My Thoughts on The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Re-reading The Stormlight Archive
I’ve been a fan of Brandon Sanderson’s books in the Cosmere universe for some time now. With Wind and Truth (Stormlight Archive book 5) published just last fall, I decided to re-read the series. It has been too long and I have forgotten too much. I knew I would enjoy the final book of the series more if the previous books were fresh.
I recently finished re-reading The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive book 1), and I enjoyed it more this time than the first time I read it. Knowing what happens in future books and how the characters grow, it was endearing to see them again in their early versions, before they grow into who I know they will become.
The Way of Kings is epic fantasy, but I can also describe it as a slow-paced, character-driven superhero original story set on another world. I recommend it and the whole series, but it can be a difficult or boring read if it’s not your kind of story.
This book starts slow. With multiple prologues, several main characters to introduce, and lots of flashbacks, it can be hard to care enough to keep reading in the beginning. It doesn’t help that one of the main characters starts off depressed in an impossible situation and it’s not clear what the overall plot of the book will be, or why any of these characters and what they are going through matter.
I doubt The Way of Kings would have been traditionally published as a debut novel because of these things. This is the kind of book that is much easier to get published and find readers for once you already have a track record of success.
I kept reading the first time because I loved the Mistborn series. I trusted the author and the unique worldbuilding intrigued me. I especially liked the concept of a super-powerful storm that produces magical “stormlight” that is stored in glowing gemstones.
Because I kept reading, I grew to love the characters. If you stick with it, the reason the book works is the depth of the characters. The way they are written does a good job of putting you in their heads so you understand the way they see their unique world and the “why” behind their decisions. After spending some time with the characters, you end up wanting to know the secrets that have been teased about their backstories. And Sanderson does a good job of dropping information when the reader has become curious and hungry for it, and not before.
This book follows three major characters and introduces many more important characters to follow throughout the series. Despite that, I can still pick out one main protagonist for this book. Kaladin is the one that you get to know the most, and I think he also changes the most, has the most at stake, and makes the most heroic choice in the end.
The slow beginning pays off in the end with a very exciting climax, where it was hard to put the book down. As the first in a series, this book has a satisfying conclusion and yet still sets up greater conflicts for the future books to tackle.
I can’t say that this is my favorite book, but I absolutely love this series despite its slow start. It gets even better in future books, and I plan to share my thoughts on each one as I finish reading them.
If you’ve read the book, share your thoughts in the comments! What did you like about it? If you haven’t read the book, does it sound like something you would enjoy? Why or why not?
Thank you for reading! If you’re new here, I’m Katelin Cummins, a Catholic writer, book coach, gamer, and fantasy fan. If you would like to know more about what I write, check out this post. If you want help planning, writing, or revising your novel or nonfiction book, check out my services on my website.