The Way of Kings

The Stormlight Archive, Book 1

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

Length: 45 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

From number one New York Times best-selling 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 10 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 10 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 more than 10 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

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Dragonsteel Entertaiment, LLC (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Epic Fantasy -

Extremely imaginative! Creative and unique imagery! I am very excited to read the entire series.

Excellent

I love listen to things like podcasts and audiobooks. This was a long book but I blew through it in 2 weeks which is very fast for my standards. This book has a lot going on and I might listen to it again after I am through the series to get more out of it then I took the first time. Awesome book.

great story

very indepth and thought provoking story. my son recommended this series and I am loving it.

Best audio book I have heard

I have listened to several audio books this is the first I have been able to listen to until the end.

Kramer adapts Sanderson so well

Part of the reason why I love listening to Brandon Sanderson's novels is because they are often voiced by Michael Kramer, and he always delivers. great voices for the different characters, I could immerse myself into the story. Starting off, I couldn't focus on Kate Reading's reading style, but as the story progressed, so did my appreciation of her reading. While I thought she was distracting while reading in the beginning, laying emphasis on the wrong syllables within the sentence, she definitely got better as the story carried on, voicing the chapters of Jasnah and Shallan. I thought she did a great job overall.

The story got slightly repetitive with bridge run after bridge run at times , but it is a great story with great protagonists and I am excited to start book 2!

=')

Fantastic story. Amazing narration. Do not miss out on this world. (extra words to fill out word requirements)

I Love Brandon Sanderson

Best. Author. Ever.

Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are PHENOMENAL narrators. The storyline is epic, maybe a bit slow in the beginning as one learns about the world Sanderson has built, but it's all so worth it. This is my favorite series, strongly recommended to anyone who loves fantasy!

New favorite

Granted, I’m late to the party here, but this book has instantly become one of my favorites ever, and certainly favorite in the fantasy genre.

Came to Sanderson after recently finishing the Wheel of Time series, and so excited to have his other works to look forward to.

Some plot points are probably predictable, but not so much that I felt it detracted from the experience. If anything, in those situations I was excited to see “how” the outcome would be reached.

Book for lovers of political/supernatural intrigue

i absolutely loved this book it was little slow to pick up after the initial action which doesnt last long but the world building is fantastic and the way the characters are portrayed with such depth is incredible id give this book six stars if i could. if i had to pick a favorit part in the book its got to be the meeting between dallanar and calladen towards the end it gives a real sense of honor and respect between men who have been through some things and finally find others they can trust. overall great read it took me 2 seconds to go pick up book two when i finished book 1

Extremely Long, but very good. Worth it.

I had a difficult time in the beginning keeping all the characters straight since I was listening and not reading while driving. This book is very detailed with important information everywhere making it difficult to passively listen to. However, it is very good. The philosophy, the struggles of morality, the emotional storms, the religions, the physics integrated in the magic of the world all combined with lovable deeply flawed characters makes this one of my favorite books ever. Michael Kramer's performance is stellar yet again.