Wind and Truth

Book Five of the Stormlight Archive

De: Brandon Sanderson

Narrado por: 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.

©2024 Brandon Sanderson (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Woke

Woke and pandering , ruined the whole cosmere , I'm done with Brandon sanderson . Why did you sell out man… felt betrayed.

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.

A really standout and exciting finale to the first half of the series

If you’ve read enough books to get to this point then you probably already know whether or not you want to read more.

I’ll say that I generally enjoyed this book. The story and characters have always been the strength Sanderson and this book is the most Brandon has ever Sandersoned. There are so many characters and arcs that all are interwoven in an amazing web that is so exciting to see woven.

The story is also impressive with how surprising the many turns are but how inevitable they all feel. Many times I dreaded something coming up and how cliche it would feel only to be surprised at how clever and fresh it was. The ending especially is amazing and has me so curious not just for Stormlight 6 but the future Cosmere novels and the ramifications of this story echoing across his various worlds.

However, the actual prose is more frustrating than it’s ever been. So many times there are beautiful metaphors or clever pieces of character intuition that I can immediately pick up on and appreciate their subtleties but before I can really even make an opinion on what they mean Sanderson explains in exhausting detail exactly what the metaphor represents and how the characters all feel about it. It’s almost punishing to engage deeply with the text because I know that he’s going to tell me what the stick laying in the mud really means if I just want a few minutes.

I love this book but please don’t treat me like I’m stupid. I want to notice and appreciate these metaphors and the characters I love that they reinforce on my own terms. Regardless, this book is in so many ways a triumph and it amazes me that there’s still so much more to come.

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.

very good at most points

I loved the overall story, the overall plot development, and the way it all came together... the book had a really good pace, it was very enjoyable. there were a few things that I wasn't the biggest fan of, but the worst was shoving gay romance between two guys in... that did not fit into the story at all whatsoever... it came out of nowhere, it was out of place, it wasn't necessary, it didn't even fit... it felt like caving to peer pressure, a token appearance for fan service... I have nothing against writing the book you want to write, and if you want to incorporate things of that nature in, go for it... but this just felt incredibly out of place.

Good, but not as good.

Brandon Sanderson is an incredible writer. I cannot pretend to possess skill that would allow me to critique his actual writing. That being said, I just did not enjoy this one as much as previous books; likely because of the ever-deepening dive into mental health and LGBTQ themes. Those are worthy and important topics…just not a plus for me in a book I’m reading primarily for entertainment and enjoyment.

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.

I am shocked

I cried during the ending what a heartfelt book this book changed me It is by far. The best book I have ever listened to red or heard about thank you Brandon Sanderson for this storming book.