The Way of Kings Book Cover

The Way of Kings

Giant and masterpiece swords, powerful armors, noble horses, epic wars, blood, bravery, rules, honor, betrayal and failure, but despite everything, faith and hope.

Kalak found himself shaking. When had he become so weak? “Jezrien, I can’t return this time.” Kalak whispered the words, stepping up and gripping the other man’s arm. “I can’t.”
Kalak felt something within him break at the admission. How long had it been? Centuries, perhaps millennia, of torture. It was so hard to keep track. Those fires, those hooks, digging into his flesh anew each day. Searing the skin off his arm, then burning the fat, then driving to the bone. He could smell it. Almighty, he could smell it!

Highstorms…

Desolation…

Unite them.

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

The Way of Kings is a fantasy novel written by Brandon Sanderson and published on August 31, 2010. Also it is the first fantasy book that I have read. The book is quite short. Over 1000 pages… No. Really, I am serious. It is wonderful and very immersive book. I think that you can experience and prove Einstein’s theory of general relativity by reading this book. Because you won’t realize how the passing of time.

You were right Einstein. You were the genius who are always right.

I have read the book during lunch breaks at work every day and on commutes from office to home. Even sometimes there were moments that I stepped into home while I was reading the book. So I say that the book is quite short.

And also I have started to re-read the book in English which is the original language of it. Because I wonder the original terms of the book and expect to improve my English.

The novel is the first book of The Stormlight Archive series and the series is being planned ten books. As of today, three of them have already been published (The Way of KingsWord of RadianceOathbringer and each one is over 1000 pages.) and if I am not wrong, the fourth one is coming soon.

Sanderson says, he had started to pieces of The Way of Kings in the late 1990s and had finished the first draft in 2003. Like Sanderson’s many other novels, this novel’s story is being told in Cosmere too. Cosmere is a fictional universe that created by Brandon Sanderson for his novels. His other series in the Cosmere universe are ElantrisMistbornWarbreakerThe Stormlight ArchiveWhite SandArcanum Unbounded. The Cosmere is not a simple universe and Sanderson wants us to pay attention to details since the worlds of all series in the Cosmere are connected.

Map of Roshar
Map of Roshar

Roshar is the world of The Way of Kings. The book begins with finish scene of a brutal battle that happened 4500 years before from current time of the story. The prelude of the book does not give us great details so your wonder starts from the very beginning. And we jump to 4500 years later which is the current time of the story.

Map of Alethkar
Map of Alethkar

The main happening in the book is that assassination of Gavilar Kholin, the king of Alethkar where is the biggest and most powerful nation of Roshar. The king is killed by a Shin assassin called Szeth-son-son-Vallano whos masters are Parshendi.

Map of Shattered Plains
Map of Shattered Plains

Ten other princedoms of Alethkar is decided to move to the Shattered Plains and war with Parshendi to take their king’s vengeance on.

That’s all? Are everything all about it? Of course not. There is a whole series of ten books which Sanderson tells us about 4500 year of enormous world and happenings in it. There many other things that I can’t tell you because of spoiler, in the book. Such as powerful armors and swords, Shardplates and Shardblades. The other main characters, Kaladin Stormblessed (he is my favorite), SylShallan DavarDalinar KholinJasnah KholinElhokar KholinAdolin KholinNavani KholinParshmen. And others, stormlight (it is so important), knights radianthighstormsspheres (used for money and of course for many other things). I don’t have very detailed information about all of them because the first book does not give us more detail. So I can’t wait to read other books of the series.

Finally, there is only one regret that I have, after reading these over 1000 pages. I wish I would have started to read the series years ago. I highly recommend this Sanderson’s fantasy series. Enjoy your reading with detailed and fantastic art graphics in the book.

Oh… Before I forget. There is an audiobook version of the series by GraphicAudio. It had produced with wonderful narrating and sound effects, and it is really amazing.