Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

June 18, 2021

Satisfying continuation of the first book.

This book continued what The Way of Kings started and did not disappoint.

Sanderson’s stories are grounded by extensive systems he invents governing how things work. Weather systems, political systems, and always some form of power that characters can use to their advantage. As the story evolves, new revelations aren’t shooting out of fuzzy plot points but dramatically revealing more details that contribute to larger and more cohesive whole1. This book had several great characters moving through their own hero journeys, finding and honing their own abilities, and felt as vast as the first.

It’s ultimately the intensity, the brilliant and fresh cinematic moments, and the many turns that make these stories so vivid and fun to look back on.

Long read, but recommended.

Footnotes

  1. “Cohesive” may just mean chaos in higher resolution, though. Like real life, clarity does not always reveal harmony. 

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