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

THE BEST FANTASY BOOK I DIDNT THINK IT COULD GET BETTER AFTER THE MISTBORN TRILOGY

Wow just wow…I just bought all Stormlight archive audiobooks and Hardcovers after reading this incredible book. This NEEDS to be made into the next Game of Thrones. The characters are so compelling, the story so well developed. I am in awe Mr. Sanderson! I can not wait to listen and read all your work. I started with the Mistborn trilogy and thought…no way it could get better than this. But? I was wrong. I LOVE the Mistborn trilogy, but I may like this story just as much. Can not wait to get right into Words of Radiance! I rarely write reviews but I couldn’t help myself. If you like fantasy, you will love Brandon Sanderson

Great Book

Loved it! It had me adoring the characters and then on the edge of my seat with worry as they experienced a world wrought with danger as well as things that felt like magic. I wanted every book Sanderson had ever written before I was anywhere close to finished.

#1 out of my top 10

My absolutely favorite read. Cosmere…I love it. The narrator is great too. Love Brandon S, stories but this one really gets in my head/heart

Best credit I have ever spent on audible

Great story telling and world creation. Mix that with the fact that this book is over 40hrs…. Amazing.

A-MAZING

Loved every minute. This is my 4th time through and the attention to detail is still amazing to me.

Well worth the time

Confusing at first. worth it when it all comes together. Had me audibly interjecting

The Way of Kings is great but...

Michael Kramer is monotone and will put you to sleep. Here's hoping for different readers in the other books.

Excellent!!

Epic! So creative! How have I not read this before now!? starting book two today!

Creative and satisfying

It took me a little while to get into this story, but I’m glad I held out. It’s primarily an epic fantasy for entertainment value, but it also has some good insight in regards to human nature as its foundation. I enjoy and have the patience for books that are long and descriptive, so I was happy with lots of detail and a contemplative pace peppered with frequent exciting moments, as well as the long winding emotional journeys each character has.

I am most impressed with the author’s variety and fully realized characters. The path of each protagonist and their character arc is not straight forward or easy, with many back steps, failures, and unpredictable directions. The author’s ability to world build is also significant, creating a planet that is very different but not annoyingly emphasized. But I might feel this way in part due to the narrators’ even, steady speaking styles. Details of the world are drawn out slowly but naturally, which always pulls me in.

The book and it’s characters can be a bit santimonious and eye rollingly honorable, but seems to have been balanced with enough character flaws that I wasn’t bothered by it, even though I would’ve normally found such a thing cheesy and overdramatic.

I can’t wait to listen to the others

Amazing

Loved it. An epic fantasy story. 45 hours for one credit is a steal.