Brandon Sanderson’s epic Stormlight Archive fantasy series will continue with Wind and Truth, the concluding volume of the first major arc of this ten-book series. A defining pillar of Sanderson’s “Cosmere” fantasy book universe, this newest installment of The Stormlight Archive promises huge developments for the world of Roshar, the struggles of the Knights Radiant (and friends!), and for the Cosmere at large.
Reactor serialized the new book until its release date on December 6, 2024. A new installment went live every Monday at 11 AM ET, along with read-along commentary from Stormlight beta readers and Cosmere experts Lyndsey Luther, Drew McCaffrey, and Paige Vest. You can find every chapter and commentary post in the Wind and Truth index.
We’re thrilled to also include chapters from the audiobook edition of Wind and Truth, read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. Click here to jump straight to the audio excerpt!
Note: Title art is not final and will be updated as soon as the final cover is revealed.
Interlude 3: El
El, who had no title, stepped up to the Kholinar palace vault. Four Regal singers had been placed there as guards—a position of honor. Hopefully they would not fall too far after this.
“You will open the vault for me,” El said to no rhythm.
They didn’t question. That pleased him, as he never liked to kill mortals who served well. Their emotions did them credit. Still, he’d assumed they would know not to obey orders from him. He’d thought the Nine would have made that clear the moment he was reborn, but they were distracted with their war.
So, unwitting, the four Regals hummed to Subservience, unlocked the doors, and opened them for him, bowing. When he entered, their leader—an envoyform—hurried in after.
“I am to accompany all who enter, great one,” the Regal said, bowing again. “Pardon my intrusion.”
“What is your name?” El asked.
“Heshual,” the Regal said.
“One of our names,” El said, strolling through the small chamber—which someone had begun to line with aluminum sheets. “What was your name before?”
“It was… Govi, great one.”
“Do you miss your old name?”
“No?” the Regal said.
“So timid,” El said to no rhythm. “You were passionate enough to become a Regal in this Return?”
“I…” Heshual hummed to Tribute, which was a ridiculous rhythm to use for this exchange.
El picked through the room, ignoring stores of gemstones, seeking a specific item. He stoked his annoyance, cherished it as all emotions should be. He did not channel it at this Regal, however, for El understood the reason for the timidity.
“It is all right,” El said. “I assume one Fused noticed your passion and put you up for elevation—but since then, others have reprimanded you for standing up for yourself. Now you don’t know the proper way, because society is in shambles and my kind refuse to be proper role models.”
The Regal hummed to Craving. A sign of agreement, and wanting more treatment like this. He got that rhythm right.
“My kind wear thin, like shoes walked upon for too many miles,” El said softly. “My honor was stripped in part because I warned of the signs. We cannot rule much longer.”
He found what he was seeking at last, on a shelf near the back of the vault: a specific gemstone, still attached to its dagger. Jezrien’s prison. El took it off the shelf, reverent.
“Be careful, great one,” the Regal said. “That is a dangerous weapon.”
“Oh, I know,” El said, taking one of the new anti-Stormlight gemstones from his pocket. He lifted it up, appreciating Raboniel’s handiwork. Then he touched it to the tip of the dagger, which pulled the anti-Light out and sent it into the gemstone prison.
“Great one!” the Regal said. “That will… That…”
El held up the gemstone, where a Herald’s soul had been trapped. It flashed as anti-Light met Light, and Jezrien was at long last destroyed. Not much of an explosion; barely enough to crack the gemstone. There hadn’t been much of Jezrien left.
Now even that was gone. Forever. “Goodbye, old friend,” El whispered to no rhythm.
Then he looked at the Regal, who gaped at him, horrified, fearspren appearing at his feet.
“That imprisonment,” El said, tossing the dagger away, “is a punishment none deserve. We shame ourselves by trapping, instead of destroying, a Herald.” He held up his anti-Light gemstone, still almost full. “Yes, you were already nearly gone, weren’t you, old friend? The prisons don’t work on humans as well as was thought…”
The poor Regal was cycling through rhythms like a person beset with madness. The soul of a trapped Herald had been by far the most valuable thing in the vault.
“You should run to the Nine right now,” El suggested. “If you are quick, they might not punish you. The fault is theirs for not warning you about me. And perhaps I bear some fault. For being me. Naturally.”
The Regal scrambled away, calling for the other three to watch El and not let him leave. Fortunately for them, he had no wish to depart. He settled down on a bench at the side of the chamber, wondering at the way many had changed names. Was that a glorious recovery of their ancient roots? Or a betrayal of the culture they’d possessed in the absence of the ancients?
Before more guards arrived, he felt a presence overshadow him. Odium.
What have you done, servant? the familiar voice said, vibrating El through his gemheart. An act of treason by one of the Fused?
El did not reply. He considered that voice.
It was almost right.
Well? Odium said.
“I see you,” El replied softly with no rhythm. “I know you for what you are. And what you are not.”
The old Odium had come to hate being challenged. Perhaps that was why the Fused were so erratic—after thousands of years trapped on Braize, unable to fulfill his plans, their god had become erratic first.
The new Odium pondered. Who are you? Ah… I see. Yes, curious. I had not paid enough attention to you, El.
“Do you have his memories, then?” El asked.
I can view them if I desire, though I do not see why you would name Jezrien a friend, yet destroy his spirit.
“In all your divine wisdom,” El said, “you cannot imagine a situation where a friend deserves to die?”
The new Odium laughed. A legitimately joyful-sounding chuckle. Curious. In a blink, he appeared beside El and waved a hand, slamming the vault door to lock out approaching guards. This Odium was human, elderly, and did not care to make himself larger than El to intimidate him.
That was more than curious. That was impressive.
“I have a problem,” Odium said. “Would you help me solve it?”
“As a test?” El asked. “Or a legitimate need?”
“Let it be both,” Odium said, strolling through the vault, studying objects one at a time. He wore the enveloping clothing many humans preferred—covering most of the body, never letting skin or carapace through. A way to display the ornamentation of skilled labor.
“I would hum to Subservience,” El said, “if I had rhythms still.”
“I will accept that,” Odium said. “I have a plan to capture the entire world, and am confident in my ability to secure Thaylenah and Shinovar. As for Azir, my predecessor left an army that had been heading toward Lasting Integrity, which I was able to turn. It lacks Fused, and now lacks surprise, but I think it should be sufficient to claim Azimir. But the Shattered Plains trouble me.”
“I believe,” El said, “you have sent great numbers of Fused to the location.”
“Is that odd of me?” Odium asked, pausing beside a stack of gemstones, each large as a fist, on a shelf.
“I have been told,” El said, “that the term to use with a divinity is not ‘odd,’ but ‘inscrutable.’ ”
Odium smiled again. He tapped each gemstone in turn, and they glowed with Voidlight—soft purple-on-black.
“If you have sent so many Fused,” El continued, “and continue to worry—then I’d ask what is so important about a wasteland. Thaylenah is a trading hub, important for controlling the seas. Azir is the seat of an empire, and of great cultural and scientific development in this era. Both greater prizes. Both facing lesser armies.
“One might guess this is about proximity. For example, getting those Fused to Azimir in time might be impossible. And you are confident in your plan for Thaylenah. So a reasonable person might assume that you sent the Fused to the only remaining location of note.”
“Are you reasonable, El?”
“Rarely.”
Once again Odium smiled. “I would like to bring further forces to support the Shattered Plains. How would you do this?”
“How much of a cost am I to assume I’d be willing to pay?”
“A steep one.”
“Then you already know the answer,” El said. “As the solution is a part of you.”
“Dai-Gonarthis is dangerous to unleash,” Odium said.
“Despite that,” El said, “if you require an Elsegate, she is the sole option—unless you have access to corrupted Elsecallers or a proper Honorblade.”
“I have neither yet,” Odium said as he walked back to El. “You have traveled with the Black Fisher before.”
“Yes,” he said. “Most of the lands you’d want are still protected from her touch, but Natanatan… Perhaps. You would need a strong source of Investiture on either side. And someone to lead your armies.”
Odium studied him. “I see you, El, for what you are not. And for what you are.”
El bowed his head.
“If you serve me,” Odium said, “you may need to kill more of your… former friends.”
“My friends had their chance. When left on this world, they enslaved my people. The Heralds deserve annihilation. It is… a mercy.”
Odium nodded. “I dub you—”
“No titles. Please.”
Odium hesitated, and El saw danger in his expression. So, he was not immune to the rage, and being cut off by someone much lesser crossed a line. A worthy experiment.
“Very well,” Odium said. “I name you ruler, with no title. You will take leadership of my armies to assault the Shattered Plains. Travel to the Peaks via shanay-im, and I shall send Dai-Gonarthis to you. Use her… particular talents to take the garrison at the Peaks, and claim the Shattered Plains in my name. I will pay her price another time.”
This left many things unsaid. Why Odium was so interested in the Shattered Plains. How he knew that there would be enough power to Connect them to the well at the Horneater Peaks.
The solution to both unsaid questions was likely the same. El again bowed his head. “The Nine will not care for my elevation.”
“And what are your thoughts on the Nine?”
“I think of them little, and when I do, I think little of them. Master.”
“Then they report to you, El. Help me claim this world.”
“If I do, can I rule human lands for you?”
“If that is your wish, I will grant it.”
Excellent. El bowed. “I will not fail, lest I be destroyed.”
“El, I do not throw people away for failure, unless it came about by their negligence. Adopt this policy. Even in failure, it is often not the tool, but the wielder, who is at fault.” The god began to fade, evaporating to dark mist. His voice lingered. “We have much work to do. Not just on one world, but many.”
Fascinating. El had walked in here expecting imprisonment, probably execution and forced rebirth. Instead it seemed he was leaving with an army, a promise, and a new god who might at last be able to conquer the entire cosmere.
What an enchanting day. In his head, he began to compose a poem to celebrate this new god he was delighted to worship. Someone who, he suspected, would know the value of what he had—and would let El help humankind finally realize their true passions.
He put Jezrien’s former prison back on the shelf, then tossed his anti-Stormlight gemstone into the air and caught it again while walking to the doorway, enraptured at the thought of how the Nine would react.
Interlude 4: The Wrong Lesson
Taravangian could save them. All of them.
He strode, unseen, through Kholinar, now capital of a growing singer civilization. He could see this whole land, and knew its new leaders were not perfect. In that, they were no worse or better than the humans; while many of their policies were more egalitarian, this was also a people who had been enslaved. He felt their complicated emotions, both wanting to be better than their slavers and being enraged at what had been done to them, sometimes lashing out.
That rage was his greatest resource. With it, he would bring order to the entire cosmere. He held his hands to the sides, feeling the rhythms of the crowds who passed him, unable to see their god. He was still the one divided: a mind that wanted to plan, a heart that fought against that calculating coldness. Right now, the heart wanted to simply accept peace. But it could not abandon Alethkar, not after all the work these singers had done to claim it and build a home.
It was theirs. They deserved it.
That was the logic speaking. People were in pain. He could retreat his singers to Jah Keved, and there be content.
Jah Keved had basically no armies. How would he bring order to the cosmere without armies?
Did he have to?
Yes. He did.
Back and forth, back and forth. He partially wondered if this was the reason Cultivation had positioned him to be elevated—in giving him his curse and boon for so long. To create a person who could legitimately Connect to the power of Odium and take it, but one who would then be made impotent by the two warring sides within.
He thought of her, and she appeared. Cultivation had not given up on him, and would not do so easily. Together they stood in the center of a major thoroughfare—palanquins lumbering past, laborers hurrying by in clumps, tradesmen shouting out wares. Human and singer living together in a delicate balance. Uncertain, like the one inside him.
“Would you like to see?” she said. “What I can show you?”
He calmed his rage at her. Wisdom dictated that if she wished to give him something, he should at least witness it. He nodded.
She led him to gaze upward, toward stars only they could number. He stood rooted on Roshar—he could not visit these places, but he could see them. With her help, he was given a new perspective on how she thought it should be, each Shard in their realm of influence, governing their own lands.
“It does not have to be one god,” she said. “One solution will never work for all. That was part of why we had to do what we did, ten thousand years ago. Let them be, Odium.”
He saw something different from what she wanted him to see. He saw that gods could indeed be afraid. Of him. The power of Odium, with his predecessor, had killed several of them. That version of him had been too brazen, and had left itself wounded in a clash. Taravangian could certainly do better.
“Taravangian,” she said, “do not learn the wrong lesson. See.”
He saw. Gods who turned away from him, content to let the danger stay trapped. Interestingly, they considered all three of the gods of Roshar to be a problem, and were happy to leave them to their conflict.
This was perfect.
Isolated as the others were, he could watch and prepare exactingly how to defeat each one. Only one of them held two Shards of power, but that one was unable to function properly. Odium’s predecessor had never taken a second Shard of power for that reason.
These can be defeated, he thought, seeing the permutations of possibility. They will regret ignoring me.
He kept his thoughts from Cultivation as she tried showing him peaceful nations on many planets. He instead was most curious about the fact that two of the Shards appeared to be missing, completely vanished from interacting with the others. Hidden. One he understood with some effort. But Valor—where had Valor gone, and how did she hide from even his eyes?
The tour over, he and Cultivation pulled their focuses back down to Roshar. The greater cosmere was a part of Taravangian’s ultimate plans, and had to be. But for now, this people here—this world—had to be his everything.
“You worry me, Taravangian,” Cultivation said as they stood unseen among the people of Kholinar. “If I can admit it, you always worried me. I knew what I had to do, but I wish it could have been any other.”
“If there were not something to fear about the person you chose,” he said, “then they could not have taken up Odium.”
“There is a chance, a solid one,” she said, “that you will do what is right. I would not have taken this step otherwise.”
“You are correct,” he agreed. “I will do what is right.”
“Do not be so smug,” she replied. “A part of you knows this path you’ve started on is a terrible one. Listen to that part of you. Give it a chance.”
And…
Despite himself, he did feel it. It was the part of Taravangian that loved his daughter and grandchildren. The part of him that had grieved when forced to manipulate Dalinar while trying to break up the coalition. It was the part of Taravangian that remembered being young, uncertain, dull—yearning to do more to help his people.
That was the Taravangian who had been given the chance to have anything he wanted, and had wished for the capacity to stop the coming calamity. In a moment, Taravangian felt as if… as if he were that same man he’d been long ago.
“Very well,” he said, turning from her. Not in shame—he would not accept that emotion now—but in… compromise. “I will try.”
He was a god divided. What if he let each side rule in turn?
Excerpted from Wind and Truth, copyright © 2024 Dragonsteel Entertainment.
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Wind and Truth
Before I read these last free preview chapters, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who posted and shared their thoughts on all the previous chapters. I really appreciate people’s insights – and more importantly – all the amazing tin-foil-hat theories.
This has been a fun few months, especially with such a great community.
Mondays mornings won’t seem as exciting until the next book (or the next re-read, at least!).
I hope you all enjoy Wind and Truth.
(Also, no sleeping until finished reading it, right?)
Haha except the 4 year old theory El had aluminum piercing his body. Seriously..more than like any other character in RoW El was the one we wanted to know about the most..he seems like Herald/Worldhopper levels of cosmere aware. His interaction with tOdium could be picked apart for a while..
And holy crap Dai Gonarthis finally getting a mention too..and finally the Exodus of the Iri we got previewed months ago..15 years of theorizing about Shinovar, the heralds, the missing shards, spiritual realm
This is just so nuts. Guess since we’re getting a huge time skip, the end of this arc and a long break hes pulling out all the stops and touching on all the threads we’d been wondering about for years. Honestly besides opening up new mysteries idk how he’ll save anything for the back 5 haha.
I agree, it’s been a lot of fun following it weekly with everyone like a TV show, lost metal had us all talking about autonomy but didn’t have nearly as many theory sparking reveals in that first bit.
Woohoo! Sadly I only ended up something like number 7 on our library’s hold list and they were getting something like 5 copies so I’ll have to wait for the first round of binge readers!
(In the mean time I hope people avoid posting spoilers in the other comment threads as I get notifications about those!)
Not sure about others, but I think I will be doing a speed read to get to the end, just to see what happens. Then I will do a second, slower read, as I try to figure out the knowledge nuggets that may have been hidden in my first read, before I think about posting grand theories.
My hope is this book will reveal a lot of the bigger picture activities, much like Lost Metal did.
Hope you get a copy soon!
*aluminum foil
I feel we have all had our emotions played with these last few months.
So it seems obvious no one is using Aluminum!
;)
This Monday routine has been so much fun!
I’m certainly not going to be excited for Mondays anymore lol
I agree. While I also enjoy reading in the normal way it has been fun to discuss with the community every week! Have fun with book :)
It is a journey I’ve been honored to share with you all.
Beautifully said. Shake my hand, Radiant
Thank you all, folks! Was fun to join the read-along for the third time!)
See you all in a few years fir book 6, or maybe earlier!
VALOR???
We have gotten the name of this Shard before. It is the other unnamed one that we are still waiting on, and that is supposed to be revealed later in this book.
Wisdom, maybe Prudence. A shard that wishes to survive.
Sadly, we don’t get to know the name of the 16th shard. Ah well. El is shaping up to be my favorite cosmere villain, though!
I get the vibe that El is gonna be a major villian for the back half, since he does want control of the humans, but unlike the others, because he does respect them
I wonder if El really is a villain.
If the story was from his viewpoint, we might consider him a hero… and… honorable?
Exactly! He’s kind of cool, too…
As I said on the discussion post, he is like Rabonial, and so awesome!
While she was a great character and well written, I did not really connect with Rabonial.
However, I suspect I just might connect with El.
For me it was her drive to give her daughter peace, and then how while playing Navani, trusted, respected, and worked with Navani, that showed me how great the lady of pain was…
Same! I thought Raboniel was such a great villain, definitely my favorite so far in this series. It’ll be interesting to see how El, the new singer “main bad guy”, differs from her.
Definitely not disappointed with these interludes! I’ve been curious about El ever since I read Rhythm of War and it’s exciting to be in his head for a while. I’m really curious about his history with the heralds and his interest in humanity.
Todium is fascinating as well. Reading his interludes really does feel like you’re in the mind of some kind of higher power. Very nice to see Cultivation again!
I really want to get my hands on the book now, only a few days left :)
I like the parallel that Taravangian becomes exactly what he set out to destroy. El will serve TOdium because he just wants rule of some human lands. T wanted to serve Odium to protect Karbranth. T has gotta be one of the most interesting and complex characters in the entire cosmere so far.
El is going to be one of my favorite characters, I can already tell. He’s like if Wit was evil and its great. Also – poor Sigzil, he’s going to get his a** handed to him by El and that Unmade
Right! I love El’s character voice and want more!!! The way he speaks and thinks intriques me so much!
Yes, I will go re-read Sunlit Man right after Wind and Truth.
Will be interesting to see the tie-ins (assuming this is what Sigzil was talking about… likely us!)
Okay. First, beyond excited that the wait is finally over! But second, theory time. I’m expecting more to come of this “shard divided.” Clearly the obvious choice for who is taking up Honor is Dalinar. Which means he definitely won’t, knowing Sanderson. I see it playing out in a way where team Honor thinks their best option is to find a way to Force Odium to take up the shard of Honor, changing Odium’s intent. Only I think Taravangian really is of two minds and will find a way to shrug off his empathetic side and have that take up the shard of Honor to preserve Odium’s intent and his ruthless side. Leaving us with a new conflict in the 2nd half between a truly ruthless Odium and a new Honor, albeit probably inept ( when it comes to war) due to its empathy. But both being the two halves of Taravangian.
I think he’s gonna kill Koravellium and take her shard.. let his pragmatic half wield Odium and his idealistic half wield Cultivation.
is it just me, or do these interludes seem a bit….mis-timed? what i mean is, in el’s writing at the end of row, he already seemed to know the new odium, and his place in odium’s hierarchy. now we see them meet and odium gives el the job. were these interludes originally planned for the ending of row?
It wouldn’t be the first time when the epigraphs were from future writings respective the events in corresponding chapter.
El was the author of a couple epigraphs in RoW, which from context clues do appear to have been written later than current events, probably near/after the end of WaT. But he didn’t actually appear in the story until the very end when he killed the Pursuer
This confused me too. The RoW El interludes were from the first of the final ten days, while this scene definitely happens before El’s musings. Maybe the interludes aren’t necessarily in line with the other chapters? Seems odd.
I’ll have to re-read El’s interlude but I think that it was El making assumptions and this chapter he was verifying them. He was pretty sure that TOdium was different and would give him the ability to rule humans but was using this time to actually put that plan into action.
He mentions at the end that he would have to compose a poem for the newest Odium. To me that was clearly the epigraphs from the last part of RoW
I don’t think so. The musings were during the first of the final ten days.
Instead, I think that he’s composing something else. Those were his musings, not his facts. He suspected who and what the new Odium was, as well as his place in that. He had a good read, but only verified it now, by doing something so brash as killing the soul of a herald.
El just realized that the new Odium was itching for an organization shake up and presented himself as the best option, as the one who speaks first always seems right. He used the musings to organize his plan and thoughts on the first day, then used the second day to actually enact said plan.
There was a Ketek written by El, separate from the Musings. The Ketek is clearly written after this interlude.
This is gonna be The Empire Strikes Back of the SLA isn’t it?
Wow, these are not the Interludes that I expected to see today! I thought that we’d get the 2 that had been read previously.
Anyway, El is absolutely great here and Dai-Gonarthis sounds very intriguing. Granted, Sja-Anat is trying to become independent of Odium, but she has to do it subtly and behind his back. But Dai-Gonarthis can actually extract a _price_ from him? Oh, and BTW, isn’t it very interesting that there are no Enlightened Radiants with Transportation in his service yet? And Shinovar isn’t in his grasp yet either, despite the presence of an (the?) Unmade and of how it seemed when they broke off communications with Dalinar, hence no honorblades, hm…
I am so curious about what the original deal between Odium and the Fused actually entailed. I thought that he promised to remove the humans from Roshar, since he intended to use them as his legions for the conquest of the cosmere, as per what he told Dalinar in OB. And certainly, some of the Fused clearly expect for the humans to be eliminated from their planet one way or another. But Todium’s promise to El seems to argue against it…
Also, nice to have an explanation for why the singer fleet was where it was. So, ROdium intended to attack the honorspren instead of Azir.
I begin to think that Cultivation foresaw that splintering Odium would lead to even worse consequences than handing it off to Taravangian… And that she will end up by picking up Odium herself. Possibly in the second half of the SA. We have already seen Shards changing hands to new holders and a new Vessel combining 2 Shards. But what would happen if an old Vessel does so? Or even, instead of combining, switches them?
I am a little bit holding out for the possibility that there can be Enlightened Radiants that mirror Sja-Anat herself and are independent of Odium.
Was I the only one who thought Todium was going to smoke Cultivation on site while they were standing there?!
this was my first thought, that TOdium would attempt to remove her as a means of testing practical the limits and capabilities of his newfound power…
So, our first El POV and…I don’t hate him, really! Nothing about him seems obviously malicious or cruel, and I appreciate his thoughtfulness. I’m not entirely unsympathetic to his motivations. In some ways he seems a mirror to Szeth as he says he was outcast for warning about ‘the signs’. And I fully agree that annihilation is a mercy compared to some alternatives (honestly, even eternal bliss seems kind of terrifying to me).
Toadium’s interlude and Cultivation’s aims really had me thinking and wondering what the ultimate endgame will be. Cultivation is against ‘one God’ or one solution for all, but as T notices, this also results in a fractured, isolated community that is vulnerable.
But it also gets me thinking a bit about things like Shallan’s personalities and the way the Listeners have their different forms – what does it mean to be ‘one’ but not homogenous? Is there a way to unify and have wholeness/integration but still flexibility?
I find that I am more sympathetic to T than others as I am very familiar with that kind of paralysis and trying to do the right thing for the right reasons. In some stories it’s listening to the heart, and in others it’s making the ‘tough’ decision no one else can make, but we never know what story we’re in. ;)
So…who the hell is El? We’ve seen them before but still know next to nothing about them.
And that excites me!
ELSEGATE?????
I think this refers a portal to Shadesmar that an elsecaller can make for others at any location which is why the mention of needing large sources of investiture.
I’m guessing Elsegate is the Cosmere arcanist term for basically what the oathgates are. A device that uses transportation. More of a general term. Sounds like Dai-Gonarthis uses transportation in some way.
Tidbits of Unmade lore, something is important about the Shattered Plains, and neither of the Gods seem at all perturbed about a bunch of in-laws accidentally traipsing around their neighborhood. We are quite literally off to the races, folks.
Im so grateful for these preview chapters. They’ve helped me overcome a tough moving in period. Big thanks to Brandon and the team for being so generous. Each section has been cracking too!
“Back and forth, back and forth. He partially wondered if this was the reason Cultivation had positioned him to be elevated—in giving him his curse and boon for so long. To create a person who could legitimately Connect to the power of Odium and take it, but one who would then be made impotent by the two warring sides within.”
My theory based on this is that Cultivation has been watching what the conflicting Intents of Ruin and Preservation were doing to Sazed, and decided to try to create the same effect in Taravangian to incapacitate Odium. Our boy Saze inspired her!
I’m surprised that no one here has yet to make the obvious conclusion – that El must be Elend Venture Reborn. /s
can’t be. The shards cannot touch anyone who goes Beyond, and we defintley see Elend go Beyond in secret history
Y’know you might not be wrong honestly, with the Vin mention in the earlier chapters and all?
Jezrien being killed… again. And in such a small puff of wind was tough. And the shard that remains, it makes sense to Odium, which makes me think it could maybe be a shard akin to Fear. A primal feeling among most living organisms that is essential towards a balance of life.
Doesn’t Odium have access to Jezrien’s Honor blade via Moash/Vyre? That’s the only part I’m confused about…
If you are asking about what I think you are asking, then yes, he has, but he needs Battar’s Honorblade here. My take on this is that Elsegates are what the Elsecallers make to move between the realms. The only corrupted/enlightened inkspren we know about is bonded to either Mraize or Iyatil, who seem to be wholly on their own side (i.e. not on Honor’s nor Odium’s). Hence, Jezrien’s Honorblade is useless and Battar’s is needed.
I will miss reading these every monday and then discussing with you all. I love the community, and I love the fandom. Thank you all!
Aww poor Sazed even Odium is smack talking his impotent shard combo. This is a decade before TLM so discord was already beginning to manifest.
I’ve wanted to know about El soooo badly since his interludes and we had so little to go on. Pierced by metal, no rythyms, respects the heralds..he must have been one of the originals on Roshar when they first came from Ashyn.
This is insane, and what is the price Dai Gonarthis requires?
Cultivation goes from one cameo to full on insane revelations..I love how the shards can seek eachother out and peer at eachother. Weird how Saze was so blind to autonomy then..I guess ruin and preservation were focused so inward.
The price of Dai-Gonarthis is apparently one that you can pay at a point removed in time from the usage of the Elsegate, so it’s not something like
I feel like the being able to “seek each other out” thing has to do with big ‘C’ Connection to the planet. Autonomy was trying to get connected to the planet through the avatar, but was not otherwise, so the shards could not as easily interact.
First mention of Whimsy and Valor basically haha, we know the active shards are: Ruin/preservation are Harmony, Autonomy, Cult, Odium, Endowment, Valor, Whimsy..mercy and invention we know nothing about and then the mystery shard. Maybe valor went back to Yolen which is hidden?!
Dominion/Devotion/Honor/ambition/virtuosity are dead..
That’s a massive hit list for tOdium to take on..
We knew she had a plan giving him the shard, whether it’s his boon and curse or not but having him do the diagram thing again and spend some days benevolent and some wrathful, that’s hilarious. Remember mega smart Vargo wanted to euthanize dumb people haha, so that side as a god is definitely something to worry about
We don’t know for sure that Virtuosity is dead by WaT, as Yumi is so far in the future.
now that Jezrien is gone gone, im even more convinced that Kaladin is going to bond the Wind and essentially take Jezrien’s place as the patron of the order of windrunners and as part of a new group of heralds.
Anyone else think that TOdium will win and that the back five will be the humans reclaiming Roshar, maybe with the help of Scadrial/Harmony or other planets?
I’ve pondered Todium winning and other books in his decade gap will set things up for avengers endgame team up from across the Cosmere.
I’m not confident at all. Just one of the thoughts in my brain hole
If T-Odium wins, perhaps a large potion of the humans leave Roshar and return to Ashyn….
I think we do have a hint what happens to some Rosharans, in the lost metal, Melaan has a mission to help refugees escape from someplace. They are described as having red hair. They might be Horneaters running from Roshar.
Ashyn is a mostly destroyed world, which would have neither space nor resources to support a huge influx of population.
I would expect some Radiants to visit Ashyn, as they must have done before the Recreance as well, but a significant exodus there would not be practical.
In fact, for Rosharans mass migration anywhere should be very problematic, because due to stormlight suppressing most infectious diseases, they wouldn’t have resistances and immunities that people elsewhere have. Which, judging by iRL examples, may result in 90% mortality.
I assume that Iriali have something special that allows them to switch planets without massive die-offs, but then again they inhabit a large country on Roshar, but in Tress on Lumar all fit on a comparatively small island, so maybe not.
We know there are cities on Ashyn, floating cities.
We know of one character that has been there and briefly spoken about it, without any detail.
I am expecting some form of migration back there, not sure if it is the Shin (I suspect there are not many of them left) that might be the ones to go first.
Also, up to this point, I do not believe anyone has figured out how to take radiant spren off-world, maybe that is an important discovery that will occur as part of the migration..
What makes you think that there is a huge amount of free space and enough extra resources in those cities to accommodate a massive influx of population?
Or that the natives would want to do so?
Not to mention that the main point of Navani-Raboniel plot was that humans have become an inextricable part of Roshar.
As to Radiant spren, they cannot currently be taken out of Rosharan _system_, but there is no reason to assume that Radiants couldn’t visit Ashyn or Braize (the trick with the latter would be to survive the experience).
Taranvangian will go down in history as one of the best-written and most complex villains (characters?) of all fantasy.
Sorry to interrupt, but does anyone know where the Wind and Truth artwork is? Sanderson’s wesite doesn’t list W&T as a book with artwork yet. I’m an audiobook listener and am used to being able to see the illustrations under the Books tab. No joy when I went to look just now!
Back to regular programming …
OMG!! this book is SOOOO GOOOOD!! Can wait for the spoiler discussion.