What do you think?
Rate this book
The Stormlight Archive [Dramatized Adaptation] #1, Part 5 of 5
The Way of Kings (5 of 5) [Dramatized Adaptation]
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. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin 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 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.
Director Rose Supan says, “Brandon Sanderson is at the top of his game with THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES. It's an honor to direct this story. The actors as well as our production team are thrilled to be a part of the process as well. I can proudly proclaim that the listener is in for a truly immersive experience!”
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. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin 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 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.
Director Rose Supan says, “Brandon Sanderson is at the top of his game with THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES. It's an honor to direct this story. The actors as well as our production team are thrilled to be a part of the process as well. I can proudly proclaim that the listener is in for a truly immersive experience!”
Audio CD
First published August 31, 2010
1 person is currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
396 books283k followersI’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.
During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.
During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 20, 2020
Part 5 I don't think I'll be able to take my time on this one. The last 20% was intense
The movie in my mind continues for my reread of Way of Kings with the ever awesome group BB&B.
Wow!!! Graphic Audio has done an absolutely phenomenal job with the production of this. The last 20% has some of my favorite scenes from the entire book
- The Fight at the Tower was EPIC especially Syl and Kaladin's bonding moment.
- Syl standing there watching Men's Betrayals was HEARTBREAKING
- Navani drawing the huge glyph in a prayer for Dalinar....I got chills and totally felt it to my bones.
- AND DALINAR keeping his word to the Bridgemen driving a sword through that Glyph to prove it.
- AND DALINAR making sure Elohkar knew who his real enemies were was Fantastic.
The Graphic Audio was everything I hoped it would be and more.
The movie in my mind continues for my reread of Way of Kings with the ever awesome group BB&B.
Wow!!! Graphic Audio has done an absolutely phenomenal job with the production of this. The last 20% has some of my favorite scenes from the entire book
- The Fight at the Tower was EPIC especially Syl and Kaladin's bonding moment.
- Syl standing there watching Men's Betrayals was HEARTBREAKING
- Navani drawing the huge glyph in a prayer for Dalinar....I got chills and totally felt it to my bones.
- AND DALINAR keeping his word to the Bridgemen driving a sword through that Glyph to prove it.
- AND DALINAR making sure Elohkar knew who his real enemies were was Fantastic.
The Graphic Audio was everything I hoped it would be and more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2017
Take a bow, Graphic Audio team - what an absolutely stunning production!!!
We are blessed with five senses for a reason. The added audio sensory from the Graphic Audio elevated the experience of reading & listening to this epic fantasy tale by a hundredfold. So much emotion was projected from a combination of an awesome acting cast and a stunning soundtrack worthy of the likes of Howard Shore.
Truly "A Movie In Your Mind", and I'll definitely keep coming back to this for subsequent re-reads.
My full review of the trade paperback is posted here
We are blessed with five senses for a reason. The added audio sensory from the Graphic Audio elevated the experience of reading & listening to this epic fantasy tale by a hundredfold. So much emotion was projected from a combination of an awesome acting cast and a stunning soundtrack worthy of the likes of Howard Shore.
Truly "A Movie In Your Mind", and I'll definitely keep coming back to this for subsequent re-reads.
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before destination.
Speak again the ancient oaths and return to men the Shards they once bore.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.
My full review of the trade paperback is posted here
January 22, 2025
it is done :'(((((
I'm so sad! :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
------------------------------------
After 4 rereads, it still gives me goosebumps!
I'm so sad! :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
------------------------------------
After 4 rereads, it still gives me goosebumps!
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1593184464i%2F98245866._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 12, 2021
This series is my happy place ❤️
August 22, 2022
Out of 5 GA parts this one is far the most perfectly made one.
August 10, 2016
The best part of the book. If you somehow read this review before listening to this part I advise you, make time before you listen.
After two hours of this part the action picks up and I just couldn't stop listening. I wish I didn't start that part while brushing teeth before going to sleep :) I didn't get much sleep that night but it was worth it.
I can't wait for the release of Words of Radiance in Graphic Audio format.
After two hours of this part the action picks up and I just couldn't stop listening. I wish I didn't start that part while brushing teeth before going to sleep :) I didn't get much sleep that night but it was worth it.
I can't wait for the release of Words of Radiance in Graphic Audio format.
February 17, 2025
Satisfying but a bit long. A better editor would have been helpful. I am a fan of Brandon Sanderson and his world building. Way of Kings ended things nicely - tied up enough loose ends until the next installment. I also appreciated that some of the themes were current - as, how can they not be? Power of the people vs power of the 'gods' or godlike beings. Hope, redemption etc. To those who have a problem with the gay relationship...grow up.
August 16, 2022
The Way of Kings (and the Stormlight Archive series as a whole) is a masterpiece of fantasy. It is one of the top 5 books I’ve ever read. Hell, top five pieces of fiction I’ve ever consumed. And this audio drama adaptation elevates it to new heights with an amazing voice cast and great music and sound effects. It was one of the best listening experiences of my life and so so worth the money
July 20, 2018
My fastest segment of The Way of Kings yet! I was thinking that I'd finish this book then choose something else from my backlog, but it looks as though Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2) is going to be next
December 31, 2017
The best part in the entire series.
Read
July 16, 2019it was the firs book I hear in the forn of graphic audio and it was owsome
January 18, 2020
There was so much racket with this that I kept losing the gist of the story, it might work in a different format but I gave up on this one and deleted it due to the headache I got from it
December 22, 2020
Salutee!!!
January 29, 2024
SAY THE WORDS
December 2, 2023
I really enjoyed listening to The Way of Kings Graphic Audio. Still not the biggest fan of Kaladin’s voice but I pretty much love all of the other mains, oh except Sigzil. I absolutely hate his voice actor, sound nothing like a scholar more like a soldier. I really enjoyed the end in this version. The music is a nice touch at times.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews