Book Review: Words of Radiance, by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive, Book 2

Plot summary follows, my interpretations of course!

Opens with Jasnah's experience of Gavilar's assassination, and Parshendi taking responsibility and telling Jasnah that it was because "he was about to do something very dangerous". Jasnah hires Liss the assassin, experiences Shadesmar, sees Szeth walk on the wall.

Jasnah has plan to betroth Shallan to Adalyn, to help her house/family. Shallan sees Jasnah's murder on the ship, soulcasts the ship into water to prevent the murder of the rest of the crew. Ends up stranded, and manipulates slaver and deserter bandits into helping her travel to shattered plains. Using Lightweaving to change appearance without really knowing how. Dismisses slaver Tvlakv (who had Kal), saves slaves. Tyn recognizes Shallan as a budding con artist, starts to advise her on how to deceive. Shallan poses as Herdazian when meeting Kal on patrol, takes his boots.

Flashbacks are Shallan's history, showing her father's abuse, failings of her brothers. Helaran confronting her father, then leaving. Father being blamed for the mother's death, supposedly with a lover. End of book reveals that Shallan is responsible for mother's death, father takes the blame and that breaks him. Shallan kills him with poison and strangulation.

Shallan finds out Tyn was hired by ghostbloods to murder Jasnah. Tyn discovers Shallan was Jasnah's ward. Tyn tries to kill Shallan, Shallan defends herself, uses her shardblade. Arranges to meet Ghostbloods. Makes to shattered plains, meets Dalinar, Adolin, Navani, delivers news of Jasnah's death. Kaladin and Shallan exchange epic insults [pg 504 paperback, ch 36 "a new woman"]. Shallan joins Sebarial's household.

Interlude Eshonai, sister discovering Stormform, the recruit as many as possible to convert in the last two highstorms before the weeping. 

Kaladin is figuring out his power, Teft and Sygzil providing hints. Kaladin helps fight off Szeth when he tries to kill Dalinar. Dalinar catches Szeth's blade in a "last clap". Szeth has a crisis and leaves when Kaladin can "lash" like Szeth.

Lyft interlude! Wyndle vine spren, reduced friction, eating to replentish, hunted by darkness, almost killed until the new king pardons her. 

Moash recruits Kaladin to kill Elhokar for being weak, ineffective, revenge for pulling Moash's parents in prison until they died. Kaladin's conflicting promises, to protect the king to Dalinar, and to aid an assassination, to Moash, cause Syl to weaken and vanish, and Kal to loose ability.

Adolin is fighting duels to win shards, to strengthen Kholin position and force highprinces to unite. Wins a few, agrees to "disadvantaged" match and ends up facing four shardbearers. Renarin tries to help, can't. Kaladin helps, uses lashing to smash shardplate, breaking his legs then healing. They barely win the match, Adolin finally respect Kal.

Dalinar's visions, proven true, help translate the Dawnchant. Scratches countdown on the wall.

Sadeas tries to assassinate Dalinar, dropping a bridge during scouting. Kal and Shallan dropped into chasm. Kal uses last of stormlight to survive fall, Syl screams and vanishes, leaving Kal without power. Run from chasmfiend. Have to survive highstorm in notch carved with shardblade, after Kal kills chasmfiend by being eaten with Shallan's blade, so he can pierce its brain. Emerge from chasm with gemheart right before final assault. Kal is wounded, has to stay behind. Fancies Shallan.

Shallan uses Veil persona to meet with Ghostblood, look into Amaram's household at maps, trying to find Urithuru. Oathgates are the way there. 

Dalinar confronts Amaram about having lied/killed to gain shards. Reveals he has bonded a shardblade. Amaram flees. Kaladin is impressed.

Final assault on Parshendi during the weeping, Aladar, Roinin, Sebarial join Dalinar. Szeth appears during battle to kill Dalinar. Dalinar learns he can't beat Szeth, so couldn't have saved Gavilar. Kal intervenes, battles Szeth while flying, Syl become sword/shield/spear. Convinces Szeth he's a Radiant. Szeth gives up, falls into storm, drops honorblade, Kal retrieves.

Adolin kills lots of Parshendi, not enough, they summon Everstorm. Adolin defeats Eshonai, Eshonai drops into chasm. Shallan gets army to circular plateau, recognizes Oathgate as a fabrial, transports army to Urithuru in the mountains. They start to explore. 

Weird shocking setup for next book: 

Mraize finds Shallan there, still want her for Ghostbloods, has her brothers somehow. Dalinar confronts Stormfather, bonds with it as Bondsmith. Renarin is revealed as a Radiant.

Wit waits and meets Jasnah emerging from Shadesmar. Jasnah wants to warn about things they already know about.

Adolin meets Sadeas in an empty corridor in Urithuru. Sadeas says he's going to lie/slander Dalinar to try to take the throne. Adolin kills him with a knife through the eye. 

 

Set after this book, Edgedancer from Arcanum Unbounded is about Lyft. Darkness is Nin, Nale, Nakku the Judge, Herald. He's following Ishar's directives, strictly following a code and the law. Szeth is there, recognizes Lyft as a radiant. Lyft tries to help the target before the storm, finds Darkness apprentices dead, killed by the Sleepless Arclo. Body made of hordelings, bred for a purpose. Darkness invokes Jezrien/Ishar when confronted with the everstorm and his failure. Lyft hugs him and he flees into the storm!