The Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series by author Brandon Sanderson. It is one of the core series in his Cosmere, an interconnected narrative universe in which the majority of his published works take place. In this article, we’ll give a relatively spoiler-free summary of what the series is about, offer some spoiler-y summaries for folks who want a refresher on books they already read, and cover all the basic need-to-know Stormlight Archive info.
This is a living document, and will be updated regularly as more Cosmere content is released. If you have any questions or suggestions, please drop us a line in the comments at the bottom of the page! If you’re looking for something specific, hit the Contents button to more easily navigate the article.
Summary – What is Stormlight Archive About?
Spoiler free — as much as a summary can be, anyway.
The Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series set during a tumultuous time in the planet of Roshar’s history, as told from the perspective of multiple characters. A war of vengeance rages on the Shattered Plains, where Kaladin the slave’s caravan is currently headed. Already at the Plains is Dalinar Kholin, a highlord who made his name as a vicious general and warrior, but now questions the wisdom of a protracted conflict. Shallan is a young woman from a noble house, who seeks a wardship under the notorious heretic and scholar Jasnah Kholin, in the hope that it will save her family. The magic of the ancient Knights Radiant is a thing of the past, and besides, people denounce them for their betrayal of mankind. Yet there are rumors that the ancient Oaths may be spoken once again…
Books
There are a total of 10 planned books in the Stormlight Archive. Currently, 4 have been published, along with 2 novellas.
Published
- [1] The Way of Kings
- [2] Words of Radiance
- [2.5] Edgedancer
- [3] Oathbringer
- [3.5] Dawnshard
- [4] Rhythm of War
Book 5, Wind and Truth, is set to release December 6th, 2024. Brandon Sanderson has stated he will take a break from writing Stormlight books after Book 5, but that he will return to the series later to write the final 5 books.
Book Summaries
The following summaries contain major spoilers, and are meant as a refresher for people who have already read the books. They are as short as they can be while containing all of the most relevant plot points. Some subplots are left out, except where they directly affect the main narrative.
Characters
The Stormlight Archive is known for the strength of its characters. Notably, many characters exhibit symptoms of specific real life mental health issues or neurodivergences; Brandon Sanderson goes to great lengths to consult with people that have the condition(s) in question when writing these characters.
Main Characters
Each of the Stormlight Archive books focus on a single character — while these characters may not dominate the book’s page count, the “main” character is the one whose flashbacks we see. Brandon Sanderson has given a list for the main character of each published and planned book:
- [1] The Way of Kings – Kalidan
- [2] Words of Radiance – Shallan
- [2.5] Edgedancer – Lift
- [3] Oathbringer – Dalinar
- [3.5] Dawnshard – Rysn
- [4] Rhythm of War – Eshonai
- [5] Wind and Truth – Szeth
- [6] Untitled – Lift
- [7] Untitled – Renarin
- [8] Untitled – Shalash
- [9] Untitled – Taln
- [10] Untitled – Jasnah
The original planned focus characters for books 2 and 3 were Dalinar and Szeth, respectively, so the main characters of volumes 6-10 are not set it stone.
Other Characters
As an epic fantasy series, Stormlight Archive is chock full of characters. Excluding the main characters, every character with more than one chapter written from their point of view is listed below:
- Adolin Kholin – 63 chapters
- Navani Kholin – 49 chapters
- Venli – 47 chapters
- Lift – 25 chapters
- Szeth – 21 chapters
- Rysn Ftori – 20 chapters
- Eshonai – 16 chapters
- Teft -14 chapters
- Lopen – 12 chapters
- Moash – 12 chapters
- Taravangian – 11 chapters
- Renarin Kholin – 8 chapters
- Rlain – 6 chapters
- Torol Sadeas – 5 chapters
- Wit – 4 chapters
- Shalash – 4 chapters
- Lirin – 2 chapters
- Adin – 2 chapters
- Gaz – 2 chapters
Minor Characters
The following characters have one chapter from their perspective. It is worth noting here that Rock and Sigzil are both important characters, with Rock set to get his own novella, and Sigzil having his own book in Sunlit Man.
- Rock
- Sigzil
- Cenn
- Skar
- Kaza
- Ym
- Syl
- Lhan
- Dabbid
- Axies the Collector
- Hauka
- Ishikk
- Ellista
- Hesina
- Geranid
- Sja-anat
- Yalb
- Balat Davar
- Kalak
- Baxil
- Mem
- Meridas Amaram
- Chiri-Chiri
- Talenel
- Nikliasorm
- Yanagawn
- Sheler
- Puuli
- Lezian
- Zahel
- Palona
Setting
The Stormlight Archives takes place in the Roshar System, mainly on the planet of Roshar. Roshar is shaped by its frequent highstorms, which originate in the ocean to the east and sweep westward across the single continent, influencing both its ecology and culture. The eastern regions are harsh and barren, home to tough flora and fauna that seek shelter between rocks or in shells. By contrast, Shinovar in the far west is shielded by mountains and experiences milder storms, and so supports plant and animal life similar to Earth’s. Human settlements are designed to protect against the storms by reinforcing the eastern sides of structures.
Roshar is home to a diverse range of cultures, from the warlike Alethi in the east to the pacifist Shin in the west, with nations like Azir known for their complex bureaucracy and the Reshi isles for their laid-back lifestyle. Vorinism, a dominant religion in eastern Roshar, values light eye colors as a mark of status, dictates that women cover their left hands, and teaches that glory is given to the Almighty through pursuit of one’s Calling. The Heralds, ten servants of the Almighty, are revered across the planet.
Magic
In the interest of avoiding spoilers for the books — how the magic works on Roshar is revealed as part of the narrative — we’ll instead just list topics here. If you want to learn more about a specific aspect of the magic on Roshar, give a topic a click!
- Stormlight [WIP]
- Shards [WIP]
- Shardblades [WIP]
- Spren