|
Lobsterpillar posted:New thread title? You don't like the one from a year ago that references something he finished over a decade ago?
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 01:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 23:14 |
|
|
Yngwie Mangosteen posted:You don't like the one from a year ago that references something he finished over a decade ago? It's definitely a strained joke.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 03:47
|
|
|
I still love when I asked Brandon about Dalinar's colors as a magic deck after Oathbringer and he said "Dalinar is White, oh wait, not like that." Not thread title worthy but drat his face was great.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 03:49
|
|
|
Louisgod posted:lol “ethically sourced Shardplate” is an excellent phrase. We haven't heard anything about "dead" Shardplate making Radiants hear screaming, have we? My impression has always been that the spren that make 'plate don't have enough sentience to be suffering from physicality, and are basically just chilling. Anshu fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Nov 24, 2023 |
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 04:05
|
|
|
TGG posted:I still love when I asked Brandon about Dalinar's colors as a magic deck after Oathbringer and he said "Dalinar is White, oh wait, not like that." I've met Brandon a few times and he always is such a nice person, I've also had a friend drag me to meet Jim Butcher twice that guy gave off the biggest creep vibes I've ever felt.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 04:25
|
|
|
socialsecurity posted:I've met Brandon a few times and he always is such a nice person, I've also had a friend drag me to meet Jim Butcher twice that guy gave off the biggest creep vibes I've ever felt. He is definitely one of the top 5 nicest famous people I've ever met. Violent J from the Insane Clown Posse is the nicest but damned if Brandon isn't such a kind guy. One of his sons just stood near the line talking about how much he loved his dad and it was the cutest thing ever.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 04:33
|
|
|
Fezz posted:Can anyone summarize these? Dragonsteel con 2024 will be December 5-7, 2024, and Stormlight 5 will be released on the last day. They are building a huge bookstore slash headquarters, possibly as the anchor to a sort of outdoor mall community thingy. Brandon's keynote speech is about liminal spaces, both physical but especially mentally places in between projects, etc. There was some Q&A, nothing groundbreaking revealed there. The last 30 minutes is a reading of a never before seen interlude chapter from Stormlight 5. Jorenko fucked around with this message at 04:52 on Nov 24, 2023 |
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2023 04:50
|
|
|
Working through Elantris and while I'm liking it, there's a lot of similarities to Warbreaker. While I know Elantris came first, it's got a lot in common. 1: Wife is seperated from husband immediately 2: Wife is an outsider from another kingdom used for an alliance 3: Wife is actually politically adept and starts to play the court games soon thereafter. 4: Husband is (probably) being manipulated by the powers-that-be to keep him from exercising any power as he's a threat to the current holders. 5: Outside 3rd party that's of a different religion trying to bring everything down 6: Rulers are/were considered gods and lived in a city-on-the-hill separate from the regular folks. Unfortunately, Elantris doesn't have Lightsong, so it's already inferior.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 00:08
|
|
|
You make some good points, sule. Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on Elantris though? There's only one Lightsong and so many worlds out there, kolo?
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 00:13
|
|
|
Elantris is a flawed book but pretty fun, I'm excited for the sequels in a few years
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 00:22
|
|
|
I think every Sanderson book I've read so far has had "rulers as gods" as a major plot point.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 01:34
|
|
|
Elantris was like half a good book and weirdly you could straight cut out the other half and not really miss much plot wise.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 03:20
|
|
|
socialsecurity posted:Elantris was like half a good book and weirdly you could straight cut out the other half and not really miss much plot wise. My favorite parts are the multiple massive wastes of time that amount to nothing.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 03:54
|
|
|
At least we got Hrathen and Emperor's Soul
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 04:13
|
|
|
Nitrousoxide posted:I think every Sanderson book I've read so far has had "rulers as gods" as a major plot point. Huh. Okay, we covered Elantris and Warbreaker. The Lord Ruler certainly had the divinity aspect. And the Heralds are worshipped as gods in parts of Roshar, plus (Rhythm of War spoilers)Odium directly ruling the Fused. The theme is absent in Shadows for Silence, Sixth of the Dusk, and White Sand (I think). But those are very much minor works.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 11:13
|
|
|
His YA books outside the cosmere don’t follow that pattern. It’s also makes a lot of sense when you think about the cosmere, random people killed god and took a chunk of the power.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 17:29
|
|
|
lol the thread title, so good.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 18:00
|
|
|
Louisgod posted:lol the thread title, so good. Yeah I'm very pleased 
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 18:06
|
|
|
This is why you use the Report button rather than just wait for a Mod to maybe skim the thread one day 
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 21:18
|
|
|
Torrannor posted:Huh. Okay, we covered Elantris and Warbreaker. The Lord Ruler certainly had the divinity aspect. And the Heralds are worshipped as gods in parts of Roshar, plus (Rhythm of War spoilers)Odium directly ruling the Fused. The theme is absent in Shadows for Silence, Sixth of the Dusk, and White Sand (I think). But those are very much minor works.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 22:15
|
|
|
Finished Defiant today. I think it wrapped up the Skyward series nicely. I think the solution to the delvers being to just show them that someone cares about them and they can love again was pretty obvious, but having the slugs be the ones doing it was a nice touch. I like the new status quo and I'm actually looking forward to Skyward Legacy more than I was before this book.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 22:46
|
|
|
M_Gargantua posted:This is why you use the Report button rather than just wait for a Mod to maybe skim the thread one day
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 22:52
|
|
|
Elantris ch 23: I think I've figured out why the city fell. The city was itself a big Aon spell and the earthquake broke a portion of the letter that makes it up and disrupted it. Reasons why: 1: The city wall is said to face the wrong way, making it completely useless for defense but could spell out an Aon letter 2: Raoden mentions they are building New Elantris around an interior wall in the city which no one could fathom a reason for it to exist. Earlier Raoden mentions that small circles surrounding an Aon can be used to adjust its raw power to something useful. 3: Raoden notices that the Seons seem to be broken because part of the Aons that make them up are missing, which would be an analogy to a part of Elantris's wall being broken 4: Raoden notes that the wall in New Elantris was probably infused with power and that is why it was crumbling.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2023 22:56
|
|
|
Oathbringer Chapters 114-122 & Epilogue (Part 5) Finished the book!  And holy poo poo this one was easily the best of the three big SA books so far. It never felt slow, the only thing that held it back was a few of the Dalinar flashbacks that spun wheels because there were really only two important things to show there. Evi's death and Dalinar's chat with the Nightwatcher and Cultivation.I was also a little bit confused about getting the Eila Stele as the epigraphs in Part 5, especially since it didn't seem to give us any more than we'd already seen. I suppose I know what Dalinar will write in Oathbringer though, since I got to see that story in his flashbacks. Everything else though, absolutely stellar. There were certainly some things I got wrong. I was sure Kaladin would say the Fourth Ideal but he's still holding back. For a minute I thought Szeth and Nale were going to fight it out, but Nale just stood back and let the battle unfold without his help. I thought Amaram or maybe the Cognitive Shadow of Sadeas would be Odium's shadow, but it was Dalinar himself. I thought Ashyn was Damnation but it was Braize instead. Does that make Ashyn the Tranquiline Halls? And the Dawnshards that destroyed the Hall's are why Ashyn is the hellscape it is now? I had a lot of thoughts about Dalinar's journey from Blackthorn to Blackthorn and terrible husband to terribly drunk father to suddenly a man that everyone held as the most honorable Brightlord. He reached the proverbial and literal bottom of the bottle, so he turned to a basically pagan belief that his late wife had suggested to him. I don't think he'd have ever gotten to where he is now without Cultivation's pruning, but he still had to want to go to the Nightwatcher for that help. I'm also extremely interested to find out what made the difference between Cultivation thinking she was making a weapon for Odium and Renarin thinking Dalinar would fall, and then Dalinar being able to say "no" when the time came. Why did Cultivation and Renarin's "Truthwatching" think Dalinar would fall? Renarin's spren was corrupted by Odium or Sja-anat (who I love as an Unmade not wanting to be with Odium, really fun), maybe that corrupted his vision? I am pretty confused about how Renarin and Glys seem "good" despite Glys' corruption. Speaking of Sja-anat, how do the Ghostbloods know she wants to split from Odium? Mraize and Iyatil are Worldhoppers so maybe they have contact with spren or people in Shadesmar? As I said before, I really thought Kaladin was going to say the Fourth Ideal. Teft has actually caught up to him now! I'm guessing the Fourth Ideal will have something to do with either accepting he cannot save everyone, or that sometimes he needs to be saved, he seems right on the edge of embracing both of those concepts. I figured he'd have gotten there in his fight against Amaram who was literally turning into Hulk's nemesis Abomination. I also definitely have feelings about Rock killing Amaram for Kaladin. Like I said, sometimes Kaladin needs saving from others. There's also something I can't quite get in Kaladin's questioning of Rock having the strength to draw the Shardbow. Surely he hasn't achieved the Fourth Ideal and had his own Shardplate, but him just being that strong seems a bit mundane of an answer. Shallan did seem to level up in a sense, she was doing so much more with her Illumination than ever before. I'd like to think we'd have seen it if she said another Truth that got her to the equivalent of the Fourth Ideal, so maybe it was just being in the presence of so much Stormlight, and Dalinar himself who obviously can influence other's abilities. She definitely had some lines about which version of herself was real or not real, but it didn't feel obvious or final enough for me to be sure. I do think her next Truth will be about "I'm this one" or "I'm all of them". Maybe her new level of ability was tied into her figuring out the trick of making a Cognitive Realm version of objects like how Kelsier did in Secret History. The Realms were basically on top of each other during the battle. Adolin really tried his loving best against the Fused in Shadesmar and then the Thunderclast in the battle, but he's just not on the level of the dangers now. If he had become king of Alethkar I'd understand, he'd be able to help that way. Since he didn't though, and since he learned Maya's name and was able to summon her without waiting the full ten heartbeats, I'm doubling down on him helping her heal enough that they can form the Nahel bond making him a Radiant. Maya seems to be a vinespren so I look forward to Lift showing him how to be an Edgedancer. He even fits the first description of Edgedancers we got in the Words of Radiance epigraphs nearly as much as Lift doesn't fit them. Words of Radiance posted:...their graceful, limber movements hid a deadliness that was, by this time, quite renowned; also, they were the most articulate and refined of the Radiants. It does seem like my Shaladlin throuple shipping took a bit of a blow at the end of this book, but there is clearly still something there. Would Brandon write it in just to have it end like this? Maybe, I don't know. And while it would have been cool for Adolin to become king, I gotta say hell yeah Queen Jasnah. The Ardents must be loving a female Radiant heretic on the throne. So gently caress 'um. I do wonder where the Gavinor plotline is going since he's a toddler. I'm so glad Drehy and Skar got him and Shallan's crew out, Dru doesn't have to be sad! But really, she earned that crown, she was probably the most effective Radiant at killing Fused. The weird in-between Realms sight she had, and the ability to just Transform them into dust, she's a powerhouse. Characters who can manipulate matter are always so OP. I loved Lift and Szeth buddy Radianting it up to get back the King's Drop. I would read many stories about their adventures together. Then Dalinar basically used the King's Drop as a pokeball to catch Nergaoul/The Trill. I wonder if this could be used to power or jump-start Urithiru? Venli is a bootleg Radiant?? Timbre captured the voidspren? What the gently caress. If we count Taln for the Stonewards, the Willshapers of Kalak were the only Order not represented in this book (though Malata was absent in the battle) so im guessing that Venli will be that Willshaper? It also maybe sorta makes sense, given that the Fused are using Venli to shape the will of the Parshendi. I need more of her. gently caress Taravangian and gently caress Dalinar still trusting him. What the gently caress. And gently caress Moash but lmao that he got to kill Jezrien. I hope the sapphire in that dagger meant it only was able to kill Jezrien specifically. Hoid is now going to be a Lightweaver, and is also confirmed to be an Awakener if he wasn't already. I wonder how quickly he'll get through his Truths. It's interesting that he's only now a Lightweaver since he was doing something to Shallan's Illusions earlier in this book. After failing to be an Elantrian, has he just picked up every other kind of magic? Felt came across as obviously a worldhopper, from the Shin-like description to the "I'm more of a foreigner than you" *wink nudge*, so I found him in Mistborn. He's just some spy for Straff and then Elend? He's the one who found the hideout when Elend was looking into "Valette's" identity. Alright I guess. As I said, I loving loved this book, I'm definitely ready for more even if the feeling I've gotten is that this was the peak of SA so far. Progress so far: 
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2023 20:00
|
|
|
Oathbringer straight up loving owns so much and it’s always, always exciting when you know somebody who reads it. The reactions are always “good god this is stellar”. Congrats! A friend and I have been trying to get our close friend group to start Mistborn and one finally relented and is almost done with Well of Ascension and is LOVING the series so far. We finally bullied another to start Mistborn, which he finally started only a couple days ago, and is already ~20% through. My other good friend, who got me into Sanderson, and I are pushing our close group to eventually get them to Stormlight so we can all be prepped for the tabletop RPG coming.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2023 21:57
|
|
|
Congrats pik_d! Oathbringer is an amazing book, no doubt about it. Full book spoilers: Imho, one thing that makes the Dalinar flashbacks so great is that they radically recontextualize the attitudes of all the other characters towards Dalinar in the first two books. Especially in The Way of Kings. We are in Dalinar's head from the start, if much less than we are in Kaladin's or Shallan's head. But we know he's a reasonable person, in fact much more reasonable and moral than most of the other powerful Alethi. He's not a combat obsessed warmonger, what are all those unethical people spouting off about Dalinar going mad? But in truth, his character changed drastically, from being the archetypical Alethi to becoming someone very un-Alethi. Not lusting for the Thrill? Talking about peace? It makes sense why others concluded that Dalinar was going insane. We had that discussion a while back, but ethically, Dalinar was obviously a monster before his "pruning". But Brandon very obviously wrote him in a way that inclines the readers to forgive him. He's introduced as one of the few reasonable characters in a culture that's in many parts morally abhorrent. From his first PoV chapter, we know he's a "good guy", albeit one with a stained path. We know he's changed/reformed, because we start with the finished version of his character. And we only learn of his past cruelties and atrocities bit by bit. And even then, he has his moment, like when he didn't kill the child. Which the narrative is a pains to emphasize. I don't actually think Cultivation thought Dalinar would fall. She says what she's doing is dangerous, that's she might be providing Odium with a weapon. But I think Dalinar regaining his memories was very much Cultivation's plan from the start, betting that this would be enough to prevent Dalinar falling to Odium. And she was right. If Dalinar got all his memories back in his confrontation with Odium, he wouldn't have been able to resist. But getting his memories back bit by bit allowed him to come to terms with them. There's also the "vision" with Nohadon, which is a big mystery, but certainly had some impact. Oathbringer was a lot of fun, with plenty of crazy revelations, gripping action, and sensible plots. Rhythm of War is also quite good imho, but has some weaknesses. I think people who were very bothered by the Wheel of Time slog are more bothered by RoW's weaknesses than those who didn't mind the slog so much. Iirc, you're among the latter, so have fun reading RoW  But first there's Dawnshard, which is quite good, and a quick read. And a very necessary less heavy fare than Oathbringer. I appreciate your write-ups, as always. Thanks for those, pik_d! And now that you have finished Oathbringer, you can take the official Knight Radiant quiz! https://www.brandonsanderson.com/official-knights-radiant-order-quiz/ It was released after Oathbringer, so it's safe to read it now. It has some minor info that hasn't been revealed in the books so far, but Sanderson obviously wanted us to have it at this point. You should also definitely visit Steve Argyle's great page with Cosmere (but mostly SA) artwork: https://www.steveargyle.com/cosmere The images are save to look at after Oathbringer, being released before RoW and Dawnshard. Though the Bondsmith image did spark some intense theorycrafting.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2023 22:22
|
|
|
pik_d posted:If we count Taln for the Stonewards, the Willshapers of Kalak were the only Order not represented in this book (though Malata was absent in the battle) so im guessing that Venli will be that Willshaper? Double check your count on who was present at the big moment, not just the whole book 
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2023 22:32
|
|
|
Torrannor posted:Congrats pik_d! I got Truthwatcher at 77% as my Order. I laughed at a few things because most people who read the Cosmere will pick a library over a dojo, for example. Steve Argyle's art is cool, are all of those supposed to be specific individuals? M_Gargantua posted:Double check your count on who was present at the big moment, not just the whole book This is what I've got for that final battle, obviously not including the Fused. Windrunners - Kaladin, later Teft and Bridge Four Skybreakers - Szeth, Naln Releasers - Absent from Thaylen City, Malata was in Kharbranth/Urithiru helping the singers take over the Urithiru gates Edgedancers - Lift Truthwatchers - Renearin Lightweavers - Shallan, Ash Elsecallers - Jasnah Willshapers - ?? Potentially Venli ?? Stonewards - Taln, not that he really did anything Bondsmiths - Dalinar Dalinar's count as they're all coming together is the following: 1) Dalinar 2) Kaladin 3) Shallan 4) Jasnah 5) Renarin 6) Szeth 7) Lift 8) Taln 9) Ash He does mention Adolin, but Dalinar doesn't include him in the nine (unless he is, and isn't counting himself? Champion with nine shadows and all that), and the Stormfather doesn't correct him and even says "Perhaps they haven't been found yet" even though they're aware of Malata. And technically Dalinar's count is messed up because Ash is the Herald of Shallan's Order. And neither Taln nor Ash are actually Radiants like Naln is.
|
|
#
?
Nov 26, 2023 23:04
|
|
|
pik_d posted:I got Truthwatcher at 77% as my Order. I laughed at a few things because most people who read the Cosmere will pick a library over a dojo, for example. Fandom is speculating that each image is supposed to show one generic knight, and one specific member of their order. You can easily recognize Dalinar, Kaladin, Jasnah and Renarin. Then Shallan and Hoid for Lightweavers, a parshendi Willshaper, two Skybreakers who we may or may not know, and some anonymous Edgedancers, Stonewards and Dustbringers.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 00:25
|
|
|
I read the Frugal Wizards Handbook - are the other kickstarter books also worth reading? I thought it lagged a bit in the middle but overall I really enjoyed it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 01:31
|
|
|
Sunlit Man was pretty solid. An unexpected tie in (for me). Tress was... Fine? I was kind of annoyed by it at times, tbh. The way it was told just didn't work for me. I haven't read Yumi yet.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 01:39
|
|
|
abigserve posted:I read the Frugal Wizards Handbook - are the other kickstarter books also worth reading? I thought it lagged a bit in the middle but overall I really enjoyed it. I liked Frugal Wizard but it was clearly the worst of the secret projects. The other three were excellent in my opinion
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 01:47
|
|
|
Frugal is the worst by a long shot. Tress has a very specific whimsical tone that puts a subset of readers off, but if you like romantic, humorous fantasy like Stardust or Princess Bride you should be fine. It’s not as good as either, but it’s in that genre. Yumi and Sunlit Man are both contenders for Sanderson top 5, imo. I couldn’t put Yumi down.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 01:49
|
|
|
Sunlit man > yumi > tress > wizard This is my preference order. Tress is still good just that the other two are a step above.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 01:50
|
|
|
Frugal Wizard is the weakest. Sunlit man reads like an average Sanderson book. I think Yumi is Sanderson trying some new things. I don’t think he writes that story a decade ago. I have lots that I like about Tress and a few things that I don’t mainly the ending.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 02:04
|
|
|
Tress Talk. I was surprised at how um... Cosmere-forward? It was for such a light tale. It actually felt like too much for the story. As for the narration - I didn't always enjoy it mostly because I just don't think Sanderson is as good at comedy as he thinks he is. So, a lot of it landed more lolrandom than funny, to me. Still, I didn't generally mind the whole narrator-as-character bit. That felt interesting and experimental, even if I didn't always love the execution. I enjoyed it overall, don't get me wrong, but I hope it's an experiment, not a model for future books.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 02:12
|
|
|
Torrannor posted:Full book spoilers: M_Gargantua posted:Double check your count on who was present at the big moment, not just the whole book abigserve posted:I read the Frugal Wizards Handbook - are the other kickstarter books also worth reading? I thought it lagged a bit in the middle but overall I really enjoyed it. Tress > Sunlit > Yumi > Frugal imo, and that's not meant as a slight on any of them, but especially not Yumi or Sunlit. I just thought Tress was charming as hell.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 02:22
|
|
|
stramit posted:Sunlit man > yumi > tress > wizard This is correct, might put Sunlit and Yumi tied. Sunlit was a good generic cosmere book, Yumi did feel like him trying to branch out more and it worked well.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 02:33
|
|
|
pik_d posted:I got Truthwatcher at 77% as my Order. I laughed at a few things because most people who read the Cosmere will pick a library over a dojo, for example. My theory is that Ash is or will become a dustbringer, and Taln a stoneward. Apologies if this wasn't explicitly stated in Oathbringer (i forget if its in OB or not), but the Heralds were not members of their associated radiant orders. The orders were shaped around the way that the surges had been divided for the heralds and their honorblades. Nale eventually bonded a spren and joined his order, but we don't know for sure about any of the others. Ash has presumably spent a lot of time destroying and defacing images and icons of herself, which fits with the dustbringer's vibe. I mean, she also disguises herself but not very well, and also its not the focus of her insanity. I would discount Adolin, because I suspect his sword was of an order than is already represented. Go back and re-read the description of Maya in shadesmar and her variety of spren becomes clear. Of course it could have just been an error on Dalinar's part! He had a lot going on just then.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 03:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 23:14 |
|
|
The more I catch up to the rest of the Cosmere, the more Sunlit Man moves toward the front of the line for me. I just can't get over how much it felt like it was just chapter after chapter of spoilers (even though it really isn't?) and that really put a damper on how I enjoyed it. Yumi is the big star for me, Tress just so slightly less because of too much Hoid and it interrupted the solid Princess Bride vibe, and Wizard's kinda felt like it was trying too hard to be Hitchhikers Guide without landing the absurdist humor.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2023 03:27
|
|
