#preview chapters

CHAPTER 16

“You guys were… watching?” she asked the creationspren. “Shallan! Shallan! Shallan!” Well, nice to have a cheering section, she supposed. She looked up and found Pattern dimpling the stone of the wall.

Reminds me of when Kaladin chided Syl for watching people have sex in Oathbringer. “And stop spying on people when they’re being intimate. It’s creepy. . . He tried - unsuccessfully – to banish the image of lying in bed with a woman, Syl sitting on the headboard and shouting out encouragement and advice . . .”

The difference between Shallan and Kaladin’s reactions to this scenario is revealing. Shallan is nonchalant while Kaladin is creeped out. lol

“Don’t say it,” she told him, climbing to her feet. “What?” he said. “It’s absolutely allowed, even encouraged now.”

NO MATING. Another great Oathbringer callback.

A note at the bottom said, Looks like Iyatil has called in offworlder reinforcements. Watch them. They’re dangerous. “Fortunately, Shallan has a plan. We’re going to form a strike team.”

Ohhh. I'm looking forward to this plotline.

“Yeah, but you heard what Stormblessed did,” Red said, standing up and holding out his arms. “He can share his armor! Make it swoop in and protect people! I’ve always wanted Plate. Can I borrow it, Shallan?” She hesitated. She’d… only just earned it. Darcira tapped her sketchpad. “It would be good to know if that works, Brightness.” A reasonable point. Storming former ardent and her scientific mind. “Fine,” Shallan said. “How do I do it?” “It seems like it just kind of worked for Kaladin,” Red said. “Everyone’s talking about it,” Darcira said. “Kaladin flew around. You know, like they do. And his armor—made of windspren—swept here and there, enveloping other soldiers when needed.” “Storming lordship bridgeman,” Gaz muttered, “and his storming heroism.” They glanced at him. “He does it just to make me feel bad,” Gaz said. “He acts like a hero,” Red said, amused, “because it annoys you. Really.” “Yup,” Gaz said. “Everyone should be grateful to me. If I hadn’t shown those bridgemen tough love, they would never have grown up to be such nauseating paragons of self-righteousness.” “Weren’t you crying the other month,” Red said, “because of what you did to them?” “I was drunk,” Gaz said. “You can’t trust a man when he’s drunk. He’ll accidentally say things he ain’t ready to say yet. Anyway, weren’t we going to try out that armor?”

So many things going on here.

I’ve wondered whether Kaladin using the shardplate to protect others was limited to the Windrunners or if all orders could use the plate this way. It appears that this is unique to the Windrunners. So, does each order use shardplate according to their ideals?

Again, Kaladin intuitively knew how to use shardplate while Shallan had to learn by trial and error how to use it. Interesting contrast. Maybe it’s because Kaladin was a soldier?

Gaz is still bitter and petty about Kaladin’s heroism. 😂😏 He’s such a small man. I was surprised to read that he cried about the way he treated the bridgeman. Makes sense though. Gaz's bitterness is probably a defense mechanism to assauge his envy or guilt.

Shallan’s possessiveness over her shardplate is an interesting contrast to Kaladin. Kaladin didn’t hesitate to use it to protect others. I guess that’s meant to highlight the difference between the orders (or Kaladin and Shallan).  

“We’re going to do something they don’t think is possible: we’re going to steal those secrets.”

Shallan probably will succeed in stealing some of his secrets, but Kelsier is the master secret keeper.

This is going to be interesting. I wonder if Shallan will discover who Thaidakar is and why he’s such a bfd in the cosmere.

“I remember you,” he said. “I know. You wrote it in your book. I take great pains to remain secret, Dalinar, and you just vomited it all up on a page.” She shook her head.

I love her. Can we have more of her?

I am Unity. “Once,” Dalinar said softly. “I have once as well,” she said. “One time, other than when you faced him. It is deep in the past.” She idly held up her hand, lifespren swirling and playing around it. “You need to take a journey, Dalinar Kholin. A dangerous one, but the path to defeating Odium is not through your powers alone. It is through understanding. You need to see the history of this world, live it.” “Visions?” he asked. “Like I’ve seen before?” “Greater,” she said. “Where is Honor?” “Dead.” “Tanavast—the Vessel that once held Honor—is dead, but the power remains. Somewhere. It’s a conundrum that few scholars even know to ponder upon. None know what became of Honor’s power. Have you any guesses?” “It’s the spren, maybe,” Dalinar said. “Some say that Honor was Splintered by Odium when he killed Tanavast—as he did to others before—becoming the spren, as the power of a god left alone will begin to think.” She shook her head. “But they’re wrong. The spren existed before Tanavast’s death. They are of him, but are not the core of his power. It still exists.” She looked him in the eyes. “It is the power and substance of the visions you were shown, starting years ago. It seeks for men to see their heritage, as it searches for a new Vessel to hold it.” “Wait,” Dalinar said, a cold shock starting at the base of his skull and washing through him, making him grip the banister. “Wait. What are you saying? That… someone could…?”

OMG!! OUR THEORIES ABOUT SOMEONE TAKING UP/REFORGING THE SHARD OF HONOR ARE CORRECT!

Unite Them.

I've been dying for answers to this since Oathbrigner.

What did it mean? Was Dalinar supposed to unite The Knights Radiant? Unite the nations of Roshar? Or unite the splinters of Honor?

Still, what is Dalinar supposed to unite? Is he supposed to unite the splintered Shard of Honor and make it whole again? Or is he supposed to unite the Shard of Honor with the new vessel? Maybe both?

And who’s going to become Honor’s new vessel?

The two obvious candidates for Honor's new vessel are Dalinar and Kaladin because they both embody the shard's intent.

I think Kaladin will become Honor's new vessel for a couple of reasons.

1. The Stormfather calls Kaladin "Son of Tanavast"

2. Wit said Kaladin has a “divine destiny”

3. The epigraphs said that the contest in Shiovar is more vital than the contest of champions

4. Kaladin said goodbye to everyone because he didn’t expect to see them again

All signs point to Something Big happening with Kaladin.

While Brandon planted a few death flags for Kaladin I think they're a misdirection. Yes, Kaladin's body may die, but his soul - his spirit - will live on because he'll Ascend either as a Herald or Honor. (This is basically the story of Fleet, which has long been theorized as foreshadowing Kaladin's story.)

BTW - Is reforging the Shard of Honor / Ascension related to the “He must pick it up, the fallen title! The tower, the crown, and the spear!” death rattle? 🤔

“I have my own battles,” she said, turning to trail away.

What battles? Some wider Cosmere problem involving the other shards (perhaps Autonomy)?  

“I cannot fight yours, but you now know where the power hides. Seek the Spiritual Realm, where gods dwell. You have the ability to get there, perhaps even the ability to return. There you will receive the final truths of the Heralds, the Radiants, and Honor himself. Go and seek it, Dalinar Kholin, if you would finish this journey.”

I am SO looking forward to Dalinar’s story in this book. It’s a long time coming.

CHAPTER 17 & 18

Colot took a deep breath. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll find my way up once the important people are taken care of.” “Nah, you’re coming with me,” Adolin said, pulling him out of the line.

Anyone else get Edgedancer vibes? 🤨

Silence. Eyes condemning. This is what you deserve, Father, Adolin thought, feeling the room turn—like spears lowered at a captured enemy—against Dalinar. You always barrel forward. Doing whatever you want. Consequences be storming damned. Like you did years ago, killing my mother. And you never bothered to tell me. You—

Translation:

If Adolin doesn’t confront Dalinar about his killing Evi in this book I’m going to riot. I need to see them have it out. It's too big to ignore.

“Yes,” Wit said. “And that’s why I’m an idiot. Not because I missed the intricacies of the legal code—but because this isn’t something that Rayse could ever do. It’s not only against his nature, it’s something he promised he would not do. Even without a formal covenant, a god cannot break that kind of promise without dire consequences.” “So… what?” Dalinar said. “I’m missing something.” “As are we all,” Wit said with a sigh. “Odium is exploiting a loophole in your agreement. Rayse wouldn’t do that. Rayse couldn’t do that. So…” He looked around the room, meeting their eyes. “So we are not facing Rayse. My old enemy must be dead, and someone else has taken up the Shard of Odium. I should have seen it the moment he started acting so oddly, but now I’ve confirmed it by sensing the rhythms of Roshar. My friends, we are facing an enemy we do not know and cannot anticipate. And whoever it is, they’re a genius—one who has devised a ploy to conquer all of Roshar in ten days.”