Vashet reflects on Kvothe's triumph. We talk about a big laugh, Kvothe's new standing, and wonder at the Adem's attitude to magic.

Kvothe completes his test. Did he cheat? Yes. We talk about what the Adem know of Kvothe's power, and wonder if the Lethani is driving Kvothe to a bad end, and get a bit nihilistic at the end there.

Kvothe stalls and gives us a list of the items under the tree. We talk about Kvothe's epiphany, draw some comparisons to Jedi philosophy, and what it's like being the kinda guy who laughs at a funeral - can't understand what I mean? You soon will.

Kvothe tries to puzzle out the correct solution to the Latantha test. We talk about Kvothe's deepest desire, what positions are available for full arcanists, and some of Kvothe's unsurfaced attutudes.

Kvothe begins the test of the Latantha and sees the wind. We talk about how Kvothe treats this test like the Kobayashi Maru, how this test may have influenced the names he gets from the Adem, and talk about intentionally ambiguous tests in fantasy.

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Kvothe steps onto the stage of the Test of the Sword-Tree. We talk about Performance Mindset, Nick tries to trick Jordana, and we discuss Vashet’s use of however to make her point, and Adem fast-travel points.

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Kvothe wants to get a good grade at Sword-Tree, a thing that is both normal to want and possible to achieve. We talk about how the open-ended nature of the sword-tree test is anxiety-inducing, and what characters’ scars tell us about how they approach the test.

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Kvothe is taken for his test at the sword tree. We talk about printing and storytelling techniques in comics and prose, Penthe and Carceret’s names, and riding a sled into a ravine.

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Vashet's voice is sort of a Strega Nona type today as she explains why Kvothe's test has been fast tracked. We talk about succeeding at exams, Jeremy is dead wrong about what kind of test this is, and give some tips on how to apply for school.

Our two leads commiserate over feeling alientaed. We talk about the queer analogues, wonder at some of the larger context that seems to be missing, and why this book differs from the rest of the series.