Spoiler Warning: “The Way of Kings”, “Words of Radiance”, “Oathbringer”, and “Rhythm of War”
“Wind and Truth”, the fifth installment of “The Stormlight Archive” by Brandon Sanderson, was the most excited I have ever been for a book release. And that’s saying something, considering I participated in the frenzied stampedes during every childhood Book Fair to snatch Rick Riordan’s newest release in the “Heroes of Olympus” series. While I didn’t go charging into the nearest Barnes & Noble to pick up my copy of “Wind and Truth” on release day, I pre-ordered a signed copy, something I’ve never done in my lifetime of avid reading.
“The Stormlight Archive” is a passionate celebration of the fantasy genre and the art of world-building. Sanderson spins a special web in the world of Roshar, with each minute detail interconnecting and serving a major purpose in the story. Despite the complex world, his characters stand out as engaging and complex in their own right. Sanderson’s characters are heroes in the most epic sense, yet flawed in an extremely human way.
Sanderson’s “Stormlight Archive” has something for every fantasy nerd, and “Wind and Truth” marks the conclusion to the series’s first ten-year-long arc. Sanderson needed only to match the quality of the first four installments, cementing the first arc of “The Stormlight Archive” as one of the most epic tales in high fantasy. But if the first four books are brilliant, infused spheres, then “Wind and Truth” is an utterly dun one – a mess of a book that lets down both me and the ideals of the Knights Radiant.
“The Stormlight Archive” begins with “The Way of Kings”, following three central characters: Kaladin Stormblessed, a soldier and surgeon turned nihilistic prisoner of war; Shallan Davar, a witty scholar and artist who must steal her mentor’s prized possession; and Dalinar Kholin, a once ruthless military commander attempting to become a diplomat and unite the divided kingdom of his country, Alethkar. “The Way of Kings” and its sequel, “Words of Radiance”, follow these central characters taking the mantle of Knights Radiant, watchers at the rim who protect humanity from the malevolent forces known as Voidbringers. Radiant powers are built upon oaths, words sworn to surmount one’s weaknesses and protect the world. The sacred oaths have not been spoken for thousands of years, and the Knights Radiant are forgotten until our central characters rediscover and reestablish the oaths to confront the return of the Voidbringers led by Odium, the god of passion. The subsequent installments, “Oathbringer” and “Rhythm of War”, see Dalinar establishing a coalition among Roshar’s kingdoms and agreeing to a contest of champions to decide the world’s fate. “Wind and Truth” covers the ten days leading up to this highly anticipated confrontation and marks the final book until the series continues with its second arc in six years. Fans are loyal enough to endure such an excruciating wait, but I don’t believe I can say the same anymore.
“Wind and Truth’s” most glaring issue is its awful pacing. Occasional pacing issues aren’t unfamiliar in “The Stormlight Archive”, as books over 1,000 pages can’t be expected to keep the foot on the gas. “Wind and Truth” is also the longest of the series at 1,344 pages. But if slow pacing is only an occasional hiccup in the first four installments, why is “Wind and Truth” such a chore to complete?
The answer is in the book’s structure. Sanderson abandoned his traditional five-part structure in favor of a ten-part one, which accounts for the ten days leading up to the contest of champions. I understand Sanderson’s vision to give the readers a sense of a countdown toward the climax, but more parts mean shorter chapters and less space to manage Sanderson’s large cast of characters.
“Wind and Truth” contains 33 unique POVs, not all of which are made equal. It’s a common symptom of large casts; some characters will be more interesting than others. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pump my fist and breathe a sigh of relief every time I reached a Kaladin or Adolin chapter. However, reaching my favorite characters’ POVs was the true battle of the story since each POV fights for space on the page. You’d be lucky to read more than two pages without a jarring POV switch, none of which feel in tune with the momentum of the others. While the traditional five-part structure would pass entire parts with specific character POVs missing, it allowed more time to warm readers to a select few characters. Rapid POV switches would not occur until the climax, and by then, each character would have ample page time, and the pacing would be consistent.
The ten-part structure attempts to be a 1,000-page climax but fails to realize what made the original structure effective: uninterrupted, thoroughly explored storylines that gradually weave together. How am I supposed to get invested in Adolin’s plan to protect Azir when I suddenly switch to Venli hiking through the Shattered Plains? How can I get excited for Dalinar, Roshar’s champion, when lore dumps and flashbacks largely overshadow him? Journey before Destination is an ideal of the Knights Radiant and a recurring theme of the book, but this journey was not one I could appreciate. If the ten-day structure gave me anything, it told me when I’d finally reach the end.
Uninspired prose is another common criticism of Sanderson’s works, and “Wind and Truth” is his worst offender yet. Fans, myself included, are willing to concede Sanderson’s prose in favor of his strong characters and worldbuilding. But when these areas are lacking, and his prose grows weaker, it becomes difficult to make a case for the book’s quality.
“Wind and Truth” is also rife with Marvel-esque humor and dialogue. From lowbrow crotch jokes to cringeworthy one-liners, I could be convinced that Sanderson was writing a Young Adult novel. “Let’s kick some Fused ass” is not a line that should survive multiple rounds of edits and beta readers for an adult fantasy novel. Maybe Sanderson’s editors gave him complete freedom of the pen since “Wind and Truth” would sell well regardless of quality. It would explain clunky sentences at a basic structural level.
Even serious topics aren’t safe from Sanderson’s awkward delivery. The exploration of mental health issues and the healing process demonstrates, at best, a textbook understanding of the subject matter. Each character seems to fully understand how and why they feel the way they do, and Sanderson will constantly knock readers over the head with the subtlety of a chainsaw.
This leaves once-complex characters feeling flat, lacking any compelling inner or outer conflict. Dalinar and Adolin’s tenuous relationship, an interesting conflict built up across the series, is given an afterthought of a conclusion. Jasnah, one of the few characters faced with an engaging conflict, does not receive the page time she deserves. Many of these characters follow consistent and believable arcs, but the lackluster execution lessens their impact. This isn’t to say there aren’t any good character moments in “Wind and Truth”; there are some potentially great ones. Unfortunately, Sanderson manages to stifle them beneath poor pacing and prose.
Typically, one disappointing book in an otherwise amazing series wouldn’t kill my hope for its future. However, “Wind and Truth’s” worldbuilding and ending have me questioning my desire to continue with “The Stormlight Archive”.
Sanderson has begun to focus more on the Cosmere, the universe that connects his other series and novels. Although “The Stormlight Archive” is connected to this extended universe, references never went beyond brief cameos and nods to characters from separate series. “Wind and Truth’s” ending has massive implications for the Cosmere and seems to be leaning towards involving the entire universe in the second arc’s main conflict. Modern pop culture is currently oversaturated with multiverse and extended universe stories, and “The Stormlight Archive” seems bound to adopt an already tiresome storytelling choice. I fear Sanderson is making the same mistake as the Marvel Cinematic Universe: stretching the ambition and scope of the story beyond reasonable interest. Keeping up with novels I’m not interested in to understand one series doesn’t feel immersive; it feels like homework.
“Wind and Truth” is likely my departure from “The Stormlight Archive”. I’d love for Sanderson to prove me wrong with the series’s second arc, but I can’t say I can remain optimistic. We’ve seen the fall of extended universe stories in pop culture before, and “Wind and Truth” has gathered the weight that the series may eventually collapse under.
Benjamin Alvarez is the News Editor/Arts & Culture Writer for The Triton.
We welcome responses to opinion pieces. If you’d like for us to publish a response or comment on a different issue affecting the UCSD or UC community, you can do so here.