“No apologize. Boots.”
“I know most stories, But I’d never sung this one before.”
“The storm catches everyone, eventually.”
My “Year of Sanderson” continues, and the first Sanderson selection of February was Words of Radiance. (Edgedancer rounded out the month, but I’ll get to that later.) The second book of The Stormlight Archive accomplished something that most second books in a series fail at – it’s better than the first. And that is saying A LOT.
Sanderson is clearly the Hamilton of fantasy – he must do nothing but write at least 23 hours of every day. Or he’s invented some time freeze. Or he has writing spren. Because Words, like The Way of Kings, is huge, sitting pretty at 1096 pages. And much like The Way of Kings, each word is intentional. There is no fluff – each sentence is carefully constructed to add to the world, character, or plot. Now that said, there is some repetitiveness. I think it’s less being sloppy and more Sanderson saying “Hey, I know I’ve thrown a lot at you, but pay attention to this. No, seriously. PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.”
Now on to the book. Like Way, it derives its name from a text. Whereas the text in the first novel was Dalinar’s guidebook, Words of Radiance is the book that Shallan is trying to get her hands on after her copy was lost to the sea. And words are indeed very important to our “Radiants.” They have to say the words, feel the words, know the words.
Dalinar is fantastic in this novel. Shallan comes into her own and is able to embrace more of her power. She is also forced to face her past – a past that has been hinted at, but is painfully revealed in Words. Wit is back, of course. And I still think he’s Sanderson. And Kal, Bridge Four forever, is still the tortured soldier/surgeon. Revenge nearly destroys everything, and I mean everything, for him. Words sees Dalinar, Kal, and Shallan finally all three together, with Shallan continuing Jasnah’s scholarship. Our assassin in white is still a threat, and the mysteries of the Parshendi spill forth, bringing a storm unlike anything anyone has ever seen. And we learn a bit more about those shardblades and the spren.
The Radiants have returned. And with them, the Voidbringers.
A Girl Named Tommi 