Wind and Truth

Sanderson further cements his place in the fantasy canon with this fifth installment in the “The Stormlight Archive” (after Rhythm of War). In tandem with frequent audio collaborators Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, Sanderson closes out the first of two arcs of the series with a bang. Kaladin and Szeth travel to the yet unseen Shinovar in a bid to aid the ailing Herald Ishar; Adolin, Jasnah, and Sigzil each depart for different kingdoms to protect the alliance’s strongholds; Shallan and Renarin seek to uncover the mystery of the lost god Ba-Ado-Mishram; and Dalinar and Navani work to determine how a man could defeat a god before the contest of champions arrives in 10 days. Kramer and Reading continue an excellent partnership as narrators, imbuing each character with distinct, complementary voices regardless of which reader is narrating. Though the plot sometimes bows under the weight of the audio’s prodigious 63-hour run time, the novel resolves many long-withheld mysteries, rewarding dedicated fans and enticing new fans to read the rest of Sanderson’s Cosmere books.