Words of Radiance — Fantasy Book Review

Art by Michael Whelan

For years, I was intimidated to read Brandon Sanderson. This wasn't because his books were inaccessible or that I thought I wouldn't enjoy them. It wasn't even because of the sheer volume of his content—though, that was a notable factor. The reason I was hesitant was because every person I knew who read Sanderson dove headlong in, and now I understand them all.

Words of Radiance was a wonderful book. While, I don't think it ranks as high as Way of Kings for me, it is still well deserving of high praise. It raises the stakes, grows the characters, and expands the world—everything a good sequel should do.

In terms of the prose, Sanderson's style is nothing to write home about. There are some wonderful lines here and there, but the prose is pretty bare bones. However, not every story needs to be Tigana or The Name of the Wind. While the prose is simple, the dialogue shines bright and the writing is accessible and digestible.

Where Sanderson thrives, however, is character work and worldbuilding. The heroes are delightful to the point where I adore them, but they are written with enough depth and relatability that I genuinely care to see them overcome their odds. I particularly relate with Kaladin (even down to the seasonal depression), but Shallan's struggles with an abusive father are powerful and realistic. Each character is well fleshed out. 

All in all, Sanderson puts the epic in the epic fantasy genre. If you are hesitant to dip your toes into the water of his work because you're afraid you'll get swept up by the currant? Let me just say that it is well worth the ride.