Includes MAJOR SPOILERS for The Stormlight Archive through Wind and Truth and minor spoilers for Mistborn era 1.
There's one moment in Wind and Truth that I didn't see coming, and now Wind and Truth's climactic ending.
Despite beginning The Stormlight Archive as a die-hard Kaladin fan, I began to find Dalinar to be the more enjoyable lead and POV character to follow after Oathbringer. This made the quest into the Spiritual Realm one of the more compelling arcs in Wind and Truth, as not only were we treated to some fascinating lore twists about the Heralds and the Cosmere universe at large, but it also felt like the most essential narrative to the story Brandon Sanderson was trying to tell. Not to mention, the cameos and references to previous characters were a ton of fun.
Sadeas Showing Up In Wind And Truth Just To Get Punched Was Amazing
I've Been Waiting A Long Time To See This Happen (Again)
Torol Sadeas is referenced several times throughout Wind and Truth, either by Dalinar or by Adolin. However, there's only one moment where he actually appears, and that's in chapter 99. He arrives for just a brief moment during Dalinar's vision of the Rift, but his sentence is interrupted by "an excellent right hook" from Dalinar. This was one of the few moments in the novel that made me grin from ear to ear, as it felt like something I'd been waiting years to read that I never thought I was going to get.
One Stormlight Archive Character's Fate In Wind & Truth Sets Up Brandon Sanderson's Biggest Challenge Yet
One important character ending in The Stormlight Archive book 5, Wind and Truth, sets up the potential for a crazy challenge in sequence 2.
Granted, Sadeas was literally beaten to death at the end of Words of Radiance, and while Adolin doing the deed was crucial for his story arc, I was slightly disappointed that Sadeas wasn't Dalinar's enemy to defeat. Adolin had pent-up emotion against Sadeas, but Dalinar was the one who'd known him for years and was the one he'd always targeted. Having Dalinar face Sadeas in combat would've been terrific, but this singular punch in Wind and Truth will have to suffice. As Brandon Sanderson wrote: "That one... that one felt good."
I Forgot How Much I Missed Sadeas From The Way Of Kings
Sadeas Is Still One Of The Series' Best Villains
On the one hand, nothing makes me happier than to know that Sadeas is dead. There are few character deaths in contemporary fantasy that offer the same feeling of justice being served. It was a similar satisfaction to Joffrey Baratheon's death in A Song of Ice & Fire or Straff Venture in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. On the other hand, as a reader who seeks compelling drama, I couldn't help but feel that I missed Sadeas every time he was mentioned in Wind and Truth. Or, at least, I missed hating him.
Subsequent books involved political scheming on some level, but none of it appealed to me in the same way as the inter-Alethi conflicts on the Shattered Plains
While I understand why Words of Radiance is commonly perceived as Sanderson's best book, The Way of Kings is my personal favorite in the saga. Aside from the obvious aspects of Kaladin's arc and the feeling of entering a new fantasy world, there's something terrifically grounded about the rivalry between Dalinar and Sadeas. Subsequent books involved political scheming on some level, but none of it appealed to me in the same way as the inter-Alethi conflicts on the Shattered Plains, with characters like Elhokar, Amaram, and more.
Sadeas' Arc Was Underwhelming (After Being So Great In The Way Of Kings)
I'm Not 100% Sure I Like Sadeas' Death
Original cover art for Words of Radiance and Wind and Truth by Michael Whelan
Sadeas is a character who was always expected to die, but I have mixed feelings about the way it transpired. In of literary intrigue, Adolin killing Sadeas in a spur-of-the-moment decision after the book's main events have concluded serves as a terrific anticlimax. It's unexpected, raw, and not the sort of thing one usually finds in a Brandon Sanderson book. That being said, he was a character whom I felt more could be done with, as he was the most exciting political threat The Stormlight Archive had to offer, and matters were only becoming more tense politically on Roshar.
Wind And Truth’s Most Controversial Moment May Set Up Stormlight Archive's Most Complex Character Yet
One divisive choice in The Stormlight Archive's most recent volume could pay off, as Brandon Sanderson has five books to justify the decision.
The addition of Ialai Sadeas helped to mitigate the effects of his absence in Oathbringer, but she always felt like an almost second-hand version of the same character. The fact that the Ghostbloods saw the Sadeas family as a potential threat due to their unpredictability is such an intriguing concept, and it would've been fascinating to have Torol Sadeas as an X-factor, undermining Dalinar throughout the Final Desolation and the more recent books of The Stormlight Archive.
The Stormlight Archive
- Created by
- Brandon Sanderson
- Character(s)
- Kaladin Stormblessed, Shallan Davar, Dalinar Kholin, Adolin Kholin, Jasnah Kholin, Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Navani Kholin
The Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson, set on the storm-ravaged world of Roshar. The series follows multiple characters, each with their unique storylines, as they navigate political intrigue, ancient prophecies, and powerful magic. Central to the story are the Knights Radiant, legendary warriors with magical abilities who must return to save their world from impending destruction. The series explores themes of honor, leadership, and the burden of power.