Will Adolin Make His Swords Spren Live Again

Welcome back to the Oathbringer reread, equally we launch firmly into the barrage known every bit the Role Three Climax (and too as the climax of Oathbringer Book Two, if you call back of each volume as a trilogy). Even so you look at information technology, though, things are getting exciting up in here. Time to tempest the palace, even as the Voidbringer army storms the city.

Reminder: Nosotros'll potentially be discussing spoilers for the unabridged novel in each reread. As has become normal in these chapters, there volition be Warbreaker spoilers, peculiarly in Cosmere Connections, as well as mentions of things to come up subsequently in Oathbringer.

Chapter Epitomize

WHO: Adolin
WHERE: Kholinar—the tailor'southward shop and into the palace. On the following map, Adolin and his grouping'southward path is marked in purple, whereas Kaladin's group when they divide off is marked in blue.
WHEN: 1174.2.iii.3 (immediately afterward Chapter 82)

Elhokar and his grouping (including Adolin, Kaladin, Shallan, and Azure) leave the tailor's shop as the walls come under attack, leaving a spanreed with an ardent with orders to apply information technology to alert Dalinar of the impending opening of the Oathgate. They make their way to the palace, where Kaladin, Shallan, Skar, and Drehy pause off to loop around and take the Sunwalk. Later assaulting the chief doors of the palace and making it within, Adolin discovers a small-scale group of palace guards who didn't fall under the sway of the Unmade. Kaladin and his men (and Shallan) rejoin them, and they regroup for a moment before Elhokar leads Kaladin off to try to find his married woman and son. Meanwhile, the rest of the group continues along the Sunwalk towards the Oathgate platform… and the two Unmade waiting at that place for them.

Truth, Dear, and Disobedience

Title: Blood-red to Break

"That'south going to be crimson to break," Azure said. "We'll fight for every inch."

A: This is said as they've broken into the palace, and the soldiers at that place have fallen back to the corridor leading to the eastern gallery and the imperial chambers—the place Elhokar nearly needs to go if he'southward going to rescue his wife and son. If this doesn't convince you that Azure is from Nalthis, nothing volition.

Heralds

A: I accept no thought why Battar, the Counsellor (Elsecallers, Wise/Careful) is hither. There are no Elsecallers, and I'm non sure anyone tin beget to be either wise or conscientious about this venture. Maybe she's here because they're doing the exact opposite?

Fifty: I'd debate that Adolin is being very careful, in as much as he can be in the middle of a battle, anyway. He'due south displaying a lot of wisdom and restraint as well, being cognizant of the tactics at play and taking care non to injure more people than are absolutely necessary.

A: Chana (Dustbringers, Brave/Obedient) makes sense all the way around. Guards everywhere—on both sides of the conflict, though I similar to think she'd be happier well-nigh the Wall Baby-sit and the ones tossed in the pokey because they wouldn't proceed with the weirdness. Brave? Everywhere. Obedient? Once more, everywhere. This entire grouping is committed to the task. I merely wish in that location were a Dustbringer handy to take on that thunderclast.

Icon

Adolin'southward Shardbearer icon (Yay! An Adolin POV!)

Epigraph

Equally the duly appointed keepers of the perfect gems, we of the Elsecallers accept taken the burden of protecting the cherry nicknamed Honor'south Driblet. Allow it be recorded.

—From drawer twenty-10, zircon

A: I can only assume this is the aforementioned scarlet we'll see later, now known as the King'due south Drib, which Rysn and Vstim view in the Thaylen Sphere Vault, and which Dalinar puts to a (now well-foreshadowed) different use. How many perfect gemstones are there, I wonder? Will we see others, eventually?

L: As well, interesting that the Elsecallers are the keepers of these gems, considering the fact that Bondsmiths are required for… something regarding them.

Thematic Thoughts

Nosotros're entering an era of gods, Adolin idea.

…

The door opened, revealing a glowing figure.

"Stormfather…" Adolin whispered.

Kaladin shone with a powerful brilliance, his eyes beacons of bluish, streaming with Stormlight. He gripped a glowing metallic spear that was easily twelve feet long. Behind him, Skar and Drehy as well glowed brilliantly, looking little like the affable bridgemen who had protected Adolin on the Shattered Plains.

Fifty: I find it fascinating to see the Radiants from Adolin's perspective. He may exist a prince and a superb duelist, but he's nonetheless a "normal" person in regards to the superhuman powers that and then many of our main characters are gaining. It's valuable for united states, as readers, to run into how these characters are viewed past Everyone Else in Roshar. Otherwise we'd get blinded past the perspectives of the Superhumans.

A: Hear, hear! It's useful, besides, that he'due south familiar with all the strategy and tactics needed, so information technology'southward not but "Ooo, they're glowing!" but likewise what they do. Merely… this visual is stunning.

Stories & Songs

"The control building is completely overgrown with that black centre, Your Majesty," Shallan said. "I don't truly know how I drove abroad the Midnight Mother—and I certainly don't know that I'll be able to do the same here."

"Merely you're willing to attempt?" the rex asked.

"Yes." She took a deep breath.

A: That, equally we used to say, takes kidneys.

Seriously, though, I have to admire her, even though if she'd said anything else I'd exist down on her like a ton of bricks. She came here to do exactly this job, so if she refused to effort, I'd be mad. At the aforementioned fourth dimension, given what she went through in the last 24 hours, information technology'south kind of amazing that she tin fifty-fifty contemplate information technology.

L: Yep, gotta respect Shallan for beingness the Girl Who Stood Upwardly.

A foreign thumping started, and Adolin took it as another set of drums–until a head crested the top of the wall nearest them.

Storms! Information technology had an enormous stone wedge of a face that reminded him of that of some greatshell beast, though its eyes were just red spots glowing from deep within.

Fifty: This is the first thunderclast nosotros've seen, isn't information technology?

A: Other than the one in Dalinar's vision, yes. What a shock!!

"They're at that place," she whispered. "Two of them, this time. Last nighttime, Adolin … I had to run. The revel was getting within my head."

"I've heard information technology," he said, resummoning his Blade. "We'll face up it together. Like last fourth dimension."

A: I near put this in Relationships & Romances, considering it's virtually Shallan and Adolin. I almost put information technology in Bruised & Broken, because I tin can't help thinking that part of Shallan's vulnerability last night was her splintered persona. Just this is seriously intimidating. They're facing not ane but 2 Unmade, the stuff of legends, about which they know and so very picayune; they have no clue what they're doing or how to get about defeating these things. But no pressure level—it'south just the whole mission, the city, and your lives depending on it…

As Shallan had warned, it was overgrown with a dark mass that pulsed and throbbed, like a pitch-black eye. Dark veins spread from it like roots, pulsating in time with the heart.

"Storms…" Drehy whispered.

"All right," Shallan said, walking forward. "Guard this area. I'll see what I can do."

A: Equally nosotros approach the stop of Oathbringer Part Three, this is an eerie echo of a line virtually the end of Words of Radiance, Part Iii: "Honor is dead. Merely I'll see what I tin exercise."

(Yes, I checked. It'south not used in The Way of Kings.)

Relationships & Romances

Something was incorrect. … Then he finally realized what was bothering him.

He summoned his Shardblade.

"I don't have my female parent's necklace," he said, "or any of the other traditions I used to follow. I never really needed those. I've only always needed y'all."

He took a deep breath. "I approximate … I approximate y'all used to be alive. The others say they tin can hear your screaming if they touch yous. That you lot're dead, yet somehow nevertheless in pain. I'm sorry. I can't do anything near that, merely … thanks. Thank you for assisting me all these years. And if it helps, I'm going to use you to do something skillful today. I'll try to always apply you lot that way."

A: Aside from the obligatory "I adore Adolin" annotate, this is really quite beautiful. It was always overnice to see him think of his Shardblade every bit a "person" somehow, even before he knew anything about how. Now he knows far more, and he treats her with fifty-fifty more respect while still acknowledging his need of her for the things to come. I like to think that she's willing to help him in this try to reclaim his home.

L: Same. After Honor knows how many years of being treated like an inanimate object, information technology must exist nice for Maya to exist recognized as a Real Person again, even before Adolin knew that she was.

I do wonder what happened to Adolin'south mother's necklace, though. Did he merely get out information technology at Urithiru where it would exist rubber?

Buy information technology Now

A: I sure promise and then. This is the only time it's mentioned in the entire volume.

"Windrunner," the king said. "The duty I requite you and your men is to get Queen Aesudan and the heir to safe."

L: "The heir"? Jeez, Elhokar. At least call the kid by his name. Sometimes it feels like for every ii steps forrard he makes in my regard, he takes one back. (This existence said, has he even met his son? He'south been abroad at the Shattered Plains for so long that he probably barely knows him.)

A: Barely, at the most. I asked Brandon about it once, and he confirmed that while Aesudan had visited the Shattered Plains and Elhokar had returned to Kholinar at to the lowest degree once during the state of war, the vast majority of their time has been spent autonomously. Elhokar probably has seen him, simply he'southward 3 years quondam at the nearly. Come to recall of information technology, you know a piddling male child just about Gavinor'south age, Lyndsey…

L: Great, thanks for driving that particular pocketknife home. I suspect that upcoming scene is going to hit me a lot harder since my son'due south about the same historic period now…

A: That's kind of the way I felt when I did the Words of Radiance reread. Shallan's early flashbacks happened at most the same historic period as my girl was at the time—which fabricated information technology style too like shooting fish in a barrel to "see" everything in a very personal mode.

The other thing I noticed here is that Elhokar frequently addresses Kaladin as "Windrunner"—though he mostly addresses his Lightweaver past her name. Is it considering he is more in awe of Kaladin than of Shallan? Because he hero-worships Kaladin and feels the need to address him past a title? We may never know.

50: I think that'southward a sound theory. I'm going to put this here as it's a friendship:

"If the urban center holds," Adolin said, "yous'll be fine. Just if it falls…" He took a deep jiff. "Reports from other cities indicate that at that place won't exist wholesale slaughter. The Voidbringers are here to occupy, not exterminate. I'd nevertheless suggest you lot prepare to flee the city and make your mode to the Shattered Plains. … Thank you so much for taking us in. We're going to practise what we can to end this."

L: I just really adore that Adolin cares so much about the "common people." Every bit a prince, he could simply as easily imagine himself as existence ameliorate, above them. But he doesn't. He genuinely cares, which is what makes him a practiced leader. Much like Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar… about of our main characters. But Adolin, when he interacts with people, seems to put himself at the same level.

Adolin nodded, then gave Kaladin a quick salute–tapping his wrists together with hands in fists. The Bridge Iv salute. "Good luck, bridgeboy."

Kaladin smiled, his silvery spear vanishing as he gave the salute dorsum, then hustled subsequently the male monarch.

L: MY Heart. I adore their friendship. (And I'm totally non shipping them, nope, not me…)

A: This was awesome. Information technology also made me almost certain that one of them wouldn't survive the battle. (Non that I'm lament virtually being wrong, you sympathise!)

Bruised & Cleaved

"Your Majesty, the bulk of my soldiers are dying on the wall in a hopeless fight. I'm here because Stormblessed convinced me that the only way to help them is to accept the palace."

50: And those men are going to die in vain, considering no army's coming through the Oathgate to help them. :(

Squires & Sidekicks

Nearby, Elhokar approached with the timid agog who had come with Azure. He had been hurriedly painting glyphwards for the soldiers, and jumped as Elhokar took him past the shoulder and shoved an object into his hand.

"What's this?" the ardent asked, nervous.

"It's a spanreed," Elhokar said. "A half hour subsequently my army marches, you are to contact Urithiru and warn them to become their forces ready to transfer hither, via the Oathgate."

"I can't use a fabrial! The screamers—"

"Steady, human being! The enemy may be too preoccupied by their assault to notice you. But even if they do, you must take the risk. Our armies must be ready. The fate of the urban center could depend upon this."

A: Okay, so in that location'due south a plot reason for the ardent. So mayhap it'south not Nazh. On the other mitt, I almost hope it is, because at least Nazh has a chance of using the spanreed and surviving. Random timid ardent, I'm not so confident.

Skar, fortunately, seemed to appear out of nowhere; the bridgeman defenseless the blow with his shield, then rammed a spear through the guardsman's breast.

"How many is that I owe yous now?" Adolin asked.

"I wouldn't retrieve to keep count, Brightlord," Skar said with a grin, glowing light puffing from his lips.

L: Skar and Drehy are awesome and I'm so sad that they get left behind.

A: Yes, but their reappearance subsequently is totally worth information technology. SO brilliant, that scene.

Fifty: Y'all speak true, Wordslinger.

Places & Peoples

An set on on the palace, his home for many years.

A: We oasis't come to this fleck nevertheless, but nosotros'll larn in Dalinar's next flashback that after Evi'south death, Dalinar and his sons had moved back into the palace; his own continue reminded him too much of her. That would make information technology about five years, and important years, where the palace truly was Adolin'south dwelling. Just in example you were wondering.

Adolin glanced at the highlords, who seemed to be taking all of this—the inflow of Knights Radiant, the male monarch'due south decision to storm his own palace—in pace. He knew a little of how they felt. Voidbringers, Everstorm, corrupted spren in the city … somewhen, you stopped being shocked at what happened to you.

A: I hadn't thought about it before, simply they're all facing the same upshot, just in a different sequence. Take Adolin: He saw Szeth Windrunning showtime, then the stormform Parsh, then the clash of storms, and then the revelation of Kaladin and Shallan as Radiants in quick succession; ship via Oathgate was followed in a thing of hours by Dalinar and Renarin revealed every bit Radiants. By the time they learned of all the parshmen being affected by the Everstorm, the presence of the Voidspren, and then the Fused, it was more than a thing of gathering data than of any surprise. The highlords in Kholinar had a dissimilar experience, in that they felt the presence of the Unmade in the city, and then the Everstorm hit with its effects on their parshmen slaves, and so the city was besieged past the Fused and the Voidbringer army. By the time Elhokar showed up with a couple of Radiants and said they needed to repossess the palace from the Unmade there, it was just ane more in the line of unbelievable things they faced. I'1000 thinking they were all becoming highly aware of why "May you lot alive in interesting times" is considered a curse!

Adolin joined the troops, calming his fretfulness by force. Just some other battle. He'd been in dozens, if not hundreds of those. Just storms, he was used to empty fields of stone, non streets.

A: Two reasons for quoting this. One, it however makes me happy to see a graphic symbol taking active control of his reactions without using magic to exercise it. We live in a civilization where emotions are too oft accepted equally the concluding authority, and it's such a kittenish way of thinking. I love seeing a young man with the self-command to "calm his nerves past strength." Two, this is another reminder of Adolin's backstory. Dalinar'due south history is a mixture of fighting on fields and fighting to take villages, towns, and cities. Adolin, while he may take observed some of those battles from a distance, has done all his active soldiering out on the Shattered Plains. He's never fought for a urban center earlier, either every bit attacker or defender.

50: True. Dalinar was very much a conqueror… Adolin, on the other manus, seems to view his part in battle every bit a defender of his troops. We see this time and once more every bit he thinks about the best methods of protecting the men under his care rather than putting them in danger needlessly.

A: That's… wow. I hadn't really thought nearly that before. Information technology'southward true; he leads them into boxing, but most of the time his main focus is on making it equally prophylactic for them as he can, even at his own hazard. I estimate it's practical to brand sure your troops take a practiced chance to survive and fight another twenty-four hours, merely that doesn't seem to exist his mindset. He wants them to survive and live another day.

Equally they waited, Adolin stepped up to the edge of the plateau and surveyed the city. His home.

It was falling.

A: I hadn't realized how many little reminders this chapter contains that this is his home. It'due south then easy to become defenseless up in the action, and forget how painful this must be for Adolin and Elhokar. The metropolis where they grew up is existence ripped apart by monsters from legends, while they themselves are destroying the palace gates and fighting downwardly the corridors of their domicile against soldiers who had always protected them.  Painful doesn't begin to cover information technology.

Weighty Words

Kaladin rose into the air on a streak of low-cal.

He striking the stone and rolled with it, twisting and tumbling in the air. His glow diminished severely.

The boulder lurched. It somehow changed momentum, tossed away from Kaladin like a pebble flicked off a table.

A: In the midst of all that's happening, it's and then fun to see Kaladin finally get to use his powers. I love the way he throws information technology back over the wall and most hits the thunderclast. (Okay, it would have been fun to actually hit the thing instead of almost, but that might have been a bit over the top. And the plot needed the thunderclast to keep going.)

L: It'southward always absurd to see Kal beingness a badass.

Muddled Motivations

Of course, he carried another weapon: his chugalug knife, long and thin. A weapon intended for stabbing armored men.

Information technology had felt and then satisfying to shove it through Sadeas'south eye. He still didn't know whether to feel aback or proud.

…

When he walked down the steps to the master room a short fourth dimension after, he was wearing his Kholin uniform. His skin missed the softer silk and better course of the tailored outfit, but he found he walked taller in this one. Despite the fact that a part of him, deep downward, worried he didn't deserve to bear his father's glyphs any longer.

A: And so far as we tin tell from the text, killing Sadeas is the one affair that consciously makes him feel he doesn't deserve to exist Dalinar'due south son. It may or may not accept deeper roots, but anything in that regard is speculation. We do know that, according to the Codes, killing Sadeas was "wrong;" it'southward not and so clear that it was all that bad according to general practice in modern-solar day Alethkar. Assassination seems to be something of a way of life decease. Nosotros also know that Dalinar had lived a life of mortality earlier he was even Adolin's age, then if you want to look at it in a certain light, Dalinar doesn't deserve to acquit his ain glyphs. Oh well. Adolin doesn't know all of that nonetheless.

50: Yeah, it's definitely going to be interesting to see how (if) Adolin's view of his father changes when he learns well-nigh sure events in Dalinar's past.

On another note… I'm nonetheless not convinced that killing Sadeas (and the dishonor he feels that brought him) is enough of an Inciting Effect to Break him and let him to become a Radiant… but I'chiliad happy about that. I'm of the stance that Adolin is badass enough without powers, and I rather like the "normal person" vibe he has. Information technology's nice to have at least 1 POV graphic symbol with whom nosotros, equally (presumably non-Radiant) readers, can relate more strongly to.

A: I take such mixed feelings about that! He'd exist an excellent Edgedancer, and I really promise he can fully reawaken Maya, but at the same fourth dimension, I love seeing him interacting with the Radiants as a non-Radiant. He brings such a unique perspective, as a highly trained military leader who is used to existence in a position of potency equivalent to what the Radiants are supposed to become. He's similar… the best adviser Kaladin or Shallan can peradventure take for what'southward going to be expected of them.

Cosmere Connections

Every bit he watched, she stabbed an enemy soldier who tried to push through. Remarkably, his eyes didn't burn down, though his skin did go a strange cadaverous grey as he died.

Blood of my fathers,  Adolin thought. What's incorrect with her Shardblade?

Fifty: Well, Adolin, it's not a Shardblade—just you lot tin can hardly be blamed for not knowing that. I detect it intriguing that information technology drained the colour from the skin of the person she killed…

A: I keep thinking I should go practise some inquiry on this, merely I'thou not sure where to first. It is a sort of Shardblade, if it'southward related to Nightblood, so information technology severs things at a more-than-physical level, but I'thou not sure I get how it works. Somehow it drains the color from the person, like an Awakener drains colour from a nearby object, but… what is being Awakened? I don't honestly think annihilation is, but it'south weird.

Fifty: Practice yous think information technology'due south possible that it's somehow draining the Jiff from the people she kills with it? Perhaps that'southward what powers it? Totally crazy theory, I know, but…

A: Not entirely crazy. Nightblood drains life and Investiture from anyone information technology can. Azure's bract doesn't seem to exist quite so aggressive about it, but there are too many similarities to shrug it off.

A Scrupulous Study of Spren

Information technology was thick at the base, as wide every bit a homo'south palm, and the front waved like the ripples of a moving eel. The dorsum had pocket-sized crystalline protrusions growing out of it. No sheath could hold a weapon like this, and no mortal sword could imitate information technology—not without growing unusably heavy. You knew a Shardblade when y'all saw one. That was the betoken.

L: Maya is such a beautiful Shardblade. It seems very plumbing fixtures that she'due south Adolin'southward, given his propensities for appreciating fashion.

They'd weep in pain if stabbed, or grunt with exertion, but they otherwise seemed muted—as if the darkness smothered their emotions.

L: So one of the Unmade is driving some towards passion (as we run into on the Oathgate platform). But then nosotros've got this one, which seems to be doing the reverse? Is this the second Unmade? It'due south so hard to differentiate the furnishings that the ii of them are having, with what lilliputian nosotros know about them…

A: I'm not certain if these are influenced past Ashertmarn, the Middle of the Revel, or Nergaoul—which we haven't seen nonetheless. Is it possible that Nergaoul has an area outcome too? Because y'all're right—these don't seem to be affected by the Revel in whatever style that makes sense. Maybe their emotionlessness is supposed be our foreshadowing of nonetheless another Unmade in the vicinity.

"You've been locked in hither for weeks, men! I don't await that you're fit for gainsay."

"Weeks?" Sidin said. "Surely it's simply been a few days, Brlightlord." He scratched at a beard that seemed to fence with that sentiment. "We've only eaten… what, iii times since being thrown in here?"

L: This time dilation going on is really, really interesting.

A: Ugh. This was so bizarre. It kind of has to be an upshot of the Unmade, right? But which one?

Adolin had the distinct sense that he could hear something. Over the din of the fighting, over the shouts of men echoing against the walls. A quiet vocalisation that somehow cutting to his soul.

Passion. Sweet passion.

Fifty: It's worth noting that upward until now, Adolin hasn't been fighting passionately. He's been absurd, logical, reserved. He hasn't let his emotions carry him away. I wonder if this is just a office of his personality (much like the men they rescued who also weren't affected), or if it has something to do with his growing Bail with Maya. Is she protecting his mind, somehow? Similar Pattern did for Shallan?

A: I hadn't thought about that when I fabricated the earlier comment on Adolin "calming his fretfulness by strength." I causeless that it's a combination of his training and personality, just… it could be something to do with Maya. If so, I doubt even he could tell the deviation between his training and her upshot; he's had her since he was 17 or so.

Quality Quotations

• "Well," Elhokar said. "I suppose I understand why y'all did what you had to in taking command of the Baby-sit. I tin can't very well have yous hanged as a usurper. Practiced piece of work, Highmarshal."
  "I … appreciate that?"

• … the highlords he and Adolin had revealed themselves to the night before. All they'd needed to do was walk away from the spheres powering their illusions, and their true faces had go manifest.

• We're entering an era of gods.

For the adjacent few weeks nosotros'll definitely be sticking to one chapter a week, equally nosotros're in climax territory now. Hold onto your Shardblades, folks, as things are going to keep escalating from hither! As always, experience free to join in on the comments. See you next calendar week!

Alice is mightily relieved to exist on summertime break, fifty-fifty though that has its own sort of busyness. Cocktails on the patio earlier dinner could exist addicting, you know?

Lyndsey is in love with her petty rescue pup, Sirius Black… despite the fact that he learned how to suspension out of Azkaban (his gated enclosure). If you lot're an aspiring writer, a cosplayer, or just similar geeky content, follow her piece of work on Facebook or her website.

citation

quickhishadinin1961.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.tor.com/2019/06/13/oathbringer-reread-chapter-eighty-three/

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