Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is about to release the fifth novel inThe Stormlight Archive, the epic saga that is at the heart of his multiverse. As with any time aStormlightbook is on the way, conversations about how the series deserves to be a TV series are reaching a fever pitch.The potentially record-breakingWind and Truthcould do much to elevate those discussions of bringingthe entirety of the Cosmere universeinto live-action.
Soon to consist of five novels, three novellas, and several essays expanding on the Cosmere’s extensive magic system — and five more novels on the way —The Stormlight Archiveis a fantasy series that combines epic battles, internecine politics, and existential angst into a story that clearly shows why Sanderson is continually one of the biggest names in fantasy. Discussions about a TV adaptation ofStormlighthave drawn comparisons withGame of Thrones, butStormlighthas an advantage over the older seriesthat, if handled correctly, could translate to a series premiere that would enshrine it as one of the greatest fantasy sagas ever released.
A Stormlight Archive TV Show Would Kick Off With A Huge Battle Right At The Beginning
An In Media Res Opening Sequence That Is Equal Parts Shakespeare And Final Fantasy
The Way of Kings, the first book inThe Stormlight Archive,kicks off with a back-to-back-to-back set of explosive chaptersthat quickly immerse the reader in the scale of the conflicts that have shaped the world of Roshar. The opening Prelude of the novel immediately drops us into the aftermath of a nearly apocalyptic battlefield, with massive monstrous corpses piled high as an enigmatic group of heroes, the Heralds, discuss abandoning their oaths and leave their mighty magical swords embedded in the bare rock of the desolate battlefield.
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The next chapter, the Prologue, catapults us 4500 years ahead to see Szeth-son-son-Vallano, an assassin, infiltrate a celebration held by King Gavilar of Alethkar, who is welcoming delegates from the non-human Parshendi. Szeth possesses powers that Gavilar’s guards cannot withstand, andhe shatters the evening’s joy with overwhelming violence, slaughtering Gavliar before he disappears into the night.
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Finally, the first proper chapter of the novel introduces us to a young man named Kaladin, the leader of a group of ordinary soldiers who is venerated by his men for his skill at protecting them. As they are thrown into battle, they come up against a Shardbearer, a warrior clad in near-impenetrable Shardplate and bearing a soul-killing Shardblade, and through Kaladin’s leadership they manage to slay the Shardbearer, althoughthis winds up having consequences Kaladin could never have predicted.
Shards are powerful relics on Roshar, the remaining equipment of the legendary Knights Radiant who abandoned their duties ages ago. Shardplate is a kind of armored suit fueled by Stormlight, a magical energy harvested from the great storms that sweep across Roshar, and is nearly invulnerable to normal weapons. Shardblades are massive swords that can cut through matter like it isn’t even there. Instead of damaging flesh, though, they kill the soul; a limb cut with a Shardblade becomes grey and limp, while someone whose spine or head is sliced through dies almost immediately, their eyes burning away into smoke.
This unrelenting chain of action sequences leaves a new reader dizzy with excitement. No matter how a TV adaptation might shift the course of these events for pacing, it could easily start with any of these spectacular action sequences andshowcase the phenomenal potential ofThe Stormlight Archiveas the usurper toGame of Thrones' legacy.
Even Game Of Thrones Didn’t Have Epic Action Right From Season 1
Game Of Thrones' Ominous Prologue Is Overshadowed By The Show Transitioning Straight Into Court Politics
WhileGame of Thronesis generally considered to have been one of the best fantasy TV series (aside from its abysmally-received final season), there’s no denying thatthe beginning of the show had pacing best compared to spilled molasses in Winterfell. Although the opening of the show provides an exciting thrill, with a group of the Night’s Watch on patrol being wiped out by White Walkers, the significance of that moment is left as a mystery for some time.
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The majority ofGame of Thrones' entire first season is concerned with how the Stark family is dragged unwillingly into the worst of Westerosi politics, and viewers quickly learn that any character with even a hint of a conscience is doomed in the face of King Joffrey’s manic bloodlust. While critical reception of the season was generally positive, there’s no question thatit takes several episodes forGame of Thronesto build any kind of dramatic tension, never mind that we don’t even get to see any dragons until the very closing moments of the final episode.
While political drama can be exciting, there’s a fine line to walk between using it to create slow-burning tension and letting it dampen any other excitement
While political drama can be exciting, there’s a fine line to walk between using it to create slow-burning tension and letting it dampen any other excitement (as in the cautionary tale ofStar Wars: The Phantom Menace).The Stormlight Archiveis certainly full of political intrigue, particularly as the Alethi nobles scheme for power in the aftermath of King Gavliar’s death, but it succeeds in finding a balance in no small part because,in the world of Roshar, it is those same politicians and nobles who are on the front lines of the war, wielding their mighty Shardblades.
Adapting The Stormlight Archive’s Opening Battle Comes With 1 Big Challenge
Massive Cavalry Charges And Giant Magical Swords Make For A Daunting Effects Budget
The main challenge aStormlightTV adaptation faces is the sheer scope of the show, particularly the battle sequences. The Prelude’s battlefield is littered with the corpses of thirty-foot-tall stone monsters, the Prologue has Szeth ignoring the laws of gravity as he slaughters Gavliar’s guards, and then the first chapter is set amidst a cavalry skirmish that would be right at home inThe Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. All that combines intoa daunting amount of visual effects for any show, let alone one based on a novel series that is still outside the mainstream.
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Still, visual effects budgets are what major streaming platforms are all about these days, so whatever network picks upThe Stormlight Archive, hopefully they will understand that the show’s success will hinge on just how much viewers' jaws drop at the first sight of a Shardblade, or when Dalinar Kholin and his son Adolin defeat the kaiju-like chasmfiend, or when Kaladin earns the name Stormblessed. Until any news breaks, fans will still be content with devouringWind and Truthwhen it releases on December 6.
The Stormlight Archive
The Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson, set on the storm-ravaged world of Roshar. The series follows multiple characters, each with their unique storylines, as they navigate political intrigue, ancient prophecies, and powerful magic. Central to the story are the Knights Radiant, legendary warriors with magical abilities who must return to save their world from impending destruction. The series explores themes of honor, leadership, and the burden of power.
