Words of Radiance Part 8 - Brandon Sanderson - Fantasy Book - Progression Fantasy Book

Hey, Adventurers, in this episode of the Side Quest Podcast, Slava and Jonathan delve into the complex narratives of the characters in the Stormlight Archives, exploring themes of rebellion, identity, and the moral dilemmas faced by the protagonists. The discussion highlights the evolving perspectives of the Parshendi and the intricate nature of Taravangian's character. The conversation also delves into Kaladin's struggles and relationships, Shallan's discoveries, and Moash's betrayal, culminating in a rich exploration of the themes present in the series.

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(00:00) Intro
(02:02) Exploring the Characters of Roshar
(05:03) The Consequences of Rebellion
(08:05) Understanding the Parshendi Perspective
(10:02) Taravangian's Complex Nature
(17:04) The Diagram and Its Implications
(24:00) Kaladin's Struggles and Relationships
(29:54) Shallan's Journey and Discoveries
(33:00) Moash's Betrayal and Its Impact
(34:34) Character Dynamics and Relationships
(39:00) The Nature of Truth and Perception
(45:00) The Burden of Hope and Responsibility
(50:01) The Battle Preparations and Strategies
(53:50) The Climax of Conflict
(59:58) Kaladin's Moment of Clarity and Growth

Creators and Guests

Host

Jonathan

Host

Slava

Digital Strategist. Co-Host. Aspiring writer of stories.

What is The Side Quest Book Club Podcast?

If you’re a reader looking for something deeper or an indie author working on your book, The Side Quest Book Club is for you. We skip the usual book reviews and ratings. Each episode turns fun side quests into real lessons, so you’ll leave not just entertained, but with a better understanding of why storytelling matters.

SLAVA (00:00.23)
In 90s, those who weren't alive or aware of crime news in the 90s, Cabrini Green was called the killing fields. There were people just being murked left and right. I was actually shot at when I lived in Chicago. Actually, I was visiting at this time. I wasn't living there yet. But I say living because I months at a time in Chicago during this portion of my life. So you could say living. I just didn't have a residence there officially.

So when I was living in Chicago back in the 90s, we were actually shot at, my brother and I, in Cabrini Green.

Welcome to Chicago.

It was right below the L, so that was fun. But you learn to live with it. You know, you're like, alright, well, it didn't hit the car and no one is bleeding.

That's really all you want.

SLAVA (00:48.526)
Coming to you from the Endless Library, where every book is read and every spoiler discussed. Join us as we dig into the lives of fictional people who cannot defend themselves. This is the SideQuest Podcast.

JONATHAN (01:03.48)
What did the, that old kid show we watched? Good morning, book. Good morning, house. Good morning, grass. You remember that? Is that... Is that- That sounds right. The kids today don't know about Pee-wee's Playhouse. What was that chair's name? I'm a rebel, Darla. Live life on the edge. You know the meme I'm talking- or the- the moment from the show? Pee-wee's Playhouse. I'm- I'm doing the- the quote wrong.

Bailey's Cool House? Bailey's Fun House? I don't know.

SLAVA (01:26.55)
I know the chair, I don't know the moment.

JONATHAN (01:33.398)
I think it's Darla. I'm a rebel Darla.

I watched maybe three episodes of that show.

Dottie, it's Dottie. I'm a loner, Dottie. A real rebel. Tim Burton made this. Did you know that?

No, but that tracks. I love Tim Burton. He's a weirdo. A lovable, lovable weirdo.

Here, I'm gonna drop this clip in the chat. None of that surprises me.

SLAVA (01:56.812)
I prefer David Lynch. If we're go weird filmmakers.

Anyway, welcome back to Roshar, folks, where we are following Kaladin and Shalan and Dalinar and the Stormfather on their great adventure into the Shattered Plains. Well, not quite yet, but eventually, yeah.

and Shadesmar.

SLAVA (02:18.68)
Well, Yasta's hanging out there and you know me and Yasta, we go way back.

Mmm.

Ride or die, Slava and Jasna.

Too bad she's dead.

Keep telling yourself that.

JONATHAN (02:30.836)
Anyway, In a Lude 12 is where we're starting today, going all the way through episode... not episode, that's not the right word.

Episode 82.

82 yeah interlude 12 through chapter 82. Why don't you kick us off slobby.

SLAVA (02:53.198)
No kidding. in early 12th, Lon. Pie, a devout female ardent is assigned to be mentored by brother Lon. So she can join Queen Aswadon's retinue as she requests. Lon explains that the ardents are rewarded well by the queen as long as they make her feel that she is religiously devout. Though Pie feels that the queen lives too luxuriously while they're starving a lethe.

So 12, huh?

SLAVA (03:22.316)
Lon feels that he has to persuade Pi to be less confrontational and more accepting of the Queen's lack of religious orthodoxy. Lon tries to explain how comfortable Pi's life will be, but this seems to only make Pi more disagreeable. Lon then shows Pi some wasted rotten food and tries to convince her that if she is allowed to stay, she will be able to have a positive effect on the city by being given the opportunity to help the poor.

that she won't be allowed to stay if she maintains a contrary position to the lazy lives of the Queen's Ardentance. After given several hours to think, questions Lon about the lack of spirituality in Alath'kar and about how the elite only go through the motions but aren't really devout. Pi says that she will comply with his request to fit in with the Ardentance lazy lifestyle and lead by example and do what good she can.

though Lan isn't entirely confident that she won't cause trouble, and trouble she causes. Lan arrives at the palace next day to find that Pi has painted the throne room with large glyphs depicting the ten foolish attributes and how the Queen exemplifies them. Pi is subsequently executed and the Alethic riot and protest.

That checks out. queen is a little off a rocker. And the thing about this is the thing influencing her, we learn more about in a different book, a couple of different books, but it's not a good day to be a devout ardent.

I guess Yasin should have killed her, and she had the chance.

JONATHAN (05:07.48)
That's true. But, I don't know. I don't think it's called regicide. Whatever it would be called. Maybe it's still regicide. Whatever it would be called to kill the queen, your sister-in-law, is a tough move to pull because you can't undo that.

That's how murder works though. You usually can't un-murder somebody.

That's true. That's very

It's one of those things that one and done pass fail.

It's a yes, a pass fail. How about you audience? Have you ever pass fail murdered someone? Drop a note in the comments.

SLAVA (05:42.784)
I advise your audience to shut up.

Suddenly Slava and Jonathan in the morning are swept up and become a crime show. User 1742 has admitted to burying a body in the back behind the the Chulz. I'm trying to keep it flavored. Yeah. It's like the come and go. It's an off name brand. Any other thoughts here Slava about Pi, the Queen, the hedonistic Ardent's.

7-eleven behind the chills is that like wawa

SLAVA (06:13.73)
My only question is, is Pi a throwaway character? Or is she from somewhere? Do we get any backstory of Pi from any other books? Or is this just to highlight how stupid and insane the Queen is? Okay cool. Well, rip Pi and we'll move into Interlude 13, A Part to Play. Very short one. Esh and I tries to ignore a voice that screams deep within her. Don't we all?

The last one.

SLAVA (06:43.244)
Venli and Eshenai discuss the upcoming Alethi attack on Narok and Eshenai says that they should wait and try to surprise their foes with an unexpected high storm that blows in an opposite direction from regular high storms. Eshenai isn't happy with how comfortable Venli and her scholars are with the new storm form but goes about her training of soldiers for the upcoming battle.

The story of Eshenai and the parshendi continues. Did your opinion of the parshendi change at all while you were reading kind of what was going on with them?

certainly does.

SLAVA (07:20.852)
No, not really. Okay. I mean, we get a greater understanding of the prescendi, their forms, their societal structures. So it was interesting to read about those things. We get more obviously in the previous interludes and chapters. This particular interlude is in a series of little vignettes, if you will, or glimpses that we get in the prescendi. But my overall view of them hasn't changed. And I couldn't even articulate what that view is. They're very prescendi.

They're fighting with Thalethy. They killed their king. They are afraid of their gods, but yet now they want to bring them back. So yeah. Do I like him? Do I hate him? Neither. They're just there.

Okay. Fair enough. When I was reading this, never before that I could remember, was there ever a book where after the first book, I started to get a peek behind the curtain of the enemy and how they live. Right? Like the Parshandi are the enemy in the first book. They're still the enemy in the second book. And then we start to understand why, but giving them a point of view in the story.

Okay.

JONATHAN (08:35.168)
is an interesting choice.

Yeah, I guess so. I don't think this is so out of the ordinary. Nobody has done this.

I couldn't think of anyone from the stuff that I'd read in the past who'd done this.

Can you think of anybody? suppose if I'm pressed for it.

I'm pressing you for it. The audience wants to know.

SLAVA (08:54.668)
I suppose I can't give you an answer right here and right now, but it can't be just Brandon Sanderson in the Stormlight Archives that has discovered, hey, if I give the audience a peek behind the curtain, to use your words, of the antagonists, that's going to change literature forever.

Well, okay. I didn't say it changed the literature forever. I said it was interesting and it requires you to address, and I think he's trying to give us a little bit of sympathy for them in doing this to make us as the reader have a different emotional journey than simply a hero goes to the battlefield and kills the bad guy.

That's evident from a lot of Sanderson's writings, starting with my first dip into his world with Warbreaker. You get the God's point of view, you get the priest's point of view, Vasher, the two princesses. It's a well-stretched out narrative. It's not solely Vasher going around doing the little political machinations that him and Vivenna perform in the story. So I think this is just Sanderson's way of

of writing. So to me, didn't stand out in the way it did to you. Cause I was like, yeah, this is definitely Sanderson. We were going to get more proscenity glimpse into their story, glimpse into their lives, their societal structures. This is par for the course for Sanderson in my opinion. It's good. I'm not saying it's bad.

Fair enough. remember reading it and thinking like, this is really interesting. Like, why are you doing this? But with them being the Voidbringers, I'm sure that he's got some sort of larger Cosmere narrative that he's going to share with us at some point, right? Because this is all attached to the Cosmere. And then just as a quick reminder to the audience, books one through five of Stormlight Archives takes place after Mistborn Era one, but before

JONATHAN (10:48.886)
Mistborn irritant. So do with that information what you will. Moving on, your favorite brilliant psychopath, Terevangian.

That is correct.

SLAVA (10:59.79)
So no sympathy for Taravanshan as you have for the Prachendi?

No, I think that the same sympathy sits, which is what makes the story feel unique. Sanderson gives us the point of view of these other characters. And now we have to go, I mean, he's doing a thing that's killing some of our favorite characters, but I get it. This is why it stuck out to me. It's like, okay, we know Taravangian is in charge of Zeth and we know that Taravangian loves his city. Taravangian knows, believes that they can't win.

So he's siding with the enemy, but he's playing as if he's not. But he also like went out to touch the old magic somehow and got like this sporadic brilliance, but also like this gurgling compassion that makes him melt in all things. Just curious stuff.

Well, Taravangin is a curious man, isn't he?

Among other things, like being a murderer. He did the pass on that pass fail test. Dozens of times over, hundreds of times over.

SLAVA (12:01.346)
Yes, he did.

Passed go, collected $200 and right to Park Avenue of Murder.

collected the death rattles.

Yeah. Park. what are the, no, right to, right to eight mile. Or, what's a place in South, right to South side, Chicago.

All plain.

SLAVA (12:20.674)
Cabrini green. went right to Cabrini green. There we go. Yeah. In the nineties audience, for those who weren't alive or aware of crime news in the nineties, Cabrini green was called the killing fields. There were people just being marked left and right. I was actually shot at when I lived in Chicago. Actually, I was visiting at this time. I wasn't living there yet, but I say living because I spend months at a time in Chicago during this portion of my life. So you could say living.

I just didn't have a residence there officially. So when I was living in Chicago back in the 90s, we were actually shot at, my brother and I, in Cabrini Green.

Welcome to Chicago.

It was right below the L, so that was fun. But you learn to live with it. You're like, all right, well, it didn't hit the car and no one is bleeding.

That's really all you want.

SLAVA (13:11.81)
They failed. Whoever was trying to kill us, if they were, did not pass the Merck test.

Fair enough. Taravangian awakens on a ship with stiff muscles, noting that he doesn't feel stupid, which he considers a good sign. He notices that his ship has moored on time when his servants arrive. Mabin brings him his morning meal, but is stopped by Morrell, one of the Kang's testers. He wants Taravangian to take the test first since it is an important day. He wants to know what to expect.

Tiravangian agrees with him and Morale lets the testers approach. The three storm wardens give the king some paper on which to do math problems and put down some figures and glyphs. Tiravangian made these himself on one of his better days, even though he knows he's not a complete idiot. He finds that he is only average on this day. After checking the papers, the storm wardens judge he is fit to serve, one proclaimed, he may not change the diagram.

but he may interact outside of supervision, may change policy and pass judgment. Moral, after getting Taravangian's acceptance, let's Mabin bring him breakfast. Taravangian considers that even though it always takes up one hour every day, the test is the best way for a man who wakes up every morning with a different level of intelligence, he contemplates that life can be tricky, especially when the world might depend on him. Of course, he thinks the world depends on him.

And I mean, guess it kind of does. Taravangian and his retinue enter the battlefield outside of Vaidynar, where his countrymen set up healing tents to tend to the wounded and where they are welcomed and cheered for their mercy and aid. As the diagram predicted, despite the fact that he was behind the civil war, Taravangian and Adrotasia speculate on the thrill and Nergaul

JONATHAN (15:08.256)
As Terevangian talks to the soldiers to show his compassion, he is confronted by Zeth, who says they need to speak. Terevangian panics and makes sure he still has the oath stone. They talk quietly and Zeth says there's a problem. The Dalinar has a surge binder. Terevangian thinks Zeth has found out about Jasna and thinks she faked her own death. Nah, she's dead, bruh. Zeth, don't look at me that way.

Zeth says that he fought a male surge binder who protected Dalinar, which surprises Taravangian and makes him wonder how Zeth will deal with the fact that he was right about the Voidbringers returning. Taravangian says that Zeth must have fought someone who had an honor blade and that he must return to kill Dalinar and avoid fighting Kaladin. Taravangian's Kabal discussed the possible identity of the surge binder. He consults the diagram and tells Adro that he's

He asked the Night Watcher for capacity to save humankind from the desolations. Taravangian guesses from one of the passages that one of the bridgemen that Dalinar took is the Surgeminder and that they must keep Zeth from him at all costs to maintain control over their assassin. Taravangian then goes to see King Valum who is dying. Valum is upset at how coy Taravangian is. He knows that Taravangian is feigning neutrality.

but will soon press his valid but hidden claim for the throne of Yakavid once Valum dies. Valum tells his scribe that he is making Taravangian his heir and shocked to learn all the other pride princes are dead. Valum asks his son Redden to stab him in his heart to put him out of his misery. He does this so when prodded and as Valum dies, he has a death rattle.

Terevangian thinks he has succeeded as the diagram instructed him to become the King of Yakavad. That is unifying the world as Gavilar insisted was necessary based on the visions he had. So got a lot going on here. Play it out for me. What are your first time you read it? What's your over under on this one?

SLAVA (17:22.945)
Yep.

SLAVA (17:29.742)
What I wanted to know as I read this was this condition that Taravangian wakes up with each morning and it's a different level of intelligence and it seems like a persistent illness whose daily variation in his cognitive abilities. I wonder if it has anything to do with him talking to the night watcher. So whatever this capacity is that he asked for, maybe he got it, but

It does.

SLAVA (17:59.32)
talking to this enigmatic night watcher has caused him to have this brain issue. don't know how else to say this cognitive issue where he wakes up either his normal self or just above his normal self to average to what they call in the book stupid, which I imagine just what's the word for it. Well, like a deficiency, a cognitive deficiency says severe one.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. But this last line, right? Like, Terebrantian thinks he succeeded as the diagram instructed him to become the king of Yakov Ed, that it is unifying the world. And this is the part Gavilar insisted was necessary based on the visions he had.

Yeah, so it seems that he believes Dallinar and believes in the vision.

No, this is Dallin Ars, brother of Cavalier.

yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry.

JONATHAN (18:54.498)
That's, that's, that's the big thing here is like, Tara Vangene was friends with Gavilar, perceivably, or at least knew him enough and then also believes him and is taking action because of it.

JONATHAN (19:11.35)
I mean, his, his diagram says that he needs to.

Yeah, his diagram is something that he came up on one of his

His most brilliant day, I believe is what he called it.

He had unparalleled superhuman brilliance. This was because of the Night Watcher. This is what he asked for and he was given. He describes his day as transcending all mastery. Where his intelligence was potentially thousands of times greater than anything before any other state that he's been in. I guess the question is then how is all this connected?

Let me throw another wrench in the mix here. That is the right question. But do you remember when Witt says to Dalinar, never trust anyone who tells you they can see the future? I'm paraphrasing. don't think I'm getting it word for word, but Tarabandjin here believes that through the diagram, he sees the future. So you're asking the right question, but we also have to think about Witt's warning. How does that fit in? We already see.

SLAVA (19:58.006)
vaguely.

SLAVA (20:05.74)
Okay.

JONATHAN (20:16.16)
We've seen a few times where Taravangian has his diagram and things have both gone right, like becoming King of Yakavad, and things have gone wrong with like Zeth encountering the surge binder who should have been from Dalinar's or who would have been one of the Bridgman who should have died. Does the diagram really tell the future? Taravangian is acting like it does, but if we've got almost a 50-50 mix, and I don't know if it's actually that much. I didn't calculate it, but just like for conversations right now.

We see times where it's succeeding and he is achieving the thing that diagram really spells out. And we see times where it's like, there's things that he couldn't factor in.

And there seems to be limitations to what Taravangian can see and understand. So in his day of transcended brilliance, he creates the diagram. And I guess some of it's right, some of it's wrong. He can't always alter the diagram depending on his level of intelligence. He has altered it apparently. As time passes and know, circumstances in the world change, the diagram

That's why the diagram needs to be updated, but he has to be above a certain level of brilliance to be able to update it because, and maybe this will help a little bit is like the diagram is not prophecy because he has to change it. The diagram is such utter brilliance that he can factor all of the variables in to have a level of prediction that appears to be prophecy because he's factoring in the changes. However, to your point, he is not very often brilliant enough.

to be approved by past Taravangian to adjust the diagram. Does that help clarify it a little bit? I stole the words right out of your- little known fact. Originally Brandon wanted to name Words of Radiance, the book of never ending pages. And then his publisher was like, nah dog, the book ends. There are pages and they're numbered and it stops at some point. We can't name it that. Try again.

SLAVA (21:58.946)
That's what I was about to say.

SLAVA (22:20.782)
That's a stupid name anyway. Honestly, if I'm being objective as new or old fan doesn't matter.

Please stage Sanderson writing. It feels clever. It's not.

A lot of things feel clever that are not.

Hey, it's dangerous to go alone. So don't. You should always side quest with friends. Hit that subscribe button and join the party.

That's all I got. What you said was what I was gonna say, so why don't you give me some of your thoughts on I just did. I just did. So there are my thoughts. You gave the audience my thoughts.

JONATHAN (22:59.426)
Are you calling me? Are you calling me Taravangian?

I am co- you have stolen my life rattle.

And I've passed the murder test. Did you ever watch Death Clock? boy. All right. I'll send you some stuff. it is an animation, but it's American. It's about a Norwegian band that plays death metal, but also battles mythological creatures through music.

No.

SLAVA (23:13.457)
Is it an anime?

SLAVA (23:26.528)
Okay, you have piqued my interest.

Awaken, awaken, awaken, take the soul that can be taken. Awaken, awaken. Anyway, I'll send you that later. Don't worry. I will not see what I did there. I held out on the one word so that you would think that I was going to say something else. Just read the next chapter.

Don't quit your day job.

SLAVA (23:48.536)
So we're done with this thing. We're not talking about the diagram anymore.

I mean, I don't have anything else to say besides what you say you were going to say, but I did interrupt you.

You did. Which is fine, I suppose.

just an average day in neighborhood.

into the book chapter 76 the hidden blade we have a couple of point of views here caledon has insomnia and worries that he killed sill he leaves his bed and tells lopen that he wants to watch the army depart lopen asks why he doesn't use stormlight to heal and he says he's lost his ability and that sill is gone and lopen and the only way lopen can give some advice to get sill

SLAVA (24:32.78)
back. Caledon gasps in awe and tells Lopen that the gathered armies appeared as Caledon had imagined them to be when he was younger. Cal and Lopen go to see Bridge 4 off on the expedition. Dalinar expresses surprise to Royun that Sbaril is bringing his army. Dalinar says as much to Sbaril who replies that he thinks there are opportunities for him out there on the plains and he wants to be

thought of as arriving before High Prince Aladar joined them, further surprising Dalinar. Eley tells Sadeus they could try seizing power in a coup as they scout Sabriel's farms west of the war camps. Sadeus says it won't be necessary and that Dalinar won't survive the expedition. A messenger arrives and delivers unpleasant news.

Dalinar questions why Aladar is joining them since he was always a supporter of Sadius. He replies that he won't stand by while two of the least brave high princes march to war to fulfill the vengeance pact. Dalinar demands a vow of loyalty from Aladar and decides that he will trust him out of necessity, though he will make sure that he is not in a position to be betrayed again. Amoram questions Dalinar's decision to trust Sabaariel.

and Aladar and mentions the glory they could have by leaving them out and Dalinar says that he hopes they are above that. As they ride, Dalinar sees Kaladin and Bridge 4 and tells Amram to come with him to speak to them to put rumors of what Kaladin said about Amram behind them.

This was a tough, this was a tough moment. I like what Sanderson did here, but this was, keep going.

SLAVA (26:28.302)
Kaladin feels jealous of Adolin over Shalan, but his admiration for Adolin overcomes that and he thinks they belong together. Kaladin thinks that he should talk to R'Naren about his condition and find out if anything else is going on. The Bridgman all berate Kaladin for not recuperating from his injuries. Dalinar and Amram appear and Kaladin suppresses his hatred after the punishment that he had to endure.

after his challenge was turned down. Kaladin asks who is watching Elokar and Tef says they left their best man and Kaladin realizes that would be Moash and silently curses to himself. Dalinar asks Amorim to confirm his story that he never met Kaladin before and that he didn't steal his shard from Kaladin. Amorim concurs with these statements saying that Kal's claims are

Dallinor says an apologies in order and interrupts Kaladin and looks at Amoram who is shocked. Dallinor explains his sting operation with Borden and Tal to trick Amoram, then summons a sharp blade and holds it to Amoram's throat right before Amoram summons his own. Dallinor demands an explanation for Amoram's lies and deceit and Amoram sends he did it for the greater good.

Since the Voidbringers are returning, Amram apologizes to Kaladin, who realizes with shock that Amram is sincere despite the means that he used to achieve his goals. Dalinar accuses Amram of murder, but Amram counters that Dalinar has sent many soldiers to death to win Gem Hearts. Dalinar tells Amram to remove his cloak since he is no radiant and lets him go for now against Kal's protests.

and says that he will face justice at a later time. Kaladin thanks Dalinar for believing him and Dalinar tells him to get some rest. Kaladin tells Dalinar to stay safe and Dalinar replies that him having a sharp blade, though it feels wrong, will help him if Zeth shows up. Sadeus is upset that Aladar is joining Dalinar and makes plans to replace the High Princes that he thinks will die on the expedition.

JONATHAN (28:54.582)
Yeah, when I first read that, I thought Dalinar was siding with Amaram because Sanderson did a good setup here. And then when Dalinar's like, yeah, no, I set you up, bro, to see if you're a liar. Turns out you are. What is not discussed fully, whatever that means, is Kaladin's shock when he sees that Amaram

Same.

JONATHAN (29:22.614)
really believes that he was doing the greater good. So that's interesting. But Kaladin realizes that Moash is with the king alone and that's not good. And Kaladin's injured so he can't just like hop, skip and a jump, fly over there. It's kind of a race to the finish.

Yeah, this was good, a good tense moment. Kaledin realizing what he must do, but now can't because he was playing dumb games a few chapters ago.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

But let's move on to Chapter 77. Shalan is excited as the armies begin their march on the plains. She and Adolin banter as they ride. Shalan is briefly distracted by thoughts of Kal'din. Who wouldn't be? Adolin suggests that Shalan ride in Sabriel's carriage and she says that if she could walk through the high storm, then she can ride. But he warns her of

Saddlesornness which is a hazard of writing. Okay, Gaz appears

JONATHAN (30:29.07)
Calm down there, buddy. Calm down. No, I'm talking about you. Keep going, just, fine.

Exactly, Adolin.

What am I? What am I? Yeah, that's okay. That's not the clap back that you think it is. Gaz appears and delivers a copy of Words of Radiance as she requested and she thanks him. Shallan rides in a private coach pattern reading her new book, Free from Saddle Soreness, which tells the orders of the Knights Radiant and their traditions, abilities, and attitudes. Though some of it is based on hearsay.

since it was written 200 years after the recreation. Shalon wonders about the different orders and if surge binders would start appearing. Navani joins her in the coach and apologizes for neglecting Shalon and asks to help with the research. The two bond over shared feelings of inadequacy around Jasna. They discuss plans to narrow down where

Storm's Seat is located and how to open the Oath Gate. Shalan says that Yasna expected Urithiru to have information about the Knight's Radiant and Voidbringers and Ivani replies that she was, like Dalinar, trying to bring back powers that should be left alone. Shalan reveals that Yasna actually succeeded and that Yasna could Soulcast on her own without a Soulcaster and that her Fabrial

SLAVA (32:03.97)
was a fake. Navani is alarmed by this since the Radiance are linked to the return of the Voidbringers and leaves to make preparations. Back with Kaladin who is feeling gloomy as he is stuck in a sickbed during the dreary weeping period. Moash visits Kal and explains the plan to kill Elokar and make Dalinar the new king. And Kaladin won't need to do anything.

Kaladin tells him that he lost his abilities and that he thinks Syl left him because of the assassination plot. Moaj says he visited to deliver a message from Elokar for Kaladin to visit the drunk king, but will tell Elokar that Kaladin isn't up for it. He leaves after making sure Kaladin isn't having second thoughts about the planned assassination. Kaladin feels helpless at this point to stop the plot.

being wounded and powerless and gloomy and sad.

Well, sorry, Moash. Not sorry. Kelladon is having second thoughts and you need to calm down and don't make your decisions that you're making.

But he does. And that's why nobody loves

JONATHAN (33:18.508)
does, and that's why there's a whole subreddit Yeah Ridiculous You could have been somebody, Moash

bleepmoe's.com

SLAVA (33:27.34)
And now, you're just a piece of crap.

100 % ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

I never saw this coming in the way of kings and leading up to when this is revealed. I just saw Moash as a grizzly old dude that's going to be Kaladin's pal. Pandre if you will. He turns out to be a Moash.

Mm-hmm.

JONATHAN (33:52.098)
What do they call it? He turns out to be a Benedict Arnold, right? Didn't Benedict Arnold betray? What are other betrayers throughout history? Yes, Judas, that was just Easter. So that one probably been pretty clear. The other one that I'm thinking of is, apothecary is not the right word. Apostasy, commits apostasy. Is that too religious for Moash?

Yeah. Yep.

you this.

SLAVA (34:18.646)
Well apostasy is when you abandon the religion, abandon your religious beliefs or core doctrines.

I mean, that's kind of what he does. Like could have been a wind runner, but now no longer can. Once he, once he goes through with this, he's committing apostasy against the wind runners. And here we are folks, little Moash making little Moash decisions. I didn't see it coming when I first read it either to put a little feather in my cap. Exactly why Spencer and I didn't want to tell you anything about anything in the,

So he is a Judas.

SLAVA (34:50.702)
What would you call that feather?

JONATHAN (34:55.979)
Macaroni?

There you go. But what about Calvin and Shalon thinking about each other in these two chapters?

They're trying to bump chulls they're trying to bump those chulls Well they walk to Narok They're trying to bump those chulls But they live in Alicar Do do do do do Cover your safe hand

Do you think bumping shells leads to saddle soreness?

Yeah, we got the jokes lava.

SLAVA (35:30.298)
Do you? I don't think you did. But seriously, what did you think the first time you're reading it? What are you thinking now that you read book five, without spoiling anything for me or whatever? They had a moment of intimacy, if you will, of them kind of understanding each other better. Not I mean romantic intimacy, I guess there's some overtones here. Like I've mentioned in previous episodes with some of the Will Weid's books like Lyndon and Yaren.

There seems to be a similar kind of thing where something brought them together. Now specifically about Chalon and Caledon, they understand each other better. And that's making them think of each other in a completely different way. And there seems to be some romantic jealousy. It's very nuanced and subtle, but she's distracted. He's a little jealous, expound upon it, even if it's a sentence or two.

It's very obvious their relationship's gonna develop. Cosmereans, they all rejoice in the fact Adolin is fine marrying a woman with multiple personalities, oddly enough. But he's also a pretty peculiar guy, being into fashion, but also a soldier. Firstborn son of the most brutal warlord to roam the land, has his own daddy issues. And a brother who's got

What do they call it a blood illness which will change sooner than later and then his brother, you know joins bridge four, which is weird But good because he's a weirdo Anyway, yes about Shalana Nadolin. She's just the adventurous type abandoned her family and stole from light ice and Got her killed. So just an average day on the shattered plains really.

What about the next chapter? want to discuss the not the prelude to the chapter, but the little epigraph. And so it's all blended together. There's no spaces between the words. But if you put the right spaces in the right places, it says, but they were left behind. It's obvious from the nature of the bond. But where, where, where set off.

SLAVA (37:52.5)
obvious realization like a pricity. They are with the shin. We must find one. Can we make use of the truthless? Can we make a weapon? Can we craft a weapon?

Help me understand, Mr. Cosmurian Scholar.

Well, you know, can we make it truthless?

Kill, use of what's ruthless.

Sounds like Zeth. They are with the Shin. We must find one. The Shin are the guardians of the honor blades. They are with the Shin. The honor blades are with the Shin. We must find one. That's probably one of the honor blades. And then can we make use of a truthless? That ends up being Zeth.

SLAVA (38:36.162)
Yeah, well, my question stems from the fact that all the epigraphs in this book are parts of a letter written between two people. And all of a sudden we see something that's completely different. What happened during the writing of this portion of the letter? It doesn't sound like it fits with the rest of them because there's no spaces between the words and it reads more like a, like a poem. It's a bit disjointed. Help me understand.

Mm-hmm.

remember who wrote this. I think it's an unmade, but I could be wrong.

Well, let's not dwell on it. You want to take the next chapter? 78? Contradictions?

Yes, Shalan draws a sketch of Yasna based on a memory of her on the winds pleasure. Pattern sees some creation spren fade out in comments how useless they are. So classist, Pattern. They discuss the nature of perception and lies, the latter a subject that fascinates Pattern. Dalinar joins Shalan in her tent and she takes a memory since she has no sketches of him. Dalinar asks for privacy and Shalan's guard and scribes leave.

JONATHAN (39:44.418)
Dalinar asks about what she told him about Jasnah discovering the secrets of the Radiance and she verifies what she said is true. Dalinar says he thinks that he is supposed to refound the Knights Radiant, but that he chose the wrong person to lead them and that they might be refounding themselves. Shalan asks Dalinar if he's supposed to gather the Radiance instead of refounding them and then she demonstrates her ability, which leaves Dalinar in awe.

Dalinar goes to investigate and Chalon follows, assuring him that she can handle the danger. She says that she can also soul cast, but not as well, and asks her abilities to be kept secret. And he says he will only tell Navani, but she says not to, and know that she isn't really under his authority. Dalinar acquiesces to her demand, but says that they will talk further and that she gives him hope. Dalinar, hope. So nice, but also lost.

A scout reports that they spotted the parshendi and lost three men, but killed one of them. They appear different from the parshendi of the past and the scouts had burn wounds, oddly enough, despite the rain. Shalan examines the corpse and sees that its eyes are red and is alarmed by it. Taleb reports that another parshendi walked up to the army, not attacking, just standing, and Dalinar and Shalan go to investigate. The parshman, R'lain, calls out.

to some of the Bridgemen. Scar verifies that he used to be Bridge 4 and now wants to surrender to Dalinar. Whoa, Relayne is back, but different.

What do you make of these transformations the Prashendi are undergoing?

JONATHAN (41:24.792)
They've brought back their old gods.

they have do you think this well it does obviously but how do you good

Question. question. Well, now they actually have the ability to fight. That'll be very different for the Alethi. The nameless Alethi who will give their lives to protect the king, Alethkar, to protect Dalinar, all that fun stuff in the upcoming battle that's about to commence. Anyone who's read anything else by Sanderson, he enjoys a good Sanderlanch at the end of his books.

War against the Prescendi.

JONATHAN (42:02.466)
where he turns up the drama to 15, turns up the action, and lets the characters run amok in controlled chaos.

They certainly do in this section. Well, the rest of the book, mean.

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. What about you? When you, when you first saw this in the burn wounds and then like Relain coming to surrender himself.

Significant moment signals some changes in the coming war because now they have an insider Hmm and their camp. I mean the Al-Athi So definitely changes the war because now like you said the Prescendi have greater powers but the other side now has an insider who feels Loyalty in some way or at least feels what the Prescendi are doing is wrong. So he is defected to the other side It's a good

Yup.

SLAVA (42:53.272)
thematic setup for things to come in the next book, I imagine.

So much, so much about to come.

So what I found a bit interesting is that Dalinar says Shallan gives him hope. Yep. In the midst of war, all sorts of transformation for both sides. A bunch of instability for both sides too. I think that puts some pressure, more pressure on Shallan more than she's already feeling. She has to navigate the her little machinations of the ghost bloods. She's doing research that Yasna.

yeah.

She's continuing that research. She's now in the inner circle of the king. She has whatever feelings she has for Kaladin. She really likes Adolin. And now Dalinar is telling her, hey, you're our hope. In the midst of all this craziness, you're the one. Yeah. I'm so happy you're here because without you, everything would fall apart. I think that's a lot of pressure on Shalon given everything that she's dealing with. And not to mention her past, killing her mother.

SLAVA (43:59.224)
and then killing her dad as she sings him a lullaby, which this came to me earlier this week, and I did mention in the previous episode, she sings a lullaby to him, the same lullaby that he sang to her after she killed her mom.

you just realized that?

Well, it just came back to me. didn't, I knew that when reading it, but when we talked about it last episode, it slipped my mind. And this week as I was pondering on the story, preparing for this episode, I was like, wait a minute. That lullaby was the same one that he sang to her. I was like, that's kind of dark.

Very, very dark. She's the darkest character in all of Roshar. Well, that's not true, but it feels true right now. Shallan doesn't handle, let me say this differently, that's actually not true. Shallan handles pressure well enough. She doesn't like the pressure. No. Comfortable with all the pressures.

She passes that test.

SLAVA (44:50.062)
She's not.

That she is, but she barrels through it somehow.

Always. Always, always. Well, you made it this far.

Why not go a step further? Rate the sh- It helps more than you think. And something else that came up just now, Dallinor here realizes that his role is to gather the Radiance. Yup. Not necessarily to lead them. So there's this incremental revelation of his role in whatever's to come. And he seems to be handling that well because some might be like, well, I thought I was going to be in charge.

Yes.

SLAVA (45:28.854)
Yeah. This is stupid. And he's like, wait, no, in order to do the thing that I know I must do, have to shift my position for like a better term on how I'm going about this. And so he's realizing what the storm father is telling him is literally get these folks together and then things will happen. Or at least that's what he thinks at this point.

Yeah, yeah. 100 % these visions and the whispers from the Stormfather. But we also found out a couple chapters ago that like, Gavilar had some thing, we perceive probably the Stormfather, telling him to unite as well. Like that last line from Taravangian's chapter, unite them. And then Taravangian's like, oh, it means the whole planet. We have to unite them. And so then he's making actions to do the same thing. It's like, okay, that one sentence unite them.

is being used differently in different contexts.

Something you said I want to touch upon briefly before we move on. You called Pattern a classist because his response or his view of creation spread. And we know that he's somehow, for whatever reason I'm trying to say, he's fascinated by lies.

You think you call me a liar?

SLAVA (46:42.252)
Yes. Right. Obviously. Do we get any revelation as to why he thinks creation spren are useless? Or is it him just being half aware of himself right now as a spren and what he's observing, he's like, yeah, they're dumb and stupid. Or is there something that he knows or believes both about creation spren?

OK, cool.

JONATHAN (47:05.814)
Nothing that in depth. Eventually in the story we see, like we know that there's a whole bunch of other spren like glory spren, spren, anger spren. Most spren are not sentient. I guess, yeah, that seems like the right word. Like pattern, like sill. The comment I believe is just these spren are not sentient. They're dumb. They don't do anything. That makes sense. Yeah, I don't remember any sort of note per se.

Alright, well, on to 79 we go. Towards the center, Dallinor and Avani interrogate R'lyane in his tent. Dallinor notices how much different he appears from regular Parshman. R'lyane salutes Dallinor and sits as instructed. R'lyane doesn't know any of the Parshendi plans and says he was a Parshman spy for about three years. R'lyane says something is wrong and that Esh and I have changed in a bad way.

All his friends among the listeners have become monsters and that he has nothing left. Scar and Rock disagree and say Relayne is still a member of Bridge 4. Relayne tells them that although he is a preshendi, he was able to spy on the Alethi because he changed into dull form to closely impersonate a parshman and that no one would suspect

or complain about having an extra-parshman slave. Delanor asks about the Red Eye and Relayne replies that it means their gods are returned. The souls of those ancient who hate the Alethi want to bring something terrible. Delanor tells Relayne to lead the Alethi army to Relayne's people and that Delanor will protect the innocent and non-combatants and try to save them from destruction. Relayne is released into the custody of

Bridge 4

JONATHAN (49:03.31)
What do do in a situation like that where a guy who was in your army, you know, unbeknownst time ago, surrenders and he's like, hey, actually, I'm a spy.

You do what you do with the defectors. You use them for your game.

I mean, I guess so, but he like releases him to bridge for He does he does and he should save this friggin life

I think he trusts Bridge for.

So not a lot here and not a lot of comments from me. A spy comes back, surrenders, Dallinor does what he does. Just gonna use him for his, for his gain, as I said. Would you do anything different? Well,

JONATHAN (49:38.99)
The problem is like Dalinar trusts him, which he should, but like he also doesn't get the answers he's looking for. But he's cooperative. Relain is fully cooperative. Salutes Dalinar, listens to him, follows his orders. Yeah, it's just a conundrum, you know? All right, chapter 80, to fight the rain, whatever fighting the rain looks like.

Well, with a high storm it looks pretty, pretty bad ass.

Yes it does. Shalan climbs up a rock formation to get a good view of the ruins of an old city. Shalan reluctantly returns to the tents to join a war council among the High Princess. Shalan tells Dalinar they must push onward. Adolin reports that the 10,000 parsheni have been spotted on the nearby plateaus. Dalinar decides that they will march toward the city the next day and attack. Everyone leaves but Dalinar, Navani, and Shalan. Shalan tells the two,

that the oath gate is real according to Jasna and Daladar thinks they might need it in case of the emergency to escape. Kaladin walks through the near deserted camp to think and try to put his losses behind him. He returns to his barracks and finds Elokar waiting for him. Elokar speaks with Kal privately and asks how Kaladin knows how to be a hero. Elokar complains that he is incompetent even though the Almighty gave him the throne.

Elokar asks Kal if he's a bad king and Kal replies, yes. That spot, even though, even though Elokar is like whining and complaining and basically confessing, it always makes me laugh. Anyway, Kal thinks he could kill the king then and there and wonders if he should, but then realizes that while it would be good for the people, he doesn't want to fail Dalinar. Kaladin suggests that Elokar resign.

JONATHAN (51:29.41)
which angers the king. Elikar then says that when Kaladin came that the shadows that haunted him vanished and that there is something special about Kaladin. Elikar apologizes for his previous treatment and imprisonment of Kaladin, which was out of jealousy and admits culpability for their failure to deal with Sadius and leaves.

Yeah, this was a surprising chapter.

do you think Alucard's shadows are?

Now that is a question. Are you trying to tell me they're not figurative?

This is a world that has little spirits that fly around.

SLAVA (52:03.37)
Okay. But still, are you trying to tell me they're not figurative? Just as figurative shadows are him being culpable for the failure to deal with saddias.

They're not. not. mean, those are, that is also true, but that is not what he's talking about.

So is he getting glimpses in Two Shades of Mar? No. Is something from the Cognitive Realm haunting him?

yeah. I would use- yeah. Yeah.

So he's being haunted by spirits that are dark and shadowy. Or... Well, what would be more?

JONATHAN (52:34.316)
Is it something more?

I don't know. Let's read on and find out. Here's the thing. The listeners, I'm doing this for the listeners. This isn't for you. You finished the book. You already see what happens with him. The listeners on the other hand, still have a couple chapters maybe.

that it'll have anybody

SLAVA (52:52.654)
This is about the listeners. That's rich.

No, my name is Jonathan, but thanks for trying. I should have used that excuse before, huh? It's for the listeners, Slava. We do it for the listeners.

Well that's a positive recording you tell me, then I'll keep it a secret.

L o car was becoming a light weaver

And because he's a little weakling, he has trouble with it.

JONATHAN (53:15.842)
Yeah. Well, that's why at the end of the book where Kaladin's like, say the words, Ellicar, say the words. And he doesn't get them finished. So he dies before he becomes a squire. Cause pattern, know, it patterns type of spren, the cryptics are these shadowy figures.

That makes sense now.

SLAVA (53:32.238)
That makes sense. Okay. I missed a good 30 % of that. That meant now, now the whole thing makes sense.

And this is just like a future thing, but there's also, think Brandon confirmed that Tien, Kaladin's brother, was becoming a light weaver as well before he died. Cool.

Well, audience, this one's for you too. Chapter 81, The Last Day. Sounds ominous. Dalinar goes to the edge of the plateau and looks across the chasm to see a large group of Prashendi with glowing red eyes. Dalinar calms down the other high princes and gives orders for the army to be prepared for battle. Navani says she can't hide from danger since she has to set up the Fabriels.

Downer gives a motivational speech to nearby soldiers saying that he was sent from the Almighty with knowledge of what they face from visions of the past and to trust that the Voidbringers will be countered by their radiance as in the past. As they await to join battle, the Prescendi starts singing. Reliant appears as summoned and says the song is of death and destruction and power. The Prescendi start glowing.

and Reline tells Dalinar that they must stop the song or else. Heeding the condone that says this is the last day that it was leading to, Dalinar orders that his army attack immediately. Kaladin walks through the light-eyes training ground, still injured and walking with a crutch. Kal talks to Zayel who says the Pure Lake reminds him of his home.

SLAVA (55:16.268)
Zaheel says they flooded the training grounds to wash the sand with the weeping rains. Kal says he's looking for wit, but Zael says he isn't around. Kal explains his dilemma vaguely and Zaheel replies to choose the option that lets him sleep best at night. Kal tries to practice his spear forms but has difficulty due to his injury. Kal has a realization that Elikar is Dalnur's Tien.

Adolin receives his orders to attack and orders his soldiers to be ready to charge against the Prashendi. After receiving the signal, his group charges, but they get hit by a lightning blast which kills Shur blood and throws Adolin from the saddle, dazing him briefly. Adolin sees flashes of red lightning taking out his soldiers. He yells for his men to advance as if they were fighting archers.

He is struck directly by a bolt of lightning, but it only blinds him momentarily. He suspects his sharp blade and helm provide some sort of immunity or protection to the Prashendi lightning attacks. He subsequently uses his sharp blade to attack and kill some Prashendi, and he sees some small red spren leave the corpse and vanish. Woof. Mm-hmm. Shalon sketches a map of nearby plateaus so they can try to locate the

Oathgate as a scout reports on the local terrain and Preshendi locations. Pattern says something is very bad. Inadra implies that Pattern is related to the Voidbringers and Pattern replies that she is more likely to be one causing her to be annoyed. Renarin studies Pattern closely. Pattern says the Red Stormspren are a form of Voidspren

and present a great danger. Another scout arrives and says that Shalan's drawing of the central plateau is wrong and it's actually round, not thin and long, and this alarms Shalan. Meanwhile, Dalinar orders Renarin to find some soldiers to accompany Shalan and to lead them. He sees that the fighting is tough, but his men are holding against the wind and lightning attacks.

SLAVA (57:43.49)
Dahlner redeploys his soldiers and orders Navani's Fabriels to be used. As he walks, he hears a voice and realizes it is the same one he has heard in his visions.

Dun, dun, dun. And the Sanderlansch begins. Everything is culminating. I think that this is the thing that really helped Sanderson get his bearings as an author is a very blatantly obvious climax. I don't know if you had this when you were growing up. My reading, wow. My reading comprehension was not great in school.

Yeah.

SLAVA (58:18.381)
The climax?

JONATHAN (58:24.918)
So they'd always be like, find the climax and of the story. And I'd be like, well, it could be this, it could be that. Cause like, I'd see it from a couple of different point of views, but he makes it just blatantly obvious. It's like, Hey, it's this big flashing light over here. That's the climax. This is the Santa Lance. This is the thing, which I appreciate. There's no guessing. It's like, well, Tommy asked Brenda out and she said no. And then the story resolved.

Okay, well I definitely would not, I would have chosen them arguing two chapters back as like the climax. But sure, yeah, when they did that, boom, okay, whatever.

And this has become the stuff of memes. I follow some subreddits and a couple of Instagram channels that do Cosmere stuff. And more often than not, the Sanderlange is what people are talking about or memeing about or whatever. This is a thing.

Book five feels like an asunder lance the entire book.

I like it. Only three books away.

JONATHAN (59:23.371)
It's to look forward to because Yasin is not there to save us. Don't look at me that way. She's dead

I'll see it when I believe it.

I thought you were gonna say, I'll see you in hell.

I meant to say I'll believe it when I see it, but what I guess I should be writing epigraphs for

Yeah. Confusion. let's see the, the epigraphs are the death rattle. podcast rattles confused, Slavic podcast rattles.

SLAVA (59:47.458)
My podcast rattles.

SLAVA (59:51.672)
That is an apt description of all my bluffs, not bluffs, bloopers.

Bloopies as we call them in the the biz you having some bloopies Anything else on on this chapter Shalon had some sort of big discovery Adolin loses his favorite horse his only horse

I don't think that's how it works.

JONATHAN (01:00:14.99)
Kaladin has an epiphany that is very relatable for him with Dalinar.

Yeah, that's what stood out to me the most is Caledon's moment of clarity here, where he realizes that, the original oath I took was the right oath. I was distracted by Moash's machinations and my own feelings of hatred and jealousy and the chip in the shoulder, the size of a boulder as you say it. So this moment of clarity really sets Caledon back on the right path. And that stood out to me. The rest of it, as he said, avalanche.

Sanderlanch, but in the middle of it, you have this little moment. It's not that little in the scope of the story, but you have this little moment where Cal goes, crap. This is why I'm here. This is my, not my goal, but this is my duty. And I am failing at it because I was moping around instead of realizing that there's a greater and bigger things at play. That's not, that's easy. no, no. Amaram, now the rest of the nonsense.

Hmm.

SLAVA (01:01:19.192)
This is where I do have compassion for Caledon because his little, what's the word for it? His hangups with sharp blades. We talked about it. We kind of poked fun at it. It's kind of silly, but here the loss of his brother is something real that he is walking around with. He carries it with him. And this moment of clarity gives him a perspective that there's other people also with other

quote unquote Teens and that he can't let his past screw up and get other people killed. In his duty, in executing his duty, he can't screw up his execution of his duty is what I'm saying. So I really like that about this chapter.

Right.

JONATHAN (01:02:02.926)
Do you have a TN in your life? Or have you in the past?

No, I don't think so. I can relate to it. Maybe it's an abstract relation, but I can understand at least.

No TN like not I'm not saying that you had to have like a brother but like someone that you took care of that like was a How'd you put it in the past? I can't do right? can't get right can't get right which is what I'd call alucar, right?

No, not in the same way that Dalinar feels for Elokar, not in the same way that Kaldan and Tien interacted. I've had friends and acquaintances who are can-get rights, and yes, at times I acted as a bigger brother to them, providing advice and guidance, but I never had the affections that these two had for their Tiens.

Mm-hmm. Fair enough. How about for glory lit? For glory lit. For glory lit. I'm just going to keep reading the chapter until you respond to me. For glory lit.

SLAVA (01:03:06.19)
You mean chapter 82?

For a glory, yes, 82.

SLAVA (01:03:38.048)
and finds the king lying down on the couch and not moving. Adolin battles the prescendi who try to ensnare him using ropes. Peril reports that both forces are currently evenly matched and the singing prescendi are now joining the battle. Adolin decides to go after the singers and has a battalion gathered to go after them while Peril provides distraction. Dalinar

addresses the voice he hears, but the voice says it is not the Almighty, but rather a sliver of him left after he was killed by Odium. A messenger reports that Taleb has fallen. Dalner takes the messenger's horse and goes to the battlefront to get a first-hand look at the status of the war of the battle. He goes to Novani and tells her to execute her plan immediately.

A line of archers under a covered pavilion is exposed to the chasm front, with Fabriels draining moisture from the air, and the archers join battle to attack the Prashendi who are surrounding Royan's forces. Kaladin relaxes as Al'Akar is alive but drunk, and the king sulks. Kaladin warns that assassins are coming and they must seek safety. As they leave, one of Grave's men surprises and stabs Al'Akar in the side.

before Kal can stab him with his spear. The king is bleeding, though not critically injured. Kal then tells Elikar to put pressure on his wound, and the king sees that Kal is also bleeding. Kal then tells Elikar not to give up as they flee. Moash and Graves appear in Sharpblade.

We in it. We're here. Kaladin has to do something. And the good thing is Kaladin is so intimate with his spear that he even in a fractured bleeding state on a crutch can deal with incapacitating people. This is another one of those moments. I talked about this in Cradle where you get a juxtaposition where like, you know how bad this guy's hurt and he's still taking guys down.

JONATHAN (01:05:55.662)
It's harder for him and he doesn't have special powers right now, but he's still going bibbidi-bobbidi-boop. You dead. It's pretty good. Kaladin is giving Elikar the 101 of hero training. Don't give up.

Yeah, such a good chapter.

And then it ends with Moash and Graves showing up in shard plate. And we, as the reader go, I know Kaladin's good and he can take on a shard bearer. I don't know if he can take on two shard bearers. Even in good health. right, right. Hopefully something happens. Maybe Wit will come by and help him out. I was going to say he'll sit them all down and tell them a story. Okay, kids.

my way to death

JONATHAN (01:06:42.552)
Here it is. yeah, run me through, you know, you're probably. spear? Yeah, and that's the show, folks. We're never gonna finish the book, because Slava killed me. The old pass failover.

I am like wit, look at that.

Maybe. Run me through the emotions you were feeling the first time reading this.

excited. I was excited to see what Kaladin would do to get the king out. I sort of had an inkling that he might win and get the king to safety, but also overriding that little inkling was like, no, no, no, no, no, no. King is definitely dying. And this is part of what Kaladin has to live with, part of his journey to learn more about his oaths and his duty and

Maybe the king will die. Probably the king will die is what I thought. So I was sort of on the edge of my seat hoping that Cal pulls something from his sleeve, from under his sleeve and gets the king out. And well, he does for those who are also sitting on the edge of their seat.

JONATHAN (01:07:51.342)
Did you find that you had to put the book down for work or anything, or you just kept trucking?

No, I kept chugging. As far as I can remember, I didn't have to put it down on I think. I listened to it on the bus, which is from the door of my house to the bus depot to the door of my office is about an hour and 15 minutes. I think I finished this whole chapter somehow. I don't remember. I don't remember putting it down. It doesn't matter.

Mm.

JONATHAN (01:08:19.124)
are times when I do my rereads and I'm, you know, driving around doing whatever I need to do. And I'll like pull up to like a UPS or something like that. Right. And I'll like ship a couple of packages or whatever, but I'm in a chapter like this and I'll just sit in front of UPS or picking up food or whatever for 20 to 30 minutes. Cause I'm just in it. Can't not listen to it. It's like crack cocaine.

Yeah, I've done that once or twice pulling up home.

Even though I know what's going to happen, even though it's just, it's, that is the type of literature that is the most fun. Literature that captivates you to the point that you go, I gotta, I gotta keep listening to this, which is fun. Very fun. Well, folks, that's, that's it. Unless you got some more slava.

with you.

SLAVA (01:09:12.118)
I think we're good to end it here.

Little bit of a cliffhanger. What's Kaladin going to do with Moash and Graves? We've got two more, two more episodes and then Words of Radiance is complete. We've got our part nine where we'll finish up all the chapters. And then as always, we have our guest recap episode where we will have some first time readers of Words of Radiance with us and our resident

Spencer Spencerton coming back as well to share with us all of the extra learnings that I have not given you probably because I forgot.

Looking forward to that. I hear he's a pretty good teacher.

That is true. He is.

SLAVA (01:10:00.674)
Alright folks, thanks for joining us on today's SideQuest. Be sure to come back next week.

I have favor to ask you. If you like what we're doing, the simplest way to support the show is to hit subscribe. In return, we'll keep leveling up, we'll listen to your feedback, and meet authors that you suggest. Of course, we'll take side quests all along the way. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you on the next one.