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

bad narrator

i could not bear the voice of the narrator. i just stoped listening to it after two hours

THIS is Quality Audiobook!

Excellent story (epic fantasy is my favorite genre), wonderful reading, perfect audio quality. If you're a fan of Fantasy, and are looking to dip your toe into Audiobooks, there are T many better books to start with.

An Excellent Fantasy Novel

Story: I really enjoyed this audible. It was engaging and fun. It was really long and at times really took its time to build the world and lore, but there was enough action mixed in to keep me engaged. I thought that Shallan's story line could have had more action, but it really did an excellent job of building to the lore.

Performance: The reason I gave the performance a 4/5 rather than 5/5 is that there was a discrepancy on how Michael and Kate pronounced the name "Sadeas." Michael said Sad-E-us whereas Kate said Sa-DEE-us. After hearing Michael's version for roughly 40 hours, I was really bothered by hearing Kate's version. In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal, but every time I heard it pronounced different I cringed.

Excellent story

This is really an excellent story. I'm nearly finished with this Book One. During the previous 40-some hours, the name of high prince Sadeas was pronounced by Michael Kramer as Sa'-dee-us. Kate Reading had a chapter a couple of hours before the end and, rather than get the pronunciation from the other reader, she invented an entirely new pronunciation, Suh-DEE'-us. I couldn't figure out who that was for quite a while! Why do readers do this? If you share a book or a series, for heaven's sake coordinate your pronunciation!

Awesome

Great story & narration performance!

Will be sure to buy these all someday in hardcover ;)

Love Sanderson

Love the story and the characters. The readers are great but need to be a tad more consistent in their pronunciation.

slow to start but picks up speed

I was having some difficulty for the first 2/3rds of the book to stay interested. trying to keep up with the different characters storylines . once things picked up and I started seeing the overall arch it was a well written book. I look forward to the next books.

great book. only 1 small thing bothered me.

the narrators are great except they pronounce one name differently the entire time and it is really frustrating. book is really good. a new universe to discover.


Been some time since I listed to this and I can say I do not remember the name thing, just how great this book was at setting the stage for this epic. it is not a light endeavor to take the series on but well worth it.

The character build is great!

If you have read Sanderson's other books or Wheel of Time series, you'll love this... A few parts lag on and the readers announce a characters name differently, but other than that it is fantastic and makes you want more!

If Only I Had A Credit To Get The Next Book

I had this book referred to me by a history professor. I have never taken on such a lengthy text before, but man was it tough not to let this book envelop my life haha. You won't be disappointed!