The Not a Book Club Club discussion

Part One: United

Please keep all discussion and speculation to the events of Prologue, Chapters 1-32.

No spoiler tags required. Though it would be highly appreciated if you Uncheck Add to my Update Feed to avoid accidentally spoiling things for your good read friends.

Please do not discuss events from later sections/books. Referring back to events from a previous section/book is fine.

L.Watch wrote: "Can you hold for a sec? we're discussing the Tor-release chapters right...so no-one got the book yet, right?
Becuase: https://www.reddit.com/r/Stormlight_A......"

Correct. This is for anyone whose starting a bit early from the Tor chapters.

These comments are through Chapter 18:





So I'm definitely a bit fuzzy on a bunch of things from the last two books. I probably should have reread them, but it's a lot of reading.

I vaguely remember Shallan realizing she killed her Mother when she became a Radiant, but a lot of that is hazy.

I don't really remember her alternate persona at all. It seems that she's using it to not only practice her lightweaving but also to investigate the murders.

Andollin is feeling guilty/blaming himself for the murder of one of the High Lords (Sardeas?). I don't really remember that at all.

And now a second person has been killed in the exact same way. He doesn't seem to have done that murder however.

Interestingly Shallan uncovered another double murder where the second murder is an exact duplicate of the first. Is there some sort of Stormlight user who can duplicate murders? It's very strange.

Meanwhile Kaladin stops home, and doesn't quite get the reception he expected. He showed off his shiny new Sprenblade and took over things. He's let himself be captured by the "Voidbringers" who don't seem at all like he thought, and not he appears to be helping them to escape/hide.

There was a lot of Dalinar too, but for me the big takeaway so far is that he can suddenly hear his wife's name/remember her. He did something during his sparring, I wonder if that caused him to erase/heal the block on his memory?

I thought Part 1 was great.





-I continue to love the prologue giving us new insight into the night Gavilar was assassinated. Interesting to see the parshendi side through Eshonai’s eyes. Gavilar gave Eshonai a black sphere. He also gave one to Szeth. We can guess they are evil voidspren but what does that mean? And where did Gavilar get them?

-The Dalinar was see in the flashbacks is so different than what we have now. It’s odd to see him so solely focused on war and conquering. Why is he getting memories of his wife back? Don’t know but it will be interesting to watch him remember and have the flashbacks.

- The struggle Dalinar is facing in convincing the other kingdoms is frustrating but you can see their scepticism and concerns. It’s good to have Taravangian interacting with everyone else despite knowing he has his own plans saving for Roshar (which, in the last book, did include killing Dalinar) that may conflict with Dalinar’s. I can’t wait until he allies with Azir, and then has to deal with Lift. He’s never seen a Knight Radiant like her.

-Dalinar is also beginning to discover his powers. He can ‘stick’ things to walls like Kaladin (Surge of Adhesion). Also, he can amplify other people’s powers (Shallan’s map). Although, I don’t think anyone realized what happened there.

- Shallan becomes a detective in this part. I liked the mystery of the double murders and the climax in the destroyed library with the Midnight Mother (shadow spren) was awesome. I feel she discovered a new power in herself with the ‘light’ army. I wonder if the way she separates herself (Shallan, Veil & Radiant) will have a negative effect on her. It’s nice to see that she & Adolin actually like each other.

- Kaladin goes to save Alethkar from the changed-parshmen but realizes they are justifiably pissed off. We see the first signs of Voidbinding – parshendi magic users. But Kaladin is much more practiced and easily evades them. And then he shields people from the highstorm. Kaladin, like Shallan, is becoming stronger in his surgebinding abilities.

- How long can Adolin hide that he killed Sadeas? Shallan knows Kaladin (not Amaram) killed her brother, will that be an issue? Is her brother actually dead, the Ghostbloods seem to imply that he may not be? Why do spren care so much about mating? What’s up with Taravangian’s Knight Radiant Dustbringer? Jasnah is back, what will her story be?

Also, a warning for anyone who gets confused reading Oathbringer. The Coppermind wiki, normally a great source for all Cosmere questions, is already being updated with Oathbringer details. Its full of spoilers if you aren't careful.

I'd suggest avoiding it, like the plague.

I'm interested to see what will happen now that Jansah has returned. I forgot she was alive.

Good catch on the map amplification. That could be interesting paired with other talents. Like if he amps his son's healing, can they raise the dead? Or regrow limbs?

I also wonder when Andolin gets found out.

I agree, that fight with Shallan and Midnight Mother was pretty awesome.