This is my reaction blog for Wind and Truth. Beware of spoilers! Index post here. 

Title: Hunting the Hunter
Shallan doing her infiltration. At a guess this is suggesting she gets caught/recognized and Mraize does his gentleman antagonist thing and compliments her before trying for murder. We’ll see. Hopefully the chapter sticks with her long enough to progress the ghostblood thing and not just take us to the next cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to seeing how she handles the challenge of Iyatil. Breaking up the povs like this is a little irksome, but the frequent cliffhangers probably wouldn't bother me as much if it weren't taking me so long to read this while taking notes. 

Icon: Battar
Probably the virtue of creativity since that’s what Shallan is exhibiting and will need to get out of her current predicament. Then again, last chapter’s Jez ended up being (probably) because they were talking about Stormfather and Honor, in the non-chapter-header POV. So for all I know this could indicate that Jasnah’s gonna show up and do elsecaller things in the second half. 

Epigraph: See, this is the introspective character I expect of Nohadon’s writings. “What’s the difference between abdication and desertion, and how am I like the blowing dust?” versus dictating a moral that we saw a couple chapters ago.

Nods are a good start, Shallan, but that hasn’t gotten you out of trouble yet. Now you’re in a huddle with both Scadrians. What next?

Pointing out a (fake) sighting of Sja-anat is also a good creative move. Iyatil’s reaction suggests that the ghostbloods weren’t expecting her right now, which calls into question how close this alliance currently is, and whether the unmade really was their contact earlier. 

And speak of the devil, Sja-anat is back for a conversation. 

Quote

“Thousands of years have proven [Odium] cares nothing for me or my children. Honor is a coward who always hated us. Destoyed us. Betrayed us. And all Cultivation does is watch.”

That’s pretty convincing, except that she can’t possibly have missed the change in vessel, who those thousands of years of evidence don’t apply to. Maybe she really is in it for herself, for escaping Roshar, but maybe she’s considering Vargo’s side now. I’m inclined to trust her words here, from a narrative perspective, but it really could go either way.

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“You should not fear my side, Shallan. You should embrace it. If there is room for my children, there will be room for yours.”

That is also a good argument. Notably, she says she’s trying to preserve a world (ostensibly Roshar) for her children, not flee it like I previously speculated.

That’s a simple and obvious solution that I didn’t even consider. If you paint half of the glass spheres encasing your gemstone chips you get directed lighting. Sweet.

Iyatil claims the trophy case as hers, which surprises Shallan. I’m not shocked myself, but it does make me wonder how much offworld travel Mraize has managed at this point. I was taking the trophies as evidence of his excursions but now I suspect he’s exaggerating how well-informed and experienced he is.

Sja-anat is indeed the spy that told them about the spiritual realm. She was tasked with “watching the Bondsmiths”

Iyatil and Mraize apparently have spren, specifically ones who “understand that realm.” I presume this means they got “enlightened” inkspren and are the Sja-Anat version of elsecallers now. Very curious to know what differences there are, not that we have much to base speculation on. Anyway, that explains the chapter icon.

Sja-anat says that the spiritual realm is inimical to the nature of mortals, and they stand a risk of being lost despite the guidance of her children. She also warns them against trying to ally with Mishram.

Mraize already has an anti-Light infused gem to kill Shallan with. I thought it would be harder to reproduce Navani’s breakthrough, but I guess the ghostbloods are experienced with manipulating Intent and disparate magic systems, and the vacuum tubes wouldn’t be too much of a hurdle for people of their resources.

Oh, Shallan suspects he just stole it. I guess that’s also a possibility.

Interesting that Iyatil confides in Aleen (Shallan) with her concerns about Mraize’s operation. It’s validating to me that she voices some of my own observations about how his approach differs from what we saw of the Scadrian chapter of the Ghostbloods, and echoes Felts own misgivings. The dissonance is real. But her friendship with Aleen and the trust to share those thoughts really stands out. 
Also, this push for Mishram is Iyatil’s pet project, distinct from Kelsier’s plan and from Mraize’s ambition. 

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“Once we find Mishram for my purposes, he will see. Master Thaidakar can only protect his land if the Shards can be controlled. Will this fit your plans as well?”

Aleen also has her own plans. I guess everybody does, but that people are open about using the ghostblood agenda for their own ends is more variety of purpose than I had imagined. Also, how about that big “control the Shards” bomb she dropped. That’s a Checkhov’s Cannon just ready to blow the crossover cosmere plotline to pieces.

And Shallan is discovered. She lasted impressively long!