Brandon Sanderson will have to perform a game-changing time jump soon with The Stormlight Archiveand he has already proven the best way to do this with Born from the mists. December 2024 will be a big month for Sanderson fans as The Stormlight Archive book 5, Wind and Truth, will be released. The series, which began with The Way of Kings in 2010, it is commonly considered the author’s masterpiece, despite not being his most read work. That claim to fame goes to the Born from the mists series, which has now progressed into two complete sagas across seven books.
Wind and Truth is the fifth volume of The Stormlight Archivea series that will be explored in two sagas of five books. 2020 Rhythm of War laid the groundwork for the final volume, with a climactic contest of champions between Dalinar and Odium, representing the opposing forces of good and evil. After the climactic ending of the fifth book, readers should expect a time jump that will change the setting of events in Roshar.setting up the world for the remaining five novels.
Mistborn made major worldbuilding changes after 300-year time jump
Mistborn performed one of the most impressive time jumps in fantasy Born from the mists Era 2 is the perfect combination of new and familiar material
Brandon Sanderson accomplished something unusual for popular fantasy novels with Born from the mists. The “Acknowledgments” section of book 4, The League of Lawexplains that Sanderson “wanted to move away from the idea of fantasy worlds as static places, where millennia would pass and technology would never change.” Three hundred years is a huge leap for a story, leaving readers with minimal characters and narrative elements of the world they recognize and love. While Born from the mists Era 2 is probably not as strong as the original trilogy, the time jump works in its favor.
First, it is essential to explain why this transition works so well. With the Cosmere book universe spanning such a vast area of time and space, the stories must be continually dynamic. Sanderson’s goal is to craft a fantasy epic that far exceeds the tastes of The Wheel of Time in scale, covering a variety of genres and narrative aesthetics while maintaining an overarching story. Although Sanderson had already kept the Cosmere engaged in different worlds, the time jump between Born from the mists Eras 1 and 2 are the first time he proved he could keep things engaging over time.
Born from the mists Era 2 is the perfect blend of new and familiar material, allowing room for nostalgia while maintaining momentum in the overarching narrative. The characters may not be that attractive, but Age 2 shows that Sanderson’s mastery of world-building and magical systems can flow naturally through time. Now, he will be tasked with a similar challenge going forward with The Stormlight Archive.
How long will the Stormlight Archive time jump last?
The Stormlight Archive has a much shorter time jump
Although nothing is set in stone, Brandon Sanderson previously stated that the time jump between books 5 and 6 of The Stormlight Archive it will be ten years. Of course, this is not as big as Born of the Mists jump, which saw its world completely renewed between the novels. Ten years could still be significant, depending Wind and Truth result. With five books still to go and such a crucial climax coming up, theories surrounding the novel suggest that the book ends with a loss for Dalinar and humanity on Roshar.
A defeat at the hands of Odium could result in an immediate and stark contrast in the world shown in book 6. However, the main goal should not be to make as many changes as possible; should be to display significant changes. For example, in Born from the mists In Era 2, changes in world government and the urban landscape are intended to demonstrate a new form of oppression centuries after the end of the Lord Ruler’s forced oppression of the Ska. In Era 2, corruption and oppression are hidden beneath a veil of public image and propaganda, creating valuable thematic depth.
Rhythm Of War has already started to show changes in Roshar
Stormlight Archive Book 6 Needs to Show Literal and Thematic Changes
RHYTHM OF WAR by Michael Whelan
Brandon Sanderson has already laid the groundwork for Stormlight Archive the time jump changes throughout the series. THE The world of Roshar has changed drastically with the return of the Radiant Knightand for Rhythm of Warengineers combined magic and technology to develop an aircraft. There’s plenty of room in the Fabrial devices for Sanderson to continue making drastic technological leaps after book 5, and this is an area in which readers should expect tangible changes.
In terms of tonal shift, The Stormlight Archive book 6 will likely see some drastic changes one way or another. It’s hard to predict what they will be without having read Wind and Truthbut the series wouldn’t be split into two arcs if there wasn’t a recognizable change. Similar to how Born of the Mists the time jump allows for new thematic exploration, The Stormlight Archive will have to keep its material fresh and dynamic with new perspectives on the series’ key underlying messages, possibly re-examining Dalinar and Taravangian ideologies in the aftermath.