Words of Radiance

 Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

A Book Review by Jess from the Winkler Branch

Genre: Fantasy | Pages: 1088 | 5/5 Stars

Tear Meter: 2/5 | Laugh Meter: 4/5 | Spicy Meter: 0/5

Would you recommend this book to someone, why or why not?

Yes I would recommend the book. It is book two of the Stormlight Archives series and the entire series is fantastic.

How did the author keep you interested throughout the story?

The world building in this book is amazing and makes the story a much more immersive experience. The author created new plants, animals, seasons and weather patterns and weaves it into the story seamlessly. The characters are well developed and at no point do you feel like you've learned everything about them. There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep it interesting without becoming gimmicky or ridiculous.

 

How did this book challenge or change your perspective or opinion on something?

The story is told from multiple perspectives and it really emphasizes even in a "just" war no one is blameless. You may be fighting for what you consider to be the right reasons but so is the enemy. The book includes perspectives from both characters in the Alethi army and from characters in the Parshendi army that are considered their enemy. The two cultures are quite different and it is fascinating to see how that affects their strategies and approach to the war. When that is combined with the excellent world building, the well rounded characters and an intriguing story, it is a joy to read.

How does this book compare to other books by the same author or in the same genre?

This is my favorite book/series by Brandon Sanderson. I have read quite a few of his other books including the Mistborn and Skyward series and several standalones and this is my favorite series of all time. I would highly recommend the audio books, they're narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading and they do an excellent job. The books are quite long and it does also make it easier to get through if you can listen and multitask. 

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is a toss up between Whit, Kaladin, and Syl. Kaladin is one of the main characters and is very well written. He is a slave who becomes the leader of a bridge crew and eventually the captain of Kings Guard. He struggles with his new found powers and becoming a Knight Radiant and how to balance leadership and his desire for revenge for those responsible for killing his brother and friends. He is a flawed hero and it keeps him interesting. Syl is Kaladin's spren and absolutely hilarious. Explaining what a "spren" is would require retelling a large part of the book but suffice it to say she is a delight.  Whit is a character also known as Hoid who pops up sporadically in most of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books and is a sarcastic trickster that is generally helpful but also causes quite a bit of chaos. It is always fun to see where he'll pop up in a book. Honestly, I can't pick a favorite character, they are all fantastic and seriously you just need to read the book.

Who was the character you disagreed with the most, and why?

The character I dislike the most was Sadeas. He was a despicable character and though he is a Highprince in the Alethi army he was worse than the Parshendi they are fighting. That being said he's written well enough that I hate him so the author did a good job. 

How did you feel about the ending? Was it satisfying or did you want more?

Words of Radiance is book two in a five book series so there was of course cliff hangers. That being said it ended at a good spot. I have read the rest of the series and seriously I cannot recommend it enough!

Click HERE if you'd like to place this book on hold!