Wind and Truth

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Wind and Truth
First edition book cover
AuthorBrandon Sanderson
Cover artistMichael Whelan
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Stormlight Archive
GenreEpic fantasy
PublisherTor Books
Publication date
December 6, 2024
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages1344
Preceded byRhythm of War 

Wind and Truth is an epic fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson and the fifth book in The Stormlight Archive series. It was published on December 6, 2024,[1] and is the ending to the first half of the series. Sanderson has said that the latter half of the series will be written after he finishes writing the upcoming Era Three Mistborn trilogy and the two Elantris sequels and projects a completion date near the end of 2031.[2]

As with Kaladin in The Way of Kings, Shallan in Words of Radiance, Dalinar in Oathbringer and the characters Eshonai and Venli in Rhythm of War, Wind and Truth contains a sequence of flashback chapters, this time from the perspective of Szeth, the Assassin in White.

The unabridged audiobook is read by narration team Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.[3]

Development

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The writing process for the book started in January 2022.[4] The book was previously known as Knights of Wind and Truth before Sanderson decided on Wind and Truth. In December 2023 Sanderson announced the completion of the first draft of the novel,[5] which was later followed by the announcement of the publication date by his publisher Tor Books.[6]

The synopsis of Wind and Truth that came with the announcement was as follows:

Dalinar Kholin has challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions, and the Knights Radiant and the nations of Roshar have a mere 10 days to prepare for the worst. The fate of the entire world - and the Cosmere at large - hangs in the balance.

Sanderson has stated that Dalinar Kholin would have a larger role in the book than he had in Rhythm of War. The planned ending of the novel is based upon the ending he planned out for an RPG in 1999, and has been in the outline of the series from the start. Sanderson hopes that it will land right with people and recontextualize many important moments in the story.[6]

On June 4, 2024, Sanderson announced on his Twitter account that he finished the last part of the novel, turning the book in at 491,000 words; this made Wind and Truth the longest book in the series.[7]

Sanderson calls writing The Stormlight Archive novels "quite draining" and stated he would take a break from the project for a time while he works on sequels to Mistborn and Elantris. Sanderson's next projected release for part two of The Stormlight Archive story arc is 2031.[8]

Plot

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Prologue

Seven and a half years ago, King Gavilar sought immortality after bonding with Stormfather. Upon learning of his arrogant nature, the Stormfather severed his bond with Gavilar, leading to Gavilar’s death.

Day One

Dalinar challenges Odium for the Contest of Champion, which could end the war. Kaladin and his Honorspren Sylphrena depart for Shinovar. Szeth joins Kaladin to seek Ishar and restore the Oathpact. They arrived at Azir and await the Highstorm.

Shallan and Adolin plan to return to Urithiru. Shallan learns that Ba-Ado-Mishram had been imprisoned within the spiritual realm, and the Ghostbloods are seeking power. Shallan decides to thwart the Ghostbloods' plan. Shallan and Adolin discover the army of Singers plans to attack Azimir. They meet up with Kaladin at Azir and return to Urithiru.

Odium, with Taravangian as his vessel, arrives at Tu Bayla and witnesses the outcome of the battle.

Day Two

Adolin and Shallan return to Urithiru and part ways. Shallan goes to Narak where the Ghostbloods have fled the tower. Adolin reports the threat to his father. Cultivation reveals to Dalinar that Honor's power is hidden in the spiritual realm. Wit learns that loopholes had been inserted into the contract, violating Rayse's promise not to conquer nations. Jasnah departs to Thaylenah to aid Fen, Sigzil leads Bridge Four at the Shattered Plains, and Adolin departs to Azir to hold off Odium's forces.

Dalinar and Navani access the spiritual realm just as the perpendicularity shuts.

Shallan arrives at Narak and learns a that former ally had already captured Kalak. Mraize and Iyatil escape via Shadesmar and Sja-anat's Spren using an Anti-Stormlight weapon. Shallan returns to Urithiru and seeks aid from Renarain and Rlain to stop the Ghostbloods. Shallan's group and the Ghostbloods arrive at the spot where Dalinar and Navani open the perpendicularity. Mraize tosses the anti-stormlight dagger onto the portal, and the entire room shatters.

Kaladin and Szeth arrive at Shinovar. Szeth reveals that the Unmade corrupted his people, and the Honorblades are kept within the monasteries after the Heralds abandoned their Oathpact. Kaladin and Syl find Ishar, who tasks him with helping Szeth restore his homeland.

El permanently destroys Jezrian's soul. Odium offers him to conquer the Shatter Plains and plans to unleash Dai-Gonarthis to ravage Dalinar's troops. He meets up with Cultivation and observes all the deities across Cosmere before parting ways.

Day Three

Kaladin and Szeth arrive at Taln's monastery and encounter a corrupted stone shaman, Rit-Daugther-Clutio, carrying Taln's Honorblade which was swapped years ago before Taln arrived at the Shattered Plains. Fulfilling his duty as a Skybreaker, Szeth kills Rit and recovers Taln's blade, realizing Ishar's plan to lure him to Shinovar. After rescuing the civilians, they head to Kalak's monastery.

In Azimir, Adolin prepares the first wave of Odium's force at the Oathgate and chooses not to engage in the battle as he observes the Azish army led by Commandant Zarb Kushkam successfully banish the first wave. Upon celebrating, Maya, who is slowly recovering from her Deadeye state, decides to depart Adolin and persuade the Honorspren to join the fight.

After encountering El, Odium teleports to Kharbranth and persuades Dova, who was revealed as Battar the Herald of Honor, to make an offer to travel off-world as his stewardship.

Day Four

Kaladin and Szeth settle at the river bank near Koring after recovering Kalak's Honorblade from the deceased Stone Shaman. At night, while Kaladin performs Kata, Szeth is transported into Shadesmar and encounters his former master and wielder of Battar's Honorblade of Elsecaller, Pozen-Son-Nash, along with the Edgedancer assassin wielding Vedel's Honorblade. Unable to summon his Shardblade, Szeth quickly evades the attacks and outmaneuvers the assassin upon sensing the Nightblood calling him to recover. Szeth manages to recover Nightblood allowing him to kill the assassin which Pozen invertedly kills himself to trap Szeth in Shadesmar. However, Szeth uses the Honorblade and escapes recovering two Honorblades.

While being stranded in the spiritual realm, Dalinar and Navani arrive at the time of ancient Shinovar when humanity arrives on Roshar after leaving their devastation from their home planet, Ashyn. Dalinar and Navani encounter an ancient Spren known as the Wind, who serves as the guide to achieve their goal. With Stormfather refusing to aid, Navani manages to bond with Shalash's ribbon, which causes the visions to change. Shallan, Rlain, and Renarin enter the Spiritual Realm arriving at the same time as Dalinar and Navani but choose to remain hidden to thwart Mraize from finding the Unmade. Shallan realizes that her persona, Formless, appears when she tries to stop Mraize. Meanwhile, on Azir, Adolin struggles to fend off Odium's troops while befriending Yanagawn to help lecture him on battle tactics.

Odium approaches Moash, driven mad by guilt, emotions, and blindness, and gives him crystalline spikes through his eyes that allow him to see through Investiture. He then visits Kharbranth to sustain himself from logic, believing his only success in protecting his family is through war.

Day Five

After bonding with illusioned Shalash's ribbon and Nale's promissory disk as anchors, Dalinar and Navani, along with Elokhar's son Gavinor who entered the realm by accident, enter the vision between the First Desolation and the Heraldic epochs when the early Singers travel eastward, humanity declaring war against Odium that lasted forty three years, and Honor supporting humanity over Singers. With Honor's aid, Jezerien establishes a group of ten people (consisting of five men and five women) with Vedel's abilities to grant immortality and Ishar's Bondsmith for surges declaring themselves as the protector of humanity known as the Heralds. Dalinar, under the guise of Kelek, manages to bond Kelek's Honorblade to alter the vision.

Meanwhile on the Shattered plains, Sigzil forms his tactical approach on building four impenetrable fortress on Narak to divert Odium's forces from attacking. As the army approaches with Everstorm, Sigzil leads the army to triumph as he killed a newly Formed Fused and overpowering a Thunderclast causing Odium's forces to retreat. With suspicion, Sigzil and few scouts follow them only to learn that the army created an Elsecaller portal for reinforcement, with the Unmade and Moash approaching. After her reconciliation with her tribe, Venli realizes that Leshwi and her followers are depowered after betraying Odium and grows curious about Chasmfiends who bonded with the Listeners. As the Highstorm arrived, the Chasmfiend forms a murmuration and Venli uses her Willshaper abilities to contact the Stone, revealing that Honor had turned against the Singers centuries ago and the answer lies within her hometown of Narak.

Renarin and Rlain form an intimate relationship before witnessing the event of Heralds' declaration on which he choose to remain hidden from Dalinar and Navani under the guise as Vedel. He found as Shallan as Ash in disguise who tries to find Mraize unaware that he posed as Honor. As Mraize makes an attack, Shallan overpowers him and realizes that Odium fears Ba Ado Mishram. Formless suddenly appears to taunt Shallan causing an injured Mraize to escape. In Azir, Adolin gained support with newly arrived Honorspren Notum for returning the favor.

Kaladin and Szeth takes hike to Battar's Monastery to investigate only to find out that the town is deserted. Kaladin learned that this town was Szeth's childhood home and gave Szeth a sense of comfort and compassion. As they leave, the Herald Nale approaches them accompanying Szeth's quest.

Feeling conflicted of his balance, Odium continues to follow Taravagian's view of conquest and accept his alignment transforming into a new form resembling his predecessor causing Cultivation to leave in disappointment.

Day Six

Kaladin, Szeth, and Nale travels to the Lightweaver's monastery to retrieve Shalash's Honorblade. With Kaladin and Nale debating over moral circumstance on supporting Szeth, Szeth went into the monastery alone to confront the Stone Shaman, Moss-son-Farrier. However, Moss created fourteen illusions of Shalash on hostages and gave Szeth his ultimatum to solve his puzzle. With Sylphrena aiding, Szeth manage to kill Moss and recover the Honorblade. With Szeth being unaware of an assassin plotting to kill him, Syl alerted Kaladin who then killed the assassin who carries Pralla's honorblade. After testing Szeth's loyalty of pilgrimage, Nale informed them that Odium had corrupted Jezrien's Honorblade. The trio plans to visit the Truthwatcher monastery to investigate.

Jasnah settles in Thaylen city to observe the city's defense to prepare the upcoming battle and grows suspicious of the threat; she requires the Windrunner scouts to investigate. Sigzil commands his armies to retreat to Narak Two after losing Narak One as Odium's forces and Unmade overwhelm them.

After recovering from her encounter with Formless, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain continue their search for the Unmade. Upon noticing the dark influence close by, Shallan found the illusion of Mishram during the Recreance era and discovered that the Unmade is supporting the Singers. The Unmade sensed her presence until Rlain and the Mistsprens protected her; Mraize stood by watching them before Odium began observing the Spiritual Realm. After discussing Yanagawn, Adolin learned that Emul and Tashikk defect from Azimir and supporting Odium who plans to isolate Azimir from gaining alliance.

After losing the illusioned Honorblade, Dalinar enters the vision of the Last Desolation; he learns that Honor had abandoned humanity and the Heralds are broken forcing to abandon their Taln and their post keeping Odium imprisoned on planet Braize (which was known as Damnation). Navani and Gavinor arrive just as Dalinar witnesses the Herald's departure. With only four days left, they require an anchor that speed up time and discovers that Stormfather is the anchor. As Dalinar bonded with past Stormfather, Stormfather scolded and threatens to disconnect Dalinar. After bonding the anchor, the vision send the trio to Urithru before the Era of Recreance occur; Dalinar confirmed that this is the day before Honor's death upon noticing the Windrunner Ririan from Feverstone that he saw from his previous visions.

Cultivation sends her troops to attack Kharbranth to persuade Odium to surrender. Driven mad by grief, passion, and desire, Odium summons his powers and destroy Kharbranth in the process killing all of Taravagian's families, supporters, and residents. Horrified by his response, Cultivation surrenders.

Day Seven

In Azir, Odium's forces summons the Thunderclast to attack the dome which creates a diversion. Adolin remains injured after struggling to destroy the Thunderclast at the cost of his Shardplate. Commandant Kushkam manages to use fire bomb attacks and stop the army successfully. After receiving news from the scouts, Jasnah confirms her suspicion on Odium forces's forming a distraction on protecting Thaylen city and decide to depart to the Shattered Plains. After losing Narak three, Sigzil struggles to fend off the army to prevent their siege on Narak Two and Narak Prime; Moash overpowers the entire troops of Bridge Four with Anti-stormlight at the north post and kills Leyten, Sigzil's closest friend.

Shallan, Rlain and Renarin fall into the vision of their past created by Ba-Ado-Mishram to lure them to her prison. Renarian is able to resist Mishram's illusions upon discovering the Unmade's resentment towards humanity and singers. Dalinar and Navani learn that humanity had deserted Urithiru after the Order of the Radiants caused a schism following the Heralds departure and the False Desolation. Navani manages to contact the Sibling upon learning that Windrunner Ririan named Garith is hiding secrets after his meeting with the Bondsmith Meleshi. During the false Desolation, they followed Garith and soon discover that Garith has an intimate relationship with the Direform Shnome. Upon their secret meeting, they both plan to forge a peace agreement between the Listeners and humans with Mishram to end the conflict. However, Honor and Melishi betrays the couple by imprisoning Ba-Ado-Mishram into a gem and thus transforms the Listeners into their primitive and weakened state. Honor then show the Radiant the vision accusing them for causing destruction. Honor's actions in betraying humanity, weakening the Listeners, and imprisoning the Unmade causes the entire Knight Radiants to abandon their oaths which directly leads to the Era of Recreance, by which Stormfather took Honor's place. After the revelation of Honor's treachery, Odium approaches Dalinar and Navani in the Spiritual Realm.

After giving Szeth and his Highspren, 12124, some therapy advice, the Wind, who has spoken to Kaladin, contacted him and pleads with him to help restore the Heralds' mental state. The trio notices the monasteries are lightened from the distance with Szeth nearly completing his pilgrimage.

Viewpoint characters

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The primary chapters within the book are told from the viewpoint of several major characters, while the book's interludes are told from the viewpoint of other characters (not all of which repeat).

There are a variety of major Viewpoints, each with different plotlines involved

  • Kaladin and Szeth in Shinovar
  • Shallan, Rlain, Renarin in the Spiritual Realm searching for Ba-Ado-Mishram
  • Dalinar and Navani in the Spiritual Realm experiencing visions of the past
  • Adolin holding out a war in Azimir
  • Sigzil and Venli fighting for the Shattered Plains
  • Jasnah in Thaylenah
  • Odium who plays his role as the final antagonist of the entire series

Pre-publication content

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  • In March 2022, Sanderson did a reading of the first draft of the prologue on his YouTube channel.
  • At FanX in 2022, Sanderson did a reading of the first part of Kaladin's first chapter from the first draft of the novel.
  • At New York Comic Con in 2022, Sanderson did a reading of the first draft of Szeth's first chapter.
  • During Dragonsteel 2022, Sanderson did a reading of the remainder of Kaladin's first chapter as well as his second chapter.
  • Also during Dragonsteel 2022, Sanderson did a reading of Szeth's third flashback chapter.
  • At Tampa Bay Comic in 2023, Sanderson read from a Jasnah chapter.
  • During Dragonsteel 2023, Sanderson did a reading of an interlude.
  • At C2E2 in 2024, Sanderson did a reading of the first two Shallan chapters.
  • Starting at July 29, 2024, two chapters of the finished book were released each week for free until the book's full release in December.[9]

Audiobook

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The audiobook version of the book was released on the same day as the hardcover version and is read by narrator team Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, who also read The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, Rhythm of War and several other books written by Sanderson.

References

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  1. ^ Sanderson, Brandon. Wind and Truth: Book Five of the Stormlight Archive. Tor Books. ISBN 1250319188.
  2. ^ "State of the Sanderson 2022". December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  3. ^ "Amazon.com: Wind and Truth: Book Five of the Stormlight Archive (Audible Audio Edition): Brandon Sanderson, Kate Reading, Michael Kramer, Macmillan Audio: Books". www.amazon.com.
  4. ^ Horne, Adam (January 10, 2022). "Starting Stormlight Five!".
  5. ^ Escamilla, Octavia (December 26, 2023). "Stormlight 5 Finished! + Weekly Update".
  6. ^ a b Armstrong, Vanessa (December 19, 2023). "Brandon Sanderson's Fifth Stormlight Archive Book Gets Publishing Date". Reactor.
  7. ^ https://x.com/BrandSanderson/status/1797791128688984452
  8. ^ Papadopoulos, Charles (2024-12-24). ""Savor It": Brandon Sanderson Just Confirmed Our Biggest Fear About The Next Stormlight Archive Book". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  9. ^ Reactor (2024-07-16). "Read Brandon Sanderson's Wind and Truth Here on Reactor, Starting in July". Reactor. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
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