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

Sanderson is amazingly!

Sanderson has earned the titles, Greatest of all time. This is such a great story and world

Good book

I love Sanderson's work. This one dragged a bit but I loved how it came together.
I am a bit concerned that he is planning this series to have 10 books! I have seen great series fizzle out or, sometimes, never get completed at all.

Speechless

This was the most unique book I have had the pleasure of listening to. The author is astounding! Absolutely wonderful! I did not want to turn it off. The narrators are SPECTACULAR! Beautiful performances! I cannot wait to start the next book!!

An Absolutely Fascinating Book

This story was hard to put down. There are points where it gets slow and somewhat over-detailed, but the overall story is so intriguing it is easy to push through. I cannot wait to read the next in the series and I look forward to completing the entire tale.

Fantastic start to what will be a fantastic series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would recommend this to a friend. I read Sanderson for intricate world building and unique characters and Way of Kings did not disappoint.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kaladin. Granted it is your stereotypical "Small town character turns out to be hero" trope, Kaladin's story is a refreshing one. I personally have not read too many books where one of the main characters is beaten down and fails so much as Kaladin.

What about Kate Reading and Michael Kramer ’s performance did you like?

I love the fact that they tackle the book as a duo. I listened to Wheel of Time with them, as well as other Sanderson books. Both perform well, and the switching between male and female voices is great.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes but there is literally not enough time in the day for that.

Any additional comments?

I thought I was going to wait for more books to come out to get into this series but get in now!

Wow! Totally amazing!

Would you listen to The Way of Kings again? Why?

Yes! I think the characters and the world come so alive that I found myself wanting to enjoy their company again. Also... if you’ve read all the way through the most recent books you’ll find hidden characters and lots of hints/foreshadowing to future events.

What other book might you compare The Way of Kings to and why?

Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Both books start off sweeping epic fantasty stories that focus on world building and characters.

Which character – as performed by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer – was your favorite?

Shallan and Dalinar are my favorites from the series.

Any additional comments?

Honestly the book was superb. I don’t know what I was expecting or even what compelled me to pick out this book. All I can say is I loved it. I felt compelled to finish it and the rest of the series.

Top 3 of the 500+ titles I have purchased!

Everything about the writing and performance is top shelf quality. You will get kore than your moneys worth with this audiobook.

I personally can't wait to start the next entry

Amazing fantasy title. Was only marginally familiar with Sanderson, and this was the first book of his I went through entirely. Very cool "magic" system with men who can breathe in the light of gems and use them to cast "spells" of sorts and others who run around in full suits of armor powered by these same gems. Because of this type of "magic" the world has some sci-fi elements while still being very much grounded in a "medieval" setting which feels kind of cool.

The plot deals enough in political intrigue to be captivating to fans of "A Song of Ice and Fire" while not being loaded down with the complicated interpersonal connections of a hundred throw-away characters. Most of the story deals with war and ancient religions and discovering the history if the story's world and it's all equally fascinating.

The narration is pretty good in all, my only complaint deals with the dual narrators. I'm fine with having a man read the chapters of the male characters and a woman reading the female chapters. In fact I really like it when audio books do this. It just feels jarring when both narrators aren't on the same page when it comes to pronunciations or the accents or tones of characters who overlap across their chapters. A minor complaint really though.

Author and Narration are top of the line!

If you could sum up The Way of Kings in three words, what would they be?

Holds your interest, that is 3 words. The characters are developed well and they have a fascinating way of interrelating. I look forward to the next in the series.

What does Kate Reading and Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They both complement each other and have a little contrast in tempo and even pronunciations. I look forward to listening to then again.

Any additional comments?

Sanderson is really very good at this.

Amazing Book, Okay Audio

Two separate readers pronouncing the same name differently is incredibly jarring. Especially when that name is too a major character. And especially when the second reader uses the name for the first time 3/4 of the way through the story. I honestly didn't even know who this person was for twenty minutes. And it was like nails on a chalkboard each time it was mispronounced.

It's a minor quibble, the book is amazing and I can't recommend it enough. And both readers are excellent. But seriously, is there no director to ensure the pronunciations are at least similar?!

Oh well. Buy the book. You won't regret it.