Wind and Truth

Book Five of the Stormlight Archive

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

“Kramer and Reading continue an excellent partnership as narrators, imbuing each character with distinct, complementary voices regardless of which reader is narrating.”—Library Journal (Starred Review)

"The endearing husband-and-wife team of Kate Reading and Michael Kramer continue their stunning narration of the Stormlight Archive series...The narration coupled with the fascinating fantasy epic is a must-listen for series fans—and will keep newcomers intrigued by its deep world-building." —AudioFile

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Audible.com Best of the Year, 2024

The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive—the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare—and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide—Adolin in Azir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah in Thaylenah. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiant killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.

Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson

The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
● The Way of Kings
● Words of Radiance
● Edgedancer (novella)
● Oathbringer
● Dawnshard (novella)
● Rhythm of War

The Mistborn Saga
The Original Trilogy
● Mistborn
● The Well of Ascension
● The Hero of Ages

Wax & Wayne
● The Alloy of Law
● Shadows of Self
● The Bands of Mourning
● The Lost Metal

Other Cosmere novels
● Elantris
● Warbreaker
● Tress of the Emerald Sea
● Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
● The Sunlit Man

Collection
● Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
● Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
● The Scrivener's Bones
● The Knights of Crystallia
● The Shattered Lens
● The Dark Talent
● Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (with Janci Patterson)

Other novels
● The Rithmatist
● Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds
● The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England

Other books by Brandon Sanderson

The Reckoners
● Steelheart
● Firefight
● Calamity
● Lux (with Steven Michael Bohls)

Skyward
● Skyward
● Starsight
● Cytonic
● Skyward Flight (with Janci Patterson)
● Defiant

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Critic reviews

Praise for Brandon Sanderson and the Stormlight Archive

Over 10 million Stormlight Archive books sold!

“One of the genre’s most beloved authors.”—TIME

“Sanderson raises the genre stakes… A fan favorite.”—The New York Times

“[Sanderson] is not a brilliant writer of epic fantasy, he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.”—Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“The genre’s most popular writer… easily one of the most successful and prolific fantasy writers of the century so far.”—Esquire

“Epic in every sense.”—The Guardian on The Way of Kings

“Sanderson is a master of many aspects of the fantasy genre: epic world-building, coherent systems of magic and unforgettable character development. All those are in peak form in his masterwork, The Way of Kings.”—Paste Magazine, “The 50 Best Fantasy Books of the 21st Century (So Far)”

“Absolutely revels in its fantasy world, one of actual gods, bizarre magic, knights with superpowers, spirits and sorcery, monsters, demons, and magic sword[s] called Shardblades. It embraces the fantastic, and does so with an astonishing amount of creativity . . . Words of Radiance is a must-read.”—io9 on Words of Radiance

“Excellent . . . cranks up the level of intrigue to dizzying extremes…Sanderson’s experiment is working, and he gets better with every book. The journey will be worth it. Yes, you should buy this book. Yes, this is a series worth following to the end.”—Reactor on Words of Radiance

Cosmere's Complexity Overwhelms

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I appreciate the growth and development of certain characters, particularly Shallan. Her interactions with her crew have become more enjoyable and relatable.

However, I found the pacing of the book to be slow and meandering. The story attempts to tackle multiple plot threads, but some of them feel disconnected or underdeveloped.

The world-building, as always, is impressive, but I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information presented. The accompanying PDFs were helpful, but I wish I had discovered them earlier.

The character development is a highlight of the book. I appreciate how the story explores the complexities and nuances of the characters' personalities, motivations, and relationships.

The themes of trauma, healing, and redemption are well-explored, and I found some of the character arcs to be compelling and emotional.

However, I felt that some characters were not utilized effectively, and their storylines felt contrived or convenient.

The writing style, while engaging, sometimes felt overly verbose or pseudo-intellectual. Some scenes felt like info dumps, and the dialogue occasionally felt forced or unnatural.

Overall, I'm disappointed that this book didn't live up to my expectations. While it has its moments, the pacing, plot development, and character utilization felt uneven.

Although the next installment may address some of these issues, I'm not eager to dive back into the series. The Cosmere's complex storytelling has proven to be a challenging but intriguing aspect of Sanderson's works.

The audiobook narration by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading was, as always, exceptional. Their voices brought the characters to life, and their performance alone deserves a 5/5 rating.

Wraps up the story but weakest of the 5 books

Way too much bloat. Answers some character arcs but leaves others completely untouched and confusing, aside from there being a 2nd arc coming. A pretty weak ending to the arc of 5 — 1-3 being amazing, 4 being pretty good, and 5 being a flop IMO.

A little disappointing

After committing a lot of time tot he Stormlight Archive, this final volume of the first arc left me wanting a bit. It seemed really bloated with long tedious sections in “visions” that I guess were meant to reveal background info on the characters but just went on too long. And the final resolution seemed almost telegraphed halfway through. I’m still onboard because I love the characters but I’m hoping for some redemption in the next book.

Outstanding End to the Stormlight Archive

If you have read everything Cosmere published so far, then enjoy this stormingly wonderful addition. If you haven't read the other books, then do not start here.

Absolute Masterpiece

The best book I’ve ever read. Brandon, you genius. Performance knocked out of the park my Kramer and Reading. Perfection. I laughed, I cried. I’m excited for what’s next.

Grateful and devastated

I loved it. It has all my favorite elements of the series so far, including a twist I did not see coming. I’m just sad to wait for an extended period of time to find out what happens next.

Brandosando nailed it

Just read the book.

This review has a 15 word minimum and this sentence is meant to fill it.

Another zinger

Brando Sando wraps it up perfectly again. The only bow worthy of the priceless present gifted to us by the Bondsmith.

Satisfying as ever

I was a little concerned about the pacing and changing writing styles, but it all paid off at the end now I don’t know what to do with my life.

Incredible detail and thought

This book did not disappoint at all. I enjoy the detail and thoroughness Sanderson delves into with each character. I thought this was the last book so at the end was relieved to learn that it is only the end of an arc, not the entire story line. I truly hope that book 6 does come quickly though!