Wind and Truth Reread: Chapters 34-36
Published on January 27, 2025
Greetings and welcome back to the Wind and Truth Reread, Cosmere chickens! Drew, Paige, and I are back from our holiday hiatus, and we’re hankering for some hefty discussions of Brandon Sanderson’s epic conclusion of the first arc of The Stormlight Archive. If you were following our analysis during the preview chapters, you may have noticed that we were playing coy about overarching themes and theories; now, however, the gloves are off. The book has been out long enough that most of you will hopefully have finished, and as such, this series shall now function as a reread rather than a read-along. That means there will be spoilers for the end of the book (as well as full Cosmere spoilers, so beware if you aren’t caught up on all Cosmere content). Please remember, though, when posting or commenting about these chapters on social media, follow your platform’s spoiler rules. Your comments here, however, don’t need to be spoiler-tagged, so feel free to comment as you will down below!
Please note: We do ask that you remain cordial to your fellow fans. Discussion and criticism of the work (and this article) are allowed and encouraged, but let’s keep the conversation constructive and be respectful of others, as always. Now, with that out of the way…
If you’re joining us for the first time, welcome! These articles are meant to serve as supplementary discussions to a read-through of the book—you can find our discussions of the first section of the novel (covering Days 1 and 2) here. We’ll be discussing the overarching plot (Paige), character arcs, fashion, and battle strategies (Lyn), and Cosmere theories and lore (Drew). If there are other topics you’d like to see us delve into, please feel free to let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out the social media section at the end of each week’s article to see if we spotlighted one of your comments!
Lyn: I’m so psyched to start in on the defense of Azimir section. Adolin’s progression in this book was one of my favorite parts.
Drew: I admit that I have some mixed emotions about Adolin’s chapters in this book. For me, they range from among the best of the book to some of the most eye-rolling. But for Day Three, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air to finally settle into his conflict in Azimir. Kushkam and Yanagawn have some great moments with him—one of which happens right away in chapter 34!
P: I’ve got to say that Adolin’s arc in Azimir is definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. He really evolves quite a bit, from a talented duelist to something far, far more during these days of battle.
L: That’s okay, Drew, it’s fine to be wrong about how awesome Adolin’s parts are ;) How about Cosmere stuff? Do we have any interesting things you’re excited to sink your teeth into for these chapters?
D: The epigraphs are always among the most exciting elements of Stormlight books, in my mind… and the Day Three epigraphs are from the Sleepless! They’re such a mysterious (and honestly kinda threatening) group, lurking in the shadows. Brandon must have some fun plans for them in the future.
P: It’s always fun spotting one of those little critters!
L: Ooooh, the Sleepless! (The creepy cremling-swarm people, for those who may not remember.) I’d been wondering who the epigraph was from this time around. We didn’t get epigraphs for the beta read, so this is all new for me.
P: The epigraphs in Day 1 were some of the most interesting to me. Trying to figure out who was writing them during the preview chapter releases was a great fun since, as you said Lyndsey, we didn’t get to see them during the beta.
D: It has definitely been an interesting experience, reading the beta draft first (out of order, with no interludes or epigraphs) and now finally getting to read the completed version. Reading the epigraphs was the very first thing I did when I got my hands on the book!
L: Don’t get me started on the out-of-order thing. What a dismal experience that was. On a happier note, there’s a fair bit about Nightblood in chapter 35, which must be exciting. Anytime there’s a major Cosmere cross-over, it’s fun to dig into.
D: Oh, yes. Yes indeed. The Kaladin/Szeth chapters have a nice leavening of outright lore drops, plus a few tidbits that might need a little more digging to unearth.
P: I’m jazzed for Nightblood stuff during this reread. Let’s get to digging!
L: Without further ado, let’s start analyzing, shall we?
Paige’s Commentary
Hey, Sanderfans! My sections are going to take a different approach as we progress with this reread: You don’t need a summary as you’ve already read the book, so rather than summarizing the beat-by-beat action of the chapters each week, I’ll focus more on what’s going on in each respective story arc and discuss that in relation to the characters’ surroundings and other goings on in each chapter. We’re kind of in test mode here so let me know your thoughts!
Adolin arriving in Azimir ahead of his 2,000 elite troops in chapter 34, “For the Good of All Roshar,” marks the real beginning of his glorious arc in Wind and Truth. He’ll spend the subsequent days assisting with the defense of the city from singers and Fused who plan to infiltrate via Shadesmar, using the Azimir Oathgate and aided by the Oathgate spren.
The opening of Adolin’s arc sees him inspecting the defenses and discussing them with Maya; at first he speaks to her out loud while she’s in his head, but then he tries speaking to her with his thoughts and is successful. And so we see another change in their relationship. She’s also a lot more verbal, thanks to the awakening of the tower, it seems. We’ll see how their connection grows, and is tested, in coming chapters.
Adolin is met by Azimir’s Commandant Kushkam, who commands the city’s army and who clearly thinks Adolin is there to take over. This initial resistance shapes Adolin’s arc even further as he denies wanting to take over Azimir’s defense and thinks about his reasons for coming to the city—he pledges to himself to do as his mother had taught him… to fight for something.
His fighting prowess on the Shattered Plains and again in Shadesmar in Rhythm of War aside, Adolin is still often seen as something of a fop, with his fashion sense and taste for elaborate outfits. I mean, he arrives in Azimir wearing a cape with his uniform… Very Lando Calrissian, Highprince Kholin.
But despite all of his battle experience, we rarely get to be in his head while he’s actually fighting. In many ways, he’s been very much a side character up to this point, but in this book, Brandon pushes him to the fore and gives him a great spotlight in Azimir. He’ll deal with Kushkam, with Yanagawn, with the enemy forces… He’s got a lot of great scenes coming up and I can’t wait to discuss them!
Szeth’s arc has already started by the time we see him in chapter 35, “Memories Like Wine.” We’ve seen the budding buddy cop duo start off a little shakily, with Kaladin haltingly trying to make a connection with Szeth, who is patently not interested. He’s there to cleanse Shinovar, whatever that might mean, and that’s his sole focus. So we know his planned arc, but we don’t know exactly what it will entail at this point.
I think it’s appropriate here to point out a notable thought he has as he’s searching for his parents’ homestead as the chapter opens:
The trick was to find the killers among you, those who subtract, and keep them properly contained and channeled.
Szeth thinks he himself needs to be properly contained and channeled. Basically, he thinks he needs to be told what to do. That didn’t work out so well for him when he carried his Oathstone, did it? But this line of thinking really shows us how he could use Dalinar as someone to follow and obey when leveling up in Oathbringer. He doesn’t trust himself (as he’s one who subtracts), so he must follow someone else who can direct his actions.
It seems that Szeth doesn’t exactly know what his quest in Shinovar will entail, and his nameless spren won’t tell him. Part of his arc, then, is to learn what he’s supposed to do to cleanse his homeland, and hope that it won’t involve killing anyone.
Part of his arc will also include, it would seem, repeated attempts by Kaladin to get Szeth to rethink some aspects of how he sees himself. Kaladin wants him to stop punishing himself for things that were out of his control, for instance. Szeth feels that those things should have been under his control and insists he’s still guilty. He’s going to give Kaladin quite the run for his money if Kaladin thinks that his therapy is going to do any good.
We get to see Nightblood talking a lot in this chapter, and it seems as if the sword who only wants to destroy evil is worried about having killed people that weren’t evil. It’s interesting to see Nightblood branching out in his conversations, and we find that he’s spoken to both Syl and Adolin in the past. I almost feel as if the sword is on the verge of having an existential crisis about having killed people so often.
I don’t want to kill, Szeth. It doesn’t feel like me.
Maybe Kaladin can be Nightblood’s therapist, too.
At this early stage of his own arc, Kaladin is trying to figure out how to help Szeth, how to help Ishar… all while not being involved in the fighting of the last days before the contest of champions. Syl is on a similar journey, trying to accept her new role and realize her desire to become a scribe.
Kaladin has tried to encourage Szeth to open up in different ways and tries again, here, by pointing out similarities between them. Szeth rejects the suggestion that they’re the same because Kaladin chose to be a killer, while becoming a killer was forced onto Szeth. And so we see just how difficult Kaladin’s task is going to be in trying to help Szeth, given his mental state. You can’t help someone who doesn’t want help, after all.
As we head into a flashback, “Correct Answers,” we pick up with young Szeth in the past once again, as he and the other shepherds of the valley are taking refuge at the base of the mountains, hoping to escape the raiders who had appeared that day.
We haven’t gotten more than a quick taste of Szeth’s flashbacks up to this point: He’s 11 years old, just trying to figure out how to determine what is right. At the end of the flashback he makes a conscious, deliberate choice to go find his sheep, Molli, who was missing from their flock. That choice, which is what the Farmer tells him separates people from animals, will set him on a new path.
Lyndsey’s Commentary
It’s pretty obvious that Taln, Herald of War, is here because this chapter has to do with soldiers and defending Azimir. Similarly, Jezrien’s presence can be explained by his protecting and leading attributes. It is also worthwhile to note the beginning of the deterioration of the chapter arches, which continues throughout the novel. What an incredible touch… It was so subtle that I didn’t even notice it during the preview chapters!
This one seems pretty cut and dried: Nale and Jezrien are here to represent their respective Radiants (Szeth and Kaladin).
Interesting choice of Heralds for this Szeth flashback chapter. Battah (Battar) is patron of the Elsecallers. Her attributes are Wise/Careful and her role is Counsellor. The Farmer is acting in this role for Szeth, but what are we to make of the inclusion of Ishi (Ishar), Herald of Luck, patron of the Bondsmiths? His attributes are Pious/Guiding and his role is Priest. Are we already seeing his influence in the background?
I’m including this artwork of the Oathgate Dome, as the layout will become rather important later in the book. As the reread goes on, I plan on adding some sketches to overlay it, in order to help visualize troop placements.
Colot
I don’t have much to note here on Colot, save to highlight his appearance as it relates to the beginning of his character arc. We’ve seen Colot before; most notably in Oathbringer, when he’s sent to join Bridge Four. As a lighteyes, Kaladin was initially disinclined to accept him. He is rejected as a Windrunner, but as we see in this book, he eventually finds a calling as one of Adolin’s Unoathed.
Maya
She had been changing quickly, ever since their visit to the tower. A living Urithiru appeared to have invigorated her, and had also somehow strengthened whatever was happening between them.
It’s nice to see an explanation (one might even say a lampshade) from the author as to Maya’s swift “regeneration.” I’m happy to see it, as her quest over the course of this book pays off with high dividends.
Adolin
Okay, first of all, I have to say… Adolin! In the immortal words of Edna Mode, NO CAPES! (But seriously keep wearing that cape, you fabulous fashionista, you.) I’m always happy, as a cosplayer, to see these little touches. They really help us to create more intricate and fun outfits, so thanks for that, Brandon. Adolin’s insistence on being well-dressed and fashionable is a thing I love about him. He’s actively subverting so many of the tropes associated with toxic masculinity, both in our own real-life culture and in Alethi culture. Interested in clothes and fashion? Check. Kind to his subjects and soldiers under his command? Check. Accepting and supportive of neurodivergent personality types, like Renarin and Kaladin? Check. Supportive and trusting of his wife and her wild plans, to the point of stepping back and supporting her decision to put herself in danger as she sees fit? Check.
I’ll be very interested to see if his eventual trauma and disability changes any of this about him, after the time skip.
…he couldn’t help but remember another grand city full of history and beauty. One he’d last seen from its Oathgate platform—witnessing as the palace fell, the walls crumbled, and the people screamed to him for help. He could still hear the soldiers shouting as they carried their wounded to join Adolin…
He’d abandoned his own troops.
[…]
It wasn’t merely victory that Adolin sought here, but redemption as well.
Oh, Adolin. It’s been fascinating to watch his character progression from The Way of Kings onward. The once-simple playboy soldier has gained so much depth and character complexity. Between this deeply felt guilt and his issues with his father, I’d say he now ranks up there with the Main Five in terms of depth.
It was something she’d whispered to him, even as he trained, even as Dalinar insisted Adolin become a soldier. Don’t just fight. Fight for something—something worthy of your heart.
This is probably part of why he and Kaladin get along so well. They have similar worldviews and personalities in this respect. Adolin cares so deeply for those around him, even those whom others might view as “lesser,” which puts him in a very similar boat as Kal.
Szeth
Szeth has always been a deep thinker, as we’re beginning to see in the flashback chapters. He has a tendency to sit and think very hard about societal expectations and how to act, and is uncomfortable with making decisions because he’s afraid of how they’ll be perceived. I wonder if we’re meant to see him as being on the autism spectrum like Renarin is. I don’t have a psychology degree so I’d be disinclined to try to diagnose him (especially without a Word of Brandon to corroborate), but some of his behaviors do seem to trend in that direction, especially in his flashbacks. If anyone would like to weigh in on this in the comments, I’d welcome some discussion on it!
I love that Szeth’s flashback ends with him making a choice that’s completely out of character for him. He does it out of love for Molli, and I’d wager that any of us with a beloved pet would do the same.
“Dancing doesn’t make anything or feed anyone.”
“Ah, you are young yet,” he said, “if you think that to sweeten a person’s life is not a form of feeding them.”
This is a really beautiful way of looking at art and what it can bring to a person’s life: Nourishment of the soul, rather than just nourishment of the body.
Nightblood
I don’t want to kill, Szeth. It doesn’t feel like me.
“Sword-nimi,” Szeth said, “you are, um, a sword.”
Adolin says swords don’t have to kill. They can just be beautiful works of art.
I have to say, Nightblood’s character progression was not something I expected coming into this novel, but I’m here for it. I love to see him questioning his creation and his role in the world, and seeing the beginnings of guilt come into play. When we first met him in Warbreaker, I never imagined he’d be anything other than a fun “thing,” without a varied and deep personality. As usual, Brandon’s thrown those expectations into the blender.
Kal and Syl
We’ve both spent far too much of our lives living for other people.”
“Me for the bridgemen. And you…for me, right?”
She nodded.
[…]
What did Kaladin want that was for him? The same challenge could be given to Syl.
I really love seeing this growth for them both. Living for others can be a good thing when you’re deep in a depressive state; it can help keep suicidal thoughts at bay, to live for something else. But once the curtain of depression begins to recede, you have to find your own path. And it’s fascinating to see both Kaladin and Syl coming at the same problem from different angles. Kaladin obviously was suffering from depression, but Syl? She had based her whole life around Kal out of necessity. He was the thing that drew her from the darkness, and so she clung to him, naturally. He was providing her with the link that led her to her sapience. But now that she’s reached the full depth of her personality, what is her reason for living?
Notes on Fashion
Ah, my favorite Stormlight subject! As a cosplayer of over 20 years and a historical costumer for Renaissance Faires, I adore seeing how Brandon utilizes fashion to broaden his world, and how he pulls inspiration from our own world in order to do so. My focus is primarily in Scottish, Irish, and British historical fashion so I can’t comment with authority on other cultures, but if you have knowledge in that area and would like to chime in in the comments, I’d love to learn more!
Two examples I noted this week—first, from chapter 34:
Their helms were marked with different patterns. Seemed to be family affiliations, judging by how each was different from his neighbor’s. But… knowing the Azish, this could also be a mark of how well they did in specific essays or tests to join the military.
Using patterns of fabric to designate tribes or families is certainly not a new concept, though usually it’s a bit more utilitarian. Tartan in Scotland, for instance, didn’t become markers of clans until the 19th century. Rather, the weavers in certain areas made specific designs, and the people who lived around that weaver all wore that same design, so it was a bit of a misunderstanding that the designs were linked to the clans themselves. (If you’re interested in the history of tartan, you can learn more here.)
I absolutely love the idea that the patterns might be tied to the Azish adherence to paperwork and tests, though. I hope that’s the case, because that would be an amazing bit of worldbuilding!
And then this, from Szeth’s flashback:
The girthy woman was dressed all in color, with a red skirt, blue sash, and yellow blouse. Dark, curly hair up in twin buns on her head, skirt parted at the front to show off another splash of yellow underneath.
I rather like this touch of allowing splashes of color to show through, as this is something that we see quite often in historical European fashion trends (look at the slashes in doublets in Henrician and Elizabethan fashion for a good example of this).
Drew’s Commentary: Invested Arts and Theories
You thought we were getting juicy lore in those preview chapters, didn’t you? Well buckle up, because there’s so much more to dig into on this reread!
Day Three opens with, of course, a new set of epigraphs:
The time has at last come for our stewardship to end.
Obviously, the passing of the Dawnshard was the first indication that this event was near. However, we find many other signs.
These seem to be written by the Sleepless, given their attitudes in the text that appears on the back cover of each Stormlight book, plus of course the insight we got in Dawnshard.
The Sleepless remain a bit of an enigma in these books. They’re certainly secretive, seem to be quite powerful—or at least quite capable—and have ulterior motives that we cannot yet fathom. They view Roshar through a sort of proprietary lens, and work to prevent the Dawnshards from becoming bigger problems for the Cosmere. But we still don’t know much of anything beyond that. One of them joined the Ghostbloods. There are factions. But what do all of these factions want? Where did they come from?
Hopefully some answers await in the coming epigraphs.
She had been changing quickly, ever since their visit to the tower. A living Urithiru appeared to have invigorated her, and had also somehow strengthened whatever was happening between them. She said the Light of the tower made her feel refreshed, and he felt her in his mind stronger now.
This is a potentially interesting tidbit, looking ahead to the events of Day Ten. Urithiru is still alive, but it’s isolated and locked down. I wonder if this obvious Connection with Maya and the other Unoathed spren will have any effect in the back half of the series.
If a human can’t judge good and evil though, Nightblood said, then how can a sword?
Let’s take a step back here. My job in these read-alongs is to talk about the lore of the magic, the theories, the way Investiture interacts with the story. This is a big character moment for Nightblood, but it’s also an indicator of a larger, magical, universal phenomenon in the Cosmere.
Investiture is the power, the fuel, of the many magics we see throughout the Cosmere. It’s also a potential conglomeration of entities, capable of developing sentience, thought, and volition. Investiture is flavored, and left alone for long enough, and in large enough quantities, it will develop its own personality and intelligence.
We’ve seen the beginnings of this on Sel, with the Dor. We’ve seen it more immediately here on Roshar, with the spren. But Nightblood is something different, right? Nightblood was created, was shaped by the hands and minds of Shashara and Vasher, given a Command and Intent: Destroy Evil.
But guess what? Nightblood has been doing its thing for a long time now. And Nightblood is really Invested. That Investiture has been, in its own way, growing and learning. Developing greater intelligence.
This isn’t just a character growth moment—it’s Sanderson telling us to keep an eye on the evolution of Investiture itself. Things as we know them may not be staying static as we move through hundreds of years into the future of the Cosmere.
See, like I said, Nightblood told them. He’d get along great with Vivenna!
Shipping counts as theorizing, right?
The end, the Wind whispered, blowing in the window. It fears… what could be… the end of all spren…
Upon rereading, these little moments with the Wind take on a much greater sense of doom. Roshar really won’t be the same again after Day Ten. The shape and form of Roshar—physically, cognitively, and spiritually—are fundamentally changed now. What will Shadesmar look like in Book Six?
“Wind, Stone, and Night,” Syl said. “From before humans arrived on Roshar. Few spren remember them, but there are old things here in Shinovar. Older than the gods themselves…”
There was a pretty big change in how we’re supposed to view the Invested Arts of Roshar, and even the gods, in Wind and Truth. For the longest time, it was Voidbinding from Odium, Surgebinding from Honor, and the Old Magic from Cultivation. The Parshendi had their old gods, but those were not these. The Wind, the Night, the Stone all predated the Shattering. Cultivation co-opted the Night to create the Nightwatcher and utilize the Old Magic.
(Which raises an interesting question, given what we know about Shards and Investiture: Why isn’t the color red associated with the Nightwatcher and the Old Magic? Was the Night Cultivation-flavored at the moment of the Shattering, so it was less co-opting/corrupting and more just laying claim to what was already hers?)
There’s not much of note in Szeth’s flashback chapter this week when it comes to Invested Arts, but that’s about to change soon. We have a whole new world opening up to us in Shinovar in the coming chapters.
Fan theories via Social Media
Nothing to see this first week, of course, but leave us lots of comments and theories that we can feature here next week!
We’ll be keeping an eye on the comment sections of posts about this article on various social media platforms and may include some of your comments/speculation (with attribution) on future weeks’ articles! Keep the conversation going, and PLEASE remember to spoiler-tag your comments on social media. See you next Monday with our next discussion article on chapters 37 to 39![end-mark]
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