A Man With An Agenda

After reading 'The Way of Kings' again I was cognizant of this series' flaws - but it got full marks anyway, because of how much fun it was to read.

Sanderson's characters may be overpowered and their attitudes run on fixed tracks, but the story is solid. The novelty of a new fantasy saga that doesn't make me cringe while reading it is too good to pass up. The bad cover art is part of the flavor.

'Words of Radiance' picks up where 'Way of Kings' left off, and features a lot of Shallan, which was great since her's was my favorite point-of-view in 'Way of Kings'. The aftermath of the assassinations of leaders worldwide is beginning to be felt in the most remote regions, and spurs on Dalinar's need to unite the high princes of Alethkar under the king and end the war on the shattered plains. There are greater designs at work, however, and difficult tasks become near impossible after setbacks for the characters.

I still don't care for Kaladin and was disappointed when Sanderson did the obvious and played out the attraction between him and Shallan. I was sure that was a red herring right up to the tipping point. I'm glad Kaladin accomplished what he did, of course, it moves the story along, but I would rather he wasn't so petty and whining. If Sanderson wanted him to act his age he should have him do so from the start. I did like how Sanderson made the struggles of Shallan in this book possible by eliminating Jasnah right away and introducing the Parshendi perspective gave a little more dimension to the story - even if some characters continue to wade through and kill hundreds of them at a time without a second thought.

For being only the second part of a ten book series a lot of ground has been covered in 2,300 pages - despite what some other reviewers are claiming - unlike other series which start with a narrower focus this series begins with a global cast and will have to move at that pace. I won't argue for it as a cross-genre classic, but if you like epic fantasy its worth the investment.

Stormlight Archive

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