Dawnshard

- Brandon Sanderson

Goodreads Book Blurb:

When a ghost ship is discovered, its crew presumed dead after trying to reach the storm-shrouded island Akinah, Navani Kholin must send an expedition to make sure the island hasn’t fallen into enemy hands. Knights Radiant who fly too near find their Stormlight suddenly drained, so the voyage must be by sea.

Shipowner Rysn Ftori lost the use of her legs but gained the companionship of Chiri-Chiri, a Stormlight-ingesting winged larkin, a species once thought extinct. Now Rysn’s pet is ill, and any hope for Chiri-Chiri’s recovery can be found only at the ancestral home of the larkin: Akinah. With the help of Lopen, the formerly one-armed Windrunner, Rysn must accept Navani’s quest and sail into the perilous storm from which no one has returned alive. If the crew cannot uncover the secrets of the hidden island city before the wrath of its ancient guardians falls upon them, the fate of Roshar and the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.

Series / Genres:

My Review:

solid, good read:
4/5

The sea was a strange mistress indeed. Open. Welcoming. Inviting.
Sometimes a little too much so.

There are a lot of big personalities in Dawnshard. With just the Lopen and Rysn to contend with, this could have easily been annoying rather than exciting, but add in a headstrong captain, an easily distracted ardent, and someone working against the crew, and we’re talking one tiny tightrope to try and balance. As one would expect, Sanderson manages this beautifully. I have nothing but confidence in his abilities by now.

I love how much time was devoted to exploring Rysn’s disability. We’ve seen glimpses of her throughout the Stormlight Archive and have witnessed her evolution from spoiled apprentice to earnest trader to post-accident depression. Taking on this impossible mission with a captain who dislikes her, a crew that doesn’t trust her, and some Radiants who have ulterior motives is a lot for anyone, let alone anyone still working to come to terms with their paraplegia.

The Lopen is on a journey of his own (including tackling the ‘the’ in front of his name…), and it’s nice to see a more human side to the cocky comedian we’ve known since his one-armed Bridge Four days. I like how he connects with Rysn and helps her laugh at herself and gain back some confidence. Rysn does some big things in Dawnshard, and while the Lopen may have played only a small part in her growth, I think he was pretty helpful.

Dawnshard is a real adventure story with high stakes and lots of excitement – I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

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