Cover of Words of Radiance

Words of Radiance

  • 2012 first published
  • 1,088 pages
  • ★ 4.7 (96 ratings)
  • 23 editions

Brandon Sanderson's Words of Radiance (2012) is an epic fantasy novel. Readers will find themes of imaginary wars and battles, magic, life on other planets and great powers.

Open Library readers give it an average of 4.7 out of 5 from 96 ratings, and 284 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 23 editions across 5 languages. It appeared on the New York Times Combined Print And E-Book Fiction bestseller list in 2014.

At about 1,088 pages, most readers finish it in 19–20 hours.

About Words of Radiance

The eagerly awaited sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Way of Kings. Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi. Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin’s master has much deeper motives. Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status darkeyes. Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl. Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and their civilization-ending Desolation.
Description from Open Library

Awards & lists

  • ✦Locus Awards 2015 — Best Fantasy Novel (nominee)
  • 📰New York Times bestseller list — Combined Print And E-Book Fiction, 2014

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Subjects

  • Imaginary wars and battles
  • Epic fantasy
  • High fantasy
  • Magic
  • Life on other planets
  • Fantasy fiction
  • Great powers
  • Guerres et batailles imaginaires
  • Romans, nouvelles
  • Grandes puissances

Publisher

Quick answers

Who wrote Words of Radiance?

Words of Radiance was written by Brandon Sanderson and first published in 2012.

What genre is Words of Radiance?

It is usually shelved as Epic Fantasy.

How long is Words of Radiance?

The median edition has 1,088 pages, about 19–20 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

What books are similar to Words of Radiance?

Readers who like it often enjoy Kingdom of Ash, Before They Are Hanged and Shadow and Bone.

More by Brandon Sanderson

All books →
  • Cover of The Way of Kings

    The Way of Kings

    Brandon Sanderson

    2010★ 4.5

  • Cover of The Well of Ascension

    The Well of Ascension

    Brandon Sanderson

    2007★ 4.4

  • Cover of The Hero of Ages

    The Hero of Ages

    Brandon Sanderson

    2008★ 4.6

  • Cover of Elantris

    Elantris

    Brandon Sanderson

    2005★ 4.1

  • Cover of Oathbringer

    Oathbringer

    Brandon Sanderson

    2017★ 4.5

  • Cover of The Alloy of Law

    The Alloy of Law

    Brandon Sanderson

    2001★ 4.1

Books like Words of Radiance