Reviews with content warning for Violence - Die Tänzerin am Abgrund

I greatly enjoy Sanderson's world building, characters, observations on life via his fantasy world. Characters like Lift are not my favorite, but I appreciated her growth in this book.

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victoria_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was hesitant before reading this as I saw many bad reviews of people who strongly disliked Lift. From what we saw of her in WoR I would have agreed that she simply wasn’t a likable character, which is okay as not all characters can or should be. But reading this novella changed my mind about her and I think if she is to become a major character like Sanderson said he intends her to be, then reading this is a great insight to who she is and who she will eventually become. We get see a part of her we didn’t see in WoR. Yes she has the same attitude and makes a lot of mistakes, but she is just a kid trying to find her way as a person and as a Radiant. I think that’s important for people to remember to really appreciate her character and not judge her too harshly. She is a kid, and will act like one. Overall I enjoyed reading about her, it was fun and I’m glad I didn’t skip this so I could fully appreciate the storm light archive and all its characters, even though it wasn’t necessary.

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allthosekathys's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I read this after Rhythm of War, would definitely recommend reading it between WoR and Oathbringer, like you are supposed to!

Overall, this book gives you a closer look at Lift - both her motivations and her powers. A fun and quick (for Brandon) adventure.

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pauliina_thebookaholicdreamer's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0

TW: gore, violence, fatphobic statements by the main character

Ahh I can't wait to pick up Oathbringer now that I have finally read Edgedancer!

This novella (take novella with a pinch of salt - this is a 272-paged book. It's a novella in Sanderson terms) focuses on Lift who we received an interlude from in Words of Radiance. I loved her interlude so I was very excited about reading this. While Lift is still one of my definite favourites, reading Edgedancer wasn't quite as great as The Way of Kings or Words of Radiance.

Lift is an unpredictable, unreliable main character - and this shows in the way that the novella is written. The reader is largely unaware about what will happen next and what is the point of the current events. I really enjoyed it in the interlude, but here it feels like a bit much. I wish we had some sort of a side character who could explain some of the stuff that Lift is up to. But regardless, Lift is a joy to read from (other than a couple fatphobic, jarring comments she makes).

We receive a tiny bit of needed backstory related to Lift but also to overall bigger events that were hinted at in Words of Radiance. The authors note at the end gave me the impression that this backstory will be crucial in Oathbringer. I really enjoyed the story, but maybe craved a bit more of it? I didn't quite catch what actually happened in Lift's past - and who the heck is Darkness exactly. But this might just be me, and I'm hoping that all things will become clearer once I get to Oathbringer. (Also I need to acknowledge the fact that I read Words of Radiance some time ago already and things didn't come back to me as quickly as I hoped)

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