Book Review: Wind and Truth
A golden nugget of epic fantasy that includes current, hard topics everyone needs to hear.
I began reading The Way of Kings in 2017. The extensive world building and alternating flashback chapters slowed the pace to an agonizing crawl that made me set it aside frequently in favor of more exciting reads featuring characters I actually cared about. But Sanderson's manuscripts always seem to bring me back. The pace gradually increased until I couldn't put it down.
Unlike its predecessors, which suffered the same slow pickup as the first (except Edgedancer, which was fun for the entire ride), Wind and Truth started with a leaping gallop that immediately roped me in. It moved quickly, addressing significant events that glued my eyes to the page. Sadly, the amazing pace slowed significantly over the middle 70% of the book, re-introducing frequent flashback chapters that disrupted the flow and, worse, dream-like sequences that consumed fully half of the plot. If you haven't guessed, dream sequences aren't my thing, either. The two combined blunted my enthusiasm to pick it up again between session.
However, it's the last book of the series—or of this arc of the series, as Sanderson explained, the second and final of which will be covered in Books 6-10—so I carved time nearly every day and stuck to it.
The book follows all your favorite characters: Kaladin "OMG I'm So Burned Out" Stormblessed; Shallan "Won't Face the Truth and You Can't Make Me" Davar; Jasnah "Smart Than You" Kholin; Dalinar "Must. Not. Kill." Kholin; Navani "Too Proper to Tango" Kholin; Adolin "Marked Safe from Responsibility" Kholin; and more. Many, many more. Sanderson abandoned the one-perspective-per-chapter convention early on, cramming perspective shifts back-to-back-to-back between so many characters that the book felt like one big POV clown car. Tracking, much less caring about, each character's individual plotline required a spreadsheet and strength of will that I lacked. So I simply plowed on, hoping it would all make sense in the end.
The story continues the struggle between Dalinar, Odium, and the recently unlocked Urithiru tower, spanning the final, epic battle across multiple fronts. Each character's arc is dealt with almost concurrently and to a satisfying depth.
As with its predecessors, the effort of sticking to it paid off. Sanderson rewarded me by tying everything—and I mean everything—together in a mind-boggling way that makes me wonder just how many years he spent plotting this series out. Kudos to him for a job well done!
My biggest huzzah, however, is for Sanderson's fearless inclusion of progressive topics that feel critical today. Depression. Self-esteem. The importance of mental health. Autism. Gender identity. Sexual orientation. Women's rights. Authoritarianism vs democracy. Racial oppression. Does he address them all perfectly? Of course not. But I applaud him—openly, unabashedly, loudly—for doing his best. The world needs more of this, Mr. Sanderson, and you, sir, are a shining example.
Do I recommend it? Yes. All things considered, Wind and Truth is a golden nugget well worth sifting for.
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Ryan Southwick
Ryan Southwick
Ryan Southwick
Ryan Southwick
Ryan Southwick