A Weighty Tome: 2024 Challenge: The Way of Kings

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

😂
The Mistborn trilogy (I can’t speak to the extra books written) was excellent

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Part 1

Here I thought I had done good progress but I’ve only just finished chapter 8 🤭🤣

I’m really enjoying it even though it is a slow read to start with trying to get my head around the character names and the places (not helped I’m sure by me being unwell the last week).
I tried the audio but the narration is not doing it any favours. The female narrator sounds like an AI bot and I actually couldn’t listen to her chapters at all. The male narrator is ok but I find it confusing as I’m not really across the character names yet.
So I’m reading slowly via my kindle. Hoping to get this first part done soon and then maybe try the audio from part two

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

End of Part I

Finished those last few chapters quicker than I thought!!

Ok, initial thoughts- I’m still a bit confused as to how the whole Prelude connects to the prologue and the current story. But with these big fantasy books I don’t like to overthink things and just wait for the pennies to drop! The interludes at the end of this part were also interesting for that reason.

Shallan - she is out of her comfort zone and I don’t think she will go through with her plan. She may discover this life with Jasnah to be a better idea than going back home.

Kaladin- what a character! And I am fascinated with Syl also. Looking forward to how this plays out. He seems to have inordinate levels of good luck….

[Keely]

You reminded me this is a thing. I'll have to try and get around to this soon.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Keely wrote: "You reminded me this is a thing. I'll have to try and get around to this soon."

😊🤭

[Melindam]

Oh bummer .... 😳😶‍🌫️

[Eldarwen]

The prologue is awesome. Just the kind of thing that draws me into a book and makes me go "uuuhhhh - how is that going to work out?!"

Prelude has my head brimming with theories on what might potentially happen.

And from the little we've actually learned about the book in those first few pages, I'm curious to learn more. Lots of names and designations to learn but I am ready to fully dive in!

(Finally... :-p)

[The other Sandy]

I was totally the opposite. The prologue was basically me going 'a ha, a whole chapter about a person who will obviously be important to the narrative!', only to have them disappear from the book and never be heard from again, or only be heard from every 300 pages or so.

[Eldarwen]

I don't have issues with that. It wasn't the person that was important in the Prologue, it was the actions and the fact that nothing made sense to the people involved.

[Eldarwen]

Part One

Definitely not a quick read but boy, am I enjoying it. Sanderson has a knack for weaving stories that doesn't make them boring even if things take a certain amount of time to build up. Then again, I like a good epic fantasy and those usually take time.

As Karen mentioned, there are quite a lot of names, but again, it's an epic fantasy so that's normal. Kaladin is going to be a new favourite of mine, I think! Shallan, not so much, but she is stubborn and will find her way - and I agree with Karen in that she probably won't go through with her initial plan.

I'm already starting to develop theories in my head as to how the happenings of the Prelude are going to work itself into the story, but in order for them to become fully fleshed, I need a little more historical background on the world.

[Eldarwen]

Not sure yet if I'm going to dive straight into Part Two or if I'm going to take a quick break and read something else for a bit, so I can spread this out for the rest of the year.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I haven’t started part two yet although I want to before I forget too much. I was just struggling with the audio which is how I do most of my reading. I may need to try it again now that I’m more familiar with the characters

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Part 2 - end of chapter 17

I’m finding we are getting more and more threads coming together now.
This chapter was particularly enthralling. (view spoiler)[
Firstly how Kal didn’t get hit like the others at the front of the bridge while shouting the name
- then we have his spheres losing their light quickly (Syl uses it without realising? That’s where his good luck comes from?)
- and then the dying man’s words….

(hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

I've been wondering (view spoiler)[about the quickly depleting spheres as well. Either they really weren't as good because Sadeas doesn't want to give out the good ones to low lives, or Kaladin is somehow using up the stormlight inside them. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17 was a really good chapter. In general, I am really liking Part 2 (I'm on chapter 26) with all the hints dropped here and there. My head is brimming with ideas on what all of it might mean, especially after chapter 19.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Nice!
I’m in chapter 22…. It is getting very interesting!!

[Eldarwen]

End of Part 2 - and the following Interludes

Oooooooh my goodness! This part was just really, really good and I enoyed the developing story of Kaladin, Syl and the others. I also enjoyed Dalinar and Adolin's story - Renarin needs to come out of his shell a little and the Wit was hilarious, though I can't help but wonder what role he will be playing in the future.

The interlude with Szeth makes me all giddy for things to come!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Oh you’re doing so well!
I’m just in chapter 27

[Eldarwen]

I am off work at the moment, so lots of reading time!

I'm going to take a small break now though to get some chores done and hopefully finish a few other books I've got on my currently reading shelf hehe.

[Eldarwen]

Ok, so I did continue for a bit after all haha. But since I have the version that is split into two books, I wanted to finish that first book and not have yet another started book on my pile on the coffee table - it's getting a little big to move whenever I have guests :-p

The split comes at the end of Chapter 36 (Part Three).


Chapter 35 gave me all the feels. I do like Kaladin quite a bit. Also, (view spoiler)[I don't think we've ever been told why in the beginning of the book he was called Kaladin Stormblessed; whether it was merely because he is incredibly lucky, or because there was something more to it, or rather him. In any case, this chapter shows that the name is not merely a name. There definitely is something more to it, such as that he truly is blessed by the storm and can somehow harness the stormlight and use it to his advantage. Maybe much in the same way Szeth can, just that he doesn't know it yet. (hide spoiler)]


Another thing I'm wondering about is (view spoiler)[Syl's continued development. Is she turning into a human? Are the spren all somehow bewitched? Or is she an exception? Or is this because she is spending so much time with Kaladin and somehow his powers, whatever they truly might be since that we do not yet know, are changing her? She is a windspren after all, and wind is one of the most powerful parts of a highstorm. Hmm.. But how or why did she stick around him? At first she was a normal windspren, and then slowly over time she changed. There was no real reason for her to stick around (and consequently change), or was there? (hide spoiler)]


Shallan isn't my favourite character in this book, but she is sort of growing on me. Here is what I wonder about where she is concerned ;-)
(view spoiler)[Will she end up in bed with Kapsal? Or is he truly only talking to her so he can get to Jasnah, or get her to - shall we say - acquire the soulcaster for him? (Something she's technically going to do anyway, just not for the ardent.
Will she truly go through with the initial plan? Step one has finally been made. But now that she's had a taste of freedom...? She isn't out of the city and on her way back yet. And even if she does get the soulcaster safely back to her brothers, they seem to be without a person able to use it, and even if they do manage to make it work, there is no guarantee things will not go entirely pear-shaped despite their best efforts. Their father seems to have manoeuvred the family into a rather precarious situation and I'm not sure the brothers are truly going to be able to get out of it.

And why does everyone want to get their hands on the soulcasters? There must be more to them then what we've learned so far. Apart from the fact that they happen to be a way to make people rich and powerful, and that they can be used to kill people. Maybe that's all the motivation people need, but given how many things we do not yet know about this world, is there more to these fabrials? (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

That's a strange place to split the book! Rather than just at the start of book 3
I'm into chapter 37...
Will respond to your thoughts after I've been grocery shopping :)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Chapter 35 gave me all the feels. I do like Kaladin quite a bit. ..."

I agree, he is my favourite character. I think we have also just gotten to know him better in this whole last part whereas Shallan's storyline was completely gone.

In regards to your spoiler, (view spoiler)[ I'm not sure if it was explicitlty stated but in my mind he was called stormblessed because he was so lucky. Hardly anyone was killed and that enabled him to take on soldiers without any experience.

I wonder if he suspects something himself, the way that he told them to watch for him opening his eyes. He wasn't 100% sure he woudl survive, but the fact that he thought there was a chance.... ? when no one else does.
And that vision! Plus his stormlight keep vanishing.
I'm guessing that is the reason Syl keeps changing. Even when he first met her she was unusual as spren don't act like this so there is something symbiotic about their relationship. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Shallan isn't my favourite character in this book, but she is sort of growing on me. Here is what I wonder about where she is concerned ;-)
(view spoiler)
.."

End of Chapter 36

She isn't my favourite, but I do find her very interesting. Everything that you said is bang-on. That idea that she has to do this thing which puts her in so much danger, but also her first taste of freedom.
(view spoiler)[
Jasnah is very smart and cunning and I honestly think she knows exactly what Shallan is up to. Maybe she has her own plan to let this play out....
It is interesting that the soulcasters are rare and then people being able to use them rarer still. I don't know what her family will even do if they steal Jasnah's as they can't use it. Unless Shallan has been reading up on that too? Or do you need to have a particular power/dna etc/ to weild one? So many questions!
(hide spoiler)]

I am thoroughly enjoying this so far. Perhaps just as well I waited so long to start as I don't think I could have just read one part over 2 months

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

End of part three

I also went back and re-read the prelude and the prologue.

So much happening now! Omg.

(view spoiler)[ the piece of the puzzle of how Kaladin became a slave and why he hates light eyes so much was heartbreaking and fascinating. There must be something about his “power” that also makes him
Not want to pick up a shard blade .? Is he a void bringer? Or a Truthless? Or a combination?

I’m also assuming that was Syl in the “year before” chapter where he kept seeing a wind spren. So she is definitely growing stronger.

And Shallan - omg I did not see any of that coming. I found that quite frightening actually when she had those creatures following that she could only see through drawing them.
And all her plans now down the drain. I wanted to scream at her to just tell the whole truth and a show the drawings to Jasnah. I really liked J a whole lot in this section as we see a new side to her. (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Will pick up the second volume of this as soon as I'm done with my current book so I can continue with Part Three!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Oh you need to do that stat!!

Part three is where it really gets rolling. I am so invested now - it’s become one of those books I really want to read but don’t want it to end. I’ll have to be ready to get into book 2 over my summer holidays 🥳🤭

[Eldarwen]

I ordered the rest of the series and preordered book #5 yesterday hahaha.

[Eldarwen]

Finished Part Three and ooooooooooooh!!

I actually have to go now and don't have time to post my thoughts in more detail, but THAT I had to get out haha!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Finished Part Three and ooooooooooooh!!

I actually have to go now and don't have time to post my thoughts in more detail, but THAT I had to get out haha!"

Haha!
I finished the book yesterday.
Couldn’t believe it I thought I still had another part to go 🤭🤭🤣🤣
I loved it!
Will be back later this morning with more

[Eldarwen]

Nooo, you've finished already! I'm going to dive into Part Four now. :-D

Ok, my theory for Kaladin: (view spoiler)[I think he may be a descendant of one of the heralds. In the prelude, one of the ten died and was left to fend for himself while the others broke the Oathpact. The stormfather - if we're still assuming he is the face in the high storm, which seems very likely - kept repeating that the Oathpact had been broken, and he also mentioned that Kaladin was a descendant of one who was long gone. To be fair, that could be literally anyone, buuuut since the Heralds had very particular powers... it may be an idea. It would also explain his reluctance to pick up a shardblade. After all, the Heralds not only broke the Oathpact but abandoned their shardblades.
I have a tendency to lean away from the idea that he is a descendant of one of the Radiants. I think Odium may be that. Although, Odium may be what is references as "the enemy" in the prelude. Hmm.
When Dalinar had that dream with the monsters, I found his description of the voidbringers to be somewhat similar to that of the chasm fiends, but I may be misremembering now since a lot has happened since that dream.

I agree, when Amaran turned on Kaladin and the sorry leftovers of his squad, that was heartbreaking and definitely frustrating or rather infuriating. What a shitty thing to do! But it just goes to show that what Kaladin knows of the lighteyes/brightlords is very much true. The ones like Dalinar are rare, because even Adolin has a tendency to look at others as inferior to him, or takes it for granted that his wish be done. (hide spoiler)]

As for Shallan, (view spoiler)[I also wanted to scream at her for not being truthful at the end of this part! Jasnah may have even listened, especially if Shallan had showed her the drawings. Jasnah would absolutely have been interested in that.
But I did not see any of that coming either. Kabsal a betrayer after all? No way!!
Her.. shall we call it interaction with the creatures was a little freaky. She even felt one of them when she reached out even though she couldn't see them. What do they want with her and what are they really? I suspected she may have some kind of precognition powers.

Well, I'm not sure Shallan's entire plans have gone down the drain yet hehe. She isn't gone just yet. She may yet get up the courage and give Jasnah the entire story, not just parts of it. The soulcaster is said to be broken, but what if it isn't actually broken? What if that was just a pretext? Neither Shallan nor her brothers know how the fabrial works, and the brothers may well just be using Shallan. She is fairly naive in certain aspects so there may be more to all this than the reader learns through Shallan. The few broken bits on the outside may not have been what truly breaks a soulcaster. Maybe the intention was to start a war, as Jasnah suggested might have happened had Shallan escaped with the soulcaster.

Jasnah is an interesting character. There is definitely more to her than the rumours make her out to be and she really seems to be incredibly intelligent.

We also still need to learn what that dreadful thing is Shallan did before she left home. Sometimes I wonder if she killed her father? (hide spoiler)]

Also, Seth. (view spoiler)[I feel so sorry for him. He is being used for everyone's nefarious purposes and while his newest boss calls him a work of art, he is still used as a tool for doing evil. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Nooo, you've finished already! I'm going to dive into Part Four now. :-D

Ok, my theory for Kaladin: I think he may be a descendant of one of the heralds. In the prelude, one of the ten died and wa..."

I like your theory on Kaladin. There is definitely something there including (view spoiler)[ how he refused the blade. I keep seeing similarities between what he can do, and what Seth does. But I don't understand how that would be quite yet.
Also the whole - take the blade and you become a light-eyes. I wonder if that really happens or is just a tale? There is something significant around that. (hide spoiler)]

Oh Shallan. She is so young and naieve in many ways. (view spoiler)[ I totally didn't see Kabsal coming. It was getting weird with the jam and bread though. Especially that final scene.!
I agree that there is more to Jasnah than meets the eye. And I keep forgetting she is the princess (hide spoiler)]

I want to know more about Seth. What is the deal with the whole having to have a master and do everything they say. I wonder (view spoiler)[ is that another version of an oath? Is it breakable but they just choose not to? (like how he said there was a time he couldn't walk on stone but has learnt to?) or is it actually a magic that can't be changed? (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

The End

I loved it! Part 4 and 5 just whizzed by for me. I was so suprised to discover I was at the end of the book. lol

Bridge 4! Has there ever been a better group? (view spoiler)[ So good that no matter what they kept finding ways to (mostly) survive.

It was so excrutiating to read the passage about Danilar being stuck surrounded on the plains. I really love his character and I was so happy when they rescued him!!
I did not see the betrayal from Sadeas coming as I also believed in the visions. I love how this is somewhat explained towards the end.

Dalinar giving up his blade was unexpected! This will be the turning point I believe in how they start to learn the real history and follow 'the codes'.

I loved the style in how we had these 3 main characters and their storylines and even until the end I couln't forsee how they would end up coming together. For example, how Kalladin would ever get away from Sadeas and meet with Dalinar. This was all well done. And now we have Seth on his way I can only assume the meeting between him and Kalladin will be a show stopper!

And can Shallan learn to be like Jasnah? This will make a very powerful group when they all meet up on the Shattered Plains.

I loved Danilar's development back into the Black Thorn, but one that is new and noble. With his action in giving up the blade this will also have Kalladin's loyalty as otherwise I think he would have always questionned and distrusted him based on his past experience.

(hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Hmm the lighteyes thing makes me wonder as well. (view spoiler)[Shardblades immediately give you a very high rank it seems but there are other ways you can go up the social ladder as well and become less of a darkeyes? I don't quite get that yet either. You're right though that there is definitely something about that. (hide spoiler)] Something we're probably going to learn in book two or maybe three haha.

Yes that final scene in Part Three (view spoiler)[was so weird! He kept pressing that jam on her. He did overdo it a little with all those many baskets of jam, but I actually took it to be courting. A very elegant ruse, I have to admit! (hide spoiler)]

Same, I keep forgetting that part.. (view spoiler)[Jasnah being the princess is probably going to play a rather large part sooner or later. Not something we should be forgetting haha. (hide spoiler)]

True. Well, Seth does have (view spoiler)[an oathstone. Who created that? Why was it created? What happened to him before all the killing went down? The stone intrigues me as well. Stone is supposed to be sacred but he had no choice but to start stepping on it. Basically, I assume that where he initially came from, they did not use stone to build their houses/shelters and probably only used it for altars of some kind. Stones may have been used to gather stormlight much like gemstones are used and stormlight is important for him, so maybe that was it? Hmm.. (hide spoiler)]

I am not reading your spoiler for the end of the book until I am done with it, but I have to agree. Bridge 4 are awesome! I particularly like Rock. And I can't help but wonder what really happened so Shen joined them. (view spoiler)[Spy for their new captain, who is completely ruled by his loving wife haha. It seems the most likely scenario. A slave who does what he is told and who does not speak seems an unlikely person to do something wrong and end up in a worse position. I'm not sure I believe their explanation of "trying something new" for the bridge crews. (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Wit also deserves a mention. I very much like him and his insults.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Wit also deserves a mention. I very much like him and his insults."

haha yes how could I forget the Wit (Hoid). He will be a very important character as the books go on. I like when there are recurring characters throughout the universe too. I've read some things Sanderson has said about keeping an eye out for Hoid in the cosmere

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "And I can't help but wonder what really happened so Shen joined them.

..."

You know, I just took this as the captain's wife trying everything to stop them succeeding, but you are so right. There could be more to it.
Also in the latter parts of the book there were bits that made me more and more uncomfortable about how Bridge 4 essentially left him alone and ignored him. I won't say anything to spoiler, but when you finish we can discuss :)

[Eldarwen]

Chapters 67 and 68:

I'm almost having constant goosebumps and lots of feels with these two chapters.
Damn this guy can write! And he knows how to make the reader (or me anyway) care about the characters.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Chapters 67 and 68:

I'm almost having constant goosebumps and lots of feels with these two chapters.
Damn this guy can write! And he knows how to make the reader (or me anyway) care about the char..."

oh yes! Now you see why I couldn't stop!! I didn't even notice I was into part 5. It is just so enthralling

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I picked up part one of book 2 from the library. Waiting for boring wheels to start. I really want to know what happens next ☺

[Eldarwen]

I'll join for book 2!!

I just need to pace it a little bit as I need to read a 500 pager for book club at the end of the month as well so I won't be as quick as I've been with this.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "I'll join for book 2!!

I just need to pace it a little bit as I need to read a 500 pager for book club at the end of the month as well so I won't be as quick as I've been with this."

Sounds good! I’m a slow reader anyway and need to wait for wheels to start 😊

[Eldarwen]

Beginning of Part Five. Chapter 70.

I knew it! (view spoiler)[I just yelled a loud "ha! I knew it!!" while reading Shallan's admission about killing her father. (hide spoiler)]


And I warn all of you - DO NOT read our spoiler tags until you are done with the chapters we mention!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Yes - I totally didn’t see that coming E! You’re better at predicting than me 🤣🤣

[Eldarwen]

Finiiiiiiished!
Can absolutely understand why you want to know right away how this continues. I do, too!
Sometimes, it's a good idea not to read series as soon as they are published haha. Otherwise we would have had to wait much longer.

Now, where to begin.. I have soooo many thoughts!

Parts Four and Five - The End

Sadeas: (view spoiler)[What a complete asshole! I had not seen his betrayal come either. I figured that there was a little more honour in the guy but apparently, it was all planned very long ahead of time. I felt sad for Dalinar, not just because of the betrayal itself but also because he always refused to listen to Adolin on this point. Adolin may be a little brash at times and biased with his opinions, but on this one, he was actually right. (hide spoiler)]

Renarin: (view spoiler)[He is called frail and has a kind of illness that makes him tremble but if I remember correctly it isn't explicitly said what it is that truly ails him? I assume the shardplate will help him walk even when he might have one of his episodes since the shardplate is a fabulous construction. But I do wonder... with all that is happening and all the powers that are surging in people left and right... Renarin might not suffer an illness, but he may have a dormant power somewhere within him as well. Maybe he's also just there to make people think that :-p
I do feel though that he is underestimated by a lot of people, and a little under-developed so far. We will most definitely see more of him. The Wit pointed it out in a round-about way, not just in saying that he could take the Wit's position at court with his sharp mind. I feel that there will be more to all this. (hide spoiler)]

Shallan: (view spoiler)[You go, girl! Hehe. I'm glad she got up the courage to confront Jasnah one last time. And look what came of that. Parshmen aren't just "normal" slaves - I say normal, but you know.. however normal that is to have slaves. If Jasnah will truly train her in soulcasting, they could indeed become quite a powerful pair. Combined with the rest of the group, they could really become a dangerous foe! With the last chapter on Shallan and Jasnah, I can't help but wonder though if they aren't going to make a quick stop in Jah Keved after all to visit Shallan's brothers... If Shallan's father really was a member of these Ghostbloods, then there may be something else to discover there. (hide spoiler)]

Dalinar: (view spoiler)[Wow! He gave up his shardblade! That was a move I had definitely not expected either. It was indeed a good way however to prove his honour and that he keeps his promises. Kaladin would indeed never have trusted him otherwise - and I think the jury is still a little out on that one since Kaladin will not cast out all his doubts with just that one action. But Dalinar is doing a lot of good for the bridgemen in a single day already, so there is definitely going to be an interesting development to look forward to in those two areas. Dalinar and Bridgemen!

I do have to wonder though. About that shardblade. Usually people seem to gain their plates and blades because the previous owner dies. Can a blade really be transfered when the previous owner is still alive? I assume that it can work that way, but I have a little inkling of doubt. (Not in the least because that particular blade is important as the third book is named like the sword haha. What also makes me doubt/wonder, is the fact that Dalinar was worried that the Parshendi might regrow an entire armour suit out of the gauntlet he left behind in the case his own armour would not be kept infused with stormlight and thus the gauntlet regrown. There is a lot to learn still about shardplate that the reader does not yet know. I hadn't realised until that particular passage that it could actually be grown anew, that it wasn't something that was repared in a normal way with blacksmithing and the like. That stormlight would be important and gemstones is one thing but this sounds way more like a magic armour than it initially did. It sort of sounds alive - if it needs to be grown... (hide spoiler)]

The Parshendi: (view spoiler)[Who is their shardbearer? Why does he know Dalinar? Does this particular Parshendi also see visions and has seen Dalinar somehow? If Jasnah's research is true, then Parshmen may be a very real danger, but the Parshendi may just be something else? Maybe the voidbringers were also divided in their opinions as humans so often are? If humans were created by the Almighty, were the voidbringers created by the one who killed him? The prelude lets us believe that there is certainly some kind of hell as the heralds always returned there in between cycles until that defining moment in the prelude. (Also, daaaaamn, the last remaining one, the only one who died when all the others broke their oath, has now returned!! Unless the epilogue is set slightly ahead of the timeline of the rest of the book.) (hide spoiler)]

Seth: (view spoiler)[I think he may have lost even more faith in humanity than Kaladin... I am intrigued by his new master. The friendly, elderly king who helps so many people and rules the city where the best surgeons live and train others. Hmm... how much of all that is a front? And what exactly is he searching for in the "ravings" of dying people - one particular sentence was spoken by the Almighty in Dalinar's last vision, so there is definitely a very real connection there. Bringing Seth to the Shattered Plains will be epic!! (hide spoiler)]

Overall, absolutely loved it. The writing, the story, the characters - even Shallan whom I wasn't so fond of at the beginning. The girl is starting to find herself and to grow a spine, I like it.

I have so many more questions haha.

[Eldarwen]

^

Just a little novel to read before starting book #2 ;-))

[Eldarwen]

Ok I am going to add one more thing:

(view spoiler)[What is Elhokar's deal? It's one thing to be a little paranoid about being assassinated like his father has been but instigating an attempt on his life and thus shedding a bad light on his own uncle (whose men are protecting him)?! That is utterly low. And it seems over the top to go to such lengths to show that people are after him. I was a little surprised but quite glad that Dalinar gave him a little "talking to".

I also can't help but think that he isn't a very good king. He seems to be rather young still but he comes across as incredibly childish at times and he takes nothing seriously except his own paranoia. I wonder if he will remain king very long. One way or another. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Finiiiiiiished!
Can absolutely understand why you want to know right away how this continues. I do, too!
Sometimes, it's a good idea not to read series as soon as they are published haha. Otherwise..."

Sadeas - completely agree!! (view spoiler)[ and the whole 'unite them' that Dalinar took to also mean trying to make alliances. I wonder if that is something to do with the shard blades themselves being united together again. Or maybe it is about the Parshmen / Parsendi?...
Anyway I was so disappointed with Sadeas, and you're right, this also impacts on the relationship of Dalinar and Adolin. Although I really like how that is progressing and I think Adolin is a "good one" (hide spoiler)]

Shallan - (view spoiler)[ yes you're right, a stop to find out more about her father would make perfect sense. I also want to know more about the nature of his death and if her brothers know. (hide spoiler)]

Dalinar - (view spoiler)[ He is awesome. On some level he doesn't yet understand he knows the shard blade is not the answer. We saw glimpses of this when he was killing and then he suddenly was horrified by what he had done and the black smoking eyes. We know Kalladin also can't/won't touch them so somehow the shardblades corrupt? (hide spoiler)]

Parshendi - (view spoiler)[ Can't wait to find out more about this and how the Parshmen are related. Their shardbearer too.... Is that what has made them seem to be slightly different beings to Parshmen? (hide spoiler)]

Seth - (view spoiler)[ and his master are super interesting and some of that research into the last words will be relevant to all these visions. Somehow it is all coming together for people to remember the history they have forgotten. I'd like for Seth to end up being on the "good" side.
(hide spoiler)]
Renarin - (view spoiler)[ I like your theory. I am one of those people who has written him off as the "other" son. You're right it is too deliberate to not mean something down the track.... (hide spoiler)]

Elhokar - (view spoiler)[ I *loved* that scene where Dalinar showed him how easily he could be killed. I suspect Elhokar will be killed or disappear in the next book and then maybe we end up with two factions with both Danilar and Sadeas claiming themselves King?..... (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Sades/Dalinar - (view spoiler)[that is a good point with the shardblades. Since there is talk of the Radiants returning, they will need blades. Then there is also the fact that there are the shardblades used by the Radiants and the ten used by the Heralds. I think those blades are not quite the same. Maybe some really do corrupt? The "thrill" they feel when they start attacking may be enhanced by using the armour and weapon? Not just because the combination makes them more powerful in many ways and therefore let's them kill more people, but maybe there is something else to it.

The black smoking eyes is a voidbringer thing, I'm almost certain of that. That's why the shardblades also don't cut through flesh. But it's all pretty vague. (hide spoiler)]

Yes!! (view spoiler)[I so wish to see Seth freed from evil masters so he can do good. Seems that as a Truthless, he kind of needs to have a master? But if that master were a good person... Could he be set free? Could he become something else other than a Truthless? (hide spoiler)]

Elhokar - (view spoiler)[Uh, that would make things even more interesting, if Sadeas and Dalinar would claim themselves to be king. Dalinar would have the blood advantage though. Oooooooor... doesn't Elhokar have a wife already? Maybe she'll be pregnant soon? Also, there is Jasnah. Could she be queen? If they're going to throw conventions to the wind, might as well crown a queen instead of the usual king haha. (hide spoiler)]

[Eldarwen]

Shall we create a BR thread for the next book?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Re: Seth
(view spoiler)[ I think there is the potential here for him to not be bound by the oathstone. Perhaps it can be destroyed by Kalladin? Or perhaps he can free himself (the same way he could once not walk on stone but now can). I am so intrigued by him. (hide spoiler)]

Re: Elhokar
(view spoiler)[
I'm not sure that the wife / daughter would get the throne under their rules. They haven't really said but I've only heard about Kings so far.
That is why I would think that Dalinar would be able to lay claim (I remember that there was something about he could have when the father - his brother - died and he chose not to? Maybe I'm remembering wrong. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Eldarwen wrote: "Shall we create a BR thread for the next book?"

Yes :)
When would you like to start? I just need a few days to finish my U book 😂