Introduction/Chapter 1

[Ryne]

It's important to note that this series is a continuation of an enormous galaxy where each world's inhabitants have different methods of using the three realms (physical, cognitive, spiritual) to create magic. It generally follows the rules of thermodynamics, and with the variance between worlds the depth is breathtaking.


To get everyone up-to-date on major celestial happenings, an all-powerful deity-like being called Adonalsium was shattered into 16 shards, each providing a unique aspect of magic depending on which world they are interacting with.

With the Stormlight Archive, it's incredibly important to pay attention to the epigraphs, or introductory sentences/phrases/poems that precede each chapter. With some assistance from the wiki (https://coppermind.net/wik) as needed, they spell out a whole mess of behind-the-scenes action or historical references.


Prologue:

We get Jasnah's point of view during the peace celebration in which the king was murdered, which started these Crusades of the Alethi vs the Parshendi. Our assassin in white makes an appearance, and we also are introduced to Nale and Ash, who will be more involved as the series goes on.

Chapter 1:

We're back with Shallan and Jasnah at sea, and I know how dull a lot of the studying part can be, but it's of utmost importance to begin to understand the depth and connection of the cognitive realm in Roshar. We've never dived this deep into the theory of magic before regarding this realm, so it's really unraveling some of the mystery and enigma in the Cosmere (the universe in which this takes place). We get more rumblings of "Knights Radiant" and additional foreshadowing of Shallan's magical powers.