Review: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Having survived Sadeas betrayal through the unexpected aid of the bridge four crew Dalinar steps up his efforts to unite the High Princes, knowing that an unfathomable danger is just around the corner. Kaladin the leader of bridge four finds himself assigned as head of  Dalinar's bodyguard. While he doesn't entirely trust him, due to his social station, he knows that bridge four's only hope is for Dalinar to remain alive. Meanwhile Shallan finds herself in grave danger. The ship is attacked by assassins leaving Jasnah dead and Shallan as possibly the sole survivor. She needs to continue her journey to the shattered plains, knowing the very fate of the world could lie in her completing Jasnah's mission.

There is a lot right with Sanderson's second installment in the Storm Light archives series. This very well might be Sanderson's finest piece of world-building combining a vivid-landscape  with a long history and various peoples. These are explored in greater depth than the first volume.

Dalinar, Kaladin and Shallan remain the three main protagonists and the pay off in particular from Kaladin and Shallan as they mature throughout the book is very rewarding. I also enjoyed the exploration in the complex motivations of side characters and groups.

In no uncertain terms this is a large novel. Yet at no point did I find myself experiencing any lag as the plots developed, a sign of exceptional pacing.

There is also an unexpected depth to some of the subplots, as complex issues such as racism are explored in a very mature way.

Sadly Sanderson's biggest struggle remains his attempts to improve the humor in his writing.  There are number of examples where this felt forced and made some of the character's almost 'cartoony' at times. Having said that there were moments when he did get it right, some of the interactions between Pattern and Shallan being the best examples. The only other negative comment I have is the choice of using some words in dialogue which do not gel with the setting and do lead to moments where I lost my immersion in the story.


Overall the second installment of this series is combination of excellent world-building, character development and pacing. Minor issues in forced humor provides a slight distraction at times. 8.5/10.