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The Stormlight Archive
Series of epic fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Stormlight Archive is a high fantasy novel series written by American author Brandon Sanderson, planned to consist of ten novels. As of 2024, the series comprises five published novels and two novellas, set within Sanderson's broader Cosmere universe. The first novel, The Way of Kings, was published on August 31, 2010.[1] The second novel, Words of Radiance, was published in 2014 and debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List.[2] This was repeated by Oathbringer (released November 14, 2017) and Rhythm of War (released November 17, 2020). The fifth novel, Wind and Truth, was released December 6, 2024. Sanderson has indicated that he will start drafting the latter half of the series after he finishes writing the upcoming Era Three Mistborn trilogy and the two Elantris sequels.[3] The series has been adapted as a video game and a tabletop roleplaying game.
 | This article possibly contains original research. (May 2024) |
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Publication history
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Sanderson completed the first draft of The Way of Kings in 2003, and initially referred to it as being part of a prospective series titled The Oathshards Series.[4] The first draft of the manuscript was among over a dozen books written by Sanderson before his debut publication Elantris (2005).[5] Six chapters of this early version were included in the anthology Altered Perceptions (2014)[6] and the original version of the book remains available on the author's official website.[7]
The published book is significantly different from the original manuscript because of a substantial rewrite prior to its 2010 publication.[citation needed] From June to August 2010, Tor Books published sample chapters from The Way of Kings on its official website, along with an introduction by Sanderson.[8] In its first week of release, The Way of Kings was No. 7 on The New York Times Best Seller list.[9]
In October 2010, Sanderson indicated that he planned to release the second book in the series in 2012, approximately two years after the release of the first book, as he was occupied in the interim writing A Memory of Light, the final book of The Wheel of Time. This would be followed by the release of the third book about a year later.[10] However, after completing the first draft of A Memory of Light, Sanderson said the book would be pushed back to a 2014 release.[11][12] The second book was initially titled Highprince of War,[10] but after refocusing the book on a different character, Sanderson tentatively titled it The Book of Endless Pages before eventually settling on Words of Radiance.[13]
Before the release of the third book, Sanderson publicly revealed several chapters in blog posts, conventions, and publication in an anthology.[14] The first draft of the book was finished on December 9, 2016,[15][16] and the book, titled Oathbringer, was released on November 14, 2017.[15]
The first draft of the fourth book was completed in December 2019.[17] The title, Rhythm of War, was announced on the Tor website on February 10, 2020,[18] and the cover was revealed six months later.[19] The book was finished in July 2020.[20] In a Facebook post, the author said that the final word count was "roughly 460,000" words, the length of Oathbringer, and the book would have 112 chapters, plus differently numbered interludes, prologue, and epilogue. Rhythm of War was published on November 17, 2020.
The fifth book was first announced in January 2022.[21] It was initially titled Knights of Wind and Truth but was later shortened to Wind and Truth. The first draft was finished in December 2023[22] and the book was published December 6, 2024. At 491,000 words, it is currently the longest book in the series.
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Books
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Ten books are planned in the series, which is split into two sets of five books each. Sanderson described the planned story arc of the second set of five books as a "sequel" to the first set, with some appearances of characters from the first set.[43] The biggest time skip in the series will occur between the fifth and sixth books.[44]
As of 2020, two novellas have been published. The first novella, Edgedancer, features the character Lift and is set between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer. Edgedancer was originally published in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection in 2016.[45] A standalone edition of Edgedancer was published on October 17, 2017.[46] The second novella, Dawnshard, features the characters Rysn and Lopen and was published in November 2020. It takes place in the one-year gap between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War.[47]
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Major Characters
- Kaladin Stormblessed – A surgeon apprentice who became a talented soldier, but got betrayed and enslaved. With Dalinar's help, he becomes the leader of the Order of Windrunners. He is bonded to an honorspren named Sylphrena.
- Szeth-son-son-Vallano – Known as the Assassin in White, Szeth was honor-bound to serve his masters, even if it meant killing numerous rulers. He later becomes a member of the Order of Skybreakers.
- Shallan Davar – A minor noble with dissociative identity disorder. She is a leader of the Order of Lightweavers, as well as spy, scholar, and artist. She is bonded to a liespren named Pattern.
- Dalinar Kholin – An general and nobleman who becomes a Bondsmith and the leader of the Knights Radiant.
- Adolin Kholin – Dalinar's firstborn son, who is also a nobleman and highly skilled duelist.
- Navani Kholin – An inventor, noblewoman, and scholar. She later becomes a Bondsmith after bonding with the Sibling.
- Jasnah Kholin – A scholar and noted atheist who becomes Queen of the nation of Alethkar. She is a member of the Order of Elsecallers, bonded to an inkspren named Ivory.
- Renarin Kholin – Dalinar's second-born son, a nobleman bonded to a corrupted mistspren named Glys, making him a member of the Order of Truthwatchers, as well as giving him the ability to see the future.
- Eshonai – A Listener Shardbearer who is among the first to contact humans. She is later killed in battle by Adolin.
- Venli – A Listener scholar. She bonds a lightspren named Timbre and becomes a member of the Order of Willshapers.
- Lift – A young thief and member of the Order of Edgedancers. She is bonded to a cultivationspren named Wyndle.
- Rlain – A Listener and former soldier under Kaladin. He bonds a corrupted mistspren named Tumi.
- Moash, later known as Vyre – a soldier and a friend of Kaladin, who becomes his enemy.
- Taravangian – The king of the nation of Kharbranth who got cursed to have great intelligence and great empathy, but never both at the same time, causing his intelligence and empathy to fluctuate massively every day. On his smartest day he devised the Diagram, a master plan, which ultimately leads him to become the new Odium
- Taln – A Herald who was left by the other Heralds to be tortured for 4500 years.
- Wit, also known as Hoid – An interplanetary traveler who initially appears as a jester, but later proves to be powerful, ancient, and the archenemy of Odium.
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Plot summary
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The Stormlight Archive is set on the planet Roshar in Sanderson's Cosmere universe. The planet's single supercontinent is scoured by magical highstorms, powerful hurricanes which carry magical stormlight. In addition to humans, the planet is peopled by the Singers. At the start of the series, the Singers are divided into the independent Listeners and the enslaved parshmen. The planet is also inhabited by spirits called spren. These spren are attracted to emotions and natural phenomena. Some spren, those associated with "higher concepts," are sapient. These spren can bond with humans, making those humans Knights Radiant. The Knights Radiant are magical warriors, divided into several orders, including the Skybreakers, Windrunners, and Lightweavers.
The Way of Kings
Kaladin is betrayed and enslaved after capturing a Shardblade and Shardplate, respectively a magical sword and armor. He is forced to carry a bridge to allow troops to cross chasms in the face of enemy arrows, and attempts to improve the lives of his bridgemen. He gains magical powers linked to the Knights Radiant. Dalinar attempts to unite his nation's nobility due to a command he hears in visions. Kaladin saves Dalinar and his army from a betrayal, and Dalinar frees him and his men at the cost of Dalinar's Shardblade. Shallan becomes Jasnah's student to steal her Soulcaster, a magical device, but is beset by visions of mysterious spren. After stealing it, Shallan learns it is a fake and Jasnah herself possesses magical abilities.
Words of Radiance
A countdown (secretly written by Renarin) appears in the Kholin palace. Jasnah betroths Shallan to Adolin and is then assassinated and her ship sunk. Shallan is shipwrecked and forced to use her Lightweaver powers and do spy work to survive. Kaladin commands the Kholin guard and wrestles between loyalty to the Kholins and to Moash, who wants to kill Elhokar Kholin to avenge his family. Kaladin ultimately sides with the Kholins. He also defends Dalinar from Szeth. Dalinar launches a final assault against the Listeners but is defeated when they summon a new storm. Shallan teleports the Kholin army away.
Oathbringer
Those teleported away from the battle find themselves in the lost city of Urithiru, which contains portals to cities across the continent. The new storm liberates the parshmen, transforming some of them into Fused, servants of Odium. Jasnah is revealed to have survived by using her Radiant powers to escape into the alternate dimension of Shadesmar. Moash joins the Fused and earns their trust. Kaladin, Adolin, Shallan, and King Elhokar infiltrate a city to save the King's family, but Elhokar is killed by Moash, though his son Gavinor is rescued. Szeth joins the Skybreakers and is given a sapient sword. Odium attempts to recruit Dalinar, but he refuses, leading to a battle.
Rhythm of War
Adolin, Shallan, and several others embark into Shadesmar to convince the honorspren to allow for the creation of more Windrunners. The honorspren instead put them on trial for the sins of humanity. Shallan is revealed to have previously bonded and killed another spren, but they are saved by the testimony of the seemingly-dead spren of Adolin's Shardblade. Urithiru is inflitrated by the Fused. Kaladin fights against the Fused to protect the Sibling, the spren of Urithiru. Navani is forced to do research for the Fused until she bonds the Sibling and she and Kaladin liberate Urithiru. Dalinar and Odium negotiate an end to the war with a contest of champions to take place in ten days. Taravangian takes up the power of Odium, but remains bound to the deal.
Wind and Truth
Before the contest of champions, both sides scramble to control territory before the war ends. Kaladin and Szeth journey to Szeth's homeland. Dalinar and Navani journey into the Spiritual Realm to find more information about Odium. Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain are also in the Spiritual Realm, searching for the powerful spren Ba-Ado-Mishram. Adolin defends Azimir from Odium, as does Jasnah in Thaylenah. Jasnah fails as Odium convinces the city to join him. The contest of champions begins, and when Odium selects Gavinor as his champion, Dalinar finds himself unable to kill him. Instead, Dalinar allows Odium to absorb the power of the god Honor, becoming Retribution, which in turn kills him. Kaladin becomes a Herald, reforging an ancient pact to protect the spren from Retribution.
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Reception
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Critical response and sales
The Way of Kings
In its first week of release The Way of Kings was No. 7 on The New York Times Best Seller list.[48] In subsequent weeks the book was No. 11,[49] No. 20,[50] and No. 25.[51]
An early review from the website Unshelved gave The Way of Kings a positive review.[52] A review from Elitist Book Reviews pointed out small problems with the book, (black-and-white characters, too much exposition) but gave an overall positive opinion of the book.[53] The website SFReviews.net gave the book a mixed review, praising Sanderson's writing and creativity, but criticizing its extreme length and overall dearth of action.[54]
SF Reviews pointed out, "The ride is luxurious, the scenery is often breathtaking, but The Way of Kings is truly a long and winding road."[55] KeepingTheDoor.com commented, "The Stormlight Archive is a series that, like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings epics, every fantasy fan worth their salt must read and be familiar with. This will be one of the giant series that will help shape the entire scene. Take a week off work now and go and buy The Way of Kings. You won't regret it."[56]
Words of Radiance
In its first week of release, Words of Radiance debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller list.[57] It also reached No. 1 on the combined print/ebook bestseller list, and the Kobo Bestseller list.[57] It was at No. 3 on the National Indie Bestseller list, and at No. 6 on the Southern California Independent Bookseller Association bestselling hardcover fiction list.[57] The UK publisher of the book, Gollancz, debuted with Words of Radiance at No. 2 on the Sunday Times of London Bestseller list.
A review written by io9 called the book, "an old-school, '90s fantasy-style behemoth",[58] also commenting, "While Sanderson continues to build his characters and reveal who they are (especially in the case of Shallan's past) it still clings to one overarching plot that drives relentlessly to an ending that can only be described as 'epic'."[58]
Another review published by Tor Books commented, "Words of Radiance capitalizes on the groundwork provided by The Way of Kings, building up the world and system while revealing many more potential points of speculation."[51] It also said, "So to you, lucky reader, who have the choice of whether or not to buy the book, I give this advice. The journey will be worth it. Yes, you should buy this book. Yes, this is a series worth following to the end. I'm glad to be taking this journey, and I hope you will as well."[51]
Oathbringer
Similar to its predecessor, Oathbringer debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list.[59] It also debuted at No. 1 on the Audible list, No. 2 on the New York Times combined print/ebook bestseller list and No. 6 on the Sunday Times of London hardcover list in the United Kingdom.[60]
In a review for The A.V. Club, Samantha Nelson commented that "Oathbringer shows that Sanderson's story might not be powerful enough to last the 10 books the author has planned. The book does have some surprises, with heroic deeds not always going as well as planned, and there’s a lot of great humor",[61] concluding that "Sanderson needs to keep things fresh if their battle is going to be worth continuing."[61]
Aidan Moher for Barnes & Noble said, in a more positive review, that "Three volumes deep into the Stormlight Archive, Sanderson continues to deliver on every promise the genre has ever made. It’s got a ton of action and warfare and it adds new layers to his trademark magic systems."[62]
Rhythm of War
Rhythm of War, like the previous two novels in the series, debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list.[63] It also debuted at No. 1 on the NY Times combined print/ebook list and the Amazon Top 20 Most Sold Books of the Week list.[64][65] In the U.K., Rhythm of War debuted at No. 3 on the Sunday Times of London hardcover list.[66]
Joshua S Hill of Fantasy Book Review gave the book a 4/10, stating that "Rhythm of War was more of a slog than it needed to be", going on to state that "Not only does this book bring with it any of the normal difficulties with reviewing one book in the middle of a much longer series, or such a lengthy book as this (1,220 pages), but Sanderson is quite obviously positioning 'The Stormlight Archive' as the great magnum opus of his career and, therefore, the foundational connection upon which all other "Cosmere" books hinge."[67]
In a more positive review, Bill Capossere of Fantasy Literature gave Rhythm of War four out of five stars, stating, "Rhythm of War is absolutely a fun read, an interesting read, mostly a compelling read despite some bogging down here and there." He went on to state that "It’s not my favorite book in the series (that would be Words of Radiance), but Sanderson, besides being amazingly prolific, is also amazingly consistent, almost always falling for me in the 4 to 4.5 range."[68]
Wind and Truth
Awards and nominations
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Adaptations
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Audiobooks
Unabridged audiobook versions of the first four books were released by Macmillan Audio and read by narrator team Kate Reading and Michael Kramer. The Way of Kings was released in August 2010, Words of Radiance in March 2014, Oathbringer in November 2017, and Rhythm of War in November 2020.[83][84][85]
GraphicAudio published a five-part version of The Way of Kings from March to July 2016, a five-part version of Words of Radiance from September 2016 to January 2017, a six-part version of Oathbringer from April to September 2018, and a six-part version of Rhythm of War beginning December 2020 with the 6th installment scheduled for release December 2021.[86][87][88] GraphicAudio also published a version of the Stormlight Archive novella Edgedancer in December 2018.[89]
Films
In October 2016, the rights to the entire Cosmere universe were licensed by DMG Entertainment which was working on an adaptation of The Way of Kings.[90] Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan were hired as screenwriters. DMG founder Dan Mintz was to produce the film, with Sanderson and Joshua Bilmes serving as executive producers. In 2016, DMG also intended on simultaneously adapting the first book in Sanderson's Mistborn series.[91]
As of December 2020, all rights except those to The Stormlight Archive have reverted to Sanderson.[92]
Video games
A VR game, The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains, developed by Arcturus VR, was released on March 2, 2018.[93]
A popular mod for the grand strategy game Crusader Kings III based in the world of Roshar and named after the first book, The Way of Kings, was published in 2020.[94]
Board game
A stand-alone expansion to the board game Call To Adventure based on the series was released in 2020.[95][96]
Tabletop roleplaying game
The Cosmere Roleplaying Game, a Tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) based on the Cosmere universe was released in 2025. It raised more than $15 million on Kickstarter, making it the RPG with the highest funding on the platform at the time.[97]
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References
External links
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