The Stormlight Archive #3.5
Dawnshard
by Brandon Sanderson
When a ghost ship is discovered, its crew presumed dead after trying to reach the storm-shrouded island Akinah, Navani Kholin must send an expedition to make sure the island hasn’t fallen into enemy hands. Knights Radiant who fly too near find their Stormlight suddenly drained, so the voyage must be by sea. Shipowner Rysn Ftori lost the use of her legs but gained the companionship of Chiri-Chiri, a Stormlight-ingesting winged larkin, a species once thought extinct. Now Rysn’s pet is ill, and any hope for Chiri-Chiri’s recovery can be found only at the ancestral home of the larkin: Akinah. With the help of Lopen, the formerly one-armed Windrunner, Rysn must accept Navani’s quest and sail into the perilous storm from which no one has returned alive. If the crew cannot uncover the secrets of the hidden island city before the wrath of its ancient guardians falls upon them, the fate of Roshar and the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.
Overview
Dawnshard is a novella bridging Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, originally released as a Kickstarter reward before wider publication.
Rysn Ftori, the wheelchair-using merchant we’ve followed through interludes since The Way of Kings, takes center stage. She’s tasked with leading a dangerous expedition to Akinah, a remote island in the Aimian Sea that has been off-limits for centuries. The island holds something ancient and powerful — a Dawnshard, one of the primordial Commands that shaped the Cosmere itself.
Joined by Lopen, the one-armed Windrunner with an endless supply of jokes and cousins, Rysn must navigate treacherous seas, ancient guardians, and a power that could change the nature of magic itself.
Themes
- Disability and capability — Rysn’s journey redefines strength without erasing her reality
- The weight of deep lore — Cosmere secrets with universe-altering implications
- Unlikely heroes — Not every important mission needs a Knight Radiant at the helm
Why Read It
A smaller-scale adventure with outsized implications for the broader Cosmere saga. Rysn is a refreshing protagonist — pragmatic, determined, and navigating a world not built for her. The Dawnshard concept itself is one of the most significant lore reveals Sanderson has delivered.
“The question is not whether you can change the world. The question is whether you should.”