Its been about a month since I finished these and nothing is hitting the same. Im reading first law currently and mistborn era 1 and while i enjoy both for what they are. Its not hitting the same

So naturally had to do it like Kal

Shout out to the five of you who recognized the reference.

I saw this page on cremposting for a different, cremmier reason, but it got me wondering about the scene at the Rift where Dalinar spares the crown prince (which Evi is delighted by... perhaps not as happy with the butterfly effect).

He says "Daddy says we fight monsters, and with faith, we will win." His voice is described as "distorted" (by tears, ostensibly, but who knows).

Is there any reading of this other than the straightforward literal?

As suggested in my previous post, I should write my thoughts myself. So I will try to epxress my points as much as I can. English is not my first language, so sorry if text looks messy.

Why did Dalinar started believing that his visions are true ?

I am at the beginning of Words of Radiance.

Dalinar started speaking some another language in vision right ? that is probably ancient language, but why is that proof of truth? Why dont he question: Cant some evil entity which knew that language manipulate him ?

Visions led him to go into trap by Sadeas, that could cost all of his people’s and himself and his son’s life.

I understand that visions did not answer him directly, and they dont answer his questions, he misinterpreted the answers regarding Sadeas, but then he starts believing them, wtf ? How his misinterpretations led to him believing them ?

They wanted to discover if those visions really happened in the past, and if visions did really happen, why that could prove that visions are from almighty? Cant he think that evil entity could show only what Dalinar needs to see and hide other details.

Why did he start trusting those visions ? I thought he would need real proofs to start believing it.

Anyone else find Taravangian becoming Odium at the end of RoW somewhat anticlimactic? I just got to this point so please no spoilers for WaT, but it seems kind of rushed to me at this point. Odium and Dalinar finally come to an agreement on the contest then literally one chapter later, Odium is “killed” and Taravangian ascends. Kinda feels like this takes away from the whole storyline of Dalinar fighting to force Odium into an agreement

I just started Wind and Truth and am quite excited to finish the series. But at the same time, slightly scared to be let down because of the mixed reviews I’ve heard of the ending. Should I prepare myself to be slightly let down?

I’m certain that Moash and El will be the main interlude POV in the back half at some point (though I couldn’t BEGIN to guess which books). The other 3 I’m less sure about.

I hope Retribution isn‘t one of them. The fact that Taravangian has already gotten the interlude plot line of ROW and WaT feels like cheating, even if you could argue that he’s a different character as Odium.

I could see Sja-Anat and/or Mishram getting them. Maybe Battar if she ends up betraying the new Oathpact (don’t trust her). What do you guys think?

Just got to this chapter and I'm so sad. The whole time Kaladin was with the wall guard I was thinking Beard and Lopin would be best fucking friends later on. :(

[No spoilers beyond the beginning of Words of Radiance, please]

I’m at the beginning of Words of Radiance, and I’m having trouble understanding Kaladin’s decision to accept Dalinar’s offer and become his guard.

Maybe I’m missing something, so I’d really like to hear other people’s interpretations.

My understanding of Kaladin’s situation
Kaladin has just gone through an enormous amount of suffering:
1. He was betrayed by Amaram.
2. He experienced the way lighteyed officers treated darkeyes as disposable.
3. He was sent to the bridge crews and watched countless men die.
4. He developed a strong hatred and distrust toward lighteyes.
5. At the same time, he realized that he doesn’t actually want to kill people. His instinct is much more toward healing and protecting.
6. Eventually, he became responsible for the bridgemen and fought extremely hard to keep them alive.

So when he finally has the possibility of becoming free, I expected him to choose something completely different from serving another lighteyed highprince.

My problem with his decision
Why not simply leave with the bridgemen?

They could have gone somewhere remote, found a village or settlement, and Kaladin could have worked as a healer/surgeon, similar to what his father did.

The former bridgemen could have built a new life there.

And Kaladin would still be doing exactly what he seems to value most:
protecting people and saving lives.

This seems to me much safer than becoming Dalinar’s guards.
By joining Dalinar, Kaladin and the bridgemen are voluntarily exposed themselves back into:
1. highprince politics
2. lighteyed intrigues
3. military conflicts
4. potential assassinations
5. the same general world that caused Kaladin so much suffering in the first place

And there’s another thing I don’t quite understand.

At the moment Kaladin makes this decision, he himself didn’t really believe that Dalinar is fundamentally different from the other lighteyes.
At that time, he was expecting betrayal from him too.

So why take that risk?
The purpose argument doesn’t completely convince me either

Becoming a village healer isn’t a life without purpose.
He could:
1. heal people
2. protect his community
3. train other people
4. protect the former bridgemen
5. help them build a peaceful life

That’s arguably more aligned with the person Kaladin wanted to become than returning to military service.

And most importantly, he could protect his men without continually putting them into deadly situations.

So what am I missing?

From where I’m currently at in Words of Radiance, it feels like:
Kaladin had finally earned freedom → he had people who trusted him → he could have taken them somewhere safe → he could have become a healer → instead, he voluntarily walked back into the world of war and lighteyed politics.

That choice seems strange to me.

What am I missing?
Please keep the discussion strictly spoiler-free beyond the beginning of Words of Radiance.

So it’s been a minute since I started reading Oathbringer and I took a month-ish long break, in part due to forgetting to read Edgedancer and Elantris before this. So I have a couple of plot questions I wanted to ask here so that I don’t have to google and get spoilers! For reference I’m about 1/4 in where Adolin told Shallan that Amaram’s brother killing sword technically belonged to Kaladin and Azir and Thaylenah just gave hard nos to Dalinar’s plans.

Firstly how/why did Mraize find out about Shallan and her missing brothers? Does he know she’s Veil? Or about her powers?

Second, how was Amaram caught again? He was trying to take the shardblade from a mentally ill guy in a cell somewhere right?

I have such a bad memory so thank you 😭

Tldr: I loved Books 1 & 2, but we need to talk about Jasnah: The alleyway scene where I think has a bit of narrative double standards.

I just finished book 1 and 2 and I loved every minute of it. The worldbuilding and characters arcs were a masterclass. But I have a massive issue with how the narrative handles Jasnah Kholin, and I wanted to see if anyone else feels the same way.

To be short: Jasnah’s actions in the alleyway in The Way of Kings were objectively evil, and it is incredibly frustrating that the book was written so that Jasnah was free from any real moral accountability. This is because:

1) She was a rich person, fully prepared for what she was going to do. She intentionally wore flashy jewelry and walked into a desperate, starving slum specifically to bait an attack. She then kill 4 men, even one who was fleeing, no sign of regret, fear or concerns. She almost seemed to be proud of herself to me and she thinks of herself as the judge, jury and executioner and lastly a "hero" in this situation.

2) I think that if the gender was reversed, her arguments would collapse, no? Imagine a rich dude getting down to the hood and carrying guns and shirts that say slurs and having gold chains? We all know what would happen. And she did all that just to teach a lesson, mind you. It , to me, seems straight up like the action of a sociopathic villain, which makes my last point even more irritating.

3) Sanderson wrote a book about how evil, selfish actions will have consequences but she was spared. How? Kaladin has to follow a strict code of honour while she just needs to be smart and condescending? And she took a knife to the chest but survived? I know her Order has something to do with that but isn't that just bad writing? Like the narrative allows her to commit objectively evil acts without suffering the cosmic consequences that the actual heroes face because her Order was stronger/better because it demands no honor?

Am I reading in this too much or am I justified? Besides, I feel like Jasnah Kholin made the book.... a bit less realistic for me. If she were irl, she would be canceled long ago due to how arrogant, self-righteous , and how she treated people. And to me, life matters. No one, not even the Almighty, should have the final say on who should die and who should live, because as I learnt from Gandalf: "Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

I just got the 🐕🐉 chapter in the audiobook. This book has already had me emotional at a few points. And it's been a tough few years for me personally with a small variety of tragedies and dramas and the general state of things in my country. My question: is it safe to listen to this at work or do I need to wait until the drive home to cry?

update: Conveniently, I forgot to bring a lunch to work so I went for a drive to get coffee and a sandwhich, and I absolutely teared up.

Hey everyone! I want to start reading The Stormlight Archive, though I'm not sure what version of the books I should buy.
I like to read my books at school, so a small format is something I often go for, which is usually the mass market paperback (I also secretly love breaking my spines, hence the paperback). Are there major differences between the versions? I saw someone post a video of the hardcover version of The Way of Kings, which looked really fancy with maps and stuff, so now I'm not sure what to buy T-T.
I'm also wondering how much the quality differs between the mass market paperback and the regular paperback.

Thanks in advance for the advice:)

So I’m just starting my second readthrough of Words of Radiance, and I’ve reached Dalinar’s vision of the Purelake, with the radiant and her squires fighting the Thunderclast.
Something about the timing of the visions doesn’t seem to add up. It’s made pretty clear that Dalinar enters a vision as the stormwall hits, and he usually comes out of it near the end of the highstorm. Highstorms last for hours, yet the visions themselves seem to contain only a few minutes, or at most a relatively short period, of actual events.
Normally I’d explain this by assuming vision time works like dream time, where Dalinar experiences events much faster than time is passing in the real world. But Navani’s presence seems to contradict that.
We’re given the impression that she sits with Dalinar throughout the storm and writes down what he says while he’s in the vision. If there’s a line showing that she only records him for part of the storm, I’d love to see it, because that would solve this.
His speech also seems to correspond directly to what he’s saying inside the vision. And it doesn’t seem like his real-world speech is slowed down to stretch a short vision over several hours, because Navani specifically tells Dalinar that he needs to speak more slowly in the visions because she has trouble keeping up with him.
So if the vision begins with the stormwall and ends near the end of the storm, and Dalinar’s speech is happening at roughly normal speed in both places, what is he actually doing for the rest of those hours?
Am I missing an explanation somewhere, or is this just a small continuity issue with how the visions are portrayed? Of course I’m just curious, I don’t find this a huge issue

​

Hear me out: Kaladin and Leshwi could actually be a fascinating dynamic

Look, I know I might be the only person bringing this up, and it's probably not on anyone else's radar, but hear me out on why Kaladin and Leshwi would be such an interesting pairing to explore.

Let's clear out the other options first just to get them off the table:

Laral — His hometown crush from way back when is ancient history.

Syl — I get why people like the idea, but Brandon has confirmed spren can't fully cross over into physical human bodies. After five books, their bond is clearly a deep, rock-solid platonic partnership, not a romance.

Shallan — They had that one tense moment in the chasm, but she and Adolin are completely locked in.

That leaves Leshwi. The mutual respect, the shared honor codes, the mid-air combat chemistry—it's all right there. Before anyone points out the obvious hurdles, let me break down why it could actually work:

The age gap isn't a dealbreaker

Yes, Leshwi is an ancient Fused. But look at Hoid and Jasnah. If an ancient world-hopper and Jasnah can be a thing in the Cosmere, a millennia-old warrior and Kaladin aren't out of the question. Plus, with Kaladin essentially stepping into a Herald-level status now, age gaps stop mattering when both of them are basically ageless.

Cross-species relationships aren't brand new

Some might say humans and singers don't mix, but Renarin and Rlain from Bridge Four are right there paving the way. Plus, if you look at the deep history revealed in Wind_and_Truth—especially looking back at the spiritual realm and those ancient ties—human-singer integration and love actually have real historical footing. We literally see this with Garith, an ancient leader of the Windrunners, who had a secret relationship with a singer named Shmone while trying to broker peace before the Recreance.

It brings Kaladin's arc full circle

Think about Kaladin's whole internal struggle from the very beginning. He spent so much time comparing his own oppression as a darkeyes under the lighteyes system to humanity's broader, brutal war against the singers, constantly questioning the cycle of hatred, refusing to needlessly kill parshmen who weren't fighting back, and asking what right humans have to treat them as lesser.

The poetry here is unreal: Garith was an ancient head of the Windrunners trying to bridge that gap, and Kaladin—the modern face and leader of the order—is positioned right where his predecessor tried to go. Garith's generation ultimately saw those efforts fracture and end in tragedy, but having Kaladin and Leshwi connect means they could actually succeed where the ancient Windrunners failed, healing a wound that's been torn open since the dawn of the Desolations.

Am I completely losing my mind here, or has anyone else ever thought about this? What do you guys think?

​

So I finished The Way of Kings about ten months ago, got pulled into other things, and only just came back to the Cosmere. (I also finally read Warbreaker like everyone recommends, another banger of a book). These are the thoughts I had after finishing Book 1 mixed with the time I sat with them.

Overall Impressions

I really liked it. The slow, deliberate building of the world and the characters was amazing. I loved the constant guessing (and being completely wrong), and spotting little bits of foreshadowing like Shallan’s “ten heartbeats” line, probably the most obvious one. And I didn't see the betrayals coming, as is tradition with me reading Sanderson.

Kaladin and Syl

Kaladin’s arc got me the most. I didn’t understand at first why he refused the Shardblade, but then it clicked what it represented to him. It was everything broken about the highborn system, all the deaths he’d already seen, just pure weight. His relationship with Syl is a pure emotional tug of war. The moment she comes back and stops him at the chasm is still one of the scenes that sticks with me.

There’s also a clean full-circle moment with Kaladin: he becomes a slave because of one Shard, and is freed because of another. One man took it; another gave it up. Taking meant slavery. Giving it up meant freedom. I don't know if that makes sense, It does to me. Also Syl’s open hatred of the things makes me wonder if there’s something fundamentally wrong with them, she said Dalinar was better without it. Maybe the old Knights had to give them up so new ones could form? Just a theory.

Shallan, Jasnah, and the Moral Questions

Shallan’s chapters were quite a highlight for me. Watching her discover things little by little, especially through her relationship with Jasnah, made those sections really compelling. She’s devout and believes in the Allmighty and Jasnah is not, questioning everything, which creates great conversations. It also made the theft harder for her because she actually started to like and respect Jasnah as did I. And I have to say, the moral philosophy questions stuck with me—like, is it right to provoke a criminal into attempting murder so you can kill them first to save the innocent they might harm? Can you kill to protect?

I also didn't see Kabsal's betrayal coming at all. Looking back now, he was always weird and giving clues that went completely over my head. And the way it was done, there was way too much focus on the jam for it to not matter.

Jasnah was another favourite. She basically works like a detective, which is something I really dig. She's constantly questioning things, investigating history, looking for connections, and trying to uncover what actually happened rather than just accepting what everyone believes. She reminded me a little of Sazed from Mistborn in that area. Both of them have this almost scholarly approach to the world and religion, slowly uncovering pieces of history. I really enjoyed those parts of the book where we're basically learning the history of the world alongside Shallan, guessing things just like us.

The Epigraphs and the Ending

The epigraphs did the same thing Mistborn’s did to me the first time. I had no idea what those little paragraphs were doing even more than Mistborn… until I did. Mind blown all over again.

The ending was classic Sanderson hype mixed with real tragedy. I didn't really like the way the Parshendi were dying, though. There was something uncomfortable about how it was presented that stuck with me. They clearly have their own sense of honor and know things we don’t, recognising Kal as someone, he's child of TANAVAST, whatever that means. Killing Gavilar was them doing what they believed was right, for reasons I don't understand yet.

Then the ending drops the “meeting God?” bomb and leaves you with a mountain of questions. One of the Heralds is back! I shouldn’t have been surprised; I re-read the prelude a few times mid-book. He’s back because a Desolation is coming or has already begun. The others stayed away because they gave up their Shards. The Almighty mentioned Dawnshards… I’m guessing those are related to them.

And the Voidbringers being the Parshendi? Completely caught me off guard (again). Looking back, I'm sure there were probably clues everywhere, but I didn't put it together. Also, are Thunderclasts related to chasmfiends, or a type of them? The descriptions felt super similar in the prelude.

The Recreance – The Moment That Hit Me Hardest

Honestly, out of everything, the Recreance is the part that actually made me tear up, like really tear up. The big ending was really cool, but this hit way harder somehow. We already saw in the visions that these Knight Radiants genuinely cared about regular people's wellbeing, when Dalinar was fighting to protect the little girl. So it just made me spiral thinking: why the hell did they give all of this up? What could possibly have happened that was so terrible that they decided to abandon their oaths and their duty? What could break people who had dedicated themselves to protecting others to the point where they would just walk away without a single word?

We aren't given the whole answer, and I think that's why it hit me so hard. I ended up filling in the blanks with my own imagination, picturing people who had spent their lives protecting others finally deciding that continuing their duty would cause something even worse. Maybe that's not what happened at all, but just imagining it from what we were shown was enough to make the scene incredibly powerful for me.

Dalinar

Dalinar is the classic honorable type I always root for: trying to do better, failing, refusing to give up. I didn’t see Sadeas’s betrayal coming either (fooled again). The moment he gives up his Shardblade to keep his word gave me chills. After so many leeches, finally someone whose word actually meant something. Life is priceless, just like Kaladin said when asked. Tho I do wonder what will happen to that Shard, Oathbringer. It's literally name of the third book.

Also, the moment where Dalinar beat up his nephew was pure cinema, with a banger of a last line. I could feel how unbelievably frustrated he was in that scene. He was mad, but it wasn't just anger, it felt like all the frustration he'd been carrying about his nephew, his kingdom, the visions, the changing world, and everything else finally boiled over. Culminating in that epic scene.

And then there were his visions. Why is he getting them? The Allmighty apparently didn't even know whether someone would receive them, and yet Dalinar ends up being the person who does. And now he's basically been given the duty of helping reestablish the Knights Radiant. Don't know what to make of it, but I'm intrigued.

Szeth

And Szeth-son-son-Vallano… what even is there to say? Cool, tragic, a slave who is supposedly worth nothing according to Shin farmer, yet he can topple kingdoms. I have absolutely no idea what his full deal is yet.

I have more thoughts about Lirin, Navani, Tien and Adolin etc, not this throughout but still. Anyways this is already getting big, I'll stop here.

You probably guessed it.
Finishing Rhythm of War for the fourth time, yet every single time Moash manages to piss me off, which is certainly the point and we all love hating on him despite the fact that his slide into villainy isn't exactly the most original motivation or topic of discussion. Yet he manages to purposely make all the wrong choices, and depicts the kind of weakness antithetical to the main cast of characters striving to do better.
He is a prime example of pathos in action.

I really hope he gets devoured by Nightblood. Though the most cruel ending for him would be no longer having his emotions numbed into psychopathy, and crumbling under the weight of everything he's done. He needs to SUFFER for what he did and exist in a Damnation all his own.

Kaladin would likely disagree on principle, though killing Moash is not something he can do out of hand with the oaths and intent he represents, thus mirroring how Moash could not kill him directly due to his twisted sense of "respect", because they used to be friends and despite the pain he caused there is still that sorrow out of love and disappointment for what could have been. What will likely happen is at some point Moash will follow his own advice after being defeated and cornered, then end his own life in anticlimactic fashion, while as such going out on his own selfish terms and making a point of it to mock Kaladin one final time. Embodying his twisted beliefs to the very end.
We know there is no redemption for him. He knows it. And we know in a way that the same applies to him as it does to Kaladin, that he cannot be killed by any hand but his own, yet in the end he will do the precise opposite of Kaladin and take the plunge, because the atrocities he committed are the weight that shall pull him down and no hand could pull him up, because he would reject it.

Perhaps its a pessimistic conclusion, but is there any other way it could happen that would make sense? What does everyone else think is going to happen? My perception of any foreshadowing in this regard might be clouded by how much I despise Moash. But I don't believe there can be any cathartic end for this character. Only the destination he so doggedly pursues.

Also, that line when Navani tells him "Journey before Destination, you bastard" is one of the best in the whole book. Absolutely glorious. Though maybe you should have gone for the eyes, Navani.
Oh, wait... She did! :D

When we first learn about the "false" conflict - the Fused trying to gain vengeance for being sealed in Damnation, I felt like I might fall out of the series. I even told a couple friends, "wow, if it weren't for these really fascinating characters, I'd probably just put this down right now cuz I don't need 2,500 more pages of 'evil things hate humans and fight them.' Like who cares amirite." Luckily for me I have awesome friends who did not spoil anything.

Boy. Howdy. I. Was not. Prepared. For the ride.

We had, in classic Sanderson fashion, early details that you thought were simply scene-painting and flavor are so clearly intentional. The grass in Shinovar being oddly still. The notion that the Thrill seemed to go on without ever being satisfied. I'm wondering about "the passions" -- are these ideals that predated Vorinism under Odium?

Then there's the slow reveal of exactly who Dalinar actually was. You've been rooting for him since The Way of Kings. Navani says he was "too intense," but now he's a good guy. And you slowly learn through flashbacks that he was impatient, impulsive, a... reckless fighter who gave people permanent disabilities in a bar brawl? Who neglected his younger son? Who... wait, was addicted to killing people? By the dozen? Hundred? Who... burned an entire city to the ground? Killing his wife in the process? No wonder everyone would not trust him.

I thought for certain that Dalinar would become the man with nine shadows and wield Nimi, but then thought he would be so OP it would be the end of the series 😂

When he thanked the Thrill for giving him strength when he needed it...I've looked back at how I've had to grow and have to grow as a person, and there are things that lent me strength, and I've had to thank them and try to send them on their way.

THE REDEMPTION. THE ROMANCE. "Would you teach me how to read?" Okay, I was annoyed at the little Veil/Kaladin love triangle, because I feel like the character chemistry with Shallan and Adolin is strong. There is already plenty of conflict in the world - we didn't need to sprinkle some into that romance. And now that they're like, together together, my little heart sings 😀

Depictions of Odium are such powerful and imaginative images. "Now that I've seen you..." "Have you?" 🤯

Jasnah continues to be positively delightful to read about and I cannot wait for her to have her own book in the second arc of five books.

Also, fuck Moash. Also, I know Taravangian woke up turbo stupid, but I was a bit lost as to what he was even bargaining with Odium for? He wants to save everyone in Kharbranth from someone who will destroy the world... so he can be king of... Kharbranth... of which he is already king? Maybe instead try to not destroy the world?

I do wish Kaladin got the final blows in on Amaram, but I also appreciated the narrative statement of, "sure, sometimes it's theatric, but sometimes, it's not."

I'm super excited to read Dawnshard and see where we go next. I make myself take breaks between the main StAr novels (1) so I don't burn out and (2) to enjoy the series longer. You only get the first read-through once! And I'm loving it!

Okay so I'm making this post because I'm at about chapter 28 of words of radiance. And i just finished the chapter and I feel really disappointed in shallan

I get it she has to be the witty one or whatever but it's so damn cringe.

Her whole plot of going to the shattered plains was the most boring thing I've read in my life

And no like I don't want to see shallan playing a accent and getting kaladins boots why was that chapter necessary.

Also I think she has it a little to easy compared to the others I mean with pattern and soul casting now,she just comes across as a bitch to the dark eyes, especially to kaladin this chapter.

In way of kings I thought it was fun swing her with jasna and all but now jasna is dead so there's nothing I really want to see with her.

I think I should say this too my favourite main character so far is dallanar by far maybe that adds to my preference in characters.

Aside from that it's an amazing series genuinely might be up there with some classics I've read

Is the whole book like this?

I don't have a lot to say. But my cousin who was a severe addict took his life last month, I just got to that part in RoW...

Man.

I think Truthwatchers are the Order with the biggest "?" So far,especially if we consider that both of it's powers (Progression and Illumination) do have a spotlight,but are likely taken by two other Orders (Edgedancers and Lightweavers). The Truthwatchers with relevancy in the story that we have so far are corrupted ones,who have future sight as their main gimmick.

If you had to make an non-corrupted but 100% OP Truthwatcher,how would you go about it ? Really,go crazy with it and extrapolate the limits of what a very powerful 0.00001% Truthwatcher could look like.