It took me nearly four months to finish the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s “Stormlight Archive” epic series. It took my daughter a week. Then she wanted to read the next book. It took her about a week for that one, too, and all the time she was just bubbling over wanting to be able to talk about it. The best compromise I could come up with was to get the audio book. That only took me a month and a half to finish, and it’s a good thing, because I haven’t been able to do much reading in the mean time.
Anyway, “Words of Radiance” is a good book. It lacks the intense climax of the first book, but the entire book operates at a higher level of intensity in general. Where the first book spent much of its time immersing us in the world and a few of the characters, this book has more time to develop the setting further, go into depth on some other characters, and introduce a plethora of sub-plots. But ultimately the first two books together feels like a complete section. Yes, there’s more coming, but “Words of Radiance” ends in a more satisfying, more resolved place. There is, of course, ample “now what?” to keep people coming back, but we’re allowed to take a breath.
Oddly enough, the one character who kept me going through the last book when everyone else was boring became the one character I largely didn’t like this time around. Meanwhile, the character that bored me most last book really gets to shine. This is probably on purpose. Kaladin and Shallan are fairly complex characters, with a lot of important back-story. People like Dalinar and Adolin, while interesting characters, perhaps don’t require so much background–at least not yet. We don’t need to see the “why” of what they’re doing as much as we do with Kaladin and Shallan.
Also surprisingly, what we thought was the plot was just the setting up of the plot. By the end of book two I feel we’re finally getting to where we understand the world, The Problem, and the significance thereof. We know what’s at stake, and while the characters’ ability to deal with the events around them has increased, so have the stakes and the nature of The Problem.
The book picks up pretty much right where the last one left off. Kaladin has managed to save the bridgemen, but the danger is not over by a long-shot–especially with the “assasin in white” coming for Dalinar. And Kaladin is at war with himself as he gets drawn further into the world of the nobility–of which he can’t be a part. Shallan has not managed to save her family, but she’s at least been able to secure a place studying under Jasnah Kholin. But that pleasure is cut short, and now Shallan finds herself the sole possessor of Jasnah’s research and struggling to gain control of her own rising power. Meanwhile Dalinar Kholin and his sons, having been burned in the last book, learn to fight intrigue with intrigue while still desperately hold their country together against those who want to tear it apart.
What is most interesting is that it appears that both the good guys and the bad guys have the same goal. The difference is in their approach, and it remains to be seen if their goals are compatible enough for them to get along or if they will continue to get in one another’s way. And, for that matter, if all these intermediary organizations cropping up will ultimately help save the world or help scuttle it.
One of the hallmarks of epic storytelling is the ability to immerse oneself in the world. Sanderson does a good job with that. While clearly we’ve only scratched the surface of this world, I feel we’ve been given ample opportunity to get used to how things work here to the point that we can start to grasp the significance of certain events or data without having to be told why it matters. Sanderson’s world of Roshar is a rich and fascinating place.
Having made it through two of the ten planned books I find I’m willing to commit to continuing with the series as it unfolds. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not necessarily a fan of epics, but I may make an exception in this case. Sanderson is really hitting his stride as a writer and has proven his ability to juggle a multitude of varied and dangerous objects. I think I’ll stick around a while and see what happens next.