Words of Radiance is an epic fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson and the second book in The Stormlight Archive series. The novel was published on March 4, 2014, by Tor Books. Words of Radiance consists of one prologue, 89 chapters, an epilogue and 14 interludes. It is preceded by The Way of Kings (2010) and followed by Oathbringer (2017).
In 2015, it won the David Gemmell Legend Award for best novel. The unabridged audiobook is read by narrator team Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.
Development The release of the book was delayed due to Sanderson's commitment to writing the final book of The Wheel of Time.
Initially, Sanderson planned that this volume would be named after the tome Shallan is given at the end of the first volume: The Book of Endless Pages. However, the name was changed after the editor commented "Uh, are you sure you want to name a very long, very thick fantasy book The Book of Endless Pages?” The book, at 1088 pages, was the maximum printable size of a book for its publisher, Tor Books, making it the biggest book printed by the company up to that point.
On July 1, 2013, Sanderson announced on his official Twitter account that he had finished the first draft of Words of Radiance. On July 3, Tor Books officially released an early excerpt of the novel, containing the beginning of an interlude starring Taravangian, the King of Kharbranth. On December 10, 2013, Tor Books announced on its official website that Sanderson had turned in the manuscript of the book, commenting that production could now begin. On the same day a second excerpt of the novel was released, containing an interlude starring the new character Lift.
On December 30, 2013, Tor Books revealed the endpapers for Words of Radiance, painted by American artist Michael Whelan. It pictures Shallan while painting at the Shattered Plains. In the same article Whelan states, "When Irene Gallo proposed a second painting for Words of Radiance, I immediately knew it was Shallan we were talking about. Indeed, like many fans, I had felt that the story was becoming as much Shallan's as Kaladin's; she merited equal representation in the book's design, as far as it was possible to do so."
On January 8, 2014, Tor Books released the prologue and first two chapters of the book as previews with points-of-view of Jasnah, Shallan and Kaladin. A week later, on January 14, Tor Books released the 3rd, 4th and 5th chapters of the book, followed by the 6th, 8th and 9th chapters on January 21. The last chapters to be released before the publication of the book, Chapters Ten, Twelve, Fourteen and the first Interlude, were released on January 28, 2014.
Tor Books revealed the dates and locations for the Words of Radiance book tour on January 29, 2014. On February 4, 2014, Tor announced 'The Glimpses of Radiance', a series of daily previews of the book running from February 11 to March 4, 2014. Non-spoiler reviews were released by Alice Arneson and Carl Engle-Laird on the Tor website and by 17thshard.com, the official fansite of Brandon Sanderson, 17th Shard calling the book, "truly an achievement. It expands on its predecessor, fulfilling the promises it sets up, and manages to surpass it". Samples of interior art painted by Ben McSweeney and Isaac Stewart were released on February 26.
Plot
Prologue At the Alethi peace treaty conference with the Parshendi, Jasnah Kholin first encounters the realm of Shadesmar, where she discovers the power to Soulcast. Jasnah then witnesses Szeth assassinate her father, King Gavilar Kholin. The Parshendi confess that they were behind the assassination, fearing Gavilar's plan. This motivates Jasnah to investigate the Parshendi's history, her experience in Shadesmar, and the Last Desolation.
Part One Jasnah and Shallan Davar travel by ship to the Shattered Plains. Jasnah convinces her mother Navani to have Shallan betrothed to Adolin. Shallan meets and befriends a spren that she names Pattern and begins to manifest her own abilities. En route, their ship is attacked by assassins and Jasnah is seemingly killed. Shallan manages to escape and to recover Jasnah's research notes. She resolves to continue their mission to the Shattered Plains with their discovery of the Voidbringers' true nature: that the Parshendi and Voidbringers are one and the same.
After rescuing Dalinar Kholin, Kaladin and his former Bridgemen are named royal bodyguards assigned to protect House Kholin, including King Elhokar. Kaladin struggles with his hatred for lighteyes. Kaladin also begins training to master the powers of a Windrunner and exploring the bond with his Honorspren, Syl. Despite being a "darkeyes," Kaladin is allowed to join many of Dalinar's strategy meetings in his capacity as a bodyguard. The situation complicates when Brightlord Amaram arrives to support Dalinar's plan of uniting the Highprinces.
Dalinar begins finding cryptic messages scrawled in his chambers that count down to "the Everstorm." Dalinar decides to restore the Knights Radiant, and to be more aggressive with the other Highprinces. He gives his son Adolin permission to duel other lighteyes for their Shards, hoping to weaken his rivals.
In the Parshendi village of Narak, the researcher Venli discovers a new "form" that Parshendi could transform into. Venli claims it would be capable of summoning powerful storms as weapons against the Alethi. Despite fears from some that using Stormform would summon Voidspren, evil "opposites" to normal spren, the Parshendi ruling council reluctantly allow Venli to experiment with it. Venli's sister Eshonai, the last Parshendi Shardbearer and leader of their warriors, would rather parlay with Dalinar to end the war peacefully, but volunteers to become the first Stormform.
Part Two During a duel, Adolin successfully defeats an opponent and begins winning shards for Dalinar.
Kaladin privately confesses Amaram's betrayal to Dalinar, who does not act on it. During training with Swordmaster Zahel, Kaladin and the crew are instructed in basic horsemanship, and how to defend against Shardblades in case of an attack by the Assassin in White (Szeth).
Meanwhile, Shallan deals with a bandit attack. She confronts a group of Alethi deserters and convinces them to defeat the bandits. Shallan befriends Tyn, a wandering conwoman who begins teaching her con-artistry. Shallan eventually discovers that Tyn was behind the assassination on Jasnah just as Tyn discovers Shallan's identity. Shallan reveals herself to be a Shardbearer, killing Tyn with her Shardblade. She then assumes Tyn's identity, planning to meet with the Ghostbloods, a secret organization behind many of the political upheavals in the realms.
A seemingly crazed man arrives in the camp and is taken in by Dalinar. He is actually Taln, the Herald of War, who was left behind by the other Heralds at the opening of the series.
Kaladin and Syl sense Szeth's approach and Dalinar, Adolin, and Kaladin fight the Assassin In White but are outmatched by him. Szeth attempts to kill Dalinar, his target, but is unsuccessful. During the fight, Szeth witnesses Kaladin using Stormlight and flees: Szeth was banished from his kingdom for claiming that the Radiants were coming back, and Kaladin being able to use Stormlight proves that he was right the whole time and should never have been banished.
Eshonai enters a highstorm which turns her into Stormform: turning her eyes red and making her adopt a much more aggressive, vengeful personality. This form is assumed to be the "voidbringer" form given to the Parshendi by their evil god Odium, who they hate and fear. In Narak, Eshonai, driven insane by Stormform, takes over the city with her troops and plans to transform them all into Stormform to wipe out the Alethi. She imprisons any who dissent all while her inner voice screams at her to stop.
Part Three
Shallan arrives at the Shattered Plains. She attends a meeting of the Ghostbloods while concealing her identity, hoping to learn more about the legendary city of the Radiants, Urithiru, as well as the Voidbringers. The Ghostbloods instruct Shallan to infiltrate Amaram's compound, believing that he knows secrets about the Parshendi and the Shattered Plains. Shallan manages to memorize and recreate all of his research. Upon meeting Amaram, she recognizes Amaram's Shardblade as her brother's old blade, and learns that her brother was killed in battle.
Kaladin continues his training with the Bridgemen. Moash, Kaladin's best friend, reveals his past and resentment towards Elhokar, blaming the king for the death of his grandparents. Moash invites Kaladin to attend a meeting of conspirators who plan to assassinate the king. Graves, leader of the assassins, insists that they are patriots determined to stabilize Alethkar by removing Elhokar from the throne due to his lack of leadership. Kaladin agrees that Elhokar is a bad king, and that the realm would probably be better without him.
Adolin goads one of the Highprinces' sons into a duel, saying he can bring another opponent, making it a 2 on 1 duel. However, Adolin fails to specify the number of challengers, forcing him to face four Shardbearers. Kaladin and Renarin are allowed to assist, and they successfully defeat the four, winning a boon from the King. Adolin invokes the right of challenge against Sadeas, the highprince who is most overtly against Dalinar. Kaladin, however, uses this boon to challenge Amaram, publicly accusing him of treason. An enraged Elhokar has Kaladin arrested. Using this as a distraction, Sadeas escapes before they can make him duel Adolin in the moment. He accepts the challenge, but sets the date for a year in the future.
Szeth isolates himself in a tower and questions his motives for killing before returning to Taravangian, who tricks him into thinking that Kaladin is not a Radiant, and must have instead stolen an Honorblade (which bestows the powers of a Surgebinder). Szeth renews his plan to kill Dalinar.
Part Four Dalinar visits Kaladin while the latter is imprisoned and informs him that Moash's parents died not because of Elhokar, but because of Roshone, the same lighteyes who forced Kal's brother Tien to be drafted to war where he later died. When released, Kal learns that Adolin demanded to be imprisoned himself to convince Elhokar to release Kaladin, softening Kaladin's distrust toward Adolin and Lighteyes in general. Adolin offers Kaladin one of the Blades and Plate won in the duel, and Kaladin gives them to Moash.
When the Alethi army under Dalinar goes to explore the Shattered Plains, an assassination attempt orchestrated by Sadeas causes both Shallan and Kaladin to fall into a chasm. They survive using their Stormlight, but then Kaladin's connection to Syl, and Stormlight, is cut off. He believes that he killed Syl by forsaking his "protection" vow, as he is planning to turn a blind eye to the king's assassination.
During their time in the chasm, Kal and Shallan realize how much strife the other has gone through and begin to bond. They are ambushed by a chasmfiend, which Kaladin kills using Shallan's Shardblade, though he greatly injures his leg. They shelter from a high storm together and survive, bonding further.
Dalinar prepares to make his assault against the Parshendi on Narak. Shallan insists on going, having started mapping out the Plains while exploring the chasms.