Wind and Truth

My favorite books in the Stormlight Archives are the first 3. The series really shines at "EPIC" character moments, and snowballing through them towards the ending. However, as the series has progressed, characters have gotten especially powerful and that makes conflict much harder to showcase. There's not much that can scare or threaten the characters by the start of the 5th book, and that results in the conflicts coming from headspace instead of meatspace.

As a result, the strongest arcs in this book are from the "weakest" characters - Adolin and Venli. Kaladin and Shallan's arcs cover much of the same ground we see them tread in the previous book - dealing with trauma, self-reflections, (self-sabotage in the case of Shallan). Dalinar's arc is that of learning, and Navani doesn't get to do much. Szeth's arc is lovely to read, and the most telling.

However, at times it feels like we're rushing through plot at too fast a pace to make sure that the reader gets all the knowledge they need. Felt like some of the flashbacks (Dalinar/Szeth) should have been part of previous books somehow.

I was unprepared for the time-dilation twist at the end, and that gives me hope for the series - it keeps everyone on their toes, with Roshar rushing towards war.

A good ending to this arc of the Stormlight Archive. In classic Sanderson fashion, the end of the book moves at a million miles per hour, is amazing, and leaves you hyped for the next book in the Cosmere.

Some great character development from Szeth, Kaladin, and especially Renarin. Plenty of Cosmere-awareness thanks to Hoid. I love Sandersons effort to write authentic representations of characters struggling with mental health. There were a few very emotional moments in the Hoid -> Kaladin -> Szeth therapy arc which I adored.

I couldn't help the feeling that the book was just too long. I felt like Sando had so many characters to follow, and so many threads (some of which I'm not sure matter at the moment?) that it did feel less of a cohesive story and more a compilation of shorter stories woven together. I don't think I enjoyed that too much, but when they came together at the end it was great.

Dalinar is one of my favourite characters, and I was shattered by his choice at the end and what it did to Honor and the Stormfather. I'm glad he's still about, but there's no way he'll be the same. I don't think anything will top him opening Honor's perpendicularity in the last book, but this was close.

Disappointed with Jasnah - one of my other favourites - I think this book terribly underserved her, unless it's being set up to be "just as plannedTM" - there must be more to it. The debate with Odium seemed mishandled.

I think it's always going to be hard to connect the worlds of the Cosmere together so that the future books exist in the same time/space so I'll forgive any awkwardness that might be due to that.

Sanderson still blows my mind with the scope of what he's achieving with the Cosmere. Any criticism I have pales in comparison to the epic scale of this story.

“Welcome, Kaladin Stormblessed. Herald of Kings. Herald of the Wind. Herald of…” “Herald,” Kaladin said, “of Second Chances.”