#Meanwhile Kaladin is like what are her odds of being an assassin?

[sebarial-the-economist]

Shallan: *ignores Adolin*

Adolin: That woman is insufferable

Shallan: *walks away*

Adolin: And by insufferable, I mean comPLETELY SUFFERABLE!

[libralita]

Reread Review!

Title: Words of Radiance

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Summary: Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi.

Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.

Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.

Rating: ★★★★★

Original Review

Review:

“His eyes swung toward Amaram, whom he’d long fancied as a potential match for her.”—Page 19

Wait, really?

“Liss smiled, but nodded. ‘Spying on the wife of the heir to the throne? It will be more expensive this way. You sure you don’t simply want her dead?’”—Page 24

It’s probably best to spy on Aesudan, I don’t trust her.

“They were ambassadors from the West, including the Azish man with the white birthmark on his cheek.”—Page 26

Who is this man?

“‘So you came up on deck,’ Jasnah said, “to sketch pictures of young men working without their shirts on. You expected this to help your concentration?’”—Page 39

Stormfather, I love Jasnah.

“‘My mother,’ Jasnah said, ‘is a renowned artifabrian. I suspect she can make yours function again. We can send it to your brothers, who can turn it to its owners.’”—Page 44

I should have realized that this was too good to be true.

“Behind my brother’s infant son and Dalinar, my uncle.”—Jasnah, Page 46

Elhokar has a son, will he be important, later?

“When I first bonded with Ivory—”—Jasnah, Page 69

Important.

“Honor, who became Vorinism’s Almighty, was created by men who wanted a representation of ideal human emotions as they saw in emotion spren. Cultivation, the god worshipped in the West, is a female deity that is an embodiment of nature ant nature spren.”—Page 71

Cosmere stuff!

Also, the Nightwatcher is a powerful spren?

“The door to his sitting room opened, and Ialai slipped in.”—Page 89

I don’t trust Ialai, I’m sure she’s going to seek vengeance for husband’s death.

“The king wasn’t. He sighed lightly, ‘You’ve obviously got a plan, Uncle. Well? Out with it. This drama is tiring.’”—Page 97

He is a drama queen.

“Hmmmm…Light makes shadow. Truth makes lies. Hmmmm.”—Page 107, Pattern

I like this quote.

Seeing Jasnah die was just so sad.

“‘Please,’ Shallan said to the sphere. ‘I need you to become fire.’ Pattern buzzed, speaking with a new voice, interpreting the sphere’s words. ‘I am a stick,’ he said. He sounded satisfied. ‘You can be fire,’ Shallan said. ‘I am a stick.’ The stick was not particularly eloquent. She supposed that she shouldn’t be surprised. ‘Why don’t you become fire instead?’ ‘I am a stick.’ ‘How do I make it change?’ Shallan asked of Pattern. ‘Mm…I do not know. You must persuade it. Offer it truths, I think?’ He sounded agitated. ‘This place is dangerous for you. For us. Please. Speed.’ She looked back at the stick. ‘You want to burn.’ ‘I am a stick.’ ‘Think how much fun it would be?’ ‘I am a stick.’ ‘Stormlight,’ Shallan said. ‘You could have it! All that I’m holding.’ A paused. Finally. ‘I am a stick.’”—Page 144

This scene is great.

“Those eyes seemed old somehow, but the man’s skin didn’t seem wrinkled enough to match them. He could have been thirty-five. Or he could have been seventy.”—Page 242

Hi, Vasher, where’s Vivi?

“He stopped abruptly. ‘Pattern?’ she asked. ‘Before what?’ ‘A figure of speech.’ He said it perfectly flat, absent of tone. He was growing better and better at speaking like a person, and at times he sounded just like one. But now all of the color had gone from his voice. ‘You’re lying,’ she accused him, glancing at his pattern on the wall. He had shrunk, growing small at first, half his usual size. ‘Yes,’ he said reluctantly. ‘You’re a terrible liar,’ Shallan said, surprised at the realization. ‘Yes.’ ‘But you love lies!’ ‘So fascinating,’ he said. ‘You are all so fascinating.’”—Page 256

Pattern is so adorable.

“Hmmmm. You sound like her. More and more like her.”—Pattern, Page 256

Who?

“Niter,’ Zhael said. ‘What?’ Kaladin asked, frowning. ‘He was head of the Cobalt Guard before you,’ Zahel said. ‘He was a good man, and a friend.’”—Pages 262-263

Another worldhopper?

“You have a chip on your shoulder the size of a boulder.”—Dalinar to Kaladin, Page 294

Damn straight, Dalinar knows what’s up.

“He frowned, ‘What I’m having trouble understanding is why anyone would want to be closer to Sebarial than they need to be.’”—Page 445

Sassy Dalinar.

Renarin wanting to serve under Kal is just the cutest thing ever, I love Renarin so much. He has so many issues but dammit he’s so determined and engendering. God I love him.

“Other curiosities baffled her. A vial of pale sand. A couple of thick hairpins. A lock of golden hair. The branch of a tree with writing on it she couldn’t read. A silver knife. An odd flower preserved in some kind of solution. There were no plaques to explain these mementos. That chunk of pale pink crystal looked like it might be some kind of gemstone, but why was it so delicate. Bits of it had flaked off in its case, as if simply setting it down had almost crushed it.”—Page 493

Not stuff from other planets.

Who does Amaram’s life belong to?

Rock saw Hoid.

Adolin’s ex, Danlan is in the Ghostbloods.

“‘Stop it, you two,’ Balat said. ‘That kind of talk is disrespectful. Love…love is like a classical melody.’ Shallan grinned. ‘If you end your performance too quickly, your audience is disappointed?’”—Page 558

Amazing.

No one writes romance like Brandon Sanderson, that poop scene will always be great.

“Well, that might be a little harder. I think there’s only one of those around these parts, and she and I never did get along.”—Wit, Page 641

The Nightwatcher? Khriss?

Okay, so why did Relis just randomly run away when the blade didn’t kill Kal?

I’m so pissed off at Kal, like if he had just listen to Syl and not let his thirst for vengeance over take him, he would not be in this situation. Yes, Kal, some lighteyes have screwed you over but you can blame them all for your problems. If you just handled this Amaram thing like an adult, then you wouldn’t be in the situation. You never think these things through!

“Stop being a child, and start being a solider! You’ll go to prison, and you’ll go happily. That’s an order”—Dalinar, Page 678

Thank you, Dalinar!

Is Amaram going to get an honorblade? That would be an epic battle between Kal and Amaram.

“Have you given up on the gemstone, now that it is dead? And do you no longer hide behind the name of your old master? I am told that in your current incarnation you’ve take a name that references what you presume to be one of your virtues.”—Page 733

So many teases.

“He’s searching for the information there, Shallan thought. Same as I am. But he wants to return the Voidbringers, not fight them. Why?”—Page 737

The reason as Gavilar.

“Kaladin’s father had been respect.”—Page 749

Not really, they thought what he did was creepy.

I have to remember the name Iyatil for when The Lost Metal comes out.

I’m so mad at Kal for giving Moash the blade and plate.

“He hesitated. The first time; an implication that when Gavilar had died, he had not been broken up about it. She had never states so outright an implication of the…difficulties the two had been having.”—Page 788

What did Gavilar do?

Well, I am sad that Sadeas is gone because Wit won’t be able to mock him. However, I forgot that Wit was a total asshole to Amaram and it was amazing, I can’t wait to see more of this.

“It is an era for tyrants. I doubt this place is ready for anything more, and a benevolent tyrant is preferable to the disaster of weak rule. Perhaps in another place and time, I’d have denounced you with spit and bile. Here, today, I praise you as what this world needs.”—Wit, Page 797

Sometimes the world need a tyrant.

“If I have to watch this world crumble and burn to get what I need, I will do so. with tears, yes, but I would let it happen.”—Wit, page 798

CONCERNED.

Yes, dragon dude, I’m sure Odium will stay captive. Just like Ruin.

“‘Oh please,’ she said. ‘The world isn’t fair? What a huge revelation! Some people in power abuse those they have power over? Amazing! When did this start happening?’”—Page 825

Thank you, Shallan! I’m so glad you’re knocking some sense into him!

“Yes, princeling. I let your betrothed wander off alone in the darkness to get eaten by a chasmfiend. No, I didn’t go with her. Yes, I am coward.”—Page 830

I love this scene.

I can’t believe that Kal, without even knowing Shallan, just stated that she’s never gone through any hardships. Like hello Kal, light eyes aren’t some immortal beings who feel no pain.

Dalinar should have told Shallan about that time he dug a bathroom out, then she would have known to use a hammer.

Ah, yes Kal, the most brilliant idea to not tell Shallan about killing her brother. I’m sure that will totally not bite you in the ass later.

So Eshonai mentions that Venli hadn’t changed much after the Stormform transformation, so I’m guessing that Venli was influenced by Odium?

I’m so annoyed that Taravangian knows so much about what’s going on. Everything seems to connected but I don’t understand how or why they are.

Also Taravangian was working with Gavilar.

“‘Yes. She was my commander. But now…’ He looked up, and despite the alien skin and the strange way of speaking, Dalinar recognized grief in this man’s face. Terrible grief. ‘Sir, I have reason to believe that everyone I know…everyone I loved…has been destroyed, monsters left in their place. The listerners, the Parshendi, may be no more. I have nothing left…’ ‘Yes you do,’ Skar said from outside the ring of guards. ‘You’re Bridge Four.’ Rlain looked at him. ‘I’m a traitor.’ ‘Ha!’ Rock said. ‘Is little problem. Can be fixed.’”—Page 956

Aw, I love Rlain.

I feel so bad for Elhokar, I hope that he gets a “redemption ark” and becomes a good king.

“The crimson eyes hovered like Taln’s Scar.”—Page 969

Because it’s Odium!

“‘He murdered them, Kaladin,’ Moash snapped. ‘That sorry excuse for a king killed the only family I ever had.’”—Page 1007

What about Bridge Four, asshole?

“‘The Diagram spoke of this,’ Graves said.”—Page 1015

He’s working with Taravangian.

I’m glad that Rlain is going to be in the story, the Althei can learn more about listener culture.

“The Lopen sucked in light.”—Page 1052

God help the Cosmere.

Okay so there’s Taravangian’s group the Diagram with Graves and Moash, who seem at one point been working with the Sons of Honor with Amaram and possibly Gavilar. Then There’s the Ghostbloods who seem to be against the Sons of Honor. Then there’s the 17th Shard with a bunch of worldhoppers. Take a shot every time there’s some secret organization in the cosmere!

“Hello, a cheerful voice said in his mind. Would you like to destroy some evil today?”—Page 1064

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I’m sure the Adolin killing Sadeas will totally bite him in the ass and I’m sure his wife is going  to be very pissed but until that happens HELL YEAH! That worm totally deserved it! Also, Brandon took the phrase “eat shit and die” a little too seriously with Sadeas.

Renarin thinking that something was wrong with him because he heard screaming makes me so sad. I can’t wait to see more of his spren and hope that he gains some confidence.

PLEASE DON’T LET KAL’S PARENTS BE DEAD.

“A man will find a single coin in the mud…”—Hoid, Page 1078

You slipped up, Hoid. Remember where you are.

I feel so bad for Jasnah, Shallan discovered everything by herself.

Here’s hoping for Jasnah/Hoid road trip!

And that was my reread of Words of Radiance, I still think Way of Kings is better only because Kal is super annoying at times in this book. Other than that, it was really awesome and I can’t wait for Oathbringer in November…