Book Review: The Way of Kings, book one of the Stormlight Archive is a Masterpiece of the Epic Fantasy Genre
Give me some emerald spheres and call me Stormblessed, I’m obsessed. Now be warned, this is a tome. At just over 1000 pages, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson is not for the faint of heart. Almost four hundred pages in you’re still be introduced to new characters. If that doesn’t scare you, and you love incredibly immersive worlds, complex characters, and amazing magic systems, this is 100% a must read for any epic fantasy lover. I held off reading it for so long because it’s an unfinished series (with four books out currently), and I hate being at the mercy of a horrible cliffhanger. Plus, this is the shortest book in the series, and I’m imagining the horror of feeling like you need to reread the entire series again before the next book. One thing I will say for Sanderson though, he is one of the most prolific fantasy writers of our generation, and I’m not at all concerned we’ll be waiting years for the next installment *cough, cough, George R.R. Martin. Ok, but why was it so good? Let me tell you…
Things to Know:
Unfinished, extremely long series
Epic High Fantasy
Multi POVs
Diverse characters
Warnings for violence, war, and slavery
Storm it, I love when an author creates a curse word specific to their fantasy world (If y’all watched Battlestar Galactica and started saying ‘frack’ all the time, you get me). But let’s dig into it. Aside from the sweeping settings Sanderson creates, you’re immediately drawn to his characters. The book starts off with a bang, and although there are a few lulls (it’s a long book, ok?), the action is pretty packed. There’s a ton of POVs, but we’re primarily following Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar. Three characters following extremely different paths and you’re not really sure how they’re going to end up intersecting. The side characters though are just as fleshed out, and I found myself become incredibly attached, especially to Syl, who we are to believe is a windspren (she gives me major Lehabah vibes from Crescent City) and Rock, who is just so loveable. I feel so horrible for Szeth (you will too), but I also want to shake him and convince him to rebel.
“Well, I myself find that respect is like manure. Use it where needed, and growth will flourish. Spread it on too thick, and things just start to smell.”
I’m really trying to keep this review spoiler free, but I will say, there’s incredible banter, moments that made me tear up, crack up laughing, boil in anger, and yes, gasp in disbelief. The story moves in a way that you’re constantly suspicious of almost everyone, and trying to figure out who the ‘big bad’ is. We are also moving backwards and forwards in time, but Sanderson does this seamlessly, which is frankly really hard to do in a way that always keeps the reader’s attention.
“Congratulations…Should I need someone to write a treatise on their stuffed pony or give an account of an interesting pebble they discovered, I shall send for you. Is there nothing you can offer that shows you have true skill?”
A word on the creatures…I never want to think about a skyeel ever again. And the chasmfiends sound terrifying…don’t worry, you’ll have fun reading about them. But what Sanderson really excels at is making the characters feel like your family. I’ve realized from reading a lot of debut authors over the past several years, Dialog is so hard to write well, and it can really make or break a novel. Sanderson is a master—take note! His stories are also infused with epic heroism from imperfect characters, and it makes them so much more interesting. I’d recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who loves epic fantasy, and has already read the Mistborn trilogy. I’m so grateful to have joined the Cosmere community this year—it’s an incredibly welcoming fandom, and I cannot wait to continue my journey through the Stormlight Archive. Words of Radiance, I’m coming for you!
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."
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