An assassin hunts a king; a slave becomes a knight; a storm that never ends begins.
Who drives the story
Former slave, now captain of the royal guard, a Windrunner who hates lighteyes and must protect a king he despises. Mortally wounded by his best friend, he speaks the Third Ideal and rises with Syl as his blade.
A noblewoman hiding a traumatic past behind wit and lies, whose Lightweaving grows as she infiltrates the Ghostbloods. She kills her mentor's assassin, finds her brother's blade on an enemy, and activates the Oathgate to Urithiru.
The Blackthorn, haunted by visions and cryptic warnings, trying to unite the highprinces and restore the Knights Radiant. Defeated by Szeth and lashed into the sky, he survives to bond the Stormfather as a Bondsmith.
The Assassin in White, banished for telling the truth about returning Radiants, enslaved by an Honorblade and his own oath. Meeting Kaladin shatters his justification; he discards the blade and falls into the Everstorm, then awakens to a new master, Nale.
The Parshendi Shardbearer who wanted peace with Dalinar but volunteered first for Stormform. The form consumes her, she seizes Narak, summons the Everstorm, and is defeated by Adolin, pushed into a chasm.
Dalinar's duelist son, betrothed to Shallan, who wins Shards in the arena and four-on-one in the chasm duels. Fed up with Sadeas's treachery, he murders him in an empty corridor and abandons his father's blade.
Kaladin's best friend, whose grandparents died through Roshone's cruelty blamed on Elhokar. He joins the regicide conspiracy and mortally wounds Kaladin, fleeing with knowledge of the Diagram.
Shallan's heretic mentor, who discovered Soulcasting and Shadesmar the night her father was assassinated. Presumed dead after the ship attack, she escaped into Shadesmar and is met by Hoid, who offers an alliance.
King of Kharbranth who traded for 'capacity' and wrote the Diagram on his smartest day, oscillating daily between genius and dullness. His machinations make him King of Jah Keved and put Moash's conspiracy in motion.
Also in the story
The Parshendi scholar who discovered Stormform and sold her council on it despite fears of Voidspren. Her discovery unleashes the Everstorm that will transform every parshman on Roshar.
How they are connected
Meeting Kaladin shatters his justification; he discards the blade and falls into the Everstorm, then awakens to a new master, Nale.
The Parshendi Shardbearer who wanted peace with Dalinar but volunteered first for Stormform.
The form consumes her, she seizes Narak, summons the Everstorm, and is defeated by Adolin, pushed into a chasm.
Dalinar's duelist son, betrothed to Shallan, who wins Shards in the arena and four-on-one in the chasm duels.
Dalinar's duelist son, betrothed to Shallan, who wins Shards in the arena and four-on-one in the chasm duels.
Kaladin's best friend, whose grandparents died through Roshone's cruelty blamed on Elhokar.
Shallan's heretic mentor, who discovered Soulcasting and Shadesmar the night her father was assassinated.
His machinations make him King of Jah Keved and put Moash's conspiracy in motion.
Go deeper
The cost of protection · Truth as a weapon and a wound · The enemy is people · Oaths bind both ways
Themes explainedThe full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.
Open the summary