The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson
I first attempted to read The Way of Kings years ago, but for some reason I just couldn’t get my head wrapped around the massive world and its new lingo, so I bailed on it. That was a mistake. Fast forward to last night and I’m at 90% complete, it’s midnight and I can’t put it down. What a ride.
At the beginning of every fantasy novel/series there’s a learning curve. You’re in a new place, a new world, there are new kinds of people and all sort of crazy stuff you’re not familiar with. It takes a certain amount of time to get accustomed to someone else’s imagination. With The Way of Kings, you’re instantly thrust into right into the heart of it. This book starts out fast, and if you read before bed like I do, you may have to reread a couple of paragraphs to fully understand all that is happening. Even so, I was hooked.
You’re first introduction into this brave new world is the assassination of one of its kings. Fast forward a couple of years, and we quickly get to know a very interesting cast of characters and how they intertwine together. Bobbing and weaving around each other in an often frustrating way. Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar. A once respected fighter turned slave turned bridge runner, a young and naive daughter of a secretly dead lord, and the assassinated king’s brother who is slowly going mad.
Frankly, when I first met the cast, I didn’t like them at all (especially Shallan). Kaladin was a pessimist who whined about how bad his life had become without the will to do anything about it. Shallan has a serious back talking problem and no perspective of the world outside her sketch pad. Dalinar is as stiff as a board and strict to a fault. BUT, and this is truly the beauty of Sanderson’s writing, as we progress and learn more about the characters, it becomes apparent that yes, they have flaws, but their past has led them here and they are subject to change. By the end, I was really happy I had come to know these characters and felt that they all were better than when we first met.
Sanderson does a masterful job of leading us where he wants us to go without ever being explicit in where we are going. Occasionally he jumps back in time and sheds some light on the history of our characters. In doing so, we learn that some of their flaws illustrated early in the book are justified by the experiences we didn’t even know about. Might be something to keep in mind in our real lives, too. Sanderson carefully weaves plots and schemes and betrayals into the story while only giving us the information our point of view has. This really keeps you on the edge of your seat, er.. page?
I’ve read plenty of epic fantasy novels, but I have to say that the world created, even in just the first 100 pages, is almost too big. Everything revolves around spheres, which all have a gem at their heart. Depending on the gem and it’s quality, the spheres glow and provided a variety of uses. The world is separated into city states that contain people of all different creeds and ethnicities and hair styles. It really is overwhelming at first. But again, Sanderson does a fantastic job of allowing the characters to learn and grow, and in doing so, we become more familiar with the world ourselves.
Personally, I think languages and religions are hard to create from scratch and implement in a realistic way. I know that sounds ridiculous given the magic and creatures also found in most fantasy novels, but to me, it’s one of the things that really helps set the scene. Sanderson has an interesting approach here in that we find our characters at odds with the standardized religions of the region instead of being defined by them while still avoiding some of the old clichés and archetypes of “the rebel.” I really enjoyed this. It made for a fresh and unique perspective on how the characters interacted with others and the world around them who ARE defined by the religion.
I tried to keep this review spoiler free and I hope you enjoyed it. I know The Way of Kings came out back in 2010, but given how much I enjoyed reading it, I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone else. I would highly recommend anyone who is a fan of fantasy to give it a shot. It may seem long, but the read feels fast. In fact, I was glad that every time that I could feel a cliff hanger coming on, there were plenty more pages left. Depending on how the rest of the series plays out, I could see at least one of them quickly moving into my top ten. I’m really looking forward to reading the the second book, Words of Radiance, and the newly released third in the series, Oathbringer.
★★★★★
