Wind and Truth

Seven years after the events of the Prologue (and just after the conclusion of Rhythm of War), Kaladin Stormblessed is in the city of Urithiru. Kaladin was influential in freeing the ancient, Investiture-infused city from the occupying army. Now, he and his spren Sylphrena (Syl) attempt to enjoy the hard-won peace despite the many losses he has suffered, including the death of a close friend. The current peace is possible because of a deal that Dalinar struck with the god Odium. In 10 days, a champion for each side will fight for the fate of Roshar.

Kaladin has stepped down from his role as the leader of the order of Knights Radiant, known as the Windrunners.

Kaladin hears a voice on the wind and realizes that the wind itself is speaking to him. It tells him that trouble is coming and says that it needs him.

Shallan Davar is in Shadesmar, also called the Cognitive Realm. Shadesmar is a mirror and partner to the Physical Realm of Roshar. Shallan is bonded to two spren: Testament and Pattern. Shallan unknowingly bonded with Testament when she was a young child. She gravely injured Testament by later rejecting the bond without knowing what it would do. When she was older, Shallan bonded Pattern. Now, she and Pattern are seeking a way to heal Testament while also healing Shallan from her childhood trauma.

Kaladin prepares to leave Urithiru. Under Dalinar’s orders, he will travel to the far west of Roshar, to the nation of Shinovar. One of the ancient Heralds, Ishar, is in Shinovar and is reportedly behaving erratically. Ishar is experiencing delusions that he, rather than Dalinar, is the champion who will fight Odium on behalf of all Roshar. Dalinar hopes that Kaladin’s budding therapeutic skills may offer Ishar solace and help restore his mental health.

Shallan is beginning the process of incorporating her alter-egos (Veil and Radiant) into herself so that they no longer take complete control of her body and mind in times of stress.

Shallan is in Shadesmar with her husband, Adolin Kholin, and one of the Heralds, Kalak. They are also accompanied by Adolin’s spren, Maya. Adolin is not a Knight Radiant. Maya is a “deadeye” spren who was once bonded to a Knight Radiant who has since abandoned their oaths. Maya is recovering thanks to her bond with Adolin.

Shallan and Adolin prepare to return to Urithiru. Shallan and Adolin speak to Wit—an ancient being and ally to the Alethi coalition on Roshar—through a glowing sphere spren. They discuss Shallan’s rivalry with the Ghostbloods. (It will be revealed in the following chapters that this spren is a spy for the Ghostbloods.)

Shallan and Kalak believe the Ghostbloods want to release Ba-Ado-Mishram, a powerful Unmade (spren who wield Odium’s powers). This entity was imprisoned centuries ago by the Knights Radiant. Ba-Ado-Mishram is imprisoned in the Spiritual Realm, the third plane of existence.

Wit gives Kaladin a flute and teaches him to play a simple song. Syl recognizes the tune. It is the rhythm that led the ancient humans to the planet of Roshar after their home world was destroyed. Wit urges Kaladin to continue playing and listening to the wind, cryptically warning Kaladin that his next fight won’t be one that he can win with his sword.

Shallan is drawing in her sketchbook when she realizes that many of her recent drawings include the face of a female Parshendi. She doesn’t remember drawing the faces. The Herald Kalak recognizes the face as Ba-Ado-Mishram.

Before leaving Shadesmar, Adolin greets the 13 spren who have answered his call-to-arms; his mission in Shadesmar (described in Rhythm of War) was to persuade more spren to bond with humans in order to increase the number of Knights Radiant. One of the spren, Notum, wants to help in the war efforts but does not want to bond a human.

Kaladin discovers that Szeth will be accompanying him to Shinovar. Szeth is traveling to his homeland to “cleanse an evil” (61). Kaladin is concerned because he worries that Szeth—who has been enslaved and forced to work as an assassin for years—is mentally unwell.

Dalinar asks Kaladin to be his and Navani’s heir to the kingdom of Urithiru; both Dalinar’s sons (Adolin and Renarin) have declined. Kaladin is shocked; he does not want to accept that he has become a nobleman after a lifetime of suffering at the hands of abusive nobles. Still, he agrees to consider the offer.

Windrunners fly Shallan and Adolin back to the Oathgate that will transport them from Shadesmar to Urithiru. Adolin insists that they bring his horse. Shallan bids farewell to the Herald Kalak.

Kaladin and Szeth make plans to fly to Shinovar by harnessing the evening Highstorm (one of Roshar’s frequent magic-infused hurricanes).

Shallan and Adolin’s group is attacked by Fused (Odium’s answer to Honor’s Heralds). Shallan and Adolin are flung into the ocean of beads that makes up most of Shadesmar. These beads represent physical items in the Physical Realm; in the Cognitive Realm of Shadesmar, they make vast oceans of beads. Conversely, bodies of water in the Physical Realm are mirrored by solid ground in Shadesmar.

Kaladin visits with a few of his Windrunner officers, who are training new recruits.

Shallan uses her powers to keep herself and Adolin from drowning in Shadesmar’s ocean of beads. Shallan’s alter-ego, Radiant is a better soldier and takes over. She fights one of the Fused (Abidi the Monarch). Then, Shallan manifests Radiant as a physical presence separate from herself. Radiant stabs Abidi.

Syl and Kaladin go to the library to pick up books and writing supplies that Syl has requested. In Alethkar, only women read and write and thus serve as scribes. Syl wants to be Kaladin’s scribe. The challenge is that sprens’ physical forms are usually too ethereal to move solid objects.

Shallan injures but does not kill Abidi. Abidi rushes away, then returns and duels with Adolin before fleeing again.

Shallan and Adolin find an island in the bead ocean—the mirror of a lake on Roshar. Adolin’s horse, Gallant, is on the island, trotting around with a herd of musicspren, which look like horses. Shallan and Adolin spot an army of enemy troops that are traveling through Shadesmar to execute a sneak attack on the nation of Azimir in the Physical Realm.

Kaladin attends a party to bid farewell to the Windrunners. He reassures them that they are capable of leading and fighting in his absence, and he takes comfort in their familiar faces.

Kaladin and Szeth meet at Urithiru’s Oathgate and transfer themselves to Azimir, where they plan to greet Adolin and Shallan before riding the Highstorm to Shinovar.

Shallan and Adolin reach the Oathgate on the Shadesmar side. Shallan realizes that a group of beads are following her and calling her name. They are creationspren and will serve as her Shardplate—magical, spren-based armor.

In the Physical Realm, the Oathgate in Azimir is enclosed in a massive brass dome. There, Adolin and Shallan greet their old friend, Kaladin. They tell him about the approaching army, and Kaladin informs them that he’s headed to Shinovar with Szeth.

After Shallan and Adolin leave, the Herald Kalak is accosted by a member of the Ghostbloods and the spren who was spying on their behalf. They hold him prisoner.

Odium and Cultivation discuss the pacts that bind their powers; they are unable to intervene directly on Roshar except through the influence of the individuals who are bound directly to them, as the Fused are to Odium. Odium is referred to as a “divided god” because the former human king, Taravangian, has taken the shard of Odium’s power into himself, thus becoming the new avatar of the god Odium. Taravangian is driven by logic, while the shard of Odium’s power is driven by pure emotion.