Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson
Overview
Edgedancer is a novella that comes from the critically acclaimed fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. The story covers the adventures of Lift, a Reshi orphan girl with a unique outlook to life. It is confirmed that while Edgedancer is a stand alone side story to the main "Stormlight Archives" series, the author plans to release multiple novellas featuring Lift before releasing the SA book with her as the main protagonist.
The 4000 word book is a one of the shorter stories by the author. However, he has revealed in multiple interviews that it is much longer than the 1800 words he had originally intended it to have been.
Main Character
"I'm pure. I'm a child and stuff. I'm so storming pure I practically belch rainbows"
The audience was introduced to Lift in an interlude of the "Words of Radiance". She is a 13-year-old girl with a tragic story who lost her parents and spent most of her life on the streets. Its views, language and interactions are all that an uneducated but fearless young girl is, with enthusiasm and a refreshing paradoxical attitude. She doesn't care about anyone and goes where she wants whether she wants to or not, disappointing everyone around her with her all too confusing illogicality.
“She stuck her tongue out at him. A totally rational and reasonable way to fight a demigod.”
That’s not to say she’s been completely alone though, as a Knights Radiant, Lift has her bonded Spren. Her spren, Wyndle is the embodiment of rationality and logic, creating a comical dichotomy between the pair.
Her power is provided by food, unlike other radiants, which gives her the advantage of not needing stormlight as a source but leaves her constantly and ravenously hungry. Hunger strongly influences her actions and even her dialogue. This adds another layer to her actions of giving back her stolen food back to the poor and the orphans of the city with just a passing thought, (just because she didn't like the food). It is refreshing contrast to other POV characters in the main series like Kaladin, Dalinar or Shallan who constantly have to convince themselves they are good guys. Lift on the other hand seems like a genuinely light hearted and kind girl who pretends that the right things she does are not motivated by any greater purpose and just because she could. Under the whimsical and witty charm there's a somber tragedy hidden. Through the pages of the books the readers are introduced to an orphan child, still in denial about who she truly is and herself the only way she knows, pretending that the things do not bother her.
“What if everybody is frightened, and nobody has the answers?”
Synopsis
Edgedancer expands the odd landscape Roshar away from the war camps in the shattered plains into Yeddaw, a city carved into the ground by the mystical shardblades. The people live entirely in trenches, save for a mound like building that rises over the surface of the ground, called the Grand Indicium. Unlike the honor obsessed Alethi, we are introduced to a different culture where bureaucracy and word of law hold sway.
Lift has a whimsical way of seeing the world, and it seems at first that her main purpose in Edgedancer was to cause mischief and mayhem. It becomes clear however that she truly wants to help protect others against harm, to defend the destitute, but admittedly she does go about it in the most irresponsible and illogical ways. Through the bustling grandeur and the depressing slums,
The story starts of on a grand hunt to sample all 9 varieties of pancakes the city is popular for. The book takes a somber note quickly afterwards as a returning Szeth makes an appearance in the presence of a mysterious figure known to the readers as Darkness.
‘“Will you fight them, little Radiant?” the assassin asked. “You alone, against two journeymen, Skybreakers? A Herald waiting in the wings?”
The story follows Lift as she stalks her would be killers and in the process come to understand herself and growing into the titular order of the Edgedancers.
Review
Initially a little jarring for the older readers, it settles well into the unique comedy that meshes well with the complex themes around it and strikes a unique balance between the two. While the vocabulary is simpler than what most fantasy readers might be accustomed to, it works well to understand the character of lift. If you are looking for a fun ride in a great setting with some deeper themes mixed in, Edgedancer comes highly recommended.
4 / 5
★★★★☆
From the mind of One Piece creator, a mysterious tale unfolds on Netflix, this January. Eiichiro Oda's 'Monsters' - expect the unexpected.