Author Topic: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:  (Read 48441 times)

Creative_Vortx

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #195 on: June 15, 2010, 06:47:03 PM »
Something about the word hoid screams achronym H. O. I. D.  No idea what it would be.

Don't start this again. LOL there like 3 pages of this HOID acronym stuff in another thread. Don't destroy another thread! T__T
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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #196 on: June 15, 2010, 10:35:06 PM »
No more Hoid acronyms!  It would just be a bad idea.

I am so looking forward to this!  So much cool stuff going on and we haven't even seen the third viewpoint character yet!

The prologue with Szeth is officially my favorite of Brandon's so far.  Lashing is awesome!  Gravity control has always been intriguing to me and he's executed it so well!
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Creative_Vortx

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #197 on: June 15, 2010, 10:51:00 PM »
The prologue with Szeth is officially my favorite of Brandon's so far.  Lashing is awesome!  Gravity control has always been intriguing to me and he's executed it so well!

I thought the prologue was really well done and laid a good basis for me to ask "What the hell did I just witness?!" Would that make Szeth your current favorite character as well? I think Kaladin is my favorite character so far in WoK, even if Shallan strikes closer to home for me since we're both artists.
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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #198 on: June 15, 2010, 11:15:45 PM »
I love Szeth's internal conflict and his general awesomeness, but I don't know.  I really like Kaladin.
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kari-no-sugata

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #199 on: June 18, 2010, 02:01:56 AM »
Bit later than I had intended, but here's some initial thoughts on the characters, based on only a tiny percent of the book. Also see the typos thread for the source of some clarifications I discuss here.

The "production description" bit on the Amazon page on the book suggests the main characters are: Dalinar Kholin (who we see "slumped drunken at a small table" in the prologue), Kaladin and Shallan. Doesn't seem like we'll be seeing too much of Szeth in this book - quite interesting how he's so powerful yet so constrained at the same time and clearly has a rather different culture.

Not much to say about Dalinar yet. Is he on the Shattered Plains, with the Alethi king? (Or at least, where the king was in chapter 1). Who's the Shardbearer at the end of chapter 1 - anyone we know? Meanwhile, his niece Jasnah is off on some major journey and is considered to be both brilliant and a heretic. Jasnah seems like someone to cause big upsets and it seems quite likely she could drag Shallan into something much bigger, whether by accident or deliberately.

Kaladin's situation is certainly easy to grasp quickly. A branded slave waiting to be sold. Just about hit rock bottom mentally, physically and socially. But he also has significant experience as a soldier and has some kind of training in medicine. I wonder how he will connect up with the other characters - not sure where he is located in relation to the others, but I can imagine Shallan finding his experience and knowledge interesting, for example. Normally when you start with a major character starting from the "bottom" you rather expect them to rise up to great heights. If this is going to happen with Kaladin, it looks like he's going to be carrying a lot of baggage for some time - his last attempt to make a difference didn't end well.

I find Shallan's situation pretty interesting - she has a certain amount of freedom, certainly more than the other characters we've been introduced to so far. Normally in fiction, you'd expect to see her situation from the "start" (ie her father dying) and then her setting out, but given that it's taken 6 months for her little quest to get anywhere worth mentioning, maybe such an introduction would come across well. It also gives me the feeling she won't be returning any time soon because we're not presented with an in-depth introduction to her family and manor. I suspect she will be lucky to be returning home by the end of the book.

That Amazon page says "Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war." I would guess that this theft is from Jasnah - a heretic princess from a different country, and outside both their own countries, could make a decent target. I wonder about a couple of things - could survive her family's predicament simply by sticking with Jasnah? (ie don't take any risks and simply give up on her family) If so, then maybe Shallan could find her bridges burnt for her - that bad news about her family could catch up with her. After all, it's been 6 months - a lot could have gone wrong in that time.

The cultural situation women are in, at least with Shallan and others (related to the Vorin faith?) is rather interesting. I can't think of any historical equivalent to this freehand / safehand cultural thing for a start. Pretty rare to have such blatant asymmetry as well in everyday dress, as far as I'm aware. I wonder what kind of historical events led to this. I also wonder how carefully covering / protecting your "safehand" is "modest"? What kind of immodest things are possible without it being protected...? Also, is it always your left hand that's your "safehand" - in which case, left-handed women might be forced to become right handed. It looks like in the Vorin culture, with the exception of "ardents", only women study reading and writing apart from glyphs. Looks like a lot of clerical type work is women only - notice the "women  in red coats tracking cargos on ledgers" bit. Looks like research and the like is considered a profession for women only - I wonder if this is global, mostly global, or specific to the Vorin faith. I wonder how educated noble males are in this world, and how common highly educated males are - Kaladin and his father have some medical knowledge and they're Alethi. Is this an exception for doctors (no women on/near the battlefield). What about the opposite - have there ever been women Shardbearers?

Shallan herself seems quite interesting - lots of scope for development. There seems to be a "real" Shallan in there somewhere, ready to throw off the constraints of "proper" behaviour. Considering how unfamiliar this all is for her she seems to be handling things quite well. Will be interesting to see how Shallan's tongue fares against a noblewoman :)

Miyabi

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #200 on: June 18, 2010, 10:45:48 AM »
Also, is it always your left hand that's your "safehand" - in which case, left-handed women might be forced to become right handed.

I made a comment about this in my notes to Brandon as well.  Also about the safe hand atrophying from non-use.  I would assume he found a way to address it, unless it's something important in a later book.
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kari-no-sugata

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #201 on: June 18, 2010, 03:11:30 PM »
Also, is it always your left hand that's your "safehand" - in which case, left-handed women might be forced to become right handed.

I made a comment about this in my notes to Brandon as well.  Also about the safe hand atrophying from non-use.  I would assume he found a way to address it, unless it's something important in a later book.


I don't know if he changed anything on this since then but I did notice that Shallan does specifically use her left hand on several occasions, so I guess the cultural side of this is more about keeping the arm+hand covered rather than not using it at all. We don't see Shallan being hesitant or uncomfortable in using her "safehand" to carry her satchel, to hold her sketchpad and so on. I wonder how far keeping the arm/hand covered goes - all hours of the day? In the bath...? Or is only in "public"...? If we ever do see enough of her to be able to tell, her right arm/hand should be more tanned than her left.

Miyabi

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #202 on: June 18, 2010, 06:24:50 PM »

Well I sent it to him months ago so there is a good chance he looked at it.
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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #203 on: June 18, 2010, 09:48:41 PM »
How exposed the opposite arm would be depends a great deal on what the person does and wears. Full sleeves on women's clothing are common in this particular society, and often flowing, loose sleeves that allow the hand to slip in and out of coverage.

Renoard

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #204 on: July 02, 2010, 02:19:16 AM »
I wasn't trying to create a HOID acronym or start such a negative reaction.  I just think that unless one of three people say otherwise, it seems like Hoid isn't really a name, just something he labeled himself with.
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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #205 on: July 02, 2010, 03:01:35 AM »
It is a name, but perhaps not originally his.
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Rrikor

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #206 on: July 02, 2010, 03:18:04 PM »
It has been a while since I posted on here but here are my thoughts on the prologue and the chapters so far. 

I really liked the lashing system in the fact that it completely changed gravity for the person or object it was being used on.  It wasn't just having my feet be pulled to the cieling by a magnet but having my whole body orient that way as well (i.e. No blood rushing to your head when hanging upside down effects). 

We also see a glimpse of what I think is going to be a second magic system with Kalidin where he seems to glow and move faster.  This one does not seem to be related to stormlight as there was non mentioned on the battlefield.  However, I could be mistaken because the currency is clear beads with gems in them and the gems are frequently infused with stormlight and soldiers could easily be carrying money.

One of the things I really want to see is the first storm.  So far we have only seen hints of its affects on the enviroment and locations of citys. 

Now for the part everyone will complain about.  After reading what is available so far I find it very disjointed.  I dont mind the point of view changes in most books but this seems to happen way to quickly.  The chapters are so short and unrelated because we are going though character introduction.  I expect this to change later in the book or series as the characters meet up and there storylines connect. 

This is most likely a personal thing.  In most books I read the point of view starts with a main character or characters and then the point of view switches as the characters seperate and new characters are added.  From the beginning you have more of an idea on how the stories relate together.  Right now it feals like I am reading three books at one time, a few pages from each, then on to the next in hope that in the end they tie together.

Creative_Vortx

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #207 on: July 02, 2010, 05:24:37 PM »
One of the things I really want to see is the first storm.  So far we have only seen hints of its affects on the enviroment and locations of citys.

I can't wait to see this as well. It's going to be epic as far as the description of the land coping with the storm. It would be like a shock wave of plants sucking into their shells as the storm runs through the area.

This is most likely a personal thing.  In most books I read the point of view starts with a main character or characters and then the point of view switches as the characters seperate and new characters are added.  From the beginning you have more of an idea on how the stories relate together.  Right now it feals like I am reading three books at one time, a few pages from each, then on to the next in hope that in the end they tie together.

I felt the same regarding the chapters being a little too short, but I didn't think it detracted from the whole YET. I think he made the stories so distant for the sake of the story as a whole. This is his epic, his masterpiece and the fact that the story lines are so singular makes it really feel like these people are seperate, their own book merely combined in one. Which is really what our lives are, our own stories which when we connect with another person, becomes a single story.
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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #208 on: July 03, 2010, 02:23:36 AM »
uhm, hi.  Long time lurker here :)
I've read the preview a couple of times now, and it looks like we're in for a real treat with the Stormlight Archive.  Can't wait for the whole book.
Now for the prologue, I'm struck by the "drunk"' guy's comment when Szeth meets him;  "Have you seen me?" .   Then later in the same paragraph, we're made aware that one of the statues picturing the Ten Heralds are gone, Shalash's to be exact.  Now, this is probably just coincidence, but I'm kinda connecting this to Hoid as well (I'm aware others have a "Hoid" feeling about the drunk as well).  I think it's mentioned somewhere on these forums that Hoid witnessed the breaking of Adonalsium. If the start of the war in the prelude is somehow connected to the breaking,  Shalash would have been there, being technically immortal and having somewhat special abilities right?
Now, feel free to tear apart my theory here,  Shalash = Hoid = drunken guy in the prologue.  (Sorry for my bad English btw :) )

Aranfan

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Re: Way of Kings Discussion (prelude, prologue & chapters 1-3) :SPOILERS:
« Reply #209 on: July 05, 2010, 10:12:17 PM »
Haven't read the thread yet.

First, WTF kind of tech level do they have that glass can be used as currency but don't have guns? I'm going to assume they have magical techniques for making a lot of glass very cheaply, because glass is hugely expensive.

Other socio-economic observations: females are the intellectual class and eye color has an influence on rank.  This is interesting.  I'm unsure how that kind of hierarchy is stable, since dark eye colors are dominant RL, but we don't have yellow eyes RL so I'm guessing these guys aren't exactly baseline human.

Now then.

Magical Powered Armor!  Yay!

Assuming General Relativity has any relevance in the Cosmere, Lashings seem to have more in common with Iron Pulling than any sort of gravity manipulation.  Basic seems to pull a specific object in a specific direction, based on how Szeth could run on the walls.  Full seems to be a mutual attraction between two objects.  And Reverse is making something an attractor.