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A review by pagesplotsandpints
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
3.75
Read Completed 1/19/25 | 3.75 - 4 stars
I did it! I made it! I did an entire Stormlight reread before this and whew, it was a long journey. Let's see if I can gather some thoughts about WIND AND TRUTH.
Firstly, I always enjoy every Cosmere book. I don't think I've rated any Cosmere book under 4 stars (some non-related books of his, yes) so while I have some *thoughts* on WIND AND TRUTH. Also ** there will be spoilers** so you've been warned.
Yes, I did enjoy it but I also felt like it was really choppy. I don't know if it's a fact, but it felt like the amount of time we spend with each character before jumping to another one felt very fast and short. I just wanted to spend large amounts of time with some of them, even if it wasn't chronologically correct according to what was going on. Especially spending time in places like Shadesmar, or spending time learning about Rosharan history -- things I really wanted to give my time and attention to.
The book also spent a LOT of time with side that I didn't like as much and it felt like there wasn't a good enough reason to spend so much time with them. I never really connected with Venli as much as I wanted to and I think most of it was because she shows up later and we don't know enough about the Singers for me to immediately connect. I WANTED to know more but I always found it difficult. I don't think her POV added ENOUGH to this story line to be a secondary character POV over just an interlude. There was also a ton of time learning Szeth's history, which was important, but maybe it was a little TOO much time. He was important to the ending, but flipping back and forth to his history really kept bringing the momentum down.
I also felt like this was the book with the least amount of character growth. Some characters make HUGE shifts in their futures, but I think the really hit the peak of their growth in RHYTHM OF WAR and made the final choices here. I would have loved to see a little bit more character in personality, which is why I loved Adolin's perspective in this book. He brought a lightness and a genuine attitude when everyone else was saving the end of the world.
This is the end of the *arc*, not the end of the series, so there's still a lot more to come. I don't know exactly if everyone will be returning, but I also felt like considering the consequences, Sanderson could have put a lot more people in mortal peril. I would have liked to see some more high stakes consequences, because everyone kind of coming out okay didn't really hit me in the emotions like I was expecting. YES, there is some really serious shit that goes down, but I also expected/hoped for more.
I also felt like some of the ending did a disservice to the series. The rushed history of the Heralds, the fracturing of shards, etc -- why couldn't we have gotten more of this throughout the series instead of just the last quarter of this book? I could legit use a whole "novella" (I say "novella" because Sanderson's short books are still 300+ pages) about Adonalsium, Shards, Splinters, the humans coming to Roshar, etc. I would have liked to read this -- like Edgedancer and Dawnshard -- before this installment. ALSO speaking of Dawnshards, more happened there and I still don't understand it? I guess that's going to be a part of Arc #2, but why not go into it more here? There were still a lot of unanswered questions. I guess to get us to come back to Arc 2 after however many years it's going to take, but I'm a little disappointed some things didn't get wrapped up.
During my reread, I realized how much I kind of got lost in the Shadesmar parts and I equally got lost in the Spiritual Realm here. I think we spent too much time there. The Spiritual realm really kind of has no rules. People get sucked in to memories and visions all the time and nothing is real, but it is. I wanted more order, and I get if that's not the place for it, but I think it dragged on and on when we didn't need to have 125 different visions. Maybe cut it down.
Kaladin being a damn therapist -- and literally using that term -- was cringe-worthy. I don't mind him working through that and taking up that calling to help others, but it felt too forced and too 21st century Earth. I actually really appreciate the mental health reps in these books, but I feel like we were just hit over the head here multiple times. We can understand what's happening without being told about THERAPY. You could have just as easily said counselor and that would have 100% been okay.
I'm disappointed in the lack of closure with the Ghostbloods. Again, it seems like that's going to be a HUGE part of Arc 2 (and probably Mistborn Era 3), but also again, it would be nice to have a semi-closure there. I liked that Shallan got left in Shadesmar, though. I like the messing with time. I liked Dalinar's sacrifice, but wanted to spend more time with Wit working through what all of it MEANT. The really interesting stuff -- to me -- came all with the Sanderlanche in the last 10%, but why couldn't we have had MORE MORE MORE of it throughout the whole book!?! There were still some really good things but too much got saved for the end.
TL;DR: I think this just had too much ... I wouldn't fall it fluff or filler... but while things were constantly moving, it was like moving laterally for a long time. A LONG time. We could have had some other BIG world-building reveals throughout the book that really would have had me amazed, but it was all saved until the end, and by then, I felt a little deflated. I rated this 4 stars, but my gut tells me to knock some points off. We'll see how I feel after sitting with it and talking about it with others.
I did it! I made it! I did an entire Stormlight reread before this and whew, it was a long journey. Let's see if I can gather some thoughts about WIND AND TRUTH.
Firstly, I always enjoy every Cosmere book. I don't think I've rated any Cosmere book under 4 stars (some non-related books of his, yes) so while I have some *thoughts* on WIND AND TRUTH. Also ** there will be spoilers** so you've been warned.
Yes, I did enjoy it but I also felt like it was really choppy. I don't know if it's a fact, but it felt like the amount of time we spend with each character before jumping to another one felt very fast and short. I just wanted to spend large amounts of time with some of them, even if it wasn't chronologically correct according to what was going on. Especially spending time in places like Shadesmar, or spending time learning about Rosharan history -- things I really wanted to give my time and attention to.
The book also spent a LOT of time with side that I didn't like as much and it felt like there wasn't a good enough reason to spend so much time with them. I never really connected with Venli as much as I wanted to and I think most of it was because she shows up later and we don't know enough about the Singers for me to immediately connect. I WANTED to know more but I always found it difficult. I don't think her POV added ENOUGH to this story line to be a secondary character POV over just an interlude. There was also a ton of time learning Szeth's history, which was important, but maybe it was a little TOO much time. He was important to the ending, but flipping back and forth to his history really kept bringing the momentum down.
I also felt like this was the book with the least amount of character growth. Some characters make HUGE shifts in their futures, but I think the really hit the peak of their growth in RHYTHM OF WAR and made the final choices here. I would have loved to see a little bit more character in personality, which is why I loved Adolin's perspective in this book. He brought a lightness and a genuine attitude when everyone else was saving the end of the world.
This is the end of the *arc*, not the end of the series, so there's still a lot more to come. I don't know exactly if everyone will be returning, but I also felt like considering the consequences, Sanderson could have put a lot more people in mortal peril. I would have liked to see some more high stakes consequences, because everyone kind of coming out okay didn't really hit me in the emotions like I was expecting. YES, there is some really serious shit that goes down, but I also expected/hoped for more.
I also felt like some of the ending did a disservice to the series. The rushed history of the Heralds, the fracturing of shards, etc -- why couldn't we have gotten more of this throughout the series instead of just the last quarter of this book? I could legit use a whole "novella" (I say "novella" because Sanderson's short books are still 300+ pages) about Adonalsium, Shards, Splinters, the humans coming to Roshar, etc. I would have liked to read this -- like Edgedancer and Dawnshard -- before this installment. ALSO speaking of Dawnshards, more happened there and I still don't understand it? I guess that's going to be a part of Arc #2, but why not go into it more here? There were still a lot of unanswered questions. I guess to get us to come back to Arc 2 after however many years it's going to take, but I'm a little disappointed some things didn't get wrapped up.
During my reread, I realized how much I kind of got lost in the Shadesmar parts and I equally got lost in the Spiritual Realm here. I think we spent too much time there. The Spiritual realm really kind of has no rules. People get sucked in to memories and visions all the time and nothing is real, but it is. I wanted more order, and I get if that's not the place for it, but I think it dragged on and on when we didn't need to have 125 different visions. Maybe cut it down.
Kaladin being a damn therapist -- and literally using that term -- was cringe-worthy. I don't mind him working through that and taking up that calling to help others, but it felt too forced and too 21st century Earth. I actually really appreciate the mental health reps in these books, but I feel like we were just hit over the head here multiple times. We can understand what's happening without being told about THERAPY. You could have just as easily said counselor and that would have 100% been okay.
I'm disappointed in the lack of closure with the Ghostbloods. Again, it seems like that's going to be a HUGE part of Arc 2 (and probably Mistborn Era 3), but also again, it would be nice to have a semi-closure there. I liked that Shallan got left in Shadesmar, though. I like the messing with time. I liked Dalinar's sacrifice, but wanted to spend more time with Wit working through what all of it MEANT. The really interesting stuff -- to me -- came all with the Sanderlanche in the last 10%, but why couldn't we have had MORE MORE MORE of it throughout the whole book!?! There were still some really good things but too much got saved for the end.
TL;DR: I think this just had too much ... I wouldn't fall it fluff or filler... but while things were constantly moving, it was like moving laterally for a long time. A LONG time. We could have had some other BIG world-building reveals throughout the book that really would have had me amazed, but it was all saved until the end, and by then, I felt a little deflated. I rated this 4 stars, but my gut tells me to knock some points off. We'll see how I feel after sitting with it and talking about it with others.