Words of Radiance - Book Two of the Stormlight Archive
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Description
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
The Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Collection
Arcanum Unbounded
Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker
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
The Rithmatist series
The Rithmatist
Other books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity
Book Information
Characteristics
2 reviews
Mood
Protagonist(s)
Pace
Writing Style
Posts
Einfach episch, tiefgründig und genial!
Der zweite Band der Stormlight Archive-Reihe ist eine absolut gelungene Fortsetzung zum ersten Band. Sanderson erschafft tiefgründige und authentische Charakterentwicklungen, ein umfassendes Worldbuilding, überraschende Wendungen und ein episches Finale. Für mich persönlich, eines der besten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe!
Oh, wow 🤯
Der Moment, wenn man bemerkt, dass der über 1200 Seiten lange erste Band nur das Intro war. Ich weiß gar nicht, wo ich anfangen soll. Es ist einfach alles so groß und komplex geworden und ich liebe alles daran, obwohl trotzdem noch sooo viele Fragen offen sind - und das ist auch gut so! Man versteht schon, wie das alles funktioniert, aber merkt gleichzeitig, dass das große Warum noch aussteht und ich freue mich soooo sehr darauf, das mit den Charakteren zu entdecken. Momentan hab ich sas Gefühl, das Magiesystem beruht auf Schallwellen o.Ä. zumindest beruht einiges, was in der Welt passiert auf Wellen und Schwingungen ... Chladnische Klangfiguren werden erwähnt. Da Sanderson seine Magiesystem gerne auf sowas aufbaut (in Mistborn beruht es auf Metallen) kann ich mir definitiv vorstellen, dass da noch einiges kommen wird ❤️ Jeder Charakter wirkt dabei so dermaßen einzigartig, alle haben ihre Fehler und müssen sich ständig den Konsequenzen ihrer Entscheidung stellen. Jede einzelne POV macht einfach so viel Spaß und ich finds toll, wie hier die Grundlagen für tief verankerte Freundschaften gelegt wurden und ich freue mich drauf, wenn die Charaktere diese Entwicklungen auch endlich zulassen (hier stehen sich einige aufgrund gesellschaftlicher Konventionen noch im Weg, aber das wird - ich weiß es!).
Absolutely loved it. The banter, the characters, the world, the magic. Yes to all!
I will try and keep this spoilerfree. Also I have no idea how to start. This book is nothing short of amazing. It's exactly what I wanted and I was shocked, surprised, sad, happy and just all the feels. This books let's us dive deeper into not only the characters (like Shallan) but also the magic system and some of the backstory of the Parshendi (btw I LOVED their povs - its so cool to read chapters that are from the enemies perspective). I loved getting to know more about Shallan and focusing on her development - and I think she is on her way to becoming a fave character of mine. She is so sassy and cool, but she still got a long way to grow. But her magic is super cool and even though I think Kaladins is a bit cooler. 👀 Personally I loved the dynamics in this book so much, there were so many cute moments (between people I wouldn't have expected to have cute moments 🤣), the banter is just unreal and so fun! I think this is where Sanderson thrives the most honestly, he's the king of dialogues. We got so much character growth in this book! And there where so many scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. He just writes these action scenes like some kind of blockbuster and you cant stop reading and biting your nails. 🥲 Also: the magic system is unbelievably cool and getting to know more about it, seeing how its being used, is really interesting. I can only recommend you read this book (after you've read the first one obviously). 🤍 I will say however, that one of the povs at the start of the book dragged a bit. I kinda disliked one of the last chapters and I HATED the epilogue, it almost completely ruined my reading experience. But the majority of the book was so good, that I still can't wait to continue on in my stormlight journey. I also love that I have @vera_buchwelten @eulili_liest @_lotti.reads_ and my boyfriend to nerd about theories and stuff with. 🥹 I would love to tell you more but I'm afraid that would be spoilery, so I'll leave you with a quote that lives rent free in my mind: "Honour is dead. But I'll see what I can do." (I am crying just writing this. Oh my god. That scene was UNBELIEVABLE!!)
It’s a pattern
I ended up liking this book even more than The Way of Kings. The story just pulled me in right away, and I felt much more connected to the characters this time around. Shallan especially really grew on me, and honestly every character continues to develop in such an interesting way. There are so many plotlines happening at once that I constantly found myself gasping at different moments. Every time something big happened, another twist or revelation followed, which made the whole reading experience incredibly exciting. That being said, I didn’t quite feel the “Sanderlanche” at the end as strongly as I did in book one. The ending was still great, but the final buildup didn’t hit me with the same intensity as The Way of Kings did. Overall, this was such an engaging sequel with amazing character growth and so many shocking moments. I’m already excited to continue the series 🙏🏻
I finally finished Words of Radiance, and it was absolutely worth the journey. I read this book during a very stressful period, which meant it took me a long time to get through it. Despite the fragmented reading experience, my enjoyment for this series hasn't declined. This book is a monumental step forward. The Way of Kings was the foundation, this is the spectacular structure rising from it. The characters are developed with incredible depth, their journeys becoming more complex and compelling. The plot grows wonderfully intricate, weaving political intrigue, ancient secrets, and epic clashes. Sanderson really takes his time, and it shows. It's remarkable that after two books and nearly 2200 pages, we've reached what would be the climax of a first book in many other series. Yet, nothing feels like filler. The pacing is masterful, balancing huge revelations with necessary character moments. The worldbuilding remains top tier, expanding the World/Universe of the Cosmere in fascinating ways, and the magic system of this Series becomes more central and gets explained. Unlike “The Way of Kings” this book does feature a more prominent romantic subplot, which was a point of slight apprehension for me. In my opinion, it's handled much better here than in Sandersons Mistborn Trilogy. However, the official romantic pair (Shallan and Adolin) seems to have less chemistry than the dynamic between Shallan and Kaladin, who are not and shouldn't be in a romantic focus. Overall, while Sanderson's romance writing still is a weaker aspect of his writing, it's much better than his earlier attempts in Mistborn or Warbreaker and doesn't detract from the larger narrative. I continue to appreciate the tone, it tackles heavy themes like duty and trauma while maintaining a core of hope. The strong female characters remain a highlight, driving the plot with their own agency. Overall, Words of Radiance is a masterpiece of epic fantasy. It delivers monumental payoffs, deeper mysteries, and a conclusion that left me desperate for the next book. The Stormlight Archive continues to be an unparalleled reading experience.
Teska knjiga za ocjeniti, iskreno. Da je ocijenim samo kao Stormlight Archive knjigu, ovo bi bila neka trojka do cetvorke zbog prve polovine knjige. Uz to, kada poredim Way of Kings sa ovom, Way of Kings ubjedljivo pobjedjuje... nekako mi je knjiga podigla standard, sto je, koliko vidim, normalno na GR. Sada, kada bih knjigu ocijenio normalno i realno ovo je iskreno nesto izmedju 4 i 5.. Vrlo dobra knjiga u Stormlight Arhivi je i dalje duplo pa cak i troduplo bolja od mnogih drugih knjiga koje sam procitao. Imao sam mnoge zamjerke, pogotovo oko prve polovine, ali oluja ih odnijela, kraj je bio mestralan. I dalje stojim oko toga da je tu preeeeetjerao sa hajmoreci nepotrebnim stvarima, sa gradjenjem Roshara i ubacivanja raznih i moram naznaciti NEINTERESATNIM POV-a, ali hajdi. Mogu mu oprostiti zbog zadnjih 300-400 strana. Pozitive? Odakle da pocnem... Hoid koji mi postaje sve drazi, Shallanova prica koja je bila iznenadjujuce dobra, njihova ne tako iznenadjujca interakcija, spajanje prica iz Cosmera Would you like to destroy some evil , tako dobro rezisiran kraj, da sam imao utisak da gledam neki badass anime ( sto je po meni veoma veliki plus) i dosta rijesenih misterija iz prve knjige ( treba uzeti u obzir da na jednu rijesenu misteriju ovdje dobijamo dvije nove, sto nije lose, bar meni) itd itd itd Uglavnom, kockice su postavljene za treci dio, pa da vidim daljnu pricu. Ovo je nekakva 4,5*
German Review on GosuReviews Sanderson really brings back the Epic into Epic-Fantasy. Book two of the Stormlight Archive is equally good or even better than the Way of Kings. Too many authors in this genre lean their world on Tolkien or middle ages Earth, rarely do we get to see such a unique world as Sanderson is creating here. I think this series will be Sandersons Opus Magnum and certainly one of the best Epic-Fantasies of all time.
Auch dieser Teil hat mir wieder unglaublich gut gefallen. Ich konnte das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen. Ich fand es sehr spannend mehr über Shallan zu erfahren. Zudem kommen nun auch die verschiedenen Figuren und Teile der Geschichte zusammen was ich sehr spannend fand. Obwohl das nur der erste Teil des Buches ist bin ich mir jetzt schon sicher, dass auch das gesamte Buch 5 Sterne bekommen wird und ich freue mich darauf weiterzulesen.
While I think this had some slower parts than Way of Kings, it also had a more impactful, incredible ending. It would be boring to gush about all the things I love about Brandersons books again, so here is some mild criticism: These books really do not feel nor have to be that long. The events and information conveyed do not equate to the page count and if you edit down some scenes here and there, this time could have been spent on diving deeper into Shallans backstory or weaving in more every day information into the world building. Also, Dalinar is even more absent from this one than Shallan was from the one before. It makes sense, but I missed him. Nitpicks aside, while this isn't my favourite series by Brandon Sanderson, it is quite epic and I feel like I've really become familiar with the characters. While I'm lost in the interludes, I just know there is set up hidden everywhere and I'm already getting glimpses of the bigger picture. Plus, like I already alluded to: it is Branderson at his purest, so you get all of the things he's really good at. There was one romcom-esque scene that was fun but I'm afraid where it's going, however I can trust Sanderson to handle that in a way that won't be obnoxious, since playing with my expectations is what he so often does. Looking forward to reading Oathbringer sometime next year.
what a way to start my reading year (yes yes i read 60% of this last year, now go away) i don't know how sanderson did it but this is better than The Way of Kings. I still don't really know, what to say to this. In typical Sanderson-Style the first around 80-85% are SLOW, even if WoR isn't as slow as WoK. But the last 20-15% are just so good. The way Sanderson lets everything come together and gathers the different characters to write a bookending like that will forever be one of my favorite things ever. There's of course more worldbuilding, more characterwork and development, more Lore we get to know. The set of characters Sanderson introduced to us in WoK gets redefined, gets more screentime and new characters to interact with. For everyone saying you should read Warbreaker before this: you CAN read Warbreaker before, it will make 2 lines (and a side character but it took me to read WoR twice till i picked that up) TOP TIER and I'm glad that i did it. But if you don't want to stray from The Stormlight Archive, you don't want to commit to 600 pages in between a series or just don't want to read warbreaker, then you won't miss much. If you read WoR and won't read Warbreaker but you want to know what 2 lines it impacts, dm me, i guess.
Well, finally the story continues after several years of waiting! If you liked the first book I really recommend the second - it's a Sanderson story after all. I really liked, how the relationship between Kaladin and his men and his spren progressed and his transition from soldier, to slave, to soldier again and finally.. Well go ahead and find our for yourself.
German Review on GosuReviews Sanderson really brings back the Epic into Epic-Fantasy. Book two of the Stormlight Archive is equally good or even better than the Way of Kings. Too many authors in this genre lean their world on Tolkien or middle ages Earth, rarely do we get to see such a unique world as Sanderson is creating here. I think this series will be Sandersons Opus Magnum and certainly one of the best Epic-Fantasies of all time.
Oh how I love having panic attacks while reading I’ll just talk about the characters because I love them so, so much ~Shallan~ “Eventually you will kill me, and you will have your revenge.” “I don’t want revenge. I want my family.” What if I cried? What if I sobbed?! What then?! Just everything about Shallan in this book was so heartbreaking and terrible and fucked up. My girl you’re insane and you need help. Please. Also you’re very badass and smart and cool but OH MY GOD get HELP ~Adolin~ “My father thinks I am a better man than he is. Unfortunately for you, he’s wrong.” Punching your way into winning a sword duel? Icon. Insulting everyone just by the way you duel? Icon. Being a himbo? Icon. Murdering people in cold blood because you actually aren’t a golden retriever in shardplate? Icon. How is he the most stable person on this planet by light years?! ~Jasnah~ Brandon is a coward because he won’t make her a main character. I kneel for my queen (down bad
“Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do.” 5 STARS PERO LE PONDRIA 5 MILLONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Necesitaba reposar el libro un par de día pero es que sigo igual que puta maravilla de libro, con El camino de los reyes tuve un crush importante pero es que con éste buah increíble y todo lo que diga se queda corto Este libro desde que empieza es un no parar de suceder cosas, no te da tiempo a recuperarte cuando ya están pasando mil cosas más, el personaje de Shallan ha tenido una evolución bestial comparado con la chica tímida que conocimos en el primer libro en esta ha sido una REINA ♥ Kaladin, mi Kaladin, creo que en todo los años que llevo leyendo nunca había querido tantísimo a un personaje que no quieres que le pase nada, lo quieres abrazar, que sea feliz y es que Kaladin es maravilloso es tan buen hombre que dices joder quiero que encuentres paz y felicidad por favor, no sé si llegará el momento en que tal vez se tenga que sacrificar o algo pero podría estar leyendo libros de Kaladin y del puente 4 y sus aventuras para siempre ♥ Kaladin y Syl, ay mi syl mi pequeña diosa como diria Roca , la relación de Kal y Syl es de mis favoritas de esta saga y todo lo que se ha descubierto en este libro me tiene chillando ñsdlkfjñlafjñlas La relacion de Kaladin, Shallan y Adolin, ahora entiendo muchísimo al fandom con el OT3 en serio que maravilla de relación entre los 3, que risas con algunas escenas jajaja LES AMO Kaladin y Adolin, les amo también sobre todo en la escena del honor es que buah y lo que hace Adolin después por Kaladin es que ay BFF ♥ Kaladin y Shallan todo el arco de los abismos me muero les quiero, les shippeo fuertemente, están tan rotos que espero que algún momento puedan sanarse ‘You want too much of me,’ he snapped at her as he reached the other side of the chasm. ‘I’m not some glorious knight of ancient days. I’m a broken man. Do you hear me, Syl? I’m broken ‘I warned you that I was broken, Syl.’ ‘No. You’ve been reforged. It can happen to men.’ "I know ... little of humans," Pattern said. "They break. Their minds break. You did not break. Only cracked." Dalinar es tan justo y honorable, es ese padre que Kaladin necesita ♥ El puente 4 en general y a Lopen LES AMO Patrón que maravilla de personaje, que descubrimiento de verdad le amo muchisimo, y ganazas que Syl y Patrón se conozcan jajajaja Y toda la trama final me explotó la cabeza y ese final + epilogo wow es que lañdfjlñkjasfñlakjsfla ganazas de seguir con esta historia junto a mi radiante Jess <3 “Expectation. That is the true soul of art. If you can give a man more than he expects, then he will laud you his entire life. If you can create an air of anticipation and feed it properly, you will succeed.”
German Review on GosuReviews Sanderson really brings back the Epic into Epic-Fantasy. Book two of the Stormlight Archive is equally good or even better than the Way of Kings. Too many authors in this genre lean their world on Tolkien or middle ages Earth, rarely do we get to see such a unique world as Sanderson is creating here. I think this series will be Sandersons Opus Magnum and certainly one of the best Epic-Fantasies of all time.
This has now become my favourite book ever. Full stop. It’s, very shockingly, even better than the first one. I love that it focuses more on Shallan, as she was my favourite character in “The Way of Kings”. I can’t wait to read the next books and novellas in the series. Thank you Brandon Sanderson for creating such a wonderful world.
Words of Radiance Even better than The Way of Kings. Kaladin vs. Szeth is legendary, Shallan truly comes into her own, and the climax is one of Sanderson’s best. Every storyline is perfectly paced, and the emotional payoffs hit hard. Favorite Quotes: “Sometimes a hypocrite is just a man in the process of changing.” “You cannot have my pain.”
omfg this book kiiiilled me but if i was adolin id feel so left out, poor guy also kinda funny how dalinar just needed to "pretty please" his powers lel that love triangle is so unnecessary?? like yeah, i bet the drama is gonna be juicy but i dont need another character snooping in their betrothal business
IL PRIMO VERO 5⭐️ DELLA MIA VITA. Niente dopo questo libro può battere tutto il resto. È la PERFEZIONE (un po' "sporcata" dagli interludi, ma è solo la polvere che cerca di depositarsi ma non ci riesce). Anche se la narrazione a volte è un po' lenta, è perfetto come libro. Io dal 30% è stato un continuo immergersi in un continum di storia, colpi di scena, momenti da cardio palma, e un immenso orgoglio per una delle protagoniste migliori che io abbia mai trovato (SHALLAN
Characteristics
2 reviews
Mood
Protagonist(s)
Pace
Writing Style
Description
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
The Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Collection
Arcanum Unbounded
Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker
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
The Rithmatist series
The Rithmatist
Other books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity
Book Information
Posts
Einfach episch, tiefgründig und genial!
Der zweite Band der Stormlight Archive-Reihe ist eine absolut gelungene Fortsetzung zum ersten Band. Sanderson erschafft tiefgründige und authentische Charakterentwicklungen, ein umfassendes Worldbuilding, überraschende Wendungen und ein episches Finale. Für mich persönlich, eines der besten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe!
Oh, wow 🤯
Der Moment, wenn man bemerkt, dass der über 1200 Seiten lange erste Band nur das Intro war. Ich weiß gar nicht, wo ich anfangen soll. Es ist einfach alles so groß und komplex geworden und ich liebe alles daran, obwohl trotzdem noch sooo viele Fragen offen sind - und das ist auch gut so! Man versteht schon, wie das alles funktioniert, aber merkt gleichzeitig, dass das große Warum noch aussteht und ich freue mich soooo sehr darauf, das mit den Charakteren zu entdecken. Momentan hab ich sas Gefühl, das Magiesystem beruht auf Schallwellen o.Ä. zumindest beruht einiges, was in der Welt passiert auf Wellen und Schwingungen ... Chladnische Klangfiguren werden erwähnt. Da Sanderson seine Magiesystem gerne auf sowas aufbaut (in Mistborn beruht es auf Metallen) kann ich mir definitiv vorstellen, dass da noch einiges kommen wird ❤️ Jeder Charakter wirkt dabei so dermaßen einzigartig, alle haben ihre Fehler und müssen sich ständig den Konsequenzen ihrer Entscheidung stellen. Jede einzelne POV macht einfach so viel Spaß und ich finds toll, wie hier die Grundlagen für tief verankerte Freundschaften gelegt wurden und ich freue mich drauf, wenn die Charaktere diese Entwicklungen auch endlich zulassen (hier stehen sich einige aufgrund gesellschaftlicher Konventionen noch im Weg, aber das wird - ich weiß es!).
Absolutely loved it. The banter, the characters, the world, the magic. Yes to all!
I will try and keep this spoilerfree. Also I have no idea how to start. This book is nothing short of amazing. It's exactly what I wanted and I was shocked, surprised, sad, happy and just all the feels. This books let's us dive deeper into not only the characters (like Shallan) but also the magic system and some of the backstory of the Parshendi (btw I LOVED their povs - its so cool to read chapters that are from the enemies perspective). I loved getting to know more about Shallan and focusing on her development - and I think she is on her way to becoming a fave character of mine. She is so sassy and cool, but she still got a long way to grow. But her magic is super cool and even though I think Kaladins is a bit cooler. 👀 Personally I loved the dynamics in this book so much, there were so many cute moments (between people I wouldn't have expected to have cute moments 🤣), the banter is just unreal and so fun! I think this is where Sanderson thrives the most honestly, he's the king of dialogues. We got so much character growth in this book! And there where so many scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. He just writes these action scenes like some kind of blockbuster and you cant stop reading and biting your nails. 🥲 Also: the magic system is unbelievably cool and getting to know more about it, seeing how its being used, is really interesting. I can only recommend you read this book (after you've read the first one obviously). 🤍 I will say however, that one of the povs at the start of the book dragged a bit. I kinda disliked one of the last chapters and I HATED the epilogue, it almost completely ruined my reading experience. But the majority of the book was so good, that I still can't wait to continue on in my stormlight journey. I also love that I have @vera_buchwelten @eulili_liest @_lotti.reads_ and my boyfriend to nerd about theories and stuff with. 🥹 I would love to tell you more but I'm afraid that would be spoilery, so I'll leave you with a quote that lives rent free in my mind: "Honour is dead. But I'll see what I can do." (I am crying just writing this. Oh my god. That scene was UNBELIEVABLE!!)
It’s a pattern
I ended up liking this book even more than The Way of Kings. The story just pulled me in right away, and I felt much more connected to the characters this time around. Shallan especially really grew on me, and honestly every character continues to develop in such an interesting way. There are so many plotlines happening at once that I constantly found myself gasping at different moments. Every time something big happened, another twist or revelation followed, which made the whole reading experience incredibly exciting. That being said, I didn’t quite feel the “Sanderlanche” at the end as strongly as I did in book one. The ending was still great, but the final buildup didn’t hit me with the same intensity as The Way of Kings did. Overall, this was such an engaging sequel with amazing character growth and so many shocking moments. I’m already excited to continue the series 🙏🏻
I finally finished Words of Radiance, and it was absolutely worth the journey. I read this book during a very stressful period, which meant it took me a long time to get through it. Despite the fragmented reading experience, my enjoyment for this series hasn't declined. This book is a monumental step forward. The Way of Kings was the foundation, this is the spectacular structure rising from it. The characters are developed with incredible depth, their journeys becoming more complex and compelling. The plot grows wonderfully intricate, weaving political intrigue, ancient secrets, and epic clashes. Sanderson really takes his time, and it shows. It's remarkable that after two books and nearly 2200 pages, we've reached what would be the climax of a first book in many other series. Yet, nothing feels like filler. The pacing is masterful, balancing huge revelations with necessary character moments. The worldbuilding remains top tier, expanding the World/Universe of the Cosmere in fascinating ways, and the magic system of this Series becomes more central and gets explained. Unlike “The Way of Kings” this book does feature a more prominent romantic subplot, which was a point of slight apprehension for me. In my opinion, it's handled much better here than in Sandersons Mistborn Trilogy. However, the official romantic pair (Shallan and Adolin) seems to have less chemistry than the dynamic between Shallan and Kaladin, who are not and shouldn't be in a romantic focus. Overall, while Sanderson's romance writing still is a weaker aspect of his writing, it's much better than his earlier attempts in Mistborn or Warbreaker and doesn't detract from the larger narrative. I continue to appreciate the tone, it tackles heavy themes like duty and trauma while maintaining a core of hope. The strong female characters remain a highlight, driving the plot with their own agency. Overall, Words of Radiance is a masterpiece of epic fantasy. It delivers monumental payoffs, deeper mysteries, and a conclusion that left me desperate for the next book. The Stormlight Archive continues to be an unparalleled reading experience.
Teska knjiga za ocjeniti, iskreno. Da je ocijenim samo kao Stormlight Archive knjigu, ovo bi bila neka trojka do cetvorke zbog prve polovine knjige. Uz to, kada poredim Way of Kings sa ovom, Way of Kings ubjedljivo pobjedjuje... nekako mi je knjiga podigla standard, sto je, koliko vidim, normalno na GR. Sada, kada bih knjigu ocijenio normalno i realno ovo je iskreno nesto izmedju 4 i 5.. Vrlo dobra knjiga u Stormlight Arhivi je i dalje duplo pa cak i troduplo bolja od mnogih drugih knjiga koje sam procitao. Imao sam mnoge zamjerke, pogotovo oko prve polovine, ali oluja ih odnijela, kraj je bio mestralan. I dalje stojim oko toga da je tu preeeeetjerao sa hajmoreci nepotrebnim stvarima, sa gradjenjem Roshara i ubacivanja raznih i moram naznaciti NEINTERESATNIM POV-a, ali hajdi. Mogu mu oprostiti zbog zadnjih 300-400 strana. Pozitive? Odakle da pocnem... Hoid koji mi postaje sve drazi, Shallanova prica koja je bila iznenadjujuce dobra, njihova ne tako iznenadjujca interakcija, spajanje prica iz Cosmera Would you like to destroy some evil , tako dobro rezisiran kraj, da sam imao utisak da gledam neki badass anime ( sto je po meni veoma veliki plus) i dosta rijesenih misterija iz prve knjige ( treba uzeti u obzir da na jednu rijesenu misteriju ovdje dobijamo dvije nove, sto nije lose, bar meni) itd itd itd Uglavnom, kockice su postavljene za treci dio, pa da vidim daljnu pricu. Ovo je nekakva 4,5*
German Review on GosuReviews Sanderson really brings back the Epic into Epic-Fantasy. Book two of the Stormlight Archive is equally good or even better than the Way of Kings. Too many authors in this genre lean their world on Tolkien or middle ages Earth, rarely do we get to see such a unique world as Sanderson is creating here. I think this series will be Sandersons Opus Magnum and certainly one of the best Epic-Fantasies of all time.
Auch dieser Teil hat mir wieder unglaublich gut gefallen. Ich konnte das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen. Ich fand es sehr spannend mehr über Shallan zu erfahren. Zudem kommen nun auch die verschiedenen Figuren und Teile der Geschichte zusammen was ich sehr spannend fand. Obwohl das nur der erste Teil des Buches ist bin ich mir jetzt schon sicher, dass auch das gesamte Buch 5 Sterne bekommen wird und ich freue mich darauf weiterzulesen.
While I think this had some slower parts than Way of Kings, it also had a more impactful, incredible ending. It would be boring to gush about all the things I love about Brandersons books again, so here is some mild criticism: These books really do not feel nor have to be that long. The events and information conveyed do not equate to the page count and if you edit down some scenes here and there, this time could have been spent on diving deeper into Shallans backstory or weaving in more every day information into the world building. Also, Dalinar is even more absent from this one than Shallan was from the one before. It makes sense, but I missed him. Nitpicks aside, while this isn't my favourite series by Brandon Sanderson, it is quite epic and I feel like I've really become familiar with the characters. While I'm lost in the interludes, I just know there is set up hidden everywhere and I'm already getting glimpses of the bigger picture. Plus, like I already alluded to: it is Branderson at his purest, so you get all of the things he's really good at. There was one romcom-esque scene that was fun but I'm afraid where it's going, however I can trust Sanderson to handle that in a way that won't be obnoxious, since playing with my expectations is what he so often does. Looking forward to reading Oathbringer sometime next year.
what a way to start my reading year (yes yes i read 60% of this last year, now go away) i don't know how sanderson did it but this is better than The Way of Kings. I still don't really know, what to say to this. In typical Sanderson-Style the first around 80-85% are SLOW, even if WoR isn't as slow as WoK. But the last 20-15% are just so good. The way Sanderson lets everything come together and gathers the different characters to write a bookending like that will forever be one of my favorite things ever. There's of course more worldbuilding, more characterwork and development, more Lore we get to know. The set of characters Sanderson introduced to us in WoK gets redefined, gets more screentime and new characters to interact with. For everyone saying you should read Warbreaker before this: you CAN read Warbreaker before, it will make 2 lines (and a side character but it took me to read WoR twice till i picked that up) TOP TIER and I'm glad that i did it. But if you don't want to stray from The Stormlight Archive, you don't want to commit to 600 pages in between a series or just don't want to read warbreaker, then you won't miss much. If you read WoR and won't read Warbreaker but you want to know what 2 lines it impacts, dm me, i guess.
Well, finally the story continues after several years of waiting! If you liked the first book I really recommend the second - it's a Sanderson story after all. I really liked, how the relationship between Kaladin and his men and his spren progressed and his transition from soldier, to slave, to soldier again and finally.. Well go ahead and find our for yourself.
German Review on GosuReviews Sanderson really brings back the Epic into Epic-Fantasy. Book two of the Stormlight Archive is equally good or even better than the Way of Kings. Too many authors in this genre lean their world on Tolkien or middle ages Earth, rarely do we get to see such a unique world as Sanderson is creating here. I think this series will be Sandersons Opus Magnum and certainly one of the best Epic-Fantasies of all time.
Oh how I love having panic attacks while reading I’ll just talk about the characters because I love them so, so much ~Shallan~ “Eventually you will kill me, and you will have your revenge.” “I don’t want revenge. I want my family.” What if I cried? What if I sobbed?! What then?! Just everything about Shallan in this book was so heartbreaking and terrible and fucked up. My girl you’re insane and you need help. Please. Also you’re very badass and smart and cool but OH MY GOD get HELP ~Adolin~ “My father thinks I am a better man than he is. Unfortunately for you, he’s wrong.” Punching your way into winning a sword duel? Icon. Insulting everyone just by the way you duel? Icon. Being a himbo? Icon. Murdering people in cold blood because you actually aren’t a golden retriever in shardplate? Icon. How is he the most stable person on this planet by light years?! ~Jasnah~ Brandon is a coward because he won’t make her a main character. I kneel for my queen (down bad
“Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do.” 5 STARS PERO LE PONDRIA 5 MILLONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Necesitaba reposar el libro un par de día pero es que sigo igual que puta maravilla de libro, con El camino de los reyes tuve un crush importante pero es que con éste buah increíble y todo lo que diga se queda corto Este libro desde que empieza es un no parar de suceder cosas, no te da tiempo a recuperarte cuando ya están pasando mil cosas más, el personaje de Shallan ha tenido una evolución bestial comparado con la chica tímida que conocimos en el primer libro en esta ha sido una REINA ♥ Kaladin, mi Kaladin, creo que en todo los años que llevo leyendo nunca había querido tantísimo a un personaje que no quieres que le pase nada, lo quieres abrazar, que sea feliz y es que Kaladin es maravilloso es tan buen hombre que dices joder quiero que encuentres paz y felicidad por favor, no sé si llegará el momento en que tal vez se tenga que sacrificar o algo pero podría estar leyendo libros de Kaladin y del puente 4 y sus aventuras para siempre ♥ Kaladin y Syl, ay mi syl mi pequeña diosa como diria Roca , la relación de Kal y Syl es de mis favoritas de esta saga y todo lo que se ha descubierto en este libro me tiene chillando ñsdlkfjñlafjñlas La relacion de Kaladin, Shallan y Adolin, ahora entiendo muchísimo al fandom con el OT3 en serio que maravilla de relación entre los 3, que risas con algunas escenas jajaja LES AMO Kaladin y Adolin, les amo también sobre todo en la escena del honor es que buah y lo que hace Adolin después por Kaladin es que ay BFF ♥ Kaladin y Shallan todo el arco de los abismos me muero les quiero, les shippeo fuertemente, están tan rotos que espero que algún momento puedan sanarse ‘You want too much of me,’ he snapped at her as he reached the other side of the chasm. ‘I’m not some glorious knight of ancient days. I’m a broken man. Do you hear me, Syl? I’m broken ‘I warned you that I was broken, Syl.’ ‘No. You’ve been reforged. It can happen to men.’ "I know ... little of humans," Pattern said. "They break. Their minds break. You did not break. Only cracked." Dalinar es tan justo y honorable, es ese padre que Kaladin necesita ♥ El puente 4 en general y a Lopen LES AMO Patrón que maravilla de personaje, que descubrimiento de verdad le amo muchisimo, y ganazas que Syl y Patrón se conozcan jajajaja Y toda la trama final me explotó la cabeza y ese final + epilogo wow es que lañdfjlñkjasfñlakjsfla ganazas de seguir con esta historia junto a mi radiante Jess <3 “Expectation. That is the true soul of art. If you can give a man more than he expects, then he will laud you his entire life. If you can create an air of anticipation and feed it properly, you will succeed.”
German Review on GosuReviews Sanderson really brings back the Epic into Epic-Fantasy. Book two of the Stormlight Archive is equally good or even better than the Way of Kings. Too many authors in this genre lean their world on Tolkien or middle ages Earth, rarely do we get to see such a unique world as Sanderson is creating here. I think this series will be Sandersons Opus Magnum and certainly one of the best Epic-Fantasies of all time.
This has now become my favourite book ever. Full stop. It’s, very shockingly, even better than the first one. I love that it focuses more on Shallan, as she was my favourite character in “The Way of Kings”. I can’t wait to read the next books and novellas in the series. Thank you Brandon Sanderson for creating such a wonderful world.
Words of Radiance Even better than The Way of Kings. Kaladin vs. Szeth is legendary, Shallan truly comes into her own, and the climax is one of Sanderson’s best. Every storyline is perfectly paced, and the emotional payoffs hit hard. Favorite Quotes: “Sometimes a hypocrite is just a man in the process of changing.” “You cannot have my pain.”
omfg this book kiiiilled me but if i was adolin id feel so left out, poor guy also kinda funny how dalinar just needed to "pretty please" his powers lel that love triangle is so unnecessary?? like yeah, i bet the drama is gonna be juicy but i dont need another character snooping in their betrothal business
IL PRIMO VERO 5⭐️ DELLA MIA VITA. Niente dopo questo libro può battere tutto il resto. È la PERFEZIONE (un po' "sporcata" dagli interludi, ma è solo la polvere che cerca di depositarsi ma non ci riesce). Anche se la narrazione a volte è un po' lenta, è perfetto come libro. Io dal 30% è stato un continuo immergersi in un continum di storia, colpi di scena, momenti da cardio palma, e un immenso orgoglio per una delle protagoniste migliori che io abbia mai trovato (SHALLAN