The Way of Kings Book Review
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson Book Review and Recommendation.
Date: 3-28-25 Post Written By: MK Overall Rating: 10/10
Book Cover Rating: 4.6/10
(My personal opinion)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Pages: !!!!!!!1007!!!!!!! (ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE)
Genre: High Fantasy
Subplots: Magic, Adventure, War
Series: The Stormlight Archive #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2010
Number of Editions: 109
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook, Audio
Awards Won: Locus Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel, David Gemmell Legend Award, Whitney Award for Best Novel of the Year, Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy and for Favorite Book and for Goodreads Author
Goodreads Rating: 4.67/5
# of Goodreads Ratings: 588,682
Amazon Rating: 4.8/5
# of Amazon Ratings: 77,539
Movie/TV Show?? : Not currently, but it is supposedly being considered for the future…….
Book Type: Standard
POV Type: Multi, 3rd Person
Pacing: Slow
Generally: Epic war, high fantasy, immense character development
Blurb:
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
My Review
Going Into It:
Going into this book a TON of my family had already read this book and RAVED about it to me. I was SUPER excited to finally read it!!
Main Characters:
Kaladin- Kaladin grew up as an apprentice to his father, a surgeon. Now, he is a slave. Kaladin has suffered through a lot of failure and letdown throughout his life. He has the mentality that he never does any good, so why keep trying. That being said, he is also strong, perseverant, focused, and DEDICATED.
Shallan Davar- Shallan grew up as daughter to a fairly rich nobleman. But, she also went through struggle and trauma growing up. She is forced out of her comfort zone to help her family. She LOVES to learn and is amazing at sketching. She was often meek and passive growing up, but is learning to become more assertive and confident.
Dalinar Kholin- Dalinar is a rich High Prince. He was a war mongerer and tyrant when he was younger, but is now significantly older and has realized some of his faults.
I don’t think I have EVER read a book with this much CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!! It was absolutely crazy!! ALL of the main characters had fairly significant faults, but not in ways that made them seem less likable. I fell in love with these characters, cheered for their successes, and mourned their losses.
Character Rating: 10/10
Setting:
This book took place on The Shattered Plains and in Kharbranth on the continent, Roshar
This was an AMAZING setting. It was other-worldly, immersive, and SO unique. I LOVED how Brandon Sanderson had his ‘cosmere’ (which this was a part of), which made this feel so much more united and purposeful.
Setting Rating: 10/10
Plot:
This had everything you could ever want in a high fantasy book. War, magic, different species, gods, knights, kings, and more!! The plot was brilliantly complex and made a great story for the reader.
Plot Rating: 10/10
Writing:
Wow!! Brandon Sanderson is one of THE BEST authors I have ever read!! His books have depth, emotion, and he can somehow have the most complex plots, without the reader EVER becoming confused.
Writing Rating: 10/10
Ending:
This ending flowed PERFECTLY into book two!! It didn't really wrap anything up, but that’s totally fine (in my opinion), because the series is still SO MUCH longer.
Ending Rating: 10/10
The Overall:
WOW!! This was an AMAZING high fantasy book!! It had everything: war, magic, kings, and more!! Brandon Sanderson did a FABULOUS job creating a detailed and complex plot, without confusing the reader. The setting was detailed and this book flowed perfectly into the rest of the series!!
Overall Book Rating: 10/10
I would un-doubtably recommend this book
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ChatGPT’s Opinion: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson is an epic fantasy novel that introduces readers to the richly detailed world of Roshar. With complex characters like Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar, the book explores themes of leadership, identity, and personal struggle. Sanderson's intricate world-building, including a unique magic system and the concept of the Knights Radiant, adds depth to the story. While the pacing can be slow due to the focus on character development and lore, the book offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy immersive, high-stakes fantasy.
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Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. His bestsellers have sold 37 million copies worldwide and include the Mistborn saga; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Rithmatist, Steelheart, and Skyward. He won a Hugo Award for The Emperor's Soul, a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris. Additionally, he completed Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time®. Visit his website for behind-the-scenes information on all his books.
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Words of Radiance
Edgedancer
Oathbringer
Dawnshard
Rhythm of War
Wind and Truth
The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn Secret History
The Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
The Bands of Mourning
The Lost Metal
Tress of the Emerald Sea
View my Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
The Sunlit Man
Elantris
Warbreaker
Whitesand Omnibus
Whitesand
Whitesand Vol. II
Whitesand Vol. III
Arcanum Unbounded
Skyward
View my Review: Skyward
Starsight
Cytonic
Defiant
Sunreach
Redawn
Evershore
Steelheart
Mitosis
Firefight
Calamity
Lux
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
The Rithmatist
Dark One: Forgotten
Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds
Firstborn
Defending Elysium
Perfect State
Snapshot
Dreamer
The Gathering Storm
Towers of Midnight
A Memory of Light
River of Souls
A Fire in the Ways
Infinity Blade: Awakening
Infinity Blade: Redemption
The Most Boring Book Ever
View Brandon Sanderson’s books on his website: Brandonsanderson.com
Or on Amazon: Brandon Sanderson’s Books
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ChatGPT.com (ONLY for specified “ChatGPT’s opinion” portion of reviews and small information gathering)
