The Way of Kings Read Along: Part Three Questions

When I saw the amount of pages in Part Three for this week's assignment, I thought there's no way I can get through that! But once again, I felt like I flew through them. This book, though big, is easy quick reading, and very much a page turning middle of the night sort of thing.

Today's questions are brought to us by Memory over at Stella Matutina. If you are interested, all the discussions and posts for this read along are linked up over at our main read along page found here.


1. Part III reunites us with Shallan, who we haven't seen for a few hundred pages, and separates us from Dalinar and Adolin for a few hundred more. How do you feel about leaving characters behind for such long stretches? Did you lose any of your connection to them during the break?
I really enjoyed that Kaladin had a little run in with Adolin, and it made me wonder, hmmmm, what's he been up to? Saving prostitutes apparently. Mostly, I'm so wrapped up in what ever story I'm reading that I don't really miss the one I'm not reading. Make sense?

2. So far, how would you compare this to other epic fantasies you've read? Does it remind you of any other series?
I do think it's quite similar to The Wheel of Time, but maybe that's just because I'm really tuned in to looking for those similarities at the moment. However, it's more readable than that one... pages fly by much quicker.

3. How do you feel about the masculine and feminine arts? If you're female, do you think you'd be content to stick to scholaly pursuits, or would you rather do something physical, like go to war? If you're male, would you be willing to forgo learning to read, even if there were women around to read to you? What about the food? Does the spicy for men and sweet for women restriction fit your own tastes?

Well, it's actually not much different than our world really, don't you think? Whether we want to believe it or not there are certain things that mostly guys do and certain things that mostly women do. I myself would be perfectly happy to pursue the scholarly arts and let the guys go fighting... perfectly happy. But I do think the guys have the really bad end of the deal in this story with the whole not reading thing.

That being said, I don't like that there isn't much of a choice for these men and women. Even if there are particular things that they might lean toward, there should still be a choice.

As far as the food goes, um, no. I want both sweet and spicy please! Interesting concept this is, very interesting!

4. What do you think of the flashbacks to Kaladin's childhood?

I really enjoy them, it's fun to see the things that have made him who he is. Sad things though. Reading about what actually happened out there on the battlefield and later on in the room was extremely heartbreaking. Ugh, no wonder Kaladin has some issues!

5. Do you have any theories yet as to where the story is headed? What do you most want to see in the last quarter of the book?

Well, I want to see Kaladin escape, that's for sure. And I'm wondering about Shallan and Kaladin meeting... I think she is going to come to the front with Jasnah and meet him. But that won't work if he escapes. Hmmmm. But yes, I would like to see a little more romance. I mean, I don't need a ton, just a little more, know what I mean?

But I'm terrible at predicting and so I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen or what I think will happen. Dalinar needs to figure out what's going on with his visions at least.

On to the next section! I really look forward to it. I hope to find time in the middle of all the back school craziness to keep up with things.