Words of Radiance

Jasnah is attacked aboard ship and left for dead, so Shallan travels on alone to the Shattered Plains, invents the Veil persona and infiltrates the Ghostbloods. She's betrothed to Adolin. Kaladin becomes captain of the king's guard and learns to fly. Adolin wins duels to challenge Sadeas, but it goes wrong and Kaladin ends up in prison. Shallan admits to herself that she killed her mother. On the expedition to the center of the Plains, the Parshendi summon the Everstorm. Near collapse, Kaladin protects the king from Moash's betrayal and swears his oath: Syl returns as his blade. He defeats Szeth. Shallan opens the Oathgate and everyone reaches the lost city of Urithiru. In the end, Jasnah turns up alive.

1. Behind the scenesThe Book of Endless Pages

   Sanderson planned to call it The Book of Endless Pages. His editor asked if he was sure he wanted that name on a very long, very thick fantasy book. He changed it.

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2. Behind the scenesDelayed by the Wheel of Time

   It was due in 2012, but Sanderson was finishing A Memory of Light, the last book of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. It finally came out in March 2014.

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3. Behind the scenesThe biggest book Tor had printed

   At 1,087 pages, it was the largest book Tor had ever printed at the time. It still debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times hardcover fiction list.

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4. Behind the scenesShallan's turn

   Michael Whelan painted the endpapers showing Shallan sketching on the Shattered Plains. He said the story had become as much Shallan's as Kaladin's.

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5. ReferenceThe girl who steals food

   In one interlude, a girl breaks into the palace in Azir just to steal food. That's Lift, who later gets her own novella, Edgedancer.

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