Welcome to the discussion thread for “Glimpses of Radiance,” Tor.com’s daily previews of Brandon Sanderson’s Words of Radiance, book two of The Stormlight Archive. These daily email-only previews began on February 11th and will run all the way up to the release of Words of Radiance on March 4th. Sign up to receive Glimpses of Radiance. Registration to the list is free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
The Way of Kings introduced a whole new world (or worlds?), full of mysteries to unravel, and with the imminent release of the second volume of the Stormlight Archive comes new viewpoints, new lands, and new perspectives on what we may think we already know. Once a day, we’ll get a glimpse of what awaits us in Words of Radiance.
Join the discussion of these glimpses below!
Spoilers ahead for The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, naturally.
38 days? I suppose the real question is: Does WoR cover 39 days’ time?
2 DAYS? HUH?
The release of Words of Radiance, the long-awaited continuation of Brandon Sanderson’s epic saga The Stormlight Archive, is now only days away. To prepare you for the oncoming storm, we will be releasing daily previews of the second volume. Sentences, quotations, paragraphs, epigraphs, and other glimpses of what is to come.
Interesting quote, short but interesting. I wonder about the difference with Dalinor’s wall writing..
“Thirty-eight days,” Renarin read. “The end of all nations.”
Since when does Renarin read?
oops – nevermind – maybe I should learn to read before the 4th!!
I didn’t even catch that BCP. Wow….. Could he be the one writing the countdowns? That might explain why no one saw who wrote the first time.
I assume that WOR is going to end after the 38 days or the 68 days that Dalinar originally learned. It might be the end of nations, but that could be just the start for the desolation to arrive and the Knights Radiants to accept their role.
I can’t believe a book of that size only covers 68 days from chapter 4. I think the desolation starts but at least one part of the book covers the initial effects of the desolation before the books ends.
38 days left. Its the countdown before the desolation or before a war will break down between the armies….hmn…I think Renarin probably read it from a translated copy. Not the glyphs. Or perhaps Renarin really knows how to read? since I think he’s like a studious person.
@@.-@ – A lot of men can read glyphs, just not the more complex women’s script. In Chapter 4, Dalinar could read the first set just fine.
On the assumption that what Renarin is seeing was written in the same way as Dalinar’s, it shouldn’t be hard to believe he could read them.
So then, the real question is, is Renarin reading this 62-38=24 days after Dalinar, or is this something different?
Good catch BCP, but it could be glyphs.
I wouldn’t be all that surprised even if Renarin could read script though.
I wonder if this is part of the epilogue. It looks like the timeline in this book (and possibly the next) is going to be very important.
Any theories on Renarin? it would seem as if this entire family is showing abilities, leaves me to wonder what Renarin’s is. Could these awakening abilities be the cause of his “blood illness”?
Could this be when the Parshendi learn the song to turn into the warrior form?
My first thought is that this is another message appearing on Dalinar’s wall and everyone is standing around inspecting it when Renarin says this.
If this is indeed about the start of the desolation, who would have the knowledge to predict it down to the precise day? Hoid? Talenel? Parashendi? The list cannot be that long. And of them, who would have the ability to get in and write it?
Sorry, better stated as Storm Form?
I have been thinking about it, and 24 days seems way too short for such a massive book.
Hasn’t the Desolation already started? In the Epilogue of Way of Kings, Taln appears. If he is back from the place of torture where the Heralds go between Desolations, then the Desolation should already be started.
I wasn’t expecting to get through the countdown by the end of this book, but I’m a little more hopeful now. If things progress quickly, maybe the first 5 book arc has to do with this desolation and the 2nd arc is really the Everstorm, when Taln is no longer bound and it’s no longer a cycle of desolations due to the oathpact, but an all out war without rules and winner take all.
Then again this quote could be in the epilogue. :)
Here is another possibility…
The power of the Highstorm holds Odium at bay. This allows the messages to take over Daliner. At the end of the storm, as the power wanes, “Odium comes.” The visions leave Daliner in a weakened state, which allows Odium to use him to write the countdown on the wall. So we will get a countdown after every Highstorm. But
why would Odium warn Daliner? Maybe the warnings come from Cultivation. She is the best at seeing the future of the three. If she knows that Daliner is receiving her dead lover’s messages, maybe she is trying to help.
@18 – If I recall correctly, the Heralds usually arrive slightly before the desolation and begin to help get mankind ready. How much sooner? I couldn’t say. But when Taln says “The Desolation has come, Oh, God… it has come. And I have failed” I take it to mean that Taln did not come back with enough time to ready humanity. So he has failed in preparing them. Which, to me, sounds possible if he arrived ~60 days before the start.
I am avidly watching this space, steepling my fingers.
@21 I’d say that the heralds probably arrive around 68 days before the desolation comes.
Just a wild guess.
Even if Dalinar is the one writing these it doesn’t happen during his visions and we only know it happend after one highstorm when he fell asleep.
I think this latest scratch on the wall came from the last page of the book.
It really isn’t to hard to believe that WoR only covers 24 days becuase there will be many flashbacks and alot of character progression. We already know that Dalinar will take the war farther onto the shattered plains.
We also know that Eshoni from her POV does not want to bring back stormform but according to the cover flaps of the book she will be the one to encourage her people to seek it and bring back the voidbringers. She is the Explorer and has to make the decision even if its not the one she wants she will betray all that she believes to save her people.
Kaladin has to train himself and make the bridgemen into spearmen/honorgaurds. Not to mention we know he has to choose between Honor and Vengence. Which I think leads to Ideal #3.
And Truthless! He is coming he will fight Kal it’s inevitable but will he die or just be defeated? Also who is Truth based on WoK Prime that makes the laws of the shin people.
My predictions, Ym will live and meet with either Jasnah and Shallan or Lift. Adolin will bond a spren and renarin will be healed. Dalinar will live and Amaran will be his ally. Sadeaus(mispelled I know) will be brought down or banished?
Seriously? I gave up my e-mail address for a two-sentance “preview”? Even with the promise of a month of two-sentance teases, it’s kind of lame. This is the big look-behind-the-curtain that you give the series’ most ardent fans?
@24. I disagree, I think the book will cover at least 58 days, but hope for more than 62. We’ll know in 21 days though :)
@25. A larger passage could really spoil the thing. This glimpses are more for us to speculate (and so that Carl can amuse himself over our false speculations), than really reveal relevant secrets.
@24 I think it would be entirely possible to stop Seth without killing him by simply taking the Honorblade away from him (in the same way Adolin did in his recent Duel) as it is what embues him with his windrunner powers….
I find it unlikely that WoR only covers 24 (62 – 38) more days from the point of Dalinar’s vision in Chapter 4.
Shallan and Jasnah still have to arrive at the Shattered Plains, and were last known to have passed Amydlatn in Thaylenah. From the interior cover art (which just so happens to be the art heading this post), we can safely guess that Shallan makes it to the Shattered Plains in WoR. That requires both sea travel and substantial land travel, over rough terrain.
Either Shallan and Jasnah would have substantial traveling to do that should likely take more than 2.5 Roshar weeks to reach their destination;
or
Jasnah uses her (up until now, hidden) Transportation Surge to take them near the Shattered Plains, but it still requires more than a week of lack of communication on Jasnah’s part. I guess that could allow Jasnah and Shallan to arrive at the Shattered Plains at or near the end of the Words of Radiance and Shallan is able to do the activity that the picture at the top of the post depicts almost right away.
I just find it unlikely that the vast majority of the book would cover Jasnah and Shallan’s trip to the Shattered Plains; or that Jasnah and Shallan would magically appear at/near the Shattered Plains via Jasnah’s Transportation Surge that Jasnah has so far done an excellent job of keeping hidden.
I’m betting that the Renarin quote either happens midbook, or is taken wildly out of context.
28. KiManiak I agree
27. JoeM Is it as simple as breaking the ruby in the hilt, and disarming him?
@joem: how do you know the Blade gives Szeth his Windrunner abilities? BS said it wasn’t by spern that he got them, I know, but the rest? And how do you know it’s an Honorblade?
Also, I think disarming him or breaking the ruby will do little good without his willingly giving it up; that, I thought, was the meaningful part.
@25 – The glimpses of radiance post was pretty clear on the types of material we would be getting sent to us. Today’s glimpse was exactly the type of thing I was expecting.
”
To prepare you for the oncoming storm, we will be releasing daily previews of the second volume. Sentences, quotations, paragraphs, epigraphs, and other glimpses of what is to come.”
27 JoeM to quote Seth
“He had heard that the Voidbringers could hold it in perfectly. But,
then, did they even exist? His punishment declared that they didn’t. His
honor demanded that they did.”
I’m going with the “His honor demanded they did.” Could that mean he IS bonded to a Honorspren and was punished for it becoming a truthless. Would meeting another who has a bond with a honorspren be enough to end his punishment?
Just my wierd theory also, if his punishment demands the declares that voidbringers do not exist and the Parshendi discover stormform becoming voidbringers will that end his punishment?
@30, yoniyo:
the reasons why many of us speculate that Szeth has a Honorblade are over at the Chapter-Preview and Spoiler discussion.
Mainly it’s the discussion between two guys in the Prologue, combined with hints we got from Eshonai.
(likely I’m forgetting more arguments)
Something caught my eye here…not about the days but about Renaring READING! How? Why? What?
@Buttersky – I thought the same thing when it was first mentioned but then someone posted that it might have been written in glyphs similar to the one that Dalinar sees in the released chapters.
Ugh, damn! I thought since he’s so interested in fabrials that he might have learned how to read in secret.
@27 JoeM
Hmm… I’ve wondered how Szeth can be stopped. I don’t see how Kaladin could do it. However, Super Team Kaladan and Adolin definitely could! That might resolve the bad blood between the two.
I’m not so sure that Szeth will be defeated in battle. Rather, I think that Kaladin or Dalinar may get him to confront his deeds and possibly atone. It would make for some interesting character development to have Szeth realize that he didn’t have to kill all those people. That he made a choice to keep following this (misguided?) honor of his and in doing so made the choice to slaughter innocents.
What if during the battle Kaladin realizes what he (Szeth) is and inhales all the stormlight? That would make Szeth at least beatable. I’d bet that Kaladin will learn the third ideal during the fight as well.
The cover of WoR looks, to me at least, like something like that is happening. Szeth has killed a lot of people, and both Kaladin and Szeth are out of Stormlight, but Kaladin is refilling his reserve, partly because he can hold it better.
That would even out Szeth vs Kaladin.
I never got an email sent to me. I have tried signing up again, but keep getting invalid token. Some kind of glitch I guess.
APTimes2 @41 – I flagged your comment to get the attention of a moderator. Maybe they can help you sort it. Hope so! If not, you’ll just have to check in here every day… ;)
As to what is written: I think it either referes to the arrival of Odium on Roshar or the return of the voidbringers. I find the return of the voidbringers more likely since there is no reasonable counter to Odium just yet.
As to who has written it: Beside the ramblings of dying people, 2 characters on the scattered plains have been made aware of the imminance of the desolation; Kaladin and Dalinar. So if you are dying or following the moto of the knight radiance, you seem to be privilege to this kind of information.
(Hoid probably knows; but hes away if I remember correctly.)
Since we do not know what happens until this quote appears in the book, my best guess is that Dalinar wrote it himself while been delusional.
The only agrument I can make against this is that Nevani isnt likely to miss one of his highstorm-episodes.
But his sons also follow the codes, maybe one of them got talked to by Honor and wrote it down. Been an illiterate male doesnt really hampen this, since when high on highstorm you appearently are able to speak ancient languages and possibly have all kinds of knowlege your concious self lacks.
Just finished reading first “Glimpses of Radiance” email. Thanks Tor, now there are climaxspren all over the place.
@41 – I had to switch over to IE to sign up last night. I kept getting invalid token in chrome. I don’t know if that will help you, or not.
I signed up for the preview thing, but I haven’t gotten the preview yet…
I signed up for the preview thing also. Error msg: Username and password are already in use. So, I never got an email sent to me. I have tried signing up again, but keep getting invalid token.
I finally got in (w/ Username & Pwd. So it must have been some kind of glitch I guess. Will this be fixed by tomorrow?
While I’m currently online, can anyone answer either question?
How does Eshonai know the difference between Honorblade Wielder and Surgebinder, esp. if both appear to be Surgebinder/Windrunners? … And Why wouldn’t she (the sole surviving Listener/Pashendi General/Shardbearer be more differential or fearful of being attacked by Kaladin while he defended and rescued Highprince Dalinar Kholin?
I have a feeling Jasnah and Shallan may end up being separated. Only one of them may end up in the shattered plains.
@47 and 48 I signed up also but no email just yet. Anyone receive one?
@50. I agre with you on this, Shallan will need to find her own way to the shattered plains.
For the Glimpse, I do think that Renarin is reading and this message may not be in glyphs, wen you compare the 2 messages.
Sixty-two days, the glyphs read. Death follows. (or Broken Follows)
compared with
“Thirty-eight days,” Renarin read. “The end of all nations.”
If this were glyph words I would expect
“Thirty-eight days,” Renarin read. “All Nations End” or just “Nations End”
@radrad Yes, the first Glimpse went out today. We’ll look into why yours didn’t arrive, and be in touch!
I have not gotten any email either. I tried signing up again and got an error message ( logout session).
I signed up as well and got to the confirmation page (twice) but no emails…
Hi, all–for everyone having trouble signing up or not receiving emails, I would strongly advise you to email webmaster@tor.com with any details you can provide about the problem. Katharine and I will do our best to get your information to the folks managing the email list, but webmaster is the more direct and efficient option for this kind of issue.
As of this morning, they’ve been able to manually add the email addresses of people who’ve contacted us both here and at the webmaster account, but some people who haven’t received the first email are already listed as successfully registered. In those cases, I would suggest checking your spam folders, bulk folders, and various tabs (Gmail users may find the emails going into the “social” or “promotions” tabs in their inbox, for example). Another possibility is that some users may have previously unsubscribed from all Tor.com or Macmillan emails in the past, in which case you should contact the webmaster address with a request to override the unsubscribe–that apparently takes a bit of finagling, but should solve the problem for those particular users.
In the meantime, thanks to everyone for your patience–hopefully today’s send will be a bit smoother!
A thought about the day countdown.
Pg. 21 of WoK
“The love of men is a frigid thing, a mountain stream only three steps from the ice. We are his. Oh Stormfather…we are his. It is but a thousand days, and the Everstorm comes“.
-Collected on the first day of the week Palah of the month Shash of the year 1171.
–
If I remember correctly, we are currently in the year 1173 at the start of WoR. And years on Roshar are about 500 days, yes? So is it possible that the writing on Dalinar’s wall is the countdown predicted above? The time seems like it matches up.
Day 2:
“She felt and heard the storm approach. The ground shook, the air roared. Bits of leaves swept across her in a chill gust, like scouts before an oncoming army that charged behind, the howling wind its battle cry.”
Shallan or Jasnah, out in an actual Highstorm?
Re: Day 2
My first thought was Shallan, but given the language – talking about an army and battle cries – I’m thinking Eshonai.
I wonder if this is the Parshendi Shardbearer who wants to reach out to Dalinar but is now witnessing what her sister found, Stormform.
Could she be a future Knights Radiants?
My thoughts are it is Eshonai, but this last phrase puzzles me: leaves are blowing by. There aren’t that many places in Roshar that have leaves, right? Most of the flora retract, not having traditional leaves. Where do the leaves come from?
Last thoughts: it might be Rysn or Lift from an interlude we don’t have.
Sounds like Eshonai to me too. The interesting thing about this one is the blowing leaves. We haven’t been many places with leaves on the ground.
Ahhh… Looks like Bael beat me to it.
There is a forest where Daliner and Gavilar first met the Parshendi, though I would guess that the trees there have defenses against Highstorm winds like all the other non-Shinover plants.
I’m going with Shalan or Jasnah somewhere on their travels where there are leaves to blow.
I originally thought Eshonai as well, but I think if it’s her it might have said “battle song” instead of “battle cry”…so my best guess is… Jasnah, but who knows. Gave me chills though.
@66
Very good point. So not Eshonai, but still likely to be someone who has witnessed battle.
Nah Tor, i won’t allow you to put me through this…… I’m unsubscribing to the thread.
Carfax – I think this is awesome and can’t wait to get to the glimpses as I read the book.
Also of note: after the daily glipse the email says:
I don’t think this can be a normal Highstorm and combined with today’s quote I think / hope that we will pass the 62 days from the warning and witness the start of the Everstorm within WoR.
I don’t have a guess about who the “she” of Day Two is, but it could be Eshonai, since the army marching doesn’t need to be her’s, and if she sees for example an Alethi army “battle cry” would still be correct.
What if the “she” is Navani?
Or maybe we will get to learn something of Elhokar’s wife… could be her back in the capitol.
But yes, does sound like someone caught unaware of an approaching storm.
Leads me to wonder if the calculations the predict the Highstorms are about to be tossed on their heads.
@56. Emeails found at Google “alternat”, per your suggestions.
I am glad that someone was paying attention AND I thank you.
I wonder about this countdown, and the everstorm. I seem to recall in Dalinar’s flashback with the shadow creatures, the radiants who rescue him talk about them being an early wave before the desolation. So I’m thinking we may see other things come before the true final desolation, and the countdown is just to the first attack before the desolation, considering that we’re on book 2 and there are still 8 left.
Could the “she” be Syl? I think it would be really interesting to have a POV from Syl.
This very much sounds like either, someone caught in a high storm, or someone summoning a high storm.
What makes me curious, is some of the visions of the Desolations, sounded like things orginating FROM Roshar. I can’t tell if we are being invaded, or having latent problems suddenly grow into chasmfiends.
If this same thread gets used at the end of every day, it is going to become a very long thread. What is the record number of posts in a discussion thread at Tor.com?
Walker, I’m pretty sure we’ve hit (or come close to) 3000 before.
@75
I love the idea of a Syl POV chapter!
Day 2:
My 1st guess is Shallan stranded out in the open and exposed to her first Hiighstorm. But Navani is also a good guess except for part about “leaves blowing”. BTW Didn’t Talenel’Elin, Stonesinew, Herald of the Almighty appear with “bits of leaves” in his his hair or beard when he returned from Damnation and arrived the the Gates od Kholinar (tWoK Epilogue)? Are there leaves (of any kind) on the Shattered Plains?
Epillogue (Quote):
“Outside the gates, standing on the dark stone roadway, was a solitary man with dark skin … He stood with head bowed, wet, ratty hair hanging down over his face and mixing with a beard that jad bits of wood and leaves stuck in it”.
There is flora on Roshar. There are farmers and ‘forests’ even if they are not exactly as we think of them. Even all the pictures we have of Roshar show little rockbuds growing. So yes, there will be leaves, even if they are not oak and willow leaves, like we think of them.
There is at least one previous mention of leaves blowing in a highstorm: WoK Hardback page 293: “The grey sky grew clotted with dust and leaves blown ahead of the stormwall…”
Additionally, rockbud vines are described as having leaves.
Syl routinely appears as a cluster of “windblown leaves” (sorry I don’t have a page number to reference because my only copy of WoK is audio). So leaves are at least common enough for Syl to immitate; I wouldn’t discount the possibility of this occurring on the shattered plains solely on this one detail.
From Chapter 23, a description of foliage in the war camps:
“Back home, the air had been drier. If you went about on the day before a highstorm, everything seemed desolate. After storms, plants soon pulled back into their shells, trunks, and hiding places to conserve water. But here in the moister climate, they lingered. Many rockbuds never quite pulled into their shells completely. Patches of grass were common. The trees Sadeas harvested were concentrated in a forest to the north of the warcamps, but a few strays grew on this plain.”
Whalen’s art is fantastic, but it might exaggerate the barenness of the Shattered Plains.
@77, they may break it up. Like the Spoiler Thread for the GRRM Read. We are on part 5 there. Around 300 posts, the site really slows down in loading the comments. Those threads are between 539-639 posts.
@78, didn’t the WoT Re-readers get yelled at for that one? You broke Tor.com! :-) I wasn’t on the list then, but it was funny reading it after the fact. Especially Leigh’s reaction the next time a post came up.
@80-85: thanks for all the ‘leaves’! Good reminder.
I signed up a day late & missed the 1st preview about Renarin? Is it posted anywhere I can still see it now that I’m receiving the emails?
@87
Look at comment #4 on this thread.
@77, 78 & 86 – We broke the site on one of the reread threads when we got it well over 800 comments. After that, they did some upgrades… But the spoiler discussion thread for The Gathering Storm was over 3400 comments when they shut it down and opened a new one. Even if we managed to get 100 comments per day on this thread, there just aren’t enough days to get close to that one. :)
Yes, let us not let the thread get to big. Then, Tor will balefire it and we will all forget our theories.
New one up:
“In places, it flashed with light from behind, revealing movement and shadows within. Like the skeleton of a hand when light illuminated the flesh, there was something inside that wall of destruction.”
rather ominous that one. so does this discribe the everstorm?
Clearly this one is reffering to a highstorm w/ lighting illuminating the Parshendi in stormform flying towards the Alethi to war! Yikes! This is going to be really awesome to read:)
Ok so for the glimpse for yesterday I believe it was Eshonai because it sounds like the person who is the subject of that glimpse cannot see the highstorm, after all who would describe the highstorm in sounds if they can see the forbidding wall. Since Eshonai if captured by the armies would most likely be strung up for reckoning I believe that she is tied against a wall and can’t see the storm. The blowing leaves doesn’t necessarily mean anything in particular and if it does highstorms blow from the Orgin of Storms all the way across Roshar right. So it would pick up leaves from faraway lands and would carry them like any hurricane. For todays glimpse I think the Everstorm has arrived and that is what they are seeing. Except this storm is slow and maybe isn’t even moving. Also when Dalinar was having the vision in The Way of Kings where he realizes that the Almighty can’t hear him he saw that rushing wall of dust which was might be the Everstorm. Also why do people keep assuming the True Desolation or The Last Desolation is not the everstorm. They could be one and the same. The Desolation is the storm. Maybe the Voidbringers fight in the storm and until you defeat them all then the Storm goes away and the Desolation ends.
Tor.com has no plans to balefire this thread anytime soon. It is too great a source of delight.
I don’t know if this is for the Everstorm, or if it’s just a view of a Highstorm told to us by someone who is out in an exposed area, and probably has rarely (if at all) seen one without the protection of shelter.
I just thought of something. What if all the Desolations come with a storm. The storm is from where the Voidbringers come. “There was something inside the storm” So the storm moves slowly eating up land and spawning Voidbringers.
Storm form will be an interesting development. I wonder if Kaladin can learn to ride the storms at will. Then he could counter the Parshendi in storm form. One Winderrunner is going to have a tough time fighting all the Parshendi by himself though.
I *so* want today’s quote to be a description of the thing inside Shallan’s father’s cupboard …
I signed up for these twice, but haven’t gotten them. Any idea here about what gives, because clearly you are all getting them.
@KefkaPalazzo Please email webmaster@tor.com[/b] with any details you can provide about the problem, including when you signed up. We can manually add the email addresses of people who’ve contacted us, but some people who haven’t received their emails are already listed as successfully registered. In those cases, we suggest checking your spam folders, bulk folders, and various tabs (Gmail users may find the emails going into the “social” or “promotions” tabs in their inbox, for example).
Another possibility is that some users may have previously unsubscribed from all Tor.com or Macmillan emails in the past, in which case you should contact the webmaster address with a request to override the unsubscribe. In either case, we’ll figure out what’s going on and get you added to the list!
I like the idea of a bunch of windrunners fighting Parshendi stormformers illuminated by lighting as well
For those who aren’t getting the emails and are using Gmail: Try checking the “Promotions” tab in your inbox, I found that the Tor emails were automatically deferred there.
Katherine-
Thanks! I did unsubscribe from some other thing (it was some contest last summer, I think) in the past, not realizing that it was a blanket “Unsubscrive frome everything, EVER” unsubscribe. I’ll email the webmaster now.
These things are all mystical, and kinda creepy, and kinda intrestin, and kinda cool.
Did anyone else read today’s quote like a stanza in a poem?
Can someone please post glimpse #1 and glimpse #2 in their entirety? I only signed up in time for glimpse #3 (stupid work trip overseas).
Thanks in advance if possible.
@107
Glimse 1:
“Thirty-eight days,” Renarin read. “The end of all nations.”
Glimse 2:
She felt and heard the storm approach. The ground shook, the air roared. Bits of leaves swept across her in a chill gust, like scouts before an oncoming army that charged behind, the howling wind its battle cry.
a couple of random thoughts.
1. Could Hoid possibly have a cryptic spren??
2. Is it possible for one person to have multiple spren bonded to them, for example could Kaladin have Syl and another (maybe a cryptic as well)
@95 CarlEngle-Laird:
But does anyone ever actually “plan” to balefire anything, since the act of balefiring it would destroy those plans as well?
OK, my head hurts now….
S
@95: Glad we can be such a source of delight to you. ;-)
Day 3: Oh! Not sure I can keep up.
Because something like that would be from a climax in normal books. So if we get it in the middle, Oh boy! What a ride the rest is going to be.
But if it doesn’t come until near the end. Oh boy! I’ll spend the second half of the book thinking “When the hell is that major storm with hands inside it going to happen!?”
Now I really need to get back to work today.
@70 “The storm will hit when Words of Radiance goes on sale on March 4th”
“Sixty-two days, the glyphs read. Death follows.”
March 4 is the 63rd day of the year
It is safe to say, that is a detail I missed.
Hmm, in WoK, it is stated that it is a thousand days until the Everstorm, or something similar.
Is that similar to the break between WoK and WoR?
@113 1302 days from 8/10/2010 to 3/4/2014
The numbers are off, but it was a decent guess on Brandon’s part. He did plan on releasing this sooner, but put it off, to do the job he wanted to do.
thanks headsmashedinbuffalojump – greatly appreciated.
the second one can be taken in so many ways. guess we’ll have to wait for the book for context. Could easily be a highstorm, but could also be something else (e.g. someone could be travelling and that’s what it feels like).
@108 I don’t think Hoid has a cryptic spren purely because he floats between worlds – it is a possibility though.
As for someone bonding two spren – I’d have to say unlikely. On face value – seems plausible as each one could give different powers. But given each order only has two surges and Kaladin has both of his already from bonding with Syl – I doubt he could bond with another (plus it seems honor spren and cryptics don’t like each other)…
Guys, I held a copy of Words of Radiance in my hands less than an hour ago.
WOW guys when I woke up from surgery today they said I was wacko. I was so bad they had to hold me down and knock me out again. They said I was calling all the female doctors and nurses names like navani and jasnah and I was Kaladin. They played the way of kings for me by request from my iPhone 4s on the speakers during surgery and after said never again would they do that for a patient. If they hadn’t got a brief from me on what the book was about that they were listening too prior to the surgery they wouldnt have understood me. I was actually kinda pissed no one got it on video. This may be TMI but I don’t mind. Went in for a Hernia repair end ended up having a small tumor removed that no one knew was there. I’m in the military. So I’ll be on convalescent leave for a few weeks to recover. Meaning I get to stay home and read more WoK and WoR news up until the release and I’ll have the Ebook at midnight the 4th to start reading interruption free. Thanks to my favorite author BS for making my surgery a memorable one.
rbnguevara, that is hilarious.
(I hope you recover well. It sounds like you don’t want to recover too quickly.)
Thx Peter I’m glad you liked hope BS sees this too. Hoping to recover at a good pace is all I can ask for. Reading WoR while still recovering would be a huge plus though.
My wife said thanks for the get well comment.
rbnguevara @119 – Too funny!! Wish someone really had got it on video. :D
I hope you recover at just the right pace to be able to read easily but with a good excuse not to do anything else…
Wow I am so Honored right now to have both you and Peter reply to my post. Thanks and you Rock. I read your review of the beta read to the nurses and at least one said she would pick it up when it comes out based off your enthusiasm.
Score another conquest! That’s awesome. :)
(I’ve hooked so many of my friends on Brandon’s books…)
@118, how could you allow to let it go?
@119, you must have been in a ‘highstorm’
@118 smintitule: sounds as if you gave it up again, I wonder what I should think of that.
@123. rbnguevara: I hope you told her to start with WoK? I don’t think WoR would be a good starting point.
@124. Wet: What about your husband? Is he as resistent as with WoT?
@126 I did. They all seem to have enjoyed listening yo the WoK I simply convinced one to get the second as well I honestly hope they all by WoK and WoR. In this series you just can’t have enough fans.
rbnguevara@119 Convalescent leave during release week; that’s brilliant! Now I need to see if I can come up with a reason for the Air Force to do the same for me. I’ll be listening to the audiobook that week for sure, but 40+ hrs is hard to get through when you have a schedule to maintain. I’m overseas so I really don’t have any way of getting the hardcover by release date so reading during my down time is not an option, and of course, no headphones while in uniform so I can’t listen during work either-grrr.
Risley@128 your the 1st person on here other than me to acknowledge yourself as military that I know of. I no longer feel unique or alone. You can get the Ebook download it to your phone and use the excuse that you got the squirts to spend the majority of the day in the latrine reading. That’s what one of my friends is planning. Other than that you could simply request 4 days leave.
Risley & rbnguevara – I’m pretty sure you’re not the only active military folks who are fans, but it’s possible you’re the only ones actually commenting here. In any case, I thank you both for your service!
(Also… yup, got the squirts, sir. Sorry, sir… :) Some things can’t be helped.)
New Glimpse of Radiance up: Interesting structure to this one. Like the poetic feel to it. Reminds me a bit of Yoda, it does. ;)
First take: Maybe it’s Shen. That would be cool. However, the content makes me think it’s POV of Taln and his memory of the tortures the Heralds endured between Desolations.
Bael
Hummm, I’m not enthusiastic about these glimpses any more. They’re not enough to really form any type of meaningful speculation on. It’d be like a blind squirrel finding a nut if any of us guessed the correct meaning. Also, I feel like a dog being teased by a teenager with a chew toy.
@132. Party pooper!
@133. Sorry!!! I really liked the chapter releases!
@131 I concur with your assessment.
@126 travyl and @125 er2014
Alas, the book wasn’t mine. I’m in Brandon’s creative writing class at BYU, and he gifted an early copy to a student. A bunch of us were passing it around and admiring the artwork on the insides after class. And I took a peek at who the PoV character for chapter 7 was. If you’re curious, it was Shallan, and it’s a present-day one since it had her present-day icon. I’m guessing it’ll tell us why their ship is late.It was cool to hold the book, though. The thing’s a beast, I can’t wait for my copy to come in.
@131
My thought was immediately that it has to be Taln, thinking about the time between desolations.
I suppose I’ll put the text of it here, too:
This one sounds to me, like the apostate Heralds suffering, or at least aware of, unseen horrors and tortures.
It is also reminiscent of how Tolkien describes things. For instance, corpse light, that glowed ,but did not illuminate. Or Balrogs that were combinations of both fire and darkness.
My take so far on the revealed glimpses is that the 1st three refer to the Everstorm (the first predicts its timing; the 2nd refers to a charging army behind the stormfront; and the 3rd refers to a glimpse of a skeletal hand in the approaching storm) which may not actually arrive until the end of the book. Today’s glimpse is more revealing if my conjecture is correct. The last line, in particular, is reminiscent of Szeth’s outlook. He has been compelled somehow to do much evil and expects (or wishes) to pay for his deeds. Yet torture in Damnation is preferable to him than to simply cease to exist. If correct, this implies that Szeth is somehow given a mortal blow and utters these words or thoughts before dying.
This sounds like the POV of Rysn who holds the Odium Shard. The sublime torture giving life sounds like something an evil person would say.
My guess for Glimpse #4: either Szeth (as STBLST @139 guessed) or Taln (as Bael @131 guessed).
Thanks for reading my musings,
AndrewB
(aka the musespren)
@132 – I was just kidding, obviously. From the Wheel of Time experience with similar bits and pieces, you can often glean certain things re the upcoming story over time.
This latest one actually feels like an epigraph to me.
BYU Radiant @140 – I think you mean Rayse.
Rysn is the apprentice Thaylen merchant.
@144 That makes a whole lot more sense. @140 had me re-reading the Rysn Interlude wondering how I’d missed Rysn holing a shard!
Yikes thank you:) Yes that is what I meant.
I guess glimpse #4 could also be an epigraph.
@136, I can hardly believe that I managed to refrain from peeking at your whited out text.
It had the ring of Szeth to me.
I can’t see Szeth describing torture as sublime… He seems to hate killing and doing so in a brutal manner. He simply does it because of his belief system with which he has some cognative disonance.
BYU Radiant @140 – Good to know I was really wondering there for a bit what did I miss about Rysn
BYU Radiant @149 Taln or a Herald is the obvious choice here. We have I think seen epigraphs like this or that sounded like a herald before .
I wonder though, torture in this glimpse is not about being a torturer and we have some TWoK content that points to Szeth looking forward to death, even if it brings torture.
@150 excellent point, thank you:) I never really thought about it as refering to himself, rather I took it as that of others suffering.
Oronis @132 – Heh. That’s a pretty good set of descriptions! And I’ll admit – this kind of thing isn’t for everyone. We had a lot of fun guessing when they did this with AMoL; very few of us got any of them “right” with any real accuracy, but it was fun anyway.
One big difference between AMoL and WoR is the degree of knowledge and expectations. With AMoL, it was Book #14. We knew the whole cast pretty well, and we knew (generally) a lot of the events we could expect. With WoR, it’s only Book #2. We know some of the characters, but we expect to meet more. We have some expectations for the book, but mostly we expect Brandon to do things we can’t quite anticipate.
So with the Glimpses, we simply aren’t going to be able to figure out as much. We can have fun guessing, and when we get the book we can try to spot things and find out what they really were, but it’s mostly just a game to keep us entertained (and flailing for Carl’s amusement) while we wait.
I’m with you Zen @@@@@ 138. This “glimpse” sounds like the freestyle poetry battle between Finrod Felagund and Sauron in the Tale of Beren & Luthien. Which, if I might add, is the best Tale in Middle Earth.
That is a cross-over I would not complain about!
My guess is it is that Taln is speaking. From this and the things he says at the end of Way of Kings, “The Desolation has come … I have failed,” I would guess that the oathpact meant that Odium was held at bay for as long as all of the Heralds in Damnation could withstand the torture of Damnation. Desolations came when the Heralds “failed” and couldn’t withstand the torture any more. They were able to leave Damnation at any time, but that would free Odium. This also might explain why this Desolation has taken so long in coming. Taln was able to hold out a lot longer alone because he was the only Herald suffering. With all of them there, the odds that someone gives out increases. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so to speak (though anyone who can withstand Damnation for any length of time is incredibly strong).
Although, after another read-through of the Glimpse, I can totally see how this could be Szeth as well. Off the wall connection time! Maybe Szeth is the phyiscal manifestation of Taln’s spiritual suffering in Damnation meaning that they are the same person! Ah, well, theorizing absurdities is fun at times.
@157 I like this interpretation–especially because it plays off of Taln’s divine attributes as being dependable/resourceful.
@157 – I’ve never seen this theory before, and I really, really like it.
@157 – Wow, that’s a really interesting theory about the desolations / Oathpact. Especially considering Jezrien’s comment in the Prelude “Who knows? Maybe it will actually be true” (that they finally won) – if he believed there was a chance that Taln could hold out there indefinitely.
I have to say that it’s quite unlikely that Szeth and Taln are the same person however, even from just a logistical perspective. We see Szeth confronting Taravangian in Kharbranth right at the end of the book, almost immediately before Taln shows up on the scene for the first time.
I don’t think the latest glimpse of radiance is anything we’ve seen yet. The language is off entirely. Have we met anyone that speaks in fragments or what feels like a very ancient mode of speaking? Even in the flashbacks Dalinar has the radiants didn’t speak like that. Neither did the Heralds in the Prelude.
This new GoR, I feel, almost has to be a snippet of text from a book Shallan or Jasnah is reading/studying.
Actually, it might be Taln. I was dismissing that at first, but now it is starting to make more sense.
What comes to mind, is the line, “Odium reigns”. Well, how? Is he here in Roshar? And yet, Roshar is spiritually at war all over the place. Perhaps Taln is sensing the Spiritual Realms ( and/or Cognative Realms) where Odium holds much more sway. If he can conquer the Spiritual realm of Roshar, the rest should just fall into his hand, right?
We have yet to see the spiritual realm at all.
@157
Great idea for the meaning of the Oathpact. Thanks for sharing it with us.
@157 – I agree with the comments, I have not heard this theory of the Oathpact, I like it.
@161 – I had not thought of that, it does make sense as a poem or snipet of in world text.
Glimpse #5:
Have you given up on the gemstone, now that it is dead? And do you no longer hide behind the name of your old master?
Epigraph? Maybe something said to a fallen Herald? Maybe even from an Unmade?
Curious comment about a gemstone being “dead,” though.
@166 – I agree this sounds like an epigraph, The gemstone being dead I have no ideas about, but the rest sounds like it could be a reply to the letter Epigraphs that were in TWoK.
Follow@167 – I like your theory. Maybe this is someone speaking to Hoid; maybe even the recipient of the letter from WoK.
I definitely think this is a conversation with Hoid. That is the only context other than Szeth where we have some directly reporting to a “master”.
Of course, there is also Szeth. But his oathstone is not a gemstone.
Mmm… last glimse sounds like it about Szeth. Mentions of gemstone (oathstone?), master…
Looks like someone’s talking to Hoid, eh.
@170
His oathstone is a crappy stone with quartz in it. That is why this is unlikely to be Szeth.
It’s definitely the reply to the letter. It’s obvious because Hoid is the name of the character that we know as Hoid’s old master. The gemstone he’s talking about must be Honor.
Hoid’s old master? The unmade? It’s like I was blind while reading WoK (or something cosmere related, I suppose). Anyone care to expaund?
EDIT: Aha! So Hoid’s master is somehow included in Dragonsteel. No need to clarify, then (in fact, I rather not know about it, at least until it’s been polished and published). However, and as an aside, I very much doubt that easter eggs in WoR will refer to Dragonsteel (Brandon’s published works are naturally fair game, though).
Just because a gemstone is dead, you do not give up on it, as you can recharge it in a storm. The target of this epigraph is being admonished, something that is no longer in existence should not be dismissed, as it can be reborn/reformed. The Heralds can return, or new Heralds can come to be.
Maybe this has something to do with the mysterious black gemstone Gavilar gave to Szeth? Nobody really knows what it is…
I’ve only read the book once, so if I’m mistaken sorry, but have we ever had an in depth description of Szeth’s oathstone? Could it be described as a Gemstone? Perhaps it is a Gemstone with a Trapped Honorspren inside, one that has died?
Looking at what people have posted it seems that this isn’t likely, but maybe this is someone speaking to Szeth, perhaps after he breaks his ties to the Oathstone?
@174
There are already a few easter eggs in WoK that reference Dragonsteel. The Letter, for instance, is written to a character from Dragonsteel (from WoB). In addition, in ch. 57 of WoK, Hoid says that he was once known as a stone–this is a Dragonsteel easter egg as well, because he is known as Topaz in Dragonsteel.
The “Hoid” name comes from The Liar of Partinel, though (which I haven’t read, and I don’t know if anyone has).
@177
Yes. Last page of interlude I-3, when Makkek assumes ownership. It is not a gemstone.
Thank you all for posting the glimpses. I am still not receiving them even with an acceptance email, but I am getting tor advertising. I have made multiple requests for help, but still no reply from the web master. So please keep posting the glimpses. I have not read Dragonsteel, so I do not know about Hoid’s master. He sure bounces around enough, I can’t imagine a master allowing him to interfere with so many of the shards. Maybe the master was who was looking for Hoid. As far as the gemstone, maybe when Szeth hide the black stone that the king gave him, maybe it can’t recharge during the Storms.
I signed up for this on Feb 4th I even posted about it on stormblessed.com but I havent recieved any of the emails. Any ideas why?
Oops nevermind stupid google sorted it into promotions for me how kind of them
Whoa. Could Gavilar’s black stone actually be part of the honor shard?? This would be a “dead” gemstone (so unnaturally dark) that could definitely be something that Hoid could be looking for. [Mistborn Spoiler–relevant to the discussion] I forget…at the end of the Mistborn series when the two powers are seized, I remember some sort of essence or smoke or something. Was there a physical object to be grabbed? [End Spoiler]
And if so, will it ever make its way into Dalinar’s hands as Gavilar desired? Or does Szeth somehow get sucked into shardhood because he nominally “owns” it now?
@smintitule: you have my thanks. I’m no cosmere expert, so it’s good to be able to rely on you guys for filling in the blanks (which, I must admit, I’m somewhat cross with BS for; but then, it wouldn’t be the first time). I’m hopelessly lost with these glimpses (a la what @Oronis described above).
It could be just that we’ve been discussing the Wandersail chapter over in the WoK reread, but this latest Glimpse seems very much like it is directed towards Hoid.
I agree with the theory (first posted @167) that this is a reply to The Letter from the WoK epigraphs.
I strongly suspect the gemstone being referred to is the same one that Hoid refers to as the “one that became completely worthless for my wearing it”, but if that’s the case, we might not get official confirmation until Liar of Partinel is actually published.
Dragonsteel is not the only unpublished book that Brandon Easter-egged in the Way of Kings.
This is definitely Hoid. He took the name of his master, who is now dead. Further, in one of Brandon’s unpublished works, he was also named Topaz, though I don’t know why. But Hoid does say, that the name was worthless for his having taken it (WoK ch 57)
I’d say then that leaving easter-eggs referring as-yet unpublished books is more like foreshadowing. And I believe there’s much more of this than we can realize before the books come out. It’s going to be like re-reading EotW after having read all the rest of the cycle at least twice.
There is another person, we know was called “master” – the one in the Prologue, where we guess at least one herald is speaking, possibly about Jezrien – I have no idea how to connect that to the dead gem though
It always leaves me puzzled how some of you seem to know so much about unpublished books! – Those books are most likely unfinished as well, (why else would they be unpublished?), so where comes the certainty from? I agree with Quintus: it’s foreshadowing for later books.
Well, it’s known that the version of Dragonsteel that was part of Mr. Sanderson’s thesis was available in the university library until it was lost/stolen. Some other fragments can be found in the recesses of the Internet: I did some digging a year ago or more and found a few pages from, supposedly, a rejected early version of the Liar of Partinel. Not much of a spoiler, a few questions, and still, I prefer Mr. Sanderson’s writing now, it’s growing better and better.
But, to the point, I really want to read the first meeting between Shallan and Hoid, who’s known to use Lightweaving (it was somewhere, in Elantris or Warbreaker, I believe). That’s going to be interesting.
It looks like I should read Dragonsteel before WoR.
This is totally clashing with my (so far still holding) intention to
preferentially buy DRM-free ebooks.
Why can’t Brandon Sanderson work exclusively with TOR?
BTW: thanks again to TOR for doing that.
Since noone has posted today’s yet
“He thinks you’re a god. You shouldn’t encourage him.”
“Why not? I am a god.”
Glimpse #6;
“He thinks you’re a god. You shouldn’t encourage him.”
“Why not? I am a god.”
I don’t have any immediate speculation about this, but I got a nice Ghostbusters vibe (“When someone asks if you’re a god, you say “Yes!”)
Edit: Cool, ninja’d by Hungry@192
Also, wouldn’t it be funny if this glimpse were Syl on an ego trip :-)
I love this type of humor. It almost sounds to me like a quote we would hear from Lift (but I’m not sure if we get a 2nd interlude from her).
@quintus79 re: foreshadowing: except it’s handled more as a wink than foreshadowing. Whether or not you successfully identify foreshadowing for what it is, and correctly descipher its meaning, it doesn’t usually take the shape of characters flat out talking about suff that’s happened in their past, our future.
Hmm,at first glance I’d say Hoid might claim something like that in a joking manner.
@190
If you want to see how much better his writting is now, look for the early version of Szeth (Jeksonsonvallo) on his website. Compared to WoK, it is horrible.
Nah, it won’t make my knowledge of the book or of the world better, would it?
As we’ve already had confirmed sightings of characters from other Cosmere worlds, I suspect this could be a visitor from Nalthis. The tone strikes me as in keeping with their mindset.
Woot!! Two jars of hunny captured for the Bunker. OK, it’s a WoT re-read thing, but quite a few of you are in that loop.
I’m definitely enjoying the Glimpses and this thread, however, I have nothing wildly speculative to contribute. What MorpheusStone @196 said about the Glimpse today has a ring of truth about it.
ETA
MDragon13 @199
That sounds plausible too. Lightsong visits Roshar?
The “He” in “He thinks your a God” I think refers to either szeth or darkness.
Regarding Glimpse #4, I now agree that the subject is the Herald Taln (Talenelat) rather than Szeth. This is indicated both by the archaic and poetic structure of the quotation, and by its content. Only Taln could speak of the fire that is now gone and the heat that only he felt, or his screams that no one else heard (the other Heralds having absented themselves from Taln’s last stay in Damnation). He also speaks of his torture as being a sign of still being alive (the other Heralds having ultimately died once they broke their Oathpact). Szeth, on the other hand, while welcoming the expected punishment in Damnation doesn’t interpret that fate as living, just existing in some spiritual realm. Finally, Peter would not have provided such a revealing citation if the subject were, indeed, Szeth.
Regarding #5, I agree with Zen that the subject is Hoid who has admitted to taking that name from someone he loved, and to have once been named after a beautiful rock which is now said to be worthless for his having worn it (a commenter recalled the name Topaz from the Sanderson world).
Day six, still no glimpses. No response from webmaster@tor. I thank you for the posted glimpse number six.
Glimpse #6;
“He thinks you’re a god. You shouldn’t encourage him.”
“Why not? I am a god.”
What I am wondering, am I the only one who thinks that it might be Kaladin in one of his cocky moods, talking to maybe Text about one of The newer members of Bridge Four,/personal guards to the royal family. It sounds like it is about time for Teft to make one of his stock remarks – ‘… you are not a Radiant Knight yet.’. As we all can guess, at some point that will change and he will be a Radiant Knight. :)
Sorry my tablet correcting things behind my back. That was a thank you to KiManiak for posting glimpse six. I think the conversation was between Teft and Kaladin.
#6 looks to me like BS doing his funny bit. It could virtually be anyone, and the comment is most likely wildly out of context here. For the record, I’ll throw my support behind Lift (gods are awesome, aren’t they?)
My guess, is that either we have a conversation between two Shards, for instance Honor and Cultivation (it does sound like married couple talking, at least to me)
OR we could have two Heralds talking. That might even make more sense, (thanks #202. STBLST)
Regarding the early manuscripts, I have only picked up details here and there, from those who have read it, but from what I have seen, it was bad writing. So bad. Now, I think Sanderson has a shot at being the next Tolkien, but you would not have known it from some of the very, very early manuscripts. So, you guys really are not missing anything.
re: Dragonsteel – (especially travyl @191) – You do not need to read it before you read WoR. In fact, most of us can’t read it; it’s not published. I haven’t read it, and I really don’t feel a great loss in that regard. Two reasons:
1) It’s a very early effort. Brandon’s writing style has improved dramatically in the intervening years, and I’d rather read it when he’s ready to rewrite and formally publish it.
2) It’s not entirely “canonical” – he’s borrowed bits and pieces of it to use for other characters and other worlds, and there’s no knowing (short of clarification from him) just how much of it is still in effect.
It might be interesting, but it’s certainly not critical to understanding any of his new works.
@206 I think writing Wheel of Time helped him with large plots and difficult characters.Also he imagined WoK before some of his other novels I believe.
Ever since signing up for this, I have been got a lot of spam. Can tor.com please stop selling my email?
Glimpse 6 sounds like Kaladin talking to Syl about Rock to me.
@211 That sounds way better than mine theory.
Sounds like a conversation between Lift and her spren, the Him being the king whom she healed.
I’m not sure why I am not seeing the glimpses in my e-mail, so I thank those who are posting them.
@215 Some people are using gmail I think and it’s going to the wrong area of their email.Check your junk folder and other possible places.
I am using my ISP address. They are not in junk. I will double check that the address is correct, though I verified it.
Wetlander @207
Thank you for the explanation. I confused Dragonsteel and Steelheart.
No wonder, when people talk of these books, as if they were normal. But if they are unpublished, I’ll wait for the version Brandon will eventually give us.
Glimpse #7:
HE COMES FOR YOU, LITTLE TRAITOR. I AM SORRY.
I love it.
Maybe the little friend is Syl
Oh no! Glimpse #7 is scaring me. Who else thinks “Little Traitor” refers to Syl?
I meant traitor.
I agree with @221
Sweet. Gotta be the Stormfather speaking to Kaladin when he’s practicing riding the storms. Odium is out to get him! And he’s a traitor for bonding spren again which the ex-Heralds don’t approve of.
#7 is indisputably the same speaker who guided Rand at the end of TEotW (whomever that might be). It is known.
(Wait, was that last bit the wrong series?)
I agree that this sounds like a quote from the Stormfather to Syl / Kaladin. The caps lock alone makes me assume it is some godly figure.
@226 Haha, my first thought too.
In WoR ch. 9, Syl tells Kaladin she was forbidden to come:
“I left everything, defying the Stormfather, to come. You saw him. In the storm.”
And when the face in the storm seems to speak to Kaladin (WoK, ch. 46), his voice is written in all caps, like today’s glimpse. I like the theory that Syl is the “LITTLE TRAITOR” and the speaker is the Stormfather. Even though the possibility is…scary.
a bit of a goosebumps moment here. rather ominous. I’m also afraid it’s for syl. I hope I’m wrong.
@221 — I like this idea about Syl. First as to the speaker, BWS has put this voice in all caps, so that leads me to think it is the Stormfather. He speaks to Kaladin in all caps when addressing him as CHILD OF TANAVAST. Plus, we have seen in the prelease chapters how Syl disobeyed the Stormfather by leaving the Cognitive realm to find and join with Kaladin. I think it is a mild rebuke, being called “little traitor” but a rebuke nonetheless.
I have no idea who the “He” is that is coming for the little traitor. It, obviously, could be Odium, but it seems too early in the series for Odium’s arrival.
A theory with less support would be that the “little traitor” is Shen, working against his own people, but I think I prefer the Syl theory.
Bael
I wonder if this is about Sylphrena does that mean she has her own chapter?? That would be interesting!
Well I also think this is Syl, but the great question here is the Who is “He”. I think this is Darkness, you have to assume that sooner or later he will come after Syl and Kaladin.
Fly like the wind Syl,
Faster then ‘ere you’ve flown,
Don’t face the crushing hatred,
of Odium’s Throne…
unless you get all freakin’ awesome like you did when Kaladin was strung up in the high storm, then it’s all good, you can fight.
Like others, I believe that the little traitor refers to Syl. I think the speaker is the person who hunted Lift in the Lift interlude that was previously released.
Thanks for reading my musings,
AndrewB
(aka the musespren)
But in all seriousness, could it eventually be Eshonai? That plot arc has so far confused me.
If void bringers are the gods of parshendi, and they broke away during desolations,(parshmen being the dudes who were enslaved after defeating them ) eshonai’s group might be descendents of traitors and may be called as such
And i think it is probable that odium , like storm father, will have an ALL CAPS voice
DunDunDun!! Very ominous, indeed!
It seems to be about Syl, but if the Stormfather is speaking,(in all caps), who is coming for her? And will Kaladin be able to help defend her?
Or it could be something/someone completely new.
I think it is Shen, though Eshonai is a possibility. It has been my thought that Shen in Bridge 4 is going to prove far more significant than merely including the odd guy out. It may even be pivotal in helping the Parshendi embrace Honor, instead of Odium.
My daughter suggested Szeth, so that is an option out there as well.
My first thought was Syl as well, but I don’t think what she said about defying the Stormfather applies to only her. Jasnah thinks that Ivory is something of a traitor, too.
“Though Ivory won’t speak of it, I gather that what he’s done is regarded as a betrayal by the others of his kind.” (WoR ch. 3)
Being honorspren, however, could attract specific attention. Why is Syl the only honorspren that returned??
…Also, my first thought was that the speaker was obviously the Dark One, too :
My immediate reaction was it’s the Almighty/Honor.
Rationale: “I am sorry” at the end. If it was the Dark One/Odium/Rayse etc – he wouldn’t say I am sorry.
As for who “He” is – could be anyone from Odium to Szeth to Taravangian to someone we haven’t met. However given it’s the “Almighty” speaking – I assume it refers to one of the three (Odium/Szeth/Taravangian) and I’d think it refers to Odium specifically, however who is to say Odium isn’t acting through Taravangian/Szeth.
And based on that – I wonder if he could be speaking to Dalinar through a vision. We found out at the end of WoK that Szeth is targetting Dalinar – maybe the Almighty is warning him? The only inconsistency is the “little traitor” piece.
It does make sense that it could be targetted at Syl though (but for some reason I don’t think so – because being Honorspren – I can’t see her being referred to as a traitor).
2 weeks until the book comes out. I’m dying in anticipation.
I am excited that we will get to learn so much more about Spren in this book. I think this is likely the Stormfather talking to Syl as well. I hope we find out who/what the Stormfather is. At first I thought “He” had to be Odium, but Darkness makes more sense at this point in the story.
I’ve been following along for a while, but just reading. Now, however, I’m curious. Who/What is this Darkness everyone keeps talking about? Perhaps I’ve missed something. Is this a reference to the darkness from Dalinar’s vision where Kolinar falls into dust? Did I miss another cosmere reference? Thanks for any insight you can give. Kep up the good speculation.
@people regarding Dragonsteel,
It’s worth reading if you can get your hands on it. A portion of it is actually Bridge 4 and the shattered plains. Brandon just stole that setting from himself and used it in Way of Kings instead. That being said, the plot is obviously entirely different, and there are some good explanations about the cognitive/spiritual/physical realms in it.
Now, glimpse #6 — I initally didn’t know how to react to this one. Initially I thought that it was Kaladin saying he’s a God, but I can’t believe that he’d say something like that. After reading some of the comments here, I’m inclined to believe that it’s Kaladin talking to Syl, and Syl is saying she’s a God.
Glimpse #7, I would agree with those that are saying that this is the Stormfather, taking to Syl. I think that the Stormfather is a fundamentally good character, and that he has a similar relationship to spren as the Nightmother does. Perhaps the Nightmother is more on the cryptic’s side of things, and the Stormfather is more on the honorspren side. In any case, I also agree that the “he” is Darkness. (@244, read the Lift interlude, Darkness appears in it).
Thanks KiManiak, for posting Glimpse # 7. I am still not receiving them in my email. As far as The suggestions to check my junk pile, my gmail notifies me when something pops into what it calls social and promotions. So far, all that I have gotten from Tor is ads. I sent another message off to webmaster, but so far have received no response.
Glimpse #7:
HE COMES FOR YOU, LITTLE TRAITOR. I AM SORRY.
As far as the latest glimpse, I am with most of the group. I believe that the speaker is Storm father, who is talking to Syl. I believe that he is warning her that Odium is coming. Darkness is someone, who would be coming for a human, albeit with special abilities, not for a spren. Her abilities would not allow him to catch her, with the skills that he has showed so far. Note – of course he could be working for Odium, but no, he is still basically human.
Alerie @246 – Please check the other thread (“Announcing Glimpses…). There’s a message for you from the moderator. They really are trying to figure out what the issues are.
jtao68 @244
http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/12/words-of-radiance-excerpt-lift
@247 Wetlandernw. I saw it and responded all ready. The lady has to offered to look into why I am getting ads from Tor. She states that Glimpse readers should only be getting the glimpses and the Tor newsletter.
I suspect that fixing my name on the glimpse list may need to wait until BMcGovern returns from her long weekend. She had identified the cause, someone dropped an “a” from my last name in my email account, and of course, the address will not work for glimpses. It isn’t anything that I did, and the webmaster had it right on the acceptance, it just needs to o be fixed in the glimpse listing. I think that she may be back tomorrow.
Thanks for all of your assistance.
For everyone having trouble with receiving the glimpses, have you considered creating a new account here at Tor.com, associating it with an unrelated email address, and registering with that account?
@Wetlandernw, with Tor’s permission I could set up an RSS feed containing the emails I receive from you guys, for everyone who’s seeing this problem to follow.
(Or your webmaster could do it, I suppose. Just to be clear, I have zero understanding of any legal issues that might be involved, so I won’t do anything of the sort unless I’m asked to by a Tor.com employee.)
If this is the Storm father talking Sly, could it mean Sly might have brought something else with her when she crossed over.
If this is the Storm father speaking to Sly, could it also mean Sly might have brought something else with her whne she crossed over.
*my other comment was written in excitment without reading it through
I’ve got a gut feeling this is addressed to Shallan, somehow. Can’t tell why.
Hi all!
New thoughts on Glimpse #6. The one being addressed, who states that he is a “god” might just be Jezrien. He is worshipped in some cultures (not Alethi), although I cannot remember which culture that is. At the moment, he’s the only one that fits the bill as one who is held as a god, who isn’t but who holds himself out to be that way. Szeth was called a god by the man working for Taravangian in the scene when he unleashes Szeth on the rulers of the world, but Szeth himself does not believe that about himself.
Other thoughts?
14 days until the storm is delivered to my Kindle!
Bael
OT
yoniy0 @250 – My best guess would be to let the folks at Tor figure it out. I have no authority on these things, just five years experience hanging around here, but they always get it sorted in the end. (Technology is great, so long as everything works, but software programs, unlike children, do exactly what you tell them…) Personally, I have confidence in the tech people here; they’ll find the problems. They’re not perfect, but they’re good, and they want all of us to have the best experience they can give us. Just my 2 cents.
“It’s not a big deal. Dalinar Kholin is friends with one of the worst murderers I’ve ever met. So? Dalinar is lighteyed. He’s probably friends with a lot of murderers.”
Glimpse #8:
“It’s not a big deal. Dalinar Kholin is friends with one of the worst murderers I’ve ever met. So? Dalinar is lighteyed. He’s probably friends with a lot of murderers.”
Obviously Eshonai talking about Dalinar’s soon-to-be-revealed friendship with Syl…
I think this is probably the easiest one yet to figure out whats going on.
Kaladin probably talking to Teft about seeing Dalinar with
Highlord Amaram
@261 – I agree completely with Kaladin, although I must say we don’t know with whom he is speaking in with any certainty.
Bael
It feels to me more like Kaladin in a private conversation with Syl, after she’s prodded him about being surly.
Glimpse 8: I agree it being Kaladin to someone Darkeyed. But it can’t be because of seeing Highlord Amaram, because what ever he sees is no big deal, and he (likely) gives Amaram as reference.
This incidentally also indicates, that Kaladin isn’t going to kill Amaram (as some hoped on the preview-thread).
I suspect that it is Kaladin talking to Syl, as @263 suggests, or muttering to himself afterward as a way to rationalize his shaky faith in Dalinar with the idea that he is good friends with his worst enemy. Which amounts to the same thing as talking to Syl, I suppose.
I thought that perhaps it was Kaladin speaking of Dalinar’s friendship with Sadeas, though given the ending of WoK, I would expect that friendship to have been reffered to in the past tense.
For those having trouble with the e-mails as I was:
Click on the link to add yourself to the list.
If it asks you to log in or type your e-mail, log in.
Go back to the link and add yourself again. This time, if it says that it added you (without the log in request), it has. Or, at least, that was my experience. I just got #8 after trying the above steps.
I believe #8 is Kaladin referring to the one who slew Kaladin’s team and enslaved him over the shard blade.
Just a quick note to say that we’ve forwarded all current requests for registration help onto the folks managing the email list, now that the offices are open again after the holiday weekend. If any further information is needed, we will contact you by email (and again, please follow up at webmaster@tor.com if you’re still experiencing trouble after tomorrow’s mailing). Thanks!
Add my name to the list of responders who believe that the speaker is Kaladin referring to the friendship that has existed between Dalinar and Amaram. Kaladin is the only one in a position to be able to state that Amaram is “one of the worst murderers I’ve ever met”. He is presumably speaking to one of the Bridge 4 crew. The implication of this Glimpse is that Kaladin is disappointed with Dalinar but appears resigned to having to accomodate to the latter’s ‘friends’, i.e., don’t expect a quick showdown between Kaladin and Amaram – at least at Kaladin’s instigation.
Glimpse #8
That could be early in Chapter #13, just after Kaldain sees Dalinar and Amaram talking.
Kaladin could just turn away in anger and throw out those lines. Then Sly will stop him and make him tell Dalinar what happened.
The Amaram & Kaldain fight could still happen, just not in Chapter 13.
@117 I believe Brandon has confirmed that Hoid somehow uses Feruchemy to worldhop.
@178 You can find bits and pieces of Liar of Partinel if you hunt around for them. Something like seven chapters or so. Obviously it’s not canon (yet), but it does appear to answer a few questions about the name “Hoid”.
Like other posters – I suspect it is Kaladin as well. However, my guess would be maybe he’s talking to Moash?
One of the excerpts reveals Kaladin is counting Moash as a friend, and we know Moash’s thoughts about Lighteyes…
I still think there will be a reckoning at some point for Amaram. Kaladin has bonded an honorspren. Killing unarmed, defenceless, unexpecting men is not an act of honor. I am nearly positive there will be a confrontation and Amaram’s reputation as a man of honor will be impaired. That being said, I don’t think Kaladin will kill him…
#8 is really depressing me. I’ve been looking forward to Kaladin getting revenge sine it was mentioned that Amaram was on his way in WoK. I hope it doesn’t indicate the resigned acceptance that it seems to.
Clearly Kaladin speaking. Could be to Syl, or to one of his officers (the original bridge crew) like Moash, Sigzil, Rock, Teft, etc…. This seems fairly straightforward compared to some of the other glimpses, which probably means I’m wrong.
I still maintain that Amaram may not be totally evil. He committed one terrible act to get Kaladin’s plate/blade, but other than that he is one of the more honorable lighteyes. He may get a chance at redemption at some point. Kaladin’s hated of Amaram, and by extension his mistrust of lighteyes, is still a potential hindrance for him.
Kal is probably speaking with Syl and this is most likely in Ch 13. Kal has not told anyone from Bridge 4 his past with Amaran and so I doubt he made that comment to anyone but Syl. It seems to me that each glimpse offers more than the last and so I hope that tomorrows is more as revealing as todays or even more so. Days seem to passing by a lot quicker than I expected.
What interests me about #8 is the unreliable narrative (not just non-omniscient, but unaware of how he himself is feeling and what motivates him). I have to admit it’s my favorite kind of narrative, and Kaladin is developing to be a nice example of the technique.
Can you guys think of other places where Brandon used that device? (For myself, I think Vasher was somewhat similar, but then I love almost everything to do with Warbreaker. Sarene? Vin was supposed to be the same, but I felt it was less deftly executed. And then, BS said himself that was a large part of why he found it challenging to write Mat Cauthon.)
@276 Amaram is the Jaime Lannister of the Stormlight Archive, it is known. We are supposed to hate him now, but will probably start to like him once we realize no everything is how it seems. To quote Warbreaker ‘everyone is the hero of their own story’, and Amaram geniunely believed himsef to be doing the right thing, as misguided as he was — and as crazy as that might have looked from (our) outside prospective.
Perhaps letting go of personal revenge may lead Kaladin to another ideal?
@282 – I was wondering that myself, either by forgiveness, or confronting Amaram and making Amaram apologise (to be honest, a darkeyed bodyguard forcing a lighteyed shardbearer to apologise for dishonorable actions appeals to me more than Kaladin simply killing Amaram)…
@282/283 – My thoughts too. We know that the Windrunners are associated with the attributes “Protecting / Leading”. I would imagine that letting go of his grudge could fall under the leadership attribute somehow. Not sure exactly how it could be worded though.
@282 and @283 – that would be my guess, requiring Kaladin to come to terms with his past and confront his own bias makes sense as character development, he can and will fight, I just don’t think it will be with Amaram. The additional twist here is that the person Kaladin likely killed was brother to the woman currently engaged to Dalinar’s son. Insert your own Dark Helmet / Spaceballs joke here.
@@@@@ 260 chad9023
“Obviously Eshonai talking about Dalinar’s soon-to-be-revealed friendship with Syl.”
That was the most hilarious prediction I’ve ever read.
And I agree with it being Kaladin talking to Syl. He doesn’t seem like he would really tell anyone else except Syl.
To add onto my previous comment. The Ideal could be something like “I will put the interests of the group above my own” , which seems like a good leadership quality. This would show that he understands his personal vendetta against Amaram must be put aside because it will benefit the army.
I find it a little hard to believe that it would be as simple as Kaladin forgiving Amaram for the greater good, because we are not accounting how Amaram will react to seeing Kaladin. Even if the Alethi culture would probably not prosecute/punish Amaram for his actions, it still strikes me as a dirty little secret, so to speak, and given Dalinar’s recent sensibilities I cannot imagine that Dalinar would stand for him going unpunished if he were to find out. I’m curious to see how Amaram responds to this conundrum. Will he try to kill Kaladin, either himself or through assassins, to protect his secret? Or, in arrogance typical of a light eyes, will he pretend nothing happened?
I find it a little hard to believe that it would be as simple as Kaladin forgiving Amaram for the greater good, because we are not accounting how Amaram will react to seeing Kaladin. Even if the Alethi culture would probably not prosecute/punish Amaram for his actions, it still strikes me as a dirty little secret, so to speak, and given Dalinar’s recent sensibilities I cannot imagine that Dalinar would stand for him going unpunished if he were to find out. I’m curious to see how Amaram responds to this conundrum. Will he try to kill Kaladin, either himself or through assassins, to protect his secret? Or, in arrogance typical of a light eyes, will he pretend nothing happened?
Sorry about the double-post. Captcha hates me.
Anyone else get a lot of sarcasm from this comment, and it is not really about Kaladin accepting Dalinar’s friendship with Amaram?
I also think its Syl rather than a member of bridge four. The reason i think it is to Syl is the wording seems to imply that the person he is talking to already knows Amaram is a murderer, and the only one that knows that currently is Syl.
I honestly feel like there will be at least a verbal confrontation. I wonder what Kaladin would’ve done if Amaram had just asked for the shards rather than butchering his men. I feel like there’s a decent possibility that, had Amaram asked, Kaladin would have given him the shards (remember, at that point Kaladin still thought of Amaram as an honorable brightlord).
To all who lent assistance to me, especially wetlandernw, thank you. I received the daily Glimpse at noon today. Thanks again.
Alerie @295 – SCORE! :D
So glad it’s working now.
smintitule @@@@@ 294 – I’d have to agree. He was going to give them away anyway, after all.
@292: Sarcasm? Maybe. For me it sounded more than a little bitter.
Kaladin cannot just go and denounce Amaram, on the other hand. He will have to find a honourable way out of this situation, and that’s going to make interesting reading, to be sure.
@294: And Kaladin was honourable enough so that he would be quiet about it and make sure noone of his men talked either.
Thanks to chad9023 and others for posting today’s glimpse.
Glimpse #8:
“It’s not a big deal. Dalinar Kholin is friends with one of the worst murderers I’ve ever met. So? Dalinar is lighteyed. He’s probably friends with a lot of murderers.”
@261. MikeyRock: “Kaladin probably talking to Teft about seeing Dalinar with Highlord Amaram.”.
I agree with most, this definitely sounds like something that Kaladin would say to one of his officers. And it made perfect sense that Teft as the in-house expert on Radiant Knights would be a good sounding board.
@274 Falconite. What you said made sense. He has told Moash more than anyone else, and not much at all. I think that he admires that Moash is with him, in all honesty, not as a hero worshiper, but as the hard edge of truth. There is a commonality to their stories, which might give him a good starting point.
@281 Elena: You made me laugh. I can’t tell you how many times, I have defended Jaime Lannister, especially as we see him in the last two books of ASOAF. . Basic how to turn a villain into a hero, can we ever trust him? After all, he threw a little boy out a tower window. Maybe someday, folks will argue about Highlord Amaram in the same tones. We haven’t yet heard his side of the story. Although it would have to be very good for me to accept him as a hero. What he did still feels very wrong. ( Note- I am doing my third read of TWOK and reading the Tor reread as I go, as warmup for TWOR.)
@285 /The additional twist here is that the person Kaladin likely killed was brother to the woman currently engaged to Dalinar’s son. /
Good to know I’m not the only one who thinks so! (Except that I’m totally rooting for Kaladin/Shallan in the end because a) they’ll be cute b) you-killed-my-brother sounds SO much better)
@292. Yep. Absolutely. He’s probably trying to calm himself down from destroying whatever building he’s currently in.
@300 just a bit part comment here and totally unrelated – I’ve always thought Kaladin and Jasnah would make a totally interesting couple… Age difference and all ;)
I don’t think we have met a really good partner for Kaladin shipping yet. Not that I have not thought about it! While I might see him with some one educated, I just don’t see Shallan or Jasnah.
If they can kick butt on level with him, I might revise that, but I still don’t think so.
Still, seeing Roshone and his bride, from his hometown should be good for a little schadenfreunde.
Also, just two predictions.
Odium is hate, more or less. The Parshendi used to be called The Listeners. I bet being a listening means you listen to a lot of Dark god rants, on everything, all the time. Cosmic level rants. Because that is what hateful people do – they rant.
Second prediction – Voidbinding will involve a lot of making something out of nothing, because that is another thing hateful people do. They make issues out of nothing, so Voidbinding will be a magic system entirely based around that.
I might be entirely wrong. I have no advance knowledge, but those are my predictions.
Voidbinding could also be making nothing out of something! I like those theories, Zen, though the nerd in me rebels at the idea of something from nothing energy-wise. Entropy makes me more comfortable with its opposite though.
I don’t really understand shipping characters that haven’t even met, but I do feel that there are certain things that have been set in motion. I think that Brandon has set up Shallon as liking men who are intelligent and make witty remarks. He has also stated through Wit that Renarin fits this description. Renarin isn’t a good fighter because of his blood disease, but Shallon also is not too concerned about whether the man she is interested in is heavily into “masculine” pursuits like fighting. There is also a family history of brothers competing over the same woman and Shallon is betrothed to Renarin’s older brother. I could be totally wrong, but it does seem to me like they are being set up as a potential ship.
@305 JennB — I really like that theory; it parallels very well with the conflict between Gavilar and Dalinar over Navani
Hi everyone! I love hearing everyone’s thoughts and speculations and love reading this thread.
So I am doing this THING.. I got a crazy idea to create a tour scrapbook for Brandon. To make it completely and totally awesome, like Lift awesome, I need as many fans as possible to contribute something. So what do I need you to do? Check out my blog at http://wortourscrapbook.blogspot.com and let me know if you want to contribute a 3″ x 4″ card to the album. The card can say anything you want and you can even personally hand it to Brandon on this tour. You can design it or you can use the ones that I am designing. At this point I just need to be able to estimate how big of album to make.. The bigger the better in my opinion. I hope you want to participate! I can be reached at wortourscrapbook@gmail.com if you have any questions!
If the powers that be, have no problem, I am game for a scrapbook. Might be nice to put a face to some of the names here – those of us that will be at a signing.
Cool idea, Angie! Will definitely check it out, and see you in a couple of weeks.
@309 I can’t imagine that the powers that be would have a problem. I will be quoting the books and may use glyphs on the cards but I don’t think I will be violating any copyrights. I plan to have some pictures in the album but I imagine most of the album will consist of fan notes. For instance, I plan to fill a card out talking about how much his books mean to me. I would love to create a collage of people with WOR for the front page though.
@Wetlandernw I can’t wait to see you too! I am soooo darn excited for the book and the signing… I am definitely hanging out for the whole thing this time. My friends need to find their own ride this time!
@@@@@#301 Falconite — You have my vote for pairing-up Jasnah & Kaladin. She may be the smartest among scholars in all of Roshar but their pairing will rival not only the King and his heir to the throne, but potentially outshine Highprince Dalinar & Navani (Adolin & Shallan are no match), as well, for the leadership of the Alethi Kingdom in principle & practice.
Their pairing would spice things up quite a bit.
Or Renarin & Shallan for that matter …
karaokeang@308 Can I submit a card even though I won’t be able to make it to the tour? Traveling from Turkey would be just a bit out of reach at this point.
Re:Glimpse 7, the one about Little Traitor. Almost everyone is saying that it’s from the Almighty. But one big doubt, isn’t Almighty dead? Didn’t he say so himself in the last vision to Dalinar in WoK? Who exactly is talking then?
A shipping war was #1 on my list of goals for this teaser campaign, but I have to say that I’m sad that no one is jumping on the ShallaSyl bandwagon. It has the best acronym. (Although Kalavani is also pretty good.)
@318, Carl: that’s because we already know that Syl and Pattern are going to get along so great that Shallan has no chance! :-)
I’m surprised no one has matched up Shen & Eshonai. What a great work pair!
Glimpse #9
The woman’s skin had hardened to something like stone, smooth, with fine cracks. It was as if the person were a living statue.
The woman’s skin had hardened to something like stone, smooth, with fine cracks.
It was as if the person were a living statue.
so this is one of the parshedi in stormform
or jasnah using soulcasting
or that herald that’s cutting down the statues that where made about her, forgot the name
or someone like lift using illusion.
I’d like to keep my options open :D
“The woman’s skin had hardened to something like stone, smooth, with fine cracks. It was as if the person were a living statue.”
Soulcasting?
#9
“The woman’s skin had hardened to something like stone, smooth, with fine cracks. It was as if the person were a living statue”
Could this be what happens to a parshendi when they are killed while in storm form??
I say killed because of the cracks on the stone.
She probably got a bad case of Greyscale
I think it’s Kal talking to Syl. She’s seen his reaction and can feel his hatred of Amaram. Kal knows that Syl gets distracted and entirely focused on tangents like that, so he’s trying to assuage her concerns by telling her it’s no big deal. He’s simply trying to calm her down and stop her from worrying about him. His feelings are somewhat betrayed when he calls Amaram a murderer though. There’s no way that’s not a big deal to Kal, even if he were talking about a different murderer than the one who killed his crew. I think he would hate King Taravangian if he knew about him.
The other part of this is Kal trying to reconcile Dalinar’s friendship with Amaram. Kal knows about Amaram’s black heart and the murders he committed. I think if Dalinar knew what Amaram did, he would be appalled. He would probably put him on trial for murder, friendship notwithstanding. Kal can trust Dalinar if Kal knew that fact about him, and I think his “inner self” knows that, so he’s trying also to convince his “outer self” of that fact.
My comment is obviously in regards to Glimpse #8.
#9 has way too many unknowns to comment on, I think.
At first I thought this was a form of soulcasting, similar to Jasnah turning the theives into puffs of smoke, but the “living” adjective made me reconsider. That adjective makes it seem, to me, that the woman is not dead and has instead become “living” stone.
Perhaps this is some form of Parshendi organic shard plate? Or maybe it has to do with an ability of Stonewards?
My first inclination is to agree that it’s Soulcasting.
The issue I would take with it being an effect of some Parshendi form is the word “woman.” I can’t recall Parshendi referring to themselves with that particular word (female or femalen were the terms I remember). As I recall, Kaladin referred to them as “female” or “she” when he made the realization that some of the Parshendi he were fighting may not be male.
Of course, this could also be the effect of some other Surge that we haven’t seen yet.
Or, this could be linked to Voidbinding or the like. Maybe a perversion of one of the Ten Essences from the Voidbinding perspective?
So many possibilities…
Why is the White Witch on Roshar?
Ah! So many possibilities! Surgebinding or Voidbinding…Soulcasting seems likely.
I find Shardblades ability to cut stone interesting. Thunderclasts are pretty clearly a big deal (so why don’t more legends speak of them??), but what’s up with stone? Perhaps Thunderclasts aren’t the only stone that needs killing. We still, really, have no idea what’s up with Voidbringers and Voidbinding. Grr, I hope this book reveals more!!
Throwing in with the people that think this is a description of a parshendi turning into stormform.
I think it’s probably a human perspective of the event–so someone like Dalinar, Adolin, or Kaladin looking at a parashendi “woman” turning into stormform.
@317 harry31j97
Most people on this thread have said they think the Stormfather is talking to Syl, not the Almighty. The Almighty is Tanavast, holder of the Shard Honor. He is dead. We don’t know who the Stormfather is yet, but we do know he forbid Syl to cross over and bond with Kaladin. It is also possible that he is the face in the storm who called Kaladin “child of Tanavast” and warned him that “Odium comes.”
I believe that #9 must be someone who has passed and her body has been soul cast into a statue. She must have been someone important.
@334 :-)
@332 – Interesting thought. If Thunderclasts are stone that needs killing, what does that say about the Shin (specifically, the Stone Shamans, who believe stone is holy and walking on it is an abomination)?
I don’t know about it being storm form…more like stone form. I just feel like storm form will be more…stormy.
That being said, I still agree that Voidbringers have something to do with stone, so we’ll see.
@339 Wow, I didn’t connect it that way! The Stone Shamans are creeping me out more and more. What did Szeth mean when he casually tossed out that they would come and retrieve his Blade from whoever killed him?? You don’t just take a Shardblade (or whatever it is) from someone!
@341 – I actually had a thought about that not too long ago: There has been speculation that Szeth’s blade is actually an Honorblade, not just a Shardblade.
If that’s the case, it’s worth noting that Honorblades behave opposite to Shardblades when their owners are killed – instead of falling to the ground to be picked up by whoever just killed Szeth, the Blade would return to wherever it goes (Spiritual Realm, possibly?). That means that they wouldn’t necessarily expect themselves to be able to reclaim the Blade through force, but rather through going to the same place the Blade goes and retrieve it that way. Not quite as militaristically terrifying as the straightforward assumption, but creepy in its own fashion nonetheless.
My very first impression was that the Thunderclasts were the Voidbringers. Part of me still clings to that idea despite the fact that nobody else in the fandom seems to think they are.
@317 Harry 31j97: as brought up by @334 JennB, Stormfather is not the Almighty. He is the one, who spoke to Kaladin, when the bridge man had the dream that he was flying over Roshar. Somewhere, I believe, it says that Stormfather is the hearld Jezerezeh.
As far as our woman turned to fine stone – a number of possible.
?. My first thought was it could be a light eyed female killed in the conflict. We were told that often the highborn are soulcasted into statues.
?. I rather like the idea of Shalash changing because of all the works of art that she has defaced.
?. I guess it could be Eshonai’s appearance after her sister? finds a way to change her into the final form. Although these Parashendi are so different, it is hard to understand what they can and cannot do. For example, when they become Shardbearer
@342 Huh, I don’t know because it specifically says… “after which Shin Stone Shamans would recover it from whomever had killed him.” (my ebook states this as pg 448)
So could it just not work for Szeth like it did the Heralds? When the Heralds left their Blades in the Prelude, they didn’t disappear. My thought is that the Honorblades remained bonded to the Heralds even after they died, because they weren’t really…dead. They would return come the next Desolation. Once the Heralds gave up their Blades and broke the bond, perhaps that would open the Blades up for someone new to claim them – just as though they were normal Shardblades.
Despite all that, I like the idea of them recovering the Blade from wherever it is that Blades go when they vanish. That definitely is creepy enough! What do the Shin know that we don’t and what is up with stone?!
@314 Risley … Yes anyone who wants to participate can do so. Just fill out a card or take a picture of yourself with WOR and send me a copy. I hope to set up a dropbox tonight so that people can just post their stuff but I am not there yet. I will print out your card/photo and will include it in the album.
@343 I definitely think it’s suspicious that everyone ignores the thunderclasts. I don’t personally think they are Voidbringers, although no one ever outrightly says otherwise (come to think of it, it’s a little suspicious that the word “Voidbringer” isn’t used at all in the Prelude), but they were pretty important if one of the main purposes of Shardblades were to kill these things!
Second try. Somehow, I released that comment too soon. Back to my remarks about the woman, whose skin was turned to fine stone.
?. I guess it could be Eshonai’s appearance after her sister? finds a way to change her into the final form. Although these Parashendi are so different, it is hard to understand what they can and cannot do. For example, when they become Shardbearer, what does their armor growing skin turn into? If they are related to the voidbringers, they might be able to do many things out of stone. Were not the voidbringers able to pull huge beasts out of the stoney ground, to fight for them.
Interesting, but way too soon to make a valid guess.
@342jeremyguebert
I am trying to figure out how this would be possible. Taln has his Honorblade and the other 9 are bonded to the surviving Heralds. If breaking the Oathpact destroyed the bond, then perhaps Szeth could have bonded one of the 9 abandoned Honorblades. I think there are two possible scenarios for Szeth to be bonded to an Honorblade.
The most likely (in my opinion) is that once the Oathpact was broken, the Honorblades behave like any other Shardblade when the owner drops them (they disappear) or dies (they appear). So if Szeth dies, the Stone Shamen would have to take the blade by force from the person who has claimed it. Szeth does not seem to doubt they could do it.
The other scenario is what you are describing. In this scenario, though, Szeth would have most likely had to become part of the Oathpact to bond the Honorblade. That means upon his death he would be sent to Damnation to be tortured until the next Desolation and the blade would go to Shadesmar to await his return. He would be a Herald. This does not seem likely to me, but it certainly is not impossible.
@317, the reason for the conjecture that ‘Honor’ is the speaker of the “little traitor” glimpse is Sanderson’s use of caps in writing his words, and the concluding phrase “I am sorry”. Both were used in earlier apparent ‘appearances’ of Honor in the highstorm visions of Kaladin and Dalinar, and are presumably left as hints to the identity of the speaker. The fact that Honor tells Dalinar at the conclusion of the last WOK vision that he is dead means only that his physical form, Tanavast, has been killed by Odium. As an immortal, he remains in the spiritual if not also in the conceptual realms envisaged by Sanderson. The highstorm visions of Dalinar and Kaladin would then be a manifestation of their temporary entrance into the spiritual realm (not Shadesmar). A parallel would be ‘Preservation’ in the Mistborne trilogy who has lost his body, Leras, but still has a presence in that world (Scadrial) in the form of powerful mists.
As to the last ‘glimpse’, I doubt that it refers to a Parshendi in Storm form since it describes the figure as a woman turned into living stone. Parshendi are not human and their gender descriptions are ‘malen’ and ‘femalen’ – not men and women. Rather, it would appear to refer to some human female. While Soulcasting can turn a body into stone, I doubt that it could do so with a living person. Instead, I would speculate that the causative agent was Gavilar’s stone that Szeth hid somewhere in Jah Keved. It may describe the aftermath of the finding of the stone and it’s initial consequences, intended or not. The stone may have the unique property of being able to turn people to stone and to reverse the process. If correct, this speculation may account for the horror the Parshendi felt at the revelation by Gavilar of such ability. If the statues of the Heralds in his palace can be revivified, as appears to have been the case with Shalash, then they fear that such an event would precipitate the return of their old gods, the Voidbringers.
@345 & 349 – The speculation about Szeth having an Honorblade is primarily based on some pre-release segments of WoR, specifically the proglogue, where Jasnah overhears a conversation about how someone “has my lord’s own blade”, as well as the Eshonai interlude, where there’s an implication that possessing an Honorblade confers upon its owner the ability to surgebind in absence of a spren bond. Since we already know (Word of Brandon) that Szeth doesn’t have a spren bond, the conclusion was made that Szeth must have an Honorblade (specifically Jezrien’s, as he was the Herald associated with the Windrunners).
I can’t claim to have come up with that theory on my own, but that’s the argument as I understand it from following the discussions. And I really have no idea of how the Honorblades would behave after the ending of the Oathpact, whether that would affect things or not.
Whichever option turns out to be true, I can say with certainty that the Shin know a whole lot that we don’t yet, and that Szeth’s complete and utter confidence that his Blade can be retrieved makes the Stone Shamans incredibly intimidating.
i think it’s a Radiant in one of Dalinar’s visions, from an Order we have not seen yet
I think it’s what happens to a parshmen/Parshendi corpse that is left out on stony ground. And the smooth cracks are where their skin is marbled.
I’m guessing that #9 refers to a Stone Shaman somehow transforming into stone. A female Shin could easily be refered to as a woman, so it makes more sense to me than a Listener turning into stone.
As for glimpse #9 I think it could easily refer to some minor character being soulcasted into stone–we read in WoK that Jasnah soulcasted a thief directly into crystal and others into flame and smoke.
@343 JennB I too have secretly held to the idea that the voidbringers are the thunderclasts and I still hope to be proved correct, although the sheer volume of people that are on board with Jasnah’s parshmen theory is beginning to overwhelm my resolve
So far, we have seen two things associated with the Voidbinders. We have seen Thunderclasts and Midnight Essence. Additionally, we have Jasnah with the opinion that it is the Parshmen.
I suspect (and we will know one way or another better, after WoR) that the Voidbinders will be Parshendi who are devoted to Odium and Voidbinding. But these Parshendi are distinct from the ones on the Shattered Plains. Additionally, both the Thunderclasts and Midnight Essence will be things they summon or create.
I tend to agree with the theory that the latest glimpse references parshendi in storm form, but viewed from a human perspective. Soulcasting is possible though. Jasnah soulcast four living beings. one into crystal, one into fire, and two into smoke.
Glimpse #9 The wording choice “had hardened” and the qualifier of “like” stone make me think it’s not soulcasting. Soulcasting is rather abrupt, “hardened” doesn’t connote that kind of transformation to me. And soulcasting actually changes the object. So a soulcast body wouldn’t be “like” stone, it would be stone.
As for it being storm form, I’m with Orayelle @340, doesn’t seem stormy to me.
jeremy @339 I always figured the Shin avoidance of walking on stone came from memories (lost or not) of thunderclasts. Not that stone is holy, just that walking on it is unholy and dangerous.
@365: I think Voidbringers are the Parshendi gods, those they don’t want to awaken.
A thought just struck me–We know that the shardblades were createed to fight the voidbringers and the thunderclasts. What if glimpse #9 is the parshendi in stormform (or maybe voidform) which causes them to take on stonelike attributes and can then be affected by the shardblades like inanimate objects.
IMHO, the “living” (statue) adjective precludes the woman being a transformed body/soulcast.
IIRC, in WoK Dalinar also noticed that some of the Parshendi were female – did he refer to them as “women”, does somebody remember?
Of course, it could also be some other human PoV that didn’t yet encounter a Parshendi so far, seeing them for the first time and using human terms to describe them.
Personally, I find the notion that the woman is a stone shaman most intriguing. Maybe the Parshendi thing was a total red herring and Shin are the real voidbringers, wouldn’t it be a hoot? Or, maybe the voidbringers are a diverse group not circumscribed by species and ethnic boundaries. That drunkard’s question to the Aimian in one of the preludes certainly hints at something like that, IMHO.
It could (also?) be one of the hitherto unseen surges (that of a Stoneward?) and/or an ability of another Heraldic blade.
Not related to any of the glimpses here.
What i want to know is (i might have missed something in the book). What happened to Gavilars shardplate and blade? I remember reading Elhokar got his when Dalinar won it in a fight on the plains….
Ok, a little off topic here, but Isiel’s post (363) got me thinking about the Shin. I agree with the fact that maybe the Shin are the real voidbringers.
I’ve always suspected there was some bigger role the Shin were to play. Their ecosystem and culture is too seperated from the rest of Roshar. I mean the on Roshar rainwater is so rich in nutrients and sediments that when the particles accumliate they make stone for all intensive purposes, and in Shinovar walking on stone is a big bad deal. That’d be like swimming being unholy on our Planet. Sure there are a few places with no water, but for the most part, that’s all we have.
And thier culture is so removed and alien to everything else we’ve seen on Roshar. IMHO, they are just as big an unknown as the Parshendi.
And Szeth’s monkier as “Truthless” reminds me of the Cryptics and the spren’s obsession with truth and lies. Perhaps the Stone Shamans have some sort of deal with the Cryptics (could the spren be horading Honorblades?) and ever so often, a member of thier society is singled out as Truthless.
Thanks for tolerating my ramble :-)
Strider @364 – I think they just reverted to the crown, so Elhokar can either give them to someone on a semi-permanent basis, or have them available for training.
#10: “What do you do if the hand is festering, threatening the entire body? Do you wait and hope it gets better, or do you act?”
Kaladin remembering some advice from dear old Dad?
#10
“What do you do if the hand is festering, threatening the entire body? Do you wait and hope it gets better, or do you act?”
A shot at the dark here, but I think this is Sadeas maybe trying to convince someone on the need to kill Dalinar.
“What do you do if the hand is festering, threatening the entire body? Do you wait and hope it gets better, or do you act?”
@368 Agreed!
I’ll go with Kaladin speaking in metaphors.
(Though some part of me still hopes that it’s Kaladin’s father instead — I really want to know what happened to him & if possible to see him on screen.)
@364 there’s actually a discussion about it. It seems strange that no one is using it now. Either a guard to the queen has it, for protection, or maybe Dalinar has it — there was a bit when BS said that he wrote someone fighting with 2 blades in the first draft, and maybe Dalinar has another one?
I expect this one will be a powerful metaphor when we get there, but at the moment, it means little to nothing. We really need the context for this one. (Like, you know, all the other glimpses.)
Not sure who is speaking or to whom they are referring, but I’m fairly sure this talk of the necessity to amputate a festering wound is being used to justify murder of someone.The obvious answer for today’s glimpse is Kaladin, since he’s using a surgical metaphor. However, it could also be someone speaking to Kaladin, putting things in a surgeon’s terms. Sounds like someone contemplating murder- maybe the need to kill Sadeas for working to undermine Dalinar and Elhokar?
My first thought was Kaladin referring to Amaran.
I hadn’t thought of the Kaladin being the speaker. Which seems possible, now that I think about it.
My first gut reaction was that it was Sadeas explaining his actions in regards to abondoning Dalinar to die. The choice of words, IMHO, made the speaker seem quite arrogant. Or it could have been some other Highprince regarding political machinations.
There is no way this is Kaladin. When ever he references something medical it is on how to heal or fix the problem. I believe this is either Sadeas or Adolin.
If this is Sadeas though he is probably speaking to his wife again.
I think it could be Adolin as well trying to convince his father to do something with Sadeas because he is the one really bad apple in the bunch.
Didn’t Moash say he wants to murder someone? He could be rationalizing it to Kaladin.
Back to the discussion about Voidbringers…
It does make sense that if Surgebinders are humans bonded to Cultivationspren and Honorspren that Voidbinders would be humans bonded to Odiumspren. The Parshendi bond to Spren too, so it also makes sense that they could bond to any of the three types of Spren. This would mean that Voidbringers could be human Voidbinders and Parshendi in Voidforms.
@375
‘Tis true; Kaladin is not really the murdering type.
364 – I think what you read was that Dalinor gave a set to the king, but not the set the king wears. I believe Gavilar’s is one of the sets mentioned that the King will loan out for duels.
#10 It could also be Eshonai’s sister trying to convince her that the sormform is needed.
Definitely Kaladin as the speaker. Bet big money on it. It’s a surgeon’s metaphor. My only question is whether the rotting hand is Amaran or Sadeas.
@376 @380
My first instinct was that it was someone rationalizing to Kaladin. He has surgeon’s training so that would be a compelling metaphor to him.
I think the most likely speaker here is Teravingian (sp) – justifying his actions.
I don’t know…talking about a getting rid of a rotten hand in order to prevent death of the body isn’t just a methaphor only surgeons would be familiar with. Pretty sure it gets thrown around in the Bible a couple of time by people who aren’t surgeons.
And any soldier who has been around a battlefield long enough is going to know what happens when a wound festers, and what needs to be done to prevent that rot from spreading.
Not saying that this isn’t Kaladin speaking, because I think it might be; I’m just saying that this type of metaphor isn’t solely related to surgeons, and so I think it could also be someone else.
@382 – ooooo I hadn’t even thought of that…that makes pretty good sense actually!
In any case, whoever is talking seems to be rationalizing a pretty drastic action.
Glimpse #10 Sadeas talking about Dalinar?
@382 – that was my immediate reaction too. Taravangian talking about cleansing someone/something…
I didn’t even consider Kaladin or Dalinar – but in the right context…
And yes, I suspect this will result in an assassination!
@382 – that was my immediate reaction too. Taravangian talking about cleansing someone/something…
I didn’t even consider Kaladin or Dalinar – but in the right context…
And yes, I suspect this will result in an assassination!
Ohh here is a WAG but what if it’s Szeth talking to Kaladin about King T??? This would have to be after Szeth is turned by Kaladin and Co. of course
“I think the most likely speaker here is Teravingian (sp) – justifying his actions.”
This was my first thought as well.
More likely, Taravangian talking about eliminating someone.
And yes, definitely justifying his actions.
My thought was Dalinar reasoning with Kaladin. It sounded like something that could show up in the middle or end of the novel, after finally getting fed up with the ‘children’ and deciding to go take out Sadeas (the hand that has been festering, affecting all of the other armies).
That may just be me projecting my hopes onto the quote though.
Somehow I missed the implications of the surgical metaphor and thought that this sounded like something Dalinar would say.
this glimpse sounds pretty similar to:
“At that moment, Kaladin knew he could kill, if he needed to.
Some people – like a festering finger or a leg shattered beyond repair – just needed to be removed.”
Way of Kings, Ch 41.
so it could be Kaladin…
The identity of Voidbringers is one of key mysteries of the Stormlight series thus far. While Jasnah and Shallan appear satisfied that they are a form of Parshmen, that need not be true. As I see it, there are more likely candidates for those ultimate terrors. One candidate is the Thunderclast mentioned in the prelude. In Dalinar’s vision in a released chapter of WOR, one arose from below the lake bed upon being summoned by a red-eyed spren. An army of those 30 foot rocky monsters would be very formidable. They may also be seen by some, such as Parshendi and Shin, as rocky gods. Another choice are the remaining Aimians who seem to be harmless, but have unusual control over their bodies and have somehow gained the hatred of humans. The hunt for new spren by that Aimian, Axies, in the WOK interlude may be a quest to find the spren that can convert Aimians to Voidbringers. There is a form (Stormform) that can be assumed by Parshendi that may be the putative Thunderclasts, but is more likely a powerful form that may compel subservience to the Voidbringers. In the prelude, Kalak notes pools of red, orange, and purple blood on the battlefield. Red is human, orange is Parshendi/Parshmen, and purple is from a crustacean-like beast akin to the Chasmfiends.
The identity of Voidbringers is one of key mysteries of the Stormlight series thus far. While Jasnah and Shallan appear satisfied that they are a form of Parshmen, that need not be true. As I see it, there are more likely candidates for those ultimate terrors. One candidate is the Thunderclast mentioned in the prelude. In Dalinar’s vision in a released chapter of WOR, one arose from below the lake bed upon being summoned by a red-eyed spren. An army of those 30 foot rocky monsters would be very formidable. They may also be seen by some, such as Parshendi and Shin, as rocky gods. Another choice are the remaining Aimians who seem to be harmless, but have unusual control over their bodies and have somehow gained the hatred of humans. The hunt for new spren by that Aimian, Axies, in the WOK interlude may be a quest to find the spren that can convert Aimians to Voidbringers. There is a form (Stormform) that can be assumed by Parshendi that may be the putative Thunderclasts, but is more likely a powerful form that may compel subservience to the Voidbringers. In the prelude, Kalak notes pools of red, orange, and purple blood on the battlefield. Red is human, orange is Parshendi/Parshmen, and purple is from a crustacean-like beast akin to the Chasmfiends.
Okay, it’s easier to post logged in, why didn’t I do it earlier?
@394-5: Weren’t Thunderclasts big stone monsters, a bit like the Greatshells Alethi hunt for gemhearts? They may have had some nasty abilities as well.
@399 Yes the thunderclasts were big stone monsters, but we don’t know much about them other than that they are created by red-eyed spren and that they were involved in the desolation in the prologue
What is the glimpse for today?
I can’t find it anywhere in my email.
@401 – Glimpses show up at Noon – eastern time. So another hour and fifteen minutes to go!
KSPJ @@@@@ 401
Usually doesn’t happen until 12 noon.
Edit: Looks like Hungry_For_Hands beat me to it.
#11
“Dalinar knelt beneath a fracturing sky, holding his son.”
Adolin?
Renarin?
Either way, sounds pretty ominous
Glimpse #11:
Dalinar knelt beneath a fracturing sky, holding his son.
Ouch.
Yessss we made it to this Glimpse! I’ve been waiting so long!
Hoping it just a “wounded son”, or for balance, or something!
Not death.
But that storm sky does not sound good…
@407, Carl — Do you have all of them listed already?! How much are you going to torment us?
My first thought is that it indicates either Renarin or Adolin dies. However – that would be a pretty big thing to leak. Hopefully they are just trying to freak us out. And, it’s working!
“Dalinar knelt beneath a fracturing sky, holding his son”
…. Renarin or Adolin? Is it a loving embrace? A farewell? Is he holding a dead or dying body? The fact that Dalinar is kneeling indicates that his ‘son’ is at least wounded. Yikes.This glimpse piqued my curiousity more than those of this past week have.
I hate you tor . . . I really do . . . give me more!
I’d be willing to bet that the son in question is not dead or dying. However, I’m afraid for other members of his extended “family”.
Navani? Jasnah?
That was awesome. I did a double take. I want to know which chapter this is becaus if I don’t this will be in the back of my mind distracting me through every other chapter. I may copy and paste and do a search in my ebook break the cardinal rule and skip ahead to clear my mind.
My guess is a vision or a dream. I can’t see them releasing this as a glimpse if Adolin or Renarin actually died… but maybe they are that cruel!
NEVER DOUBT MY CRUELTY
#11
If this is what it appears to be Tor, you gave us too much. :(
But, I somehow doubt it. :)
Could he be having another vision? Maybe he’s holding “his son” from one of the past lives he views during high storms. Hope nothing has happened to Renarin or Adolin!
Carl, I for one would never doubt your cruelty.
But if Adolin or Renarin dies, I’m going to blame it on you rather than Sanderson, now.
Maybe someone else in the family is starting to develop visions as well?
@418 Aww, that’s so sweet, thank you!
I agree with everyone in the “Dalinar during a vision” camp.
Carl@415 – Oh, I would never doubt it. And, you’ll never let us forget about it… :-)
Raindan@417 – That’s a pretty good guess, and just the type of fake out that Carl/Tor/Peter could pick/allow to toy with our emotions.
But, if you combine this Glimpse with Alice/Wetlander’s Reflections, it’s easy to think the worst instead.
I’m really hoping this is a fake out.
No! If Renarin dies I’ll be upset… Adolin too, but not so much. This had better be a highstorm vision!
This glimpse made my heart stop for a second or two.
I hope this is just one of the boys going under some type of vision, but my eternal pessimist sees this as a worst case senerio and as being a major character development for the other brother Which also, might add a nice duality to Kaladin’s loss of his younger brother.
What a glimpse to get the weekend going!
At face value, this seems like too big of a spoiler. It has to be a trick. Tor has really drawn out this wait and made it much worse than it otherwise would be. I guess it’s my fault for participating. I sure wish March 4 would get here so this can be over and done with.
Carl@415… We hate you… in a fond sort of way, of course. :) And my thoughts about this glimpse are that it may be a near death experience that prompts an ideal and an unlocking of Radiant powers, kinda like what happened to Lift. But I could be wrong… :)
Wouldn’t it be something if Amaram turned out to be Dalinar’s bastard son. A lot has changed in Dalinar’s life for the better. That could be another regret that haunts him.
I remember hearing that Adolin was a late addition to the cast, and Renarin was initially going to be an only child. My guess is Adolin outlived his purpose from book 1 (giving a mirror to Dalinar while he thinks he’s going insane) and is dying now.
I hope it’s not true, but it fits…
I believe this could be a flashback to the event that led Dalinar to seek out and bargain with the Nightwatcher. Particularly since the bargain involves a curse (in his case, not remembering his wife), which would balance out – losing one loved one to save another.
@427 This is my favorite theory yet.
I had literally just read the Reflections of Radiance spoiler free reactions thread and immediately thought of this:
“I found it quite painful to read this—his mind flickering between the little flashes of memory, the battle going on around him… and then “Move. Grieve later. Move!”—to the reader, almost as much as to the character—you can’t stop here! And I loved his obedience to his own command.
(I was disagreeing with other beta readers here, some of whom felt that we didn’t know enough for this to hurt as much as it should. Obviously I felt I did…)”
Boom. Renarin dies, hence the “…some of whom felt that we didn’t know enough for this to hurt as much as it should…” I know Renarin has a small but dedicated fan base, which would explain why 1) Dalinar is holding his son beneath a fractured sky, 2) the bulk of this reaction, and 3) the disparity between beta readers reactions to whatever this scene was.
I would have to hope that Brandon doesn’t cross the line of killing off main characters. When you really look at it even GRRM doesn’t do that. We can take a look at what we have seen of Dalinar’s sons. I have seen a lot of character growth in Adolin makes his death unlikely. I am not as clear about seeing growth in Renarin, however I do know that Wit/Hoid was pushing him earlier in the book. I find his death unlikely as well.
What are the chances that Dalinar has a son that he or we don’t know about yet?
I think we’re all over panicking a little bit here. I like taking wild shots in the dark based on what I think the storyline might be to see how close I get.
I think the fracturing sky symbolized the coming of a high storm. So what if Adolin or Renarin is incapacitated and outside without shelter (possibly left outside on purpose by a nefarious character) and Dalinar just got there as the storm is beginning.
Could this be where we see Dalinar’s abilities, could he have special abilities with high storms, control, redirection etc.
Wow, this is the first glimpse or preview to seriously give me major chills. My off the cuff prediction: Adolin dies, and this is how we get Shallan matched up with the much more appropriate Renarin. Kaladin then recieves (or at least gets offered) Adolin’s blade and plate.
It doesn’t have to be negative. Maybe he is holding his son after a duel in which he finally defeats Sadeas or after his wedding?
Reading everybody’s guesses makes me feel a bit better, but I really think Tor crossed the line on this one. Even if it is a trick, it implies something that would be a major plot point. I am fine with characters dying, but I want to read about that death in context. If this is a spoiler for one of those deaths, I will be pissed. If it isn’t a spoiler for a death of a major character, then it still was done in very poor taste.
JennB @436 – I can’t guarantee you’ll feel differently when you’ve read the scene, but if they’d asked my opinion, I’d definitely have approved the inclusion of this glimpse.
Or maybe I’m just cruel that way.
Another thought…. “fracturing sky” is a rather interesting choice of words. My initial thought was some sort of storm, but two other possibilities come to mind.
1. A Lightweaving illusion? Perhaps Jasnah asks Shallan to demonstrate her ability to Dalinar / Adolin and she projects an image of a shattering sky?
2. A painted ceiling? Perhaps one of the domes has a night scene painted on it and the roof collapses.
Quick, help me think up other ideas that DONT involve a son’s death! Damn you Carl!
I’d prefer not to get such glimpses… I’m already on the verge of throwing the book across the room, and I haven’t even got it.
And I agree, this can’t or rather musn’t mean that one of his sons dies. If I wanted that, I’d pick up GRRM.
Maybe it’s Renarin, suffering another bout of weakness, and Dalinar holds him, until he recovers. There is no mention of a battlefield at least.
Can someone please tell me if Sanderson has ever acknowledged whether a person can be bonded to multiple spren. Because if this is so then there are a myriad of possibilities.
@432
Spoilers, all of ASOIAF:
…Ned? Catelyn? Jon (assuming he actually is dead)?
Those are just the major PoV characters who have died.
Besides them, Renly? Khal Drogo? Robb? Lysa? Viserys? Joffrey? Maester Aemon? Tywin Lannister? Kevan Lannister? Oberyn & Quentyn Martell? Robert Baratheon? Arys Oakheart (small PoV)?
End spoilers
I keep trying to tell myself that Brandon is just trying to fake us all out when he suggests major characters could die, and have their flashbacks later, but now I am starting to worry more.
I don’t seem him competing with GRRM, but it might get closer than we care. Getting to know them better before they die might not make it any easier to see them go. We might lose a lot of our favorites.
Just as long as it isn’t Kaladin.
Wetlandernw @437
I really do not think Brandon would have allowed the Glimpses to spoil a character’s death, so I am trying not to be too angry. I felt better after venting though. :-)
I’m now in the it’s from a “vision” camp.
Maybe a vision from one of the original Desolations.
@@@@@ Carl & Wet: We love you. We hate you right now.
And do not doubt you ability to taunt.
Oh, a please check out my comment on today’s Con or Bust reminder.
For those who don’t think Brandon would off a major character for the purpose of telling a good story, I’d encourage you to read or reread some of his other fantasy novels/series.
Having said that, I still am leaning towards this Glimpse being a serious fake out.
Shinowa@427 – I like the Amaram as bastard son thing, but I would think that at least Gavilar would have known, and there’s no way that Gavilar would have tried to hook up Amaram with Jasnah.
Of course (to argue the other side) maybe Gavilar didn’t know, but Jasnah and Amaram did. Maybe that’s why Jasnah stated “it (Gavilar’s dream pairing of Jasnah and Amaram) would never happen” and Amaram met Jasnah’s eyes, then walked away in the Prologue of WoR. Possibilities, possibilities…
@446 Yeah. Anyone who believes BS won’t kill off a main character, I recommend you go back and reread other series. Mistborn in particular stands out as a great example.
@446. I know he isn’t above killing his main characters. I read Mistborn before Elantris, and so I was really considering to not finish Elantris for fear of losing the main characters. …
But it’s still so early in the series, and as long as I haven’t read it black on white, I can still hope.
I know the book is finished and printed, but if too many readers complain, maybe he could change it for the ebook ;) – typo correction, so to speak.
In trying to figure out #11 I have visions of Carl as Vizzini from The Princess Bride, “Well there’s no way that Tor would spoil something so big as a major character dying so don’t worry about it. BUT, knowing that we would think that Tor wouldn’t spoil something like Dalinar’s son dying; Tor would spoil something like a major character dying…”
and so on….
My head hurts
I don’t think it’s one of Dalinar’s visions. He’s never had anybody from the present day appear in his visions before. I’m with travyl @440 (partially), I think that Dalinar is rescuing Renarin after he has a fit. Perhaps in doing so, Dalinar uncovers some Words of Radiance and causes the fracturing sky. Maybe he transports Renarin through Shadesmar. Would its sky be described as fractured?
Oh Carl. Someday we should get together for a cackling session.
438. Hungry_For_Hands
Another possibility could be one of his sons are skybreakers? we don’t know much about that order. Maybe he used too much Stormlight and is just exhausted and tired? I wouldn’t mind the Kholin boys becoming Knight Radiance…
I’m a believer that Adolin is on the way to becoming a member of the unnamed order of KR headed by Kalak, who have the surges of transportation and the unknown surge. My reasoning for this is mainly that Adolin fell into ironstance during his duel, and the essence associated with Kalak is metal.
What if this scene relates to a badly injured son, but we find out who has regrowth here (I.e they get healed)?
I think we will see main characters killed at some point, but I don’t think it will be adolin or renarin just yet!
@429 – I’ll go a step further. I don’t think anything is wrong with the son. It’s an embrace where they are supporting each other as something else is happening. Maybe both are having visions or something. But, I allude to your comment because my first thought on seeing the email was, “highstorm vision or his wife just died, probably the latter.” It’s a flashback to her death and the sky is fracturing as his memories are already leaving him.
Now, someone just needs to dig into WoK to point out where this is clearly shown not to have been the circumstances surrounding the curse.
@451- Not cool Peter…. not cool.
smintitule @453 – You are not alone.
The flashbacks belong to Shallon in this book, so any guesses that this is happening in a flashback sequence are (unfortunately) wishful thinking. As far as visions go, Dalinar did have a daughter in one of his visions, but he always referred to her as “the girl”. I think that this scene has to be present time.
Hey guys, do you think Shallan’s dad and the Ghost Bloods turned her in to a voidbringer? That’s why she killed all them people?
Carl, you are such a Gremlin. :-)
After the spending the last 4 1/2 hours reading everything I could find on Renarin and Adolin I believe this glimps refers to Renarin and he is quite dead in my mind. I bet this was some kind of battle maybe not an expected one but likely a major one and it happens on the Shattered plains. It isn’t helpful to speculate on imposibilities so I won’t accept anymore theories supporting this as a “Vision”. Adolin is the character with a future not Renarin. I like the guy but I believe the other characters will need his death to push them in the right direction and besides everybook needs to off a favorite character in order to really touch the readers. Adolin will probably be officially identified as another KR hopeful like Shallan, Jasnah, Elhokar, Lift and Ym.
I wish tor made a video chat room for this book so we could all debate faster and I would like to see what other fans of BS look like since I only know 3 including myself.
@461 I’m tempted to think along those same lines. Renarin’s death would also give Adolin a very neat parallel to Kaladin; either pushing them into conflict or friendship.
This made me think of Shadesmar as well. Perhaps Dalinar is retrieving one of his sons from the Cognitive Realm. With Renarin’s physical weakness he seems to be the most likely candidate. Our previous glimpse of this realm makes it seem physically taxing to the inexperienced. I can see Dalinar holding an unconscious Renarin in relief.
Personally, I am hopeful that it was a vision.
@461 rbnguevara–no need for a video chat room. You can just imagine me as the most amazing physical specimen in the USAF and you won’t be far off ;-)
I will disagree on Renarin dying. I think that Wit/Hoid paid way too much attention to him to have him just be a literary device that will unite the other characters when he dies. I’m still hopeful that none of the main characters will die this early in the series and we are all taking the glimpse too far out of context. Which, now that I think about it, is kind of the point of this whole experiment.
This last glimpse was intended to be vague enough to rile people up. I’m not convinced it is a negative glimpse; though I do believe Adolin will die sometime in the next two books.
I want to know what are the most important words a man can say. I forgive you? I’m sorry? My conscience is clear?
Make that into a glimpse even if it takes 10 books for Dalinar to say them I’m sure Sanderson knows them.
Everybody seems to be forgetting that Alethi marriage ceremonies require the groom’s father kneeling on the ground while his son balances on his shoulders. This glimpse is obviously from when Renarin accidentally Skybreaks during Adolin’s wedding to Shallan, inducing Shallan to marry Renarin instead.
The battle that ensues between Renarin and Adolin to be held by Dalinar is truly epic! Adolin loses because Shallan soul casts the ground under him into a chair, and light weaves Star Wars for him, distracting him while the ceremony proceeds with herself and Renarin. Adolin goes on in life single, but learns the secret of being at peace with the force.
@465 ah well being that I am in The Army I will avoid any attempt at a mental image.
@466 That was deep, forgiveness would be pretty important on all sides Parshendi included. So how would it effect Odium if both sides just said I’m done fighting I forgive you and then went to live happily ever after.. Just saying.
Dalinar and one of his sons are caught outside by a highstorm. Dalinar says goodbye to his son because he thinks with his visions he has no chance to reach a safe place before the storm really starts. His son discovers his Radiant powers and saves them.
Let us leave room for the fact the Hoid – as others have mentioned his attention to Renarin – may have been paying such attention to Renarin, because Hoid knew what lay ahead. Hoid: “Dalinar, wake up and pay attention to your son while you still have him.”
Edit: Not that I’m saying it is a foregone conclusion that this “Glimpse” is even about Renarin.
it can’t be Adolin dying because BS said he would do a flashback book about him.
Goradel @475 – Brandon also said that we should not assume someone is still alive, just because they’re going to get a flashback book.
@472. Can you please quote the Chapter you are refering to. I have been looking over every chapter with Dalinar and Wit speaking to each other and have found no such comment. If in fact this statement exisits I would use it to support my theory that Renarin will die and Wit is simply warning Dalinar that he should spend more time with him before then. Wit doesn’t seem to be prophetic in anyway since all his information comes from knowledge of the present not any foresight. He also has knowledge of Tumors which he mentions to Dalinar in Ch22. I think that he may have knowledge of what the actual blood sickness is that ails Renarin.
#12
Definitely Shallan speaking to Renarin, guess he learned to use Dalinar’s plate and the Blade Adolin got him in that duel.
Didn’t know we got weekend glimpses! Today’s (#12): “Prince Renarin, would you kindly slay this rock for me?”
I didn’t know Renarin and Adolin were considered princes, but Dalinar is in line to inherit if Elhokar dies, right?
Anyway, based on the slightly taunting tone, I’d guess either Wit (if meant in jest), or Sadeas (if mocking) is asking Renarin to use his shardblade on some unsuspecting wee boulder. I wonder if this could be in response to warnings about thunderclasts?
Today’s glimpse doesn’t seem to have as many teeth as yesterday’s lol.
That being said, my inner ear read this as a female talking to Renarin. But I’m not sure it’s Shallan. I just don’t see her ending up with anyone but Adolin. The dynamic between the two is strong and they both seem to have a lot to teach one another.
Back to yesterday’s glimpse, am I the only one who thinks that Dalinar may die only to have one of his sons take on his mission? Most likely Adolin since he is most like his father was back in the “good ole days” when Dalinar was a drunken, glory seeking, brawler? And that this glimpse is him being able to hold one his sons for the last time?
Heh. This is one of my favorite lines in the book.
(Okay, one of… several. But there are some awesome one-liners to be had.)
jasnah talking to renarin using it as a demostration to shen to show his religion as nonsense
I read the latest glimpse in a couple of ways. Could be either Shallan or Wit (damn I hope wit comes back).
The other thing I am suspicious about (and this makes me think it is wit speaking)… This could refer to renarin using his shardblade, or could the person asking know or suspect renarin has a surge that can kill it e.g. Maybe he is a dustbringer? To other parties listening, they might assume the question is about his shardblade, but maybe there is something deeper? And this makes me think wit/hoid (naturally)…
Side note: does renarin remind anyone else of tien, just a little bit?
I tend to agree with the guess that it is Wit speaking to Renarin, especially in light of wetlanders comment about it being a favorite one liner. My guess is that Sadeas finally goes too far, but the Thunderclast in disguise theory is cool too.
By the way does anyone know what’s going on with fixing the problem that keeps some people from getting the daily glimpses? I’ve signed up four times any emailed the webmaster twice, and still nuthin
It does have a very Wit-like feel about it. I’m very curious about what would lead to that. Renarim isn’t the first person I would go to for the slaying of anything.
@481 Wetlandernw. One of your favorite lines. Okay. I do not know you very well, but so far, you do not sound like a person, who would get a great deal of joy out of a tragic situation. So maybe the younger son, now a full shard bearer, but with zero fighting experience is suffering through lessons of how to battle. We have seen his father attack the stones that an opposing shardbearer stood upon, so maybe someone decided that was a good place to start the son’s lessons..
#12 seems like a Shallan line to me. Some innocent teasing perhaps as Renarin struggles to learn how to wield a shardblade or use a radiant power. It could even be their meet-cute.
Alerie @487 – Obviously I can’t say much about it, but in context I found it absolutely delightful. It made me giggle. Which… in context might also be kind of strange, but that’s the way I reacted.
Maybe someone figured out Shallan has a shardblade?
@489 makes me think Shallan and Renarin are in the midst of battle. Which would be awesome.
rbn @@@@@ 477
So so sorry. I meant that quote as a for instance. Will not post like that again. Sorry
rbn @@@@@ 477
So so sorry. I meant that quote as a for instance. Will not post like that again. Sorry
@493 Don’t sweat it. Gave me something to research for a few hours. my wife says I may be obsessed but what else is a guy to do when your bed-
ridden for 2 weeks.
Thanks. It would have been nice to have been bed-ridden starting March 4. Hope it is not to serious. Get well soon.
Glimpse #13:
“Stupid move, putting yourself in my hands. Everyone knows I like to set things on fire and watch them burn.”
Navani to Dalinar.
Pyromaniacs on Roshar!!
Yeah, no informed idea who this could be. Could be linked to the events at the end of Chapter 6. Could be Wit at his… wittiest.
Nan Balat likes to pull things’ legs off and watch them squirm, but I don’t think this is him. I think he would be more ashamed and less proud of his actions.
Tarvangian set a pretty big fire and is watching it burn, but he acts as if it is a necessary evil not an enjoyable spectacle.
The smugness in this comment sounds like Sadeas to me though. I wonder what horrible thing he has done?
“Everyone knows I like to set things on fire.” We don’t know anybody like that yet, do we? I can only think of Navani setting fire to the Justice glyph, but that doesn’t seem to fit.
Someone talking to Szeth? He’s the character that can best be “put in someone’s hands”, and could be very easily use (is being used?) to set a fire.
#13
sorry no clue either, though it does have the smugness of Sadeas, but don’t believe it is him
Maybe it’s just a fun quote from an area of minor import. The food researching ardent to the spren researching ardent perhaps. He burned one of his experimental dishes and she still had to eat it. :)
This sounds like Baxil’s mistress from one of the interludes in Way of Kings. With her tendency to destroy things…
Dustbringer?
Setting things on fire and watching them burn – my guess is it is not meant literally. They could mean they like throwing fire on a situation – and watching the results.
Holy Spark Spren! Batman – The Joker is attacking Roshar!
Interlude- unrelated to anyone we have meet yet.
Does not sound like a nice person however.
Jasnah? She did set those dudes on fire, didn’t she?
Gut feeling says Jasnah, whom we HAVE seen set one of the muggers on fire (or rather, turned him into flame). But that may be too obvious.
Wetlander, anything you want to tell us about the context for this one?
Also, 9 days to the Desolation! We are almost there!
Would be nice if there were a way to delete repeated posts. Alas.
Is there anyway to edit a comment once it has been submitted?
Ummm…. not really, no. :) It was a good scene, though.
@@@@@ 516 Wetlandernw. Just wondering. One board that I frequent, has an edit key, which allows you to go back and make corrections or additions. You still can’t do much with double postings, except to change the words.
As far as today’s glimpse, I agree with. @@@@@498. KadesSwordElanor – That we are listen to what Dalinar.
Well, it did it to me again. I didn’t think that I pressed the post button.
Back to what I was trying to say. I agree with @498. Navani to Dalinar. Navani has been working very hard at lighting the fire under Dalinar. Not a real fire, the fire of his emotions.
There it did it to me again, and then lost my follow up comment.
I agree with @498 KadesSwordElanor. Navani to Dalinar. Navani has been working very hard at lighting a fire under Dalinar. Not a real flame, but the emotional flame of his love.
AlerieCorbray @514
Look under your name on any of your posts, there are a bunch of links. The very last one says EDIT. If you click on that, you can edit your post. It will not allow you to delete the post itself, but you can change or delete the actual text.
If you can’t delete them, then how did 515 and 517 disappear? Did Wet give something away and the mods had to get involved?…and I missed it? Where’s that Wayback Machine…wait, no…. We all want a Wayforward Machine… Somebody stop me I’m going crazy!!
@521 JennB: thank you. The rules are similar to the other board. I figured out that I need to leave mobile, for the full version in order to see the edit key. I see as well the basic format in under line, cross out, and bold as well are available here.. And maybe the white font for spoilers, not that I know anything that this very smart group has not figured out. :)
Thank you very much.
Sadeas to Dalinar in the wake of the tower massacre? I know it was in tWoK but only thing that resonates so far…
Hmm…This sounds suspiciously like something Carl would say…Carl are you pranking us by putting in random thoughts of your own between the actual glimpses of the book?
I also think it will be Navani to Dalinar with the symbolic fire of love.
@520 & 498, I just don’t see these lines as a metaphorical for passion.
But I guess we will find out who is right soon.
@522, rcc: Sometimes comments get deleted, or I’m wondering if some glitch happens in the edit process.
Sometimes I write a comment, but rather than posting, Tor.com takes me to the “see latest comments” thread for everything.
As of 10:00 am, Feb. 24; the thread says there are 489 comments, yet we see there are over 530.
On other threads comments can be deleted by the Mods for content issues, but I had not seen much flaming or negative responses here.
What I found out this weekend was that on my version of the mobile app was that signed in commenters showed up in Red, but non-signed in commenters showed as Black. (No, I don’t use this sight much on my phone.) But that totally destroys the GRRM thread joke of “Taking the Black.” Sigh…
#14 The souls of the people he had murdered lurked in the shadows. They whispered to him. If he drew close, they screamed.
So Szeth is the easy answer.
But what if this is someone not so obvious? Maybe Amaram? Maybe someone else?
The obvious answer here is Szeth since King T has other people do the actual cutting. However I am going to go with Dalinor because of how the “thrill” left him in the last book.
Sounds like Szeth for sure.
But maybe… Gaz????
Maybe Gaz?
#14: The souls of the people he had murdered lurked in the shadows. They whispered to him. If he drew close, they screamed.
Szeth???
**Whoops should’ve pressed F5 before posting since this was already up!**
Hey commenters. There’s been some wondering recently about the large number of deleted comments in this thread. Those are mostly spam. Since this is the biggest active comment thread on the site right now, a lot of “people” have decided to target y’all with handbags and porn. We’re doing our best to keep your speculative experience free of opportunities for shopping or porn. Enjoy!
“The souls” works well for Szeth since many of his murders are done with shard/honor blade. Perhaps this Karsa Orlong style of being chained to those you have killed (Malazan reference) is what happens to souls that are burned out.
Thanks Carl!
@539 Malazan fist-bump. WITNESS
Oh, it’s totally Szeth. I just finished my own reread of WoK and there were plenty of mentions about how he was hearing souls screaming in the shadows. The story has already established him as losing it mentally (for now) so why would another character start displaying the same characteristics?
And speaking of seeing things in the shadows, Elhokar is seeing Cryptics like Shallan does. I wonder if the broken crystals in his shardplate way back when were a result of him doing something with his nascent powers? Is he a soulcaster as well, since that ability appears tied to Shadesmar along with the Cryptics?
@538 “handbags and porn” – at the same time? Never have seen that before….
The lurking shadows could indicate Gaz, but I agree the context more fits to Szeth. It still doesn’t feel right though. What about a Herald? Taln or maybe Darkness, who goes around killing Surgebinders?
It could also be another unknown Interlude-character and this is the effect of the Nightwatcher’s curse as compensation for a boon to be able to fight & kill better.
I was just thinking it could be Shallan, wasn’t that her secret at the end of TWoK? This is also her flashback book. Too many options.
szeth, after he died.
or kaladin in one of his moods.
@546 I don’t think Kaladin believes he has murdered anyone. Has he killed? Yes but not murdered. Also, the killings he did at the end of TWoK saw him remorseful on his need to kill such an honorable foe as the Parshendi in order to save dishonorable light-eyes and their dark-eyed soldiers.
RobMRobM
You must not have been to the shady parts of the net. “Handbags & Porn” has its own genre. ;)
Among the p0ssibilities for the protagonists of Glimpse #13 are Jasnah speaking to Shallan. While this conjecture doesn’t speak well for Jasnah, even if she wasn’t serious, it would not be out of character. There is an arrogance and vindictiveness in her character as manifested most clearly in her enticing and killing those 4 would-be attackers in WOK.
Glimpse #14 could be Szeth, who has been desribed in WOK as hearing the screams of his victims, but it may also be Amaram (as @533 has suggested). The idea of approaching the ‘ghosts’ of the murdered only to have them scream introduces a new element not previously reported for Szeth. If it does refer to Amaram, it would indicate a partially redeeming feeling of guilt on his part. The key to his character, however, would be how he reacts to the presence and status of Kaladin whom he had consigned to slavery.
I’m throwing in with the people who say that #14 is Szeth.
The “shadows” thing could imply Gaz, too, but I’m thinking Szeth, since I think Gaz is a goner.
It seems obvious that #14 is Szeth, but the more interesting question is what is going on in that scene? What could cause the screams to grow louder “if he drew close”? It could be “the shadows,” obviously, but it could equally be an object referred to earlier in the paragraph. That wording implies he’s examining something, approaching it and withdrawing.
@549. LOL. Sadism and Madison Avenue-ism. Or just look at the typical Dolce & Gabbana outfit.
@@@@@ Carl – Thanks for keeping the list free of spam!
@@@@@549, LOL… want the Like button right now.
Re: Glimpse, Szeth does seem obvious. But are they (Tor.com) going to be that obvious in their previews?
I like the thought of it being Amaram. That he regrets his actions even if he did do it, thinking he was doing something “for the greater good.” There’s a phrase that should strike fear into people.
The Ghostblood we saw in Lift’s preview is also a possibly, but he seemed pretty dedicated to his cause.
@554 – I don’t think that Tor’s ntent is to keep every quote’s speaker a huge secret. So in my mind, I think that it’s entirely possible that they would give us an obvious Szeth quote. Because even if we know this is Szeth, there are still a thousand speculations to be made over context.
When I read this my mind didn’t go to Szeth at all but went straight to Gaz, the in the shadows part is a clear give away, no? I always wondered where his story line would go with all the Bridge men gone. I think this is an update to what’s been happening to Gaz, and I don’t think its going to be good for poor old Gazzy.
Whoa, possible uncovering of something huge. I’m formulating this theory as I’m typing it, so bear with me.
Brandon has said that there’s a disappearance in WoK that he wondered whether the readers would pick up on. A lot of people have speculated that the character in question is Gaz, mainly because he’s a character that disappears and we’re not quite sure what happened to him.
There’s talk of the shadows he fears lurk behind his blind eye–he seems to think that someone or something is watching him.
We also know that Szeth is afraid of the souls of the people that he slaughters coming at him from the shadows.
I wonder if these thoughts, coming at us from two different viewpoints, are meant to show us that this isn’t paranoia, but that there really is something in the shadows. Maybe something in the cognitive realm that is reaching through to the physical realm to impact people that have done some serious wrong. Szeth has been killing all kinds of people with his borrowed honorblade–and I personally believe that shardblades and honorblades slice through the cognitive part of any entity (which explains why they don’t do anything to a person’s body when they’re hit the first time–it’s killing their sense of self, their identity. The second time it slices through their dead body, it no longer has a sense of self, but the individual parts that make up the body have their own cognitive aspects that, when seperated, affect the material in the physical realm as well).
So, back to my thoughts on the shadows lurking. I wonder if powerful thoughts or emotions directed at an individual can grow to affect that individual physically (or even cognitively). Imagine Gaz, who is hated. Thousands and thousands of bridgemen see him as their warden, and they blame him for their suffering. Perhaps the blame that they place on Gaz takes a cognitive form, and reaches Gaz from the cognitive realm, essentially to punish him for the things that he has done.
@557 – I think you’re on the right track with shardblades, but it seems more likely that they reside and sever connections in the spiritual realm, rather than the cognitive realm.
lahutton @@@@@ 542 said Oh, it’s totally Szeth. I just finished my own reread of WoK and there were plenty of mentions about how he was hearing souls screaming in the shadows. The story has already established him as losing it mentally (for now) so why would another character start displaying the same characteristics?
Because it’s not just them losing it mentally! As smintitule is saying, what’s happening to Szeth and Gaz could be caused by the people they have hurt/killed. I like it.
@@@@@Carl Once the book is out, I will say “Too many (non-BWS) words. WITNESS (WoR).” Then I will disappear from the forums until I’m all out of BWS words.
@551 smintitule:
I don’t say glimpse #14 must be Gaz, but Gaz is most likely not a goner, because Brandon more than hinted at the “big secret” of his disappearance and even more because Carl bolded his name in his 10 mintes review of WoK.
@538. Thanks Carl for protecting us from porn and hand bags.
Glimpse #14
I don’t think that this is Szeth. It would be to obvious. He already hears the screams of his victims. I am thinking about King Taravangian. It makes sense that the souls would cry out to him. Remember, not only did he order the killings by draining all blood from the dying and others, but he often drained their blood himself. All, I guess, to obtain a better picture of what is coming. The other indicator that we see in one of the extracts is that he appears to have lost control of his intelligence at least part of the time. Could he have gone to that spren that fixes things. Is it the Nightwatcher? Where you get a boon and a curse. Maybe the boon is that he no longer hears the screams, but he lost control of his mental abilities as a curse.
@557. smintitule. A missing person in A WOK. Well, I doubt that it is Gaz. His disappearance is also too obvious, although, I count it likely we will see him again. He may have been volunteered for a special mission that took him out of sight? I am betting that he is still alive somewhere.
@558
Could definitely be the spiritual realm–I’d say that’s probably where they reside when they aren’t in use (since we don’t see anything in Shadesmar that would make the condensation appear on the blade when it manifests in the physical realm).
I mostly indicated that it’s severing something in the cognitive realm partially because we’re more familiar with the cognitive realm than any of the others, and partially because I like the idea of a blade residing in the spiritual realm, manifesting in the physical realm, and destroying in the cognitive realm. Plus, it’s said that the blades destroy the “soul” of a person–I don’t know how people are manifest in the spiritual realm, but I believe that the “soul,” meaning the essence of a person’s identity, is a person’s cognitive aspect.
I find the “shadows” to be intriguing. There are also a couple of other mentions of shadows that may or may not play into the context of this glimpse. First, Axies is said to have a shadow that stretches toward the light instead of away from it. Second, Jasnah noticed the same thing happening to her in the preview prologue–her shadow was extending toward the stormlight lamps, although it does so intermittently.
And third, the Vashta Narada live in the shadows–STAY OUT OF THE SHADOWS. The Doctor says they’re not safe.
Shallan’s spren speaks! Looks like we’re in Shadesmar.
@569 Not necessarily. Syl speaks in the normal world.
Oclel @570: Yes, but this seems to be Shallan’s spren translating the different “beads of glass” in Shadesmar.
I do find it an exceptional turn of phrase: “interpreting the sphere’s words.”
There’s no reason why Pattern can read, which means that we’re likely to learn more about some way through which the spren (and surgebinders) relate to the stormlight.
Also, the notion of speaking with a “new” voice seems unusual
Definitely in shadesmar, where else would you hear “I am a stick” from a sphere?
Looks like Pattern is similar to Syl, he comes without memories and learns along with Shallan.. does that mean he/she also came without permission?
Must be somewhere in the middle, guessing shallans second visit to shadesmar in the book.
Yep, this one seems pretty cut and dry. Pattern in Shadesmar letting Shallan know that a sphere (one of those beads of “glass”) is telling her that it’s a stick.
Hmmm… But is it a stick? Pattern probably would not be quite so satisfied if it was the truth. Perhaps they have convinced some object to pretend it is a stick.
As Auri might say, it’s bad enough to be a stick, how awful to think you’re a stick, too.
@575 JennB – I so wish I could give your comment a thumbs up :)
smintitule @576: Sad lettuce is sad.
I believe the bead of “glass” reference was in relation to the goblet glass she touched when she entered Shadesmar the first time, therefore the molecules where made of “glass” silicon dioxide… but maybe this time she enters shadesmar next to a piece of wood say on the boat she is traveling on or near a tree… I get the idea that shadesmar is on a molecular level or they shrink down to the size of atoms or something? Wierd idea? But I figure that those that can enter there see things on an atomic level and can chage their chemical composition that allows the transformation in the physical or macro world.
Glimpse 15
Pattern buzzed, speaking with a new voice, interpreting the sphere’s words. “I am a stick,” he said. He sounded satisfied.
Oops,now that I read other peoples posts it makes sense as Shadesmar.
I could be wrong, but I am fairly sure this is Pattern, Shallan’s Spren, speaking.
::He writes while his tongue is pressed firmly against his cheek::
She clutched her had to her chest, losing her balance on the soft bed, falling to her knees on the rumpled blanket. She put one hadn to the side, steadying herself on the nightstand, finges brushing the large glass goblet that sat there.
“What am I?” she whispered. “I’m terrified.”
This is true.
The bedroom transformed around her.
So she touched the goblet as she gave a true answer to the question and then she fell backwards into (shadesmar) an ocean of glass beads from the large crystal goblet that held the three diamond spheres that allowed her to soulcast them into one of the ten essensces, blood….
BYU Radiant@582
This passage is very confusing, but my current understanding is that each bead is the cognitive aspect of a physical object. When Shallon enters Shadesmar, the beads around her represent all the objects near her. One bead is the goblet. The rest are the other objects in the room, such as the table, her chair, the books, etc. Shallon talks to the cognitive aspect of the goblet (the warm voice, not the one that asked her “What are you?”) and it changes for her.
@@@@@ JennB 584 I can definitly see what you are talking about as in this scene she is holding one of the beads in her hand… so it could be one bead one object. If that is the case I wish he would have used another object other than a “large glass goblet” that she soulcast into blood. He then goes on to describe the ocean of beads as beads of glass… but only holding one of them! If he had instead used her nightstand or the anything other than glass it would have been more clear. So we have some confusion in this passage as you say:) Hopefully we can learn more in the WOR, maybe even this glimpse #15 will illucidate the issue.
I cannot properly express my displeasure with tor dot com.
I signed up for the Glimpses of Radiance before it all started, but never received any of the emails. I double checked my spam filter and such, but never found any of the Glimpses.
I started off just reading this thread because someone is usually kind enough to quote each day’s Glimpse, but I quickly tired of messing with it and resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to wait for the book.
I read and enjoyed both of wetlandernw’s posts on the book and the non-spoiler review by Carl. I had been content up until now.
Today, inexplicably, I received Glimpse of Radiance #15 in my inbox!
Why? Why do this to me so close to March 4th?
I now have no choice but to read this thread in its entirety. I cannot be given such a small taste, so close to release date, and do any less.
Goodbye, evening!
Did anyone else get WoR in the mail today? german amazon “screwed” it up again like they did with “A Dance with Dargon”
well, im off to read it :)
@@@@@ Gunar 591
I also got it early
I must say that this thread gave my brain alot to think about.But as long as I get to read other peoples thoughts and speculations thas been a wonderful way to keep myself from going any crazyer than I already am.
Thanks TOR and all of the coments plus BWS.
ive been gone for two weeks and catching up was fun even if I do enjoy crulety to my brain this was grand.I still have to wait til next week.
On a nother noteI still cant get to this thread frome my cell. so thursday afternoon till I see the book will be complete torcher
I’m a little envious of our German friends right now. Several have gotten their books early.
I’m waiting on a signed book from Weller, so betting they will be more accurate about timing the delivery. Guess I have to wait for the eBook!
I can say the book looks really gorgeous :)
red with gold letters on the cover (without the dust sheet)
Re Glimpse 12 (“Prince Renarin, would you kindly slay this rock …”)
Beside the fact that Renarin now has a Shardblade, there is an interessting quote from WOR chapter 1 (prereleased) where Jasnah explains to Shallan about the Radiant’s powers:
“men who could destroy the stones with a touch”
So if this is Hoid speaking, it could mean, that he makes a clever word-play, hinting at Renarin’s hidden surgebinding-ability while presumably conveying a second meaning, as he did with Kaladin and him stealing stormlight….
Gunar @591
I haven’t got it yet, but amazon proclaimed I would have it in my mailbox on friday. And with you already having yours, I’m starting to seriously hope that I will have it for the weekend.
#16 “I knew it. When we have this figured out, the king of all Herdaz, he will say to me, ‘Lopen, you are glowing, and this is impressive. But you can also fly. For this, you may marry my daughter.'”
Going out on a limb here, but I think Lopen is talking.
Thoughts?
I’m on Team Lopen.
I’m thinking that Kaladin has learned to affect his own spiritual gravity and can now levitate, if not quite yet fly.
And Lopen is being Lopen
So…Kaladin has finally discovered the Basic Lashing?!
How awesome if poor Lopen became a surgebinder lol. I doubt that’s the meaning behind this but it WULD. Be adorable
I hope nothing happens to Lopen. He’s so much fun to have around.
But how would Lopen be glowing and flying? Do you think others of Bridge 4 have started manifesting abilities at this point and they really can teach it in a way? Maybe it’s like WoT where it comes to some naturally, some can learn and others are just plain outta luck.
@589 Wookster, and everyone else who just needs to have lists of things in your life (like me!): to save you from looking thru this entire comment thread to find each glimpse, here’s a list of all of ’em for you!
#1: “Thirty-eight days,” Renarin read. “The end of all nations.”
#2: She felt and heard the storm approach. The ground shook, the air roared. Bits of leaves swept across her in a chill gust, like scouts before an oncoming army that charged behind, the howling wind its battle cry.
#3: In places, it flashed with light from behind, revealing movement and shadows within. Like the skeleton of a hand when light illuminated the flesh, there was something inside that wall of destruction.
#4: Of fires that burned and yet they were gone. Of heat he could feel when others felt not. Of screams his own that nobody heard. Of torture sublime, for life it meant.
#5: Have you given up on the gemstone, now that it is dead? And do you no longer hide behind the name of your old master?
#6: “He thinks you’re a god. You shouldn’t encourage him.”
“Why not? I am a god.”
#7: HE COMES FOR YOU, LITTLE TRAITOR. I AM SORRY.
#8: “It’s not a big deal. Dalinar Kholin is friends with one of the worst murderers I’ve ever met. So? Dalinar is lighteyed. He’s probably friends with a lot of murderers.”
#9: The woman’s skin had hardened to something like stone, smooth, with fine cracks. It was as if the person were a living statue.
#10: “What do you do if the hand is festering, threatening the entire body? Do you wait and hope it gets better, or do you act?”
#11: Dalinar knelt beneath a fracturing sky, holding his son.
#12: “Prince Renarin, would you kindly slay this rock for me?”
#13: “Stupid move, putting yourself in my hands. Everyone knows I like to set things on fire and watch them burn.”
#14: The souls of the people he had murdered lurked in the shadows. They whispered to him. If he drew close, they screamed.
#15: Pattern buzzed, speaking with a new voice, interpreting the sphere’s words. “I am a stick,” he said. He sounded satisfied.
#16: “I knew it. When we have this figured out, the king of all Herdaz, he will say to me, ‘Lopen, you are glowing, and this is impressive. But you can also fly. For this, you may marry my daughter.'”
*Edited for some spacing errors.
I hope “they” do figure it out. Could be a classic case of misdirection though. It would be cool if Lopen’s missing arm could be re-grown eventually.
Lopen says something similar in one of the preview chapters. I don’t think he is a surgebinder. It’s just the way he talks.
From preview chapter 12
“Ah, gancho,” Lopen said. “No flying or walking on walls? I need to impress the women. I do not think sticking rocks to walls will be enough.”
Lopen is made of win. And so are his cousins.
Yeah, this tells me that Kaladin has figured out how to lash himself using a basic lashing, and Lopen is being Lopen about it.
@611. smintitule
I agree, this is definately Lopen being Lopen about something Kaladin can now do.
Yay, I’ve now posted my first comment on the site! :D
Kikuo@607
Cool. Thanks.
Seeing these again remind me about the discussion about Glimpse #9. Some people were talking about gender names for the Parshendi. I was looking at Eshonai’s Interlude the other day and noticed that Eshonai uses three different sets of terms to refer to the gender of her people. She uses malen and femalen, male and female, as well as man and woman.
From Interlude Narak:
By her order, each man or woman took a turn in the Hall of Art at their appointed time.
I don’t think #9 refers to a Parshendi in stormform as some people were suggesting, but the term woman could refer to a femalen Listener.
@612 – Welcome to the party! Since your first comment is number 612 on a thread, I would guess you’re a long-time lurker, but it’s always nice to have a fresh voice join the conversation.
Also, relating to today’s glimpse: always love hearing from the Lopen. And it looks like Kaladin is discovering how to actually use his surgebinding abilities, which is a good sign.
@614
Ya, I’ve been lurking ever since the Lift interlude was posted to the site. But I decided that now that I’ve finally caught up on all of the posts here I should say something. (I started reading it on day 4 and have only been reading at work between calls, so it took me a while.)
I think kalading has used the basic lashing on lopen, like when he stuck lopen to the chasam wall. which would make lopen glow and fly.
Hello future Radiants & StormLight Archive bibliophiles:
Question:
With a “Basic” Lashing finally learned (or mastereded), How does StormLight Community think that Kaladin will learn to ride the High Storms to fulfill promise(s) made to High Prince 0f War Dalinar Kholin (to gather/secure information on extended patrols to outer areas of expanded Alethi Kingdom) , at end of their last meeting?
[Kaladin witnessed Assasin in White (Szeth) during murder of King of Jah Kevad during High Storm while constrained by Bridge Four]
Didn’t Kaladin observe Szeth, the Assasin in White, during his murder of the King of Jah Kaved during a High Storm (while being constrained by members of Bridge Four to prevent him from going outside)? Can he fly in an actual Storm literally?
I do expect more of bridge four to get their own spren and learn surgebinding, but I believe before that happens, Kaladin will need to accept the crown and pick up the spear he is destined to do.
Not quite, 618. BridgeFour
Kaladin was only in Bridge 4 for less than a year, and the Assassination of Gravilar happened around 5 years ago. The war was well underway before Kaladin got sold as a slave.
But fly? I guess he will control the winds to make him fly, and it will be Awesome, literally. But that is my guess. We have yet to see it, unless you want to count the people Dalinar sees landing, in one of his visions.
I think the “skills” of a Radiant can be taught. As Dalinar saw in his vision after fighting the mdinight essences, the Radiant he spoke with told him to go to their stronghold (Urithiru? I forget if it is named) to be trained. So it would not surprise me if Kalladin figures out how to train his bridgemen. However, I agree with many of the above comments, I think this is just Lopen being Lopen after Kalladin realizes more of his potential.
@620: I think @618 was referring to Kalladin’s vision in which he sees all of Roshar while riding the storm. At one point he does see the assassin in white. And Szeth’s later POV shows him in Jah Keved fighting the king and the new “Half-Shards.” I think that is what Bridgefour is referring to.
Doesn’t Dalinar say he saw normal soldiers glowing, though faintly, while in his vision with the female radiant in red? So perhaps they can be taught. I suppose spren would have a say in it. They would want to bond with only those they found acceptable.
@618 – We haven’t seen any evidence of Kaladin literally flying – my understanding of the “ride the storms” comment was a reference to his vision during the highstorm.
As he masters his abilities, he will be able to change his personal gravity to the same or greater extent that Szeth can, but I don’t think that’s quite the same as flying as we would understand it.
I thought this glimpse was already revealed in one of the preview chapters; when Kaladin was studying his abilities with sigzil and lopen
Dallinar’s vision when he fought night essence(s) hints that becoming a Radiant is taught (remember the discussion on how killing can destroy a person and that training offered by the Radiants will help to deal with that aspect of conflict), that even if one is a good fighter it is not guaranteed that one can get a place with one of the Orders (though it seems likely) and that the decision to accept a person into an Order is not one that humans have much control over (this is the province of Spren). From other visions we also know that not all spren are as discerning about candidates as Honour Spren, so there seems to be an element of choice by a/the spren when selecting a candidate and that it is not a matter of innate attribute or ability of a person.
I don’t recall anything to suggest that a Radiant can fly (i.e. like Superman) but there is evidence in Dallinar’s visions that Radian’ts can do the next best thing – controlled falling in any direction they chose. I expect that means they can hover wherever and whenever they want. There are other hints about instantaneous travel but hey, I expect that many more abilities will be revealed once WoR finaly hits the shelves.
As to Kaladin’s riding of the storm, it seems to be a similar experience to Dallinar’s visions: Kaladin’s physical body was in Bridge 4 barracks, being restrained by the bridgemen, but his essence (which seem to feel itself very physical indeed) was riding the storm and observing.
#17
As if the darkness itself had come alive, something wrapped around her.It pulled her farther into the deep.
Maybe Shallon is going for another swim.
#17: As if the darkness itself had come alive, something wrapped around her.
It pulled her farther into the deep.
Shallan?
Shallan in Shadesmar? Shallan in one of her flashbacks?
Or part of Shallan’s many adventures in her trek to the Shattered Plains after the fire (presumably) sinks the ship she and Jasnah were on…
oh and I didn’t get the chance to post yesterday. #16 sounds like Lopen was infused with Stormlight like in CH12 WoR. He was probably lashed upwards which would make him seem to hover/fly depending on the strength of the lashing. As far as the Glow is concerned with enough stormlight in him he would probably glow too.
I agree with the previous comments that went in this direction.
Also I bet we will see that Kal is already teaching his men to be like him and leading them to become KR. It all depends on the Spren now and whether or not they choose to bond them. I think they will.
TODAYS glimpse sounds really intruiging. I presume one of shallans flashbacks. Maybe the moment of her fathers murder?
To me the latest Glimpse (#17) refers to Shallan being confronted with the Everstorm and follows Glimpses 2 and 3 which describe the arrival of that storm. I assume that it refers to Shallan simply because she is supposed to be the main protagonist of this book. How she escapes being dragged into the depths of darkness and manages to counteract it should be of some considerable interest.
I see this having to be about Jasnah, Its where we last saw mentions of inky darkness in Shadesmar…. Also look at the wording, Whoever “she” is, was allready in the deep, and it says pulls, not tugs or grabbed, as far as descriptors go its one of the kinder ones to use. So I would say this may be one of the spren showing their human around Shadesmar ??
My bet is on Shadesmar, with Shallan being the likely suspect, but who knows? It may be any other female POV, even Rysn from the interludes.
Most glimples are difficult to make any sense of since there’s either not enough possiblilites or much to many.
Getting back to the conversation before today’s glimpse, I remember Brandon Sanderson said something like that on Roshar your magic abilities depend on the way you act. Extrapolating, you have to be a specific kind of person to use a specific kind of magic. It’s reasonable to think now, that this is regulated via the Nahel bond, which would mean that the person you are attracts the kind of spren that is right for you. Then the principles of these are formulated in the ideals of the KR, and so they can train people to follow them and by doing so to attract spren and gain the abilities.
Call me Cpt. Obvious if you want ;)
If you’ve read the preview chapters, today’s glimpse seems to come from the chapter after Shallan awakes to what I presume to be the ship sinking. I think Shallan comes close to death from the ship sinking and her cryptic spren helps her in some way.
This probably describing the moment she is about to lose consciousness down in the depths of the water.
I am thinking this glimpse is from Chapter 7 and Shallan is getting pulled into the water by maybe the Santhid.
Come one, come all and participate in WOR Tour Scrapbook project!!!
Im thinking Shallan for the latest Glimpse,perhaps in the moments after the ship caught fire….?That scene has GOT to be some kinda attack or something
Oh,and serial lurker finally reporting for active duty here!!
@@@@@647 – We got another one! Welcome!
@@@@@ today’s glimpse – I’d have to agree with all those who have suggested that this is likely Shallan being pulled under after the fire on the ship. Only four more days until we get to find out!!!
Shallan being puled under by that huge whale type thing that she went to get a good look at in the preview chapter.
I’m calling it.
I’m going out on a limb again on this glimpse and saying Eshonai as seems assumes stormform. The different forms do different things to the Parshedi and I think going into stormform might make them lose or limit thier reasoning as they become more savage and the like.
Are we going to get another spoiler thread for when WoR is released and we all need to rave about how wunderbar it is? This one hurts my head to read it is so long!
About Glimpse #17 – yes, maybe this is the point when Shallan is drowning like @644 and others said. I’d love to see her go into shadesmar, find the little bead that represents all the water surrounding her, and soulcast it into air to save her life!
It could be Jasnah too….although I lean towards Shallan and the Beast.
#18:
Adolin screamed something raw, a sound that echoed in his helm. He
ignored the shouts of soldiers, the sound of rain, the sudden and
unnatural crack behind him. He ran to the body on the ground.
Has Renarin joined the fighting? Or, more likely, Dalinar rejoining…
Serial lurker just coming on to say… have fun for the next few days everyone, I’ve just bought my copy of the book and am off to read it!
@@@@@ #18
Blast you Carl, if Renarin dies, nothing on this earth will redeem you!
omg! this better not be what I think it is!! it’s his horse right the reshadium or however it’s spelld I mostly listen to the audio version (love michael kramer)
Also, this really seems to be the same scene, but a different viewpoint, of Dalinar holding a body under a cracked/broken sky.
Oh dear. Between this and the earlier glimpse about Dalinar holding his son, my initial inclination is that Renarin is not long for this world…
@661
I still say we blame Carl if Renarin dies. We can mob his house. You bring the pitchforks, I’ll bring the torches.
What is that evil cackling sound that I hear???
Another goosebump inducing glimpse.
Like others, I defentily see this as another viewpoint of the same scene in which Dalinar holds his son, though I think this will reveal Adolin’s talents.
I still hold that the loss (or near loss) of Renarin or Dalinar will be a necessary catalyst for Adolin’s character development. (As much as I hate to think that)
Heh. Heh heh heh. Hahahahahaha.
Enjoy the last few days, everyone.
@662 – Well, it would obviously be his fault, after all. As long as you hold off with the torches until after we’ve removed his copy of the book, that sounds like a plan.
Sigh… It’s time to release this book already. I never expected these Glimpses to imply character deaths. I’m glad that we will get the real thing soon.
I think we’re being had…
If it were me, I’d cut and paste these so that out of context, they pointed to a well-liked character’s death, when in reality, they referred to something else, just to mess with us. Carl & co. seem just about that cruel.
OTOH, it’s kinda hard to get anything else from Dalinar’s scene and this one.
@668 – I’m hoping that’s the real explanation. I would hate to see Renarin go.
Devastating! An all too real moment of truth …AND a turning point (if same scene) with both Dalinar & Adolin … OR possibly one of Honor, Investiture. Perhaps, the next moment for an Ideal [K.R.] to be revealed? Poor Renarin …
Just one long weekend to go and the storm comes, both physical and literary. It’s been fun speculating and then being able to compare predictions with the actual text. I wouldn’t care to wager on my predictions and interpretations. However, some interpretations offered here appear to be inconsistent with the revealed text. For example,
Preview, chapter 6:
“She stood up, gathering her sketchbook and flipping through her pictures of the santhid, including several drawn from the memory of her dip in the ocean. She smiled at that, recalling how she’d climbed back up on deck, dripping wet and grinning. The sailors had all obviously thought her mad.”
Shallan’s experience with the Santhid sea creature is described as a “dip in the ocean”, not a near drowning experience. The conjecture that Glimpse #17 refers to a near drowning of Shallan after her ship is attacked, is possible, but assumes that the ship has sunk. We only know from the Preview chapter that there is a fire aboard.
I believe that the phrasing used, “As if the darkness itself had come alive, something wrapped around her”, implies something more than submergence under water. “Darkness” in this context has an evil connotation, and is in contrast with Shallan’s Radiant power called “illumination” by Jasnah.
It can’t be the same scene as Dalinar. Dalinar doesn’t have his plate, he gave it to Renarin.
It is obviously a battle scene since it has soldiers, and not everyone like in a duel. Since it is a battle it also isn’t Kaladin because Kal and bridge four aren’t fighting. I doubt it is Renarin in the fight since he will have just recently received a blade.
The crack and rain lead me to think it is some sort of fight during the end or beginning of a highstorm. The body could just as easily be a Parshendi or something/someone else. Maybe Elokar has decided to fight and it’s his body, meaning Dalinar would be forced to become King…..
I must have missed some things on my readings of Way of Kings. Some of the things you have been discussing do not seem to be in my copies of the book.
@673 a lot of it has mostlikely come from the preview chapters that Tor has released. That or pure speculation.
I doubt you’ve missed anything… A lot of the discussion above comes from prerelease materials from WoR. If you haven’t read those, that would explain.
@673, some of the conjecture here comes from the preview chapters Tor released of WoR (you can find them on this site).
Also, first time poster, woot!
I’ve read the previews. Some of the information on chapters of the Knights, types of Knights, and such seems to have gone right by me in my reading. Is it possible some are using information from outside the book(s) that I have not seen?
Ahh as to that. I believe, and will be corrected if I am wrong, that it comes from the fansite 17th shard’s forums. There was also some mention in one or two fo the articles Tor has on Stormlight Archives (I think). I’ll try and link them if I find them.
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/10/the-stormlight-grimoire-part-1-stormlight-and-the-nahel-bond
and
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/11/the-stormlight-grimoire-part-2-surgebinders-the-knights-radiant-and-windrunners
also read the comments for a lot of information.
@666 JennB, I agree. I don’t believe that they are really spoiling any character deaths, becuase it would be in incredibly poor taste for pre-release material to go that far and I don’t think Tor’s editors would do that, but even so, if I’d known the glimpses would be providing even this much context for a story event, I wouldn’t have signed up for them. There’s harmless things completely out of context to speculate at, and then there’s spoiler-feeling information. I know everyone’s tolerance for what constitutes a spoiler and what doesn’t is different, and that is tough ground for an editor to tread, but whether this and glimpse #11 are actual spoilers or not, they feel enough like it to me personally that they put a bad taste in my already quite immeasurable anticipation.
@Shinowa – It all depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go. Two places to start are the Coppermind Wiki & the 17th shard (a quick search on google brings them up). A lot of this information falls into two categories. Some is pure speculation based off some good educated guesses. Other info comes from Brandon himself. People may ask him questions at signings that you wouldn’t ever read about in just the books. Most of this info can be found in those two websites.
Does anyone else think that #18 takes place during the Weeping? I think that fits near the end of the 62 day countdown.
@Wetlandernw: Are any of these glimpses connected or are they just random? Can you even answer that. I’m quite litteraly un-nerved right now and a bit ticked because I want to be reading this now. I finished my 14th re-read of WoK this morning around 4am and this glimpse today has made me grumpy.
Thank you to those who responded. I will do my research.
Shinowa here also:
http://stormlightarchive.wikia.com/wiki/Knights_Radiant
I was definitely thinking it was Renarin in Dalinar’s scence, and this confirms it, but I think this will be a catalyst for something. I do not believe Renarin will die in this book. His character has not really been developed, and as others have said, nothing that big would be spoiled in these Glimples.
I was planning on camping out for the release in Provo, but have been struggling with back pain that has progressed to a pinched nerve. I’m still tempted, but it would probably be a mistake.
I’d love to see some sort of spreadsheet with all the theories based on the glimpses tallied then compared to the actual scene. I think it would be ammusing to see who, if anyone, was right.
Amazon shipped my book early; finished it. I must say, there are a lot of surprises. :)
In camp of “would not spoil major death.”
While we have not seen Adolin have a best friend, besides his brother, maybe he’s reacting to that. Or Elhokar?
Or maybe Renarin is injured in a battle and everyone realizes, “Hey, we love you. Just as you are. You don’t have to be a jock anymore to fit in with your family.”
Has been confirmed that chapter 7 is Shallan.
And I really wish I was among the luckily few who already are holding the book. I have an 8 hour round trip drive this weekend, for which I will be a passenger. Want book now….
I’m reasonably sure they wouldn’t spoil major character deaths. Still, I’m worried, I love Renarin and I really hope we see him develop in his own right as a character, rather than just being used as a catalyst for someone else’s story.
You know Carl and company are sitting back at the end of the day reading our guesses drinking a beer and laughing…..
Carl: “Look what XXXXX said I can’t believe they thought the glimpse meant that lol.”
In reference to the “not revealing major spoilers” thing, I see that as not putting in the infamous 3 word spoiler from Harry Potter 6 plainly. Using the HP example, I see them putting in the scene in which said 3-word spoiler took place, and cropping it so names are not used, thus clearly stating someone died, but not stating who was involved. I see this GoR and the Dalinar one as doing that. Not Tor’s/Carl’s problem we have come up with nearly 700 posts on these in less than 3 weeks. We were bound to stumble across a right answer eventually.
I like the idea of it being Adolin’s horse.
Of the main(ish) characters from WoK most likely to bite the dust I’d say: 1) Renarin 2) Teft 3) Elhokar 4) Dalinar 5) Sadeas 6) Gaz.
Plus when Kalasin faces off with Szeth how many bridgeman of bridge four will die? over or under 4
I’m going just curl up in a ball and hide for a bit now because I can’t help but be sure that it’s Renarin. And I really don’t want it to be Renarin.
Now everytime I read a something with Renarin I’m going to be biting my cheek in worry.
Just so I know who *can’t* die, does anyone recall which characters BS speculated about having a book dedicated to?
(If anything at all is known about the second half of the series, e.g. repeat PoV’s, that’s good too.)
PS
I’m going back to work next week; decidedly uncomfortable, that. Can’t Amazon deliver my Kindle preorder a few days early, too? I bet they could, with just a few clicks. Pretty please?
PPS
One of these days, we’ll be talking whether the HC are released as soon as the ebooks are, not the other way around. Waiting on printing and delivery is really killing my buzz, Tor.
Well,it doesn’t say the one on the ground is dead.Could be knocked out or injured.
This is Shallan’s book so…the body on the ground is Shallan after she went Voidbringer on some unsuspecting folks in the war camp during a Weeping. Then she collapsed, traumatized by what she’d done. The unnatural crack is caused by Adolin, inadvertently “bringing some dust” without realizing what he’s doing with his burgeoning surgebinding skills.
Eh, no matter who it is, Lift’ll drop by and save them… :D
I just read the Lift interlude and this line, “Praise Yaezir,” he said. “Herald of Kings. May he lead in wisdom. If he ever stops drooling.” made me wonder. Does this mean Jezrien has become a drooling goofus? Or was Darkness refering to Gawx?
AHH! My brain is breaking. I can’t handle the wait anymore. I just want to make up more and more convoluted theories.
This latest glimpse sounds like Shallan talking about Adolin.
#19 – He had his wrist wrapped, and the bruises on his face were starting to purple. They made him look slightly less intoxicatingly handsome, though there was a rugged “I punched a lot of people today” quality to that, which was fetching in its own right.
#19
He had his wrist wrapped, and the bruises on his face were starting to purple. They made him look slightly less intoxicatingly handsome, though there was a rugged “I punched a lot of people today” quality to that, which was fetching in its own right.
shallan thinking about adolin. I like the humour in this quote, a little pick me up after yesterdays.
@@@@@ 702 – I really could make nothing of it, but I like your idea.
Definitely Shallan being smitten with Adolin.
Righto…. we need to keep this thread going until 800….
I just missed the 7 hunny…. erm, this discussion is so lively :)Woof™.
Here is Kikuo @607’s list updated.
#1: “Thirty-eight days,” Renarin read. “The end of all nations.”
#2: She felt and heard the storm approach. The ground shook, the air roared. Bits of leaves swept across her in a chill gust, like scouts before an oncoming army that charged behind, the howling wind its battle cry.
#3: In places, it flashed with light from behind, revealing movement and shadows within. Like the skeleton of a hand when light illuminated the flesh, there was something inside that wall of destruction.
#4: Of fires that burned and yet they were gone. Of heat he could feel when others felt not. Of screams his own that nobody heard. Of torture sublime, for life it meant.
#5: Have you given up on the gemstone, now that it is dead? And do you no longer hide behind the name of your old master?
#6: “He thinks you’re a god. You shouldn’t encourage him.” “Why not? I am a god.”
#7: HE COMES FOR YOU, LITTLE TRAITOR. I AM SORRY.
#8: “It’s not a big deal. Dalinar Kholin is friends with one of the worst murderers I’ve ever met. So? Dalinar is lighteyed. He’s probably friends with a lot of murderers.”
#9: The woman’s skin had hardened to something like stone, smooth, with fine cracks. It was as if the person were a living statue.
#10: “What do you do if the hand is festering, threatening the entire body? Do you wait and hope it gets better, or do you act?”
#11: Dalinar knelt beneath a fracturing sky, holding his son.
#12: “Prince Renarin, would you kindly slay this rock for me?”
#13: “Stupid move, putting yourself in my hands. Everyone knows I like to set things on fire and watch them burn.”
#14: The souls of the people he had murdered lurked in the shadows. They whispered to him. If he drew close, they screamed.
#15: Pattern buzzed, speaking with a new voice, interpreting the sphere’s words. “I am a stick,” he said. He sounded satisfied.
#16: “I knew it. When we have this figured out, the king of all Herdaz, he will say to me, ‘Lopen, you are glowing, and this is impressive. But you can also fly. For this, you may marry my daughter.'”
#17: As if the darkness itself had come alive, something wrapped around her.It pulled her farther into the deep.
#18: Adolin screamed something raw, a sound that echoed in his helm. He ignored the shouts of soldiers, the sound of rain, the sudden and unnatural crack behind him. He ran to the body on the ground.
#19: He had his wrist wrapped, and the bruises on his face were starting to purple. They made him look slightly less intoxicatingly handsome, though there was a rugged “I punched a lot of people today” quality to that, which was fetching in its own right.
Todays had better be shallan and Adolin and not anyone else. I don’t like shallan. That is why I do not capitalise her name. I am aware that I didn’t do it, because it was purposeful.
What? Nobody else thinks this is just Adolin looking in a mirror? :)
@708
:-)
We also now know that Shallan actually arrives at the Shattered Plains, and it doesn’t seem too far into the book either.
We can also tell that Adolin is continuing to have duels. If he had received his injuries in an actual battle or after having lost a duel, Shallan would probably be upset, not just mooning oer him.
Too funny.
#19
But why would Shardbearer Adolin be giving/receiving a beat-down with his bare hands? If he actually lost his Shardblade, would he continue Dualing and/or using his bare hands?
Perhaps he now able to fight his Dueling battles as an unarmed Surgebinder?
@708 This was actually my first thought. :) Lopen thinking about his own injuries was my second. (Though I admit I like the idea of it being Shallan’s thoughts.)
Why is it not Tuesday yet?! SO CLOSE!
It’s gotta be Adolin or an unknown interlude character. I also thought as @708 did after first reading it. Though it would be sweet if it was Shallan.
Adolin observing Kaladin?
Shallan observing Adolin, I’m guessing (hoping?).
I like the idea of it being Shallan’s thoughts, though maybe not about Adollin, maybe about Kal?
Kal is more liekly to get bruises from some sort of fight, maybe after fighting with Zseth? what if they end up making each other fly with their lashings? that would certainly make for a good scene, can you immagine, two Windrunners figting each other, I thing that is the chapter I am expecting the most.
Although presumably Kaladin wouldn’t stay bruised for long. Unless he is out of Stormlight. Raises the odds that the bruised is Adolin, or maybe Renarin learning to fight?
@706 JennB. Thanks to JennB and others for posting the Glimpses for those who are still not receiving them.
#19: He had his wrist wrapped, and the bruises on his face were starting to purple. They made him look slightly less intoxicatingly handsome, though there was a rugged “I punched a lot of people today” quality to that, which was fetching in its own right.
I guess, I am with the crowd , this is Shallan, thinking about Adolin. The only other men of the prime characters described as handsome would be the King and Kaladin, and I would think that her thoughts would be different for either one of them. The King because he is considerablely older than her would generate more thoughts of concern and reverence. Kaladin might be more of a disgusted frown at first. With Adolin because of the casual engagement, she already has a built in attraction.
The real question might be, what hapened? How can a shardbearer, with a shardblade, get so beaten up? After all, his blade is with him always…
My guess it is one of two situation. First, he was attacked and knocked unconscious. Maybe it is time for Kaladin to give him lessons in using Stormlight. Second , is that he was fighting without weapons by agreement.
Here is a thought I have.
It seems that we are slowly being introduced to characters that show the initial abilities to be a Knight Radiants of the 10 different orders, pretty much 1:1. I think however, that there is no way that 10 KR’s will be sufficient to battle the oncoming Everstorm/Desolation. What is needed, is an army of KR (or at least a century).
I am starting to think that Bridge 4 and the some of the other bridgemen, just may end up learning KR abilities. Dalinar needs to re-create the order. Kaladin is good at bringing out the best and most honorable aspects in men. He has also pretty much admitted to himself and Syl that he will help Dalinar do it. It won’t be long until Kaladin has the best trained and most loyal troops in the army.
The spren are crossing over into the physical realm now, and I think more and more will be doing so in the future. What better men to bond than the bridgemen as they become top-notch soldiers?
The Shattered Plains also seems to be a lodestone, slowly attracting most of the humans with nahel bonds that Darkness hasn’t gotten to yet.
I also think that Dalinar isn’t just going to become a KR, but will be the new King of the Knight Radiants.
This is awesome! So many new folks joining in the discussion – it’s wonderful to have your voices here. Stay with us!
Re: #17 – I won’t say much about it, except that it gave me a major shiver event when it happened, and a big “O!” when I found out what it meant. And someone here – but I won’t say who or how many – guessed right.
Kikuo @654 – There will be a (huge) spoiler review posted on release day, where we can rave and discuss and go completely crazy as much as we want. This thread most likely will remain open, so if people want to come back and specifically talk about the various glimpses in context, they can do that. In addition, the “Reflections of Radiance” post will be wide open for spoiler discussion beginning March 4, if people want to talk about what they think those reactions were related to in a less-than-enormous setting.
Re: #18 – I cried. And again, someone has it right but I won’t say who. :p
Kefka @668 – Oh, indeed, Carl is that cruel. Absolutely. Do not doubt.
rbnguevara @682 – “Are any of these glimpses connected or are they just random? Can you even answer that.” I… don’t think I can answer that. So far, three of them are in reference to the same general events as some of my “reflections”, but that’s about as much as I can say.
Goradel @687 – You may now proceed to the Spoiler Thread to participate in discussion. :)
yoniy0 @694 – Just because they’re going to have a flashback book doesn’t mean they’ll survive that long. The flashbacks aren’t a matter of a character actually having a flashback – it’s just a method of storytelling. Brandon made that very clear to us.
mchurch8 @698 – Pretty sure the drooling bit was aimed at Gawx.
This is fun… :D
Assuming it isn’t a flashback..
My wild theory is Jasnah talking of Kal!!!!
Has to be Shallan describing Adolin
Although I believe I once read sum place that Brandon was making Drehy Eventually known to be gay??? Maybe rumor? But perhaps HE is describing Kaladin… Lol
@721 “The Shattered Plains also seems to be a lodestone, slowly attracting most of the humans with nahel bonds that Darkness hasn’t gotten to yet.” -This may be because of genetics. In ancient times, Alethala (whatever it was called) was the home of the KR, so it makes sense that the emerging KR would be their descendents, and almost all of the potential soldiers are gathered at the shattered plains. I have seen some debate about genetics and radiants, but given that the whole Kholin family seems to be emerging radiants I have to believe genes play a role. In most of BWS’ other shardworld books, genetics play some role (e.g. feruchemy and allomancy in the Mistborn series, the royal locks in Warbreaker, Elantrians only coming from certain nationalities in Elantris, etc…)
This would be a sad place to die. A place away from the wind.
kaladin thinking he’ll die
This would be a sad place to die. A place away from the wind.
kaladin thinking he’ll die
I think its Renarin rather than Kaladin. If he is a skybreaker then it makes even more sense, and we know he is in trouble from the other glimpses.
This could also be Vstim, Rysns’ teacher? in one of Rysn’s the interludes. We know he’s dying and he’s Thaylen which is a cold windy place.
@726:
Well, it’s said to be genetic on Scadrial, on Sel it was through the Shaod (in the case of Elantrians, at least), on Nalthis everybody was born with one Breath, and on Roshar it supposedly depends on how you act (or what you have done). (source: http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=608#15)
Definitely a woman decribing a man that she admires affectionately. Let’s ssee … that should be Shallan re Adolin but more likely Navani re Dalinar; or possibly Jasnah re Kaladin …
Bruised hands should be a non-Shardblade holder. At this point, wouldn’t that make it Kaladin or Dalinar (after the release from the Thrill fighting in battle as The Blackthorn the Surgebinder or w/o his Oathbringer)?
The Glimpse about dying without the wind points to Kal but also points directly to Eshonai the Parshendi General after adopting/adapting to their Stormform. The Listeners seem to have much closer links the Storm especially after surviving the open wind on The Shattered Plains.
That’s my best guess.
Wetlandernw: Well, okay, but I’m not taking BS at his word when he’s in backpedal mode. Also, I do think that the flashbacks appear around the time that the PoV character recalls them (a la Kal’s storm-fever); it isn’t very thematically sound to have an entire book’s worth of flashbacks to a desceased character’s past (it doesn’t reflect on/contract with current events as well).
#19: Again, BS is being funny, so I’d hazard a guess that it’s someone thinking about himself (or Lift, I guess. I really don’t feel that one). Do you guys really think it sounds similar to Shallan’s inner monologue? I’ll also point out that whoever it is doesn’t heal unnaturally fast, so (beyond his broody nature) Kal is a very unlikely suspect. So is the oh-so-unassuming Renarim.
We are due for 6+ inches of snow tonight and I don’t have WoR =( I’m guessing I’ll have tomorrow free as well. What timing.
@730 Vstim isn’t dying he was faking it so that Rysn could go bargain. Or at least that is my understanding of the Rysn interlude.
#19 has to be about Kal but we can all assume he will not die.
Glimpse # 20
This would be a sad place to die. A place away from the wind.
It appears that I see this differently than others. To me the being, who would most hate to die away from the wind is Syl. She started out with the wind sperns, and seems to think that that if she parted from Kaladin that is where she would return. That she would lose her memory, and many of her abilities. But the unknown place where she is and apparently under mortal threat, must be away from the wind. She could be in a container, or inside somewhere, or maybe in Shinovar, where the storms never come. Did she go flying the storms with Kaladin and end up somewhere trapped? I would guess either Kaladin is talking about Syl or she is talking about herself.
Think it’s related to some of the other glimpses we’ve had that are concerning.
But like @735, I might be a home tomorrow due to weather. With no book.
:-( makes me wish there was a glitch in the system, so that my eBook arrived tonight at midnight.
Weller was too good, their’s won’t arrive early.
I’m going to have to force myself to not visit for a week…
Book launch dates here have been pushed back a week – earliest we can get them is the 11th…
*dies a little bit inside*
@@@@@ 740. Falconite
You are in my ballpark. I didn’t pay for extra shipping, so Amazon is telling me somewhere between the tenth and the fourteenth. It is sooooo hard to wait.
I have been a lurker here for all the glimpses, and finally thought I’d let myself be known:)
#737
I also thought of Syl with this glimps. Which makes me wonder…how do spren die? If they are connected with a person, and that person dies, do they “die” as well? Or at least go back to Shadesmar?
Can’t wait until Tuesday! Unfortunately I’m kinda busy this week…but I think I can squeeze in reading….probably too much reading.
@741 AlerieCorbray I feel your pain.
Technically the release date here (New Zealand) is the 6th, but noone is getting it until next week. Maybe next time I will go through Amazon…
Good luck with getting yours earlier anyway!
@743 Falconite. I kept trying to remember the last time I waited on a book like this. It was GRRM’s A Dance With Dragons in July 2011. For some reason the Germans had gotten their copies a week or so early, just like now. Our board had set up empty threads for each chapter, as we waited for the book to reach us. One kind student in Germany decided to give us waiting information something to chew on. As he read each chapter, he went on the discussion thread, and gave us a brief summary of each chapter, a week or more before we were due to even receive our volumes. Then interested parties had something to discuss. It made the wait a little shorter for those who didn’t care about spoilage.
As far as delivery, I doubt that I paid extra that shipment either. I am very much in favor of Amazon’s free shipping. As in spend Blank dollars and we will ship for free. That time, they shipped from Delaware, which is just a short distance from me in Northern Maryland. I seem to remember that I received it the evening of the day it was released. So maybe there is still hope.
Makes me wanna move to Germany…..
I finished the book yesterday. Usually I’m on the wrong continent for things like book signings and cons. It’s nice that we have an advantage over Americans this time.
11Hrs 5 minutes until I have this book on my kindle. I’m going to sleep immediately after work so I can be up to read all night. Tomorrow may be a Red Bull kinda day.
@748 rbnguevara -I thought read that the kindle edition doesn’t release until 6 March and the HC and audiobook release tomorrow.
@749, guess it depends on where you live. But if you order the eBook from Dragonmount or Amazon today, you can download it at 12:0o.1 am.
proably B&N too, but I have a Kindle.
that is, if you are in North America.
I just got with amazon customer service WoR should download at 1201am eastern standard time if my kindle is connected to wifi. I had checked previously but you had me worried for a second so I thought I would double check. I also pre-ordered and rushed my order of the Hard Copy so I will get that tomorrow too.
@751, 752 Ok it must be because I’m in Turkey that Amazon is showing the 6th for the ebook. I’ll be getting the Audiobook as soon as it is available, which unfortunately won’t be until about 7am here =(
They have put up the audio for part of chapter seven (the skipped chapter). IT CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER. They warned you and it is a true warning.
I wish I had the book today. The city where I live is shut down due to ice and snow.
The anticipation is literally killing me.
@754 who put up an audio sample? do you have a link?
@756
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/03/words-of-radiance-chapter-7-audio-excerpt
Time for Carl to drop his last bomb! I’m eager, then I’ll wait 12 hours and start reading.
Looks like I’m getting copy #97 of WoR. Showed up at 4:45am to get my place in line.
Can’t wait for the signing tonight. Just one day’s worth of classes to get through…
It’s not here yet…was yesterday the last Glimpse? boo hoo
#21 “You must become king. Of everything.”
#21
Totally Tanavast talking to Dalinar in a vision, telling him that he must unite mankind, and become king of the world to prepare for the desolation.
#21
Either Syl or the Stormfather talking to Kaladin
dalinar to elhokar.
Lopen. Talking to Kaladin.
@757 thanks
Syl to Pattern? :)
Braid_Tug@751
Do you know if that means those of us in the Pacific time zone can download it at 12:01EST too?
That at would be wonderful because I would love to start it tonight.
*Somebody* to Dalinar.
Guess this is the last one.
Awesome glimpse!
I want it to be about Dalinar, but it could be Dalinar encouraging Elhokar after he develops Radiant abilities. Or perhaps its someone on the “bad” side talking about conquering the world.
King of Everything?
That does not sound like Dalinar to me.
Dalinar to his nephew
A vision?? The Creator talking to Dalinar? But that can’t be cuz he only has preset things to say but Dalinar already heard it all :-/. COME ON MIDNITE!!!!
It’s most likely someone referring to Dalinar as a leader/protector. But to whom would Dalinar be having such a converation? Elkohar is already king (but without any Radiant qualities). Adolin is in-training as a High Prince. Kaladin (Son of Honor/Tanavast)is not interested in serving as a “Lighteyes” but he naturally leads his own men & as a soldier, a healer and a defender of humankind. I’m not sure, but who else fits the build?
Anyone else counting down the hours/minutes/seconds?
@BridgeFour
Definitely counting down the hours/minutes. I’m going to the midnight release here in Provo, and I absolutely can’t wait.
One of the guys in line apparently knew the answer to the question that I had, which I had thought had never been answered, so now I’m scrambling to come up with something good–I’ll probably just ask something from the master list of questions at 17th Shard.
In case you’re interested, I was going to ask Brandon whether a shardblade could kill a spren, and if not, how would one do so. Apparently he was asked this before, and he RAFO’d it.
While it would be amusing for it to be said to Kaladin, the everyone (everything) part supports that, it has the feel of something said to Dalinar.
AUDIO Glimpse of Radiance [Ch.7] excerpt: Devastatingly AWESOME!
I pretty sure that I’ll be in shock until the book is actually in my hands. I’m excited but I am definately NOT HAPPY!
Deleting. While I don’t think it was a spoiler… I’ll wait.
AUDIO Glimpse of Radiance [Ch.7 excerpt]: Devastatingly AWESOME!
I pretty sure that I’ll be in shock until the book is actually in my hands. I’m excited but I am definately NOT HAPPY! Not happy, at all.
Majot SPOIER ALERT: BEWARE — not for the faint of heart!
http://www.tor.com/images/stories/audio/Words-of-Radiance-Chapter-7.mp3
Today’s quote makes me wonder if a Splintered Shard can be unSplintered. This seems a lot like the propecy of the Hero of Ages from Mistborn.
Warning! Danger Will Robinson! Today is a good day to die BUT
Live long and prosper. READ ON …
My mind is snapping … what can I do until … the book. That darn book. Who could write something like that? So Cold. So cruel.
Yes, perhaps it’s just a bad dream. Perhaps I’ll back to sleep and then, start my day all over again. Yeah, that’s it. That’s the ticket.
Guys, please don’t discuss the audio excerpt in this thread. Not everyone here will have listened to it. Thanks.
Stop. Keep moving. No time to grieve.
Must finish work before leaving for the B&N bookstore.
Tor/B.S./Carl and entire Beta Crew … How can you all so cold, so cruel …
@781
I am pretty sure that I read somewhere that Brandon had answered that question with a “Yes.”
@785
In that case, I am beginning to wonder if that is what Dalinar is supposed to do. Put Honor back together again and “die” in the process.
I found a reference for Brandon saying that a splintered shard can be put back together. I don’t think it is the same one I saw before, but it does confirm that I was remembering correctly. It’s question #69 on this page:
http://www.theoryland.com/intvsresults.php?kwt=%27shards%27
Thanks Carl for some great glimpses and for making the wait fun!
I hope everyone has stocked up on their coffee/Red Bull/caffeine pills! I don’t think any of us will be sleeping much this week.
I look forward to reading everyones comments in a week or so!
3hrs 15 min
3 hours 8 minutes CST
please disregard the CST in my post……not needed…
Taravangian?
(him or someone talking to him)
maybe that’s why he’s killing every other monarch on Roshar…
Quite possibly too long for my patience to last.
@761. Meerletalis
#21 “You must become king. Of everything.”
Thanks to Meerletalis and others for continuing to post the glimpses.
To me this Glimpse is Dalinar talking to his nephew, helping him realize that he needs (in Dalinar’s opinion) to become King of their world, so that he can control mankind, as it slips into the desolations.. Not just king over the feuding high princes, but over anywhere on their planet, the battle might be taken, or who can lend troops and supplies to assist the massive army that he plans on fielding. Otherwise man could lose everything that they have won in the last 4500 years.
For me it raises the question, exactly what happened to restart the whole process again?
12:05 and not yet available on my nook. Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!! Just breathe…
I thought the ebook was getting released at 12:01 am tonight?
I haven’t gotten it yet, but I’m on PST. Has anybody gotten it on the East Coast?
That would be March 5, but in the app it previously said it would appear March 4 and now it says ‘Today’. But it has never specified a time of day. I just hoped.
Wait… I just got it!
Syncing now… 3,2,1… and reading is on!
They’re too busy reading if they have. I wouldn’t be here. :) I’ll let you know if I get it though. I’m east coast.
Looks like I gotta ditch my Nook for a Kindle. *tear*
Maybe the Stormfather is telling me to get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow.
rccampbe @802 – Try again. I just downloaded it for Nook.
Thanks, Wet. You encouraged me to be more persistent. I had to log out and log back in instead of just refreshing my library…I probably could’ve started an hour ago!
Yay! Now go away and read! ;)
The Everstorm is upon us. May stormlight be with us all.
Crying bitter tears here, two more days to wait…
Got mine at 12:01 AM CST. That left me just enough time to read chapters 1-7.
GordianKnot @157 – If you’re still lurking around here, your theory has been confirmed. The Desolations came when one of the Heralds couldn’t take Damnation any more and left. I phrased it this way for Freelancer to ask at the San Diego signing:
Someone suggested recently that perhaps the Oathpact allowed the Heralds to leave Damnation any time they wanted, but that any one leaving would bring on a Desolation. With ten Heralds, *someone* would give out first; perhaps this long, long gap is because with only one very strong-willed man, he managed to hold out for 4500 years. Hence the “I have failed” from the WoK epilogue. Is there any truth to this theory?
The answer was “yes, exactly.”
WOOT! That’s awesome!
I feel empty, I finished the book today and it was impossible to put down of course (by the way I have been lurking in these threads and read everything without actually writing until now!).
And now, I think I might just read it again, because I just need some more Stormlight Archives :)
Alhtough maybe I should do all that work I didn’t do while reading (and catch up on that sleep)…
I can’t even comment on the book yet, still digesting!
But it was sooooooo goood! (people around me definitely started wondering about my sanity when they saw me giggling and sarting to jump around with excitement when it was just too good!)
My copy is coming today. The tracker says it’s out for delivery. The only problem is I’m nearly out of milk. I only have enough left for one cup of tea! But I’m scared to go out for milk in case I miss my delivery. But I can’t get through the day without tea. Oh agony…
My only disappointment in the book, and this isn’t a spoiler…
is page 1029. Its a reference to a minor character in the book, referring to him as Captain, instead of General (every other time He was mentioned previously.). I guess perhaps the general could have a son who is a captain with the same last name. But yeah, come on beta readers!!! :-)
I jest slightly. Its a huge book, I expect a mistake to be made. But I was reading so closely it threw me off for a few moments, until I could break the immersion and realize…oh yeah, everyone who crafts these literary miracles are human.
@819: Word from Peter is that Captain Khal is the son of General Khal.