Words of Radiance

This review contains spoilers for this book and for Warbreaker. Above the spoiler fold, I will provide a content warning for eye gore in Chapter 89.

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For me, this book read much more quickly than The Way of Kings, despite its size (over 1300 pages in my mass market paperback edition). I think it’s because I’d had The Way of Kings to get me used to the scale of the Stormlight Archive series and introduce the characters.

As with The Way of Kings, Shallan’s storyline was my favourite. She’s really grown into a brave scholar and has developed quite a talent for espionage. She is doing brilliantly, even if she doesn’t think so, and I am very proud of her :)

I also like that she is betrothed to Adolin, who is perfectly suited for show more her and although there is a teeny bit of a potential love triangle between her, Adolin, and Kaladin, it’s not an obnoxious one, or at least I don’t find it obnoxious, and I have a very low tolerance for that sort of thing. Maybe for me it’s OK that there is potential to insinuate a love triangle because I like every single person in that triangle. Kaladin can be a bit of a grumpy pants, but I am a grumpy pants myself and can relate.

I also really liked the view of the Listener/Parshendi camp, particularly the perspective of Eshonai, the female Shardbearer for the tribe.

Also wow, what an ENDING! The talking sword from Warbreaker is back!!!! I am SO hyped. I literally screamed out loud when I read that part.

And how the heck did Jasnah survive that attack on the ship? Or is she an illusion or recording? Can’t wait to find out in the next book. show less

4.7 / 5

now let me tell you something right now - this book absolutely rocks. everything that worked in the first book works so much better in the sequel. we see our characters unite, actual progress is made in multiple places, we’re talking MAJOR plot advancement, and we get to enjoy the fruits of our character’s hard-earned development.

i’m gonna start off by saying, however, that i still don’t love the women in this book. i like shallan a lot, but there’s something i can’t quite put my finger on that feels missing from her character. it’s almost like if the ghost of a woman was writing a female character - BRANDON SANDERSON writes ghost women. i will give it up to him, the women are so, so, sO much more interesting in show more this book than WAY OF KINGS. it’s just that they still lack some degree of introspection - or maybe it’s that i don’t feel close enough to their thoughts and feelings, and women are backgrounded a lot more than men in this series. i don’t know for sure what feels off… but something with the ladies, man. something with the ladies doesn’t FEEL RIGHT.

that said… this book is simply spectacular. the sheer enormity of it alone is impressive - then, add on top of that the most full-bodied, well-planned plot structure you’ve ever read? with characters that feel human? maaaaan. shut the fuck up. SANDERSON is playing with the big boys.

i cant say that there weren’t parts that bored me. there were, because this book is OVER 1000 PAGES. but it kept me on the edge of my seat for the most part, and is by far one of the most surprising, satisfying, and thrilling fantasy books i’ve ever read. not to compare, but you’re telling me game of thrones got an hbo show and tHIS DIDN’T?!?! beyond epic. this series is BEYOND. EPIC. i still have unanswered questions about the gods, the physics, the magic of the world, but honestly? at a certain point i stopped caring so much about this book making sense. i just started caring about the characters, and THAT is how you win me over.

SANDERSON’S dedication reads LOUD AND CLEAR, dude. he must have worked on this overarching plot for years and years and years. my favorite moment is when kaladin has lost syl, has to face moash and the goons alone, and comes face to face with the second ideal
the world building is believable, the characters are lovable, and the plot is downright drAMA. just crazy drama. this sequel made me love this series a million times more - i just still wish that women took more of a front seat. i think this series’ attempt to define and rebel against oppression is… a little flimsy. but holy shit is it entertaining.

three things i NEED to see from OATHBRINGER:

1. shallan x kaladin x adolin love triangle. come on SANDERSON, don’t be a coward. grow a pair and make it happen.

2. dalinar DEAD. this character has outlived his usefulness to the plot and i would like to see a big beautiful death for him. NEED to see adolin navigating the politics of being high prince (and maybe he even becomes KING).

3. MORE WIT! i fucking love wit’s character, i’m so intrigued and so invested, NEEEDD to see more from him. need to know who, what, when, where, and why.

all in all, i loved it. but i have an extremely high bar, especially for BRANDON SANDERSON. i don’t think this quite clears 5 stars, but it definitely earns at least a 4.7 :) show less

"For glory lit, and life alive, for goals unreached and aims to strive. All men must try, the wind did see. It is the test, it is the dream." Ch. 59, Pg. 878

"Honor is dead, but I’ll see what I can do." Ch. 56, Pg. 799

SUMMARY:
Taking place just after the Way of Kings. The main character of this book is Shallan, with Kaladan and Dalinar still playing a main part as well. Adolin, Dalinar's son also takes a step up and becomes a main character as well. Shallan and Jasnah begin traveling to the shattered plains to meet up with Dalinar and Navani, in order to discover the secret of the plains. Along the way, Shallan and Jasnah get attacked. Kaladan and all of bridge four is now the personal guard of Dalinar. Kaladan is exploring his newfound show more powers, but is also keeping it secret from Dalinar. Dalinar is continuing his political maneuvering to unite Alethkar and refound the Knights Radiant, while at the same time, trying to wind down the war with the Parshendi, and find peace before Alethkar obliterates the Parshendi people.

ANALYSIS:
Throughout reading this book, I was noticing a couple philosophical threads. Before I analyze what these threads are, I must make note that I do not have a deep, firsthand knowledge of these philosophical disciplines. Right now I would consider myself a philosophical generalist. I have a wide net of philosophical knowledge, but my knowledge of each discipline is not very deep. I have enough knowledge to recognize when and where most of western philosophy is being implemented, and enough knowledge to make connections between things. But I would say that beyond recognition and connection, anything that I posit is on very unstable ground and has a high likelihood of being inaccurate. My goal is to bring to surface what I understand the philosophical threads are, so that if I or anyone who is reading this can know the name of the ideas being commented on or used, and can have a point of reference for deeper study, if they wish.

Words of Radiance seems to continue an exploration of deontology, or virtue ethics through all the various characters commitments to certain oaths, or creeds. "Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination." This is the initial oath, all of the Knights Radiant must commit themself to. Each order of the Knights Radiant have separate oaths that follow after this first foundational oath. 'Journey before destination' seems like the highlighted theme of this book. This creed emphasizes a moral system that prescribes means as having to be a factor in making ethical decisions, as well as the ends. This model says that ends do not justify the means. As a result, there are two ways this view of 'the ends do not justify the means', can be acted out or interpreted. Either the means justify the ends, or both the means and the ends have to be equitably justified. All of the protagonists of this story have a very clear goal they are trying to get to or achieve. Throughout the course of the story, the characters are placed in various situations where they begin to prioritize ethical ends justifying unethical means to reach their end goals. This lands them in sticky situations, and at the end of the story, most of the characters recommit themself to their initial oath, as well as a more specific oath pertaining to each of the characters order of the Knights Radiant.

Oaths as an example of ethical rationalism, more specifically they are an example of the law of non-contradiction. I will use Kaladin's oaths for this example

"I will protect those who cannot protect themselves." Ch. 84, Pg. 1218, Second oath of the the Windrunners

"I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right." Ch. 84, Pg. 1220. Third oath of the Windrunners

Ethical rationalism is a view that states that objective truths, and moral truths can be found, not just through experience, but through rational thought and intellectual pursuits. A common model for how this works is the Aristotelian Justified True Belief model of epistemology. A foundational tool for rational thought is the law of non-contradiction. How this works is by taking a principle, and asking yourself 'How can I extend this principle?' or 'How does this principle apply in a new situation?' So for Kaladin's second and third oaths, you see a logical progression of a general principle. The second oath is about protecting those who cannot protect themself. Throughout the course of the story, you see how Kaladin hates the caste system, and those of a higher social order than his own social order. He is now the personal guard of Elhokar, the king of Alethkar, who is incapable of protecting himself, but is also a physical embodiment of the entire caste system of all of Alethkar, which has caused Kaladin a lot of harm and hardship. Kaladin engages in moral reasoning as the story progresses, because he feels the contradiction of his second oath, and the hate that he feels. He eventually comes to the conclusion that hate is not a strong enough ethical grounds to cause intentional harm to those he hates and also who cannot protect themself, and finds himself swearing the third oath "I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right."

Surviving despite the impossible. Being untouchable, but the world being immovable. This little thread pokes at existentialist philosophy. Kaladin and Dalinar survived the impossible in the previous book. But despite their glimpses at death, and experiencing great injustice, it has changed nothing with how the rest of the world works or how others interact with them. Kaladin specifically is essentially untouchable, but even though he cannot be reasonably killed or hurt, his almost invincibility is not converted into change in the world or society to something more fair and just. So both of these characters experience great rage, and great existential dread. They are both deeply motivated by justice, but they also struggle with wondering how much effort is expended before their efforts just becomes an exercise in futility. What happens if your efforts are meaningless. Why even try if getting anything to happen is impossibly hard. This is where I believe Words of Radiance offers up its own answer to this question with its emphasis on 'journey before destination'. It doesn't matter what ends you have accomplished, what matters is the means by which you have lived.

Two different explorations of aesthetics

Exploration one is about making sense of the relationship between aesthetics and power or authority. This book seems to loosely claim that power and authority are not exactly real things, but just a quality described depending on one's point of view. It does not claim to be anything real, but it is often mistaken for being real. It is merely a choice of clothing you would put on in the morning. But to most that you would come across, they would mistake your clothing as being a part of your skin. And as long as you can keep convincing everyone that your clothes is your skin, you receive some sort of benefit from those you can keep convinced. Shallan's arc in the beginning of this book seem to explore these ideas the most.

"Power is an illusion of perception." Ch. 1, Pg. 51

"Control is the basis of all true power? Authority and strength are matters of perception?" Ch. 11, Pg. 164

Exploration two is about aesthetics and beauty. Questions are raised about 'what is art? What is beauty? What is the role art and beauty play in the human experience?'

"Beauty was out there, all around. To create art was not to capture it, but to participate in it." Ch. 47, Pg. 668"

RESPONSE:
This is the highest rated book on all of Goodreads. Do I think it is the best book I have ever read? Probably not. Do I think this book is worthy of all the praise, awards, accolades and high ratings? Undoubtedly yes!

I read this book and the previous book through Graphic Audio, which had a full cast, with music and sound effects. I got through the last book in a week, and this book in a week as well, but as I was writing the previous books reflection, I was listening to this book. I wasn't really taking notes as I went, and I believe that made me not as present while consuming Words of Radiance.

So all that to say, this book was a blur for me... but upon an intentional effort to examine the book a bit closer, I truly think this book is utterly incredible. Their are so many captivating scenes and character moments that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Two scenes in particular stand out as my favorite among a sea of incredible scenes. Those two scenes is Adolin's dual, starting from when he is putting his armor on and speaking with his brother. Secondly is the story of Fleet, when Wit is singing to Kaladin in prison. These two scenes make me feel a variety of overwhelming emotions, that is nothing but narrative art and mental cinematography."

QUOTES:
"It was important to be rational at all times, not just when calm" Prologue, Pg. 17

"This is insanity!” “No, this is scholarship!" Ch. 1, Pg. 37

"Power is an illusion of perception." Ch. 1, Pg. 51

"Control is the basis of all true power? Authority and strength are matters of perception?" Ch. 11, Pg. 164

"To live was to be a fragment of the cosmere that was experiencing itself." Interlude 2, Pg. 204

"Justice does not expire." Interlude 2, Pg. 212

"Do not let your assumptions about a culture block your ability to perceive the individual, or you will fail." Interlude 3, Pg. 219

"Expectation wasn’t just about what people expected of you. It was about what you expected of yourself." Ch. 15, Pg. 274

"Words are where most change begins." Ch. 24, Pg. 366

"Two blind men waited at the end of an era, contemplating beauty. They sat atop the world’s highest cliff, overlooking the land and seeing nothing." Ch. 45, Pg. 635

"Beauty was out there, all around. To create art was not to capture it, but to participate in it." Ch. 47, Pg. 668

"Honor is dead, but I’ll see what I can do." Ch. 56, Pg. 799

"All stories told have been told before. We tell them to ourselves, as did all men who ever were. And all men who ever will be. The only things new are the names." Ch. 59, Pg. 877

"For glory lit, and life alive, for goals unreached and aims to strive. All men must try, the wind did see. It is the test, it is the dream." Ch. 59, Pg. 878

"I seek the truth, wherever it may be, whoever may hold it. That’s who I am." Ch. 64, Pg. 925

"The truth destroys more people than it saves" Ch. 64, Pg. 925

"What is a woman’s place in this modern world? Jasnah Kholin’s words read. I rebel against this question, though so many of my peers ask it. The inherent bias in the inquiry seems invisible to so many of them. They consider themselves progressive because they are willing to challenge many of the assumptions of the past. They ignore the greater assumption—that a “place” for women must be defined and set forth to begin with. Half of the population must somehow be reduced to the role arrived at by a single conversation. No matter how broad that role is, it will be—by nature—a reduction from the infinite variety that is womanhood. I say that there is no role for women—there is, instead, a role for each woman, and she must make it for herself. For some, it will be the role of scholar; for others, it will be the role of wife. For others, it will be both. For yet others, it will be neither. Do not mistake me in assuming I value one woman’s role above another. My point is not to stratify our society—we have done that far too well already—my point is to diversify our discourse. A woman’s strength should not be in her role, whatever she chooses it to be, but in the power to choose that role. It is amazing to me that I even have to make this point, as I see it as the very foundation of our conversation." Ch. 65, Pg. 929

"As I fear not a child with a weapon he cannot lift, I will never fear the mind of a man who does not think." Ch. 67, Pg. 956

"You turned an attack into a promise. The wisest of men know that to render an insult powerless, you often need only to embrace it." Ch. 67, Pg. 959

"It’s the fault of your entire class. Each time one of us is defrauded, enslaved, beaten, or broken, the blame rests upon all of you who support it. Even indirectly." “Oh please,” she said. “The world isn’t fair? What a huge revelation! Some people in power abuse those they have power over? Amazing! When did this start happening?" Ch. 69, Pg. 992

"You still think I’m too optimistic, don’t you?” Shallan said. “It’s not your fault,” Kaladin said. “I’d rather be like you. I’d rather not have lived the life I have. I would that the world was only full of people like you, Shallan Davar.” “People who don’t understand pain.” “Oh, all people understand pain,” Kaladin said. “That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s . . .” “The sorrow,” Shallan said softly, “of watching a life crumble? Of struggling to grab it and hold on, but feeling hope become stringy sinew and blood beneath your fingers as everything collapses?” “Yes.” “The sensation—it’s not sorrow, but something deeper—of being broken. Of being crushed so often, and so hatefully, that emotion becomes something you can only wish for. If only you could cry, because then you’d feel something. Instead, you feel nothing. Just . . . haze and smoke inside. Like you’re already dead.” He stopped in the chasm. She turned and looked to him. “The crushing guilt,” she said, “of being powerless. Of wishing they’d hurt you instead of those around you. Of screaming and scrambling and hating as those you love are ruined, popped like a boil. And you have to watch their joy seeping away while you can’t do anything. They break the ones you love, and not you. And you plead. Can’t you just beat me instead?” “Yes,” he whispered. Shallan nodded, holding his eyes. “Yes. It would be nice if nobody in the world knew of those things, Kaladin Stormblessed. I agree. With everything I have.” "He saw it in her eyes. The anguish, the frustration. The terrible nothing that clawed inside and sought to smother her. She knew. It was there, inside. She had been broken. Then she smiled. Oh, storms. She smiled anyway. It was the single most beautiful thing he’d seen in his entire life." Ch. 71, Pg. 1021-1022

“When did you get so peppy?” she shouted. “Ever since I assumed I was dead, then I suddenly wasn’t.” Ch. 72, Pg. 1039

"To age truly was to suffer the ultimate treason, that of one’s body against oneself" Interlude 14, Pg. 1085

"Jasnah had once defined a fool as a person who ignored information because it disagreed with desired results." Ch. 77, Pg. 1126

"I will protect those who cannot protect themselves." Ch. 84, Pg. 1218

"I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right." Ch. 84, Pg. 1220

"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. Conversely, if you gain a reputation for being too good, too skilled . . . beware. The better art will be in their heads, and if you give them an ounce less than they imagined, suddenly you have failed. Suddenly you are useless. A man will find a single coin in the mud and talk about it for days, but when his inheritance comes and is accounted one percent less than he expected, then he will declare himself cheated. Wit shook his head, standing up and dusting off his coat. “Give me an audience who have come to be entertained, but who expect nothing special. To them, I will be a god. That is the best truth I know." Epilogue, Pg. 1294

"I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you’ve been looking for God in the wrong places.” “I suppose that you’re going to tell me where you think I should look.” “You’ll find God in the same place you’re going to find salvation from this mess,” Wit said. “Inside the hearts of men.” “Curiously,” Jasnah said, “I believe I can actually agree with that, though I suspect for different reasons than you imply." Epilogue, Pg. 1297"

(WHAT) TITLE: Words of Radiance
(WHAT) SERIES: Stormlight Archive
(WHAT) Order: 2
(WHO) AUTHOR/EDITOR: Brandon Sanderson
RECORDS OF NOTE: Highest rated book on goodreads
(WHAT) GENRE / SUBJECT: Fantasy
(HOW) METHODS OF COMPREHENSION:
PAGES: 1308
(WHERE) OWNED / PLATFORM: GRAPHIC AUDIO / EPUB
EXCITEMENT: 7
RATING: 10
(WHY) HOW DID I HEAR ABOUT IT?: This was simply the next book in the cosmere for the reading list I am following.
FINISHED: YES
(WHEN) READ OVER THE COURSE OF?: 1 WEEK
(WHEN) DATE FINISHED: Thu, Nov 20, 2025
(WHY) REASON FINISHED: Story was captivating. I listened to it non-stop while going through out life. On my way to work, on my lunch break, while doing dishes, while playing video games, etc.
(WHY) REASON DROPPED:
EXPECTATIONS: Exceeded
PACING FEEL: Just Right
STYLE: Prose
WORTH MY TIME: YES show less

Oh storms yes !

This book was absolutely amazing, such glorious storytelling, such glorious characters, such glorious rigor.

This book is so good omfg !

God i FUCKING LOVE The Way Of Kings.

But i LOVED this one EVEN MORE.

Mostly because it's a bit more explicit with the magic system and such.

The world building is still amazing.

The answers beg even more questions.

The protagonists are getting stronger, but so are the stakes.

God the catharsis that happens sometimes oh my god but then something else happens that reminds you that this *IS* a series and there are still some secrets creeping within and that, even though you as the reader wish it to be the case, not all is fine and dandy.

Amazing book, that is all!

So, let's be honest--this book was entirely too long. I mean, there were some random interludes and some interludes that made sense in the context of the story, but they were a serious buzzkill for the most part.

Now that the negative is out of the way...this book is awesome. I love how everything is starting to come together in bits and pieces for the main characters. I also love how they aren't all good or all bad and the characterization seems mature (something that I felt like was missing from the Mistborn series). The world building is excellent and there are some strange new creatures and places that are introduced in this book. It almost felt like Sanderson felt more comfortable exploring the weirder aspects of the world after the show more first novel, and it really works.

Finally, I appreciate how there are still good people in this novel. I would characterize this book as hopeful whereas something like GoT (which I love) is pretty bleak. That isn't to say horrible things don't happen, because they do, but I really appreciate that Sanderson has chosen to write as if there are people with the capacity to do good--to act out of something other than self preservation.

There is a lot more to be said, but this is shaping up to be one of my favorite fantasy epics. show less

So this series is really growing on me. I gave the first book 4 stars, but that probably wasn't too fair, since it's so well-written. (And it's really hard to write a palindrome poem that actually makes sense!) This one is definitely 5 stars for me. I found this story more riveting than the first book. And again, the drawings and illustrations are absolutely stunning. There were so many times when I was reading about an interesting animal or something and I wished for an illustration of it. Many times I got my wish, so that's great.

The story continues with Kaladin head of the king's private security force. Dalinar is trying to figure out his dreams / visions. Shallan and Jasnah are travelling to the Shattered Plains to search for the show more lost city of Urithiru. (Love the palindromes!) I'm simplifying -- there's way more to the story, including a shocking death. Shallan is really growing as a character, and I'm really happy with that. I also loved her interactions with Kaladin.

Still what bothers me so much is that women are the historians, the scientists, the ones who can read and write. Yet they let the men be in charge. These men overall are doing a terrible job as leaders (especially with useless wars), but the women don't mind much. They're happy to just work for them. Women have all the knowledge (and knowledge is power of course) so why aren't they taking control? These men don't know anything -- only what the women tell them, so why are the women so accomodating to the status quo?

It's great to see Wit again. His character doesn't get much page time, but he's really interesting. Especially since he gives a hint to a world with actual mammals. (I really don't like the bug-like crustacean creatures that pretty much represent all animal life in this series.) So he knows a lot more than anyone else about what's going on. He's such a mysterious person, I can't wait to read more of him.

And that epilogue! show less

http://tinyurl.com/mlnyuyx

Is there anything Sanderson cannot do?! Besides the overarching awe you feel for reading what is a true EPIC (this is book 2 in The Stormlight Archive), there's also Sanderson's talent at quick-flipping between comedy, suspense, dramadramadrama, and, the most important thing, revealing pieces of the overall mystery. You will read a nice little dramatic moment which then, all of a sudden, morphs into a huge reveal. It just blows your socks off, never knowing what you're going to get next.

I truly am in awe of his writing. I wish I could say the same for some of his thought processes, particularly on homosexuality. I suspect that we have to take the good with the bad because what we love so much about his show more description of faith and God and religion in his books comes from the life he has lived in his own faith. I would really, really prefer that he wasn't misguided in his thinking about certain large issues in our world, but I'm not wholly surprised.

Case in point, you will never see a gay character in a Sanderson book. However, especially in this volume, you will see a great number of racial stereotypes that are well enough "drawn" that you won't immediately think of an Earth equivalent. (Although, Lopen? Well, that's freakin' obvious.) I would endeavor to say that the main point of this volume of The Stormlight Archive is about race and class, perhaps more about class. Kaladin is struggling so darn hard to understand his place in the world, and it feels more and more like he will become the main character of the entire Archive.

I like where the story is going. I like how the characters have changed and morphed and moved forward. I like that there remain mysteries. I especially like the little "author note" we got in the last chapter. I was, however, surprised at how different this book felt from the previous book, which makes me all the more eager for the next one. Any author that can change his tone from book to book in a series has a marvelous talent.

I don't doubt that 1000 pages is too long for most people, and it always make me quail when I see that, but I have a new method. I try and think of the one book as a series of 3 books. When I reach 33% I think "one book down"! show less