Words of Radiance is the second book in The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson. Please read the first book, The Way of Kings, before this review. After the momentous events of the last book, the war against the Parshendi has taken a turn. Danilar must face assassins while trying to navigate politics and allies on the Shattered Plains. Kaladin has taken on a new role as bodyguard, and must find a way to balance his new responsibilities with his burgeoning powers.
The Way of Kings is Brandon Sanderon’s first novel in a sweeping fantasy series entitled The Stormlight Archive. Set in a mythical world called Roshar, the book centers on a few characters; the dead king’s brother Danilar, who is attempting to avenge his brother’s memory. Kaladin, a slave who has survived many hardships and is cursed to endure them. Shallan, a young girl set on saving her family through whatever means necessary.
“I rose too high, loved too hard, dared too much. I tried to grasp a star, overreached, and fell."
Everyone’s favorite Targaryen, Daenerys Targaryen finally sets her sights on Westeros after having become the Queen in the East. Westeros is plagued by unrest after a series of wars. Will they accept this newcomer who claims to be their savior, or turn her away? Everyone is split, which brings yet another war onto the horizon. What does that mean for the people who have barely just survived the last one?
“In the pain, I imagine bliss. My thoughts are like wind, rushing, curling into the depths of myself, expelling, dispelling darkness. I imagine love, I imagine wind, I imagine gold hair and green eyes and whispers, laughter. I imagine … Me”
Finally free from the grasp of the Reestablishment, but with the weight of the truth of their past, what will Juliette and Warner choose to do with their new freedom?
“It's not insane to imagine that sometimes even horrible people are searching for a way out of their own darkness.”
This book picks up directly after Juliette and most of her friends have been captured by the Reestablishment. Not knowing who to trust after having her world turned upside down, Juliette must find a way to escape while maintaining her sanity, which seems to be harder than she initially thought.
“It’s not the pain that’s unendurable. It’s the hopelessness. It’s the hopelessness that makes you reckless.”
Another novella in the ever-expanding Shatter Me series, this novella showcases a new perspective. Following the events of Restore Me, this novella is told in the fan favorite, Kenji’s, perspective.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is an Adult/ young adult fantasy that’s a mix of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Wings of Fire by Tui T. These three series are also some of my favorite series, so I like this book and recommend it if you’ve read any of these series.
“Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures. No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.”
