Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A compelling epic fantasy set in a world poised on the brink of disaster.Shallan, a talented but troubled provincial girl, has betrayed the brilliant scholar Jasnah Kholin, and yet the older woman has responded by taking Shallan on as a student and partner in the quest to prevent the terrifying Voidbringers from returning to destroy mankind. Now all Shallan has to do is prove herself usefuland try to stay ahead of the terrible memories she keeps buried inside. Kaladin has risen from slave to bridgeman to captain and trusted bodyguard in highprince Dalinar's army. Now he has to turn a thousand downtrodden bridgemen into a respectable fighting forcewhile looking for a way to make two powerful, duplicitous men pay for what they've done. Both Shallan and Kaladin must learn to use and understand their strange abilities, which hearken back to the myths of the lost Knights Radiant. Meanwhile, the warrior Dalinar struggles to understand the visions sent to him by a god who claims to be dead, visions he believes are telling him to refound the Knights Radiant to prevent a catastrophe. This book picks up where The Way of Kings left off, diving deeper into the vivid characters readers have come to know and love and pushing each of them closer to their breaking points. The vast scope of the world Sanderson (The Way of Kings, 2010, etc.) has created remains, but the story is even more tightly focused, driving toward a suspenseful climax.Balancing fascinating worldbuilding with a page-turner of a plot, this is a series fantasy fans won't want to miss. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In the second of Sanderson's projected ten-book "Stormlight Archive" series (after The Way of Kings), a storm is brewing on the world of Roshar, and the Kholin family is at its center. Dalinar Kholin has been told by prophetic dreams to "unite them," but struggles with his own dictatorial impulses. The new captain of Dalinar's guard, Kaladin, works to learn and control the powers granted him by stormlight. But the real star of the book is Shallan Davar, a young woman struggling to reconcile the secrets of her past with her burgeoning abilities. Shallan could be the key to saving the humanity of Roshar in the rapidly approaching conflict, provided she can untangle the threads of history in time. Verdict This audio-book is quite a commitment at 38 CDs, but the high ratio of thrilling revelation to descriptive prose makes it well worth the investment. Sanderson deftly weaves multiple viewpoints together-some familiar, some new-answering many of the questions posed by the first book and prompting many more. Kate Reading and Michael Kramer team up once more to provide vibrant narration. Verdict Recommended for all epic fantasy fans. ["Sanderson's skill at worldbuilding is unmatched, and...he has developed an innovative magical system and combined it with rich, complex characters to create a compelling story. This developing epic series is a must-read for all fantasy fans," read the starred review of the Tor hc, LJ 3/15/14.]-Anna Mickelsen, Springfield City Lib., MA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Almost everyone in the world of Roshar is oblivious to the pending return of the mythical Voidbringers and the Desolation that will surely follow. In the past the Voidbringers were always opposed by the Knights Radiant, but that was so long ago that even the oldest histories shed little light except that the Knights Radiant somehow betrayed humanity after the last Desolation. Kaladin, a former military slave and now head of the royal bodyguards, must come to trust his emerging abilities as well as the lighteyes leader -Dalinar in order truly to become a Windrunner. Likewise, Shallan's new powers are key to the future. Not only must she master them, but she must come to grips with her haunting past. VERDICT -Sanderson's skill at worldbuilding is unmatched, and in the "Stormlight Archive" series he has developed an innovative magical system and combined it with rich, complex characters to create a compelling story. His eagerly awaited sequel to The Way of Kings exceeds expectations. This developing epic series is a must-read for all fantasy fans. [See Prepub Alert, 9/16/13.]--William Baer, Georgia Inst. of -Technology Lib., Atlanta (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*Starred Review* The readers of Sanderson's The Way of Kings (2010) may have been waiting for him to return to the Stormlight Archives from his labors in finishing the late Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time. The wait is now over, and devoted followers of fantasy on the grandest imaginable scale can make themselves comfortable and start reading. The world of Roshar is still very close to being a character in its own right (one thinks of Dune), as Sanderson has used the room afforded by a book of this size to build it in loving detail, including the fierce storms that make civilized life difficult even in peacetime. But the humans and the humanoid Parshendi are still fighting, although Brightlord Kholin is leading an army deep into enemy territory. His sister, Jasnah, is with him, seeking a legendary lost city that her student, Shallan, believes may hold the key to victory. Far below the level of the high command, the rising young slave warrior, Kaladin, learns that the Parshendi have a counterstrategy in preparation, one that portends the destruction of the world unless he can become the founder of a new order of the legendary Knights Radiant. Many readers will find Shallan and Kaladin the most absorbing of the major characters because they have the most to lose, but the characterization is on the whole as meticulous as the world-building. A very impressive continuation.--Green, Roland Copyright 2014 Booklist