---

Wind and Truth is a momentous finale to a 14-year long journey, bringing threads and story lines together for an epic conclusion.

---

Overview  

I’ve waited and longed for this day when Wind and Truth gets finally published. In fact, ever since the release of its predecessor Rhythm of War 4 years ago, it seems like I have been counting every day for this very moment; A time when I would experience the end of the gigantic first arc of The Stormlight Archives. 

I first discovered this series in 2020, during the pandemic where I was pretty much staying inside every single day. While I was locked inside my house, books ultimately became a paradise for me to escape to. I remember consuming them one after one, and by chance, I discovered The Way of Kings, the first installment of The Stormlight Archives. 

To my young self, the Way of Kings was perfect. It had everything the genre of fantasy had to offer; from cool magic systems to realistic characters, from intriguing plot to deep lore and world building. It quickly became one of the best books I’ve read at that time, and I hungrily read the next three entries. It feels totally surreal to say that I am writing a review of the fifth book; the end of the journey that started 4 years ago. 

(Random) Thoughts 

Sanderson has a knack of choosing a character for each book and making readers just fall in absolute love with them, despite them not having a significant role in any of the previous entries. For Rhythm of War, it was Navani. This time around, it seems to have been Adolin and Yanagawn, who formed an unlikely bond that was just heartwarming to see. 

Adolin’s arc in Wind and Truth reminded me of the epicness and action that the first two books The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance delivered. His storyline was quick and exciting, with so much build-up and pay-off happening every chapter we got with him. It was like experiencing the plot of Kaladin in the first book all over again; it was such a personal journey for Adolin that captivated me from start to finish. 

I personally enjoyed Adolin’s destination as one of the “Unoathed”, with him finally getting Radiant powers without a technical bond with a spren. To me, it fits his beliefs of promises and oaths perfectly, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Knights Radiants and the Unoathed respond to the days ahead in Rohar. 

Another highlight of the book was the growth of Yanagawn as both a leader and person. When I was starting this book, I was not expecting so much page time with this character at all, but looking back, it was such an obvious and satisfying choice made by Sanderson. Him learning military tactics from Adolin and slowly feeling more comfortable with the mantle of the king was a great thing to witness, and I hope we get to see more of him in the second arc. 

Kaladin’s journey to becoming an in-world therapist was a sometimes jarring, but emotional plotline to read. I appreciate Sanderson’s dedication to depicting the struggles of mental health through Kaladin, and I’m always thankful of how realistic and respectful his works are. Honestly, I do not have any more thoughts on Kaladin, except that I am extremely glad that he seems to be in a better place than Rhythm of War and that I am very excited to see his future as the Herald of Second Chances. 

Szeth, on the other hand, has a lot to be talked about. His flashbacks sequence, while very interesting, was my second favorite ever, just above Venli and Eshonai in RoW. For me, it was pretty surprising to realize that Szeth was some sort of a religious leader who began a revolution in his past, a characteristic of his that didn’t really fit my idea of his personality. However, the simple lore and roadbuilding we got of Shinover was all very worth it, and I enjoyed getting to know more about Szeth, just as always with these flashbacks. 

Shallan’s plot for this book was… interesting. I appreciate how she seems to have improved her mental health in regards to accepting her past, and the revelation of the true nature of Formless spoke volumes to how far she has come. My favorite part of the book, the reveal of Chanah and her mother, was Shallan’s story, so I can’t say I disliked her arc in this book, but I would consider it pretty weak compared to previous books. However, she might probably be my most looked forward to characters, as her being trapped in Shadesmar and being pregnant with Adolin’s child is a very appealing and interesting story to me. 

I do not have any concrete thoughts on Rain and Renarin except I loved their confessions for each other. What a heartwarming relationship. I’m really excited to see their future and what role they play in the bond between humans and Singers. 

Finally, I feel like Daliner didn’t have a lot of growth or improvement in terms of personal qualities, his story instead serving as a plot driving mechanism. Though I loved the point of view of Honor showing us the entire history of Roshar and Ashyn, Dalinar was pretty much absent during most of the book. For some weird reason, I think that his death was perfectly reasonable and I wasn’t all that sad to see him go. However, I didn’t like how Odium (Retribution now) revived the Blackthorn under the idea that they are two different beings. I felt that it was manufactured and sold at the death of Dalinar cheaply. 

Overall, this book was a very satisfying end to the first arc of The Stormlight Archives, and I can’t wait for book 6 in the future. 5/5