Edgedancer - Brandon Sanderson

Published by Tor/A Tom Doherty Associates Book: New York, NY, 2017.
Sections previously published in 2014, 2016.
Book 2.5 of 'The Stormlight Archive.' Preceded by 'Words of Radiance.' Followed by 'Oathbringer.'

When I reviewed Words of Radiance I made the comment that a spin-off novel around minor character Lift would be enjoyable. It turns out, Brandon Sanderson heeded my advice, and even went to the trouble of heeding it a few years before I gave it!

I realised this book existed after I had purchased a copy of Oathbringer, and, upon opening the book for the first time, was instructed to read this book first. So I paused Oathbringer, hunted this out at the local library, finished reading Night Without End, and then finally read more about Lift.

The book opens with a prologue that is simply the previous chapter about Lift repeated from Words of Radiance. Then we jump forward in time a little, to Lift and her spren companion Wyndle journeying to the town of Yeddaw, where Lift hopes to find Darkness, the man who tried to kill her in her earlier chapter.

Lift is about 13, is cocky about life (she calls her Knight Radiant powers her 'awesomeness') and is quick to make a joke - like many Sanderson characters, only more so. She is also quite self-obsessed, although as this book goes on the level to while she thinks she is self-obsessed is challenged; perhaps she cares about others more than she lets on.

Unlike many Sanderson works, Edgedancer is quite short, though in saying that it is still 265 pages long. With such a relatively short run time, the story of Edgedancer is relatively straight forward - Lift searches the city, discovers Darkness, tries to figure out who Darkness is pursuing for execution, and then seeks to rescue that person. Sanderson has talked about the fact that this novella exists to allow some character development to occur that otherwise would have been 'off-screen' between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer, and in that way it is a success. It is also fun to have a bit more time with Lift and Wyndle, who were always fun characters. 

It might not have the same level of complexity of impact as the main Stormlight Archives series, but it is a fun little bridge and proof of concept for more Lift-based journeys.

Completed 4 August 2024.

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