Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

This thread is open to discuss Wind and Truthby Brandon Sanderson.



The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive―the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare―and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide―Adolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.

Catching up?

Book 1 discussion thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book 2 discussion thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book 2.5 discussion thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book 3 Discussion thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book 3.5 Discussion thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book 4 Discussion thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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I'm of course in for this.
Trying to finish book 4 this week :o

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I'm of course in for this.
Trying to finish book 4 this week :o"

I've been saying that for the past 2 weeks... but maybe this week will be it 💪

You can do it, Judy!!

I'm in but may be about three years later than the rest of you haha.

lol!

I'm in too!

Both my ebook and audiobook holds have come in... I'm still reading A Day of Fallen Night... gotta hurry with that I guess!

I still need to start A Day of Fallen Night..... it will need to wait until I have finished book 5. (which I hope to start next week!!)

I've changed the start date to 1 May seeing we are all a bit behind.

Unless you want it to start in line with TT?

No, 1st May is good. Have to hurry up with my other reads first.

All good with me, will have to start early to finish before my hold runs out though 😅 who knows whether I'll be able to pull through, I've barely been reading...

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I still need to start A Day of Fallen Night..... it will need to wait until I have finished book 5. (which I hope to start next week!!)"

That was my plan too, but then 4 kept taking longer and longer and Day of Fallen Night is the ONLY book I want to read from the list to get the Fantasy badge here https://www.goodreads.com/readingchal... and that is obviously the most important 😅

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "I've changed the start date to 1 May seeing we are all a bit behind.

Unless you want it to start in line with TT?"


I'll be a month or so behind one way or another since I haven't even started book 4 yet. Hopefully I'll do that on 1st May.

Okay I've started this!!! My library loan runs out on 9 May sooooooo, bets on how far I'll get until then?

Prologue - (view spoiler)[Man, Gavilar is AWFUL! So much more evil that we could've imagined! Also I'm looking soooooo hard at Thaidakar's appearance... but to be honest, I don't know if I would've picked up on who he is without the accidental spoiler I saw - so I guess that turned out well after all. Also, fascinating that apparently you can become immortal and the words for that are in the Way of Kings! (hide spoiler)]

It's so nice that we get a few chapters of them just chilling and everything being sort of fine (even while we've started the 10 day countdown), I'm really enjoying that. As always, I'm very intrigued by the little snippets at the start of the chapters. I'm so desperate to know who it is!!!

(Also I think I forgot to mention it in the Rhythm of War thread, but I ended up going back to read all the short bits in the section that had Navani and Raboniel writing back and forth during their research. It was super rewarding to read that all in one go and understand so much more - so I'm planning to do that here too, whenever we've got some more context that it feels like it'll be worth doing that)

Chapter 10 - (view spoiler)[So Kaladin now has his own copy of the Way of Kings... I wonder if that will be a path to potential immortality (hide spoiler)]

Syl - (view spoiler)[ absolutely fascinated by her now appearing not only in human shape but also in human size... and acting more and more like a human... and I think she's actively flirting with Kaladin now, isn't she... (hide spoiler)]

I started it too. I agree with you on the prologue. (view spoiler)[Especially his thoughts about Dalinar, Nivani and Elhokar. Awful Gavilar. And also the cost/process of ego and greed that you think you can outwit Stormfather (hide spoiler)]

I am going on a quick trip so there won't be much progress but I also read that there is a lot of therapy-speak in this installment and I'm not looking forward to it though.

I wish work wasn't absolutely killing me these days so I could just chug through this - enjoying it sooooo much so far but "only" 20% in (and the library loan runs out in 3 days... I'm sure I'll figure something out but I hate the deadline!!)

Some thoughts:

- Where are those creepy critters from Dawnshard?? We haven’t seen them in so long - are they going to come in clutch in this book?

- What happened with Lift’s red chicken??? Probably not actually a spoiler but just to be safe, chapter 30: (view spoiler)[Drehy’s spren presents as a blue chicken, so is there a connection? IIRC there were two chickens with Lift at some point, was one of them blue? That part confused me so much I didn't really think I'd have to remember this 😅 (hide spoiler)]

- Renarin (also ch 30) - (view spoiler)[I feel like I could’ve seen this Renarin has a crush on Rlain thing coming from a mile away lmaooooooo I laughed when it was revealed. Also - I don't remember if I ever said this in our chats but I think I diagnosed Renarin with autism sometime in book 1 but this chapter is the most blatant confirmation thus far (hide spoiler)]

Parts 1 and 2 including interludes

I agree about the prologue and (view spoiler)[ Gavilar. So interesting that until this point we have only had the POVs from Dalinar and Jasnah, really. Who of course adored him and thought he was awesome. It was awesome seeing this alternative side and makes you wonder what would have happened if he wasn't assassinated.

(hide spoiler)]

In terms of those creepy critters... (view spoiler)[ Lift does reference wanting to eat one even though she knows what they 'really are' (or something along those lines). It was quite fleeting which made me wonder what Sanderson is trying to throw in there which will likely become much more important later on!!
(hide spoiler)]
I don't know about the chickens either and if they are relevant or just meant to be a point of humour!

Renarin - (view spoiler)[ Yes. And this book seems to be more overt on this relationship and neurodivergence. I wonder if that is in part due to when this book was published v the earlier books. It is more in 'mainstream' conversation these days. (hide spoiler)]

I am quite concerned about (view spoiler)[ what is about to happen to Gavinor being stuck with D & N (and if they will even realise). Maybe this is part of him becoming more important to the story?

I'm also enjoying the Kaladin and Szeth storyline. It feels like there is still so much to happen in this book!

And the huge WTF moment from the last book with Taravangian is revealed to everyone quite quickly which I wasn't expecting. Not that everyone necessarily knows it is him, but they know Odium is someone new. It is fascinating watching the inner conflict he is having between his human self and that of Odium (hide spoiler)]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "In terms of those creepy critters... (view spoiler)"

yep I'm sure that's the case... but also who knows!

I didn't pay too much attention to the chickens because I assumed it was just supposed to be humorous but what if it's not!!! we're never safe from Sanderson's big brain 😅

I'm about 60% in by now and I read a lot of that while in Madrid so I didn't really update anything... I'm hoping to finish throughout the next week - now that I've got some reading for TT out of the way I feel like I can afford focusing on a book that won't count for a few days

here's the two comments I wrote down in my notes app at some point

- I think maybe Honor isn’t actually dead but has become something new...

I gotta say I find all the wokisms quite charming - Adolin immediately switching pronouns when he’s told the person he was drafting has “papers” to live as a man is just nice :)

Chapter 34 I loved Adolin’s cape made me giggle! So him! (view spoiler)[And I am loving the development of Maya. 
(hide spoiler)]
Chapter 35 - (view spoiler)[
Szeth’s spren “emotion is of Odium, while Honor is the path of calm understanding and of logical decisions”. If this definition is true then Honor as a being may be dead but the concept lives on. Maybe Honor can be ‘resurrected’ as a new person - Dalinar?

Kaladin and Syl’s relationship and discussion is interesting and how they are trying to find their “place” in the world.I can understand why Szeth is finding Kaladin annoying. He is a little preachy at the moment. Haha 
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 38 - I like this exploration of Szeth’s past (view spoiler)[ and the idea that he was gentle and essentially a pacifist. That voice! And the eyes of the soldier “deep within with a red light”. Fascinating (hide spoiler)]

I did those notes as I was reading and then got caught up and forgot to write more lol

End of Day 4 including Interludes

So just a note about the Interludes, really.
(view spoiler)[
Love this take on Moash and how the regret has settled in. Is Sanderson trying to make us feel sympathy for him?

and the 'new' Odium, how different he is, and how he is still trying to find himself.... yikes

Otherwise my overall thoughts on Day 4 are that I am really enjoying the insights into Szeth and his past, and I just love Adolin more in every book. (hide spoiler)]

I'm still listening but not very consistently. I felt a little fatigue initially but now I'm invested.

I've read upto end of Day 5. Just sad that I started it just before TT.

I agree with all of you said Karen. I really like Szeth's backstory - and I agree about Kaladin.

Adolin - I feel happy that Adolin's getting the limelight without Dalinar or Shallan or Kaladin to share. He's such a likeable character and from his POV, Dalinar is shown in another light. Interesting

Sanderson said he wanted people to be uncomfortable while reading this book and I think he succeeded. (view spoiler)[The first page of reviews are about R'laine and Renarin's pairing (hide spoiler)]

Dalinar: (view spoiler)[While we got to see most of the good aspects over the book, sometimes I feel impatient with him. But also, I want to bet on him not getting Honor's mantel. It'll be very predictable. (hide spoiler)]

I'll read your spoilers once I'm through day 5!

It is also slow going for me. I am trying to also do other TT books and it is quite the commitment to read 5 of these back to back
haha

Oh yes definitely. Even though we've been taking our time.. On the other hand, if I'm not doing this BR, I am not sure if I would progressed with the series. I read 6 books of Malazan Book of the fallen series and I stopped. Now I don't even remember them. But I really enjoyed reading them - just that they take time.

Yes, I agree. I think I would have kept going with the series but not in such a short time frame (probably over a few years lol)
I won't start book 6 when he releases it. I'll wait until he has the next 5 done before I start them 😄

End of Day 5 and Interludes

Chapter 59
Oh! I don’t think I registered that Szeth was only 11 (view spoiler)[
when he killed that first time!
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 61
The Jasnah (view spoiler)[and Wit relationship seemed to come out of nowhere and now has been abruptly ended by a letter? Seems a little unfair (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 66
The whole visions (view spoiler)[with the two different groups, plus the ghost bloods, was getting a bit confusing!! I’m not entirely sure if the ghost bloods are bad or bad people doing the right thing or just people doing what they think is the right thing.

And why has Kaladin been made so annoying in this book? Haha
I did like the realisation that Szeth is actually not like him and more like Tien than he realised
(hide spoiler)]

Interludes
I like how Teravangian (view spoiler)[has been exploring the whole good/evil and how Odium has been able to keep slowly corrupting him.
(hide spoiler)]

Reading Vi's spoiler:
R'laine (view spoiler)[and Renarin... That is interesting if that is the reason why people are uncomfortable. I thought it felt a little like it has been jammed in there (along with the person Adolin comes across who has papers to live as a man) due to the changes in our society that have enabled him to write this, which he may not have 10 years ago. I didn't pick up on any hints with Renarin feeling that way towards R'laine prior to this book, which I would have expected to.
I'm not sure how I feel about it other than it feels a bit contrived maybe? That he has made him potentially ASD and now attracted to another species, and a man?

Danilar - I want him to win. I need him to be "good" and get a good outcome. 😂😂 (hide spoiler)]

End of chapter 75
Stopping by for two thoughts

1. (view spoiler)[ I love Syl and how she is changing. Will she become corporeal by the end of this book?

2. What happened to Szeth’s dad? I’m a bit concerned!! (hide spoiler)]

end of day 6 and Interludes
I’m wondering after watching Dalinar’s visions (view spoiler)[ of when the oathpact was broken if Honour is actually dead or just deserted them? Seems weird that a being of Honour would abandon one person to torture rather than finding other options that they suggested.

As for Odium and Kharbranth… this is a clever way of showing that Taravangian has now been completely consumed as I don’t believe he would have done that if there was any part of him left. So sad. (hide spoiler)]

End of day 7 and interludes

In many ways it feels like not much progress is being made but the story is going quickly.

(view spoiler)[

Lift! Great signs that she is willing to get help. I still want to know what’s up with that chicken.

And oh… Honor and Mishram and Odium…
What a tangled web and who is “good” and who is “evil”? Even if they release Mishram would she even help?

The whole R&R romance is now even more symbolic with what we saw in the last vision. (hide spoiler)]

you're speeding through this, Karen!

I FINALLY finished day 7 yesterday on my train ride home and since this section took me a month to read, I think you're right about not much progress being made here ;)

Wow. You are speeding through Karen! I am somewhere in Day 6 still. I will read the spoilers after I'm doing with Day 6. It was a long weekend here so I didn't get much reading or listening done.

Wow I thought you'd be well past me, Judy!
I was able to get a good chunk done as we had a long weekend and my son was sick so I was home all weekend with him which meant lots of reading time 😁

Nope, I've been focused on reading for TT but now that I've almost hit my limit I'll prioritize this - I realllllly want to finish!

End of day 8

ch 93: Shallan (view spoiler)[is a herald’s daughter????? I really did NOT see that coming! and I guess Chana dying at her hand and going to Braize and then returning means the transfer of power to Shallan she intended wasn't successful? (hide spoiler)]

ch 97: the wedding (view spoiler)[I was always a bit mad that Sanderson kind of skipped over the entire Shallan & Adolin wedding - so I guess even then he was planning this scene and knew there was no point in going into detail twice? (hide spoiler)]

Adolin - (view spoiler)[I gotta say I forgor he lost his leg in between when I last read a chunk of this and today. Surely he will become a real radiant before the end of this book, right? Now will he get his leg back or not... (hide spoiler)]

Omg chapter 93
What the actual….
I’m with you Judy. I did NOT see that coming ! (view spoiler)[ including Shallan knowing she was still alive (hide spoiler)] Now to continue so I can read the rest of your spoilers

End of Day 6.
Ch 75: (view spoiler)[Kaladin was annoying but he has gotten better. Loving the direction with Syl. Szeth's history is in a lot of ways sad - one small misstep blooming into bigger ones and not what was wished too. I'm glad he has his father but worried what will happen to him (hide spoiler)]

Dalinar and Storm father(view spoiler)[Could Stormfather be actually Honour's power? Far fetched but... Also, the conversation between Stormfather and Dalinar. lots of hard truths in that. And that highlighted the difference with Kaladin and Syl who have a bond with full trust but Dalinar and Stormfather do not. (hide spoiler)]

Odium.... you said it better Karen. Fully invested but I also have to read for TT. Conundrums!

End of day 9

Well!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even know what to say...

first I'll say this - Kaladin cooking carrots was so funny! "some kind of root growing in the soil. that just didn't seem sanitary" made me cackle

(view spoiler)[God/Honor as a POV character? wild choice! I feel like it took me until about halfway through his chapters in this section to make sense of what was actually going on, but now everything with the shards and divinity and the cosmere is coming together a little more...

Jasnah's "duel" with Odium/Taravangian broke my brain a little but I see why she lost in the end... however I still think Fen made the wrong choice

absolutely fascinating that apparently Mishram is good in the end, and not an evil Unmade. if she already had Roshar on her side by the time she was imprisoned, and clearly was interested in peace between humans and singers... then it feels like her being freed from this prison would mean Odium's grasp on the singers/Roshar would fail?

Nale having a big breakdown... Ishar being actually fully evil... and now Szeth is going to have to fight him and then become the new Honor? did I get that right?

and Adolin at rock bottom... I can't wait to find out what Maya is actually doing... (hide spoiler)]

End of day 8 and interludes

Judy - I agree about the wedding. I always found that weird that we didn’t see it at the time

(view spoiler)[ I feel for Adolin but at the same time this injury takes him out of the battle field and maybe that forced removal is what he needs to keep building character? (hide spoiler)]

Rysn (view spoiler)[ I completely forgot about her! And who is this other dawnshard person? Wit? (hide spoiler)]

Vi wrote: "End of Day 6.
Ch 75: [spoilers removed]

Dalinar and Storm father[spoilers removed]

Odium.... you said it better Karen. Fully invested but I also have to read for TT. Conundrums!"

I agree with you around ch75 and I’m not sure that your pondering over the stormfather is that far fetched. (view spoiler)[ there is definitely something going on with Honor’s power and you’re right that he and Dalinar can’t seem to trust eachother. Very different to syl - and also different to Shallan and Pattern also (hide spoiler)]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Rysn (view spoiler)"

caveat: I typed this up at 4:30am when I was lying awake - I don't think there's any spoilers for day 9 in here except one thing which becomes obvious in literally chap 1 of day 9:

(view spoiler)[Wit being the other shard is the logical conclusion but also that feels too easy - and also he’s not mentioned as being a shard in Honor’s list in his POV… but he absolutely makes the most sense. I did keep waiting for him in that list

Is a Dawnshard the same thing as a Shard of Adonalosium? I kind of don’t think so because if yes that would mean Rysn would be at the same level as Odium and Cultivation and she’s clearly not. And maybe if it’s not the same and Wit is also a Dawnshard that would explain why he doesn’t call himself a god. And also clearly there can be more than one shard of Adonalosium on one planet but why only one Dawnshard? (hide spoiler)]

and then I found in the notes on my phone (no idea why these didn't sync to icloud??? I found them as I was looking for what I typed up this morning lol) when I read the interludes before day 9:

(view spoiler)[So Wit is a Dawnshard????? and there are four?????????! WHO are the others surely we’ve met them in the cosmere right

Also I thought I had understood what happened to Rysn but clearly I didn’t since her being a dawnshard came kind of out of nowhere - all of this is making me look forward to rereading this series eventually (hide spoiler)]


and lastly one more thought I had this morning idk if it's a spoiler for anything specific in this book:

(view spoiler)[And ALSO I’ve even thinking for a while that there’s enough indication in this series that there are actually four “gods” in this world - they said Honor was dead (but I had realized someone had taken his place - turns out Honor was just pretending to be dead and became a spren instead) and there still was Cultivation and Odium but it just seemed like there was a fourth one meddling sometimes. Now there’s also a chance that the fourth was an unmade actually - what if it WAS Mishram? But she’s locked up… so what if not… (hide spoiler)]

Judy wrote: "End of day 9

Well!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even know what to say...

first I'll say this - Kaladin cooking carrots was so funny! "some kind of root growing in the soil. that just didn't seem sanitary"..."

forgot something else to say here - Sigzil… (view spoiler)[actually teared up when he renounced his oaths to save Vienta (hide spoiler)]

I think I need to make some predictions for the ending, hoping to get this finished over the weekend somehow

(view spoiler)[

- Syl will become fully corporeal, and there might be something happening with the budding romance between her and Kaladin?
- Maya returns; Adolin becomes a radiant - maybe in a slightly different form as their bond didn't come about the normal way
- I think maybe Dalinar will end up dying??? or leaving Roshar at least... I think maybe Adolin can take his place
- connected to that: (some) humans will leave the planet? originally I was wondering whether Renarin (and Rlain and singers) might be leaving Roshar but 1) it's their homeworld and 2) Renarin's vision of him and Rlain in Kholinar
- the Heralds will either somehow recover or renounce their powers or something. clearly that system isn't working. Szeth could be the new Honor (hide spoiler)]

End of day 9 and interludes

I agree Judy - so much going on it’s hard to know what to say!!

(view spoiler)[ I agree I’m starting to understand the world more and I like the Honor POV and finally finding out what happened.

Jasnah’s duel… her arrogance got the better of her. She should have known it was set up in a way she could not win. I understand Fen’s choice although I think assigning your people to slavery forever (no
matter how favourable the terms) is a big step!

Mishram does seem to be key. As is Dalinar who was being held by Honor in the realm and not Odium… curious.

You got it right about Nale and Ishar but I don’t think Szeth becomes Honor - he would become the head of the Heralds I believe.

I want to know about what Maya is doing too!!

And oh Sigzil. That was devastating. I hope he can find his spren and they can somehow coexist like Adolin and Maya.
(hide spoiler)]

Predictions for the end

Ok, so here are mine. Starting with yours Judy...

(view spoiler)[

Syl - I agree she will be corporeal but I think there will be a way for her to be separate from Kaladin. They will still have a bond, but not as it is. I don't think I want the romance to occur as they both need to move on and make their own choices as individuals.
But I don't see how Kal could ever be with anyone with Syl still around which is why I think she will go - perhaps to another realm even.
Maya - returns, but I have no idea about this one and what it means for all of those spren.
Dalinar - I think he will take on Honor's power but in a different way? Maybe he becomes more like the stormfather. I don't want him to die or lose his humanity as I like him and Navani.
Renarin and R'lain - so we have those visions of them together. This could be about what is about to happen on Roshar (more below)
Szeth becomes the new Herald but relinquishes the power? somehow? Don't know.

Ok, so the games Adolin and Yanagawn. .... Y lost because he thought he was powerful and couldn't be beaten, but the two "weaker" players joined up and beat him. When Adolin explained this to him that seemed to be a big clue that the humans and singers (because Venli is still out there doing something!) will come together and blindside Odium to be able to win.

I have no idea what this all means for Shallan - who has taken quite a back seat in the last few days - or Lift.
There seem to be so many threads still around for only 300 pages remaining.
But I guess that is the point of books 6-10 😂 (hide spoiler)]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Predictions for the end

Ok, so here are mine. Starting with yours Judy..."

okay so I completely forgot about (view spoiler)[the part with Venli as I was writing these but yes obviously! and fully agree that the lessons Adolin taught Yanagawn are the big clue here (hide spoiler)]

I didn't read any of this today cause I was too excited for the end and just want to read it all in one go and didn't have time... but I hope tomorrow I can do it!!

chapter 129 opening (view spoiler)[
Omg I feel so stupid. Of course this book is named after kaladin and Szeth and of course they come the Knight of Wind and Knight of Truth 🤦‍♀️🤣 (hide spoiler)]