Review: Words of Radiance

Words of Radiance Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

🌩️ 🗡️ 🪶

Words of Radiance takes the epic to a whole new level, building on the foundation laid in The Way of Kings . This absolute unit of a book clocks in at 1,232 pages, and I finished it in THREE DAYS. Brandon Sanderson must have put something in these pages because I genuinely could not put this book down. The characters, the plot twists, the foreshadowing. It's ridiculous at this point how well Sanderson balances everything. Even with a story this massive, I was completely hooked.

Kaladin, my sweet Kaladin. I love this man just as much as I did in the first book. Following him as he settles into his new role with Dalinar and finds his place among the wonderful Bridge Four crew is such a joy. His struggle with morality, responsibility, and what it really means to protect people continues to be one of my favourite parts of the series. I love seeing the different sides of him, especially in the quieter moments between the action.

But this time around, Shallan absolutely shines. Her story develops so much, and I adore her wit, her wittiness, and the way she constantly changes how people perceive her. Her banter is hilarious, and her dynamic with Pattern is an absolute delight. LIES. I could read those two interacting for days. Yet beneath all that humour is a character who has learned to hide parts of herself from the world, and there's something genuinely heartbreaking about that.

Adolin also grew on me tremendously. He's spoiled, sure, but there's so much more to him than that. I love his interactions with Shallan, his developing relationship with Kaladin, and watching him become more of the man he wants to be. And Bridge Four continues to own my heart. Shen, Rock, the whole crew. I love these people.

The interludes deserve a shout-out, too. They expand the world with fascinating characters, strange mysteries, and little glimpses of stories that make me desperate to know more. Renarin has me particularly curious, and I love how Sanderson keeps widening the scope of this world without losing sight of the characters at its centre.

The writing is solid, the dialogue is fantastic, and the balance between character development, humour, political tension, dramatic reveals, and epic action is genuinely impressive. There was a brief lull for me between Parts Two and Three, but it didn't last long, and the groundwork was worth it. By the time the finale arrived, I was completely invested.

This book is bigger, bolder, and even more addictive than The Way of Kings . I have approximately a million questions, and I need answers yesterday. I cannot choose a favourite scene any more than I can choose my favourite Beyoncé album. I refuse. They're all so good.

A 5-star book I swallowed faster than a seagull can snatch your food. DAYM, DAYM, DAYM.

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