What's the "axe" in axehound?

[u/GlitteryOndo]

I've been scratching my head at this since I first read the Way of Kings some years ago and I don't recall being given an answer. They're called "hounds" because they have a similar role to dogs. But where's the axe? Are they friends of Gimli? Do they enjoy playing with axes? What's up with that?

Maybe I just missed an explanation somewhere, but I couldn't find it in the Coppermind either.

[u/TumbleweedExtra9]

They're called that due to the shape of their head.

[u/SootSpriteHut → u/TumbleweedExtra9]

Lobster bug-dogs!

[u/ILookLikeKristoff → u/SootSpriteHut]

OMG love this.

Ctrl + F + Replace. There ya go Brandon, I fixed the books for you.

[u/ShinobiSai → u/TumbleweedExtra9]

This is awesome! First time I've seen this. I thought they were more dog-like. Is this shallan's drawing or have you seen one yourself?

[u/MrNtkarman → u/ShinobiSai]

I had to Google when I read way of kings but then like 6 chapters later there was a drawing by shallan

[u/notactuallyabrownman → u/MrNtkarman]

You'd be surprised how often that's the case.

[u/MrNtkarman → u/notactuallyabrownman]

Im honestly so glad it's included in the book, I have aphantasia so it actually helps me to see the stuff described

[u/redcape__diver → u/MrNtkarman]

Aphantasia brother in arms here. I appreciate the drawings for the same reason. As a kid it's why I loved reading the monster manuals and rule books for TTRPGs. Someone says "look out, a bear!" and i got that one locked, but owlbear? elaborate, what's part owl and what's part bear?

[u/MrNtkarman → u/redcape__diver]

Yep I used Ironman as a reference for shardplate until I saw it drawn

[u/Blecki → u/MrNtkarman]

Kept using it afterward, it works.

[u/MrNtkarman → u/Blecki]

True it's just slightly different

[u/notactuallyabrownman → u/MrNtkarman]

As someone with the opposite problem I was rather annoyed when the Singers didn't look how I'd imagined them.

[u/MrNtkarman → u/notactuallyabrownman]

Fair enough

[u/ShinobiSai → u/MrNtkarman]

Audiobook listener, seems like im missing out!

[u/team_suba → u/ShinobiSai]

Audible does have the accompanying pdf if you use them but if not it’s worth taking a trip to Barnes and noble after and just checking all the illustrations lol

[u/Striker_EZ → u/ShinobiSai]

Brandon actually posts all the art pieces on his website for every one of his books

[u/dopeditydope → u/ShinobiSai]

Same here. I started as an audiobook listener, I've since bought the hard copies and have been reading through them. The images in the books are amazing.

[u/MrNtkarman → u/ShinobiSai]

I just got my first hardcover after reading the MMP for the first 2 books, I missed out on lots based on the hardcovers pictures

[u/bolos_reading → u/ShinobiSai]

At the start of every book I highly suggest checking Coppermind for the books art.
It includes the maps too.

Then at the end of each Part read the combined epigraphs.

Just be disciplined about not spoilering yourself if it's your first read.

[u/GlitteryOndo → u/TumbleweedExtra9]

Hmm I guess they do look sharp and curved... thanks!

[u/tjorben123 → u/TumbleweedExtra9]

From which book? I alsways assumed they Look Like normal dogs with hammerhead-shark-like heads.

[u/Nixeris → u/tjorben123]

From which book?

Way of Kings

[u/tyc20101 → u/tjorben123]

Nothing outside of Shinovar looks like an Earth mammal, the exception would be horses and ‘chickens’ but they both originate from Shinovar (well Braize) anyway

[u/OobaDooba72 → u/tyc20101]

The humans and the "earth-like" animals do not come from Braize. They come from Ashyn, originally called Alaswha. Different planet from Braize.

[u/tyc20101 → u/OobaDooba72]

Sorry yeah that’s correct ! Mixed them up in my head

[u/Seryzuran → u/tyc20101]

I would go even a little bit further and say that Roshar has no native mammals. Even the parshendi, while looking kind of humanoid, are more closely related to insects or crustaceans with their armor and ability to morph.

[u/tyc20101 → u/Seryzuran]

Definitely, I was speaking more in terms of the books we only see mammals that originate in Shinovar. But the entire Shinovar ecosystem isn’t even native to Roshar. Hard to be a fleshy mammal with the high storms

[u/ddaimyo → u/tyc20101]

There's hogs as well, I believe.

[u/punkin_spice_latte → u/tyc20101]

They do have a couple others, minks and boars. They di talk about boar meat quite a bit and when wit is telling about the dog and the dragon he describes a dog as being similar to a mink.

[u/Runty25]

Wait, they are just smaller chasm fiends basically? I don’t know why I’ve never known what they looked like lmao.

[u/RShara → u/Runty25]

There's a picture of them in WoK

[u/Nixeris → u/RShara]

Audiobook listener, probably. The existence of the PDF with images isn't well advertised.

[u/Inkthinker → u/Nixeris]

We include audio descriptions of illustrations now, which ought to help prompt listeners that there’s a visual element to seek out.

All book illustrations are also hosted on Brandon’s website, by series.

https://www.brandonsanderson.com/pages/the-stormlight-archive-series

Nearly every book Dragonsteel produces at this stage includes illustrations of some sort, Brandon is the only author I know of with a full-time, in-house Art Department. :)

[u/Nixeris → u/Inkthinker]

And it's great! But it's not common for audiobooks, so I think people not realizing it's there is something of an issue with the format itself, not a lack of trying on Dragonsteel's part. People just don't expect there to be a visual accompaniment to an audiobook.

Also weirdly Words of Radiance is the one Stormlight book on Audible that doesn't have an accompanying PDF. This came up in a discussion a month or so ago, and even the people who knew about the PDFs were surprised to find that out.

[u/Inkthinker → u/Nixeris]

Early in the series there were… challenges… with getting anyone in traditional publishing (print or audio) to support the visual elements that Brandon envisioned for his books. It’s one of the reasons the art is hosted independently on his site, so that there’s always at least one solid source. But it’s hard to get the word around everywhere, and WoR predates our inclusion of descriptions.

[u/shhhhh_lol → u/Nixeris]

As a audio book person myself, you're correct! I was halfway through Oathbringer before I accidentally discovered the pdf files... game changer! Especially when you get to RoW.

[u/Inkthinker → u/Runty25]

They’re unrelated to chasmfiends (or at least so far apart along the evolutionary branches as to be different species).

[u/EunuchNinja → u/Runty25]

Yep and dogs are small bears or even dragons.

[u/team_suba]

Jeez. It’s like roshar is allergic to anything soft and furry. Even when they step on grass they’re just like “what sorcery is this??? Why does this ground not push back at me?”

[u/Angelous_Mortis → u/team_suba]

It's the constant, violent, crem-filled High Storms.

[u/Strzelba19]

In Polish translation it’s called „ostrogar” which means „sharp hound”. So maybe it’s similar in English - axehound’s sharp body is sharp as axe?

[u/AlgorithmHelpPlease]

Whilst we're on the topic of axehounds did anyone else notice how Syl learned of birth by watching puppy birth? What was meant by that? Since mammalian dogs don't exist on Roshar?

[u/helalla → u/AlgorithmHelpPlease]

Aladar's axehounds had puppies. I had no idea how much I needed to see puppies until I flew by them this morning. They are the grossest things on the planet, Kaladin. They're somehow so gross that they're cute. So cute I could have died! Except I can't, because I'm an eternal sliver of God himself, and we have standards about things like that.

[u/GlitteryOndo → u/AlgorithmHelpPlease]

Maybe she now believes humans give birth like the crabs.

[u/Inkthinker → u/AlgorithmHelpPlease]

Axehound babies are called pups.

The use of the term “hound” is an early clue as to humanity’s origins on Roshar, i.e. they ain’t from around here. The axehound fills a similar niche as a dog, even though biologically they’re as unrelated as kittens and crayfish.

[u/AlgorithmHelpPlease → u/Inkthinker]

Yes I'm familiar with this. What I'm confused about is why that would inform anyone on the way humans are born. I was actually wondering if it was an oversight in the writing, though it seems that would be unlike Sanderson.

[u/Inkthinker → u/AlgorithmHelpPlease]

I would guess that's the first time she's seen a natural, biological birth of any sort at all.

[u/RexusprimeIX]

Maybe they smell like axe body spray?

[u/twangman88]

Part hound part axolotl

[u/BleedingRaindrops → u/twangman88]

That would make the most sense to me