Surfing Brandon's site, I came across this
http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/29/Tor-Proposal-Part-FourIt's a very old description of the first version of the Way Of Kings (the version he wrote after Elantris and before Mistborn). It's
very interesting to see how he first envisioned the series, and contains clues about what's to come in future installments.
Here's some excerpts:
The OATHSHARDS is a massive war epic centering around ten angelic beings who have been driven insane—each in a slightly different way—by millennia spent protecting, fighting for, and dying for mankind. The first book, THE WAY OF KINGS, follows six separate viewpoint characters (one of them an immortal) during a time when the three peninsulas are thrown into a massive war. It is an intensive character piece coming in at over 300,000 words, and can be quite brutal with its characters.
It still does the things I do well—it has several original magic systems (though magic isn't a focus in the first book.) It has a very interesting setting (which is one of its strong points) and has an array of interesting characters from all walks of life. (One a young peasant soldier, one a middle-aged sister to the king, one a battle-hardened nobleman general, one an honor-bound assassin serving an evil master, one a young lady-in-waiting, and the final one being an immortal protector of mankind who is slowly breaking beneath the pressure of his station.) The central theme of the book is that of leadership, and each of the six viewpoint characters are defined in one way or another by how they lead others.
Heh. So we know that the original six viewpoint characters were Kaladin, Jasnah, Dalinar, Szeth, Shallan and Talenal (suppose we know for sure that, yes, he's alive, now). I wonder how different the original plots were. I suppose he combined some viewpoints, to get it down to just three/four.
I think
"The OATHSHARDS is a massive war epic centering around ten angelic beings who have been driven insane—each in a slightly different way might clue us in as to what's in store in future volumes. And suggests the Heralds apart from Taln are still alive and kicking in Roshar, and will pop up later.
Also, note the "
It is an intensive character piece coming in at over 300,000 words, and can be quite brutal with its characters.". Can be quite brutal with its characters eh? That should be interesting.
I wonder what
"during a time when the three peninsulas are thrown into a massive war" refers to. What war? And what are the three peninsulas?
What does everybody else think of this?
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