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

incredible read

This was recommended by several friends. I was not disappointed by any means while listening. probably one of the most creative stories I've listened to in a long time. I will definitely be listening to the rest of the storm light archive.

great book !!

all I listen to is Fantasy novels and this series is better than I anticipated. I can't wait to see what happens next

Slow to pick up, but what a flight.

The way of kings is the story of multiple characters and story lines that slowly works into one story of an empire, an ancient fighting brotherhood of the radient and an ancient and possible emerging threat.

We have a kingdom, unified through conquest, but divided by rivalries. A master of assassins that send death to rivals. And a surgeons son turned soldier then slave... then bridgeman...

however slow to evolve it turns very captivating to the point that I salivate thinking about the sequel.

Such an Adventure!

I love this book! The story is very well written and I found myself wanting to keep going and going after every chapter. I'm picking up the next book now!

Fantastic

I loved this book from start to finish. Well worth the time to listen or read!

The start of Brandon Sanderson's Opus Magnum

Creating a world where magic is rooted in physics and intent is evocative. Creating a world where the greatest heroes have self-doubt, addictions, and struggles with their own confidence and self-worth is refreshingly realistic. Journey before Destination.

2nd Listen

There has to be a beginning to the Series, and so this is it. Our feelings for the characters are slowly forming. The best is yet to come.
I would have rated The Way of Kings 5 stars, but couldn't because my oh so favorite character, Pattern, has not made his appearance yet.
I am giving The Stormlight Archives another listen because of Rhythm of War, but it might really be because of Pattern.

An epic introduction!!

I’m very happy I decided to commit to a couple weeks of listening for this book. It was fun and engaging and the world Sanderson created was very imaginative Though the idea that the color of the eye determines so much struck me as silly till I considered that the color of your skin can in our reality. My only complaint would be that it took so long but then again I want to hear more. A few characters were quite irritating and the narrator dropped the ball on keeping the tone and speech pattern straight for the characters occasionally. Of course it is a very very long story so that’s understandable! Also, I hope that all the side characters hold a purpose later on too because there were some that were quite interesting but many that seemed to be pointless. Overall an excellent story!

GOOD BOOK

Read the title and just in case you did not it says and I quote GOOD BOOK

Incredibly Immersive

I heard a lot of work went into worldbuilding for this series. I must say that it shows, and the results are excellent. The characters are relatable, their problems understandable. My only complaint is that it's a bit slow at the beginning but that's nowhere near enough to not give it five stars.