Lia Carstairs's Reviews > Words of Radiance

2nd read [Dec. 4th, 2024]: 5⭐

"You sent him to the sky to die, assassin, but the sky and the winds are mine. I claim them, as I now claim your life."

every time i look at the rating of this book i get immensely happy, like THE highest rating ive ever seen on GR ever?? (and even cooler--since i first read it in 2021, the rating has increased .2) just goes to show the masterpiece that Words of Radiance is and i fell in love even more the second time around like !! so many amazing scenes (view spoiler)[shallan pulling out a shardblade the first time and everyones shocked faces, "honor is dead" scene, adolin locking himself in prison with kaladin, kal saying his oaths, the chasm scene, kal vs szeth, amaram getting outplayed/exposed by dalinar(!!), "the king was dalinar's tien" crying, shallan infiltrating ghostbloods, elhokar being vulnerable and a mood, adolin being a cinnamon roll, shallan finding the secret to the oathgate/urithiru, sadeas DEAD (everyone cheered omg my boy adolin getting him), renarin revealing he's a truthwatcher... really it just goes on and on, and reliving the experience was golden (hide spoiler)]

okay but looking back at my first read i really was embarrassingly obsessed with the ghostbloods help😭 (i mean in my defense, they did seem really cool at the point we were at🤚) (and i had already known that (view spoiler)[jasnah still lived (hide spoiler)] so!)

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1st read [May 2nd, 2021]: 5⭐

Another masterpiece by the King of High Fantasy😌


I finished this faster than I did for The Way of Kings and I didn't even think that was possible. So me finishing this 1087 page book in 2 days should definitely tell you something about my love for Words of Radiance.

“All stories told have been told before. We tell them to ourselves, as did all men who ever were. And all men who ever will be. The only things new are the names.”

While The Way of Kings was basically Kaladin's book, Words of Radiance was most certainly Shallan's and I also didn't even think it was possible to love her more than I already do, but it was.

Reading about Shallan's past and the secrets she's kept—omg it's all so suffocating. In WoR, we see the lies Shallan tells to herself and others... these lies she will eventually have to confront if she has any hope in moving forward.

There's so much darkness in Shallan's life and seeing how broken she is, yet still being able to smile so brightly and find some happiness... I'm sorry, can you hear my heart breaking?? Shallan, my beautiful broken girl, I love you.😭 Please don't lock away all this pain and let it consume you.


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*🛑minor spoilers below🛑*

“I seek the truth,” Shallan said. “Wherever it may be, whoever may hold it. That’s who I am.”

Okay, but Shallan playing spy and infiltrating the Ghostbloods was something I never knew I needed in my life.🥺

Is it weird to say that I actually really love like the Ghostbloods?? Like they're pretty cool. I actually think I have a villain crush on Mraize although, is he really a villain? Their motives are still not clear and they don't seem to be really that evil so not a villain in my eyes yet. Honestly, majority of the antagonists here aren't really evil, it's not black and white, it's grey. For the most part their goals are understandable, it's just the way they go about it being quite concerning. It's more that they lack morality, but anyways I love how Sanderson does this and while I still do hate some of these people, I can understand some of the actions they take.

"The truth destroys more people than it saves."

I'm literally OBSESSED with the Ghostbloods. It's really concerning??? I pray for more of them. I NEED more of them. One of the higlights of this book was Shallan's interactions with the Ghostbloods and omg I loved that. Mraize was said to be rarely impressed by anything but was impressed by what Shallan could do??🥺 Curse my love for this group.

I hate Sanderson for putting a thought into my head, when I know it's highly unlikely that it'll happen *sobs* I can't stop imagining how amazing it would be if Shallan actually joined the Ghostbloods and found her own Bridge Four?? I barely know anything about these people—literally at the most only 100 pages out of 1087 did these guys appear—and their motives, but I just find them so cool😭 This super mysterious organization that is also very protective of one another and (view spoiler)[they still were still offering membership to Shallan after finding out her true identity🥺 (altho its obvious they want to use her BUT STILL) (hide spoiler)] Also, even their group name sounds epic?? The ✨Ghostbloods✨

Anyways, I'd love it if something like Shallan joining their ranks were to magically happen, but I know it won't :( wow, this really became a Ghostblood fangirling session

“What separates the heroes from the villains? One speech in the night."

Surprisingly, Dalinar actually really annoyed me in this. I understood the situation he was in and the reasons behind some things, but at the same time it pissed me off the way he'd ignore and treat Kaladin's claims of a certain bastard (view spoiler)[of course, my annoyance totally disappeared in an instant when he ended up confronting Amaram😌 HIM EXPOSING AMARAM BAHAHAHA I LOVED THAT. (hide spoiler)]

"I believe an apology is due."

↪ THAT will forever be one of my favourite scenes omg. if you know, you know👀

“That was why he’d come back. It was about Tien, it was about Dalinar, and it was about what was right—but most of all, it was about protecting people. This was the man he wanted to be.”

Kaladin is as amazing and heartbreaking as ever. Even after saving Bridge Four, he is still not at peace with everything that's happened to him and that's definitely understandable *sobs* There's still a deep burning hatred and vengeance floating in his mind totally don't blame him for having I'm honestly surprised at the amount of restraint he had in certain situations... I could never.

Kaladin's character development is spectacular and I can so tell that this is only the beginning of it. He still suffers with depression and trauma from these last few years and throughout the book, he goes through so many challenges...it's amazing. He makes mistakes, but he learns. His growth in WoR is one of my favourite parts here and omg his interactions with Shallan and Adolin were golden.

“He saw it in her eyes. The anguish, the frustration. The terrible nothing that clawed inside and sought to smother her. She knew. It was there, inside. She had been broken.

Then she smiled. Oh, storms. She smiled anyway.

It was the single most beautiful thing he’d seen in his entire life.”

The chasm scene was so, so precious. I actually started crying, my heartt-

“Kaladin frowned. “Wait. Are you wearing cologne? In prison?”

“Well, there was no need to be barbaric, just because I was incarcerated.”

“Storms, you’re spoiled,” Kaladin said, smiling.

“I’m refined, you insolent farmer,” Adolin said. Then he grinned. “Besides, I’ll have you know that I had to use cold water for my baths while here.”

“Poor boy.”

Then the prison scene ohmygod my heart was so happy😭 I love Adolin and Kaladin's growing friendship so much. And that one scene where they fought together omg sdfgdfdgds it was amazing

"Honor is dead."

Speaking of Adolin, that brings me to my OTP—Shallan and Adolin.🥺 Look at these two and tell me they aren't just one of the most adorable ships ever created???


I was living for their scenes. Like I literally had this ridiculous, goofy smile on my face every time those two interacted with each other. And the amount of times I reread those scenes... oh god why are they so cute??

Adolin believing that Shallan had come to the fighting grounds to watch him train, but being totally wrong and looking like a fool in front of Kaladin??? Perfection.

Shallan asking the most random questions—one of them being how do the Shardbearers, specifically Adolin, use the bathroom in their Shardbearers in the middle of long battles?? Adolin's response omg I was wheezing.😭🤚

And then there was Adolin's shocked face when Shallan kissed his cheek🥺 (Alethi are more reserved when it comes to showing affection bahaha) SO CUTE, I CAN'T. I'm so hyped for their future scenes omg and now I'm terrified that Sanderson will do something to them *sobs* please, no.

ALSO WIT OMG WIT, I LOVE YOU. Dare I say that he's my favourite character despite his minimal appearances??? His scenes are always so good omg one of my favourites:

Kaladin prepared to swing up into the seat beside the carriage driver, then stopped.
“You!” he said, pointing at the driver.
“Me!” the King’s Wit replied from where he sat holding the reins.

...

Adolin climbed out to await her, straightening his jacket, polishing the buttons on one sleeve. He glanced up towards the driver’s seat, then started.
"You!" Adolin exclaimed.
"Me!" Wit replied. He swung down from the top of the carriage and performed a flowery bow.

...

She suddenly started, eyes widening. She pointed at Wit with her freehand.
"You!" Shallan exclaimed.
"Yes, yes. People certainly are very good at identifying me today. Perhaps I need to wear—"

I can't stop laughing ohmygod why is Wit so amazing?? I NEED MORE WIT.

"Try not to flirt with the girl," Wit whispered. "Young Adolin seems to be growing possessive. Or...what am I saying? Flirt with the girl, Kaladin. It might make the prince's eyes bulge."

I'd say Wit "please marry me" but I'm sure if I was in his presence for even 5 seconds, I'd want to kill him so I'll just stay over here and laugh at him making fun of the others😌

(view spoiler)[ALSO, I LOVED THE SCENE WHERE SADEAS FINALLY DIED OMG THANK GOD. Adolin murdering Sadeas was amazing🥺 THERE'S EVEN FANART BAHAHAHA
(hide spoiler)]

Anyways, it seems that even though I was preparing to love this, there was still so much I wasn't expecting like falling in love with the Ghostbloods But anyways, I'm officially obsessed with this series and the Ghostbloods and this obsession scares me because I know once I catch up to the series, I'm going to have one of the worst book hangovers ever.


ahh I can't wait for Oathbringer to destroy me and my poor heart✌

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Buddy read with my demon bestie mashie!!! ahhh loved buddy reading with you sm omg

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Pre-read Review:

i love how the average rating of this is 4.74 like??? that's the highest rating ive ever seen on GR omg i was already hyped for this book and now-

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Reviews:
The Way of Kings: ★★★★★
Words of Radiance: ★★★★★
Oathbringer: ★★★★★
Rhythm of War: ★★★★★