Fantasy annotation

The Way of Kings

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication date: August 31, 2010

Number of pages: 1007

Series information: The Stormlight Archive, #1

Geographical setting: the fantasy world of Roshar, landscapes most often similar to that of deserts

Time period: n/a

Subject headings: manuscripts; slavery; kings & rulers; imaginary wars & battles; imaginary places; magic

Plot summary: Roshar is a world reduced to stone and sand after centuries of near-constant storms.  Only the most diligent scholars remember the history of the Knights Radiant, who used to protect its people, yet all fight for their legacy--mystical sets of weapons and armor, that turn the bearer into near-invincible warriors.  A war rages in the Shattered Plains between the nation of Alethkar and the peoples of Parshendi, who claimed responsibility for the assassination of Alethkar's king.  The Way of Kings follows several characters as they fight for their way in this savage world.  Lord Dalinar, brother of the late king, is plagued by visions of the past and the Knights Radiant; he becomes obsessed with an ancient philosophical tome that he believes may better civilization.  His son, Adolin, now doubts his father's ability to lead the war against the Parshendi but must stand strong with him against other lords who would see him disposed.  Meanwhile, a slave in their fighting force named Kaladin daily witnesses the true horrors of war until he realizes hidden powers within and he becomes a valuable asset to Dalinar's war effort.  And making her way across the ocean towards these men is Shallan, a young scholar who is on the path to discovering the truth between the Knights Radiant.

Librarian's Opinion: The Way of Kings is a masterpiece.  It will be a great recommendation for experienced Fantasy readers who love their genre.  However, it may not be a good spring board into the genre for new readers.  Sanderson's world is simply staggering in its amount of detail.  In order to describe all these fine details, the story is slow paced.  It picks up as the book goes on, building to a climatic battle scene worthy of the big screen, but it can be a lot to ask of a reader unfamiliar with Fantasy to wait until they are 600-700 pages in before forming any opinions.  The size is daunting and the pace does stretch to fill it out, but all those words pay back in the form of a fully realized and unique world and well-rounded, balanced characters, all of which Fantasy enthusiasts will appreciate but new readers to the genre may find taxing.

Elements of the Book

Fantasy world

To repeat, Sanderson creates a world that is staggering in its level of detail.  Roshar is a completely fantastical world, grabbing at the reader's imagination.  However, it may fail to latch on to the reader's brain.  Roshar is populated with strange crustacean creatures, spirits called spren that are manifestations of everything (from substantial things like rocks to the abstract, like creativity), and vicious weather patterns that scour the earth.  Because it is so foreign from real life, it can be difficult to picture in one's mind and thus appreciation for what Sanderson builds can be late in developing.  The book helps this issue by including art at chapter breaks supposedly done by the character of Shallan, so readers can see exactly how horses have been replaced by giant crab-like creatures.

Specialized language

Like many fantasy authors, Sanderson creates words and phrases to fit his world.  A character may wear armor and bear a sword, but this is not the same as donning Shardplate and wielding a Shardblade.  Words like "spren", "brightlord", and "artifabrian" (which is someone who creates fabrials, of course) are thrown around and may not be explained right away, if at all.  Sanderson, again like many fantasy authors, prefers to tell his story and let his readers puzzle out his world from context clues.  Perhaps the most unique thing about his language is that it is shaped by the world around it.  Storm creeps into familiar phrases, as storms are the daily curse of everyone's lives.  "Stormfather" replaces any god they might swear to and it's not unusual to hear someone say "that storming man!" when angry.

Morality tale

Fantasy tales are usually ones of good versus evil.  Way of Kings is no different, but sides are not clear.  Of course it makes for good story-telling to have betrayals, but the evil is not clearly defined.  The heroes are confused on how they might stop the coming calamity.  The evil is not confined to one person, but the sense of impending disaster is there.  The book's title is taken from a philosophical manuscript within the story which teaches lords how they should rule their subjects.  (It is not a popular text because it argues for a more compassionate rule.)  Main character Dalinar struggles to bring these teachings into practice, and in his struggle to be a more righteous man readers again see how the book is a morality tale.

Beyond mortal characters

Following the recent trend in fantasy novels, the story is told from the point of view of multiple characters, each in diverse situations.  These characters often have special gifts, which may be intrinsic or the result of magical items.  For example, warriors bearing Shards are exceptionally strong in battle and near impossible to defeat.  Shallan is gifted (or cursed) with visions of the true nature of spren.  Kaladin is also gifted with abilities that allow him not only to survive horrific conditions, but to inspire his fellow slaves.  Szeth the assassin holds strange magical powers that have not been seen for centuries.  Each character by the end of the book will find themselves and their newly-uncovered abilities tested.  (It also becomes obvious by the end that this theme of discovering hidden powers will build the main plot of the series.)

Similar Reads

• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss--Like Sanderson, Rothfuss is another author reviving the epic fantasy genre, yet this book may be more accessible to new Fantasy readers.  Although of similar size, it is told from the point of view of only one character and its setting is much more similar to Earth.  The main character attends university, albeit a magical one, yet still panics over tuition cost and how to talk to girls--much more relatable.
• Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin--This book also introduces a fantasy world rich in detail, and tells a story through the eyes of multiple characters in a variety of situations.  Similar to Way of Kings, evil is not wholly contained to one person, but everyone can feel an impending sense of disaster as an unnamed threat gathers.  War and politics are major themes in both.
• Eye of the World by Robert Jordan-- This is the first in the fifteen-volume Wheel of Time series, which is considered a staple of the epic fantasy genre.  It also features a highly detailed world and multiple characters.  Eye of the World was published in 1990 and unfortunately Robert Jordan passed before finishing the series, but Brandon Sanderson picked up book 12 in 2010 to complete the saga.