Zephir is currently reading Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, Book 1

Daniel wants to read Walden or, Life in the Woods

Daniel wants to read The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

"Until now, I don't think I’d have ever used the term “betrayed� to describe how I feel about a book. But it exactly describes my sentiment towards Wind and Truth.

I’ve been a fan of the Stormlight Archive for several years now. I’ve loved each book in the series. Even Rhythm of War, which was (up to this point) the worst in the series, still reached some epic heights and proved more enjoyable on a second read. But Wind and Truth is a disappointment on virtually every level. Here are five reasons why (MINOR SPOILER WARNING):

1. Most of the book is an absolute slog to get through. The story takes place over the ten days leading up to Dalinar’s contest with Odium, but the really interesting stuff doesn't start until around the end of day eight. Almost everything up to that point consists of either unnecessary (and uninteresting) filler or some really awful storytelling. Sanderson also struggles to juggle all the different characters and story arcs he’s introduced over the course of the series, with some characters getting very little time, others being introduced quickly just before they become relevant, and others suddenly possessing abilities that haven’t been explicitly mentioned before. This is, without a doubt, the clunkiest and most bloated book in the series.

2. The characters all eventually stop sounding like characters and instead become mouthpieces for the avalanche of ideas that Sanderson wants to communicate about politics, religion, and morality. So much of the dialogue sounds unnatural, more like Sanderson is constantly preaching to the reader rather than preserving each character’s distinct voice and perspective.

3. Some of those views, unfortunately, include pandering to woke interest groups. Gay couples, trans characters, and non-binary characters all make appearances (including one gay couple that is featured prominently). Sanderson ensures the reader doesn’t miss the message being sent, as more than one gay character confidently proclaims: “There is no such thing as normal� (which, as a Christian, is something I couldn’t disagree with more). And all of these relationships and identities feel shoe-horned into the story; there is nothing natural about them (especially in a world that is engaged in a massive war and should be focused on other priorities).

4. The ending is completely unsatisfying as an ending. After all the buildup towards this moment - both over the course of the 1,200+ pages of the book as well as the series as a whole - Sanderson essentially kicks the can further down the road, failing to resolve most of the mounting tensions and conflicts. This was marketed as the “conclusion� to the first arc of the Stormlight Archive, but the ending feels more like a cheap cliffhanger intended to guarantee that readers come back for more whenever he gets around to writing the next one in about 10 years or so.

5. Finally, the biggest problem this book suffers is the therapy-driven mindset that permeates nearly every portion of it. Virtually every character has to sort through their “feelings� and experience some kind of inner journey of self-discovery IN THE MIDST OF A WAR OVER THE FATE OF THE PLANET. This is epitomized in Kaladin’s arc, which is literally focused on turning him from “Kaladin the warrior� into “Kaladin the therapist� (and yes, the word “therapist� is used explicitly, several times). Perhaps the worst result of this therapy-obsessed approach is the way it leads to the deconstruction of characters like Kaladin and Dalinar, whose journeys of self-discovery lead them to conclude that what were previously positive aspects of their characters (Kaladin’s drive to protect others, and Dalinar’s drive to lead and bear responsibility) are actually negative traits they need to either reject or radically change (i.e., Kaladin should live for himself first and foremost, and Dalinar should stop steamrolling over others� feelings or making decisions without their permission). It’s as if Sanderson suddenly got the cultural message that traditional masculinity is toxic and therefore tries to backtrack on these characters� more traditionally-masculine virtues (thereby emasculating both of them, especially Kaladin). It’s this undermining of what came before that disappointed me most of all about this book and why it feels like such a betrayal.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Sanderson’s work up to this point, it’s going to take a lot for me to ever get excited about a new Sanderson book again."