The Way of Kings Book Review

​​Title: The Way of Kings
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Published: 2010
Pages: 1001
Goodreads Rating: 4.66
Rating: 10/10

“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.”

Welcome to the world of Roshar, a hostile place subject to relentless severe storms and seemingly endless wars. The story follows Kaladin, a former soldier turned slave, Shallan, a young woman seeking to become a scholar, and Dalinar, a high prince struggling with complicated visions and the political intrigue of his people. As each character navigates their own challenges, they become entangled in the start of a larger conflict threatening their world’s fragile state of survival. 

Pros
Worldbuilding 
The sheer scale of this world’s features is unmatched including politics, social hierarchy, diverse locations, creatures, and cultures. Sanderson has developed an incredibly detailed world. On top of the complexity of the present day, this book incorporates elements from the past and future through death rattle predictions, flashbacks, and visions. This is an intricate, layered creation that is slowly peeled back chapter to chapter.  

While rereading The Way of Kings, I had a greater appreciation for the smaller details surrounding the plot including the death rattles and interludes. Death rattles serve as curious and vague glimpses into the future. We’re often not sure who it could refer to or when the related event could come to pass as the death rattles are the final ramblings of those moments away from dying. Some of my favorites include…

“I’m dying, aren’t I? Healer, why do you take my blood? Who is that beside you, with his head of lines? I can see a distant sun, dark and cold, shining in a black sky.”

“I hold the suckling child in my hands, a knife at his throat, and know that all who live wish me to let the blade slip. Spill its blood upon the ground, over my hands, and with it gain us further breath to draw.”

“He watches! … The black piper in the night. He holds us in his palm… playing a tune that no man can hear!”

As for the interludes, they are critical to understanding elements that will be revisited later in the series and are almost intentionally meant to be reread after finishing more books in the series. In The Way of Kings, the interludes sneakily introduce us to worldhoppers, non-human races, and some of the Heralds.

Magic system complexity
With Shallan, Kaladin, and Jasnah, we get a closer look at Roshar’s magic system and the Knights Radiant. Shallan and Kaladin are in the early stages of their magic development and are just starting to gain access to some of their abilities towards the end of the book. Their abilities and spren relationships are extremely different and show the range of this magic system. We also see how a person starts their journey to become a Knight Radiant. Jasnah is further along in her magic development allowing her abilities to be more powerful highlighting the benefits of continued progress and what’s to come as the relationship with the spren continues to develop. 

Jaw-dropping moments 
There are some truly shocking moments that add to the plot’s suspense and intensity. Assassination attempts, brutal beatings, betrayals, a secret death center, and more are scattered throughout the book and you realize just how dark this world is. Our main characters are having to traverse a truly harsh world where morality collides with survival. 

Overall… 
The Way of Kings is a shining example of what a 10-star book should be. When I first read this book in 2019, I was blown away. Rereading it in 2024, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for this epic masterpiece. A ten-book epic fantasy series where each book is over 1,000 pages can seem daunting. But if any series is worth it, it’s The Stormlight Archive.