Things are certainly going badly for our heroes in this week’s reread, my Cosmere Chickens.
Between Kaladin plummeting to his death, Navani bleeding out from (who else?) Moash’s stab wound, and the rest of the unconscious Radiants in danger of being slaughtered by the Fused… yeah. This is a rough one. Thankfully, Dalinar’s on the case, but we won’t see the outcome of that for this week. In the meantime, we might as well dive in (so we can get through the sadness faster and back to happier times).
Reminder: We’ll be discussing spoilers for the entirety of the series up until now. If you haven’t read ALL of the published entries of The Stormlight Archive (this includes Edgedancer and Dawnshard as well as the entirety of Rhythm of War), best to wait to join us until you’re done.
No Cosmere spoilers here. You’re safe this week!
Heralds:
L: Ohhhh, the rare four-Herald chapter! In order from left to right, we have…
- Kalak (Kelek). Willshapers (Transportation, Cohesion). Resolute/Builder. Role: Maker.
- Chana, (Chanarach), Herald of the Common Man. Dustbringers (Division, Abrasion). Brave/Obedient. Role: Guard.
- Jezrien (Jezerezeh, Yaezir, Ahu), Herald of Kings. Windrunners (Adhesion, Gravitation). Protecting/Leading. Role: King.
- Ishi (Ishar), Herald of Luck. Bondsmiths (Tension, Adhesion). Pious/Guiding. Role: Priest.
L: So, let’s see. Kalak of the Willshapers may be here for the sake of cohesion, or building. Dalinar is beginning the process of building Kaladin back up, after all. Many of our characters this week are displaying traits associated with Chana; Kaladin is often associated with the common man/guard. Venli is as well, in that she’s standing up for the humans. Jezrien’s here for Kaladin, clearly, as he usually is. But he could also be here for Navani, who’s a queen and leader in her own right. And Ishi, of course, is here for both Dalinar and Navani (who is on the path to her own Bondsmith bond).
Icon: Double Eye of the Almighty, denoting a multiple POV chapter.
Epigraph:
For ones so lost, they are somehow determined.
—Musings of El, on the first of the Final Ten Days
L: Yo, who you callin’ lost?!
P: Me. He’s calling me lost.
Chapter Recap
WHO: Navani, Kaladin, Dalinar, Venli
WHEN: 1175.4.10.4
WHERE: Still Urithiru
(Note: For the “when” notations, we are using this wonderful timeline provided by the folks at The 17th Shard.)
RECAP: Bleeding, Navani makes her way to the pillar that houses the Sibling while Raboniel attempts to buy her some time by grabbing Moash. Dalinar, on his way to Urithiru, hears from the Stormfather that Kaladin’s in trouble. He talks the Stormfather into slowing time down for Kal, and the Stormfather tries to talk Kal off the proverbial ledge, to no avail. Meanwhile, back in the main part of Urithiru, the Fused begin to kill the humans as they revolt, much to Venli and Leshwi’s horror. Venli shows Leshwi that she’s bonded Timbre.
Chapter Chat — Choice
“Can we prevent this?” Venli asked Leshwi, who had settled beside her after being pushed aside by Stormblessed.
…
She looked toward the dying humans, then shied away as some warforms ran past with bloody axes.
“I do not sing to Joy in this type of conflict. But we have done it before, and will do it again, in the name of reclaiming our world.”
“Can’t we be better?” Venli begged to Disappointment. “Isn’t there a way?”
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The Lost Metal
L: Choice seems to be a recurring theme in this chapter.
P: And the right choice will be made by all, eventually! But not necessarily in this short Sanderlanche chapter.
Have you no compassion? Dalinar demanded. Have you no heart?
I am a storm, the Stormfather said. I chose the ways of a storm.
Choose better, then!
L: An interesting conundrum, here. Can he choose to be other than he is? The spren are manifestations of ideas. Does the Stormfather actually have a choice?
P: I believe that he does, he just prefers to remain neutral.
Kaladin entered the place between moments.
He’d met the Stormfather here on that first horrible night when he’d been strung up in the storm.
…
WHY WON’T YOU SAY THE WORDS? the Stormfather asked.
“I’ve forgotten them,” Kaladin whispered.
YOU HAVE NOT.
“Will they mean anything if I don’t feel them, Stormfather? Can I lie to swear an Ideal?”
Silence. Pure, incriminating silence.
P: I love how the Stormfather challenges him here. Like, child, I know you know the thing, why won’t you say the thing? But then Kaladin shows that he does know the words, but that it would be a lie to speak an Oath he doesn’t feel. He’s choosing not to say the words, and at this point, he knows that they wouldn’t be accepted. He’s not in the right place yet. Not quite yet.
L: So close… and yet, so far.
“He wants me, as he wanted Moash,” Kaladin said. “If he keeps pushing, he’ll have me. So I have to go.”
THAT IS A LIE, the Stormfather said. IT IS HIS ULTIMATE LIE, SON OF HONOR. THE LIE THAT SAYS YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. THE LIE THAT THERE IS NO MORE JOURNEY WORTH TAKING.
L: This is so, so true. Suicide is, at its core, the destruction of potential. The potential life you could live. You’ll never know if that journey is worth taking or not… if you take that potential away.
P: Yes! Odium lies, just as depression lies. You know this, Kaladin! And even the Stormfather is encouraging Kaladin to make a choice here, in keeping with the theme of this chapter. Dalinar tells the Stormfather to choose better, and then the Stormfather turns around and essentially tells Kaladin the same thing. I love it!
Spren and Shadesmar
She stumbled and pressed up against the wall—smearing blood across a mural of a comet-shaped spren—to keep from falling.
L: I wonder if there’s significance to this…? . According to the Coppermind, comet-shaped spren are most likely Reachers, or Willshaper spren.
P: I also wondered if there was any significance to this. I mean, he could have said smearing it across a mural or a table or a wall, but he specifically said “a mural or a comet-shaped spren,” so it makes you wonder. And really, when does Brandon NOT do anything on purpose?
L: Exactly. It’s all very suspicious…
Relationships & Romances
“Your son was a coward at the end, Queen. He begged me for his life, crying. Appropriate that he should die as he lived.”
L: Bad enough to have to lose your son, but to have it shoved in your face like this by his murderer? Ugh.
P: What also chaps my hide is that Elhokar was literally swearing the First Ideal of the Knights Radiant when he was murdered in cold blood. I wish Navani knew that, knew what he was capable of. Maybe it would bring her some small comfort.
L: Kaladin knew, so maybe he’s told her. In a way, I hope so… on the other hand, though, might it make matters worse, to know just how close he’d come to salvation before having it ripped away…?
Bruised & Broken
“I killed a friend today,” Moash said, his terrible voice growing softer. “I thought surely that would hurt. Remarkably, it didn’t. I have become my best self. Free. No more pain.”
L: A friend. Right. I don’t think you know the meaning of the word, Moash.
P: ALL THE SWEARS! But I’ll be good and use Brandon’s swears. This storming coward didn’t kill a storming friend, that’s not what Teft was to him. That wasn’t what Teft storming was since Moash left Bridge Four. He’s not still a storming member of that brotherhood. Storming cremling*.
*My apologies for offending any cremlings with this comparison.
L: What she said. (Excuse the incorrect pronoun, memes are an imperfect format.)
The Son of Tanavast has entered the storm for the last time, the Stormfather said. I feel him.
“Kaladin?” Dalinar said, eager. “He’s escaped?”
No. This is something far worse.
L: It always freaks me out when they call him the Son of Tanavast, for some reason. It feels… portentous.
P: It does. It makes it feel, to me, as if Kaladin is going to become something much more than what we see now, or what we might imagine that he’ll become. I’m not theorizing, I leave that to smarter people, but there is a feeling when the Stormfather says this. Y’all know what I mean, right?
L: It wouldn’t surprise me in the least should Kaladin actually ascend or evolve to something more than just human, more than just Radiant. (And I mean in a very real physical sense, not just the legend he inspires.) And that terrifies me.
I’ve forgotten the Words, Kaladin, Syl said, weeping. I see only darkness. He felt something in his hand, her fingers somehow gripping his as they fell in the storm.
…
“I’m not strong enough,” he whispered to the angry winds, and closed his eyes, letting go of her hand.
L: Oh, Kaladin.
P: I want to know how Syl was gripping his hand as they fell. And I also want to tell this man that he is strong enough. He’s stronger than he knows; the pain and the depression just tell him different. Depression lies, Kaladin!
L: Even if we could tell him, it’s so hard to hear those words and understand them. He needs someone better than we to say those words, to have them drive home… and thankfully, the perfect person does.
“What if I’m too tired?” Kaladin whispered. “What if there’s nothing left to give? What if that is why I cannot say your Words, Stormfather? What if it’s just too much?”
YOU WOULD CONSIGN MY DAUGHTER TO MISERY AGAIN?
L: A good strategy here on the Stormfather’s part. Sometimes it’s easier to live for the sake of others than for our own sake.
P: This is so true. I think my three cats lived long enough to ensure that I would keep going without them, because for many years, caring for them was what kept me here. Once they knew I was going to be okay, they left, one after the other. And it’s been over 13 months since the last one left me, and I’m still here.
L: I’m proud of you for that. And I’m glad you’re still here, Paige. ::hugs::
P: Thank you. I’m glad I’m still here, too! But I agree that this is a good strategy on the Stormfather’s part. He knows what Syl means to Kaladin, and vice versa, so he uses this tactic to try to get Kaladin to make a better choice.
Oaths Spoken, Powers Awakened
She expected to hear whimpering or weeping—the only response she’d received over the last few days. This time she heard a strange tone, both harmonious and discordant at once.
The Rhythm of War.
L: Ooooh boy here we go!
P: The excitement to get to the next chapter(s) is palpable. Even on your first read, you know that something momentous is about to happen and it’s so exciting. I never lose that sense of excitement, even knowing what’s coming.
But you must have Connection for a vision. You must have a reason for it. A meaning. It cannot be just anything.
GOOD, Dalinar said, forging a bond.
What are you doing?
CONNECTING HIM, Dalinar said. UNITING HIM.
L: I really like how Brandon switched the use of italics/caps for Dalinar and Stormfather, here.
P: I thought that was SO COOL. Suddenly the Stormfather is reduced to italics while Dalinar is ALL CAPS. I feel that it’s a good representation of Dalinar TAKING CONTROL OF THE SITUATION. Sorry… it’s addictive, typing in Stormfather.
L: DEATH FROM DISCWORLD WOULD AGREE.
Singers/Fused
Raboniel launched herself at him, clawing up his body. Her legs didn’t work, but she gripped Moash with talonlike fingers, snarling, and stabbed him repeatedly with the dagger Navani had left.
L: Kudos to Raboniel! I mean, it doesn’t work, but kudos for trying!
P: It works long enough to give Navani time. That’s all Raboniel is trying to do, give Navani time. And though Navani can’t escape, I don’t even know what she was thinking there, she can try to convince the Sibling.
Show her, Timbre pulsed. Showhershowhershowher.
Venli braced herself. Then she drew in Stormlight from the spheres in her pocket, and let herself begin glowing.
L: As I said last week, I’ve never been Venli’s biggest fan. But I’m proud of her for finally showing some backbone here.
P: And it takes some kind of backbone to show that you’re a Radiant in the midst of the crowd of Fused and Singer soldiers here. Just wow. Like, let’s hold nothing back. Imma start glowing. Kudos to Timbre here for pushing her to it, too.
Humans
Dalinar flew through the air, Lashed by Lyn the Windrunner, on his way to find the Herald Ishar.
L: I’m so glad that I can be of use to Dalinar. XD
P: W00t! Way to go, Lyn!
L: Aw yeah.
Venli hummed to Agony as the slaughter began.
Not of the Radiants, not yet. Of the civilians. As soon as the Pursuer’s soldiers started toward the helpless Radiants, the watching crowd of humans went insane. Led by a few determined souls—including a gruff-looking man with one arm—the humans started fighting. A full-on rebellion.
Of unarmed people against trained soldiers in warform.
L: Say one thing for humanity, we’re stubborn as heck. And a good thing, in this case, too, as without someone to defend them, these civilians would be slaughtered.
P: And go, Noril! Leading the charge! I wish Kaladin could see him in this moment so he could see the impact he had on this one man. And maybe he would understand how valuable he is.
We’ll be leaving further speculation and discussion to you in the comments, and hope to join you there! Today’s discussion topic: Raboniel. Do you like her? Do you not? Discuss.
Next week, we’ll be back with chapter 108, in which Kaladin receives help from an unexpected source.
Paige resides in New Mexico, of course. She very much misses baseball and is counting the days until Spring Training (just about 12 days!). Links to her other writing are available in her profile.
Lyndsey lives in Connecticut and makes magic wands for a living, as well as working as the costumer for two of her local Renaissance Faires. If you enjoy queer protagonists, snarky humor, and don’t mind some salty language, check out book 1 of her fantasy series. Follow her on Facebook or TikTok!
