Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2)

Brandon Sanderson

Adult Fantasy

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.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) I don’t know how this is another five stars!?

As I said in book 1 review, where Sanderson excelled were the characters. He spent the perfect amount of time on each of them to help me recognize their story each time it came up. More so, they were so developed that they felt like old friends. I’ve only said that about one other series so it is a rare find. I stand by that opinion. Few do character depth like Sanderson.

Another aspect I’m loving in this series is the deepening world. The descriptions are enough for me to have a vision, but without him being too wordy. Sometimes world descriptions get overdone; the author has the image and wants us to know exactly how they see it. Sanderson is different, he can describe the world enough for my mind to take hold of it and finish off the odds and ends he hasn’t described, giving me the most accurate version. He is brilliant in it’s mastery and I’m guessing there’s some voodoo magic going on because I’ve never seen a world so clearly.

With this being book 2, I don’t want to get into the story too much. But the adventure, conflict and characters are some of my utmost favorites. I cannot wait to dive back into this world!

General content summary: Once again, the content is very low. It’s astonishing how low. He gives just enough detail but not too much. Content= little to no language, man killed and impaled (no details), many killed (some hangings, corpses, few details), m/f kissing (multiple), stabbing (death, few details), killing (weapons, death, little blood), corpses (no details), previous poison death, naked swimming (no details), shipwreck (deaths without details, almost drowning), almost drowning, possible legs paralyzed due to fall, assassination attempts, alcohol (multiple), a teen witnessed her mothers murder (no details), battle (blood), violence (fighting, fists, weapons), limbs cut off (multiple), stabbing death (few details), previous beating (death), rumor of man killing wife, physical abuse to servants and child and wife (injuries, previous, some details), epilepsy, prejudice, contemplation of suicide (plan in place), battle, slit throat (blood), many puppies are killed (sword, blood), large group of people killed in accident (few details), parental deaths (one was hanged and a child watched), creature attack (blood, injuries), body found dead from injuries (physical abuse), corpses from battle, stabbing death (few details, multiple).

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