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preservationandruin · 7 years

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Words of Radiance Part 3 Part 2

Forgot how quickly I can get through these once I get going. Sure, it still takes days, but I might have this done by the end of the weekend at least.

Shallan snoops, Adolin plans a duel, Kaladin seems to be getting better, and then not any duel but The Duel happens and now everything is pain and suffering.

Shallan’s trying to pinpoint the location of Urithiru, noting that every map places it close to but not in their own lands. Pattern effortlessly starts translating Dawnchant, because it’s a Pattern. Pattern is indignant that the Alethi substitute in an h and pretend words are symmetrical anyway. The Shin note that Urithiru was their path to the outside world at times, with its “stones unhallowed.” Pattern is curious about the anatomical differences between genders and why they’re so slight and Shallan still really doesn’t want to be talking about this. We learn that Pattern peeped on Sebarial bathing to learn more and Shallan is dying. She runs out to meet Adolin, passing Palona and Sebarial apparently having a spa day.

Also, Shallan is very good at developing rapport with anyone who’s been in her presence for a decent amount of time. Also apparently she’s stealing Sebarial’s coach, which he likes because it gives him an excuse not to go anywhere. Also, we get information that Navani still is cold toward Shallan.

Cut to another flashback--Shallan and her brothers. She has managed to coax some life back into them, somehow. Also, Balat is now exchanging letters with his girlfriend that he’s too embarrassed to have Shallan read. However, she does manage a dirty joke--basically, she and Wikim are making more and more ridiculous metaphors about love, and Balat is getting indignant. Also, Wikim was carrying blackbane for a year, almost ready to commit suicide, but he gives it to Shallan as a sign that he won’t. And then her father tells people who Jushu owes money to that they can take him, and when Shallan questions him he actually yells at her and, for a moment, seems to hate her. So Shallan tries to exchange her necklace and her brothers’ knives for Jushu’s life. He takes the daggers and gives her her brother back. Also, her dad’s emotional abuse of Shallan gets really bad here--he beats a maid in front of her room when she disobeys, lets her see it, and tells her that he won’t hurt her, but if she does anything to anger him, he’ll hurt someone else.

Anyway, present-day Shallan is meeting with Adolin for lunch, in a very jarring change of tone. Adolin, waiting for her is--of course--looking at fashions.Dalinar let this boy dress in nice clothes. It’s awkward at first--Shallan is trying to act refined. Also, Renarin is a wine enthusiast but Adolin just doesn’t really care. She follows along the expected lighteyed beauty awed by chasm runs for a while, but then...

“What if you need to poop?”

The best part is that Adolin literally continues on with his normal story for a bit before realizing. So we get the details about shitting in shardplate. Adolin flat-up accuses Shallan of being Wit in a wig, which is a hilarious mental image. Shallan actually gets Adolin to crack up as well--like I said, good at rapport.

She also gets Adolin to tell her a lot about what’s going on in the camp now, which is crucial information. Also, Shallan sees something moving--living--inside the highstorm, and Adolin lowkey has to pull her inside. Wonder if it was the Stormfather?

We get an epigraph about the Willshapers, who were the “uncut gem” among the radiants, given to exploring and being erratic, and I’m not going to lie, that sounds a lot like Eshonai, give me Radiant Eshonai Brandon please.

Sadeas approaches Adolin again, and I really don’t think Sadeas knows how close Adolin is to actually killing him. I think he assumes it’s just hotheaded temper and doesn’t have substance. Adolin says “don’t call me son” which just makes me think of Hamilton. CALL ME SON ONE MORE TIME.

The negotiations with Eshonai are supposed to be soon, but...yeah, that’s not going to go well. Can’t remember much of how it does go, but...yeah. Another message on the wall from Renarin: 32 days, seek the center. He’s trying real hard to help, here. It was made using Dalinar’s knife--Renarin was being canny. We also learn in the epigraphs that the Radiants had executed ones of their own for various reasons--fraternizing with “the unwholesome elements” being named. Which is interesting. I wonder what it means--talking with Parshendi? Something like that? Also, Renarin now wears a Brige Four uniform, which is great.

So Adolin takes Dalinar’s place in the negotiations with Eshonai, which in retrospect is good, because she’s fundamentally changed since last time. Eshonai doesn’t attack, but she does basically play into their beliefs that the Parshendi will fight until the end and can’t be reasoned with, which in the long term is more destructive.

Back to Kal, for a second--he’s practicing his Windrunning--and then over to Shallan. She’s in Sadeas’ camp and noticing how it’s just generally shittier than the others. She’s a dude this time--with both hands covered in gloves, of course. We also get that Amaram is a traditionalist, and I keep wondering why on earth Gavilar thought he and Jasnah would be a good match. So Shallan disguises herself as a darkeyed maid and slips into his house, and we switch back to Kaladin. Switching gravity still is tricky for him, and Syl yells at him to start with the basics. Meanwhile, Shallan has learned that Amaram knows the name of her maids, and she distracts him from going in his room so that she can get in there and get what she needs. The room is full of maps--much like Shallan’s own. She takes Memories of all of the maps and starts piecing together his script. She also realizes that he’s trying to bring back the Voidbringers. As was Gavilar, although she doesn’t know that. Meanwhile, Kaladin realized that this means that the sky is his now.

Shallan is imitating Amaram, then back to the messenger, and she even does have a message for Amaram--wanting to draw his Blade. This gets a musing from Amaram, as he starts basically babbling about how great Blades are, and summons his--and she recognizes it as Helaran’s blade. Meanwhile, Kaladin is getting the hang of Lashings and finally feels alive again. Amaram lies to Shallan and says that he killed Helaran, which she believes. Kaladin is hovering high above the Shattered Plains, with Syl. Also, Shen tells Kaladin his actual name--Rlain--and that he has to leave, and Kaladin lets him, although he’s sorry.

Rlain isn’t going to like what he finds at home.

Adolin is dueling. This time, he aims to show not brutality, like the first time, or recklessness, like the second, but what a perfect master of the art of dueling can do. Also, Shallan shows up afterward to congratulate him, and Navani is still icy. Also, Shallan’s method of asking Adolin on a date is to tell him that the date is happening. Which is great. And then comes the angry highprinces.

And Adolin offers that Relis doesn’t have to duel him alone. Dammit, Adolin, you overconfidant son of a bitch. I’d like to note that he does it because Shallan just asked for something spectacular, and because Dalinar wanted fanfare.

I’d like to note that I sent a skype message ranting about it and here it is, in its full eloquence and comprehensibility:

u kno when u reread a book and u see a character makin a mistake and ur like. u dumb moron. u absolute turd. u loser among losers.

Anyway, Adolin Does That Thing. I fucking hate this.

There’s a drawing of Shallan walking and another person--Veil? look is right--walking. Gotta say, Veil looks badass, and I’m gay, I’m very gay, someone help. Epigraph tells us the Windrunners had squires and that they and the Skybreakers didn’t always get along. Anyway, Shallan--right after meeting with Adolin--goes as Veil to meet with Mraize and the Ghostbloods again. Mraize is very impressed by Shallan’s recapturing of Amaram’s maps, and Iyatil has a tendency to appear out of nowhere. Now that Shallan knows he was involved in Helaran’s death, she’s started to loathe Amaram. Welcome to the Hating Amaram Club. Mraize also has started to sort of grow fond of Veil--at the very least, he loves her drawings. He also realizes that she killed Tyn, and is vaguely amused by it. Mraize also alludes to the fact that he’s going to be hunting down Veil’s actual identity.

She also does hide and listen further, worrying about if she’s being followed. Mraize mentions that they need to take the maps to “Master Thaidakar” and also mentions “Restares’ cronies.” He also mentions an “Old fool” who thinks he plays in world events but only hides in his city (Taravangian?? I don’t think so), but also mentions a “creature in Tukar” that’s different and maybe not human. Shallan waits until they leave and practices accents on her walk back. She also does find that her carriage was burned and the coachman killed. Good to remember that as nice as Mraize seems, as much as he loves art, you can’t trust him.

Back to Kaladin, who is guarding Adolin, on a date. Also also, we get more of Kaladin Being Scared Of Horses. Anyway, Wit’s there. He’s being confusing, as usual, and apparently is irritated--or pretending to be--that chasmfiends can’t mantain intonation. Also, he drops a hint about knowing that Kaladin can fly. Anyway, Adolin has about the same reaction to Wit that Kaladin does. Wit implies that he kidnapped and tied up Adolin’s usual carriage driver.

And Shallan finally is someone who makes Hoid speechless, by being delighted to see him and hugging him. Makes sense--if you show kindness to a young abused girl, she’s not going to forget it. We also get the comment that implies that Wit and Cultivation don’t get along-- “there’s only one [woman my age] around these parts, and she and I never did get along.” I mean, if I remember right there’s a WOB saying that Hoid calls her Slammer, so um, there’s probably a story there. God I want to meet Cultivation so badly. Wit tries to get Kaladin to flirt with Shallan to upset Adolin. Kaladin is unamused. He remains unamused throughout the carriage ride, because he’s stuck guarding them. Kaladin also gets to overhear the conversation about being able to challenge someone if you win incredibly enough. Which, turns out, was not a good thing for him to overhear. Whoops. Syl teases Kaladin about how bitter he is over other people being happy.

The horrible horrible heartbreaking thing is that Kaladin is like 3 seconds from admitting he’s a Windrunner and stepping forward with it right now. He’s so close. And it’s not going to happen until the end of the book. And then, of course, Kaladin learns that Amaram has been put in command of the reforged Knights Radiant.

Dammit, Dalinar. Your plan is good but your timing sucks. Kaladin was about to tell you!

And then there’s Adolin’s duel. Of course. God, this timing is the worst! Dammit, Sanderson!

Adolin’s talking ot his blade again. We also get a line that I love from Renarin that I feel like people overlook? His advice on Sadeas:

“When you corner him with a challenge, he will look for a way to escape. Don’t let him. Bring him down on those sands and beat him bloody, Brother.”

Renarin did, for a moment, think that his father and brother were dead, that he was in charge of the House. He must really fucking hate Sadeas as well. Also, interesting that it’s this battle that he loses his mother’s chain--it probably doesn’t mean anything, but it gives the reader the distinct feeling that something’s going to go wrong in this duel

AND BOY HOWDY DOES IT.

Adolin is so sure, so confidant, and then FOUR PEOPLE STEP OUT TO FIGHT HIM.

This entire sequence is like concentrated anxiety until Kaladin steps in but the moment the duel ends it goes back to being concetrated anxiety. And he also notices that Jakamav is one of the duelists, although I note that he doesn’t have for certain knowledge of the person in King’s Plate. And Zahel starts yelling advice to him. Honestly, Adolin does incredibly well against four people who are out to try to cripple him. Against three, I almost would think he could have done it.

Four...is a bit much. And then they learn that the judge has been bribed not to see the “I yield” sign. Which makes this go from “bad” to “Living nightmare especially for his family dear god can you IMAGINE”

Renarin went out there with NO PLATE and a SWORD SCREAMING AT HIM trying to save Adolin I still think we should all just appreciate Renarin Kholin for being the bravest character in this series. Fortunately, the guy fighting him doesn’t want to hurt him, although the others leverage that to get Adolin to stop trying to surrender. Renarin does end up having one of his fits--again, screaming sword, makes sense--and this is just horrifying. Amaram refuses, because he’s a shithead not worth shit. Dalinar shames the entire goddamn area by demanding to know where Alethi honor is, and...

“Honor is dead,” a voice whispered from beside him. “But I’ll see what I can do.”

THANK YOU, KALADIN.

Shallan now automatically thinks “bastard” while thinking about Amaram, which, same. She also decides to get Pattern to try to distract the guy attacking Renarin--nice. Kaladin and Adolin go back-to-back to team up. Kaladin also lost the pointed end of his spear--whoops--and Adolin is being astonishingly excellent. So Kaladin realizes that he can lash himself toward people and superkick them. Also, Pattern was an effective distraction, although he also distracts Syl.

They get one man to yield. Three left, the one with Renarin coming over here. Renarin is not having a good time but he’s put down his Blade. Kaladin’s doing great, until he runs out of Stormlight. Adolin, fortunately, grabs Jakamav before he can get Kaladin. Relis--the fucking coward--goes to kill Renarin, and Kaladin gets there first and catches the blade.

And then screaming happens. It sounds like Syl--might have been an honorspren that made that blade, then. Relis, of course, flips his shit and literally runs out of the arena, so... it worked. Kaladin also gets Jakamav to yield via knife on faceplate and asking if he gets to kill his second Shardbearer. Adolin is laughing his ass off as Kaladin sits by him. It’s great.

Anyway, it’s great for a moment and then Kaladin RUINS IT. Actually, I’m going to be fair. Elhokar ruins it. By being petty and not liking how liked Kaladin is. So Dalinar gets in a fighting match with Elhokar and threatens that if Elhokar insists on assassination, Dalinar will be his enemy. Also, Dalinar is pissed as fuck at Kaladin for giving Sadeas that moment to wiggle out of the duel.

They still did get close enough to spook Sadeas badly. To the point where he admits he just wants Dalinar out of the way. And Kaladin tells Syl he’ll never trust lighteyes again. And that ends part three, holy shit.

#stormlight archive liveblog #roshar #suicide and abuse tw #for shallan's flashback chapter #The Duel

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