Hyperfocus of the day may include any or none of..

Cosmere, writing, neurodiversity affirming, trying for gentle/respectful parenting but we're also winging it, attempting to raise small humans into good, calm, and kind larger humans with minimal generational trauma, Aphantasia, Hufflepuff strength, Jedi Healer thoughts, ADHD/AuDHD musings, blue tongue skinks, nature, sunsets, working parents, mom guilt, peace, faith. May the Force be with you. 💙

[biteymermaid]

** RED RISING SPOILERS ABOUND!!

RED RISING SPOILERS! (Also technically Mistborn Era 2 I suppose, but not really.)

[Book 1, early chapters]

Chaotic Red Rising Updates# 1

Current Situation:

I've officially started the Red Rising series for the first time. ✅️

I've been sending updates to a friend, ✅️

AND my brain just remembered again that Tumblr existed!** ✅️

**I usually get so wrapped up in a new series that I forget I'd been wanting to give back and share documenting a first-time read. If you're like me and love to live vicariously through the chaos of 1st-read updates, please feel welcome to come along! ♥️💯

Background knowledge:

I had a several-year reading gap due to tiredness and some beautiful small humans, but I started again 2 years ago. Red Rising has been high on my TBR list specifically because I kept seeing gorgeous mentions of the Darrow/Sevro platonic soul-deep friendship, and want to see how they rank up in my mental tier of best platonic bonds in literature. (Currently Wax/Wayne are still my uncontested winners of this category, but I adore any content with this kind of relationship depth 💙).

I managed to keep free of anything else and knew absolutely nothing about Darrow, Sevro, the plot, or even the genre apparently! (I genuinely started this book assuming that it was a fantasy series.)

Chaotic Reading Updates begin!

Awww. Oh my goodness, I can tell instantly that the art and intentionality in these audiobook accents is going to be incredible.

...And apparently this is a sci-fi series ON MARS. I had no idea how much I was going to love that. The surprise and random delight brought me back to memories of reading Podkayne with my dad in gradeschool.

Darrow and the setting immediately gives me District 12 Hunger Games vibes, but give it historical Irish vibes, and make the prose absolutely beautiful.

I was heartbroken for what happened to Eo, but you could see it coming miles away... so there's nothing to do but watch and let it unfold.

When Darrow wished his blood had at least warmed up the block for her.... saying that my heart broke is an understatement 💔💔💔

When Tim Gerard Reynolds (whose name I looked up shortly after starting, because I had to know who this narrator was) started to actually sing, I knew this series is going to be one of those that haunts me in the best way.

I dashed through the rest of the first handful of chapters, empathized and felt for Darrow all through his carving into a Gold... and was completely in love with the direction this is all going.

ALSO Darrow's accent change! I'm so happy that this is one I'm listening to instead of reading on paper for the first time, because the nuances of thinking in mainly his Red accent while speaking almost exclusively in Gold (and listening to the subtle shifts in either direction) is just beautiful.

But!! Remember please that I originally came to this book for Darrow/Sevro brotherhood. We're starting to officially meet people now and I absolutely cannot wait to see whatever the heck the first interaction for these people is going to look like.

Meeting 1:

I could tell the instant that we met Cassius or whatever his name was that they're bound to have some kind of deeply interesting and probably tumultuous relationship over the course of wherever this story all goes. But also, no way is that the one I was keeping an eye out for.

Meeting 2:

I could also immediately typecast that the sweet first impressions Julian kid was also Not destined to be that kind of friendship.

Meeting 3:

We literally JUST MET this scrawny scrappy angry kid on the rich kids' schoolbus with a giant chip on his shoulder and oh my goodness I absolutely LOVE HIM.

Also, the moment the scrappy small one started talking, I was like AH YES! You're absolutely the Sevro. I don't know what you're supposed to look like at all besides presumably knowing your first name, but there you are I'm absolutely sure.

Then he said his name and I cannot tell you how happy I am.😆♥️💯💯💯

[brothermouse-skeleton]

I love the genre of posts where people document their first steps into the Cosmere. It's like:

OP: Fist few pages, I don't get the hype

Commenters, trying not to scare them off: Just stick with it, it gets better.

OP: okay, I think I love (character who's about to go through an emotional meat grinder before getting kick repeatedly in the balls, and then set of fire) I sure hope nothing happens to them!

Commenters, with a god tier pokerface: Yes. I also enjoy that character.

OP, after reading the ball kicking scene: Why did you people recommend this book to me?

Commenters, rubbing their hands manically: just wait

OP, after reading favorite character's defining bad ass one liner scene: WHY didn't you people recommend this book to me sooner?!?

Commenters: Sanderlanche.

OP: what?

Commenters: Sanderlanche. It's just around the corner. Brace yourself.

OP:?!

OP, with tears in their eyes, visibly distraught, with the finished book in hand: Oh FUUUUUUUUUUUU K YOU, BRANDON SANDERSON! I CAN'T BELIEVE I LET A WHITE MAN PLAY WITH MY HEART LIKE THAT! YOU SHOULD BE LOCKED UP! INSTITUTIONALIZED! REMOVED FOR HUMAN SOCIETY. WHERE'S THE NEXT BOOK? INJECT IT DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS

Commenters, chanting cultishly: Suffer like us! Suffer like us!

[hay-bails]

you may forget the why’s and where’s / of that old tattoo on your forearm there /

but usually you recall the day you got one

[biteymermaid]

That brand and his eyes so red from crying. 💔💔💔💔 This sketch makes my heart and stomach hurt for him. Thank you for sharing it. 💙

[hay-bails]

more of these two with lyrics from “graceland too” because i was thinking abt them and rhythm of war a lot today.

also because i didn’t know how to fill up the rest of the space so i just started writing. oops.

[biteymermaid]

I love that I hear this art in my mind. 💙💙💙

[paintweaver-art]

“"You are in darkness, Taravangian, and my father thinks you are lost. I lived through his return, and it taught me that no man is ever so far lost that he cannot find his way back. You are not alone." (…)

He wants me to take his hand.

Taravangian didn't. Seeing it made him want to break into tears, but he contained himself.”

From Taravangian’s Interlude in Rhythm of War. The lack of Renarin content in this book is devastating…

[biteymermaid]

@paintweaver-art This is so lovely. The quiet and tone of the moment resonate perfectly. I loved that you included the two closeups that capture so much of their thoughts in that scene.

My mind feels like such a creative and empathetic place that /loves/ thinking about characters and writing, but I'm also one of the people whose imagination never actually sees/pictures in a visual way (Aphantasia). I love looking through others' book art and seeing moments like this.

Yours is especially cool tonight because I had never expected to run into art of this quiet Renarin scene; let alone such a detailed one that shows off both their perspectives. Quoting Renarin's words from the scene text directly underneath it like you did takes the way I remember the story (all words/voices and feelings, but words the are what hold the emotions.). It places the character's voice / narrative directly underneath the imagery so that you're able to visually see both on the same screen at once. The effect is always lovely creates the most artistic way to think of the scene. 💙

[freewilllife]

Epigraph - the in world book "wind and truth"

At the end, it becomes clear, that Szeth wife, Masha is the author of "Wind and Truth" - the in world book.

Apparently,the wind has spoken to Masha since she was a child. But after a while, the wind has disappeared.

Masha further tells us, that the conscience of people was probably responsible for the wind´s stillnesss.

Here Masha tells us her position, she calls herself an historian.

Afther the Heralds and wind vanished - so the wind vanished at nearly the same time as the Heralds-there are only two sources for her:

One is Szeth, but who is the other?

Became the spren more humane?

So the wind did not vanish immediately, or she could not have spoken with Masha about these events. Proof that the wind spoke with more people than Kaladin.

Is she speaking about intuition regarding the wind?

Here Masha names Kaladin by his full name, and is hinting, that he had qualities of an Edgedancer.

It sounds like the telling of the story of heroes´.

An intelligent move, to give this contest more prominence and importance. The other in the East, they did lose, after all.

Masha hints that she is not an eye-witness.

Kaladin and Szeth are named "champions of the Wind". Clever tactic, like this they create heroes to be remembered.

The wind seems to be another spren deity, one of the oldest, that felt left out.

Obviously more spren did arrive, after all, due to people believing.

Does seem that Kaladin still plays Syl.

I feel sick, knowing Masha might be very young, when Szeth was basically 37 years old, so maybe as old as her father? Ughh. Hopefully not.

Apparently, Masha was a farmer as well, before she became an historian.

Martha is hinting of the Stormfather´s twisted relationship with Kaladin.

WE know the title of 5 of these books.

Indeed heroes´story in order to give hope...

Kaladin shielding Szeth...

I guess, that is Kaladin reaching the 5th ideal...

Szeth...

Dalinar´s ascension.

Poor Ishar...

[biteymermaid]

Saving to read because this looks awesome. Thank you!

[stormingfemboy]

WoR alternate plot: Elhokar finds a cockroach in the bathroom and starts screaming so loudly that Kaladin has to go there and kill it

[biteymermaid]

It's all fun and Kaladin The Grumpy Protector games until hundreds more cockroaches pour out from some crack in the wall and.. oh gosh the cockroaches of Roshar would have been the stuff of Elhokar's nightmares.

[stormscience]

More Tiny Adolin

Working on more art for Mend (Image id: Angry 6 year old Adolin, who has been creepily stalking Zahel to learn how to protect his mom and brother. He just found four older boys (including Tinalar) getting ready to drown a sack full of "runty" axehound pups.)

[spacetimeaccordionfolder]

Rereading parts of Warbreaker and I forgot how much Vasher's like "I suck at dueling" the entire time. "you need to maintain a calm mind while dueling and I get angry at people so i'm bad at dueling" and sure enough when we do see him fight it's less of a duel and more of a "whacking people with Nightblood till they have enough broken bones they can't move" kind of a thing. Or he does actually sword fight, but it's emphasized that he was the worst duelist out of his friends. Vivenna, who doesn't know how to fight at that point, remarks that it's pretty obvious Vasher's going to lose to Denth at one point. Vasher, when asked, will emphasize how you need to maintain a particular state of mind to be a good duelist but he's bad at that.

And it's making me think of Adolin. Who, as we know, is one of the best duelists of his age, and was tutored by Zahel- Vasher, 300(?) years after Warbreaker. Hearing all of Vasher's (300 years earlier) comments on dueling is interesting considering who one of his students is. Considering all of Adolin's various wins as a duelist, how Adolin separates dueling and fighting in a war and butchery in his mind, how Adolin reflects on Zahel's teachings during the fight on day 10 of WaT. How Adolin stops being able to feel the Thrill during Words of Radiance.

I'm not sure I can think of a time (especially post first everstorm -when Adolin stops feeling the Thrill) when Adolin is described as angry during a fight. Even while fighting the 20 men in shadesmar, which he calls butchery, he's focused and calm. He's got his impulsivity, but it's not bloodlust. Of course, I could be forgetting something. But I think it's a bit neat that Adolin is sort of what Vasher describes as who you need to be to be a good duelist in Warbreaker.

[I do feel like I need to add that I mean angry during a fight. I am not talking about angry during conversations or, you know, with his dad for the whole lying about rathalass incident and then only telling him via writing it out and then having someone else read that to him instead of right when he remembered. Which. yeah he can be angry about that.]

[ravens-hoard]

Hell yeah, let's get blitzed at the end of the world, why not?

[biteymermaid]

Aww Adolin ❤️❤️💔💔💔❤️

[lilaeleaf]

Kaladin is not a horsegirl :’)

[cosmere-described]

ID: A comic of Kaladin and the horse Spray from Words of Radiance. In the first panel, Kaladin stands outside wearing his bridge four uniform, his sleeves pulled up to his elbows. He has brown skin, narrow dark eyes and long wavy black hair that curls down his back. Some strands of hair curl around his face and his slave marks are visible. Kaladin is holding Spray's reins in a tight fist. Spray is a brown horse that is only slightly taller than Kaladin. She has a calm expression and is looking at something ahead of her. Kaladin is glancing at the horse with a disgruntled, confused expression and a speech mark has three single dots. Syl is a spark of light that curves just near Kaladin's head.

In the second panel, we have a close up of Kaladin's face just moments later. His eyes are wide, his expression one of fear but he's trying to be commanding. He is saying "Look," to Spray. Beside him, Syl is now in her little human form and she hangs upside down, twisting her body. She has a happy expression on her face and her long white hair is falling down.

In the third panel, Kaladin and Spray face each other face to face. Kaladin has sweat dropping from his face and he's avoiding eye contact with the horse. He is saying "You don't want to do this. I don't want to do this. Let's just be pleasant to one another and get it over with as quickly as possible." Spray is looking calm. Syl is now a little blue-white horse that sits on top of Kaladin's head, imitating Spray.

In the final panel, Spray has responded to Kaladin's request. Her head is a little higher and her eyes have narrowed slightly, and she is snorting loudly, a air bubble coming from her snout and the word "SNORT" by her head. Kaladin has pushed himself back away from her, his expression stunned and his mouth pulled into a tight line. Syl is back into her little human form and she is floating above Kaladin's head, laying on her back and laughing so hard with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes screwed closed. /end ID

[sparkyava]

i’ve wanted to draw something akin to a diary entry delving deep into kaladin’s struggles (it was hard to choose which struggle because boi did he have many). i picked the one i resonated with the most in a different way. his dad wanting him to be a surgeon and help people and kal wishing so badly to become a solidier because he believes it is the same thing a healer does ; they protect lives. anyways, i hope you like the art! journey before destination, fellas <3

[lillytalons]

ADOLIN & MAYA

Apparently I have a ton to say about Adolin and Maya from Wind and Truth.

Spoilers Ahead!! 

Maya getting the deadeyes is like the greatest payoff of finding out about them existing all over Shadesmar and specifically the lost deadeyes on the bottom of the ocean who I had assumed had to have the eternal tragedy of being ‘dead’ and lost forever. The spren coming back to more real life with the reversal of the broken oath to Ba Ado Mishram is just so great. I should remember, there’s pretty much always payoff with Sanderson, even if it takes a while. 

Also the suit up moment had me jumping and celebrating it was just so beyond good. 

Honestly, Adolin potentially living forever without his leg is a cool concept, like the shardplates adjusting for him showing that past radiants didn’t have all their limbs was great but not it also sets Adolin apart again because so many of the radiants would be able to heal themselves, not all obviously but most. I’m excited to explore it in the future.

He got his plate through inheritance and who knows exactly which dead spren it’s made of, but I’d like to think fate was involved. The Plate starting to respond to him like Maya originally did was just beyond amazing. We haven’t seen a lot of differences in living plate yet since we have a small sample size, but so far we know that wind spren can move to others at a drop, and creation spren seem to have a lot more flexibility with form (though that could just be because Shallan thought to ask for it), but the chances that his plates are from the pair with cultivation spren isn’t great. Honestly with the movement and permission, so far I’d say wind Spren but maybe we’ll get that answer eventually. 

Maya being a soldier is just incredible, like she doesn’t seem to remember or mention healing or anything, but she knows war, and is the perfect match for Adolin. Having someone to talk to about everything and someone who really understands the kind of sacrifices he needs to make without a fight has got to be a major benefit for both of them. Most of the Spren now are learning everything from scratch, are very young comparatively, and have to slowly grow memories and the like. But Maya, while silent and relearning how to talk and interact, doesn’t have to be taught about complex ideas. Which is good since she’s basically thrown from talking again to one of the most important battlefields in Roshar’s history. There wasn’t time for ethics/people lessons like Syl and Kaladin had time for. 

Maya is so interesting because we mostly know new spren who have never been bonded and it seems like spren have been staying away from learning about fighting as a whole, their own cultures’ way to avoid the atrocities of the radiants. But the deadeyes have a lot of possible wisdom and such to offer, now that they can talk again. Plus, depending on how old Maya is, she could have been bonded to several soldiers, killed during recreances and bonded to a new one, if she was a solider she would have bonded again, so she understands death. As one of the shards found in an obvious place and protected and passed down, she could have been hooked to important radiants that were in the middle of the fighting. 

And I’m sure there are plenty of cultivation spren like Wyndle that don’t like fighting, wouldn’t have bonded to radiants if at all possible. So spren like Maya would have picked up the slack to keep fighting.

Not to mention, well no one really has stormlight right now, but the potential lessons the unoathed could teach to new and current radiants are huge! Yes the radiants are figuring out a lot and in some ways benefit from not actually having an instruction manual to limit their thinking, but gentle nudges if they’re missing important and useful ways to use lashings will be helpful. Until the heralds come back, or they find more records in Urithiru, the un-oathed are all they have (especially with the Stormfather and his habit of giving visions gone. Lucky Dalinar wrote it down before dying I guess)

Back to the discussion of fate, Adolin’s sword being a cultivation spren just makes sense. He’s barely connected to Honor and Odium, not bowing to the passions and disliking oaths more and more (Dalinar could have learned a bit from him), which means if he’s connected to any of the three shards, it’s Cultivation. And he does have the history of slowly but doggedly cultivating friendships, relationships, building people’s skills, heck even talking to his blade before every battle is much more a cultivation trait than anything else. Despite some of his impulsivity, he’s got an awful lot of patience that most of the characters don’t.

The potential powers for edgedancers are healing and friction. He almost was using friction during many of his fights, especially during his last fight, leaning into the movement of his peg and basically using moments of friction and movement like edgedancers do. He has a history of perfect footwork and movement in his duels. Even leaping and moving across the dome in an insane show of momentum proves my point. 

Then with the healing, he has more respect and understanding of both normal healers and mind healing than most. Beyond that, he’s a good tactician and all, but more and more he hates fighting, doesn’t even really want the duels, he feels very Eowyn coded, can and will fight to the end, but wants to be a healer and focus on growing things (maybe metaphorically). He heals Yawagawn emotionally by seeing he needed a friend and again building him and his skills up.

He remembers those that have been forgotten, whether a lonely boy emperor, a bridgeboy or a young girl who wants to fight, he treated his blade and plate as sentient years before it was even considered that they could be, before anyone knew anything about them, he was ensuring that they wouldn’t be lost forever, which also ties into listening to those who have been ignored. He wants people to be able to make their own decisions and not be beholden to others, whether through class lines or oaths, and it’s so good. He follows the soul of edgedancers and radiants without being beholden to oaths and Honor because he’s seen a lot of things can go wrong with that. And he was right! Beyond never abandoning Maya (which I loved him for) he’s now really free of the issue of Retribution.

And he helped save the only human kingdom to stay free of Odium! He’s just the best.

[biteymermaid]

Sharing because I can tell that I love this and will read it properly later.

[nb2000]

Me @ me: Stop looking at the Cosmere and Hoid tags when you know damn well you haven't read Isles of the Emberdark! STOP IT!

[biteymermaid]

@nb2000 , I couldn't comment, but I saw your post/tags in my feed and just wanted to let you know that Isles of the Emberdark is one Cosmere situation where you officially DON'T have to read Sixth of the Dusk first! 💙 This is because the entire Sixth of the Dusk novella text is included throughout the first part of the Emberdark novel. Sanderson explained his reasoning and strategy behind it in the author's forward for Emberdark, but the TLDR is that Brandon specifically welcomes you to jump into Emberdark without reading Sixth of the Dusk first.

(You will probably get the most enjoyment out of it if you're as up to date as you can be on prettymuch everything else Cosmere though.)

[biteymermaid]

I did my usual searching for other favorite series and fandoms while I was figuring out how Tumblr works, and imagine my delight to find a few of you actually talking recently(!) about Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series.

One of you especially was so excited in all your recent posts that I took this pic of most of my Deryni books for you as soon as I had a chance! I'm pretty sure that my Childe Morgan, Deryni Archives, and *squints* I think Quest for Saint Camber are with a sister or tucked away somewhere from our last move.

I can't remember your name, but I figured that you will probably find this if I tag it. No rush or worries; I just wanted to show you that these books have been favorites that shaped my mind and my stories from the time I ten or eleven and ran away with Deryni Rising from my mom. ❤️

I love all of them, but I think the Heirs of Saint Camber trilogy were three that hit hardest for me.

[capricandoitall]

Stormlight Archive brain mush. SPOILER THOUGHTS.

Adolin. Just. Do you think he will ever know that he's secretly the ultimate hero of Roshar???

No Adolin, no Herald of Second Chances. Kaladin would have been dead already. And wouldn't have had a role model on just *being* with someone when they're in a dark place. And this means no Adolin, no Oathpact and no (hopefully) functional and healed/healing Heralds for the next return.

No Adolin, no Renarin as we know him, no chance of humans surviving Ba Ado Mishram. He kept his brother safe and sane and modeled honor and love and even a loving relationship, all of which gave Renarin the bravery to become someone who would free Mishram and love Rlain.

No Adolin, no sufficiently sane to survive the Spiritual Realm Shallan. Like, that's just facts. Adolin was Roshar's pre-therapist and the next generation will have him to thank for all their heroes being functional for Round 2.

No Adolin, no Maya, no healing Deadeyes, no Unoathed. Azimir would be Odium's/Retribution's without him. How perfect that Adolin is (pretty much) solely responsible for Azimir having SUNLIGHT.

I love him so much, that insanely insecure, sweet child.

[biteymermaid]

***SPOILER-FILLED GIBBERISH for what it's like reading all the Cosmere through July 2025.***

---

So, I finished The Isles of the Emberdark the other day, and now I'm looking back at this reaction spam / absolutely ridiculous timeline description in my notepad. 🤯😅 Here you go.

Finished Emberdark!

Ummm! Dang. ...That was neat? He's been talking about the Cosmere eras since the beginning, but it's like if an author wrote:

Universe Age I: FANTASY

Planet 1.) Alice in Wonderland with Zombies or something, + evil jewelrysmiths, Oceans Eleven, shock.

Planet 2: The Witcher series + soul deep implications

Planet 3: ATLA or something? This God King is cute and I love him so much.

Planet 4.) The Hobbit + most of the Silmarilion

Planet 5: Naruto

Universe Era 2: INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Planet 1 (cont.): Zombie history notwithstanding, scholarship goes on and so do Empires.

Planet 2. (Cont): Suprise it's a Steampunk Western! Also the Mafia?

Planet 3: ?? Nevermind what they're up to. Instead go to Planet 6 and read Dracula.

Planet 4: LOTR Continues into Deed of Paksennarion with rapidly increasing stakes and consequences, revolutionary fantasy evolved tech, increased meddling from demigods, vagabonds, dragons, steampunk wizard meddlers, hive minds, the universe-shaping importance of mental health

Planet 6: Terry Pratchett's Discworld with universal implications and mental health.

Realm 2: Did we mention that the appendices at the end of every novel thus far are in-world dicuments written by galaxy respected scholar woman Carmen Sandiago and her illustrations-annotating hired sidekick who she's sent to infiltrate every story so far and steal maps/document the local magic system?

Planet#??: The Princess Bride

___# ???: Have we mentioned that the book blurbs printed on the back of all novels to this point were written IC by another race of aliens?

Planet 17: Pirates of the Caribbean

----

Universe Era III: Space Tech!

Planet 1 (cont): ??

Planet 2: Space Nazis

Planet 3: ???

Planet ???: Magic Parot Archipelago undeveloped Polynesian Wayfarers Planet people sail the seas and do their thing...

but there is a spaceship of Colonizers looming overhead.

Planet 4: Space Knights??

Loki-Gandalf adventures episode 37: Loki-Gandalf opens a Noodle Shop and gets subsequently trapped inside a coatrack for several decades. His spirit buddy businesswoman keeps the Ramen Shop business afloat while actual underpaid city cop security guard protagonists of this novel save the Planet from spirit demons with the power of art degrees, mental health, and a star-crossed anime romance with an honor-bound young Chosen One geisha living her life in a feudal era ancient Korea.

Realm 2: Carmen Sandiago writes Loki-Gandalf an insulting essay about his stupidness

?? Carmen Sandiago's manservant becomes a ghost?

??: HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AS FAST AS YOU CAN. Figure out everything else on the way! Heartbreak, redemption story, magic science physics primer, whatever it is move faster!

#??: The awesome and wild book I just finished:

A heartwarming and soul filled Hufflepuff story in which Guardians of the Galaxy descendents to all of the above with their motley Firefly crew of misfits must fly in their spaceship to the far reaches of the impassable nothingness space of the Spirit Realm where they find themselves facing Space Fascists and/or Warhammer without the help of demigods or Loki Gandalf. Cthulu is there, but much too big a problem for them to deal with initially. But also, the main protagonist of this story is the terse and softspoken 40something Polynesian hunter seafarer in a canoe with his magic parrots, a trusty harpoon, and a revolver, who will row/motorboat into the void in Maui's footsteps alongside the spaceships, and do what must be done to try to save his people from slavery by the space nazis.