Star Rating:

Pages:

1007

Where to Buy:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

I’ve had this book for awhile. To be honest, I have so many books I want to read that committing to a longer read like this one usually takes a back seat to shorter books. I’ll also warn that I read the second book and half the third book in the series before writing this review.

The pacing in The Way of Kings was, for me, pleasant. While not a fast-paced action adventure, it had enough character development and interesting world building that I didn’t find myself bored at all. However, by the second book the world building definitely increased, and by book three, I felt bogged down by the amount being delivered. If you’re not into world building, be prepared to either skip sections or slog through. However, I highly suggest clearing your schedule for the last 20% of book one and two because, holy crap, does it take off. I couldn’t put it down. There seemed to be no chapter break where I felt everyone was safe enough to leave them for a night while I slept.

The world is stunning, to me. The pictures I’ve developed in my head based on Sanderson’s descriptions paint a world of color and creatures, unique plant life and landscapes. I’ve got a weak imagination, and I’m sure a lot of the descriptions were lost on me, but those I did pick up on were fun and entertaining, especially Spren. They have rotspren which infect wounds, angerspren which bubble at one’s feet when angry, and gloryspren which circle a person’s head when doing something glorious, and so many more. They, of all the world building items, where most interesting to me.

The book follows what I would say is mainly three characters with chapters from a few others here and there that didn’t feel as fleshed out. That will change in book two and three.

My favorite character, Kaladin, got a bit less screen time than I’d have liked as the series continues. He’s a man who has been treated unfairly and has been through an ordeal. I loved to see him struggle with his slavery, his choices, and the choices of those around him. He didn’t simply brush off all his trauma and kick everyone’s ass while smiling life away. Granted, he kicked some serious ass, but he battles his inner demons. I’m always more drawn toward a character that can’t just move on, that is actually impacted and formed by their life experiences.

Shallan is our other character that we follow. In the beginning, she annoyed me to no end as she seemed the damsel in distress, and it didn’t help that her character spends a lot of time helping the world building, which is never a focus of mine while reading. By the end of the book, she wasn’t nearly as grating and by book two she definitely grew. However, because her character is looking into all the things that are coalescing into a serious problem for her world, the focus of her chapters are heavy with history and discovery. Some action, but not a lot, at least not in my opinion.

Dalinar is our third focus character. He’s a Highprince that leads a major faction in the war on the Shattered Plains against those who killed his brother. He gets us our eye on the political side of things as well as the war, along with Kaladin. Oddly, his scenes weren’t full of action, but they kept the story moving all the same. I felt he was your typical honorable military general. Nothing wrong with it at all, but not a character I’m engrossed in. That being said, I have nothing bad or good to say. His chapters moved the story and kept our eye on several balls Sanderson is juggling.

So overall, I really did love The Way of Kings, but as I continued the series, my interests have waned enough that I picked up another book. For those who love intricate worlds, I highly suggest this series. For those looking for neck-breaking speed and adventure, you might struggle with this one. This series is highly rated and recommended on nearly every post I see asking for this or that in a book. It has a lot to offer, and most seem to love it.

If you want to find out more about the author, here’s some places to find him: Goodreads | Author Website | Amazon