Drawing in this "stormlight" energy from gemstones is what fuels the magical talismans of priest-wizards - gem encrusted gloves called Soulcasters - that convert matter into another form, such as stone into grain.

Because all highstorms come from the eastern ocean and travel west, the western side of rocks and mountains harbor plant and animal life.

Suffering from pain will cause red painspren to appear around the wound, and giving a noble, heartfelt speech or completing a hard task will have gloryspren of golden, twinkling lights form a halo around the head of the speaker.

Szeth, a Shin man cast out by his people and condemned to obey his constantly changing masters, is sent to assassinate the king of one of the world's most powerful nations, Alethkar.

Six years later, Kaladin, a dark-eyed Alethi villager with a burning hatred for light-eyed nobles, and trained in his youth as a surgeon by his father, volunteers to go to war for the army of a local lord named Meridas Amaram, to protect his brother, Tien, on the field of battle.

However, he rejects the Shardblade and Shardplate, fearing the person he may become, and is then betrayed by Brightlord Amaram, who takes the treasure for himself and brands Kaladin a slave to hide the theft.

After numerous escape attempts, Kaladin is later branded as a deserter and is forced into service as a Bridgeman - a soldier who helps carry massives bridges for an Alethi army battling the Parshendi on the Shattered Plains.

Having felt depressed about his past failures, Kaladin decides to cast himself off a cliff to end his life until Syl returns and convinces him to continue his efforts to protect the Bridgemen.

Meanwhile, Shallan, a minor light-eyed Veden whose family's inheritance is in danger, hatches a scheme to switch a broken Soulcaster (a device that allows the user the power of transmutation) with a working one belonging to Jasnah Kholin, sister of the Alethi King Elhokar.

During a hunt for a Chasmfiend - a massive creature whose hearts can be used as a resource - Elhokar's saddle suddenly breaks, causing him to fall to the ground before getting crushed, only surviving due to his Shardplate and a heroic rescue by Dalinar.

Kaladin is full of despair and intends to commit suicide by jumping into a chasm, but Syl helps him rediscover his oath to save lives and gives him hope.

Kaladin makes a deal with Gaz, giving him a portion of his meager pay, and spends the rest on medical supplies and food for injured bridgemen.

Gaz assigns Bridge Four to chasm duty where they might recover remnants of scraps of armor, spheres, and weapons while evading predatory chasmfiends.

Kaladin and fellow bridgeman Rock decide to provide a stew for the night which wins over the rest of the bridge crew by fostering comradery.

After he accidentally ruins a battle by using a creative new bridge tactic, he is beaten violently and left outside during a high storm to die under Sadeas' orders.

Kaladin begins to lose hope again, but, with Syl's and Teft's encouragement, he decides to secretly train the bridge crew to fight with the spear.

Shallan begins to grow paranoid while drawing, when she accidentally discovers strange creatures, invisible to the human eye but appearing around her in her sketches.

Shallan is frustrated by her inability to use the soulcaster until, in a state of panic brought on by the invisible creatures in her sketches, she accidentally transmutes a goblet into blood.

As a result of his unlikely survival from the Highstorm, Kaladin begins to discover that he possesses the Surgebinding ability that grants him enhanced strength, speed, and healing every time he consumes Stormlight from spheres.

During a gala, Wit plans to depart in secret and privately informs Dalinar that Sadeas is announcing the results of his investigation into the broken saddle.

Overcoming his desire to escape with his crew, and remembering the Radient's first ideal and his father's words about honor and saving lives, Kaladin decides to attempt a daring rescue of Dalinar's army.

As Bridge Four continue their rescue mission, Kaladin goes unconscious and remembers the loss of his brother Tien during their first major battle in Amoram's army.

With the power of Surgebinding and Bridge Four's aid, Kaladin cuts a path through the Parshendi forces, allowing the Kholin army to retreat, albeit gravely weakened.

Jasnah's father, King Gavilar, had started researching their origins when he had encountered the Parshendi in the Shattered Plains, surprised by the existence of a culture of warrior Parshmen and concerned that the whole of humanity's servant class could turn against them.

Kaladin, in exchange for time to accomplish his goals, promises to train his bridgemen well and even begins to entertain the idea of teaching Surgebinding to some of his men.

Much to Szeth's horror, Taravangian explains that he was recording their dying words, prophetic visions about the past Desolations and the upcoming cataclysm Roshar will face.

Desiring to remove the existing rulers to rebuild a more stable governing foundation, Taravangian orders Szeth to kill Dalinar Kholin before he can unite the Alethi Highprinces.

The visions Dalinar has been seeing are echoes the Almighty sent out before His death to warn Roshar that the Everstorm is coming, an event capable of destroying the world.

[30] The website SFReviews.net gave the book a mixed review, praising Sanderson's writing and creativity, but criticizing its extreme length and overall dearth of action.

Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings epics, every fantasy fan worth their salt must read and be familiar with.