The thing with Crem is that it seems to be more of an ecological balancer that some mysterious puzzle piece. The land/continent gets eroded by highstorms so Brandon came up with a way to prevent Roshar being completely worn away to nothing by also having a system where 'new' land is slowly added. Of course it may turn out to be that he will reveal some massive twist involving Crem that we never could have predicted but it's probably a bit more sensible to just think of things like this as minor bits of worldbuilding from an author that enjoys balancing out possible flaws in how his worlds function.
I do think that there‘s a bit more to the push and pull of land being added and worn away than you are giving credit for, given that the shape of Roshar is a slice of a fractal, but I do agree that crem itself is not much more than a material useful for this task.
Im a little behind you on your Stormlight journey, about 70 percent through the way of kings. I love seeing your perspective as a first time reader too!
I'm living vicariously through your first read-through. I'm invested in how you see the world of Roshar. I can't wait to see what you do with some of the later books.
I’m reading The Way of Kings for the first time right now too (just hit 50%). No one that I know has read this series and it’s killing me to not discuss it with anyone 😂 so I’m loving all your videos and theories!
It is wild to guess so much from so little. The interludes are basically the ultimate teasers. But yes, hardcore avoid google for any questions. Even some peoples answers get too close to things you should learn more organically. Keep up the great videos though.
The interludes are so much fun! There’s a lot of worldbuilding in those - new areas, new (sometimes) recurring characters, new lore! It’s Brandon’s way of expanding the world without getting mired in storyline bloat. This way the main parts of the book can stay focused, but we do get more worldbuilding. Good catch on the Vstim/Szeth connection!
It is hilarious how much you are reading into the crem, I think it is just something Brandon added on a whim, when people compare stuff to crem in the book they are saying it is useless.
i guess its milking, but its such a good way to see a new readers experience. its very unique, i dont think the reading vlogs are as thorough as this form
I started reading this and after a good chunk of pages I realized it wasn't worth my time. Cut it down to half or, better yet, a third, and it might be readable. This padding is an unfortunate trend in modern speculative fiction.
This series definitely isn’t for everyone, but I can assure you that a large part of what you considered padding was anything but. The Way of Kings is the first book of a planned 10 book series, and it has a lot of groundwork to lay for the rest of the series. We’re only four books in and already so much of what is established in this book has had major consequences on the wider story. And the book also manages to tell a very compelling story while laying all that groundwork, with one of the best endings to a book I’ve ever read. Now, like I said the book isn’t for everyone. But if you enjoy epic fantasy I recommend you give it another try. It is well worth the time investment
@@malcolmhodnett8874 Padding is called world building to "justify" it. Good writers can build their world without chapters of dry details or getting in the way of the story telling or plot progression. World building elements can be brought in as needed, and most of the world building is unnecessary for the telling of the story.
The thing with Crem is that it seems to be more of an ecological balancer that some mysterious puzzle piece. The land/continent gets eroded by highstorms so Brandon came up with a way to prevent Roshar being completely worn away to nothing by also having a system where 'new' land is slowly added. Of course it may turn out to be that he will reveal some massive twist involving Crem that we never could have predicted but it's probably a bit more sensible to just think of things like this as minor bits of worldbuilding from an author that enjoys balancing out possible flaws in how his worlds function.
I prefer the think the crem is all knowing and powerful
@@conorreads👀
@@conorreadsthat’s fair. Just don’t be disappointed if we get to book 10 and it isn’t🤣
I do think that there‘s a bit more to the push and pull of land being added and worn away than you are giving credit for, given that the shape of Roshar is a slice of a fractal, but I do agree that crem itself is not much more than a material useful for this task.
Im a little behind you on your Stormlight journey, about 70 percent through the way of kings. I love seeing your perspective as a first time reader too!
I would recommend looking at the map on the first few pages of the book to look at the different locations, if you haven’t already
I'll add a little extra reason to look at the map.
There is a secret inside the map that reveals a bit of the deeper lore.
I'm living vicariously through your first read-through. I'm invested in how you see the world of Roshar. I can't wait to see what you do with some of the later books.
I’m reading The Way of Kings for the first time right now too (just hit 50%). No one that I know has read this series and it’s killing me to not discuss it with anyone 😂 so I’m loving all your videos and theories!
Where are you at in the series now?
It is wild to guess so much from so little. The interludes are basically the ultimate teasers. But yes, hardcore avoid google for any questions. Even some peoples answers get too close to things you should learn more organically. Keep up the great videos though.
This book is kicking your brain around like a soccer ball
Yep
The country is Shinovar. People from Shinovar are called Shin.
The interludes are so much fun! There’s a lot of worldbuilding in those - new areas, new (sometimes) recurring characters, new lore!
It’s Brandon’s way of expanding the world without getting mired in storyline bloat. This way the main parts of the book can stay focused, but we do get more worldbuilding.
Good catch on the Vstim/Szeth connection!
Thankyou :)
Rysn is one of my favorite Stormlight characters. She has a long and wonderful journey
I bet the interludes will be more interesting to re-read after we get further into the story-or definitely on a full re-read.
It is hilarious how much you are reading into the crem, I think it is just something Brandon added on a whim, when people compare stuff to crem in the book they are saying it is useless.
You are correct on how you say Rysn
I call her Risen too bro lol
Crem de la crem
Indeed
I've never seen anyone post incomplete book reviews by page number. You are really learning how to milk this BookTube thing. Well played 😆
i guess its milking, but its such a good way to see a new readers experience. its very unique, i dont think the reading vlogs are as thorough as this form
I started reading this and after a good chunk of pages I realized it wasn't worth my time. Cut it down to half or, better yet, a third, and it might be readable. This padding is an unfortunate trend in modern speculative fiction.
I always enjoy the roots being put down for a long series!
This series definitely isn’t for everyone, but I can assure you that a large part of what you considered padding was anything but. The Way of Kings is the first book of a planned 10 book series, and it has a lot of groundwork to lay for the rest of the series. We’re only four books in and already so much of what is established in this book has had major consequences on the wider story. And the book also manages to tell a very compelling story while laying all that groundwork, with one of the best endings to a book I’ve ever read. Now, like I said the book isn’t for everyone. But if you enjoy epic fantasy I recommend you give it another try. It is well worth the time investment
You have no idea what you’re talking about. None of this is padding. What you’re talking about is called world building.
@@malcolmhodnett8874 Padding is called world building to "justify" it. Good writers can build their world without chapters of dry details or getting in the way of the story telling or plot progression. World building elements can be brought in as needed, and most of the world building is unnecessary for the telling of the story.