Words of Radiance – Book 2
Written by Brandon Sanderson, published 2014. Summary, review, and spoilers ahead.
The second book in the Stormlight Archive series, and another absolute banger. I’m obsessed with this story and wish HBO would pick it up and make it right. We get much deeper into our main characters, Kaladin, Dalinar, Shallan, Adolin, and Szeth, and meet many new ones. We also dive much deeper into the vast world of Roshar and the world around it.
We continue with Words of Radiance, which we find out, much like The Way of Kings, is both the title of the book as well as the title of a real/fake book within the story. More on that later.
This monster book is approximately 81 pages longer than The Way of Kings and that book is over 1,000 pages. So needless to say, the book is enormous and thus my review and ridiculous summary shall also be, too, as well, in addition to, as well.
Prologue
Opening Credits: We jump back 6 years from present times. The Parshendi and the Alethi are not (yet) at war, and King Gavilar Kholin is alive. He, along with Jasnah, Dalinar and Sadeas are meeting with the Parshendi and having a nice little mixer together.
Part 1
Jasnah walks a hall and suddenly sees a shadow man and shadow creatures appear. She jumps into the glass bead realm and struggles to maintain herself. These glass bead other world things are suffocating her, but being the badass woman she is, she harnesses a bit of bead power to gain control. But as she does, she encounters a dark, ominous figure.
Jasnah jumps back to The Real World, Roshar edition, and asks her assassin friend Liss (who is known as “The Weeper” because when she kills, she burns people’s eyes out… wicked) to go and spy on the queen. And as they talk, Liss casually drops some news that she has sold servants to slavery, and it SOUNDS LIKE (not sure) that one of them might be Szeth.
And speaking of Szeth-son-son-Vallano, guess who drops by the party? The Parshendi talking with Jasnah straight up tell her that they’ve hired an assassin to kill Gavilar, “because it has to be done.” Quite ominous.
Back to present times, Shallan and Jasnah are en route, by sea, to the Shattered Plains. Jasnah is in a bit of an awkward situation as she doesn’t know where she stands with Jasnah. If we recall, in The Way of Kings, she tricked Jasnah and stole her fabrial. But Jasnah is pretty forgiving, and starts explaining the Shadesmar (a representation of the Cognitive Realm – aka Little Glass Bead World) and how spren are basically thoughts come to life, elements of the Cognitive Realm that have leaked into the Physical Realm. Cool and complicated stuff.
Jasnah furthers her nice-and-forgivingness (despite her harsh exterior demeanor) and tells Shallan she’s going to help her all-but-doomed family, by having the soulcaster fixed (by Navani) and returned to Shallan’s family which can then be returned to her family’s debtors. However, as a consequence (or perhaps added bonus?) she is set to be betrothed to hot-boi Adolin Kholin, son of Dalinar.
In the Shattered Plains, we find our group of Bridge 4 and the troops have started realizing that the Parshendi have stopped trying to obtain gemhearts. This is weird, because for approximately 6 years that’s all they’ve been doing back and forth in this silly war. So now what, a standstill?
Kaladin, our chosen one, is now leading 20 buildings worth of soldiers (around 1,000 bros) and is still simmering with hatred for Sadeas – who betrayed Dalinar and his men in The Way of Kings. He has decided that he needs to protect Dalinar, despite not knowing how true he is, given he’s the only real ally that Kaladin has. He’s also quite worried given there are rumors that the assassin in white (aka Szeth) who has been killing leaders all across Roshar will come for Dalinar next. In prep, he promotes a band of his close-knit bros to lieutenants. A group he trusts. As a fun bonding experience, Bridge 4 all get forehead tattoos to cover up their slavery scars – to signify their freedom. Kaladin tries as well, but the ink won’t stay, and it keeps healing. Storm it!
Back on the boat, Shallan keeps seeing a pattern, basically a shimmer, which seems to be the Shadesmar. Jasnah tells more of surgebinding and soulcasting (abilities they share) but explains that they are distinct types of soulcasters, likely different versions of the Radiant. These two are badass women!
Shallan gets herself a spren. Which she names Pattern (see what we just talked about!). And with her new spren friend, she should be able to soulcast better/easier. Which she does, and notices she’s been occasionally draining Stormlight without soulcasting. Apparently, this is surgebinding.
We learn there are 2 main types of spren – forces spren and emotion spren. Forces spren are like Captain Planet – wind, water, fire, etc. Emotion spren are like the guys from Inside Out – anger, fear, jealousy. Also, can you imagine having a physical manifestation of your emotions that everyone could see? Could make poker night a lot harder… I digress.
Now Kaladin, he’s having himself some visions. A lady Radiant of times past, but also Dalinar and Navani are there. It’s an odd scene in an ocean of knee deep water – a la Miller’s Water Plant. He’s searching for spren (clearly there is something to these odd things). There is an obsidian fortress in the distance. Suddenly a giant, creepy, water-spren thing (like some monster from The Witcher) pops up from the sand below the water. A knight fights the nightmare creature that has “molten red eyes.” Crisis adverted. Then a voice talks with Kaladin who tells him to unite the spren and that the Almighty is dead. None of this makes much sense, but it’s a dream/vision. Navani was there and wrote it all down. Maybe she’ll help translate later.
Meanwhile, Dalinar wakes in his room to some glyphs that have been written on his walls. It appears to be a warning, a countdown… 62 days. It seems Szeth may be coming in 62 days’ time. Ruh Roh!
We then get a glimpse of Sadeas, who’s talking with his wife (how he’s married, no one knows). She’s clever herself and working devilishly alongside her man(bearpig). She’s got a network of spies throughout the camps. Sadeas, just for fun, whips out his shardblade (Dalinar’s old Oathbringer) and announces to his wife he wants to be king of Alethkar.
Under the order of Dalinar, Kaladin gets promoted (again!). This time to protect the king. There’s worry of a fracturing Althekar from highprinces splintering and defecting. It’s suggested to let Adolin start dueling other highprinces, which upon winning, will result in taking their shardplates and shardblades. This will instill fear across the camps and highprinces, and hopefully, keep them all in check.
We learn that Parshmen (basically slaves) are cousins to the Parshendi (the enemy) and that they have the ability to communicate in real-time, regardless of distance or where they are. This is not good news, especially for a revolt or revolution.
Shallan learns of Urithiru, a city of the Knights Radiant, and that a path to this ancient El Dorado city might be hidden in the Shattered Plains. She learns this from a book given to her by Jasnah, Words of Radiance (the title of the book!).
Well upon learning this huge news, their boat is attacked by pirates (re: raiders). And in the commotion, Shallan witnesses Jasnah getting stabbed right through the chest! Nooooo! They turn to do the same to Shallan, but she quickly draws in some Stormlight and surgebinds with Pattern’s help (and oddly with memories of her childhood) to create a dope light blast that deals with the intruders.
With this happening, Pattern (who talks like a moron by the way), takes Shallan into the Shadesmar and sees the people on the ship as cognitive thoughts, see’s Pattern as a personified human-esque shape thing, and even sees the ship itself as a living thing. And so, she decides the living boat has to die, and she sinks the boat with all on board. Not sure how this saves her, but I suppose she’s safe in Bead World.
In the Shattered Plains, we witness more bridge and plateau runs, which requires more and more slaves, which drives more and more slave trade. Highprince Aladar is paired up with Dalinar per new arrangements by the King (to help keep each other in check) and we learn Aladar loans his shardplate/shardblade out to his lieutenant for battle, though can recall them back to himself at any moment (oh the trust!).
Dalinar tells Aladar, who’s in charge of this week’s battle plans, that his strategy is stupid and has a better way to do it. Aladar gives in, and learns Dalinar was right, saving the day. Awkward! The battle ends with a Parshendi shardbearer staring back and them, like a movie character off on the distance looking back at a funeral.
Syl, Kaladin’s spren, says she can’t remember her before, back in the spren-world, but knows other spren are looking for more like Kaladin. More Radiant? Maybe Pattern and Shallan? We don’t know yet, but we know Syl says Kaladin needs to become what Dalinar is looking for.
Back on the boat, well back on the santhid (a large water creature that saves Shallan from drowning as the boat was sunk), she is taken to a desert island for some Naked and Afraid. She’s not naked, but on the beach, she does find Jasnah’s trunk with her life’s work intact. Tired and cold, she goes once again to the Shadesmar, talks with Pattern, and tries to build a fire with the glass beads. This fails and nearly spells trouble. Back in the Real World, Fiji Edition, she stumbles across a Thaylen camp where she promptly passes out. She awakes to learn they are slavers, but manages to convince them she’s noble (she does have light eyes) and orders them to take her to the Shattered Plains.
Kaladin has started practicing harnessing Stormlight with Bridge 4. He learns to stick rocks and people to walls and sticking weapons to things during sparring sessions. He also learns he can recall some of the used Stormlight. Interesting stuff… but how useful is it?
We end Part 1 with highprince Amaram arriving in the Shattered Plains and allying with Dalinar. Who is this guy again, he sounds familiar… he’s the jerk that betrayed Kaladin, took his shardblade, killed his men, branded him and sold him into slavery! Kaladin is super pissed.
Interludes
These are odd little stories that don’t seem to fit the narrative of the main story, but do ultimately provide some context. Hard to jump in as we get new characters unexpectedly, doing things out-of-the-blue. But we learn they have importance!
Eshonai – She’s a Parshendi lady shardbearer who wants an encounter with Dalinar. Talking with her family, she confirms Shallan’s notes (though not TO her) that the Shattered Plains are the ruins of an old city. She also talks about how the Parshendi can change forms. Dull form, mating form, war form, nimble form, and potentially storm form – which could potentially control high storms. We learn Eshonai was part of the Parshendi group that voted to have King Gavilar killed. And that they use dull form to spy on the humans. The Parshmen!?!
Ym – A cobbler who talks with spren and makes shoes for children, taking payment in the form of stories. I’m highly confused about this tale, but we learn of Ym encountering an urchin boy with a hurt foot and helping him out. A mysterious man appears in Ym’s backroom and talks of Ym’s past, about poisoning a lady with wine, making him an accomplice to murder. The mysterious man pulls a shardblade out and kills Ym. I went through this story twice… no idea yet what to make of it…
Rysn – A young gal with a group of Parshmen riding on catamarans and trading. They are looking for moving islands, islands that are actually giant creatures (like the turtle from Never Ending Story!). She talks with the Reshi, the people that live on these sea creature islands and needs to make a trade. Though the Reshi only trade with people who are worthy. She encounters a tattooed (possible voidbringer) hung upside down in the Reshi camp, noting he’s evil in human form. Apparently, he can escape at will, but chooses not to. Wildly, nothing comes of this and Rysn ties to go on to meet the King… who is a woman… because it’s 2023 and anything is possible if you just believe. Rysn fails to be worthy and in a wild move, jumps over the side of Relu-na (the god’s name for their island creature) and pulls a Spiderman swinging in front of the creature’s face and taking to it. Sadly, for Rysn, she falls, lands hard, and awakes paralyzed. She learns upon waking that Vstim (her merchant boss) and Talik (the Reshi merchant trader) that Rysn’s whole experience on the island was just a test, pre-setup. She is then given a small, winged creature, extremely valuable and what she was hoping to get from the Reshi. It’s a Larkin. Again, not exactly sure what any of this means, but I did enjoy this little interlude.
Eshonai – Talking with Thude and Bila (other Parshendi warriors) about how to tap into storm form, and ancient and powerful form, possible through tapping gemstones or trapping spren. Eshonai’s mother talks of an old song that mentions other forms the Parshendi can take, and might explain how to tap into them. They talk about how deciding to kill King Gavilar was a decision of bravery, and one that had to be done. However, they expected the Alethi to give up on the war long ago, underestimating their greed for gemstones and their desire for revenge. We learn that the Parshendi rule by a committee of 5, representing each form they can take.
Part 2
Shallan and her slave trader crew are on the move. She gets them to turn one of the cage wagons into a “carriage” and generally bosses them around. It’s a wild power dynamic, but she pulls it off. Pattern came to Shallan due to “lies,” likely from her past. They talk and Pattern says voidbringers will return and that it is important for Shallan to continue to draw. And odd suggestion…
Adolin is set to duel with his first challenger, Salinor, for shards. However, he had to bet both his blade and plate to Salinor’s blade to get the duel to happen. He talks with Navani and asks about Jasnahs’ ship, which is a week overdue from a checkpoint. He wants to meet Shallan, his betrothed. In the duel, Adolin destroys Salinor through less sword fighting and more MMA. It’s not conventional dueling, but it’s also not illegal. Adolin wins the shardblade and gives it to his brother Renarin.
Shallan is chilling with her slaver “friends”, Tvlakv, Bluth, and Tag. While in her “carriage” she finds out Pattern can channel the conversation of Tvlakv and overhears them talking about how Shallan is trouble and that they should sell her for cash money. Hearing this, Shallan makes a move and tells them of a grand fortune awaiting them in the Shattered Plains. Tvlakv isn’t biting, but Shallan pulls some Stormlight, glows a little, and threatens them. Before it gets out of hand, Bluth hollars that there is potential danger incoming – bandits! They change course under the cover of darkness to avoid being seen or caught.
In war camp, Kaladin is guarding the training area with several light eyes and highprinces. Elhokar lets his men train with his shardblades/plates (pretty nice of him) and Dalinar sees more glyphs in his room. On the grounds, Kaladin meets Zahel, a badass older warrior type who trains men how to use shardblades. He’s quite mysterious, but seems to know his stuff. Nobody messes with the Zohan.
Shallan and crew are still trying to avoid the raiders and she draws in her spare time, trying to rebuild her lost materials from the shipwreck – including Words of Radiance (the title of the book!). The slaves with them are Parshmen, in dull form and Shallan chats with them. They notice a fire up ahead… and realize they have raiders trailing them and more raiders up ahead. They decide to move forward as perhaps they may be merchants and traders instead. Shallan chats with Pattern some more, and she learns that breathing in Stormlight can speed up her foot – which was hurt real bad in the shipwreck situation. Pattern also tells Shallan that she is going to kill him. What?!? It’s happened to others, knights killing their spren. Though spren matching with people provides some sort of symbiotic relationship.
Side note – spren were certainly part of The Way of Kings, but in Words of Radiance they seem to have a MUCH bigger role in the world.
Kaladin has decided to watch Dalinar tonight, during the highstorm to see what happens (Dalinar gets visions during highstorms, and glyphs appear as well). Zahel is training Renarin, who is eager to learn, obedient, and not at all a C-U-Next-Tuesday like most highprinces’s kids are. He makes him practice jumping off the training tower (in shardplate) which is funny… because he jumps off time after time, faceplanting. Zahel offers to train Kaladin as well, but Kaladin is too cocky. Naturally, they begin sparring right on the spot. Kaladin gets worked! Young blood has got some learning to do. Adolin then jumps into the sparring session and while wearing shardplate he uppercuts Kaladin Mortal Kombat style – shard strength! It’s pretty obvious that Kaladin is going to train with Zahel.
Shallan and crew arrive at the camp that was ahead of them. It’s a group of traders who have recently been attacked. They’re in rough shape, but alive. As they decide what to do, the raiders approach and they rush to fight them… only to find the raiders are deserters. Ex-soldiers, led by Vathah. Shallan gives a rousing speech, using a little Stormlight to transform her appearance just enough, making her look like a queen. They see more raiders ahead and they go off to fight them. Bluth dies in the skirmish and Shallan takes 100% control of Tvlakv. Takes his slaves and makes them her servants. The deserters, ex-bridgemen, are now part of the crew. Shallan says she’ll get them pardoned once they arrive in the Shattered Plains.
Kaladin is still quite butthurt about Dalinar and Amaram being boys. He tells Dalinar about their history, the betrayal and stealing of his shardblade. But Dalinar isn’t biting, he needs proof, which Kaladin doesn’t have. He believes Amaram is honorable. We get word of an assassination attempt on the king! Kaladin and crew burst onto the scene and find the king is just fine. He went for a walk, and leaned on his railing which gave way. Someone has sabotaged the railing! Kaladin notices that the railing could only be cut so cleanly with a shardblade… this limits the suspects. Dalinar appoints Kaladin as guard of the king, and to only use trusted members of his Bridge 4 crew.
Shallan chats with a new person now part of the crew, Tyn. She seems to know Shallan is something more. And finds more information via spanreed the she is of house Davar. So, she learns Shallan isn’t super wealthy or important, yet is acting like she is (though she’s secretly betrothed to Adolin). Busted! Tyn seems ok with Shallan’s farce, as she herself is running a con, leading the tradesmen towards the Shattered Plains where she needs to go. Tag team time!
Adolin is on a war run with highprince Jakamav (also a shardbearer) against the Parshendi. Adolin makes some killer moves, using his shardblade to stab rock and use the damn thing like a diving board to launch his way up the plateau quickly and snag the gemheart. But oops, he’s still too late! The Parshendi shardbearer, with dope crab like pointy armor, beats him to it. The Parshendi chats with Adolin, and says she knows who he is. And she wants to speak with Dalinar. Then she runs away. Jakamav tells Adolin that Sadeas has made assurances to all shardbearers who refuse to duel Adolin. He also knows about his betrothal. This Jakamav guy seems dangerous, he knows too much.
Shallan is hanging more with Tyn, and she’s teaching Shallan how to deceive. On their journey, they run into a group of soldiers out scouting on behalf of Dalinar. Shallan pretends to be a Horneater Princess (practicing her new deception skills) and cons the head soldier out of his boots (literally). Weird interaction, but no danger here.
We then get a little more insight into Sadeas, who still has Oathbringer (Dalinar’s old shardblade). He seems to know that Amaram is ruthless and not all honor. They might be in cahoots. Sadeas then plots more with his wife while Adolin is dueling for another shardblade. We learn that Sadeas is not behind the dumbass assassination attempt on King Elhokar (with the railing). But Sadeas does know that Adolin is now sandbagging his duels, hiding his true skills in attempt to gain more duels and shards. Sadeas plots against Dalinar and to possibly kill or trap Adolin… oh snap!
Kaladin has a vision and has a little chat with either the Almighty or the Stormfather… I don’t yet know the difference, but either way, big voice in the sky. He tells Kaladin that he’s going to kill Syl, and that he’s done it before (hmm… similar to Shallan’s talk with Pattern). The voice ends saying he’s sorry, that “he is coming.” Super ominous.
Kaladin wakes to Syl going bananas. Says the king is in danger and they have to go immediately… this in the middle of a highstorm. Dalinar agrees and they flee with the king in tow. Down a corridor on their way out, they see a dead body, and a hole cut into the rock. You-know-who has arrived (no not Voldemort), it’s the assassin in white, Szeth! Dalinar, Adolin, and Kaladin (assisted by Stormlight) start fighting Szeth. Kaladin and Szeth Matrix fight, walking on walls and flipping all around. Kaladin takes a shardblade directly to the right elbow. Dead arm! Super bad news! Syl manages to tell Kaladin mid-fight that Szeth is no Radiant, but that he’s something worse. Szeth goes to murder Dalinar, and old man river catches the damn blade with his hands! This is nuts! Kaladin takes Szeth by surprise and form tackles him out the hole in the wall… which happens to be a cliff.
They fall, far. But because both of these guys are magical, they survive no probs. Kaladin sucks in a little more Stormlight and, what!?!, heals his damn arm! Apparently not even a shardblade can stop this guy. Unbelievable. This surprises Kaladin, but also Szeth. He gets spooked and bolts. Kaladin might just be a Radiant! I mean duh, of course he is right?
Kaladin then debriefs with Syl and realizes that Szeth has some abilities that he does not. Syl says he can, too, Matrix walk on walls but that he just hasn’t learned how yet. She also says Szeth’s shardblade is different.
Shallan gets a spanreed and learns about power struggles across the lands from the assassinated highprinces. She also learns that Tyn was behind the hit on Jasnah! OMG what!?! You guys, I can’t. Tyn wasn’t working alone, but she facilitated the attack. Well Shallan finds this out with Tyn right next to her, so the jig is up. And they fight. Shallan throws some light her way, but Tyn somehow deflects it with her sword. Does she have powers? We’ll never know, because Shallan then summons a shardblade (where the eff did that come from) and stabby-stabs Tyn through the chest. Shallan says to herself she’s alive because of it “again.” Like, did she get this shardblade as a kid or something? Turns out Tyn’s crew has also been looking for Urithiru, the magical/mythical city in the Shattered Plains. Absolutely nuts.
Interludes
Eshonai – Really the major takeaway here is Eshonai heads out into a highstorm, talks with the Stormfather (who is annoyed with her choice of spren… whatever that means) and Eshonai begins to transform. I think she’s figured out how to become storm form!
Zahel – Kaladin asks Zahel to train him, and how Zahel says no. Weird right, because he offered before and Kaladin said no. These guys need to figure out their “ish.” Kaladin says pretty please. Zahel says “grrrr”, ok fine, but not right now.
Taln – We don’t learn much here, except that Taln is a madman, always mumbling to himself. But he’s a shardbearer and can soulcast. He mumbles something about “he’s late’ and “this has happened before.”
Eshonai – She returns to the Parshendi rocking a new look. She’s got new skills and new armor (and new hair!). She’s definitely in storm form now. She can control the wind around her and has haunting red eyes. However, she hears a voice deep inside her, screaming in horror – which she just ignores. Classic guy move, bottling up her feelings.
Part 3
Adolin, after the assassination attempt on Dalinar and the King, is losing some control of his shardblade. No bueno. And he’s ultra suspicious (don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious) about Kaladin, as he was TOO good in the fight against Szeth.
Navani is working on some wild stuff with a group of engineers. Basically, she’s using fabrials and gemstones to get towers to float. Basically, raising platforms that can lift archers and provide a huge tactical advantage in the war. Adolin gets a hard-on for this new tech. Navani also believes Jasnah is fine, even though we know she is very much not fine.
Shallan finds a new use for Pattern. He shrinks down and enters Tyn’s trunk and unlocks it from the inside. Apparently, he’s got a little force/ability within the normal realm. This could prove useful. They arrive at the Alethi war camps in the Shattered Plains. She gets an escort to King Elhokar, but on the way runs into the soldier to whom she pretended to be Horneater Princess, and turns effing out, that the soldier was Kaladin! And worse off (more than her tricking him and stealing his boots), is that her new deserter friend Gaz is on the shit-list of Kaladin.
Meanwhile in the court of highprinces, they talk of the assassin in white who has killed many across the land. Adolin, with bigger fish to fry, taunts Elit Ruthar (another highprince) by offering 5 of his shards for just 1 of his via duel. Shallan arrives and tells all of Jasnah’s death and somehow manages to get clemency for the deserters… she’s living up to her false promises (which I guess aren’t so false).
Shallan finally meets Dalinar, who offers her work in his camp which she promptly declines and says she’s already promised to work with Sebarial (which she totally hasn’t). She creates an offer out of thin air, and super good one (for her, not Sebarial) but by putting him on the spot he has to accept. This also allows Shallan more freedom across the camps and better pay. Clever girl. Dalinar, a little upset, moves on and states he’s going to end the war by finding the Parshendi camp deep in the Shattered Plains.
Shallan, now back in camp with Sebarial, is facing accusations from Sebarial that when she posed her little stunt in the court, that she appeared different there than she does now. Another example of her changing her appearance… hmm. She was older, nicer, and cleaner before. Nevertheless, we learn that Sebarial sucks big time at war, but that’s on purpose. He is focused on building an economy, trade, and farming rather than sending his troops to war. He’s quite successful at this, and pays (happily) the fines for skipping battles. Shallan then befriends Sebarial’s mistress, Palona.
Kaladin is training his men for war and also training himself to Matrix-walk like Szeth. He talks with his men about the employer of Szeth. I have no idea how they know he’s employed, but anyway. Kaladin also begins to suspect his close Bridge 4 comrade Moash on the assassination attempt on the king. He wants to confront him but doesn’t know how. Tricky stuff, is he friend or foe?!? Kaladin starts getting lippy with Syl, and oddly, Renarin wants to join Bridge 4, but they talk of his epilepsy (New News!). Kaladin agrees but is going to keep an eye on him…
Shallan is using Tyn’s old spanreed in hopes of learning more about Urithiru from her posse. Pattern, always useful, is also part Navajo Codebreaker and deciphers the messages sent from Tyn’s posse. Pattern… sees… the pattern. Also, Shallan finally learns how to transform her shape completely. A skill she’s accidentally done now a few times. But now she can shapeshift! Shallan “Shang Tsung” Davar! She just draws what she wants to turn into (the key to all her mentions of drawing – makes sense now). They call this Lightweaving, which sounds cool. Uber useful too, since Tyn’s posse wants to meet… tonight. This is going to come in handy.
Shallan heads out to Kharbranth, a Diagon Alley type location, where she was told to meet. Shallan has transformed herself into a dark-eyes, dark haired version of herself as a disguise. She meets finds her way into a creepy underground room of oddities (Bob’s Bazaar) and nearly gets blow-darted by a man who calls himself Mraize. They chit chat and he says he’s part of a group called the Ghostbloods, and that Amaram is next on their hit list. He knows about Shallan, Jasnah, and the end of the world. Fake Shallan plays along as she needs to learn more about what the hell is going on. As she leaves, she realizes quickly she’s being tailed. So, she quickly draws a sketch, draws in some light, and turns into a flipping wall! Like a hologram type version of a wall (well a super realistic one). Never would’ve guessed.
Kaladin is training with Zahel, learning to use shardblades. Moash chats with Kaladin and confesses he wants the king dead and that he was responsible for the railing incident! He says the king is responsible for his grandparent’s death. He says others are involved, but they’ll back off on any future attempts if Kaladin just agrees to meet this secret assassin crew.
After training, Kaladin and crew are set to go off for a night of drinking. Just a classic boy’s night out. We learn of the upcoming Weeping, a period in between highstorms that is basically a monsoon (lots of rain, but not super dangerous). And we learn more about Rock and his Horneater heritage. Kaladin also plots to take down Sadeas with his new Matrix moves.
As part of this drinking expedition, Moash also set up, secretly, a meeting for Kaladin to meet the assassin crew. We meet Graves, a “patriot”, and leader of the crew. He says they believe Elhokar is a shit king, a petulant child, incompetent and impulsive (high praise!). They want Dalinar as king and thus want Elhokar dead. Graves asks Kaladin to help, providing and opening as the king’s guard, allowing Graves and crew to 86 the king. To, as they put it, “cut the festering hand off” … so to speak. This is so good… so deep… so many layers.
Shallan is now looking at maps for Urithiru and a gateway in the Shattered Plains somewhere. She also learns, like Kaladin, that she can reclaim some of her used Stormlight from the illusions she creates. She decides she may enhance herself to help Adolin fall in love with her. Like a Stormlight boob job or BBL?!? Diabolical.
Shallan hangs with Adolin for some one on one time. They get to watch the incoming highstorm roll in from a high up bluff, which sounds beautiful. She casually asks Adolin for help with her family and help finding Urithiru. No biggie.
Then, we get one of my favorite snippets from the entire book. Shallan asks how Adolin poops during battle. If you’re wearing shardplate, and nature calls, WTF do you do? It’s a solid question. Adolin says, well, you just go man. Definitely a good laugh here.
Shallan then tells Adolin that they are likely killing too many chasm fiends. Shocking, given how monstrous and awful they are. But Shallan disagrees and thinks maybe they could breed them instead of killing them. Yeah right. Adolin fills Shallan in about his father’s visions and his plans for dueling to gain more shards. Shallan then counters by saying you should probably give up all your Parshendi slaves. A tall order. Enter Sandman (re: highstorm).
Shallan and Adolin retreat from the perch overlooking the highstorm and enter a safe room where other highprinces and Kaladin are chillin’. Sadeas and Adolin trash talk some, and Sadeas preemptively rejects the offer to become the Prince of Information. It’s a ballsy move, but one that undermines Dalinar. Speaking of Dalinar, back in his room, there are more glyphs on the walls. They say 32 days, and “find the center.” A bit vague, but very interesting as 32 days puts them right in the middle of the Weeping… a reprieve from the highstorms.
Adolin, now pretending to be Dalinar out on the Shattered Plains, is set to meet with the Parshendi, including Eshonai (our Interlude storm form Parshendi leader). Eshonai pretty much says there will be no surrender, “things have changed.” So much for plan A. Adolin does some threatening but she rebuffs with a “we are not as weak as you think.” She confirms they are no longer fighting over gemstones and there will be no peace until death. Pretty bleak retort. Upon Adolin’s return, Dalinar decides his only option is to go all out into the Shattered Plains and take out the Parshendi during the Weeping, when it’s safe.
Shallan learns that the longer she waits after drawing, the weaker her transformations are. So fresh drawing = paint me like one of your French girls (giggidy). She draws a little worker bee and sneaks into Amaran’s camp (and ultimately room) checking for goods which she can report back to the Ghostbloods. Shallan “James Bond” Davar!
Shallan learns that Amaram is a storm warden (not exactly sure what that is, but it sounds cool), and that he is aware the Parshendi are the key to the voidbringers and wants to get to them before Dalinar does. Presumably to get to Urithiru before as well. Amaram is a smart and sneaky little f*cker. On her way out, Shallan transforms INTO Amaram to deceive the guards and escape easy-peasy. However, on her way out, she sees the real Slim Shady (Amaram) and quickly transforms back into another worker bee, telling Amaram that Shallan needs to draw his shardblade for her records. Which is weird, because she IS Shallan, but she’s transformed into not Shallan. Any who, Amaram is like yeah sure, and whips out his blade to front… and shyeahbam! Amaram has Helaran’s shardblade! Did Amaram murder her brother!?!
Back in the Matrix, Kaladan is training more using his Stormlight powers, and discovers he can lash himself to the sky, ground, and basically any direction. Which means, the dude can basically fly! He starts launching himself all around the Shattered Plains, “wind walking.” Syl casually drops that Kaladin can forge a new shardblade, that using an old one is bad because they are evil.
Shallan confirms that Helaran was in fact trying to kill Amaram, but got got himself instead. So yeah, Amaram has Helaran’s shardblade AND the dude wants to bring back the voidbringers. Is he secretly and evil genius of sorts?
Adolin finally duels Elit and wins in a stupid fight. The crowd is not entertained (Maximus would be so disappointed). However afterwards, Shallan tells Adolin she has something for him, but he has to win a duel in spectacular fashion. This is odd… but interesting. So, Adolin is like hell yeah, and immediately challenges a highprince along with a 2nd dueler. 2 v 1 stylee! Whatever could go wrong here?
Shallan transforms back into her dark haired, dark eyed version of herself (which she calls Veil) to meet back with the Ghostbloods. She has drawn everything she saw in Amaram’s room (from memory, one of her super powers) and proves useful to Mraize. Mraize thinks Shallan killed Tyn (which she did) but he also doesn’t care. He says Tyn wasn’t a Ghostblood and was just trying to use them. But says Shallan (i.e., Veil) could become one, if she can complete a special task first. Veil Shallan agrees and departs, but gets a spooky feeling and does a little transformation into another form… and good thing because the finds on her walk home that her carriage was burned. Backstabbing bad guys! Storm it!
Kaladin talks some with Wit, the jester guy who insults everyone. And side note, we need more of this guy… he’s hilarious, knows too much, and may be a much deeper character throughout this journey. Shallan and Adolin join them, and devise to use the Right of Challenge to trap Sadeas and get his to duel. A fun move, as this is the same tactic Sadeas used back in the day to gain his power.
Our crew now goes off to a menagerie (basically a zoo) and Dalinar officially reinstates the Knights Radiant, establishing Amaram as the leader!?! Though he has no surgebinder abilities (or at least shown any thus far). Wild move which Kaladin certainly does not like.
Adolin is now set to duel his 2 v 1 match… except… oops… 4 shardbearers enter the area. 4 v 1? WTF mate? Well apparently, words matter, and Adolin, when challenging in the first place, did not specifically say he’s duel 2 v 1, he said he’d duel you and anyone you bring. So technically… this is a legal fight, and super not good for Adolin. Adolin starts the battle well, but 3 darts is too much (i.e., 4 shardblades). Adolin yells to yield (aka give up) but the judge just kind of ignores him, and he keeps getting pounded. His shardplate is quickly losing stamina.
It seems Adolin can actually have help in the duel (an odd oversight that not sure was only discovered at this point) but epileptic n00b Renarin jumps into the cage match. He’s got a blade, but no plate. Also, he’s useless. He does, however, take Adolin from a 4 v 1 smackdown, to a 3 v 1 smackdown. Adolin is still not doing well and in major trouble.
Now Kaladin jumps into the area. Rules be damned! Though I guess this is all fair? Either way, our hero has nothing but a spear vs. shardbearers… doesn’t seem great. But our boy draws in some Stormlight, enough to enhance himself but hopefully not enough to give himself away. His tactics at this point don’t matter much, because his spear can’t do crap against the shardplates. He’s about as useful as a gnat.
So, Kaladin changes tactics, and does a Stormlight infused double leg wrestling kick (assisted by lashing for added oomph) and cracks some shardplate. He, however, also cracks both of his legs. Oops. Lucky, our boy is special, and pulls a little more storm juice to quickly heal his legs. Kaladin attacks again and get Elit to yield (and naturally, the judge hears and accepts this one). 3 left in the duel (which is now 3 v 3).
Upon this yielding, Elit is out… and so Kaladin immediately asks for his shardplate. A genius move. He’s now armored. Our team of good guys starts making a comeback, Rocky v Drago style. But in a last ditch effort, one of the shardbearers makes a b-line for Renarin, knowing he’s the weakest link. Goodbye! Kaladin is too fast and gets to him just in time to stop the shardblade from murdering Renarin. And he does the Dalinar hands-stopping-sword trick! Which freaks out our dueler, who runs away (another quitter). Kaladin may have given himself away now, but it had to be done.
The tides now have turned, and the remaining 2 duelers don’t last long. Adolin nearly stabs one to death, but gets a yield instead. And the duel is over, good guys win! Such a good battle scene, very fun to read. As a reward for their heroic duel and victory, King Elhokar gives Adolin a boon (Hades style) and offers him a Right of Challenge. Which he immediately uses by challenging Sadeas to a duel, right there on the spot (even as Sadeas was trying to dip out of the arena). Kaladin then shouts he too wants a Right of Challenge, and asks to duel Amaram! Wild!
The King doesn’t love that Kaladin asked to challenge a highprince. He’s still a dark-eyes after all. So instead of a huge win for the good guys, Kaladin is arrested on the spot and taken to a holding cell. This also allows Sadeas to get away, kind of, by agreeing to the duel, but in 1 years’ time. Not super great. Kaladin messed up big time, and Dalinar isn’t pleased. He does save Kaladin from execution though, by getting jailed instead. Dalinar also tells Kaladin he looked into his claims about the shady past, and that he’s spotless. Also, not good for Kaladin. Our hero, right now, is an idiot. Boo, boo, boo!
Interludes
*Are you still with me? I’ve having too much fun recapping this…
Lift – A Reshi island girl is about to rob the Bronze Palace with a small crew. Why? Who knows. But she’s got some skills, a spren named Wyndle, grew up in the Shadow City (sounds creepy and cool), and she’s only a young teen too. We learn that Lift has some cool abilities, and can manipulate friction and growth. Which she calls her awesomeness. I mean, did I write this?! Pretty much exactly how I would describe it. Lift uses her awesomeness to grow some vines up the side of the palace and sneaks into a dinner party where several high lords are talking about electing a new prime (new leader).
When all of a sudden, Darkness arrives with a few henchmen. He seems a lot like Szeth, but they don’t call him that. This Darkness MFer says he is there for a thief. Lift, hiding underneath the dinner table at this point, gets spooked and bolts… using her awesomeness to turn her body into an air hockey puck and slide her way out of there. In the getaway attempt there is a little skirmish, and one of Lift’s friends, Gawx, gets his throat slit by Henchman #1. Darkness is not too pleased, as he believes in rules. But what’s done is done.
However, in a Crazy Game of Poker, Lift stormlights Gawx back to life! What!?! However, in doing so, she fails to escape, and Darkness nabs her. He calls her an Edge Dancer, which was once a glorious order. I’m not sure what this means, but it sounds pretty cool. Darkness is hunting her for “justice” as apparently she dabbles in arts that could bring back the desolation. Right before Lift is about to get murdered, a pardon is exclaimed! Lift is saved. And Gawx is the new prime! Apparently while this battle was happening, his zombie reincarnation move got the dinner guests in agreement that he should be the new leader. Absolutely wild stuff here. No idea how this all fits in yet… but loved this interlude.
Szeth – a short story here with him atop a very, very high tower. Possibly in Urithiru. He basically is super conflicted and not happy with his life (one can relate – re: mid-life crisis).
Eshonai – Officially in storm form, with her sister Venli also in storm form are prepping for the incoming advance of Dalinar’s army. Eshonai wants all Parshendi to transform into storm form which they can team up together to create their own highstorm and Metallica Kill Em All. Eshonai summons a small storm in her hands, like, Storm, and convinces her people to join her. She also tells Venli that any Parshendi that don’t transform, she’s going to kill. Which you know, feels very WWII Germany-esque. Not good vibes here. Eshonai has basically run a coup to take power over all the Parshendi.
Part 4
*In Part 4, we get pretty rapid-fire snippets of POV from our characters. I’ll do my best to help this make sense (assuming it does up to this point).
Kaladin is still in jail, has a chat with Wit.
Shallan is still looking for Urithiru in various maps, and sneaking various findings into her reports to Sebarial.
Dalinar visits Kaladin and they talk of the Roshone affair. A Wormtongue-esque type who had the ear of Elhokar and was high up Sadeas’s camp. And he was responsible for something terrible in Kaladin’s childhood involving his brother and father. After Dalinar leaves, Kaladin decides Dalinar is blind to his nephew and that Elhokar needs to be removed. Moash and Graves are right!
Shallan is being watched by Mraize’s people, so she uses Pattern as an illusion of her fake self, Veil to trick her spy. This allows Shallan to sneak up behind the masked watcher spy, Iyatil. When they talk, Iyatil speaks of a person in Dalinar’s camp who knows things – feels like she’s alluding to Kaladin and his powers.
Iyatil now accompanies Shallan on her mission from the Ghostbloods to find Bordin and Taln (the madman) in the monastery. They tag team quite nicely and find Taln, a big hulking man ranting to himself in a cell. Shallan jots down his rantings and gets ready to leave, when they see Amaram approaching the very cell they are in!
Shallan lightweaves to hide. Amaram calls the madman a prince (possibly a Herald? – which I want to know more about). Shallan and Iyatil escape and Iyatil, impressed with Shallan’s skills, says she can become a Ghostblood… all she needs is a tattoo. Presumably a butterfly tattoo on the lower back, but to be fair they didn’t say that specifically.
Kaladin gets sprung from jail after just a few weeks and finds that Adolin was also in jail. Now he pretty much jailed himself as to be in solidarity with Kaladin (and had much nicer prison accommodations) but it seems this move officially makes these two bros. About time! Back at camp Adolin dishes out all the new shards he won in the last duel, and gives Kaladin a set. Which, Kaladin being Kaladin, he refuses and gives it to Moash instead. Adolin is offended but they get over it. Kaladin then gives the greenlight to Moash to take down Elhokar. Treason!
At a large feast with highprinces, Dalinar encounter Amaram who is holding some papers that he says were being distributed among everyone. They are the visions and accounts of Dalinar that Navani had been taking. This isn’t good for the untrained eye. Navani says they also changed some of her notes so as to make Dalinar look even crazier. Dalinar nips this in the bud immediately, addressing the full court head one. Wit, who is oddly nice to him at this point, appreciates his strategy and claims to be on his own mission, fighting the Father of Lies. What!?!
Cut to Kaladin on a plateau run. He’s having trouble pulling in Stormlight. Why? Well, Syl says it’s because of bad choices – likely his decision to plot against Elhokar.
Dalinar gets reports from some of his men (vaulters, pretty much pole vaulters who cross chasms) that they’ve seen a flying man among the Shattered Plains. Dalinar says it’s Szeth (but dummy doesn’t know it was Kaladin practicing his Superman). Dalinar and his army head out, primarily on the request of Shallan who wants to see and study a chasm fiend. Out on the field, Kaladin is losing his bond with Syl due to his “decisions.” He’s made a promise to Dalinar (to protect the King) and a promise to Moash (to kill the King) and he can’t keep both. Ruh Roh!
Kaladin talks with Moash, says he’s still on board with the evil plans. Moash’s eyes are changing color since he’s been given the shards. Interesting side effect there…
Adolin suspects Kaladin has some powers, but doesn’t know for sure. They talk of taking down Szeth.
Kaladin talks with Shallan who is out on the Shattered Plains drawing everything she can. Shallan orders Adolin to cut a rock with his shardblade and they realize a structure used to be there, it has just been covered in so much crem.
Side note – Crem is mentioned early on in The Way of Kings. It’s a sludge brown material that falls with rainwater and much of it from highstorms. In Words of Radiance, crem is talked about constantly. It’s everywhere and on everything. Think, storm jizz. You’re welcome for the visual.
The army is moving forward, and our crew is crossing a bridge, when Kaladin notices a familiar, but not friendly, face from Sadeas’s camp. He’s at the bridge controls and pulls a level. At the same time, Parshendi horns cry out… the enemy is near. Kaladin rushes towards the Sadeas goon, but not in time. The bridge collapses!
Kaladin, during the fall, manages to suck in just enough Stormlight to survive the high fall. He finds Shallan who is also ok. He assumes he saved her. But he doesn’t know. Shallan thinks she saved him. But she doesn’t know.
There are countless dead soldiers among them, but luckily no signs of Adolin or Dalinar. Perhaps they had already made it across the bridge?
Reality sets in, Kaladin and Shallan are alone at the bottom of a chasm, with Dalinar’s full army two days out from their main Parshendi expedition and a highstorm looming a day out. Surviving will be tough, even for these two.
Shallan and Kaladin trek through the chasm and ultimately bicker because they are both hard-headed fools. This attracts a chasm fiend, and they run… hard. Shallan takes the lead and takes them back to where they started?!? Well smart move, because that’s where all the dead bodies are, and it distracts the chasm fiend. Monster gets his munch on.
Shallan takes a peek at the beast and notices it is surrounded by spren that provide light around it. The chasm fiend essentially glows in the dark.
Our pair get to know each other, and Shallan promises Kaladin that she is pure of heart. She wants only the best, and also doesn’t want to kill Adolin.
We cut to Dalinar and Kaladin’s bridgemen. Dalinar and Adolin are alive, and the men are adamant that Kaladin is alive, despite the impossible fall.
Shallan, looking around, suddenly realizes there is a pattern to the Shattered Plains. She claims to know where the Oathgate is, where the Parshendi are, and where the center is… Urithiru! She says the Shattered Plains are symmetrical. But they must hurry to get to the center before the highstorm hits.
But on their way, another GD chasm fiend! Kaladin, decides to go full Jeff Goldbloom in Jurassic Park, distracting the chasm fiend so that Shallan can sneak off. Shallan accepts, but not before summoning her shardblade and giving it to Kaladin. We need more details on this shardblade business ASAP.
Kaladin fights the chasm fiend for a bit, Shallan helps from afar with some casting, and finally Kaladin stabs the beast through the roof of the mouth. Unfortunately, his leg gets bitten in the process and it’s pretty gnarly.
Time is running out with the highstorm fast approaching and the two still stuck at the bottom of a chasm. The use the shardblade to cut holes into the chasm walls, climb up, and carve out a little nook they can use to weather the storm.
Hiding in their cubby, they share some life stories. Kaladin knows he is responsible for the death of her brother, Helaran, but he doesn’t share this. Then Kaladin has a vision of the Stormfather. He says that Kaladin has killed Syl, and he will not ride the winds again (not good right?). They manage to survive the highstorm, and Kaladin is suspicious that Shallan might be a Radiant.
As Dalinar and his army are making their last preparations for departure into the Shattered Plains, in comes Kaladin and Shallan, alive and well. They arrive with a massive gemheart in tow as well. Kaladin lies about how they got it, but gains major kudos. Dalinar was also suspicious of Kaladin, as he says all of his bridge crew were absolutely adamant Kaladin would survive, despite that being a near impossibility.
Shallan wants to join the expedition and will help map out the way to the Oathgate. Pattern talk to her of dying eventually with what is about to happen, and that Shallan needs “truth.” Not sure this “truth” and “lies” business, but it feels like something cool is lurking in there. Before they all dip out, Shallan tells Dalinar they need to leave all the Parshmen at home… no Parshendi slaves on this trip. Says that Jasnah told her it would be dangerous. A good tactic.
Interludes
Lhan – Is an Ardent in the monastery in Kholinar who takes on a new protégé, Pai. They are reporting to the Queen and calling into question her character and conduct. Pai ends up painting some glyphs that trash the queen and their government. She is executed and riots begin.
Eshonai – Pretty much says she’s going to orchestrate a highstorm on the Alethi when they get close to their camp in the Shattered Plains. Bad news for Dalinar and crew.
Taravangian – The King of Kharbranth is being controlled by Mrall, his advisor and pseudo bodyguard. He is the one with real power. It appears that Taravangian has days that fluctuate in level of intelligence. Some days he’s dumb, some he’s smart… and like any bell curve, there are rare outliers. One such day occurred where Taravangian was uber smart – Einstein on mental steroids smart – and drew a very important diagram, a prophecy of sorts. Taravangian uses this diagram as a sort of daily to-do list. He wants another uber-brilliant day to continue his diagram, but the odds are never in his favor (never tell me the odds). Also Mr. T has a relationship, of sorts, with Szeth, our assassin in white. Szeth reports that he has not killed Dalinar because the Alethi have a surgebinder (presumably Kaladin) and mentions Coo-Coo-Kal has an honor blade and is able to heal from shard strikes. Szeth is ordered to return to his task of killing Dalinar. Mr. T and the A-Team seem to know a lot. Scary Interlude.
Part 5
Kaladin confides to Lopen that he has lost his gifts, his abilities and that Syl has left him. This as the armies are forming and preparing for their march on the Shattered Plains. Shockingly, this includes Sebarial (the non-fighter/magnate of industry). Other highprinces join as well, unexpectedly to Dalinar’s surprise. We get a snippet from Sadeas and his wife Ialai who mention their assassin has failed (does that mean Szeth? Moash? Another?). They conspire more plots of treachery.
Dalinar meets with Amaram and reveals the truth behind him through a trick Dalinar has played using the madman and another shardblade (that of the madman, Taln), which Dalinar has bonded with. Amaram is a thief and a liar and, in his attempt, to steal said shardblade, his true self was exposed to Dalinar.
Shallan is given a new copy of the Words of Radiance (the title of the book!) from her platonic pal Gaz, and chats with Navani, who in turn helps her work through Jasnah’s notes and maps… looking for Blue’s Clues.
Kaladin is not happy as he’s stuck on bed rest recovering from the chasm fiend bite to the leg. He’s also mopey that he’s without Syl. Moash enters and is like, dude, we’re ready to kill the king soon. Just FYI. Oh, and we don’t need your help anymore. K thx bye.
Shallan continues to hone her drawing skills. Expanding to draw creatively vs. just visually – in hopes of expanding her powers and capabilities. Dalinar says he is refounding the Knights Radiant though worries he may be doing something wrong. Shallan reveals her powers to Dalinar, using Stormlight to light cast. Dalinar is super stoked. And wants her to lead the expedition into the Shattered Plains, but she can’t as it would reveal all her deceptions.
Enter the Parshendi.
They encounter a few and tussle. Upon examination of a dead one, the realize they look different. Red eyes… no bueno. They find another, alive, and surrendering… it’s Shen! No longer in dull form. He’s stormy now! He says that Eshonai is different now and that all the Parshendi are now monsters (re: storm troopers). He confesses to spying on the Alethi for the past 3 years as dull Shen. Wild. The army continues towards the center.
Kaladin is still moping around and slowly (but faster that normal) healing. He runs into King Elhokar who complains how he isn’t regarded as a hero, and upset that Kaladin is beloved. Elhokar simply wants the same. Kaladin, being tactful as always, tells the King that he sucks… hard. And that he should step down for the good of the people. Elhokar isn’t thrilled but mentions when Kaladin arrived on the scene, his shadows in the mirrors have gone away. Um, a-ca-scuse-me?! Elhokar seems to have solid self-awareness and recognizes jailing Kaladin was a mistake, and not bringing Sadeas to justice was a bad call. He’s also aware he sucks at being King, but wants to do better.
Dalinar announces that the Parshendi are now voidbringers and must be stopped. It’s battle time! The Parshendi warriors start to sing, which according to Shen is a song of death. So, think it’s not like a cute little lullaby, but probably more like Eddie rocking Master of Puppets in Stranger Things. Dalinar orders a full out assault.
Adolin, leading the charge, get his horse hit with red lightning. In fact, red lightning is striking all over the place. Crazy scene here.
Shallan starts frantically drawing a map and Pattern reveals himself (itself?) to others.
Dalinar seems to understand the lightning the storm forming around them is due to the Parshendi singing. Which is about half the war force. The other half are regular fighting.
Kaladin, after talking with Elhokar, now wants to save him from assassination. That flip flopper. He believes the King to be an idiot but at least pure of heart, and tries to do good.
Adolin is slashing Parshendi left and right, though nearly gets roped like a rodeo calf. He manages to escape and puts together a plan to stop the singers.
Dalinar speaks with a Stormfather, a voice in the sky, which is interesting because other people can hear the voice too. He doesn’t say much, but I do find that interesting.
Navani uses are fabrials and gemstones to make floating tarp things, in attempts to keep the archers dry and able to shoot arrows more accurately in the heavy, stormy rain. This is also used as a distraction against the Parshendi and help rescue the trapped men under leadership of highprince Roion.
Kaladin needs to get Elhokar out of his chambers and into safety, but small probs… the dude is drunk. Upon leaving, arm in arm, one of the guards “protecting” Elhokar stabs him before Kaladin can kill him. Now the King is drunk and wounded. And Kaladin still has one bum leg. They continue their escape and run directly into Moash, Graves, and another shardbearer. The King collapses.
Shallan, who is with Renarin, starts thinking that the entire plateau they are on is actually the altar for the Oathgate. Shallan then asks Renarin to attack a rock, and low and behold, within the rock is a building!
Adolin, elsewhere on the plateau, does the same thing… attacks a rock with his shardblade. His plan is to cut through the rock, travel through the inside building and cut through the other side thus blindsiding the Parshendi. This works like a charm. One, because shardblades are dope, and two, because upon exiting the other side he finds the singing Parshendi are in a trance. They easily kill many until Adolin runs into Eshonai.
Dalinar gets injured in battle saving Aladar. And again, talks with the Stormfather, which he says is for the last time (I doubt it).
Moash is pretty pissed off at Kaladin at this point. Having reneged on his deal to kill the King. But Kaladin says he had to do what was right in his mind, what would allow him to sleep at night (a thought given to him from Zehal). Kaladin tells Moash he should be mad at Roshone, not Elhokar for his grandparents death. Moash isn’t having it… might be a dual of friend vs. friend. Though Kaladin is without Stormlight and still on one leg.
Shallan and her team enter the rock building. She’s found the Oathgate to Urithiru! Pattern is upset as he states the highstorm and the Everstorm (the red lightning Parshendi storm) are set to collide right where they are standing. Making the ultimate storm. Renarin attempts to use his shardblade as a key on the wall, like any key that opens some ancient gate from a movie. Shallan says the armies need to come to them in order to survive. Storm it!
Adolin is dueling Eshonai and shoves her to the bottom of a chasm. He falls himself, only to be grabbed last second by his soldiers saving his ass. As he reflects on his near death experience, he calls out to a cloaked soldier walking by to ask about something, but quickly realizes the soldier is actually Szeth!
Moash is dominating Kaladin in this fight. Kaladin is hurt, and has no energy. He realizes his purpose in life is to protect people and continues trying to protect Elhokar. From outside the hall, he hears Syl and the Stormfather talking. Syl claims Kaladin as hers, though the Stormfather says he is going to kill her. Syl doesn’t care. Kaladin speaks an oath, a pledge, to Syl and Syl becomes one with Kaladin. She merges into a shardblade! Kaladin explodes with light and heals himself. He’s officially a Knights Radiant and armed with super-Syl-shardblade.
Dalinar is trying to get to Shallan and avoid the 2 colliding storms. Adolin arrives on the scene, pretty beat up. And so, arrives Szeth… only not beat up. Aka, bad news bears.
Renarin, with Shallan and crew, has an episode. The Next Episode. And says he can see the future. He goes into a trance of sorts and starts writing something, glyphs, and cursing the Almighty.
Dalinar and Szeth are fighting and Dalinar is holding his own shockingly well. Roion comes out of nowhere to help Dalinar fight Szeth but gets shot deep into the storm by Szeth using his gravity powers. Adolin helps out too… but they know they cannot win against Szeth. They all bum rush Szeth, but to no avail. Szeth stabs Dalinar. NOOOOOO! Adolin tries in a last ditch effort to get revenge, but no good. Adolin is about to get struck down with a killing blow from Szeth when… what!?… Dalinar returns glowing with light! And Kaladin lands next to him like a glowing Goku, shardblade in hand. This. Just. Got. So. Good.
It seems Kaladin, now a little low of Stormlight, was flying in and caught Dalinar who was lashed to the sky by Szeth. Maybe Kaladin infused him with some Stormlight to save him? No idea. But it’s Kaladin v. Szeth. Holyfield v. Tyson. Goku v. Vegeta. Godzilla v. Mothra.
Shallan is still trying to open/access the Oathgate. She’s in a room, the Knights Radiant room, with murals and 10 lamps next to 10 statues of Radiants (I do picture a cool room here). She lights the lamps with Stormlight while Renarin still draws glyphs in his trance-like state.
Zombie Dalinar has ordered his troops to meet Shallan in the Oathgate building.
Syl, it turns out, was only as dead as Kaladin’s oaths were. With his new pledge she returned and has bonded even deeper with Kaladin. Thus, his powers are back and even better than before.
Szeth and Kaladin are flying all around the Shattered Plains, fighting Marvel style. Syl turns into a shardspear, Kaladin’s preferred weapon of choice.
Adolin gets to Shallan and from the gems he’s carrying, Shallan sucks in that sweet, sweet storm juice. She’s revealed herself to Adolin. She’s a Radiant!
Kaladin and Szeth continue their DBZ fight in the sky. They seem to be running out of Stormlight, which is odd as they are IN a storm… Szeth, not making much of a dent in Super-Saiyan Kaladin, refocuses his attack efforts on Dalinar.
Shallan asks Pattern to become a shardblade. She believes he may be the key to the Oathgate. Once she uses Pattern-sword (instead of Renarin’s sword) the gate unlocks, and walls start rotating.
Ok, so Kaladin and Szeth were fighting ABOVE the storm (Matrix style). When they dive back into the heart of the storm, they get fresh Stormlight.
The storms now collide, and everyone is dead. Just kidding, they are alive. The armies arrived at Shallan in time, and they were portaled to another place, safe and sound.
Szeth realizes what has happened, and knows where everyone went… including Dalinar. More sky fighting commences, and Kaladin starts changing his weapon (aka Syl) mid-fight and starts beating Szeth. Szeth, eventually realizing he’s out stormed, gives up and Kaladin rams him through the spine and takes Szeth’s evil shardblade.
Kaladin returns to ground level and sees that the Shattered Plains have been Shattered… again. He inspects Szeth’s blade a little closer, realizes it isn’t a spren, it’s an honor blade. A blade that gives Radiant type powers to non-Radiant. Probably supes valuable.
Kaladin reunites with Bridge 4 on the plain. How they survive… not sure. But Teft says he saw some of the men glowing before Kaladin showed up. So many other men have powers now too? Oh boy. Kaladin then uses Syl to access the Oathgate and portal themselves to Urithiru.
Shallan and the non-glowing armies are trapped in a remote location, apparently in the mountains in the middle somewhere of Roshar. Shallan, and only Shallan, holds the key (shardblade) that can get them back. They talk about the Everstorm and how it flows West to East and will likely traverse the world and continue hitting Roshar, like highstorms do, but in the opposite direction. And it will hit cities previously safe from the highstorms, those on the West Coast. Bridge 4 arrives.
Kaladin, now blue-eyed and gorgeous, says he put Elhokar someplace safe before joining the fight. He’s with Lopen’s wife in his home (ha!). Lopen, chillin’ with the King is messing around with Stormlight and boom! He does, barely, but does! He starts growing a new arm! We’ve got new powers all over now!
Moash and Graves are trying to flee the camps. Graves still seems to know a lot about the world and tells Moash they will save the world. I look forward to more on these two.
Shallan is talking with Mraize, who, WTF, how did he get there? Well, he snuck in with the armies, because… duh? They talk of the Ghostbloods, and he says he knows who Shallan is. Her deception gig is up. He tells her that he has her brothers, and her family owes him a broken soulcaster! What?!? Mraize is the debtor to the Davar family? He tells Shallan that her father was a Ghostblood too! Mraize loves the Davar family, it seems, and wants Shallan (and her alto ego Veil) to still join the Ghostbloods.
The Backstory of Shallan
Throughout the book, we jump back to gain some history regarding Shallan’s past. I’ve condensed her snippets all together here. In the beginning, we see a memory of Shallan where she witnesses her father killing his wife (and her mother). Scandalous! This, naturally, messes her up and she (a kid) doesn’t speak for months. Just draws, a lot. Helaran is Shallan’s eldest brother and heir to the family pseudo-fortune. He’s also a shardbearer and absolutely hates his father, Lin Davar. We get a scene of Helaran holding his shardblade to his father’s chest, but he doesn’t muckduck him. Helaran does love his little sis though. Aww.
4 years ago, Shallan is with her father at a family dinner in which he is set to remarry. Dinner is interrupted by a messenger who accuses her father of killing his wife and that this is definitely no ok in the eyes of the high(er) prince. But no one will testify against Lin Davar… he’s one scary dude.
3.5 years ago, Shallan is at the Middlefest Fair where her father, the loving guy he is, is beating his new wife. He’s in some financial trouble and keeps getting strong armed by other highprinces. A messenger arrives and chats with Shallan, saying she’s special, possibly a Radiant! This messenger knows her father is a POS, pulls some spheres out and tells Shallan she doesn’t understand lies yet. WTF?
3 years ago, we learn that one of Shallan’s brothers, Jushu, has a bit of gambling problem and is bribing other families with money he doesn’t have. Lin Davar may also be involved in this scheme… what could go wrong here?
1.5 years ago, Lin Davar has found some marble on their land and now rich, he can pay his bribes! Shallan, against all reports, doesn’t think her father killer her mother. Don’t know why, guess it’s just a feeling (you can’t fight this feeling). Super odd, because Lin orders one of his servants to kill Helaran, his eldest son! Shallan tells Balat to go and warn Helaran of assassins, and strongly suggests to her stepmother to get the eff out of dodge.
1 year ago, Lin is dueling with Balat (her brother), and it quickly turns not-so friendly. As Balat gets beaten, literally, Lin starts to feel ill. Shallan had poisoned his drink! He falters, but it becomes apparent that the poison won’t do the trick. So, you won’t effing believe this, strangles her father to death. Like a GD mafia hitman. She finds a fabrial on her dead father.
The Past. Shallan sees now that Pattern was her old shardblade… has been this whole time. Her father had tried to take it (him?) from her, so she had hid it. Her mother enters and tries to kill Shallan. Shallan instead kills her mom! What?!? It wasn’t her father who murdered her, it was Shallan. He was protecting her! Evil bad guy father is maybe kind of good???
Back to current times. Amaram is writing to Restares, the leader of the Sons of Honor – a group wanting to bring back the Heralds – about the war, going to Urithiru, and Heralds. He goes into the monastery and cuts into the cell of Taln, the madman. Amaram is convinced this man is a Herald. As they attempt to escape the Ghostbloods arrive and try to kill Amaram. But the madman maybe Herald snatches the dart out of mid air saving his life. Woah… this is crazy.
Cut to dead Szeth… opening his eyes?!? Jesus what in the holy name of what is going on here? He’s at the bottom of a chasm. A man is there, with a crescent on his face. He has restored Szeth, using a fabrial, right before his “brain died.” Szeth, who worships order, has attacked this guy. Goes by the name of Nim. They talk of Skybreakers, the Knights Radiant, and reborn Szeth is to train with Nim. Nim hands Szeth a new shardblade, a black blade with a sheath (which is odd, because shardblades don’t have sheathes, and in fact cut through anything like butter).
Dalinar explores Urithiru, which has a giant tower – I believe the same tower Szeth had a mental breakdown on. More troops continue to arrive in Urithiru, including Sadeas… that fuck. Adolin chats with Sadeas and after realizing that with his team having three Radiants (or at least those who can use Stormlight) Sadeas will have to up his ante in his evil doings. So, Adolin chokes the bitch. Ya, no joke. Adolin strangles Sadeas. Sadeas throws a last ditch knife to the gut, but Adolin is quick and stabs Sadeas in the eye. Gives a twist for good measure. Upon murdering bad boi Sadeas, Adolin has won Oathbringer back. Dalinar’s old shardblade! But now he has to cover up this murder… he could be in big, big trouble.
Cut to Dalinar a top the giant tower of Urithiru. From up high (like 100+ stories up) he can see all. There are 10 Oathgates. 1 has led them here, which means it leads back to the Shattered Plains. But where do the other 9 Oathgates lead to? I wonder… Shallan is working on that.
Dalinar then shouts to the sky and talks with the Stormfather. The Stormfather says he was required to send visions from the Almighty to Dalinar. Dalinar has failed in his mission though, as the Everstorm is here. It also turns out the Stormfather is the spren of the Almighty? (B.S. – we’re going to need more detail on this one bud).
It is said the Everstorm will bring the voidbringers back. Any Parshendi who enter the storm will become storm form Parshendi (re: voidbringers). Dalinar has been trying to get word out to other lands across Roshar, but most just think he’s coo-coo-for-coco-puffs.
Dalinar then speak and oath. The words are accepted by the Stormfather and it’s official. Dalinar has a Stormfather spren and has become a Radiant himself! He doesn’t have the same spren setup as Shallan or Kaladin, and doesn’t get a shardblade, but pretty sweet setup if you ask me. He sucks in some Stormlight and heals himself.
Dalinar is known as a Bond Smith.
Shallan is known as a Light Weaver.
Kaladin is known as a Wind Runner.
Renarin is known as a Truth Watcher.
It’s decided they need to find the other orders and spren and attempt to stop the Everstorm which will transform Parshendi into voidbringers.
End.
Epilogue.
Wit, our jester, is hanging around when Jasnah appears! Holy smokes she isn’t dead! Or she’s Yoda Jedi dead but not dead? She whips out a shardblade and mentions how she survived a month in a stomach (presumably of some giant sea beast after the ship attack). Wit fills her in on the happenings of the world. Jasnah is already aware of the Everstorm and the Parshendi. Wit says that God will be found in the hearts of men.
TLDR: This is basically Game of Thrones meets The Matrix meets Dragon Ball Z. This is super complex, but everything ties together, and everything goes so much deeper than what you first experience. Still absolutely love this series and 100% recommend this book to anyone willing to tackle 1,000+ pages. 5/5 Stars.
