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The Way of Kings  By  cover art

The Way of Kings

By: Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
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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

Featured Article: 16 of the Best Fantasy Authors Ever


There is no feeling quite like falling in love with a great fantasy listen, doing a little digging, and joyfully discovering that the author has an extensive catalog of audiobooks for you to dive right into. Fantasy as a genre is particularly blessed with a wealth of diverse authors writing all different kinds of stories. From classic epics to standalone novels that were published in the last few years, it's the perfect genre for losing yourself in a full day’s worth of listening. These brilliant fantasy authors will transport you to another world—whether a parallel universe or a post-apocalyptic version of Earth.

Editor's Pick: Best of the Decade

Here’s to another 10 years at the top
"My journey as a Brandon Sanderson fan began more than a decade ago. My brother and I discovered one of his very first published books, Mistborn, at a gas station rest stop in high school and both of us have been hooked ever since. But Brandon Sanderson, who started out as our little secret, has grown to be one of the biggest and most respected names in fantasy today. It’s been such a joy and delight to be his fan as he’s only gotten better and better at creating compelling, creative, and human stories over the years. Is it weird to say that I feel proud? There is no doubt in my mind that his epic series, the Stormlight Archive, deserves a spot as the best of the decade."—Melissa B., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Way of Kings

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Lots of fun

I enjoyed this a lot. Well done and readers did a great job. I look forward to more.

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I raised an eyebrow

the narrators then raised an eyebrow. At that, even Sanderson himself.raised.an.eyebrow. Not to be out done, I breathed in mountain dew, burst alight with copium.. and raised yet another eyebrow. Everyone was so shocked, that they raised an eyebrow.

it's a great story

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So slow….

The audible book had several mistakes and didn’t always match my kindle book. It was also such a slow book and trying to increase the speed made it sound weird.

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A wild ride

I was nervous to start a story of this magnitude but I’m glad I did. I’m looking forward to the next book, there is a lot of cliffhangers! This book is a fun, wild ride of multiple stories that converge in this epic adventure/fantasy.

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It takes a long time to build a world

Brandon Sanderson is masterful at creating whole new worlds with different rules, culture, people, politics, geography, etc...as such it can take a long time to move past the place of confusion. It's a great book but you do spend 45 hours on what is essentially the first handful of chapters in this larger tale. Be prepared to listen to the entire chronicles.

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Long and mostly worth it

the middle 30 hours are pretty slow with not a lot happening, but the last 10 hours are worth the wait. great characters, neat world, and a great plot.

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A book worth reading/listening to

I enjoyed this book immensely. I enjoyed reading it when it was published, but audio book is nice for another passthrough.

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How the story ties together, finally!!

I did not like how lost I was for the first 5 hours. The characters were being developed of course, after I understood who was who I couldn't put the book down.

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Slow cooking - very much savory

I initially had trouble staying focused. But the crescendo of events in the last 10 chapters not only made it worth it, it made me buy the second and third books aswell.

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Great book

Enjoyed the characters and environment building in this book so far especially the focus on Kaladin and his battle against depression. Michael Kramer's an excellent narrator along with Kate Reading. I recommended this book/series for all fantasy fan out there.

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