The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive (Mass Market)
Other Books in Series
This is book number 1 in the The Stormlight Archive series.
Staff Reviews
As any reader of Brandon Sanderson would affirm, the words of a mere mortal could only hope to fall woefully short of describing the sheer breadth and scale of the universes that Sanderson creates with ease. A master of modern fantasy, Sanderson introduces novel magic systems, languages, and distinct races and customs while weaving a meticulous storyline that will leave the reader enthralled until the last word (and, in most cases, the epilogue as well). Throughout the first book of The Stormlight Archive, The Way of Kings, a unique and compelling host of characters is introduced. From Kaladin, a broken, battle-weary soldier turned indentured worker, to Shallan, a young woman pretending her way into the good graces of a princess on the cusp of an earth-shattering revelation. Political intrigue, poignant vignettes, and passionate relationships abound, The Way of Kings is a must-read for any fan of storytelling in general, epic fantasy or not.
-Bryce
Check out the ebook and audiobook!
— From Jumpin' July Staff Picks
A sophisticated modern fantasy that takes place in the mythical and intricate realm of Roshar, packed with warring kingdoms, magical discoveries, and political schemes. Brandon Sanderson expertly delivers a compelling big-picture plot through multiple detailed character perspectives. His complex worldbuilding could be compared to George R. R. Martin for both authors are masters of riddling their stories with advanced layouts, characters, and fictional cultures. This novel uses the intimate discovery of each character, as well as the anticipation of the unraveling plot, to draw readers in and keep them wanting more.
-Bella S
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— From Snazzy September Staff Picks
Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, Book One of the Stormlight Archive begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.
Speak again the ancient oaths:
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.
and return to men the Shards they once bore.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
Oathbringer
The Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Collection
Arcanum Unbounded
Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker
The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener's Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
The Rithmatist series
The Rithmatist
Other books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity
About the Author
Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. His bestsellers have sold 30 million copies worldwide and include the Mistborn® Trilogy and its sequels; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including The Rithmatist, Steelheart, and Skyward. He won a Hugo Award for for The Emperor's Soul, a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris. Additionally, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time® sequence. Visit his website for behind-the-scenes information on all his books.
Praise For…
“I loved this book. What else is there to say?” —Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind, on The Way of Kings
“Sanderson is a master of hooking the reader in the first few pages, and once again he doesn't disappoint. Fans and lovers of epic fantasy will find the ending satisfying, yet will eagerly await the next volume.” —Library Journal, on The Way of Kings
