It's been almost a year since I first heard and started reading the Stormlight Archives, two months since I restarted and devotedly read and wrote reviews on the individual books in the series.
This book, Dawnchant, is the second novella and the fifth book in the series, although it's numbered book 3.5 as the novella's aren't officially counted as main books.
Now there's only one book, Rhythm of War, left - at least untill Truth and Lies rumored December is released.
This novella, like the last one is set immediately after the happenings of its previous book and just before the next.
Just a minor reference about a minor -soon to be major- character that can't be fitted into an original book.
Dawnshard☀️
Plot
When a ghost ship is discovered, it's vanished crew is presumed dead after trying to reach the storm surrounded island of Akinah, Navani Kholin must send an expedition to ensure that the island hasn't fallen into enemy hands.
The problem is, Knight radiants who fly too near find their Stormlight suddenly drained, so the impossible voyage must be taken by sea.
The Wandersail is the ship for the job, but her owner, a merchant who lost the use of her legs in a deal accepts the quest for her own personal reason of saving her Larkin and to show she's a competent ship owner.
Regardless, Rysn soon realizes that the secrets of Akinah is something that numerous beings are after and the Dawnchant is a power that can tip the whole of Roshar into a state even more out of balance than it already is.
Rysn is a side character that has been seen in the interludes of the previous books, the scene that started this journey was even portrayed in the interludes of the last books, showing the ghost ship and crew before their demise upon reaching Akinah.
This book like its previous Novella talks about it's character of interest Rysn in detail.
We get to see how she thinks, how she plans and how she acts.
It's a lovely change of view from the normal list of characters we're used to and if the previous novella and preceding book shows anything, it tells us that Rysn would become more active in the story.
This book lacks the comical flare edgedancer had and instead helps slowly immerse us deeply into the happenings of the cosmere as it brings out another weapon apparently more precious than the shards.
The Dawnshard, something even more ancient than the shards and has been protected for centuries by larkins, monsters and other creatures, yet now it dwells in the mind of our young mistress Rysn.
What the book lacks in humor, it makes for in action though, as we get to see the great Lopen , bridge four's joker fight and speak the third ideal earning him his shardblade.
I know I said that there was no humor at first, but it's impossible that The Lopen is mentioned in this series and laughter wouldn't follow.
There's a scene where he was helping Rysn build some no legged jokes...
Reading em swept me off my feet.😂😂
These novellas are books meant to help further our understanding and bring us up to speed on the happenings before the next main book.
I believe its also meant to help increase pur curiousity of what's to come next and this book does that wondrously.
Huilo and Lopen have now spoken the 3rd Ideal and are full on Knights capable of getting their own squires, Rysn has the Dawnshard-an archaic obviously powerful new weapon- and Taravangian has made a deal with Odium.
I can't wait to open Rhythm of War and see what happens next...
Unsourced image is a screenshot of a page of the book and the header image was made using Canva
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