All things Brandon Sanderson

Mythas 5thboardnow

Silver Knight of the Realm
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I think we are on the start of a kaladin downturn. That seems to be a theme with his character, i just think this one spans this book and maybe the next. Sanderson has kind of made the 4th ideal seem to be a big leap in power. Perhaps gaining the Radiant Shard Armor.

I feel like the next book will be a Jasnah / Uritithu / Fleshing out the other Radiants / Herald(s) backstory, and more can't save everyone kaladin.
 

chaos

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I've been wondering how that is going to work when you have 100+ radiants who are all sporting legit shardplate and stuff. There are some controls on it, but for the most part it seems like it will make them super OP. When each one can pretty much single handedly wipe out an army, how does that remain feasible from a story point of view? The same can be said for many of their abilities, too. When you have 20 equivalents to Shallan and Jasnah... I'm unclear on how large these orders are though. I know it is mentioned multiple times that the windrunners are the largest group, maybe it will be that the others are so limited we don't get more than 1 or 2 or them.
 
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Qhue

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Well we know there can only be three Bondsmiths and that seemed to be a very limiting number compared to the other orders... I suppose it may come down to the Jedi problem -- super powerful singular entity yet due to the nature of plot constraints there ends up being canon-fodder background members who are not named heroes.
 

Superhiro

Silver Knight of the Realm
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I get the feeling it's like the WH40k space marine and their primarchs. There's a super strong radiant at the head of each chapter, and then kinda watered down versions making up the rank and file.
 

Zindan

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I get the feeling it's like the WH40k space marine and their primarchs. There's a super strong radiant at the head of each chapter, and then kinda watered down versions making up the rank and file.
Yea, lots of 1st & 2nd Ideal types, far fewer 3rd Ideals, and very very few 4th Ideal or higher.
 

slippery

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I think the using less Stormlight as you go higher up is pretty important too. Also worth considering is that not everyone is on the same side
 
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Malkav

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And they don't only have regular soldiers as enemies, the Fused are pretty powerful themselves.
 

chaos

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Yeah I think the Skybreakers will probably play a big part in finding that balance. The Fused didn't seem on the same level as the radiants, really, but that may have a lot to do with super-Kaladin just taking on 8 at once like it's cool.

There's a lot of moving parts. I feel like I missed a lot, or could have. Very excited for the next book though.
 

Arative

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I just finished the book last night. Thought it was a pretty good book overall. Shallan is my least favorite character, so her chapters were kind of a boring to me. I'm glad he killed the love triangle, at least I hope he did. I liked Shadesmar parts, I'm interested to know why everyone over there hates the honorspren. I thought the reasoning for the Recreance was kind of lame but I sort of get why it affected the knights so long ago but I don't feel like anyone from now would be care all that much. I almost felt like Adolin was going to bring is shardblade back to life. Renarin will be an interesting character I think, not sure exactly what he is, a knight radiant or something from Odium or a mix.

I assume Azure is
Vivenna?
 

Qhue

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I genuinely have a hard time keeping track of all the Cosmere stuff. This is normally the sort of thing I'm all crazy about in other genres but for some reason I can't get a clear mental picture of what is going on and who is what
 

Needless

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Yeah i find it kinda confusing too, i was looking up szeth shit last night and the sword he now has is from a book i havent read yet but it works in other worlds because Investiture ???

Sanderson you nerd.
 

chaos

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Warbreaker was a pretty cool book. I came to the same conclusion about the identity of Azure.

Renarin did confuse me. Not sure what exactly is going on there.
 

slippery

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I think there a few of the new Radiants who aren't strictly like the old Radiants. Lift has something going on from Cultivation as well
 

Malkav

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Warbreaker was a pretty cool book. I came to the same conclusion about the identity of Azure.

Renarin did confuse me. Not sure what exactly is going on there.

I think his spren was corrupted by Odium before bonding with Renarin, so he would be like an hybrid Void Radiant or something.
 

Arative

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I genuinely have a hard time keeping track of all the Cosmere stuff. This is normally the sort of thing I'm all crazy about in other genres but for some reason I can't get a clear mental picture of what is going on and who is what

Sanderson has said you don't really need a great understanding of the cosmere stuff until much later in his planned 37 book series but you should check out The Coppermind Wiki - 17th Shard, the Official Brandon Sanderson Fansite for cosmere stuff.
 

Cad

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And they don't only have regular soldiers as enemies, the Fused are pretty powerful themselves.

The Fused can't heal though right? When you kill them they stay dead, although the next everstorm replenishes their numbers. The radiants seem to be unkillable as long as they have stormlight.
 

Malkav

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The Fused can't heal though right? When you kill them they stay dead, although the next everstorm replenishes their numbers. The radiants seem to be unkillable as long as they have stormlight.

Injuries still hinder them, healing is not instantaneous, and I don't think we've seen anyone getting back from having his hear/head done in, but yeah, it sure is an advantage.
 

chaos

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Renarin basically got obliterated and healed, I think that might be unique to him and his abilities though. And Shallan took a crossbow bolt to the dome/was stabbed through (more than once, right?) and came back just fine. I feel like Kaladin has been basically pummeled into obvlion multiple times and knitted right up too but my memory is fuzzy on the particulars.