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

You might as well buy the rest of the series now

This series is amazing! The narrators do a fantastic job as well! I read a lot of reviews before starting this and saw people complaining that the two narrators pronounced things differently etc but I didn't find that to be all that distracting. They both emphasize the right moments, building tension etc, their accents for different characters are well done and they generally have pleasant voices to listen to.

The book itself is a MUST for fantasy fans. It's got interesting twists and turns and plenty of heart. There were plenty of moments I found myself laughing or near tears or audibly yelling "WHAAAAT?!?!?" in the car. 10/10 recommend.

One of the best out there

This book surprised me. I know Sanderson is good... but even good authors should have a misstep here and there and with the number of big name titles he's been dealing with of late this might have gotten a bit less of his magical touch. Not so. This could be his best title yet.

I loved every second of The Way of Kings. The way he grew each character so that by the end of this book's journey making them so much more than the character that started this saga is impressive. It's large.. and I wouldn't expect to rush through the whole thing in a few sittings. Each character is worth the time spent upon them and you won't want to miss any portion of the tale. You will be left wanting more when the end finally comes.. hinting so seductively of what might come later. Get it. You won't be sorry.

Even Kate Reading couldn't ruin this book!

Any additional comments?

Awesome. Great story with great action. Ridiculous amount of listening time for the credit. Worth it, to be sure.

Unmissable, mysterious, world building at its best

I am not a fan of how the Wheel of Time was finished, finding the writing, plot and progression to feel overly simplified and hurried. It's hard to escape the feeling that the departed Robert Jordan had something much grander (and much longer!) in mind. I'm afraid that completely turned me off Brandon Sanderson completely.

Then I started reading Steelheart and I was hooked. Often noted as a YA novel, that was still quite a great read (the whole trilogy about the Epics is). The moral of the story is not to judge an author entirely based on their, quite possibly involuntary, approach to completing another's work. If they can write even a short novel like that, I've misjudged them.

The Stormlight series is so much better, that I can barely imagine this was the person who so dreadfully completed WOT. It is downright fascinating, raises more questions than answers, and creates such a complex world with memorable characters, locations and a "lost in the mists of times" historical background, that you cannot put it down. I was reading the final chapter at 3am! It's well written and you will end this book needing a second, a third, just...more. I've avoided Brandon's other works, but The Way of Kings has converted me - it's an excellent epic read that looks set to be a voyage of discovery into what exactly is Roshan, what are sprens, does anyone know what this world's "magic" really is? Who or what is Odium? The mind boggles, my brain sparks with possible theories, and I press the Purchase button for Book 2...

give it time

At first I wasn't a fan of the world Sanderson had created. The book starts off slow but if you give it time it grows into an epic page turner. At 48 hours of play time for 1 credit it's an excellent value as well. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

A book with depth and breadth

This book is action filled and exciting with many parallel stories that converge. Many quotable quotes that made me think. Excellent book. A bit violent with many battle scenes, but no other vices such as sex. Honorable characters make you want to live your life better too.

Great story

Slow character building at first, and at first it may feel like all that's happening is Sanderson is just giving you more and more new characters. But all of the slow building is worth the wait because once this book picks up it doesn't stop. Love the story line and such depth to each character the story becomes Alive. Kudos to you, Brandon Sanderson.

Wow....Get this now!

I listened to this book the first time and missed so many of the details and hints he drops about the story and characters.... I've gone back and started listening a 2nd time and now I'm catching and understanding allot of those details. I'm actually enjoying the book even more the 2nd time now that I have a greater overall understanding of characters and story line. I've loved each of Sanderson's books but this is by far my favorite. Sanderson has such an ability to come up with new worlds and new forms of magic that I can't wait for what he's going to write next.
Don't be put off by the length of the book...the closer I got to the end the more I was wishing it was even longer....Can't wait for the next in the series. The narrators are among my favorites...I wish they would collaborate on how to say a characters name so they both say it the same though. Not complaining though they did a fantastic job.

My one and only complaint

I dreaded the chapters that Kate Reading read. Michael Kramer has a way of making any book enjoyable by children and adults but Kate's narration uses a tone only suitable towards children.
If i didn't feel like I was listening to a preschool teacher reading to her students most of the time, I wouldn't have had to skip so many of the chapters narrated by Kate.

Great but for one thing

Awesome, except for Kate Reading changing the pronunciation of names at the end. Why does she always do that. Is she trolling the listener?