5x speed ;)

[Narilka]

Ch 45 (view spoiler)[Seems that Shallan has a shardblade. Very very interesting. And some other access to magic? Does she also absorb stormlight without knowing? Edit: No, she's not absorbing stormlight. The spheres were still giving off light. Soulcasting must be powered by soul? Is the name that obvious? Or will the gems of the soulcaster be drained? I don't remember if they were recharged or not. (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Ch 48 (view spoiler)[And that settles that. Shallan did absorb stormlight from a sphere in her pocket. And of course it switches POV just as I want to know what happens next.

I'm seriously debating to start reading each character's section straight through though this might wreck the grand finale. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Passed you in 28hrs ;)

Zoom zoomin’ along… getting to the good stuff…

[Choko]

Marie, re :Ch. 30 (view spoiler)[ I kind of feel sorry for Gaz right now because of his POV... It really is interesting that Brandon decided to see things from his side. It can't be easy to have Kaladin in the mix now, since he is kind of a bully towards him, which I don't particularly mind, since I am ok with bullying the bullies. But be is also losing control of his own life... You don't know if he wasn't in this situation he might have been a better person... (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

The second set of interludes.... (view spoiler)[ I understand the Rysn love. I like her too. But I absolutely love Axies The Collector! He is such a cool, smart and different character! I hope we get more about him and his research! (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Narilka, re: Through Ch. 40... (view spoiler)[ Yeah, finally Teft confirmed that Kaladin can absorb Stormlight, now he has to tell him... I liked the whole scene of Kaladin being strung up in the Storm and the Bridge 4 guys finding him alive the morning after. To me that was the strongest scene so far.

Shallan's arc so far has been more intricate and I hate that she stole the Fabrial. I love Jasna! Really, favorite character so far, along with Dalinar and her mother seems to be one of those really cool strong female characters of middle age I love! I am not too fond of her brother, the King though... He seems too paranoid and not careful enough at the same time. A Beta man put in a position for an Alpha... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sanderson is good at lows and highs... he likes to bring the characters low, so they have higher to climb when they soar (figuratively and literally)...

The easiest/least spoilery example of this is Mistborn book 1, and Kelsier's journey from the Pits of Hathsinn to the finale of the book, and the trilogy as a whole, and how dark it gets before success at the end...

This happens alot here in Stormlight Archive, too, on the micro and macro scale...

This series is officially 2x 5 book arcs... but Sanderson also notes how he structures each single tome like it's own trilogy, when outlining...

And a surprising amount of stuff happens in the first 3 books of this series, for what's to be a 5 book arc... feels a bit more like the Kate Daniels structure where there's book 1-7 building to a first series climax, then books 8-10... here it's 1-3 and presumably 4-5... paradigm shifts upon paradigm shifts...

And, @Marie, and your plans to re-read before going down the spoiler rabbithole: I thought I'd give a relatively spoiler-light example of the kinds of clue combining expected of you to start piecing everything together in this book/series/Cosmere in general...

Chapter 55 epigraph: (view spoiler)[ "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. (hide spoiler)]

Interlude I-7: Baxil, between Book/Part 3 & 4: (view spoiler)[ 2 underlings talk about the Nightwatcher while their "mistress" goes around destroying art and sculptures in wealthy people's homes... no theft otherwise (hide spoiler)]

Earlier parts of the story mention a similar random thing, about (view spoiler)[one statue of the Heralds being damaged... I think all the way back the Gavilar prologue (hide spoiler)]

Given the important pieces, you can now piece some things together, but others are more spoilery... (view spoiler)[ the Death Rattles are referencing real events, not just random gibberish... implications that the person destroying statues of a Herald is the Herald herself...

More extrapolation, and outright spoilers from later on (view spoiler)[and she's Shalash, Herald of Beauty, daughter of King Jezrien, Herald of Kings... and she's a bit unhinged... clearly there were repercussions to breaking the Oathpact and wandering around for 4500 years (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

First 3 spoiler tags are just quotes and summaries of events as seen in certain parts of the book... spoiler tag 4 is mild spoilers piecing the clues together, and spoiler tag 5 inside spoiler tag 4 is me going into real spoiler territory, just outright stating a few things you don't know yet, unless you've been keeping meticulous notes about all the in-world lore thrown at you, to date, and maybe not even then... I tried to avoid going too needlessly spoilery, for people that can't help but click spoiler tags (or mobile being it's usually buggy self and opening all spoilers with a single click)