Why "The Stormlight Archive?" (Spoilers)

[Finallity]

What exactly is the reason behind the naming of this work of art? Brandon used the whole "Mistborn" naming very creatively ( ), so I think it's very probable that this series title may also have importance.

My theory:  With the highstorms rumored to be a kind of left over of The Almighty's power, and highstorms are used to infuse gems with stormlight, is it also safe to assume that stormlight is a physical representation of The Almighty? I believe so! 

I believe this series to be about The Almighty.

There, I said it.  It's a bold move to guess at the main subject this early on, but if you think about it, it would make sense.  I'm not saying it's about him as the protagonist, just indirectly, and about his influence in the story and how his power affects the characters lives.

Anyway, I think he'll play a marginally bigger role than might be assumed. The time is now yours to discuss, dissect, and discredit.  ;D

[Ryan]

Brandon has said that one of his goals for the series is to show the invention of magic

[luminos]

I'm not sure where I saw this, so please don't call my bluff on this one, but I seem to recall from some distant past that the title of the series refers to an actual in universe collection of writings called The Stormlight Archive.

[Link Von Kelsier Harvey]

Well, The Way of Kings is an actual in universe book, so it's possible.  There's a chance you're confusing the two.  Then again, if anyone can find a source for that, that sounds like a pretty awesome possibility.

[Emeralis00]

I agree with Ryan.  I think it is sort of like a set of history books.

[Kykeon]

The Source of storms is the body of the almighty that -like a vulcano- periodically (but not regularly) releases energy in the form of Highstorms whose essence is the Stormlight.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

You know, if you think about it "The Highprince of War", what might be the name of the next book, sounds like the title of a biography, doesn't it?  It might be that the names of all the books in the series are of actual in-world documents that together could be called the Stormlight Archive.  Just throwing that out there.

[Link Von Kelsier Harvey]

You know, if you think about it "The Highprince of War", what might be the name of the next book, sounds like the title of a biography, doesn't it?  It might be that the names of all the books in the series are of actual in-world documents that together could be called the Stormlight Archive.  Just throwing that out there.

Which would be awesome.

[Deano Stormblessed]

The Highprince of War, a document dictating the powers and responsibilities of the Highprince of War? Sounds like it would fit Dalinar perfectly.

[Ipood]

He could have it written.

[Zas678]

If you read the back cover, it seems to have been written by a historian.

Oh! Random idea. What if it is Shen? What if he remembers everything that goes on, than someday, when he comes alive, writes it all down?

Here is the back flap-

"I long for the days before the Last Desolation.

The age before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. A time when there was still magic in the world and honor in the hearts of men.

The world became ours, and we lost it. Nothing, it appears, is more challenging to the souls of men than victory itself.

Or was that victory an illusion all along? Did our enemies realize that the harder they fought, the stronger we resisted? Perhaps they saw that the heat and the hammer only make for a better grade of sword. But ignore the steel long enough, and it will eventually rust away.

There are four whom we watch. The first is the surgeon, forced to put aside healing to become a soldier in the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a murderer who weeps as he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar's mantle over the heart of a thief. The last is the highprince, a warlord whose eyes have opened to the past as his thirst for battle wanes.

The world can change. Surgebinding and Shardwielding can return; the magics of ancient days can become ours again. These four people are key.

One of them may redeem us.

And one of them will destroy us."

It's interesting. This is someone who knows about the times before the Last Desolation, but it is someone who considers himself part of Roshar. He's informed and a native (which seems to eliminate Hoid).

[Deano Stormblessed]

I think thats a good idea.

Maybe each book has a title that refers to an ancient in-world book (e.g. The Way of Kings) while the series (i.e. The Stormlight Archive) refers to the volume written to cover the events of the Last Desolation.

[Zas678]

Do you mean the True Desolation? That's the name the Almighty uses about what's coming, while the Last Desolation seems to be when the Heralds abandoned man.

[Deano Stormblessed]

Do you mean the True Desolation? That's the name the Almighty uses about what's coming, while the Last Desolation seems to be when the Heralds abandoned man.

Yeah sorry, i don't have a copy of the book with me, and its been so long since i last read it.

[happyman]

If you read the back cover, it seems to have been written by a historian.

Oh! Random idea. What if it is Shen? What if he remembers everything that goes on, than someday, when he comes alive, writes it all down?

Here is the back flap-

"I long for the days before the Last Desolation.

The age before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. A time when there was still magic in the world and honor in the hearts of men.

The world became ours, and we lost it. Nothing, it appears, is more challenging to the souls of men than victory itself.

Or was that victory an illusion all along? Did our enemies realize that the harder they fought, the stronger we resisted? Perhaps they saw that the heat and the hammer only make for a better grade of sword. But ignore the steel long enough, and it will eventually rust away.

There are four whom we watch. The first is the surgeon, forced to put aside healing to become a soldier in the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a murderer who weeps as he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar's mantle over the heart of a thief. The last is the highprince, a warlord whose eyes have opened to the past as his thirst for battle wanes.

The world can change. Surgebinding and Shardwielding can return; the magics of ancient days can become ours again. These four people are key.

One of them may redeem us.

And one of them will destroy us."

It's interesting. This is someone who knows about the times before the Last Desolation, but it is someone who considers himself part of Roshar. He's informed and a native (which seems to eliminate Hoid).

Actually, these are really good points.

Somebody in-world almost certainly wrote that document, and it's wasn't any of the viewpoint characters so far.  It's the wrong perspective for Hoid, too.

So are we now looking for another functionally immortal person, this one native to Roshar?  Dang.  Well, at least we know what to look for now.

[Deano Stormblessed]

I think its either Taln or Kalak. Less likely is Jezrien (is that the correct spelling?).

[Zas678]

Except that he refers to the Heralds in the third person. It's "the heralds abandoned us" not "I abandoned them." This person seems to be an observer, and less of a leader.

I also don't think that he has to be immortal. I think that he has an accurate representation of the past, and seems to wish for that "golden age" to come again. Maybe it's someone from some secret society like the Keepers.

[CrazyRioter]

Maybe it's somebody from one of those  groups like Teft's family, I remember Sizgil mentioning that there were other groups like that.

Of course that begs the question as to whether any of those groups has the resources to keep an eye on all four protagonists mentioned.....

[Zas678]

Or maybe it is Teft. Except he got beaten down, hopeless, waiting for the Stormblessed to appear. But now he's writing (or staying in contact with) some organization.

[Ryan]

My best guess is that it's written from the point of view of a sentient spren. Spren seem to be immortal, or at least extremely long-lived, as evidenced by Syl's eventual recollection of the days of the Knights Radiant. They seem to be keeping an eye on the four key players, as evidenced by the symbol-heads watching Shallan and Syl finding Kaladin. They would have an intimate knowledge of the magics of Roshar, would feel the loss of those magics as acutely as any human, and would feel betrayed by Radiants and Heralds both when they called it quits.

AFAICT, nothing in the text contradicts this theory. I don't know if there's a lot that supports it, but I can't think of anyone else that fits.

[lordofsoup]

The question is where the Highstorms and all types of spren around 4500 years ago when the Heralds deserted mankind?  Talenel would know. 

Shen reminds me of Human from Mistborn

[FeatherWriter]

I don't know about Teft. Rereading, there seems to be a lot more to him than meets the eye, but I don't really feel the scholar/write a book vibe from him. I like the idea that it's Shen. That'd be a really fun twist.

[Earendil]

I'm not sure where I saw this, so please don't call my bluff on this one, but I seem to recall from some distant past that the title of the series refers to an actual in universe collection of writings called The Stormlight Archive.

I don't know (for certain) anything concrete, but if you read the caption to the map of the warcamps, there's some good evidence for this. I'll add quotes once I'm back at my copy of TWoK.

[Never]

The Source of storms is the body of the almighty that -like a vulcano- periodically (but not regularly) releases energy in the form of Highstorms whose essence is the Stormlight.

The Almighty has a terrible cold and it's him sneezing up a storm.

[CrazyRioter]

The Almighty has a terrible cold and it's him sneezing up a storm.