Well although I am reviewing only half part of the book but what can I say except the part that I am highly impressed by the world which has been created by Sanderson so far, although I was delaying starting the series due to my ASOIAF experience but I finally gave in seeing all the high reviews Words of radiance got.

The story basically starts from an assassination, and what i loved is we are given glimpses of this magical world early on by introducing us to the magic system of this world, where in you basically use the storm light to do some extraordinary things.I imagined the lashings upside down like the non gravity jumps which the Isaac the hero did in Dead space to jump from one portion of room to another, due to that his down became the up and up became the down well it is easy to imagine that if you have played the game, also lashing something atop another thing was basically like the telekinesis power.The shard plate I imagines some what like the suit of armor which was used in Crysis game to enhance the abilities of humans also the shard blades can be imagined some what like the laser swords used in star wars movie.Well due to fine writing of Mr. Sanderson i was able to imagine these things at the start of the book itself.

Well coming back to from where I left, this story basically begins from an assassination and after which a war has broken out between two kingdoms basically, although we explore the kingdom of Althekar a lot in this first part of the book the parshendi is still an enigma to me.The story basically progresses from the pov of following characters

1.Kaladin

2.Dalinar

3.Shallan

4.Szeth.

Kaladin is basically what I think is an under dog of this story who goes from leading a platoon to a slave, another interesting part of his story is syl, who keeps on giving him hope when there is none also at the end of the book when Kaladin survives the storm on his own he starts having insights during each storm as if the storm father himself is speaking to him.We are also given Kaladin's background and this is also new way to explore a character where in we come to know his present actions are inspired by his past actions.

Dalinar is an honored general in the king's army and he is the uncle to king himself also he is one of the shard plate carriers, we know that he basically blames himself for the assassination of his brother and is trying very hard to help his nephew manage a fragmented kingdom where in princes have more power than the king.The fight sequences of dalinar are awesomely written the two which I enjoyed the most are when he basically fights a chasmfiends and the dream sequence when he gets teleporated to the past and fights beasts.

Shallan is basically a scholar who is out to save her family by stealing some thing important from the king's sister Jasnah, although Jasnah herself is another intriguing character who is trying to solve the mystery of her father's death by doing some scholarly research.

Lastly we have szeth who is an shin and although he is able to use the storm light to do some extraordinary things is a truth-less being in his society as he is a killer.

The world Sanderson is really beautiful where we have spren for all type of feelings like the wind spren or death spren, I think the spren are like the atoms in the storm light world.Also these storms are more than just storms and there is definitely something more magical about them.

What can I say, I have just finished reading the second part of way of kings and in the words of Roshar, Storm it!!! this by far one of the best books I have read so far this year.I can't help myself but I have been literally blown by the storm present in this book.

Phew! now that storm light is out of my system let me get back to the review.Although the first part of the book delved into the story of our central characters Kaladin,Shallan and Dalinar the second part progresses the story more faster, although I have excluded another important character from the list namely Szeth, I think Sanderson has purposely created an aura of mystery around this character and in the next coming books I definitely think we will get a background story on Szeth which will basically explain us the motivations behind his actions.

Regarding Shallan we already know about her motivations from the start of the story, as to what is she planning on doing.although she succeeds in first part of her plan which is getting near Jasnah but will she succeed in the next part of the plan?It is better to read this part because the author explains her emotions quite properly to us also adding Kasbal in the mix of things clearly complicates matters for her.I think this part of the story was quite interesting as Sanderson is providing us with most important information regarding the Voidbringers,Desolation,Heralds and Radiants.

My second most favorite character in this series is definitely Dalinar who just cannot forgive himself and keeps on blaming himself for the events which happened in the start of the book.From Dalinar's point of view we are given a view into the political world which is basically Alethkar, he is trying his best to hold together the fragmented pieces of land which is ruled by selfish High prince's who have basically made a joke of the vengeance pact.Almost till the end of the story Dalinar is second guessing himself but the end when he starts trusting himself he comes out as a strong personality.Sanderson is also giving us a picture regarding the past history of roshar by the visions he has.The side characters to this part of the story which are his sons Adolin and Renarian are also painted properly.

Well no guesses but this book is of kaladin storm blessed , his character transformation is awesome from a youth trying to prove himself in father's eyes to becoming a squad leader and from that a big low of slave.another important part of his journey is Syl who as we have suspected is something more than she has been portrayed in the first of the book.Reading kaladin's journey was the best part for me in this book.also the action sequence at the tower is one of the best battle scenes I have read after Steven Erikson's Malazan book of fallen.The side characters in this part of story which are the bridge crew are also developed properly and you you do care to as to what happens to these characters.

Some of the characters which are worth mentioning but are still a mystery in this book are Wit who is definitely someone we will have to keep a lookout for in the coming books.Also Axis was another character which just dropped in the middle of the story and created a strong impact for me.Last but but not the lest the world of Roshar has been beautifully painted by Sanderson with colorful spren coming out whenever there is a change happening to something like we have rain spren when it rains or wind spren.

Well the storm I hope is going to the us to each and every corner of roshar and let us explore and give information regarding the wonderful place which is roshar.Do not miss this storm!!.

The Novel is although not for beginners and very much for those who are familiar with the cosmere, I read it before Mistborn and I don't regret making this decision. Sanderson's prose being not too stylistic but short, punchy and carrying high comprehensiveness worked for me in a 1000+ paged book. The plot is intensely engaging, no words can do justice to what meticulous story is being served.

Writing this review after completing the book, I would like to say that the story is great but in the middle of the book you will find some chapters lengthy and kind of grows heavy on you while reading but it sets the pace very well to its end ,So excited for the next part after reading the ending on clif hanger .

If you have ever shown any sort of interest in the genre known as "fantasy" , you have heard of the name Brandon Sanderson , way of the kings is part of the authors magnum opus known as cosmere collection of books . It's one of the most talked about fantasy book of our generation filled with hype , lore and fandom

WHAT I LIKED & DISLIKED :

😁 This is one of the most unique fantasy world that i have come across , filled with spirits visible to naked eye , monstrous creatures and varied humanoid creatures at war with each other .

😁 The characters on portrayal are very intriguing and are easy to root for

😔 That being said , it's easy to argue that in the world where Game of thrones created a cultural phenomenon with it's dark story telling and ambiguous characters , the characters in Way of Kings are very one dimensional , with set attributes and little room for development.

😔 Even the story is filled with moments that are very easily predictable and not filled with any major twist or turn , which is a norm for modern day fantasy

😁 Personally however , i dont mind any of those things , because it's how classic fantasy used to be , and for those who love books like wheels of time and LOTR and other classic fantasy , will actually love this

😁 For as far as predictability is concerned , while i expected things to happen , it didnt dampen the reading experience at all when said plot points occurred, in fact that excitement for what is to come, made it even more entertaining to read

😄 And that's the most important facet of the book . The book isnt delivering layers of storytelling , but it's delivering on entertainment.

😄 For a book that's 1200 pages thin , the book never felt like a task , and the pages flew by , with events keeping me entertained and excited with anticipation for future pages .

☹️ Some of the dialogues felt little awkward at times and there was once again a huge amount of philosophical discussion on religion which honestly my agnostic self didnt enjoy much.

😲 The action sequences were just beautiful in their description creating many thrilling moments and held you worried for your fav characters despite you knowing that said characters are not in mortal dangers .

🙂 In terms of action , there's an unique take on warfare, politics and battle tactics, that i dont think i have read in any other fantasy book.

OPINION:

❤️ Some might have an issue with the fact that the story actually is stagnant and not a lot happens in the book , but i argue that this book relied on it's strong characters, amazing action and world building to introduce us to one of the most astounding fantasy journey that can be offered . It's not a grim dark novel, nor is it any literary masterclass , it's just entertaining fantasy with likable character that generates all kind of emotions on your read through and keeps you transfixed throughout .

❤️ Those who like tales such as Lord of the rings , Wheels of time etc , the classic fantasy enthusiasts , will love this , and may even find the product better than what classic fantasy usually has to offer .

💔 Those looking for characters ambiguous with morality or dark materials or layered story telling and plot based books may not be fans of this .

Just quality book review!

Mass market paperback:- Is only for those who want the TOR cover art! I really liked TOR cover art so I paid extra. Otherwise, paperback is just fine which is Gollancz edition (white one) and it is lot cheaper too. The mass market paperback is very compact book with okish quality pages! I wish they would provide better quality if we are paying more than the basic paperback book. However, I like the size of the book which is small, easy to carry around and easy to read. Some people find hard to read from such small writings. So, I would prefer that buy only paperback unless you are fan of TOR edition!

I am satisfied by my purchase!

Best work of fiction in my opinion. Can’t wait to start the next book. Let’s go explore Roshar more. Yeah!!

I haven't yet read the book but I have heard lots of good things about it so I will give it the benefit of the doubt and give it 5stars for the story. Now onto to the quality of the book(hardcover) it is subpar, nothing terrible but certainly does not justify the price. Purchase the hardcover edition at your own discretion.

If you can endure the slow pacing at the start, pay off is worth it. Definitely a good read for fantasy lovers.

The Way of Kings is genuinely one of my favorite books of all times. I've just finished reading it for the sixth time and I'm still gripped by the story. The great length of the book means I can keep this enjoyment going for almost a week for each read, and though I know exactly whats happening next I still worry for characters I know will survive and hope for characters I know will suffer or die.

I've read Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, The Dark Tower, the Shannara series (and all books related to it) and many others like them and I can happily say that in my opinion, as great at though series are, the first book of the Stormlight Archive trumps them all.

The character development is perfect all the way throughout, the magic system is wonderfully balanced and the rules that govern it are explicitly laid out and no "ace in the hole" plot armour pulls appear anywhere in here where a character manages to exceed the set boundaries of this magic system.

I've also read the Second Book in The Stormlight Archive and I believe that it is just as good or better than this one. There series as a whole is brilliant so far and I'm eagerly awaiting the Third.

WARNING - POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

The magic in Stormlight holds the top place among my favorite systems of magic because of the beauty of how it works and perhaps more importantly, the limitations its users face when using it. The magic doesn't make a person more skilled, but rather increases their speed and/or strength, allows them to control one or more of the 10 basic surges (Gravity, friction, etc). Their magic is also based on the amount of Stormlight that they currently hold so without that they become normal people once again.

The plot consists of a great number of plots and subplots and follows several main characters along with snippets of other characters so we the reader gain a far better understanding of what is happening that the characters themselves. This also increases the readability as each character has a different way of handling issues so there is never a rut wherein the same actions are repeated time and time again as has been the case in some of the books I've read.

Stormfather! This was one of the best books I've ever read.

After hearing so many people praise Brandon Sanderson's books, I decided to jump into his world starting with The Way of Kings. How happy I am to have read this! It's one of those fantasy books that makes you crave more, not allowing you to put it down. It has great characters, a really awesome world and a brilliant plot.

I loved all of the characters in this book. Even the horrible and the damned. They all are smashing in a storm of betrayal, chaos and destruction. I wanted to know what was going to happen to each of them. But first off, my favorite of all - Kaladin.

He is that character that you want every book to have. Brave, strong and determined to help others. He is a surgeon's son and was a soldier in Amaram's army where he was betrayed. He lost his brother, his friends, his crew. But once led to Bridge Four he finds hope and is determined to rebuild himself. Throughout the book, we learn more about him and about events of the past that influence decisions that he makes in the present day. There is something about Kaladin that makes you like him. We sympathise with him and want him to succeed.

Another character I really loved was Dalinar.

Dalinar Kholin, is fighting a war in the Shattered Plains for vengeance against the murder of his brother, Gavillar. Dalinar is the most honourable character you will ever meet. He also fights to fulfil his brothers dream - to try and unite Alethkar and bring order bia the Code. His only downfall - visions. Visions he gets of during highstorms that makes him and his house look vulnerable.

There are other characters that we could talk about, but that would take forever..!

The mythology in this world is what makes you go crazy. Talks of Knight Radians, Heralds, Voidbringers and the Desolation creates a whole new dimension of epicness. This isn't just a story about politics and squabbles between kings, highprinces and brightlords. It's also about mysteries and secrets of the past being unravelled and the consequences that it will bring to the world.

There are so many other things that makes this book just brilliant. But if you want an epic fantasy story that will blow you away - this is the book for you.

There are so many quotes I loved in The Way of Kings, but this was my favorite:

"Life before Death. Strength before Weakness. Journey before Destination."

Książka przyszła szybko i w idealnym stanie, lepszym niż nawet się spodziewałem!

Nun trägt der nachfolgende Text das Label einer Rezension, aber so wirklich eine Rezension ist es nicht. Eher eine Eskalation von purem Nerdgasm. Denn anders kann ich weder The Way of Kings noch irgendeinen anderen der Nachfolgebänder des Stormlight Archive von Brandon Sanderson besprechen. Das führt für mich eigentlich zu genau demselben Grund, warum ich Tolkien nicht rezensiere: Es ist genial, Punkt, aus. Daran gibt es nichts zu diskutieren. Daher müsste die Frage für dieses Buch heißen: »Was ist hieran eigentlich nicht geil?«, statt »Wie gefiel es mir persönlich?« Da diese Frage aber sehr schnell mit »Nichts« zu beantworten ist, stellen wir lieber die Frage: »Was genau ist hieran geil?«

The Way of Kings ist der Auftaktband des Stormlight Archives, der Reihe, die wohl als der Kern des Cosmere bezeichnet werden kann – für Brandon selbst ist das die Geschichte, die er schon immer erzählen wollte, bisher aber nicht konnte, weil sie so enorm ist. Und The Way of Kings ist erst der Anfang, der im Vergleich zu Words of Radiance oder gar Oathbringer noch ganz zart aussieht.

Kaladin war nicht immer ein Sklave in den Brückenmanschaften des Großprinzen Sadeas. Einst war ihm der Weg eines Chirurgen in Khabranth beschieden. Irgendwie landete er dann aber als Speermann in der Armee Prinz Amarams und wurde von dort aus in die Sklaverei verkauft. Nun ist er am Boden der Gesellschaft angekommen, mitten unter den Ärmsten der Armen. Denn die Brückenmänner sind zum Sterben verurteilt. Kaladin hätte beinahe den Freitod gewählt, wäre da nicht das seltsame Sprengsel Syl, das sich an ihn gebunden hat und ihn zum Kämpfen ermuntert. Sie beide ahnen nicht, dass sie damit den ersten Schritt auf dem Pfad der Strahlenden Ritter getan haben. Im fernen Kharbranth derweil sucht Shallan Davar die Lehre der Häretikerin Jasnah, um von ihr die nur denkbar beste Ausbildung zu erhalten – und um ihren Seelengießer zu stehlen. Doch sie muss entdecken, dass Jasnah an etwas viel größerem forscht, das weit über den Untergang des kleinen Hauses Davar hinausgeht.

Life before death.

Strength before weakness.

Journey before destination.

Das erste Ideal der Strahlenden Ritter, The Way of Kings, S. 1036.

Ich bin jemand, der saugeiles Worldbuilding über alles schätzt. Und besser als das hier geht einfach nicht. Nur genauso gut, und das findet sich bei Tolkien. Roshar ist eine sturmumtoste Welt. Großstürme von enorm zerstörerischer Wucht ziehen in regelmäßigen Abständen von Westen her kommend über den gesamten Kontinent und prägen Leben auf ihn in allen Aspekten. Alles auf Roshar ist auf die Großstürme ausgerichtet, Tier, Pflanze und Mensch. Auf uns mag Roshar fremd erscheinen, doch gerade das macht den Reiz dieser Welt aus. Brandon schafft es exzellent, eine so fremde Welt so greifbar zu machen, als wäre man selbst ein Alethi und mit deren Kultur aufgewachsen.

In Roshar gibt es zahlreiche Kulturen, und jede von ihnen ist einzigartig, viele gar fremdartig. Dass Alethi Damen ihre linke Hand, die Schutzhand, verbergen, da eine entblößte Schutzhand als anstößig gilt, ist dabei nur das geringste. Leute, so gestaltet man eine fremde Welt: in vielen kleinen Details von unserer abweichend, aber nicht zu fremd und alienhaft, und gleichzeitig so, als fühlte sie sich an, als sei das alles die natürliche Ordnung der Dinge.

Roshar ist einfach episch und gewaltig. Alles hieran ist eine Nummer größer. Khriss, die Verfasserin der Ars Acana am Ende eines jeden Cosmere-Bandes, schreibt passenderweise in Arcanum Unbounded zum Rosharan-System und besonders zum Planeten und Kontinent Roshar, dass man sich hier regelrecht zwergenhaft vorkommt. Es gibt zahlreiche riesige Krustenkreaturen wie die friedlichen Chulle, die als eine Art Lasttiere eingesetzt werden, oder gar die gigantischen Kluftteufel, die in den riesigen Kluften der Zerbrochenen Ebene hausen und regelmäßig ganze Bataillone verschlingen.

Und dann gibt es da natürlich noch die Splitterklingen und –rüstungen (Shardblades und Shardplates im Original, was einfach viel besser klingt, wie ich finde). Die Rüstungen geben ihrem Träger übermenschliche Kräfte und auch die Klingen scheinen nicht von dieser Welt. Sie schneiden lebendes Gewebe nicht, sondern brennen direkt die Seele aus ihm. Wird man von einer Splitterklinge getroffen, stirbt man mit brennenden Augen. Ritter in solch einer Rüstung sind eine imposante Erscheinung, die wunderbar in das Erscheinungsbild Roshars passen, wo alles größer wirkt. Außerdem, ganz nebenbei, ist der Kontext der Rüstungen endlich einmal eine wunderbare Erklärung für die völlig übertriebenen Rüstungssets, die ein Trope der Fantasy geworden sind. Hier macht das wenigstens Sinn!

Die Großstürme, die regelmäßig über Roshar herziehen, tragen in sich Sturmlicht, die essenzielle Kraft des Systems. Sturmlicht wird nicht nur als Lichtquelle in Glaskugeln verwendet, die gleichzeitig auch das Währungssystem sind, sondern auch beispielsweise, um die überirdischen Kräfte der Splitter zu betreiben.

Der Assassine in Weiß, welcher König Gavilar und Alethkar tötete und damit den Krieg der Alethi gegen die Parshendi auf der Zersplitterten Ebene auslöste, konnte mit Sturmlicht jedoch noch viel mehr. Es scheint, dass er die Kräfte der verschollenen Strahlenden Ritter besitzt.

Man merkt Roshar an, dass es eine alte und turbulente Geschichte besitzt, auch wenn vieles davon in den Wogen der Zeit verschollen ging. Nur wenige Menschen wie Jasnah sind in der Lage, aus den Fragmenten, die sich aus den mythischen Zeiten erhalten blieben, die Wahrheit herauszufinden. Das Gefühl, dass in der Ferne eine Ruine auftaucht, die eine alte, längst vergessene Geschichte in sich trägt, kann Brandon in Roshar ebenso gut vermitteln wie Tolkien in Mittelerde, vielleicht sogar besser, weil es (noch?) nicht viel zur Vergangenheit Roshars gibt.

Eines weiß man jedoch: Die Strahlenden Ritter, welche unglaubliche Fähigkeiten besaßen, sind verschwunden. Niemand weiß, wieso, aber allgemein wird von Verrat an der Menschheit gesprochen. Etwas Schreckliches passierte damals, als die Bringer der Leere die Welt beinahe zerstörten. Niemand weiß so recht, wer die Bringer der Leere sind, doch nun scheint es, als würden sie zurückkehren, um in der letzten, der Wahren Wüstwerdung Roshar zu vernichten.

Und dann sind da noch die unglaublich inspirierenden Charaktere. Wer schon einiges von Brandon gelesen hat, weiß, dass seine Charaktere häufig auf eine ganz bestimmte Art und Weise denken. So auch hier.

Es ist ermutigend zu sehen, wie sich Shallan, Kaladin und Dalinar Kholin durch alle Widrigkeiten boxen. Shallan will um jeden Preis als Mündel Jasnahs aufgenommen werden, obwohl Jasnah alles daran setzt, sie abzuschütteln. Kaladin gar wird in die Sklaverei verkauft und muss dort erdulden, dass er als lebendes Schild für die Soldaten Sadeas‘ missbraucht wird. Großprinz Dalinar erlebt Visionen, von denen er glaubt, dass sie vom Allmächtigen kommen, und die ihm sagen, dass er »sie« vereinigen soll. Kaum jemand glaubt ihm, seine Autorität als Kriegsherr und legendärer Schwarzdorn wird untergraben. Mit Cleverness und Verbissenheit boxen sie sich durch alle Hindernisse und das wirkt einfach ermutigend, besonders, wenn man selbst in einer schwierigen Zeit steckt.

Jeder Stormlight-Band ist ein wahres Monster (was sich von Band zu Band sogar noch zu steigern scheint). Und trotzdem sind sie alle extrem kurzweilig. Es passiert immer etwas, bei dem man am Ball bleiben muss, um zu wissen, wie es weitergeht. Mal sind es packende Ereignisse, mal die Charaktere, die zu verfolgen ein wahrer Genuss ist, mal einfach nur das Gefühl, in diese wunderbare Welt abtauchen zu können und wirklich da zu sein.

The Way of Kings wirkt besonders beim ersten Lesen sehr verwirrend. Es gibt viele kleine Details, die scheinbar nicht erklärt werden, deren Erklärung aber ebenfalls im Detail, den Folgebänden und manchmal auch in anderen Cosmere-Bänden steckt. Auch wenn man vielleicht nicht unbedingt weiß, was gerade vor sich geht (womit es einem wie den Protagonisten geht), hat man das stete Gefühl, dass etwas vor sich geht, etwas sehr, sehr Gefährliches.

Nun, die Stormlight Bände sind, wie jeder Cosmere-Band, eine unbedingte Empfehlung. Aber das dürfte an dieser Stelle wohl ohnehin klar sein. Ich empfehle übrigens, das Album Epica von Audiomachine beim Lesen zu hören. Es erwies sich für mich als der beste Soundtrack zum Buch.

I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Das zweite Ideal der Strahlenden Ritter, The Way of Kings, S.1156

They named it the Final Desolation, but they lied. Our gods lied. Oh, how they lied. The Everstorm comes. I hear ist whispers, see ist stormwall, know ist heart.

The Way of Kings, S. 1158

no se si cuente esto como spoiler pero spoiler!!!!

ok, si has leido mistborn trilogy, probablemente has encontrado los comentarios que dicen que este libro es muy bueno el mejor de todo los libros de fantasia y demas, y no lo niego, pero vamos primero al punto que quiero tomar.

el libro esta muy bueno ( todavia no llego al climax de la historia pero enserio) no esperen un libro como mistborn que es facil de dijerir y facil de entender.

the way of kings es demasiado "complejo" en terminos de el mundo, sociedades, religiones e incluso palabras si estas leyendo el libro en ingles... buena suerte ;3

la historia va muy lenta (que no es malo) y los personajes cada uno te lo representan demasiado bien que tienes miedo de que vaya a pasar con ellos.

pero como lo vuelvo a mencionar, mistborn es demasiado facil de entender, pero es muy probable que cuando leas el libro The Way of Kings (sin importar el dialecto que lo leas) no entenderas nada, absolutamente nada de nada. y si, es normal, muuuy normal, mistborn te lo presentan con la protagonista(V) y el protagonista (K) y te describen los mundos ( si me permiten decirlo) como el mundo en que vivimos

pero que sucede con the way of kings?

es JOD*DO de AMADR*ES (osea que es dificil de entender) no solo te enseñan que pasa cada cierto tiempo, que pasa cuando utilizas una cosa que te ayuda (si lo has leido sabras que es), como se utiliza y cual es su efecto (recuerda a D)

mistborn te enseña que todo tiene reglas y bases como diria K “Every action we take has consequences, V,"

pero TWoK te enseña que esto es si una historia del cual hablar.

has sentido que sabes que pasara con las peliculas, series o inclusive musica, ese pensamiento de :"creo que ya se como acabara", con mistborn no lo lograras o no lo lograste (si ya lo has leido)

con the way of kings sera como si estuvieras jugando ajedrez con un AI del primer mundo(osea windows 7 xd)

tl;dr: deberias comprar The Way of King...... absolutamente si, si, si, si, si

ojo, es mucho pero muuuuuucho "mundo para construir"(me refiero que tiene muchas cosas que tienes que enterarte para que puedas seguir la historia como los "chulls" o los "cremlings" o inclusive las groserias xd)