Item from The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Weapons of immense power — dead spren frozen in blade form, summoned in ten heartbeats. They cut through anything except living flesh, which they sever the soul of instead.
Dead Shardblades are the corpses of spren who died during the Recreance, frozen in weapon form. They cut through stone, metal, and wood effortlessly but pass through living flesh without leaving a wound — instead severing the spiritual connection to whatever body part they touch, leaving it dead and useless. Ten heartbeats to summon, instant to dismiss. They are the most coveted weapons on Roshar, worth kingdoms. Living Shardblades are bonded spren who choose to take blade form — Syl becomes a spear or lance for Kaladin, Pattern becomes a blade for Shallan. Living Blades glow, shift shape, and don't require ten heartbeats. The distinction matters: dead Blades are tools taken from murdered spren, living Blades are partnerships.
Each blade is unique — six feet of silvery metal, impossibly thin and light, with intricate patterns etched into the surface. They appear from mist when summoned, and dismiss into vapor when released. Dead Shardblades cause eyes to burn when they manifest. Living Shardblades shift form at the wielder's will and glow with Stormlight.
Also known as: Shardblade, Shardblades, Blade