Bliev

It "Felt" right? Darnit, that man is everywhere...

I think I might be one of the only people who felt a little bad for Ironsides. Her friend and fellow pilot seemingly betrayed them all, or at the least, he caused major damage to her psyche. She gave him permission to put himself at risk. And then he, moments later, murdered half her fleet. Now she’s in charge of a losing battle for the fate of the species. She’s embroiled in human politics which commandeer her best resource: pilots. Does she treat Spensa unfairly? Yes. Very! But I’m sure her resentment toward spensa’s dad is strong. And then to have to lie to manage the politics of a war that they are losing? I am not surprised at all. I’m glad she gets her comeuppance, but I don’t hate her.

If one side sees it as “conquering”, and the other as “exploring” then the idea of being in the midst of an intergalactic war may have been lost on the members of that ship’s community. They may have seen themselves as outside of that conflict and thus it wasn’t salient to them and didn’t become part of their narrative. The confusion over who is doing what to whom and why is assuredly worse when communication techniques are mysterious and there are various alien peoples involved, possibly with varying motivations. At least that’s what I thought.

I always pronounced Shai like "shy" because of the 1990's R&B group that sang the most perfect a capella version of "If I Ever Fall In Love" that I played on repeat in middle school. Matter of fact...maybe that's why it's my favorite novella? Or maybe that's just because it's that good. :-)

Loved this incredibly awkward shard cast. I listen while commuting, but I had to log on to watch afterwards...so much awkward! I'm not much of the "fantasy crush" type...not even as a teen back in the 90's when it was all the thing...and there are so many rich characters to choose from. Imma go: Siri & Jasnah for the women and Hoid for the dudes? I dunno. This is very hard. lol

Yeah, i guess I don’t think that’s as much of a stretch as some? I’d propose that Hoid and the group that somehow managed to shatter a god (“the” god?) into 16 pieces and ascend themselves were probably pretty familiar with magic prior to the shattering, and it wouldn’t be surprising to me that They all had achieved some level of mastery and supernatural longevity I’m sure. I don’t find that hard to believe. Then again, maybe there are other plausible answers for the Adonalsium exclamation? We’ve never heard it before from a character. Maybe there were human worlds that worshipped him/it by that name and Ash comes from that world. We know that humans aren’t native to Roshar and came Post shattering, and when Honor and Cultivation has already taken up control. So if she was born of Roshar, then Adonalsium must have been the subject of an early religion, and by that name. We have no other evidence of this in world, though. Because certainly as a herald she’d have a chance to know of the shattering. But she’d have no reason for that to be the exclamation that naturally would emerge, particularly if her devotion and dedication was to Honor/Tanavast. Thus I think it likely that she’s definitely not Rosharian (and hails from a planet that worshipped Adonalsium by name) at least, and could predate the shattering at most. Im not wedded to this theory of course. It’s just something I think is a parsimonious explanation for her exclamation.

But kings and queens from where? Brandon has RAFOed Whether they are Rosharian...and it still doesn't explain the Adonalsium exclamation, which has to have some meaning and reason for its occurrence (IMHO). I will still maintain that they could have been people Tanavast knew pre-shattering. I await being proven wrong...because that will mean MORE COSMERE INFORMATION. I can accept being wrong if it means that we get more WOB. haha

Wow, I just wrote "after all" three times in six sentences. Apparently I need a nap.

@thejopen27 That's true. I'm sure it may not have trickled down to everyone that some group of "people" murdered their god, after all. Religions aren't necessarily bound to what "god" or "sliver of a god" that might actually exist, after all. Mistborn "spoilers": Then again...I still think it raises questions about who the Heralds "really" are.

It's definitely a plausible option for sure. Maybe even the most parsimonious one. I still don't think it explains the exclamation to Adonalsium though. If they already worshipped Tanavast/Honor, wouldn't she have used "storm father" or "honor" or another such exclamation? Maybe not--maybe they continued to call Honor "Adonalsium" in the early days after the shattering brought Honor/Cultivation to Roshar. But to my mind it raises more questions than answers. It was a big signal to me that the Heralds were not necessarily Rosharian/Honor-worshipping folks. But that's why Cosmeric supposition is so fun, right? because only one person knows. haha and he ain't telling.

@thejopen27 @Yata I'm sure they knew about the shattering, but would they have worshipped Adonalsium? Enough to call out to him/it? I suppose I interpreted Hoid's "lived several lifetimes" as demonstrating his age, but I don't think it means that all of his "lifetimes" were post-shattering. I think Hoid was likely very very old, (and very very knowledgable) pre-shattering. I imagine all the shard-holders were. Otherwise they'd have not had the ability/knowledge/worldliness to do what they did. But 'tis true both possibilities fit the facts we have as of now. Additionally, it always made sense to me that Hoid isn't the only non-shard-holding-person to have been present at the shattering. Frost knew/was there, likely. Could the Heralds have been people Tanavast trusted...maybe the only ones he trusted? I don't think we know. But I agree that many things could be true here. DARNIT BRANDON MORE INFO PLEASE.

I think the Heralds are Yolish. Or at least predate the shattering. When Jezrien is confronted by Moash, Ash calls out And we know how much thought Brandon puts into his religious curses/exclamations. I doubt it was meant as a throwaway line.

I prefer Vivenna (I actually wanted to name a daughter that, but, Lyra from His Dark Materials won out the first time, and this one’s a boy lol). On your main point, I think they’ll be crucial. A confrontation between the two will surely occur, and NB is surely centrally important to the outcome of this war and also to what happens with Odium. They both know how to make weapons like NB. Cultivation seems to know about NB. But what doesn’t Odium know? he instructed his Fused to seize NB’s sheath in Thaylan City, so he knows some, but does he know where it came from? Who made it? Both Zahel and Azure could be in some danger here, regardless of their own goals in this war.

Does Nalan have his blade from the Shin, or his actual spren-blade? Because we know he is a member of the order and should have his own spren/blade?

I can see kadash as the Urithiru bondsmith, while the coalition is led by a chief diplomat in Navani. I wouldn’t mind navani as bondsmith, actually, but I think kadash’s transformation from suffering in the midst of dalinar’s wrath to denouncing his heresy, to being his peer as a radiant himself would be a fascinating storyline. Plus, OB had some important interactions between the two that have set him up as a potentially important character.

I chose Pattern because omg his humor is fabulous, but Wyndle has grown on me more and more. His reluctant bond with Lift, a girl he barely understands but obviously cares for also makes me smile. Syl is great, of course, but I also can’t wait to learn more about the Ink and Ashspren, personally.

In Shadesmar, Syl mentions that spren can have “children” although she’s not clear on the mechanism. If spren “kids” come from a coalescing of power, I wonder if that power can be harnessed and “cultivated”? But if that were the case, it’d feel more like Endowment’s investiture probably? Hmm. I like this theory though. Immortality, keeper of secrets and history, and why they may have been almost eradicated/targeted. Maybe Adonalsium spren?

Narratively, a spren will be fascinating if/when we start to see Hoid as more of a central figure to the storyline and not just an Easter Egg for us to look for. Because we will know more about Hoid’s how and why as his Cryptic asks questions. Also, the man likes to talk. Maybe he’ll just bond that poor spren to keep a literally captive audience with him at all times lol.

Dalinar did ascend, much as the I would consider him a sliver? A human who held the power of a shard for a moment? But maybe it wasn’t that exactly. But Odium says he ascended, albeit briefly. I wonder if the lingering effects allow a sliver to see investiture, based on wob, so I wonder if that’s how he spotted the Knights Radiant that he saw (and why he thought the Heralds were KR)?

Journey before destination, friends! Haha (seriously I try to tell myself that it’s not that I won’t find out the end until I’m 60, but rather that I’ll get to read amazing BS Cosmere books until I’m in my 60’s! How awesome is that? Lol)

This seems to be a somewhat common reaction, from amongst my BS-reading friends. But I really liked Warbreaker from the first time I read it. I identified with the sisterly interactions and the quest for meaning and identity, and I felt it moved quickly and well. It's not a typical BS story in its involvement and length, but I liked it as a fun read. Vivenna and Siri were two of my favorite characters, and I totally wanted to name my in utero daughter Vivenna. But, we just found out we're having a boy. haha

Elsecaller, probably. I’m an academic, so it fits. But, I’m also drawn to the bondsmith leadership role, and to the edge dancers who speak for the voiceless.

Venli’s “job” being to basically proselytize to the other Singers will set her up for some creative double-crossing. I think it will be interesting to see if Rlain is relieved to not be “alone” as a Parsh on the “other side” or if he and Venli will clash, as he actively chose to switch sides before Venli knew what they were getting into. I’m sure she’ll have to deal with her guilt about this whole thing, and her sisters death, and Rlain will either serve as a painful reminder of a direction she could have gone or help her feel better. I’m looking forward to that interaction.

I know we have some WOB, etc. that talk about (mist born spoilers): It's possible/probable that Odium has been doing the same for millennia, in case the KR returned.

I wondered if the “they brought their god” with them wasn’t so much that they worshipped Odium per se. I truly think they were fleeing him. I wonder if “the thrill” followed them, tracked them down, and that’s what started the war against the Parshendi. If humans started the war under Odium’s provocation and control, Honor could have tried to do the honorable thing and save them, which may have felt like betrayal to the Parshendi who were being victimized, leaving them open to Odium’s influence. But that’s pure speculation as well.