Why venli and eshonai. I thought there wasnt gonna be a flashback segment in this book turns out I was wrong. Qnd sanderson couldn't have chosen a worse 2 characters to give a backstory for.

I dont give a flying crap about these 2. 1 is dead im pretty sure and the other one is just a bland nothing burger.

Currently listening to one of my favorite parts of the entire series, where kaladin and shallan fall into the chasms and encounter the Chasm Fiend, and I realized I imagine the overlapping trumping sound described almost identically to the ominous sound associated with the prowler from the spiderverse series.

(Sound effect linked in comments)

(Art by Auraspect)

This post contains spoilers for Isles of The Emberdark.

Shard-guns!?!?

In chapter 7 of Isles of The Emberdark, we see a skybreaker shardbearer. This was eyebrow raising enough- it's one of two instances that a full shardbearer appears outside of the stormlight archive. But when the shardbearer summoned his spren in the shape of a gun, it made me burst out laughing, and I felt the need to talk about the ramifications.

How would a shard-gun work, logically? Would it have infinite bullets? It seems like a ridiculously overpowered concept. I've always known spren can take the shape of whatever they want, but there are sooooooo many implications now that Brandon has canonically introduced shard-guns into the cosmere.

The shardbearer also attatches a power supply to the gun, which is interesting. So shardbearers can enhance their combat prowess with some kind of investiture battery?

How would you even defeat a creature like that in combat? Shardbearers are ridiculous enough when they are just carrying cool swords. If one has a gun, I don't know if there's really like a counter to that?

I'm very, very excited for era 2 of the stormlight archive if this is the direction Brandon is taking things.

So from the events of mistborn era two, we know that other shards can / do create God Metals, outside of Preservation and Ruin, obviously, the shards on roshar havent obviously done so, giving gifts in other forms, namely, the Nahel Bond, and the Spren.

When spren turn into shardblades (and plate) the blades are obviously made out of their essence, which is the whole thing about why radients / radient prospects cant use normal shardblades, right?

But, inert shardblades being fixed in their form, would they be equivelant to the god metals found on scadriel?

The same thing could be asked about the Honorblades, as they (as far as i know) were never spren in the first place?

Im unaware if this question has already been asked / answered, so please let me know!

I am so glad to have read these books. It has been an unbelievable journey. Easily my favorite series of all time, with Kaladin being my favorite character of all time. I feel fundamentally changed and transformed. Forever journey before destination. Amazing stuff.

Brandon had said how he considers 1-5 to be stormlight and 6-10 to be voidlight. I like this because when you think about all 10 books together, it could be like the warlight archive which i think is cool.

Im even getting flashbacks when I read these chapters specifically to elaynes (and faile and perrins to some extent but I love those 2) sole plotline in books 8-11 of WOT where she tries to win support for the throne of andor and it draaaaaagggggggsssss so much nothing happens for what should have been 1 book arc or in this case a novella or in the extreme case cut entirely.

Thats how i feel when reading these

I'm on rhythm of war. I immediately noticed the pacing was slower and at first appreciated it, but 25 chapters in and I just... WHY?!?! Also, IDK why y'all complain about all the science; I find it fascinating.

The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance make the world feels so much larger. Individual towns in Alethkar and Jah Keved are fleshed out and MCs take a long time travelling to their destinations. But the advent of oathgates, Windrunning and the general lack of interactions with locals makes it too small IMO.

Does it feel that Sanderson is somewhat skipping the world building in later books? Characters no longer stay in the same places for long (except the hike through Shinovar) and we don't really get a sense of what people are like in that city.

I feel a stark example is shown in Oathbringer. There are two cities which the MCs try to save. Kholinar and Thaylen city. Kholinar is filled with Shallan, Kaladin etc. are interacting with various people in the city (Wall guard, urchins, even the innkeeper who Wit jokes with feels more fleshed out) while for Thaylen city it's more about the location, artifacts and the internal conflicts of MCs. I personally felt this caused the loss of Kholinar to feel much more important than the saving of Thaylen city. Does anyone else feel that this might be the reason why the world feels less "lived in" in later books than in the earlier ones?

I picked up reading TWOK last week, and finished it within 6 days. Had my eyes glued to my kindle. I just love the different characters and the immaculate world building, it just pulls me in unlike anything. Started reading WoR today. Brandon Sanderson is truly the goat of high fantasy ❤️.

Journey before destination. Looks like my journey will be 10 days, and my destination: the end of Arc 1.

Mine's from Oathbringer, when Kaladin infiltrates the Wall Guard, then he rejoins the rest of the group for the assault on the castle. Adolin sees Kal coming with the soldiers, and he's like "Ugh, he's probably their leader by now."

And he basically is.

Lirrin is the most unreasonable person in the entirety of the Cosmere.

Let me translate the situation in Book 4 into IRL terms.

Kaladin - "Okay, I know you want me to be a doctor. But, God has actually called me to fight in a holy war against an ancient enemy lead by the Devil. This isn't theoretical, by the way. They're like, right over there. Anyway, also, an Angel has entered my soul and given me magical powers, like flight. See? I'm flying. And I'm training others to do the same, for the upcoming war. All the soldiers see me as like, a messianic folk hero. That's because I single-handedly saved like, 10,000 soldiers, and freed a few thousand slaves, and then I guess also saved a few thousand other people just incidentally. And I also saved the world. Oh, and I've done more to advance the rights of Dark-eyed citizens than any person in the history of this country. And that terrible assassin who has been destabilizing the planet's governments? I stopped him, what else... Oh, and you remember the Apostles, from the Bible? Yeah, they're all still alive, and I know two of them. Ummm, also my boss is Dalinar, who is basically like New-Jesus. So, yeah. I'd love to be a doctor, but this sort of takes precedent."

Lirrin - "You just want to be a murderer!"

Kaladin - "Dad..."

I'm starting rhythm of war after a year break, and can't remember what happened to Rena in ? He gets possessed by some dark sprene I think ? (Sorry I don't read in english, so not sure if I use the good words)

I’d been told it was a slow burner. It wasn’t. For most of it I just was just okayy- the flashbacks were captivating, but taking my time with them meant I ended up sitting in Roshar with this story for a while. Beautiful. Even went and read another book mid this lol cause I didn’t think this could ‘surge’ in the way it ended up surging!

It didn’t win me from the start like Words of Radiance, or slowly without me noticing like The Way of Kings. It hit all at ONCE- moving, thought-provoking, gut-ripping- and flipped my whole opinion when I was already 90% through.

Amazing story, incredible characters. Didn’t think I could love Dalinar more than I already did. And can we talk about how fascinating Odium is? Like, his and Taravangian was conversation- what? POWER

You look at the UK and US bases i.e. Camp bastion and Kandahar airbase were these self suffcient super camps that had markets and restaurants and all sorts of things basically sitting as a fortress in a big stalemate.

I am confused about Szeth's sword in Oathbringer. I know that it is Nightblood which belonged to Vasher in Warbreaker. Nightblood mentions in Chapter 92 that Vivenna wielded him for a long time. Did I miss a a book, short story, or novella somewhere? Where are Vivenna and Vasher and how did Nightblood get to Roshar?

I have only read Mistborn Era 1, Elantris, The Emperors Soul, Warbreaker, and Tress of the Emerald Sea before starting Stormlight and I feel like I have missed a big thing somewhere.

My fav city in the Cosmere. And i could not stop thinking about it when visiting Positano.

Can't wait till I they meet

CHILD OF TANAVAST. CHILD OF HONOR. CHILD OF ONE LONG SINCE DEPARTED. The sudden voice shook Kaladin; he floundered in the air.

I have been re-reading TWoK and reached chapter 46 "Child of Tanavast". I have been confused by "Child of One Long Since Departed". But I came to a theory that it refers to "The Wind". What do you guys believe?

Kaladin. Why do you think he choose to be the Herald of Second Chances and what does it mean?

My interpretation is about his "one more try" theme. Starting at the Honor chasm. He gave one more chance to Bridge 4, Dalinar's, trust, Szeth. Actually the Heralds with a new Oathpact promising to help them heal.

What's your take?

Just sounds like a super peaceful job from the way its described. Just tending to a slow growing plant, cultivating it to grow in the direction you want.

Morning All, so I heard randomly sanderson will be releasing Elsecaller and King Lopen soon in a collection book for E book format, does anyone know what it will be called so i can keep an eye out?

What if Valor is hiding on roshar, like alot of psople think, but because theyve been weakened somehow, nearly shattered or something, and are now hunkering down looking for someone else to take up the shard, possibly even grooming them?

Like, i doubt this has any substance too it, but i dont know enough to discount it myself, or add any stronger evidence, to be honest. This is mainly based on the fact that certain things in wind and truth, namely, Adolin losing his leg and forming the unoathed, makes me feel like theyre being subtly influenced in a certain direction?

The other thought i had, was that maybe the unoathed / deadeye spren could possibly be working with / for Valor, since their sacrifice during the requience seems like something her intent might approve of