History Literature / WordsOfRadiance

* MorphWeapon: [[spoiler:Sylphrena (and apparently any other living Shardblade) can become whatever weapon her Radiant likes. Thus she often becomes a spear, since Kaladin trained with spear instead of sword. Throughout the battle with [[EvilCounterpart Szeth]], she transforms into a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe shield]], knife, full Shardblade, [[DropTheHammer hammer]], and axe-headed halberd as well. Mixes with VoluntaryShapeshifting, as she anticipates what Kaladin wants and shifts into that without him "ordering" her to.]]

-->"We have to be consistent," she said, leaning in conspiratorially. "Or we'll break your brains."

* DemocracyIsBad: No one in the book can even conceive of a true democracy, but the spirit of the trope still comes up when Dalinar repeatedly forces the highprinces and the king to do as he says, instead of negotiating more peacefully.

'''''WARNING: {{Late Arrival Spoiler}}s abound for Literature/TheWayOfKings.'''''

''Words of Radiance'' is the second book in Brandon Sanderson's EpicFantasy series ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', taking place on the world of Roshar, characterized by its HostileWeather and {{Giant Enemy Crab}}s. Just as ''Literature/TheWayOfKings'' focused on Kaladin, ''Words of Radiance'' centers around Shallan Davar, former ImpoverishedPatrician and current scholar of Roshar's ancient history, which is becoming more relevant to the realm with each passing day.

At the end of ''Literature/TheWayOfKings'', Shallan and Jasnah concluded the [[SlaveMooks parshmen]] used as manual labor across Roshar are the Voidbringers, ancient monsters who routinely attack civilization until driven back by the Knights Radiant, who betrayed humanity and vanished thousands of years ago. They set out to the Shattered Plains to meet with Jasnah's family, who lead the continuing war against the parshmen's violent cousins, the Parshendi. However, a twist of fate leaves Shallan alone with nothing but her notes and her new, poorly understood Surgebinding powers, weeks away from her destination.

* SpoilerCover: The cover shows Kaladin about to face Szeth, with an Everstorm brewing behind them. While readers of the previous book ''Literature/TheWayOfKings'' probably expected something like this to happen, there are moments within this book that play with the possibility of this outcome. Then again, it is possible for a first-time reader to mistake it for a highstorm.

* TheVerse: Just as ''Literature/TheWayOfKings'' did, this book contains a number of references to Literature/TheCosmere, the combined universe containing most of Sanderson's other works. ''{{Literature/Warbreaker}}'' in particular gets several.

* NobodyPoops: Averted. Shallan asks Adolin what happens when he has to go to the bathroom while wearing Shardplate and finds out that he has crapped in it three times.

* CorruptChurch: The Vorin church in Kholinar are a bunch of [[YesMen yes-men]] serving the queen, as seen in one of the interlude chapters. [[spoiler: It may very well be going through a violent reformation by the end of the book.]]

* AdaptiveArmor: [[{{Magitek}} Shard]][[PoweredArmor plate]] automatically shapes itself to the wearer. Kaladin exploits this during Adolin's four-on-one duel by bullying a Shardbearer who has yielded into giving him his helmet, which Kaladin then places on his fist. The Shardplate helmet then instantly tightens (as if Kaladin's wrist were a very thin neck) to become an [[ImprovisedWeapon improvised gauntlet]], meaning he can now block the rest of the combatants [[SoulCuttingBlade Shard]][[AbsurdlySharpBlade blades]].

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: "Beloved" is pushing it at this point, but once Kaladin develops feelings for Shallan he concludes that she would be much happier with Adolin than with him.

* BadassBoast: Kaladin gets a pretty epic one near the end. [[spoiler:"The wind is mine. The sky is mine. They have been mine since childhood. You are the trespasser here. Not me."]]

** Lift, a character in one of the interludes, gets an entire novella dedicated to her called ''Literature/Edgedancer''.

* ArtifactOfDoom: The Shardblades represent the broken oaths of the old Knights Radiant, as well as centuries of blood and murder as people scrambled to win and steal them. When Kaladin touches one, he hears it ''screaming'', though only he and the wielder can hear it. [[spoiler:They're actually spren, killed by the broken oaths, given some semblance of life by bonding to a living being. Being touched by a Radiant who still holds his oath gives them life and memory of their pain for a moment]].

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Carried over from the end of the first book. Dalinar got fed up with Elhokar's pussy-footing around, kicked his ass, and told him to appoint Dalinar as Highprince of War--that is, the highest-ranking Highprince on military matters.

* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Syl implies that, faced with this decision, highspren will always pick Lawful, and [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight Hhnorspren will always pick Good.]]

* MorphWeapon: [[spoiler:Sylphrena (and apparently any other living Shardblade) can become whatever weapon her Radiant likes. Thus she often becomes a spear, since Kaladin trained with spear instead of sword. Throughout the battle with [[EvilCounterpart Szeth]], she transforms into a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe shield]], knife, full Shardblade, [[DropTheHammer hammer]], and [[AnAxeToGrind axe-headed]] halberd as well. Mixes with VoluntaryShapeshifting, as she anticipates what Kaladin wants and shifts into that without him "ordering" her to.]]

* MoralityPet: Kaladin realizing that Elhokar is this to Dalinar leads him to [[spoiler: foil Moash's assassination attempt]], which in turn leads Kaladin to the rest of his oaths.