Words of Radiance

reviews.metaphorosis.com

4 stars

Human war with the Parshendi continues, complicated by human greed, the Parshendi's own mysterious motives, and the gradual reappearance of legendary, sometimes forbidden powers.

I haven't read Brandon Sanderson's continuation of the Robert Jordan Eye of Time series; I lost interest in Eye of Time around book 7, and have never seen much reason to go back. Still, around halfway through Words of Radiance, I found myself thinking that Sanderson, with his great imagination, logical magic, and amazing productivity, was the kind of writer that could make a really vast series work. By the end of the book, I wasn't so sure.

I give credit to Sanderson for originality - the stone and crab-based nature of the Stormlight world is intriguingly different from the usual fantasy. But there are some areas where the resemblance to other writers is strong. The lead character is Kaladin, something of a perfectionist - so much so, in fact, that many of the passages in the book brought to mind Lerris, the hero of L.E. Modesitt's The Magic of Recluce. Insistence of doing things properly is, of course, a credible character trait. The way Sanderson approaches it, however, is too similar to Modesitt's to be interesting. A character called ‘Wit' is in many ways similar to Robin Hobb's Fool.

One of Sanderson's core methods is to define a magic system, and then follow it to its logical consequences. That's attractive in that the magic is thought out, and usually makes a certain kind of sense. In this book, however, Sanderson seems to lose track of the fact that the magic supports the story, not the other way around. Much as I love magic systems, I grew a bit bored with mechanical recitations of “this trait plus that one equals this one”, even when presented as in-world discovery. Sanderson's decision to attach tables of equivalence as an appendix, while surely interesting for some, only exacerbated the formulaic feel of the magic for me. As the series goes on, there are also getting to be too many technology analogues for this to fit comfortably in the true fantasy genre. Good fantasy is about imagining new things, not translating cameras and fax machines into a fantasy setting. Some of the language (e.g., ‘deal with your issues') also has a jarringly modern feel.

At the same time, the rest of the book is interesting, active, and offers enough discovery and interesting characters to be a surprisingly quick read (for an 1,100 word book). As in book one, there are lots of characters, but they're generally easy to distinguish and follow. Some of the supernatural elements get a bit vague, but seeing as it's Sanderson, we know there's a system in there somewhere, and he's not just pulling it out of a hat.

One of the surprises for me was the really humorous wordplay between some characters, and in particular from Shallan. It's often understated, but if you pay attention, it can be very, very funny. While I've seen some Sanderson humor before, this is the first time I've thought of him as a humorist - a category that he fills remarkably well, even within the context of a massive epic fantasy. Sadly, where Sanderson experiments with poetry or song, in the chapter epigraphs, he falls far short of his prose skills. The epigraphs, while marginally interesting, introduce so many names that they are more confusing than helpful. The occasional tirade (there's notable one about audience expectations) falls flat.

There are more illustrations in this volume, and many of them are good, as in the last book. I was disappointed to see that the illustrators followed the current MMORPG trend for ridiculously large and elaborate weapons. To be fair, though, that's backed up by the text, so perhaps Sanderson's to blame. What happened to the days when a sword was just a sword, without flames, spikes, and a blade the size of a castle?

All in all, a worthy continuation of the series, but one that's losing a bit of its magic. Still worth following, but I do see a heightened risk that the series will founder and become droppable before it's over.

What to say about this tome?

I LOVED IT.

Truly epic. Thank goodness Sanderson is a prolific writer, as I don't think I could wait for a long for the next!

Sanderson dà vita a un mondo pieno di vita, misterioso e interessante per le sue stranezze. Ritorniamo a Roshar, dopo tre anni dall'uscita de La Via dei Re. La guerra nelle Pianure Infrante continua, prendendo una nuova e decisiva svolta.
Il POV di Shallan cambia radicalmente, da risultare a volte noioso nel precedente capitolo, prende un ritmo definito e incalzante. Grazie a importanti colpi di scena, Shallan matura e prende carattere, il libro è incentrato su questo personaggio, perciò come è successo per Kaladin nel precedente libro, questo romanzo viene farcito da flashback su una giovane Shallan e la sua famiglia, grazie a questi viene approfondito il personaggio, e si intrecciano le vite dei personaggi. Purtroppo le sue battute rimangono pessime, più che ridere fanno piangere, e personalmente il suo atteggiamento altezzoso, non mi fa sopportare il personaggio.
Il POV di Kaladin risulta quello più intrigante, da semplice guardia del corpo, prende una posizione rilevante negli eventi delle Pianure Infrante, e le scene di azioni con lui protagonista non mancano di certo, duelli e combattimenti descritti minuziosamente, come se li vedessi in prima persona. L'ansia e l'adrenalina derivanti dalle scene d'azione, ti costringono a rimanere attaccato alla lettura. Il ponte quattro viene messo in secondo piano, ma anche loro rimangono sempre divertenti e simpatici, anche se la loro unità e la fedeltà verso il capitano viene messa a durissima prova.
Il POV di Dalinar rimane interessante, anche se messo in secondo piano per dare più spazio al figlio, Adolin. Il ritmo rimane stabile, non ci sono grandissimi colpi di scena, oltre a un misterioso messaggio. Adolin viene approfondito, da arrogante, presuntuoso e perfettino che era nel libro precedente, viene messo in luce sul suo vero volto, la sua umanità e le sue debolezze. Adolin+Kaladin Ship.
Vengono aggiunti nuovi interludi, alcuni pure autoconclusivi.
Questi punti di vista arricchiscono il mondo di Roshar, e introducono interessanti personaggi, magari presenti anche in futuri libri.
Resta Arguzia, forse il mio personaggio preferito, che ci salva dalle orribili battute di Shallan, grazie ai suoi rari discorsi filosofici e alla sua offensiva arguzia. Un personaggio incredibile, forse un jolly della serie, misterioso e non riesci a far altro che provare ammirazione e simpatia per lui.
E' indubbiamente un romanzo di mezzo e di evoluzione, la trama porta importanti svolte alla storyline, tanto che sicuramente il prossimo capitolo non porterà più i canoni dei due precedenti.
La bravura di Sanderson è quella di immergerti veramente in un mondo incredibile, ricco e vivo. Questo è uno di quei libri, come il precedente, in cui ti perdi sempre qualcosa dalla trama e una volta finito, oltre alla soddisfazione, ti deprimi e ti chiedi perché non poteva durare più a lungo. Perché una volta che vieni ritratto da Shallan, una volta che fai parte di Ponte Quattro, una volta che vieni quasi ucciso da un assassino silente, non ne puoi fare a meno. E ti arrabbi, quando vedi che la tua vita si basa su una menzogna. Sei felice quando tutto è finito, e sei così leggero, come se potessi volare. Sei vivo quando hai la forza di rialzarti anche se non c'è più speranza.
Non vedo l'ora di respirare di nuovo l'atmosfera di questo mondo.

“I don't talk to myself because I'm crazy.”
“No?”
“I do it because I'm awesome.”
-Lift

Loved this book!! Highly recommended to anyone that enjoys some epic fantasy!
Need mmoooooorrreee...

What is the best book I'v ever read? Well there is this very close competition between Words of Radiance & Storm of Swords. Both of these books are perfect. Although I think Storm of Swords is a more sophisticated book but Words of Radiance is the most intense book I've ever read. I hope next books in these series break this damn tie.

A few shaky parts and the new flash back scenes were harder to get used to than I thought they'd be, but overall a strong second book. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

I can't remember the last time I have lived and breathed an epic fantasy book like I did this one. The kind of book that makes you marvel at the imaginative world between the pages and fall irrevocably in love with its characters. You laugh with them, cry with them and think about them long after you closed the covers of the book. It's been a long time since I was so engrossed in a series that I put everything on hold, including sleep to keep reading, keep delving further in with nerves on edge and emotions running high. Thank you Brandon Sanderson for writing such an epic book, unique book.
I really loved the overall feeling that although bad things happen and although the world may be crashing down around the characters, there are still those who want to stand up for what is good, and what is right. It is done so rarely these days in fantasy. Everything is doom and gloom and grey. Where are the heroes - flawed though they are - the ones who want to stand up against wrongs and strive to be better themselves. I had forgotten how good it feels to to be inspired by characters whose flaws may be prominent, but their ultimate decision to fight for good is truly awe-inspiring.
If you've felt that reading fantasy has gotten rather dull, then I encourage you to give this one a try - it reminded me so much of why I loved fantasy in the first place and really gives the fantasy genre the boost it needs to become more than just a medieval romp through magicsville and become something else entirely. I will be waiting impatiently for the next volume and in the meantime I intend to wade my way through all of Sanderson's works.

This series has become one of my favorites. I play a table top RPG called Exalted, which I love, and this series reminds me so much of it. Such a rich, deep world with the typical complexity that Sanderson brings to his work.

I actually had a few “fist pump” moments while reading this.

Weeks after reading this all I still want to do is talk about it.

Felt a bit long and plodding. Some cool character developments that felt like they should have happened hundreds and hundreds of pages earlier. Overall it was enjoyable but nowhere near as good as the first book in the series. The end is great and sets up some potentially awesome story arcs for the next book or two. The duel in the middle of book was fun (but the rules seemed really contrived). Chop out 200 pages of blah and I would have given this book 5 stars

Ok so, this series is awesome! (tho Mistborn is still my favourite)But I've got to say, this book was a bit confusing and had too many tangled lines throughout.I don't know if it was the fact that I listened to it on audiobook instead of reading it, but I got a little lost with all the different factions involved, and the fact that you don't really know what the hell they want or why!Of course a lot of it is explained in the ending, but even more questions arise .Also, can I say SPOILER ALERT: Sadeas just dies like that?!? Really?! I mean, don't get me wrong, he's an asshole and I'm glad he died, but I was hoping for a bit more humiliation and confession and kick-ass from the good guys! Anyway...As usual, Sanderson's magic systems are pretty cool and the worldbuilding is awesomely epic!I still prefer the first book in this series ([b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945]) but this one definitely left me yearning for the final one!!

Ok so, this series is awesome! (tho Mistborn is still my favourite)But I've got to say, this book was a bit confusing and had too many tangled lines throughout.I don't know if it was the fact that I listened to it on audiobook instead of reading it, but I got a little lost with all the different factions involved, and the fact that you don't really know what the hell they want or why!Of course a lot of it is explained in the ending, but even more questions arise .Also, can I say SPOILER ALERT: Sadeas just dies like that?!? Really?! I mean, don't get me wrong, he's an asshole and I'm glad he died, but I was hoping for a bit more humiliation and confession and kick-ass from the good guys! Anyway...As usual, Sanderson's magic systems are pretty cool and the worldbuilding is awesomely epic!I still prefer the first book in this series ([b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945]) but this one definitely left me yearning for the final one!!

One of the most difficult things a writer writing a series of novels has to do is to make sure that the succeeding books in the series either meet, or exceed, the expectations set by the previous books in the series. From the reader???s perspective, this should come easily enough to the writer, who ought to know where the series begins and ends and how to get from Point A to Point Z, but that???s not always the case. A lot of series suffer from ???middle book syndrome???: the tendency for the middle book in a trilogy to be weaker than either the first or the third book. Since writers are writing longer and longer series, though, it???s becoming clear that any book in a series can suffer from middle book syndrome, whether it???s the fourth or the fifth and so forth. Sometimes it can last for more than one book.

This isn???t to say that middle book syndrome is an absolutely terrible thing; it???s just something that one, as a reader, has to deal with and accept if one is reading a series. Some writers manage it better than others - a handful of my favourites seem to roll with it just fine, without really sacrificing overall quality.

But then there are the few - the very, very few, it sometimes seems - who seem capable of avoiding it altogether. One of those is Ursula Le Guin, whose Earthsea Quartet does not seem to suffer from the above issue, slow and gradual and achingly beautiful though the development is. Another is Lev Grossman: in no way does the The Magician King the second book in his Magicians series, feel like anything ???less??? than what he accomplished in the first book, The Magicians.

And then there???s Brandon Sanderson, whose Mistborn Trilogy had books that went from strength to strength, concluding in the massive fireworks of the third book, Mistborn: The Hero of Ages. Since that introduction to his work I???ve come to the conclusion that Sanderson doesn???t do ???small-scale??? very well, since the other one-shot of his that I???ve read, Warbreaker, felt too large for its boundaries (which he???s chosen to rectify by writing a sequel).

So what would happen if Sanderson was given, say, the space of ten books in which to tell a story? After all, that???s the projected number of books for what I believe is his magnum opus, The Stormlight Archive. The first book, The Way of Kings, was an amazing read, if slow - but that???s forgivable, when one has a story that will take ten entire books to tell. But would Sanderson be able to hold the amazing energy he???s launched in that novel all the way down to the last novel? Would he be able to avoid middle book syndrome completely?

Words of Radiance, the second book in The Stormlight Archive, is still too early in the series to show for sure if that???s the case, but it does indicate some very, very promising things about the series further down the line.

The novel picks up almost immediately where The Way of Kings left off, following the assorted point-of-view characters as their lives continue after what happened in the first novel. Kaladin is now a captain of the Cobalt Guard, bodyguards for Dalinar Kholin and his sons, Adolin and Renarin. Meanwhile, Dalinar has triumphed in being made Highprince of War, and is now preparing to face his visions and make them into reality. In the meantime, Shallan is making her way to the Shattered Plains with her mentor, Jasnah Kholin, all the while trying to learn about her abilities so she can help Jasnah in the latter???s quest to find the city of Urithiru, and to find a way to stall the coming storm.But that relative peace doesn???t last. Kaladin finds himself constantly mired in the past, which brings him into conflict with his spren companion, Syl. Shallan, in the meantime, is forced to make her own way to the Shattered Plains after a terrible event occurs, and along the way pieces together the past she???s forced herself to forget. As for Dalinar Kholin and his sons, uniting the Alethi highprinces is far more difficult than they could have imagined, especially since Highprince Sadeas is actively working against them.

Like The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance is a long read. However, unlike The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance moves at a far faster clip - or at least, it felt that way to me. I attribute this to the fact that there???s more action and less setup in this novel, though there???s still plenty of setup going on. It just feels like that setup is occurring more as an integral part of the plot, helping it move along instead of existing in order to help the reader settle into the world.

In a way, I feel like The Way of Kings is a very large, book-length prologue, a way of introducing the reader to the world of Roshar and the characters they will be following for the rest of the series. Words of Radiance, then, is the ???true??? start of The Stormlight Archive, in that the conflict hinted at in The Way of Kings is well and truly ignited in Words of Radiance.

Which then begs the question: was The Way of Kings necessary? To that I say: yes, very much so. While it???s true that the larger plot points only really get moving in Words of Radiance, the only reason why Words of Radiance is such an engaging read, the only reason why it moves as quickly as it does, is because of the setup accomplished in The Way of Kings - not so much in terms of plot, but in terms of the characters.

One of the most wonderful things about Sanderson???s books is that he???s capable of making the reader fall completely in love (or completely in hate) with his characters. The way he writes about them - indeed, the way he writes his stories as a whole - is built around understanding those characters and seeing how their motivations and aspirations affect what???s going on around them. There is an interesting give-and-take between Sanderson???s characters and his plot, with one shaping the other. This is something only a handful of writers, whether genre or otherwise, are capable of accomplishing, and Sanderson???s one of them. And that means the reader has to really, truly understand the characters if they are to appreciate what???s going on in the plot.

In the case of The Stormlight Archive, The Way of Kings is, primarily, Kaladin and Dalinar???s book. It is Kaladin???s origin story, from soldier to slave to bridgeman, that are prominently featured in that novel, and the only way one can understand why Kaladin does what he does in Words of Radiance is to know what???s happened to him, in all its heartbreaking glory. The same applies to Dalinar: the old warhound with the god-given mission, trying to find a way to accomplish that mission according to rules that turn out to be not rules at all, but more like guidelines. It would be impossible to truly appreciate what happens to them in Words of Radiance if one isn???t aware of what happens in The Way of Kings - even if, in terms of plot, Words of Radiance does more than The Way of Kings.

If The Way of Kings is Kaladin and Dalinar???s book, Words of Radiance is very much Shallan???s. The other characters get developed, but Shallan???s origins are only explored in Words of Radiance - but why explore it in Words of Radiance, not The Way of Kings? Because Shallan???s story is only pertinent to the plot in Words of Radiance, helping to move it along while simultaneously developing her character. It is Shallan???s story that shows how closely Sanderson links his characterisation and his plot - which is, in my opinion, only as it should be.

And speaking of characters, one of the fun things about reading Sanderson???s books is that he???s always introducing new ones in every new book, even in a series, and he doesn???t disappoint in Words of Radiance. One of the most important characters introduced is Eshonai, the Parshendi Shardbearer whom Dalinar encountered in the climactic battle of the last novel. Through her, Sanderson develops one of the most intriguing - and plot points - of the entire series: the Voidbringers. Through Eshonai, and through her, the exploration of the Parshendi perspective, the reader comes to understand (and to a degree, sympathise with) not just Eshonai herself, but also her people - while at the same time, Sanderson builds the plot for further down the line in the series.

In terms of plot development, Words of Radiance is a big leap forward. The Voidbringers actually make an appearance in this novel, and the Knights Radiant actually begin appearing. Kaladin is one, as was made quite obvious in The Way of Kings, but a handful of other characters turn out to be Knights Radiant too. Certain characters are put out of the way, some temporarily, others for good (which may please some readers immensely). The main thing to remember is that this is a beginning, and from this point onwards, nothing is going to be easy.

Overall, Words of Radiance is a worthy sequel to The Way of Kings - more than that, I think it exceeds the first book in all possible expectations. It is, in many important ways, the true beginning of The Stormlight Archive, and what happens in this novel lays down the groundwork for what promises to be the primary conflicts in the novels further down the line. The characters, both old and new, are all beautifully developed, and what they do and how they react to what happens to them has important consequences for the plot itself - a hallmark of Sanderson???s writing, and one which is shown to full effect in this novel (especially with Shallan).

Whatever Sanderson might have planned, though, it will be big, and grand, and will most certainly end explosively. I expect nothing less - and I???m certain Sanderson will live up to those expectations.

Brandon Sanderson has become one of my favorite authors over the past few years. Although I enjoy all of his works, I really look forward to his long epic fantasies. He is fantastic at creating fascinating worlds and unique magic systems. So I had very much been looking forward to returning to Roshar in the second installment of The Stormlight Archive, and I am happy to report that The Words of Radiance did not disappoint.

I actually finished reading this book several months ago, but I never quite got around to reviewing it. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, because the book was released earlier this year and I want to avoid spoilers for those who still want to read it, but I have to say that I thought this book was a fantastic read. I feel that Sanderson has really hit is stride in terms of voice and tone, as well as developed in his ability to show rather than tell. There will always be humor in his books, but the use of it felt more restrained, appropriate, and clever in this book than it has in his past works. I also feel that he has created more nuanced characters in the Stormlight series than he has in past works. This book progressed the plot of the series quite well, while still giving us time to delve deeper into the histories of the characters, and learn a bit more (though certainly not enough) about the magic systems at work in the world. I was quite satisfied with the (crazy epic) ending, but I still want to know what happens next in the story. All in all it was a great installment in the series. Sanderson has always been great at creating fun and fantastic worlds, and at giving us an epic ending, but this book also demonstrates his mastery of plot, pacing, and tone. Aside from the fact that this book may have made me unreasonably depressed for a number of days (yeah, there is some sad stuff happening in this book), this book was a completely enjoyable read and a fantastic addition to the Stormlight series. This is definitely the best book that Sanderson has written to date, and I expect he will only get better from here. Although I know he has some smaller projects coming out in the meantime, I am already impatient for the release of book three.

Loved this book. I actually had to go back and re-read the first book in the series Way Of Kings though as it had been a long while I between books. I'm glad I did though as rereading the first book allowed me to enjoy the second book much more.

Het vervolg op The Way of Kings stond al een tijdje op de “te lezen”-lijst. Ik heb eerst in de rapte The Way of Kings herlezen, en dan hopla gewoon aan één stuk door Words of Radiance doorgelezen.

Redelijk letterlijk “aan een stuk door”, trouwens: ik lag met oorontsteking en koppijn te bed, en tot mijn verbazing lukte lezen wél deze keer – dus heb ik een halve dag en een nacht doorgelezen, en het boek was uit. Spijtig, vond ik. Natuurlijk is het nog altijd geen grote literatuur, en natuurlijk blijft het allemaal wat formulaisch, en soms wordt het zelfs wat kinderactig (die woordspelingen!), maar hey: een mens leest ook soms eens om te onspannen, en dat is bij deze helemaal gelukt.

De wereld van Stormlight Archive (tien! boeken gepland!) is typische Brandon Sanderson: een volledig uitgedacht geheel van in elkaar hakende rassen en samenlevingen en geschiedenis en magische systemen, bevolkt met personages die zowaar meestal ménsen zijn en geen karikaturen.

Voor sommige mensen, als ik het internet wat afspeur, lijkt het alsof er weinig gebeurt in deel twee van de serie, maar da's niet wat ik ervan vind. Het is Traag, maar op een vals plat-manier: het lijkt alsof er niet zo enorm veel gebeurt, maar er gebeurt eigenlijk wél vanalles. Zowel de wereld als de personages zijn een heel eind duidelijker geworden. Waar Shallan in het eerste deel bijna irritant was, met haar voortdurende grapjes, wordt ze in deel twee zowaar een tragisch personage. Waar het in het eerste deel nog voor een groot stuk raden was naar de motieven en de mechanismen, zijn er nu weliswaar nog altijd mysteries, maar het wordt min of meer mogelijk om een lijn te zien in de zaken, en stuk voor stuk te reconstrueren wat er gebeurd is, en te beginnen raden naar wat er nog gaat gebeuren.

Shallan Davar en Kaladin kunnen allebei iets magisch, hoera, en er is uitzicht op nog veel andere mensen die iets magisch kunnen doen, en er zijn zeker twee viewpoints van de andere kant van het conflict (Szeth de moordenaar en Eshonai de leidster van de Parshendi): dat bouwt allemaal naar epische dingen.

Oh, en natuurlijk is zelfs de serie van tien boeken maar een onderdeel van de Cosmere, het universum waar veel van Sanderson's boeken zich in afspelen, met een wezen dat in zestien shards uit elkaar spatte, en met onder meer Hoid, die van reeks naar reeks over en weer gaat en alles – ik zal dan toch nog Warbreaker moeten lezen, vermoed ik.

All in all: degelijk boek. Op naar nummer drie. Ergens in de lente van 2016, zegt één bron, nog voor het einde van 2015, zegt een andere.

Amazing. This book told a great story and ended amazingly. Brandon Sanderson gets better with every book he writes. Bravo.

Executive Summary: If you enjoyed [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945], I'd be really surprised if you didn't like this one as well. Mr. Sanderson does an excellent job building on the foundation he laid down in the first novel. Full ReviewThis is a really hard review for me to write. I probably won't do the book justice. I'm very selective about which books I give 5 stars to, and even more selective about which books I deem favorites. When I read [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945] it was easily added to both lists for me. And now so is this one.While I didn't have the same wait as anyone who read the first book when it came out, there was at least enough time to build up a sense of anticipation and a little bit of dread while I waited for this book to come out.Would Mr. Sanderson be able to build upon the momentum of [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945] or would things recede a little like most series tend to do for me? A ten-book, 10,000+ page series is really ambitious. It would be easy for things to go off the rails at any point along the way. I'm here to say: so far, so good.I can only assume that Mr. Sanderson is writing this series specifically for me. Sure there are other people out there who seem to like his books. But there are many who are critical about them. While I may be critical of some of his other books, you won't find that here. I loved every minute of it.The pacing might still be considered slow by those who found that the case in [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945], but I think it moves along faster as he doesn't have to do the kinds of setup he did in the first book.One common comment I saw about book 1 was: “What is the point of Shallan here?”. This book should answer that question for those people. While [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945] focuses on Kaladin, this is Shallan's book.Don't fear Kaladin fans. You'll get plenty of him in this book, but he's just not the main focus here.Once again this is a book that just kept building momentum as it went. It started as a book I looked forward to reading each night and changed to a book I had to force myself to put down.The structure of the book is once again the same where you have 5 parts with various interludes between each. We are introduced to some pretty interesting new characters in these short interludes, as well as revisiting a few of those we met in [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945]. I would have to say that while I enjoyed them all, Lift, the young thief was my favorite. I hope we'll be seeing a lot more of her in future books, and not just the interludes.The prologue is set at the exact same time as the prologue from [b:The Way of Kings 7235533 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg 8134945], only told from Jasnah's perspective instead of Szeth. This was a cool approach that I hope continues in the next few books at least. I'd like see Adolin's and Dalinar's take on these events at least.I'd be remiss to review a [a:Brandon Sanderson 38550 Brandon Sanderson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] book without at least mentioning the magic system. I love the world building so far and the characters, but it's the magic system that once again shines the brightest. We learn more about surgebinding and how it works, but there is still so much left to discover. His creativity not only at coming up with rules for various magic systems, but at how he applies those rules in ways I would have never considered always makes for great sequences.Overall I was really happy with this book. Kaladin is still my favorite character, yet I think I might have enjoyed this one more despite his reduced focus. Shallan really developed from an interesting side story into a proper main character in her own right.I am already looking forward to and dreading just a bit book 3 of this series. Will Mr. Sanderson be able to work his magic yet again? Well since he's writing this series for me personally, I'm sure he will.

Two words.... FUCK YEAH!

Loved it. So many great moments, Mr Sanderson has built a world I hope to spend a lot of time in. I am already taken by many of the characters.

I know most of my anxiety over the next few years will do due to the wait between books.

I'm going to call the competition now: Sanderson just won Book of the Year. Everyone else hoping to win that can pack it up and head home. Even though Brust's, Butcher's, and Pratchett's entries haven't been released yet, Sanderson wins. Hands down.

The sheer scope of this book is amazing. The execution is unparalleled. The story is gripping, the characters are real and engaging, and the world is incredibly vivid. It's a masterpiece.

While I enjoyed the prior book, The Way of Kings, it wasn't nearly this good (I'd give it a 4 out of 5). It's amazing how much Sanderson has clearly improved as an author since then. Words of Radiance is brilliant, top to bottom.

For those who read all the way through The Wheel of Time series, there's a scene towards the end of the series (not in the last book) where Egwene had me literally jumping up and down cheering. It took Jordan/Sanderson 12 books to get me that invested in a character. Sanderson has pulled it off here in just 2 books, with Kaladin's big fight scene.

This book was fantastic.

Great continuation of the way of kings!!! :)