8 ways Wind and Truth changed Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere forever

As a seasoned reader who’s traversed countless worlds and realms, I must say that “Wind and Truth” has left me spellbound! The way Brandon Sanderson weaves his tales is nothing short of magical, and this book is no exception. It’s as if he’s been peeking into the future, crafting stories that not only captivate but also expand our understanding of the Cosmere.

Previously, Brandon Sanderson unveiled the fifth installment of his expansive fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive, titled Wind and Truth. This monumental release signals a profound transformation within the fictional cosmos known as the Cosmere. In this novel, the epic battle between good and evil unfolds as the forces of righteousness confront the malevolent god Odium, who seeks dominion over the tempestuous world of Roshar. However, the tales that inhabit the Cosmere are intricately linked, with numerous stories taking place on diverse planets within this cosmic tapestry. Wind and Truth represents a significant milestone for The Stormlight Archive, but its ramifications extend far beyond, as we delve deeper into the grand narrative of the Cosmere, revealing shocking revelations that reshape the universe as a whole.

As a movie critic who has recently delved into the captivating world of fantasy literature, I must share my thoughts on how the release of “Wind and Truth” has left an indelible mark on the Cosmere universe. Be warned, dear readers, that this discussion will contain significant spoilers for “Wind and Truth,” so if you haven’t had a chance to immerse yourself in its pages yet, I implore you to drop everything, read the book, and then return when your mind is sufficiently blown! Once you’ve joined me on this intellectual journey, we can dissect eight ways that this masterpiece has forever altered the Cosmere.

1. Retribution and the Sunmaker’s Gambit

One pivotal event that sets off many other events in this article is the rise of Odium, now called Retribution, to a new form. Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant found themselves struggling significantly due to the fact that Rayse, Odium’s former host, an ancient man, was slain in the previous book. In his place stepped Taravangian, a Roshar king tormented by a dual personality – one side being terrifyingly brilliant and the other being overwhelmingly empathetic. Throughout “Wind and Truth”, we witness Taravangian gradually aligning these two aspects of himself, ultimately embracing his role as Odium in full.

Subsequently, within the arena of champions, he experiences another transformation as Dalinar Kholin relinquishes his title to the Shard of Honor, thereby allowing Odium to seize it. In the vast expanse of Cosmere, only one entity has been witnessed embodying two Shards: Sazed, a learned Terris scholar from the “Mistborn” series, who eventually becomes revered as the deity Harmony. Now, with this newfound form, Odium stands on par with Harmony in terms of might. This new embodiment is christened Retribution to symbolize the balance between the Shards of Honor and Odium.

Despite the grim implications for the Cosmere, Dalinar intentionally surrendered the Shard of Honor as a calculated move known as the Sunmaker’s Gambit. Essentially, by amplifying Odium’s power (and freeing him from Roshar in the process), Dalinar made it difficult for other Shards on different planets to overlook the danger he presented. As Hoid puts it in the concluding chapters of Wind and Truth, the other Shards had been content to disregard “the murderer who had taken at least three of their comrades as none of their concern.

Indeed, Retribution has become an issue that affects all beings within the Cosmere. This situation is likely to bring about much sorrow and pain in the future. However, it could potentially rally the diverse forces of the cosmos together to confront him collectively.

2. The demise of other Shards and the true threat to the Cosmere

Regarding other Shards like Wind and Truth, they recently provided some intriguing history that shed light on the destiny of many of them. In the Cosmere, these Shards are fragments of the original deity, Adonalsium, each symbolizing different aspects of existence – such as Ruin, Preservation, Honor, Cultivation, Autonomy, and more. Long ago, Adonalsium was slain by a band from the world of Yolen, causing him to split into these Shards. Each member of this group absorbed one of these divine fragments within themselves, becoming ‘vessels’ for divinity, and then venturing across the Cosmere as lesser gods, shaping events in their respective solar systems.

According to what was intended, that’s how things were supposed to unfold. In the second-to-last part of “Wind and Truth”, Dalinar Kholin experiences a time span lasting for millennia, where he dwells within Tanavast, the previous host of Honor. During this period, he discovers that before Odium found himself trapped in Roshar’s solar system, he had slain several other Shards: Ambition, Domination, and Devotion. Tanavast remembers these Shards by their original names: Uli Da, Skai, and Aona, respectively.

This new disclosure is significant as we’ve previously glimpsed the realms controlled by these three Shards. The realm of Threnody, depicted in Sanderson’s novella “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell,” was governed by Ambition. Unfortunately, it has become a land shrouded in darkness and tormented by malevolent specters. On the other hand, Sel, where Sanderson’s works “Elantris” and “The Emperor’s Soul” are set, was maintained by a balance between Domination and Devotion. However, similar to Threnody, Sel is in disarray when we encounter it in “Elantris.” The “Shaod” affliction, which originally granted people magical abilities, has transformed into a curse, making those affected equivalent to immortal lepers instead.

Now, we have uncovered the reason behind these downfalls: Odium killed the Guardians of those realms, but he chose not to seize their power because he understood it would be challenging to hold multiple Guardians within himself. Only when Taravangian took over from Rayse did the audacious and risky idea occur to him.

From what we see unfolding, it appears that Odium isn’t merely the primary antagonist in The Stormlight Archive, but the major adversary across Sanderson’s Cosmere universe, at least for now. He has not only wreaked havoc on Roshar and Ashyn – the original human world within this system – but also left devastation in his wake on Sel and Threnody. As he transforms into Retribution, it seems his destructive course is far from over.

3. The Night of Sorrows

On the dangerous world of Roshar, more than any other in the Cosmere, lies the greatest risk due to Retribution. Being the central hub for him, Retribution is primarily planning his mischief and amassing armies from this planet, known as the primary world of The Stormlight Archive.

Following Retribution’s consumption of the Shard of Honor, an unprecedented catastrophe unfolded on Roshar, known as the Night of Sorrows. This event came close to annihilating all spren, reconfiguring power dynamics across the map, obliterating the distinctive highstorms and introducing a persistent, albeit weaker, version called Everstorm in their place. The skies above Roshar are now dominated by dark clouds and flashes of red lightning as Retribution formulates his subsequent strategies.

Two locations on Earth are completely unaffected by the latest Everstorm: Azir, a place that successfully fended off Odium’s influence prior to the Champions’ Contest; and Urithiru, the stronghold of the Knights Radiant, enveloped in an impassable beam of light. Our next visit to Roshar will surely be foreboding.

4. No more Stormlight

The most significant consequence of the Night of Sorrows, a night filled with misery, is that since Retribution ascended, there no longer exists Stormlight. This energy source was linked to Honor, who has met his end definitively. In its place, Odium’s Voidlight now serves as the dominant magical force on Roshar.

For several significant factors, this situation holds great significance. Primarily, the Knights Radiant can no longer activate numerous of their abilities due to a change in their connection with the Surges. Although their bonds to their spren remain intact, they are now deprived of the power sources that enabled extraordinary feats such as flight and shaping stone. Consequently, traversing between Shadesmar and the Material Plane has become considerably more challenging.

On a broader perspective, this development implies that extraterrestrial beings will cease attempting to visit Roshar for the purpose of obtaining Stormlight. A significant aspect in the narrative of The Stormlight Archive revolves around a clandestine organization called the Ghostbloods, which has connections to the planet Scadrial from the Mistborn series. Initially, one of their objectives was to secure Stormlight from Roshar, but with this goal now unattainable, it remains uncertain how they will alter their approach as the Cosmere progresses into its next stage.

5. The timeline confirmed

Consequently, following the Night of Sorrows, Roshar finds itself enclosed within an unusual temporal distortion, causing time to move at a significantly slower pace compared to other parts of the Cosmere. This peculiarity can be attributed to the colossal collision between Shards when Odium rose to become Retribution. By the climax of Wind and Truth, it’s projected that approximately 10 years will elapse on Roshar before the temporal discrepancy is rectified, while roughly 80 years will have transpired across the rest of the Cosmere in the interim.

This conveniently fits with the time jump that Brandon Sanderson has said will occur between books 5 and 6 of The Stormlight Archive. It will also give planets with swiftly developing technology, like Scadrial, time to plow ahead into modernity. And of course, if anyone from Roshar leaves the planet through the Cognitive Realm, they’ll find themselves much older than their loved ones by the time they return. The Rosharans are trapped, unless they want to cut all worldy ties.

In addition to being astonishing by itself, the concluding chapters of “Wind and Truth” provide a clearer sequence of events within the Cosmere. Here, Hoid resurfaces on Scadrial following his vaporization by Retribution. This is made possible due to some preserved cells he had left behind on the Mistborn planet, which aid his regeneration. His arrival coincides with the era of Wax & Wayne, leading him to take up a job as a carriage driver for House Ladrian – a position we observe him maintaining throughout the second era of Mistborn.

It’s been intriguing to ponder how Hoid could be in two different locations simultaneously – driving a carriage on Scadrial in “Wax & Wayne” and being the grumpy Wit on Roshar during “The Stormlight Archive”. Now, it turns out that the events of “Wind and Truth” take place before the initial book in the “Wax & Wayne” series, “The Alloy of Law”.

The one catch to all this is Iyatil, the Ghostblood woman whom Shallan kills in Wind and Truth. Some of the Ghostbloods believe she’s still alive during the epilogue of the final Wax & Wayne book, The Lost Metal. But as Thaidakar tells Shallan late in Wind and Truth, months are passing on Scadrial over the course of days on Roshar. It’s entirely possible that Hoid wakes up on Scadrial before The Alloy of Law, but enough time has passed on Roshar by the time of Shallan’s conversation with Thaidakar that we’re into later Wax & Wayne books. Or Thaidakar simply hasn’t told Iyatil’s brother Dlavil about her demise. The Lord of Scars does love his secrets.

6. The new Oathpact and Kaladin, King of the Heralds

In the epic series known as The Stormlight Archive, the enigma surrounding the Oathpact remained a constant theme. And in Wind and Truth, we witnessed its reforging anew. Originally, the Oathpact was a bond forged between Honor and the 10 Heralds, serving to imprison the souls of Odium’s Fused warriors on the planet Braize during Desolations. However, there was a price to pay – the tormented souls of the Heralds themselves were condemned to endure agony on Braize for countless millennia. Whenever one of them succumbed to the torture and broke, they were all returned to Roshar to wage war in the subsequent Desolation. This endless cycle took a heavy toll on the Heralds’ mental health until they renounced the Oathpact at the start of The Stormlight Archive.

In the novel “Wind and Truth”, it’s clear that the Oathpact has been irrevocably shattered, mainly due to Moash, the Windrunner traitor, killing Jezrien, the King of the Heralds. Towards the end of the book, we learn that a different Herald, Ishar, has been preparing Szeth-son-Neturo as a potential replacement Herald to rebuild the Oathpact. His intention is to fashion a human equivalent of the Fused under this new Oathpact, which would result in their souls being reborn continuously for perpetual combat.

However, before Ishar’s plan can bear fruit, Odium claims the Shard of Honor and begins the Night of Sorrows. Too wounded to become a new Herald, Szeth is knocked out of the running — which likely suits him, as he was just beginning to rediscover his own will to live, and submitting to eternal torture would have been a horrible end for Szeth.

Rather than being consigned to eternal torment, the Heralds are now sent to an alternative world, a lush and serene paradise, where they can find respite and start regaining their sanity before making one final stand against Retribution. In this new arrangement, Kaladin Stormblessed assumes the role of Herald and Ishar alters the Oathpact, making him both Roshar’s first therapist and an unparalleled warrior – a perfect fit for this revised covenant.

Restoring the Oathbond has two significant implications: firstly, it rejuvenates the Heralds and begins imprisoning the Fused again; secondly, it safeguards all the spren on Roshar. Since Odium took over, his goal has been to eliminate the spren – beings born from Honor’s essence – from Roshar. However, by reforging the Oathbond, we manage to maintain a remnant of Honor’s original power on the planet, which thwarts Odium’s plan for Retribution as it requires that some of Honor’s energy still exists there among the Heralds.

One intriguing feature of Brandon Sanderson’s Roshar universe is the spren. I would have been disappointed if they had vanished, and I’m guessing many others felt the same way upon learning that Kaladin and the Heralds succeeded in their rescue mission. And when Kaladin and the Heralds take on Retribution again, you can be certain they will bring a power unlike any other in the Cosmere.

7. The Dawnshards

Toward the end of “The Stormlight Archive” series by Brandon Sanderson, he introduced Dawnshards – exceptionally potent magical artifacts linked to the four commands that Adonalsium used to construct the Cosmere. We’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to understanding these Dawnshards in the grander context of the Cosmere, but in “Wind and Truth,” we witnessed two of them being transported away from Roshar, escaping Retribution’s control.

Initially, Rysn, a young trader who uncovered a Dawnshard in the novella titled “Dawnshard” (set within the Stormlight universe), set off with her. It’s unknown where Rysn ultimately journeyed beyond Roshar, but upon meeting someone else in possession of a Dawnshard, she realized it was perilous to remain on that planet due to the grave risk of having two Dawnshards in close proximity.

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, I’d rephrase it this way: In the grand tapestry of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere novels, it was Hoid, the globe-trotting man, who had been holding onto the other Dawnshard all along. After sending Rysn on her journey, Hoid continued to lend a hand on Roshar…that is, until Odium seized Honor’s Shard and grew nearly invincible. Aware that Retribution was poised to strike him down, Hoid passed his Dawnshard to his former apprentice, Sigzil. With a flash of light, Hoid was erased and found himself on Scadrial instead.

In the meantime, Sigzil manages to elude Retribution, ensuring that the god remains oblivious about his Dawnshard. As we leave Sigzil behind, he is seen departing the planet with a band of Iriali, traveling through the Cognitive Realm. Here, he comes across a highspren named 12124, who was previously connected to Szeth. This scenario forms the basis for Sanderson’s novel “The Sunlit Man,” yet there are many secrets yet to be revealed in the period leading from it and the conclusion of “Wind and Truth.

8. The Blackthorn

The final method by which Wind and Truth alters the Cosmere irrevocably is heart-wrenching. A crucial aspect of the battle between Dalinar and Odium was that if Odium prevailed, Dalinar would have been compelled to serve as Odium’s commander in a cosmic crusade aimed at dominating the entire Cosmere. In his youth, Dalinar was a merciless warlord, infamously known as Blackthorn, and he solidified his bloody legacy countless times. There is no leader more terrifying for Odium’s troops to follow.

Fortunately, Dalinar finds a way out of such a destiny through a brave self-sacrifice in order to protect his grandson, Gavinor. In this manner, although Odium emerges victorious from the contest, Dalinar avoids becoming a tyrant responsible for genocide.

Later, Retribution looks for an appropriate substitute from the Spiritual Realm, where Dalinar once encountered a memory of his younger Blackthorn self. In an attempt to shock this entity into allowing him to flee their terrifying encounter, he imbued it with knowledge of all the atrocities he would later commit. This results in a spectral version of Blackthorn during his prime, possessing all the wisdom from his future conquests but lacking any regret.

The retribution links tightly bind Blackthorn to his own desires. Consequently, even though Dalinar can now find tranquility, the Cosmere world should brace itself for apprehension towards Blackthorn in due time.

The book titled “Wind and Truth” can be found at all quality bookstores, and while we’re still engrossed in it, Brandon Sanderson has already dived headfirst into his next projects. In the upcoming years, he plans to write another Mistborn trilogy along with two more Elantris sequels. The grand cosmic conflict for Cosmere is about to escalate.

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2024-12-14 18:43