Words of Radiance: Book Two of the Stormlight Archive
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Words of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, continues the immersive fantasy epic that The Way of Kings began.
Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.
The Assassin, Szeth, is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.
Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
● The Way of Kings
● Words of Radiance
● Edgedancer (novella)
● Oathbringer
● Dawnshard (novella)
● Rhythm of War
The Mistborn Saga
The Original Trilogy
● Mistborn
● The Well of Ascension
● The Hero of Ages
Wax and Wayne
● The Alloy of Law
● Shadows of Self
● The Bands of Mourning
● The Lost Metal
Other Cosmere novels
● Elantris
● Warbreaker
● Tress of the Emerald Sea
● Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
● The Sunlit Man
Collection
● Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
● Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
● The Scrivener's Bones
● The Knights of Crystallia
● The Shattered Lens
● The Dark Talent
● Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (with Janci Patterson)
Other novels
● The Rithmatist
● Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds
● The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
Other books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
● Steelheart
● Firefight
● Calamity
Skyward
● Skyward
● Starsight
● Cytonic
● Skyward Flight (with Janci Patterson)
● Defiant
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Community Reviews
I finished this book in just about a month last year, but have just realized I never wrote a review for it in the midst of moving house!
My only record of discussing this book was me sending this image to some friends:
Funnily, I think it's a very accurate depiction of how I felt about this book, which is why it's not a 5. I definitely feel like Shallan and Kaladin shined much more in this book, and I began my journey of familiarizing myself with the characters here in Words of Radiance, which made Oathbringer SO much more impactful. I will just say that if this ENTIRE SERIES was just from the perspective of Shallan, I would still read it and like it, maybe even more than I do now. WoR sits somewhere between a 3.5 and 4.5 for me, as I think you can feel for the entire thing that it's building to something great, but you just have to keep waiting... for over 1000 pages. That's how I remember it now anyways, 4 months later.
My only record of discussing this book was me sending this image to some friends:
Funnily, I think it's a very accurate depiction of how I felt about this book, which is why it's not a 5. I definitely feel like Shallan and Kaladin shined much more in this book, and I began my journey of familiarizing myself with the characters here in Words of Radiance, which made Oathbringer SO much more impactful. I will just say that if this ENTIRE SERIES was just from the perspective of Shallan, I would still read it and like it, maybe even more than I do now. WoR sits somewhere between a 3.5 and 4.5 for me, as I think you can feel for the entire thing that it's building to something great, but you just have to keep waiting... for over 1000 pages. That's how I remember it now anyways, 4 months later.
Brandon Sanderson's first novel in the Stormlight Archive series was nothing short of amazing. The world he set up, the characters, everything about it was amazingly well thought out and a great read altogether. Going into Words of Radiance (book 2 in the series) I was nervous about the Sophomore Slump a lot of authors go through and wasn't expecting to be wowed like I was with the first book. Boy was I wrong...
The story continues what was amazing about the first novel - well thought out characters reacting to a vicious and deadly world with a hint of magic (or something else you're not quite sure of yet.) Characters will become more powerful and there is a big surprise at the end that will leave you wanting a whole lot more from the series. I have never finished a book and immediately wished the author would hurry up with the second quite like I did with this one.
If you enjoyed the first book, reading this one is a no brainer. It's better in every way and the story is about to become turbo charged as the events prophesied in the first book are beginning to take place. If you haven't read the first book, start there because this is a series and meant to be enjoyed in order. You'll thank me later once you do!
The story continues what was amazing about the first novel - well thought out characters reacting to a vicious and deadly world with a hint of magic (or something else you're not quite sure of yet.) Characters will become more powerful and there is a big surprise at the end that will leave you wanting a whole lot more from the series. I have never finished a book and immediately wished the author would hurry up with the second quite like I did with this one.
If you enjoyed the first book, reading this one is a no brainer. It's better in every way and the story is about to become turbo charged as the events prophesied in the first book are beginning to take place. If you haven't read the first book, start there because this is a series and meant to be enjoyed in order. You'll thank me later once you do!
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