“But you,” the thing said, “did not come here for a contest, did you? We watch the others. The assassin. The surgeon. The liar. The highprince. But not you. The others all ignore you…and that, I hazard to predict, is a mistake.”
Edgedancer tells the story of Lift, a twelvish year-old girl who is, perhaps, the youngest Knight Radiant and who has the special ability to metabolize food as Stormlight. As a result, she is constantly hungry. She is bonded to Wyndle, a cultivationspren who gives Lift her special abilities as an Edgedancer. Specifically, Lift has the abilities of regrowth and altering friction (her “awesomeness,” as she calls it).
This book was a lot more fun than I was expecting. Lift is a delightful, lighthearted character, who is given a lot more depth here compared to the main books of the Stormlight Archive. The dialogue between Lift and Wyndle made me laugh out loud multiple times. The only downside is that this book made me really hungry, especially for pancakes.
The main antagonist in this book is Nale, the Herald of Justice, whom Lift refers to simply as Darkness. Nale is trying to prevent the next Desolation by hunting down and killing the emerging Knights Radiant. Lift must try to stop him and also eat his breakfast.
Is this book necessary for understanding the Stormlight Archive? Probably not. But still, it fills in a few important gaps that I encountered when reading Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, particularly related to Nale, Szeth, and Lift. Some of the scenes in Oathbringer and Rhythm of War make more sense now after reading Edgedancer. I guess I should’ve read this first. Oh well.
Lift is apparently slotted to be the main point of view/flashback character in one of the later Stormlight Archive books, specifically Book 6. Presumably, it will become especially important to read Edgedancer before that book is published.
This book is a more humorous and lighthearted take on the events of the Stormlight Archive, but there are some rather dark moments in the latter part of the book. I really enjoyed spending this time with Lift and Wyndle. But now I’m starving and have a weird craving for pancakes.
4.5/5
