The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) – Brandon Sanderson

Speak again the ancient oaths,
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.
And return to men the Shards they once bore.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.
Roshar is a world of stone swept by tempests that shape ecology and civilization. Animals and plants retract; cities are built in shelter. In centuries since ten orders of Knights fell, their Shardblade swords and Shardplate armor still transform men into near-invincible warriors. Wars are fought for them, and won by them.
In one such war on the ruined Shattered Plains, slave Kaladin struggles to save his men and fathom leaders who deem them expendable, in senseless wars where ten armies fight separately against one foe.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Fascinated by the ancient text namedThe Way of Kings and troubled by visions of ancient times, he doubts his sanity.
Across the ocean, Shallan trains under eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece Jasnah. Though Shallan genuinely loves learning, she plans a daring theft. Her research hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

I listened to the audiobook of THE WAY OF KINGS and it was quite the long journey (I think it was literally 48 hours, give or take), but I am all about Michael Kramer so it’s totally worth it! It took me over a month to read between audio and print but I did it! My reading time has just been far too short and reviewing time apparently even shorter because it’s taken me three months to put this review together, but here it is!

THE WAY OF KINGS was enjoyable from start to finish but it still doesn’t top MISTBORN as my favorite Sanderson book/series. The beginning was maybe a little slower, the tone more serious, and things really did take some time to develop and get moving. I think I had an unfair preconceived notion about the book because Brandon Sanderson did a reading from book two (a part with no spoilers) at one of his events and so I was picturing a totally different time and place for these characters. I kept waiting for that to come into place and that was not a part of this book so it was hard to get the hang of!

I think my one… “let down” so to speak (I’m not really let down but I can’t come up with a better word right now) of the book is that ALL of the reveals were in the end. So much happened in the last few chapters that it was excitement overload and I would have loved a bit more of that throughout the whole book to keep excitement levels high, but that seems to be an evolution that happens in Sanderson’s later works rather than his earlier ones.

My Sanderson theory that the theme of pretty much everyone of his books (which I can’t share because it’s possible spoiler for pretty much any Sanderson book) seems to hold realtively true so far for THE WAY OF KINGS too! I figured it was coming, especially considering a lot of the world-building from other series but I really like it though! I’m catching on to it so it’s not as much of a shock or twist to see that coming in the ending of THE WAY OF KINGS (well, I guess it kiiiiind of started that way too) but I’m so, so, so anxious to learn more about it!

The characters in this book were fantastic! I LOVED Kaladin and for some reason I was surprised to see what his role was throughout this whole book. I was expecting a Kelsier sort of situation where his history involved a hardship and he ended up with that as a shadow of his past, but really Kaladin’s present ends up being one of his greatest hardships and he’s not on anyone’s favorable side throughout the book (until he takes matters into his own hands and starts to work on those leadership skills). I basically fell a little bit in love with him and I can’t wait to see what his future holds because it looks… bright *snicker*

I also love noble and wise and apparently super important Dalinar. Obviously he’s important as a main character but I loved what his fate ended up being and naturally, I can’t wait to see what happens to him in the second book and where things go from here. Readers are able to guess at what is happening to him throughout the book but I’m not quite sure what it REALLY means yet and why it’s happening to Dalinar.

I wasn’t the BIGGEST fan of Shallan but that’s also because I didn’t really care for her narrator in the audio (not that I have issues with Kate Reading (also how is THAT for an audiobook narrator’s last name!?) but meh. Female narrator. And I love Michael Kramer. A lot.) so I didn’t get into her character as much. I actually find myself not really liking a lot of Sanderson’s female characters except for Vin. I don’t dislike them but I just find the male characters much more interesting and apparently prefer their story lines much better, which is unfortunate because they are strong characters but not ones I seem to connect with. I think part of it is because the women are figuring things out (you go, gals!) and the men are in the action so there’s just a bit more draw to some of those action-based scenes.

I’m also enjoying the new world of Roshar and exploring everything that is has to offer! The cultures/races/people are interesting (especially with some recent reveals) and I love learning about all of the different people and places in Brandon Sanderson’s worlds. Book two looks like it’ll explore that history and creation even more which is totally my fantasy addiction and the reason I can’t put Sanderson books down! I haven’t felt as connected to a world since Scadrial but they’re all quite interesting and I have a feeling I’ll be learning much more about Roshar soon!

I don’t know why I thought this series was only three books so there goes my plan to binge read them all this year……. Well, I guess I can still binge read them (as long as Oathbringer is still on track for later 2017) but I just won’t be finishing the series when I do. Why do I do this to myself??? I’m in the middle of too many Sanderson series. Or rather, he seems to trap us in his series (okay, I’m not really that upset about being in the middle of all of his books) and won’t let us go! Just the waaaaait though. I’m so glad I was able to binge Mistborn because this is going to be a long journey with The Starlight Archive!

Kept Me Hooked On: Loooong books. I have a hard time picking up chunkers lately because they just take so much time that I don’t have. I’ll do anything for a Sanderson book though!
Left Me Wanting More: Reveals earlier on. I would have loved to get a little more hooked from the start instead of SO many things happening in the end!

Addiction Rating
Add it to your TBR!

Okay, I can’t tell you to read it because not only is the book itself long, but so is the series… so instead I advise you to add it to your reading list!