Includes minor SPOILERS for Wind and Truth
The Stormlight Archive’sWind and Truthhas more Cosmere connections than any Brandon Sanderson book so far, reminding readers of a long-awaited sequel. The American author has expanded hisCosmere fantasy universesinceElantriswas published in 2005, including multiple ongoing series and standalone titles.MistbornandThe Stormlight Archiveare the two primary sequences in the Cosmere, butthe author has ensured that fans will also be returning to other long-standing worlds, including those of Elantris and Warbreaker.
Wind and Truth’sstory was packed withCosmere cameos and referencesto other novels, affirming that it’s more important than ever to be reading all the stories in Sanderson’s connected universe. For those who are only interested inThe Stormlight ArchiveorMistborn, as examples, these character connections generally haven’t been story-damaging to those who haven’t caught up on other books, but they’re becoming increasingly prevalent and can occasionally be a source of confusion.
The Stormlight Archive’s Warbreaker References Explained
There Are Warbreaker Characters On Roshar
The Stormlight Archive has had multiple ties to Warbreaker dating back to Words of Radiance. There are three prominent characters on Roshar who come from the planet Nalthis. This includes Vasher (known as Zahel on Roshar), Vivenna (known as Azure on Roshar), and the sentient sword Nightblood, which accompanies Szeth on his quest inWind and Truth.Zahel and Nightblood joinedThe Stormlight ArchiveinWords of Radiance, while Azure became prominent inOathbringerduring Kaladin, Adolin, and Shallan’s mission to Kholinar, following Elhokar’s death.
Wind and Truthsaw Zahel kept in imprisonment in Urithiru, only to be rescued by Lift. He’s the swordmaster who’s trained Adolin and Kaladin, and he’s agreed to make Lift his next apprentice, ensuring that she’ll be a scary warrior by the time readers return to Roshar. Nightblood has accompanied Szeth for a few books now, and the Assassin in White wasn’t the only character to experience growth during his pilgrimage. Nightblood also grew with the help of Kaladin’s “therapy” and remained with Szeth after the ending.
Warbreaker 2 Has Been Titled “Nightblood”
Brandon Sanderson Has Revealed Some Story Details
Brandon Sanderson is regarded for being open with his readers about the status of his novels, and he’s commonly shared his thoughts on theWarbreakersequel. The working title for the novel isNightblood, with thesequel intended to be centered around Vasher, Vivenna, and Nightblood, the three characters whose stories might also pick up inThe Stormlight Archive’ssecond sequence. This book wouldn’t focus much on other notable characters like Siri and Susebron but would instead replace them with new characters from Nalthis.
Nightbloodwould examine how Vasher and Nightblood made it to Roshar, with the novel apparently happening just beforeThe Way of Kings
Importantly, for those who are fans of the Cosmere,Nightbloodwould examine how Vasher and Nightblood made it to Roshar, with the novel apparently happening just beforeThe Way of Kings. As of now, these are all just ideas and notes that Sanderson has graciously shared with fans on his podcast, book signings, and more, meaning they could be subject to changes if he begins writing the book. Given these characters' increasing role inThe Stormlight Archive,it seems important to demonstrate how they got to Roshar.
The Stormlight Archive’s Biggest Cosmere Question Is Still Unanswered After Wind And Truth
The Stormlight Archive’s fifth volume answered several major questions, but it also left one crucial Cosmere character’s motivations unclear.
Is Warbreaker 2 Going To Happen?
Warbreaker 2 Probably Won’t Happen This Decade
Brandon Sanderson’s upcoming booksinclude a wave of Cosmere titles to fill out the rest of the decade. Between 2028 and 2030, fans of his expansive universe will not only get three moreMistbornbooks but also two long-awaitedElantrissequels. With thoseElantrissequels finally having expected release dates, however, it raises the question about aWarbreakersequel, which iscurrently in Sanderson’s indefinite Cosmere backlog. Other projects like theWhite Sandnovelization and the nextStormlight Archivenovella are still waiting on updates as well, butWarbreaker 2is still likely several years away.
Isles of the Emberdark
Stormlight Archive 6
December 2031
In 2018,Brandon Sanderson described theWarbreakersequel as the “most in jeopardy"of not being written among the many Cosmere books he has planned.The Stormlight Archiveisn’t meant to continue until 2031, and with the amount of novels he has to write before that, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to squeeze inWarbreaker. That’s not to say it can’t happen sometime in the 2030s, but it’s almost certainly not going to happen until then. Sanderson is regarded for his writing speed, but he’s already got seven Cosmere books to work on over the next six years.
