The Stormlight Archive is a high fantasy novel series written by American author Brandon Sanderson, planned to consist of ten novels. As of 2024, the series comprises five published novels and two novellas, set within Sanderson's broader Cosmere universe. The first novel, The Way of Kings, was published on August 31, 2010. The second novel, Words of Radiance, was published on March 4, 2014 and debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List. This was repeated by Oathbringer (released November 14, 2017) and Rhythm of War (released November 17, 2020). The fifth novel, Wind and Truth, was released December 6, 2024. Sanderson has indicated that he will start drafting the latter half of the series after he finishes writing the upcoming Era Three Mistborn trilogy and the two Elantris sequels. The series has been adapted as a VR Experience and a tabletop roleplaying game.
Publication history Sanderson completed the first draft of The Way of Kings in 2003, and initially referred to it as being part of a prospective series titled The Oathshards Series. The first draft of the manuscript was among over a dozen books written by Sanderson before his debut publication Elantris (2005). Six chapters of this early version were included in the anthology Altered Perceptions (2014) and the original version of the book remains available on the author's official website.
The published book is significantly different from the original manuscript because of a substantial rewrite prior to its 2010 publication. From June to August 2010, Tor Books published sample chapters from The Way of Kings on its official website, along with an introduction by Sanderson. In its first week of release, The Way of Kings was No. 7 on The New York Times Best Seller list.
In October 2010, Sanderson indicated that he planned to release the second book in the series in 2012, approximately two years after the release of the first book, as he was occupied in the interim writing A Memory of Light, the final book of The Wheel of Time. This would be followed by the release of the third book about a year later. However, after completing the first draft of A Memory of Light, Sanderson said the book would be pushed back to a 2014 release. The second book was initially titled Highprince of War, but after refocusing the book on a different character, Sanderson tentatively titled it The Book of Endless Pages before eventually settling on Words of Radiance.
Before the release of the third book, Sanderson publicly revealed several chapters in blog posts, conventions, and publication in an anthology. The first draft of the book was finished on December 9, 2016, and the book, titled Oathbringer, was released on November 14, 2017.
The first draft of the fourth book was completed in December 2019. The title, Rhythm of War, was announced on the Tor website on February 10, 2020, and the cover was revealed six months later. The book was finished in July 2020. In a Facebook post, the author said that the final word count was "roughly 460,000" words, the length of Oathbringer, and the book would have 112 chapters, plus differently numbered interludes, prologue, and epilogue. Rhythm of War was published on November 17, 2020.
The fifth book was first announced in January 2022. It was initially titled Knights of Wind and Truth but was later shortened to Wind and Truth. The first draft was finished in December 2023 and the book was published December 6, 2024. At 491,000 words, it is currently the longest book in the series.
Books # Title HardcoverPages PaperbackPages Chapters Words Audio PublicationDate Character Focus 1 The Way of Kings 1,001 1,258 75 383,38945h 34m August 31, 2010 Kaladin Stormblessed 2 Words of Radiance 1,080 1,328 89 399,43148h 14m March 4, 2014 Shallan Davar2.5Edgedancer (novella)2722040,6666h 26mNovember 22, 2016Lift 3 Oathbringer 1,233 1,243 122 451,912 55h 02m November 14, 2017 Dalinar Kholin3.5Dawnshard (novella)2902156,2827h 10mNovember 5, 2020Rysn Ftori 4 Rhythm of War 1,232 1,296117 455,891 57h 26m November 17, 2020Venli and Eshonai4.5Horneater (novella)forthcomingLunamor/"Rock" 5 Wind and Truth 1,344 1,329 147 491,00062h 48m December 6, 2024 Szeth-son-son-VallanoTotal 6,452 6,454 591 2,278,571 282h 40m 2010–present
Ten books are planned in the series, which is split into two sets of five books each. Sanderson described the planned story arc of the second set of five books as a "sequel" to the first set, with some appearances of characters from the first set. The biggest time skip in the series will occur between the fifth and sixth books.
As of 2020, two novellas have been published. The first novella, Edgedancer, features the character Lift and is set between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer. Edgedancer was originally published in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection in 2016. A standalone edition of Edgedancer was published on October 17, 2017. The second novella, Dawnshard, features the characters Rysn and Lopen and was published in November 2020. It takes place in the one-year gap between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War.
Short works Two short stories were released as part of Story Deck, a set of collectible cards released in 2024 by Dragonsteel. Both were based on cut concepts from the development of Words of Radiance. In 2025, the two stories were bundled together and released as a single volume on the Dragonsteel website. Sanderson has suggested that Elsecaller in particular could be expanded into a novella one day but that this is not currently planned.
Elsecaller, by Sanderson and Dan Wells, adapts a cut section from Words of Radiance in which Jasnah travels Shadesmar. Lopen the First of Alethkar, by Sanderson and Isaac Stewart, details Lopen's brief stint as king amidst the assassination attempts on Elhokar.
Major characters Kaladin Stormblessed – A surgeon apprentice who became a talented soldier, but got betrayed and enslaved. With Dalinar's help, he becomes the leader of the Order of Windrunners. He is bonded to an honorspren named Sylphrena. Szeth-son-son-Vallano – Known as the Assassin in White, Szeth was honor-bound to serve his masters, even if it meant killing numerous rulers. He later learns that his punishment was unfair and becomes a member of the Order of Skybreakers. Shallan Davar – A minor noble with dissociative identity disorder. She is a scholar and an artist, who becomes a spy and the leader of the Order of Lightweavers. She is bonded to a cryptic named Pattern. Dalinar Kholin – A general and nobleman, striving to be a better man by following the codes of war. He becomes a Bondsmith after bonding with the Stormfather and the leader of the Knights Radiant. Adolin Kholin – Dalinar's firstborn son, who is also a nobleman and highly skilled duelist. Navani Kholin – An inventor, noblewoman and scholar. She was married to Gavilar until he passed. She later becomes a Bondsmith, after bonding with the Sibling. Jasnah Kholin – A scholar and noted atheist who becomes Queen of the nation of Alethkar. She is a member of the Order of Elsecallers, bonded to an inkspren named Ivory. Renarin Kholin – Dalinar's second-born son, a nobleman bonded to a corrupted mistspren named Glys, making him a member of the Order of Truthwatchers, as well as giving him the ability to see the future. Eshonai – A Listener Shardbearer who is among the first to contact humans. She is later killed in battle by Adolin. Venli – A Listener scholar. She bonds a lightspren named Timbre and becomes a member of the Order of Willshapers. Lift – A young thief and member of the Order of Edgedancers. She is bonded to a cultivationspren named Wyndle. Rlain – A Listener and former soldier under Kaladin. He bonds a corrupted mistspren named Tumi. Moash, later known as Vyre – a talented warrior who becomes a friend of Kaladin, but later betrays him, not being able to forgive the nobles. Taravangian – The king of the nation of Kharbranth who was cursed to have his intelligence and empathy to fluctuate massively. He plays a dangerous game with Rayse, apparent arch-villain of the series, and supplants him in this role. Taln – A Herald who was abandoned by his peers to be tortured for 4500 years; who lost his mind, but never broke. Wit, also known as Hoid – An interplanetary traveler who initially appears as a jester, but later proves to be powerful, ancient, and the archenemy of Odium. Gavilar – The first King of the Alethi and a powerful warrior. Odium – A god of emotion, primarily rage. Honor – A god of oaths, his essence creating the Heralds and Stormlight
Setting The Stormlight Archive is set on the planet Roshar in Sanderson's Cosmere universe. The planet's single supercontinent is regularly scoured by "highstorms", extremely powerful thunderstorms which carry a magical substance called Stormlight. Stormlight can be trapped inside gemstones. The devastating effects of the highstorms shape Roshar's ecology, leading to a landscape dominated by bare rock and flora and fauna adapted to withstand the powerful storms.
Prior to the series' beginning, a number of world-spanning wars called Devastations were fought against an enemy called the Voidbringers. Humanity was led in these wars by ten mythical demigod-like warriors called Heralds. The books take place 4,500 years after the final Desolation, where the Heralds claimed the Voidbringers had been defeated forever.
In addition to humans, the planet is inhabited by a humanoid species called singers. At the start of the series, the singers have been stripped of most of their sapience, and live as slaves called "parshmen". Roshar also plays host to a wide variety of spirits called spren. Spren are attracted to emotions and natural phenomena. Some spren, those associated with "higher concepts," are sapient. These spren can form a symbiotic bond with humans, granting them magic powers known as Surgebinding. The Knights Radiant were an order of ancient Surgebinders who fought during the Desolations.
Plot summary
The Way of Kings
Kaladin is betrayed and enslaved after capturing a Shardblade and Shardplate, respectively a magical sword and armor. He is forced to carry a bridge to allow troops to cross chasms in the face of enemy arrows, and attempts to improve the lives of his bridgemen. He gains magical powers linked to the Knights Radiant. Dalinar attempts to unite his nation's nobility due to a command he hears in visions. Kaladin saves Dalinar and his army from a betrayal, and Dalinar frees him and his men at the cost of Dalinar's Shardblade. Shallan becomes Jasnah's student to steal her Soulcaster, a magical device, but is beset by visions of mysterious spren. After stealing it, Shallan learns it is a fake and Jasnah herself possesses magical abilities.
Words of Radiance
A countdown (secretly written by Renarin) appears in the Kholin palace. Jasnah betroths Shallan to Adolin and is then assassinated and her ship sunk. Shallan is shipwrecked and forced to use her Lightweaver powers and do spy work to survive. Kaladin commands the Kholin guard and wrestles between loyalty to the Kholins and to Moash, who wants to kill Elhokar Kholin to avenge his family. Kaladin ultimately sides with the Kholins. He also defends Dalinar from Szeth. Dalinar launches a final assault against the Listeners but is defeated when they summon a new storm. Shallan teleports the Kholin army away.
Oathbringer