The Way of Kings
- Brandon Sanderson
- Northam, WA
- March 11, 2022
Goodreads Book Blurb:
I long for the days before the Last Desolation.
The age before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. A time when there was still magic in the world and honor in the hearts of men.
The world became ours, and yet we lost it. Victory proved to be the greatest test of all. Or was that victory illusory? Did our enemies come to recognize that the harder they fought, the fiercer our resistance? Fire and hammer will forge steel into a weapon, but if you abandon your sword, it eventually rusts away.
There are four whom we watch. The first is the surgeon, forced to forsake healing to fight in the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a murderer who weeps as he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar’s mantle over the heart of a thief. The last is the prince, a warlord whose eyes have opened to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes.
The world can change. Surgebinding and Shardwielding can return; the magics of ancient days become ours again. These four people are key.
One of them may redeem us. And one of them will destroy us.
The age before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. A time when there was still magic in the world and honor in the hearts of men.
The world became ours, and yet we lost it. Victory proved to be the greatest test of all. Or was that victory illusory? Did our enemies come to recognize that the harder they fought, the fiercer our resistance? Fire and hammer will forge steel into a weapon, but if you abandon your sword, it eventually rusts away.
There are four whom we watch. The first is the surgeon, forced to forsake healing to fight in the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a murderer who weeps as he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar’s mantle over the heart of a thief. The last is the prince, a warlord whose eyes have opened to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes.
The world can change. Surgebinding and Shardwielding can return; the magics of ancient days become ours again. These four people are key.
One of them may redeem us. And one of them will destroy us.
Series / Genres:
My Review:
solid, good read:
☆☆☆☆☆ 4/5
I don’t even know how to tackle reviewing The Way of Kings… This epic fantasy is a lot to read, let alone review.
But expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.
This is my first Sanderson, and I am seriously impressed with the level of detail in this world and its mythology. I shouldn’t be surprised – I’ve always heard good things about his writing, but it is truly breathtaking. Sometimes, it may come at the expense of the story, but as the first book in a series, I expect more buildup and less action. It can still be daunting to take on when your Kindle is set to the smallest font size and there are almost 1300 pages to read…
I found each of these characters fascinating in their own right. Kaladin and Jasnah were early favourites. I know Jasnah isn’t a perspective character, but I wish she was – I want to know more about her story. Dalinar and Shallan were a bit dull at first, but Dalinar at least quickly becomes complex and intriguing. I’m still on the fence about Shallan, but she does have her moments. I love that first, second, and even third impressions can be deceiving, and no one is who they first appear to be. The level of complexity in this world and these characters cannot be overstated.
Despite the high page count, it feels like we’ve only gotten a tiny sliver of what this world has to offer. There is so much still shrouded in mystery, like the curtain was pulled back only a fraction to sneak a peek at the endless possibilities to come. I’m looking forward to continuing this story, though I wish I’d done some research before starting an unfinished series. I probably would’ve started with a different Sanderson, but I’m feeling pretty invested in this world now.
I found each of these characters fascinating in their own right. Kaladin and Jasnah were early favourites. I know Jasnah isn’t a perspective character, but I wish she was – I want to know more about her story. Dalinar and Shallan were a bit dull at first, but Dalinar at least quickly becomes complex and intriguing. I’m still on the fence about Shallan, but she does have her moments. I love that first, second, and even third impressions can be deceiving, and no one is who they first appear to be. The level of complexity in this world and these characters cannot be overstated.
Despite the high page count, it feels like we’ve only gotten a tiny sliver of what this world has to offer. There is so much still shrouded in mystery, like the curtain was pulled back only a fraction to sneak a peek at the endless possibilities to come. I’m looking forward to continuing this story, though I wish I’d done some research before starting an unfinished series. I probably would’ve started with a different Sanderson, but I’m feeling pretty invested in this world now.
The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that.
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