REVIEW: THE WAY OF KINGS by BRANDON SANDERSON
Stormfather!
All my reviews are spoiler-free. I aim to remain objective, even with the stuff I love, examining the product from all angles to provide you with the best insight I can to better inform you before you invest time or money. I try and be as brief as possible, the goal being for you to get a good idea of what to expect in a short amount of time. Thanks for dropping by!
WHAT IS IT? The Way of Kings is the first volume in the Stormlight Archive series written by Brandon Sanderson. And it’s a doozy. Coming fresh from finishing the life work of epic fantasy writer Robert Jordan’s the Wheel of Time series, Sanderson has ventured out to create a massive world of his own. It is clearly cut from the same cloth, following the pattern of deep, detailed world building with alternate languages, races, and cultures, and several dozen main and supporting characters to get to know. As you would guess, the book is massive enough to use as a bludgeon.
STORY: The tale kicks off with the murder of a king on the edge of a world-changing discovery, the aftermath of which, spurs the conflict for three main characters: Kaladin, the young ex-soldier turned slave who fights to regain purpose in his life, Shallan, an artistic woman with deceptive motivations studying under a noble scholar, and Dalinar, a High Prince at the top of a kingdom and brother to the murdered king, who is receiving strange visions from the almighty about a future calamity while trying to hold his fraying nation together. Little do these characters know they have mysterious ties to the lost ancient order of holy warriors known as ‘Radiants’. There are certainly some elements in the plot that we have seen before, but rest assured, the story is wonderfully woven and hard to put down. The dialogue and action sequences are exciting and there are plenty of villains that I loved to hate. Everything finishes in a climax that had me sprinting to the finish line to know how it all ends.
WORLD: The world-building here is second to none. While some fantasy authors work hard to shove foreign concepts down your throat, Sanderson somehow makes some very original and complex ideas so simple and natural that you hardly notice they are there. For example, the denizens of Roshar use spheres as both their currency and their light source since these small stones illuminate with energy absorbed from the passing storms that frequent the lands. This same power can be utilized by some to grant them the ‘magic’ in the story, allowing them to reorient gravity for themselves or other objects. One of my favorite uses of this world’s energy source however, is that storm light-infused gems can be attached to massive sets of armor and weapons to grant the user strength and power in battle impossible to an average fighter. All of this and more works together to make the story’s world truly unique. It also helps to have most of the plot take place on a one-of-a-kind set piece known as the Shattered Plains, a wide expanse of fractured plateaus whose chasms are filled with dangerous plant life and creatures.
PACE: Here is where I feel the book takes its only true hit. The story moves at a snail’s pace. I recognize the fact that this is the first part to a potentially massive series and as such, there is a lot of world-building, character introducing, and lore establishing to do. This is understandable, especially since the world and characters are so engaging, but know that each chapter merely puts one foot in front of the other instead of taking leaps and bounds forward. This ended up being more of an afterthought than a real hindrance to the book, however. It was the interlude sections that were a little harder to forgive. Just as the story begins to gain momentum, we are met on several occasions with a series of chapters from other parts of the world, showing characters that are seemingly unrelated to the story at hand. I have no doubt that these people will be important later, but during most of these sections, I found myself forcing my way through, resisting the urge to skip ahead to the main story for fear I would miss something important, yet always eagerly checking to see how much longer I had before these ‘short stories’ ended.
THEMES/ATMOSPHERE: The Way of Kings features a good mixture of humor and action, with violence being handled tactfully, and a dash of romance, all of which fit naturally. The overall atmosphere is unique, slightly dark, and reads easily. Heavy religious overtones are laced throughout the story with several instances of characters discussing philosophy about belief/unbelief in god. Be aware that the story also deals with some tough themes like betrayal, suicide, and the sacrifices required of a leader.
CONCLUSION: The Way of Kings is an amazing book and is easy to recommend. If you have the patience to sit through the slow ride and sometimes jarring interlude sections, you will be rewarded with an engaging story filled with colorful characters in a world that stands out as something completely fresh. It’s no wonder Brandon Sanderson is leading the charge in today’s fantasy fiction scene.