We were first introduced to Lift (one of Brandon's favorite characters) in the second book in the Stormlight Archive series, Words of Radiance, in the interludes between the normal chapters. As soon as I read about how "awesome" she was, I fell in love with her.
This is Lift's story starting with some interlude chapters from WoR, but then continues after she leaves the Azir palace. She heads to Yeddaw a very peculiar city dug into the ground. Why she is there, we don't really know until the end and she really figures it out herself. Not only is Lift there with her Voidbringer Wyndle, but Darkness is in the city for some reason and Lift sets herself on a mission to find out.
This is a very small book also found in the Arcanum Unbound compilation of stories. It was a quick, short read only really taking two in-story days. But when it comes to Brandon a short story always ends up turning into a small 200 page book *smiles* and we are happy to have so much.
Lift is one of Brandon's favorite characters (he says so at the end of this story) and she is one of mine too. I find her funny and childlike, deeming her radiant powers as "awesomeness" because she doesn't know anything else to call it. Some people, I know, get rubbed the wrong way by this, so it is up to you if you like her but I think she's a doll.
This world is a small part of Roshar and Brandon gave a chance to explore more of this world that we won't get while reading through the Stormlight Archive because of lack of screen time. Roshar is thought out and very well developed. Each culture is vastly different with their own pros and cons and quirks which makes it real.
I think the part that I enjoyed, almost, the most is that we get to see changes in the characters as they are working through their own internal struggles. Not just Lift as she's coping with growing older, but other important character to all of the series. This book covers a jump that happened to particular characters that were brushed over in Oathbringer, so this book gave more of an explanation.
It can be read on it's own, but there will be references to other important things that might fly over the readers head if unacquainted with the Stormlight Archive. It's possible, but you end up missing out on a lot. For those who don't want to read all 1100 pages each of the Stormlight Archive, if you wanted to read this and get a taste of Roshar, read it. Enjoy it. Then pick up The Way of Kings because you'll like that one too.
In the end, there was more screen time for Lift and Wyndle, whom I love and enjoy reading about.
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