Vlett
Lord Nagafen Raider
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All things Brandon Sanderson
- Thread starter Arative
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
I almost think that Sanderson wrote the beginnings of an Adolin-Shallan-Kaladin triangle just to get fangirls worked up, but it just feels so damn natural
Book was amazing finished last night, crashed through most of the day. All i have to say is I loved it. This series will kill me in between books.
Zindan
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
- 7,099
- 4,867
Good book, better than the first one. Lots of questions.
What are the entities that the Diagram detected (Moelach)? Are they similar to the Stormfather? Like the greater spren?
Was that the real Herald of Justice? Guessing he has been around for quite a while, possibly killing any stormlight user who used their power for nefarious deeds (however minor).
Did we learn anything about what caused the Recreance to occur? I am still a bit unclear on what a "Shardblade" is. It seems prior to the Recreance, all Radiants had bonded a Spren, which could form itself into a weapon, though much more powerful than the current Shardblades. Yet once those Radiants broke their oaths and caused their spren to "die"...those spren became Shardblades?
Shallan recognizes the shardblade that Amaram(?) was using as the same shardblade that her brother Helaran had, soooo did Kaladin kill Shallan's brother?
What is at the Origin?
I was a bit disappointed that no one actually died, not even Szeth. For awhile I was beginning to think that Sanderson was going to get all GRR Martin with his characters, but nope (not yet anyway). I hope Kaladin can somehow reconcile with the Stormfather.
Was that the real Herald of Justice? Guessing he has been around for quite a while, possibly killing any stormlight user who used their power for nefarious deeds (however minor).
Did we learn anything about what caused the Recreance to occur? I am still a bit unclear on what a "Shardblade" is. It seems prior to the Recreance, all Radiants had bonded a Spren, which could form itself into a weapon, though much more powerful than the current Shardblades. Yet once those Radiants broke their oaths and caused their spren to "die"...those spren became Shardblades?
Shallan recognizes the shardblade that Amaram(?) was using as the same shardblade that her brother Helaran had, soooo did Kaladin kill Shallan's brother?
What is at the Origin?
I was a bit disappointed that no one actually died, not even Szeth. For awhile I was beginning to think that Sanderson was going to get all GRR Martin with his characters, but nope (not yet anyway). I hope Kaladin can somehow reconcile with the Stormfather.
As a derail, Steelheart is pretty damned good. I was completely put off by the premise before I started reading but it is not in any way bad.
A complete throwback to old-school sci-fi/fantasy with the "what if?" element and as well written as should be expected. Fuck this guy is good.
A complete throwback to old-school sci-fi/fantasy with the "what if?" element and as well written as should be expected. Fuck this guy is good.
Grimmlokk
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 12,190
- 134
Ha!
Here's the thing... I am a certified geek on a million levels (I am a computer programmer by degree, nature and training... although not by craft anymore) but superheroes have never really been my thing. Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Speculative fiction? Oh hell, of course.
What I liked most about Steelheart though was not at all about the Epics but about the universe made to contain them. The "what if?" part that too many modern SF/F/whatever works miss out on.
The premise isn't so important, it's the logical extension of *that* to flesh out the rest.
Still, I'll check out the recommended Grimm. God knows I read in bulk.
Here's the thing... I am a certified geek on a million levels (I am a computer programmer by degree, nature and training... although not by craft anymore) but superheroes have never really been my thing. Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Speculative fiction? Oh hell, of course.
What I liked most about Steelheart though was not at all about the Epics but about the universe made to contain them. The "what if?" part that too many modern SF/F/whatever works miss out on.
The premise isn't so important, it's the logical extension of *that* to flesh out the rest.
Still, I'll check out the recommended Grimm. God knows I read in bulk.
Start with Bitter Seeds if superheroes aren't your thing. It's kinda the halfway point--more dark fantasy alternate history than superhero.
You might be surprised - the superhero story played straight is the exception rather than the rule with novels. Probably because the dead seriousness about something inherently silly is hard to pull off outside of comic books.
Going in order:
The named entites mentioned in the Diagram are some form of spren, one of which (Nergaoul, who bestows the Thrill in humans within its range) was called "ancient" and "evil". I presume they're the Listener race's "gods". It's clear that these spren move around and/or go dormant, but exactly what role they have besides influencing humans under certain conditions is unclear.
It wouldn't be surprising if Nin/Nalan is the real Herald of Justice. There were eight total Honorblades found and kept in Shinovar, as of the end of the book (Szeth says "the other seven"). Taln/Talenel had his, so where was the tenth?
We don't know the exact details of the Recreance, but I'm willing to wager that they got disgusted with humanity turning on itself (lost faith in it). A Shardblade is a physical manifestation of a spren, after it has reached a certain stage of development mirrored in its bonded Radiant's progression (Ideal swearing). The exact difference between a "live" Shardblade and a "dead" one isn't clear aside from the glow. At the Recreance, they basically killed their spren and left their corpses behind (in WoK, Dalinar sees this explicitly: they summoned their spren as Blades, and broke their Nahel bonds/oaths, which removed the glowing aspect, then walked off).
Yes, Kaladin killed Helaran Davar. He is thinking that explicitly later, during the chasm-highstorm part.
The Stormfather is presumably at the Origin, where highstorms originate. If we really want to go stretching ourselves, who wants to wager that this is where Tanavast died?
Kaladin really only needs to reconcile to his trauma and bigotry; the Stormfather doesn't directly factor into matters there. Dalinar is more likely to be directly involved with the Stormfather if anyone; it seemed to me that Bondsmiths say their Words to spren of significant caliber such as the Stormfather (it was implied that similar "greater" spren existed, but died during the Recreance). In other words, Bondsmiths are the only ones that "bond" with the higher order of spren, hence their extremely low number at any given time.
It wouldn't be surprising if Nin/Nalan is the real Herald of Justice. There were eight total Honorblades found and kept in Shinovar, as of the end of the book (Szeth says "the other seven"). Taln/Talenel had his, so where was the tenth?
We don't know the exact details of the Recreance, but I'm willing to wager that they got disgusted with humanity turning on itself (lost faith in it). A Shardblade is a physical manifestation of a spren, after it has reached a certain stage of development mirrored in its bonded Radiant's progression (Ideal swearing). The exact difference between a "live" Shardblade and a "dead" one isn't clear aside from the glow. At the Recreance, they basically killed their spren and left their corpses behind (in WoK, Dalinar sees this explicitly: they summoned their spren as Blades, and broke their Nahel bonds/oaths, which removed the glowing aspect, then walked off).
Yes, Kaladin killed Helaran Davar. He is thinking that explicitly later, during the chasm-highstorm part.
The Stormfather is presumably at the Origin, where highstorms originate. If we really want to go stretching ourselves, who wants to wager that this is where Tanavast died?
Kaladin really only needs to reconcile to his trauma and bigotry; the Stormfather doesn't directly factor into matters there. Dalinar is more likely to be directly involved with the Stormfather if anyone; it seemed to me that Bondsmiths say their Words to spren of significant caliber such as the Stormfather (it was implied that similar "greater" spren existed, but died during the Recreance). In other words, Bondsmiths are the only ones that "bond" with the higher order of spren, hence their extremely low number at any given time.
Zyke
Silver Knight of the Realm
- 186
- 52
On the named monsters and other things:
My impression was that the named creatures they were talking about tracking/wandering around were just greater spren. Similar to the creature that gives a boon/weakness at the same time who I believe Dalinar used to forget his wife and the Diagram King who's name I can't remember used to get his intelligence/stupidity. I don't think they're either good or evil, they just do what they do. But I guess that remains to be seen.
On another note, do we know who the guy was that was chasing down the kid thief surge binder in the interlude chapter? Is this who you guys think is the Herald of Justice? Presumably all of the Heralds except the currently insane one are still walking around somewhere during their thing right?
On another note, do we know who the guy was that was chasing down the kid thief surge binder in the interlude chapter? Is this who you guys think is the Herald of Justice? Presumably all of the Heralds except the currently insane one are still walking around somewhere during their thing right?
Presumably yes, the Heralds went off and did their own thing (and others of them may still be alive). I read a Q&A transcript where it was explicit that one of the Heralds went back for their Honorblade though, and all signs are pointing to Nin/Nalan given the evidence. His description matches that of "Darkness" from Lift's interlude, as well as from Jasnah's prologue. Additionally, reading between the lines of both his comment to Lift about Surgebinders causing Desolations, and the Words of Radiance excerpt-epigraphs, it seems that he deliberately engineered the Recreance to both purge existing Surgebinders and prevent them from manifesting until "present" day.
Just finished reading this book. I could not put it down.
I didn't think Dalinar was a fan of tight leather...
I didn't think Dalinar was a fan of tight leather...
This is all I could think of when Kaladin was coming to save the day. This and his fight with Szeth was Neo and Agent Smith's last fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjIPfnp1wB0&t=1m10s
In no particular order...
I am glad Jasnah is not dead, seemed really off in the beginning of the book when she died.
Never have I been so tense as when Kaladin was powerless and was going to save the King, or really, most of Kaladin's storyline. I was just waiting for him to unleash the beast.
Shallan is a much more interesting character in this book. I didn't really enjoy her parts in the first. I think the pace / importance of what she is doing picked up considerably.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjIPfnp1wB0&t=1m10s
In no particular order...
I am glad Jasnah is not dead, seemed really off in the beginning of the book when she died.
Never have I been so tense as when Kaladin was powerless and was going to save the King, or really, most of Kaladin's storyline. I was just waiting for him to unleash the beast.
Shallan is a much more interesting character in this book. I didn't really enjoy her parts in the first. I think the pace / importance of what she is doing picked up considerably.
Valorath
Blackwing Lair Raider
- 1,102
- 2,038
Just finished the book, myself. Really enjoyed it.
I can't remember exactly, but I'm thinking this was explained in the prologue of the first book. Didn't nine of the Heralds come together at the end of the Desolation, and stick their blades in the ground and walk away? I thought they commented that one of the Heralds didn't make it this time, or something like that. I'd have to check when I get home.
This book was awesome. At the end of the first book, I had a lot of questions regarding the shards, both plate and blade. This book answered many of those questions. Seeing the Shardplate in battle against the Voidbringers was pretty cool.
Kaladin's fight with Szeth was amazing. We never saw the blades transforming into spears and shields in Dalinar's visions, so I was pleasantly surprised when Kaladin and Syl kicked the shit out of Szeth.
I'm glad Jasnath isn't dead; that was a pretty big shock in chapter 7.
The world that Sanderson has created is freaking awesome. I've read a ton of fantasy, and this is definitely a world unlike any other. It seems like most authors tend to differentiate their worlds through the type of magic used. These worlds still have jungles, deserts, mountains, plains, etc. Sanderson created an entire new environment. People living on islands, that turn out to be massive greatshells that sometimes fight each other.. So cool.
This book was awesome. At the end of the first book, I had a lot of questions regarding the shards, both plate and blade. This book answered many of those questions. Seeing the Shardplate in battle against the Voidbringers was pretty cool.
Kaladin's fight with Szeth was amazing. We never saw the blades transforming into spears and shields in Dalinar's visions, so I was pleasantly surprised when Kaladin and Syl kicked the shit out of Szeth.
I'm glad Jasnath isn't dead; that was a pretty big shock in chapter 7.
The world that Sanderson has created is freaking awesome. I've read a ton of fantasy, and this is definitely a world unlike any other. It seems like most authors tend to differentiate their worlds through the type of magic used. These worlds still have jungles, deserts, mountains, plains, etc. Sanderson created an entire new environment. People living on islands, that turn out to be massive greatshells that sometimes fight each other.. So cool.
Grimmlokk
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 12,190
- 134
Still reading. Still loving it. But that cunt is back to being "clever" and having everyone tell her repeatedly how witty and clever she is.
Twice she's shut down a group full of badass killers by saying someone had bad breath. What the fuck, Sanderson? You are better than this! Her story is actually really interesting this time around. It's like a cool tied-in mystery in the middle of all the military/political stuff going on with Kaladin etc. Then she gets clever and everyone falls all over themselves to kiss her feet and I want to throw my nook.
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