Dawnshard - Brandon Sanderson

Published by Titan Books: London, 2022.
Book 3.5 of 'The Stormlight Archive.' Preceded by 'Oathbringer.' Followed by 'Rhythm of War.'

Another spin-off novella, Dawnshard follows Rysn, a very minor character who has mostly appeared in 'Interlude' chapters until now. Paralysed from the waist down by an accident she suffered back in (I think) Words of Radiance, Rysn now has been given her own ship, and is eager to become a trading merchant like her mentor, despite her disability.

At the beginning of Dawnshard, Rysn's pet 'larkin' is sick, and she believes it can only be healed by travelling to the island it came from. Fortunately for her, Navani wants to hire a ship to go to that island, a mysterious and dangerous place that we know (from another interlude in Oathbringer) is being protected by mysterious and dangerous creatures.

Rysn is accompanied by a suspicious crew and a small group of radiants and ardents, of whom the most prominent is Lopen from Bridge Four. He provides the secondary point-of-view chapters.

I am surprised by the existence of this book far more than the previous novella, Edgedancer, because of how huge the ramifications of its storyline seem to be! There are some major plot points in this book that build off things hinted at in the main series, and I am surprised that Sanderson wanted them to pay off in a novella that some readers may not even choose to read at all!

Still, very enjoyable. I would love to see these characters again... and am sure that they will become more important as the main series continues. 

Completed 13 October 2024.



(Stormlight Archive Series)

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