The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson is a completely different book after reading Wind and Truth

As a long-time Sanderson enthusiast, I must say, the latest revelations in “Wind and Truth” have truly expanded my understanding of our dear Sigzil. The depth and complexity of his character, once a mere side note in “The Sunlit Man”, now stand as an intriguing tapestry of trials and tribulations.

Breaking into Brandon Sanderson‘s Cosmere is no simple task. Compared to most fantasy series, it’s vast and intricate, with numerous loosely connected elements that make up the shared universe where all his adult fantasy novels are set. There are grand epics like The Stormlight Archive, more compact series such as Mistborn, and a variety of standalone novels and short stories, each contributing to the larger narrative of the Cosmere.

Brandon Sanderson has been rather secretive about the links between his stories, ensuring each standalone work could be easily understood by readers. However, after the publication of “Wind and Truth”, the intricate web of events within the Cosmere is becoming clearer. The fifth installment in “The Stormlight Archive” series was a significant turning point, introducing developments that will likely keep fans analyzing for years to come.

However, there is one book that Sanderson has already published which is now a totally different read: The Sunlit Man, the fourth of Sanderson’s “Secret Projects” that he released as part of his record-shattering Kickstarter campaign. The Sunlit Man is a standalone Cosmere novel set in the future of the Cosmere, when factions from different planets collide on a remote, inhospitable world called Canticle. It follows a man named Nomad who is stranded on Canticle and has to figure out how to escape, and just maybe carve out a brighter future for the beleaguered people there.

The Sunlit Man is a bit of an odd book, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t love it on my first read. It’s a solid Sanderson story with plenty of fun Cosmere nods, but it seemed like there was something missing because it takes place so far into the future of the Cosmere that it felt a bit disjointed. Toss in the fact that Nomad’s true identity didn’t hit especially hard for me, and it made for a mid-tier Cosmere read at best.

With the arrival of “Wind and Truth,” the backstory of Nomad and the status of the Cosmere at the time of “The Sunlit Man” are given much more depth. This newfound knowledge has left me eager to revisit the books – something I wouldn’t have anticipated just a few short months ago. Since “Wind and Truth” has been out for some time now, let’s delve into how it significantly alters our understanding of “The Sunlit Man.

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson is a completely different book after reading Wind and Truth

The main character of The Sunlit Man is now way more interesting

Let’s delve into some plot details for “The Sunlit Man”. The story revolves around a character named Nomad, who turns out to be none other than Sigzil, a figure from Brandon Sanderson’s series “The Stormlight Archive”. Sigzil is significant in this context because he was once an apprentice to Hoid, the enigmatic figure who has so far appeared in every book of Sanderson’s Cosmere series. Additionally, Sigzil is a member of Bridge Four, a group of former slaves turned elite warriors led by Kaladin Stormblessed. In “The Sunlit Man”, this revelation about Sigzil’s identity plays a crucial role in the narrative.

In “The Sunlight Man,” numerous enigmas surround Sigzil’s backstory, events that haven’t been revealed in the main storyline of “The Stormlight Archive” yet. At some point, he came into possession of a Dawnshard – an artifact of legendary power that alters the individual who holds it. This Dawnshard drained the Investiture from Sigzil’s spren companion Auxilliary, all but eradicating the spren’s consciousness and physical form, which appear as various tools within the narrative. After this devastating incident, Sigzil relinquished the Dawnshard, but he continues to be hunted by the Night Brigade – a lethal group who can exploit him to pinpoint the current location of the Dawnshard. The Night Brigade is only hinted at in “The Sunlight Man,” with their primary objective being the acquisition of that shard.

Apart from Auxilliary, there’s a unique spren named Auxilliary who communicates differently with Sigzil compared to other spren we’ve encountered. Auxilliary frequently refers to himself as a “knight” and Sigzil as his “squire.” It’s intriguing because, in The Stormlight Archive, Sigzil is a Windrunner, an order that bonds honorspren. Interestingly, highspren are typically the companions for Skybreakers, a strict Radiant order that includes Szeth-son-Neturo and upholds the law. However, Auxilliary was once a highspren before the Dawnshard drained him of most of his life force.

Reading The Sunlit Man, I found myself faced with numerous enigmas, yet on my initial read, I didn’t find Sigzil captivating enough to become deeply invested in those mysteries. While Sigzil’s tale in The Sunlit Man is intriguing, his role in The Stormlight Archive hasn’t grown significant enough for his being Nomad to seem like a substantial revelation.

After “Wind and Truth”, Sizgil takes center stage, becoming one of the Windrunners’ leaders in Kaladin’s absence as he journeys to Shinovar with Szeth. In this role, he also leads the battle on the Shattered Plains. Now, readers have a chance to delve deeper into Sizgil’s story and explore his bond with his honorspren, Vienta.

Absolutely, the spren you see now is distinct from the one depicted in “The Sunlit Man.” However, it’s worth noting that Auxilliary does appear in “Wind and Truth,” but under a different name during those events.

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson is a completely different book after reading Wind and Truth

How Sigzil met Auxilliary has finally been explained in Wind and Truth

If you’ve read “The Stormlight Archive” before “Words of Radiance,” a question that may have piqued your curiosity during your reading is: “How will Sigzil ultimately part ways from Vienta?” For those familiar with Cosmere lore, we went into the book already aware that for some reason, Sigzil’s bond with his original spren was destined to fail. However, the specifics were still unexpected.

The fight on the Shattered Plains stands out as the most intense among all battles depicted in “Wind and Truth“. Here, Odium unleashes a colossal horde of Fused warriors empowered by magic against an under-resourced group of Knights Radiant. This confrontation results in numerous casualties, particularly when the Windrunner traitor Moash enters the scene. The presence of Moash stirs deep emotions among Sigzil and his comrades from Bridge Four, leading to frequent conflicts where Moash often emerges victorious, leaving a trail of fallen soldiers behind him.

In the end, when Moash encounters Moash on the Shattered Plains, he employs a gadget to nullify Sigzil’s Stormlight, leaving him defenseless as he falls towards the ground. Seizing this opportunity, Moash uses an anti-Stormlight knife to target Sigzil’s spren, Vienta, with the intention of slaying her. This act would leave Sigzil vulnerable to being killed too. Earlier in the book, Sigzil had a premonition of his own demise when his dying friend Leyten foretold it through a Death Rattle after being killed by Moash during the earlier battle. Just as Moash is about to kill Vienta, Sigzil rescues her by breaking his oath, which sends her back to the Cognitive Realm.

This ordeal with Moash leaves both Sigzil and Vienta deeply affected, yet they manage to endure it. Regrettably, the experience permanently breaks their connection – at that point, Sigzil forfeits his Windrunner status, and by the concluding chapters of “Wind and Truth,” we find that Vienta finds it impossible to meet Sigzil again, even though she acknowledges his selfless act of saving her life.

The Dawnshard and the flight from Roshar

This passage discusses the Dawnshard and Auxilliary, which are significant artifacts in “Wind and Truth.” We also discover how Sigzil obtained the Dawnshard, an item that was previously with a character named Hoid, who is called Wit on the planet Roshar. After Odium wins the competition of champions, he immediately sets out to eliminate Hoid, who is the most dangerous being for Odium’s goals on the planet. Before Odium can find him, Hoid goes to Sigzil and passes the Dawnshard onto him, urging him to safeguard it from Odium and escape Roshar. Moments later, Hoid is destroyed.

In our next encounter with Sigzil, he’s embarking on a journey beyond the known world alongside a caravan of Iriali. Upon reaching his destination, he encounters highspren 12124 – the same spren who was once bonded to Szeth-son-Neturo but severed ties during the book’s climactic moments. As the story concludes, Sigzil and 12124 are shown departing Roshar together, no longer bonded at that time. However, it appears likely that 12124 will eventually become Sigzil’s spren. This aligns well with Aux’s words to Sigzil in “The Sunlit Man”, where he expresses dislike for his past self on Roshar before they knew each other. This sentiment mirrors 12124’s character development in “Wind and Truth”, as he struggled as a partner to Szeth. It seems plausible that Sigzil might give 12124 the nickname “Auxilliary” to replace his numerical name, strengthening their bond before another sad event occurs when the Dawnshard drains life from Aux.

Wind and Truth still leaves questions open before The Sunlit Man

In summary, this provides us with an abundance of information about how Sigzil evolved into the character portrayed in “The Sunlit Man.” After understanding how Sigzil lost his initial spren and departed Roshar, as well as observing Auxilliary’s transformation during their journeys with Szeth, reading that book will offer a completely new perspective.

Although the narrative hasn’t entirely filled in the blanks, there are still unseen events like Aux’s near-death experience, Sigzil giving up the Dawnshard, and their first meeting with the Night Brigade that have yet to be revealed. The story hints at Sigzil possibly returning the Dawnshard to Hoid, but we don’t know the details of when or how this occurred. Since Roshar is now trapped in a time relativity bubble, it remains uncertain just how different things will be there by the time Sigzil eventually makes it back home, if he does at all.

In an enjoyable twist, the arrival of a new Brandon Sanderson book has given depth and intrigue to earlier ones, implying there’s more to explore within the Cosmere universe. It seems plausible that character Sigzil will play a significant role as we delve into the next phase of this expansive storyline.

2024-12-13 23:42