Wind and Truth

Finally an end to Brandon Sanderson’s the Stormlight Archive’s first half of the 10 books series, a series which could’ve been amazing crashed and burned by book five. And where do I even start with what’s wrong with Wind and Truth, 1300+ pages of slogfest? Or the modern language which changes so much from first 3 books or the simplistic prose something you’ll expect from someone writing their first book review rather than someone with more than a decade of experience writing books. Or constant reminders of story plots just in case the reader forgot. Or the slow pace at which the story moves.

Though the book did have its moments, though few and far between, as with the previous books character flashback, Szeth’s in Wind and Truth, was pretty well done. Shinovar, a different culture where stones were revered and stepping on them was a cardinal sin, something only the one who have "subtracted" can do, such a contrast from the rest of Roshar’s culture. Though I did find it odd that a society that readied itself to fight against the Voidbringers from the moment the humans migrated from Ashyn, turned so pacifist that they used words like "subtracted" for anything related to killing/violence and not only looked down upon soldiers who defended the region, but gloated them for being violent.

Taravangian as Odium added a depth to an otherwise an one-dimensional antagonist. He was always an interesting character even before his ascension to godhood with his genius & dumb days.

His plans for taking over Thaylenah was pretty good using Jasnah’s (apparently pronounced Yasnah) own philosophy to break her and convince Queen Fen to change her allegiance. Maybe I expected more from Jasnah, a better debater or the fact that she never had the retrospection and questioned her own actions. I understand the xenophobia among the kingdoms of Roshar among common people, especially men who were basically illiterates, but Jasnah, a renowned philosopher prioritise the life of Alethi people over others, her actions to always put her family & Alethi first didn’t match her philosophy for doing things for greater good.

In the same veins, I was happy that the Battle of Champions was not just a combat between Dalinar & Gavinor, which I’ve to say was an amazing move by Odium if only the part about Gavinor’s ageing had a small but dedicated interlude, anyway, but rather a debate between Dalinar & Taravangian, well, about the trolley problem (thanks youtube comment).

This section is intentionally left blank

Where do I even start. deep breaths

Well let’s start with the modern language and Sanderson’s prose. The language I’d have had no problem with if it was consistent across the books, but the way it changed so drastically after the Oathbringer and especially in Wind and Truth, with dialogues like, "Let’s kick some Fused ass" by the end of the book was just putting salt on wounds. The prose, while Sanderson is no Steven Erikson, felt so basic, a first draft, not something from someone writing gazillion of books every year.

Lots of discussion online was about how the writing feeling different was because of change of editor, but that seemed like deflecting the blame since people generally praise the authors for good writing, then how the editor is at fault when the prose reads like something written for 8 years old. Another issue being the book stretching more than 1300+ pages, just like Rhythm of War, the content could’ve easily cut down by 400 pages and nothing would’ve been lost. Each of the Lord of the Rings books were on an average 400 pages! (that was an icky feeling comparing Wind and Truth to LOTR, even if it was about page count).

And the repetitions, the reader don’t need to be reminded 12124th time that Navani is in Wit’s body or that Jaskkeem is the guard at the Smuggler’s Port. Something which was at its worse in the last book, I understand its been more than a decade since the first book and around 5 years since Rhythm of War, but Sanderson might have stop treating his readers like little kids unless that’s the audience he has decided to target.

Coming to the issues with the story, lets open cans of worms. Lots of cans. We’re told the Spiritual Realm is the realm of the gods, a place which gods don’t understand and a place which even Wit is scared of, but seems like our gang of Spiritual Realm walkers were better than gods, Dalinar, Navani, Shallan, Renarin & Rlain went to Spiritual Realm for the first time, didn’t get overwhelmed or had any trouble because of the nature of the place because Dalinar had an anchor, wonder why the gods never thought about it. Noobs. Maybe there could’ve been a better way to go into the origin story of humans on Roshar, but I guess Sanderson ran out of the books to have the Stormfather as the flashback character.

Moving on to Shinovar, Kaladin’s approach to therapy seemed to do disservice to address the importance of mental health. I understand the world where mental health is not a thing and everyone thinks hearing voices in their head is normal and appreciate Sanderson for writing about Kaladin’s PTSD and the need for Szeth to start thinking about himself, instead of doing what the voices in his head told him to, the whole Kaladin pestering him during the trip felt off.

Szeth’s "pilgrimage" in Shinovar was very video game-y, like he’s killing minor bosses - the Honorbearers, levelling up, to fight the last boss, Ishar the Herald.

Onto Adolin’s adventures, who for some reason reminds me of Mr. Peanutbutter from Bojack Horseman. His story in Azimir felt very monotonous, not discounting his heroic defending the kingdom, chapter after chapter Adolin’s POV was either about his battles with the Fused or his game of towers matches with Yanagawn. His internal monologues comparing his actions with Dalinar’s came across as drama for the sake of creating drama. The worst crime Adolin committed was murdering Sadeas, which one can argue was because of Sadeas’s betrayal, though crime nonetheless, was nowhere close in the order of magnitude to what Dalinar "Blackthorn" Kholin did before his enlightenment.

There’re some minor complaints I had, like caricature characters, Jasnah/Sigzil’s ex-spren Vienta, and maybe some more, will always talk in the very stereotypical fashion. Jasnah is a philosopher so she will talk to Queen Fen in the very technical manner, one might expect between people with knowledge of the subject. Vienta, similarly, will let Sigzil know about the result from her calculations to three decimal points.

Then the mention of facial expressions, once with Kaladin during a battle, iirc, and another time with Taravangian while his debate with Jasnah, felt very childish, adults don’t make faces or care about their opponent’s faces while being focussed.

While on topic of being childish, what was Lift’s role in this story? Being a comic relief? "Look at this girl behaving like a little kid, so funny, look she stealing everyone’s food and staring at men’s asses, oh my Almighty, I just cannot stop laughing!" (nothing wrong in staring at men’s asses but maybe have a personality other than the one of 12 year old) or being a plot tool to make sure Gavinor falls in the Spiritual Realm by "accident". And I wonder who was Odium’s champion if Gavinor’s fall hadn’t happened, since all of Taravangian’s argument was based on Dalinar killing an innocent person to proves his point. We’ll never know. Thanks Lift.

While very subjective, Tanavast not destroying Roshar to get rid of Odium because "mah babies!", kind of makes me question why a god care about the lives of some living beings, in the same way we, the humans, don’t care about the insects roaming around in our homes, and won’t be bothered stepping on them. Again very subjective, but still.

Well, a series ends, and don’t think I’ll be returning back to Stormlight Archive or picking up another Brandon Sanderson after how badly he screwed up a great story. My bar was low already after Rhythm of War and for long time I blamed Steven Erikson and his amazing writing for ruining Brandon Sanderson for me, but apparently it was Sanderson himself who ruined Brandon Sanderson.

I still cannot believe how badly majority of Booktube has turned upon Sanderson after this book, hopefully that makes Sanderson retrospect his writing and where Stormlight Archive is headed, improve and stop being a Taravangian who on good days writes books like The Way of Kings & The Final Empire and on bad days Wind and Truth. Hopefully.

PS: my first book review, hoping to continue with good books from now on :P