The Way of Kings Prime: The 2002 Alternate Version

The Stormlight Archive

by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings Prime is the original draft of The Way of Kings written in 2002. It is completely different to the version released back in 2011, and is not canon to the Cosmere universe. Brandon Sanderson released this version as a extra goodie during The Way of Kings 10th Anniversary Leatherbound Edition Kickstarter

"The Way of Kings Prime, was written in 2002 and is basically an alternate version of The Way of Kings, which was published by Tor Books in 2010. The Way of Kings Prime is very different from the published book. Think of it as set in a different universe with a completely different plot. If you haven’t read the 2010 canonical version, please read that one first." -- from author's website (emphasis mine)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy

802 pages, Hardcover

First published July 7, 2020

About the author

I’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.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this a 5 not because it is a 5 star book. This is a failure, as stated by Brandon himself, but it gets a 5 because who releases their failures for the world to see? Our failures can be more important than our successes as they shape the rest of our lives. This was a very insightful forward and gives us a peek into how we ended up with the real TWOK. This will not be for everyone, but everyone should read the forward. The book itself is a little rough around the edges and jarring compared to the canonical TWOK. This is worth the read as long as you can set clear boundaries in your head between this and TWOK. Free ebook on Sandersons site: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/the-...

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me: Mom, can we get The Way of Kings?
Mom: No, we have The Way of Kings at home.
The Way of Kings at home:

[Manveer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you were given a chance to read again your favorite book for the first time? Would you take it? Of course, you would! Well, I wish that were possible, but for that I'd have to lose my memories, something I value very much, along with the the stories I have collected over the years. So, this was as close to doing that I could ever come.

This is not an initial version of TWoK. This is more of a what-if alternate dimension version of TWoK? Honestly, this felt like an independent book in itself, if anything, with a sort of familiarity attached to it. The plot is completely different, and so are the characters, barring a couple of them. I'm glad Brandon ended up changing the names for most, otherwise it would have been extremely confusing if these names had been gone over to the canonical story we've so come to love. I'm astounded and shook, at how this is just so different! I honestly feel like screaming out loud about some of the things that happened, and what some of the characters were up to.

Great plot. Great characters. The magic system, though, was something that felt unrefined and a bit rough around the edges, and not as fascinating as the ones we've come to expect from Brandon. Which only shows how far he's come as a writer and builder of worlds. Astonishing.

Jasnah has to be my favorite character in Prime, hands down. We finally get a book with Jasnah as a lead PoV, and the most important one at that! LOVED her character arc, and the romance arc involving her and Taln. And can we talk about Taln!! How amazing was he!? I felt like Brandon took a lot from this Taln and gave it to Kaladin in the canonical work, something I'm not complaining about. I wish we get more of Taln in the upcoming Stormlight books, though, because Almighty knows we could use some of that Heraldic badassery. Missed Kaladin. Yeah, I know, Merin was there, but he just wasn't Kaladin. A different character altogether, someone who hasn't seen a bad day in his life, and a character I didn't feel much empathy towards. It felt strange to read a Stormlight book without Kal. And I don't even want to get started on the other Kholins.

I am almost tempted to give this a 5 star rating, because, honestly, this might just deserve it, in a way. But then it would be a grave injustice to The Way of Kings that was actually published, because this pales in comparison to it, and the scope of it. I suppose I still could, given the fact that the canonical book transcends a 5-point rating scale, but eh. And this is a fucking book that was REJECTED!?

Best birthday present ever, thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend to every Sanderfan. Provided you read it as an independent work, and not a Stormlight work.

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I’m already rereading this. The audiobook is excellent. “This book is a failure, but a spectacular one.” (Introduction) I’ll have to most humbly disagree with you, Brandon. Maybe it was a failure back in 2002 (because publishers rejected it – which I don’t get), but today I‘d call it a success, even a spectacular one. It succeeded in leaving me stunned – stunned because I was prepared for anything but this: something entertaining (because it’s still Brandon), sure, but certainly nothing as amazing, immersive, epic, and engaging as this original version of The Way of Kings turned out to be. While it will never be as phenomenal as my favorite book ever, the published version, I love this early version for its own sake, despite the loose ends. I was hooked, I was invested, I was heartbroken. What more can you ask for?

Below you will find a list of differences between the two versions as well a list of characters I compiled while reading.

You can download a free copy of the novel here:
https://www.brandonsanderson.com/page...

And the free audiobook read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading here:
https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/prod...


Here are a few NOTABLE DIFFERENCES from the published version of The Way of Kings. Tread carefully: there will be minor plot spoilers!

Characters

Kaladin is called Merin here, but they are far from the same character. Unlike Kaladin, Merin accepts a Shardblade from Dalenar Kholin at the beginning because he saved King Elhokar in battle. His character arc shows us how he becomes a member of the Kholin household in a classic farmboy-turned-nobleman trope.

Shinri Davar might look like Shallan, but she is also a completely different character. She is Jasnah‘s ward from the beginning, capable and competent. There is no romantic connection betweeen Aredor (a version of Adolin) and her; instead she is forced to marry against her will.

Jeksonsonvallano (Szeth) is similarly Truthless and King Ahven of Jah Kaved (a version of Taravangian who is also evil) comes to hold his Bondstone (oathstone).

King Nolhonarin (Gavilar) is assassinated as well, but not by Jek; instead Elhokar wages war against the kingdom of Prallah for killing his father.

Elhokar might keep his name, but the characters could not be any more different: Prime WoK Elhokar is a truly bad king, incompetent, brash, and cruel; WoK Elhokar might not be the best king, but he tries and actually improves. Both versions die, though for very different reasons.

There is no Navani from what I could tell. Dalenar is instead unwillingly betrothed to a fourteen-year-old girl. (He does not intend to consummate the marriage.)

Jasnah is still awesome but not the brilliant scholar and veristitalian we know and love, but she is a skilled battle strategist and politician. She is an atheist, but not as prominently. In essence, she is Jasnah lite.

Taln is a main viewpoint character and is notably less mad than his equivalent, but everyone believes him to be just that, mad, though his charisma and abilities are undeniable. Also, Taln and Jasnah develop feelings for each other.

The fate of the Kholins was completely different and I was not happy about that at all.

No Wit.


Worldbuilding

The highstorms are not that punishing yet, except for the so-called annual Bellow. Also, the book was supposed to be part of the Oathshards series – there is no stormlight here.

Sprens do not exist! Shardblades and Shardplates have a different origin: they were made by so-called ancient Awakeners a long time ago. The true power locked in the Blades has not been discovered. The craft itself has been lost.

Soulcasting is also called Awakening. (But that has nothing to do with Awakening as we know it from Warbreaker.)

The oathgates are already used to facilitate travel; the equivalent of Urithiru being the First Palace in the city of Ral Eram, which, however, is not situated on a mountain and has been in use for a long time, since the Epoch Kingdoms.

There are no Shattered Plains yet, so no bridge crews either.

Different, much smaller map: mainland, three peninsulas and a few islands. Alethkar still borders on Vedenar (Jah Keved).

Knights Radiant are called Knights Epellion (the Ten Epellion Knighthoods were sects of mystical Epoch Warriors), Epellion Sourcing is Surgebinding. Windrunning, Stonewarding, Onyxcalling, Dustbringing etc. were powers that have been lost. (Gemstones and their Soul Tones were used to power the abilities in lieu of stormlight.)

No Voidbringers yet, but the Khothen (also called Shadein or Stormshades). Also no Parshendi.



Cast of NOTABLE CHARACTERS and a Few Minor Ones

House of Dalenar Kholin of Alethkar
- Dalenar (Parshen to Elhokar, one of two Second Lords to the king)
- Sheneres (oldest son, killed the same day as King Nolhonarin)
- Aredor (Adolin)
- Renarin (17)
- Merin (Kaladin) (17)
- Kalkanah (Dalenar‘s first wife, deceased)
- Kinae Khardinar (14 years old, Dalenar‘s betrothed)

The Ruling Kholin Branch in Alethkar
- King Nolhonarin (Gavilar) (dead)
- King Elhokar (22)
- Jasnah (his sister) (34)
- Queen Nanavah (sister to the king of Vedenar)
- Ahrden (not even 2 years old, son of the king)
- Ezavah Sheledar (Jasnah and Elhokar‘s fatally ill mother)
- Jezenrosh (cousin and second Parshen to the king)

Subjects of Alethkar
- Kemnar (second in command of Jasnah’s personal guard)
- Nelshenden (head of Jasnah‘s personal guard)
- Meridas Isvenda (merchant and adviser to the King Elhokar)
- Balenmar (royal stormkeeper and adviser to the dead King Nolhonarin)

Clergy
- Lhan (appointed companion of Taln)
- Ralmakha (former nobleman, his sister is married to Jezenrosh)
- Vasher (monk and Merin‘s fighting instructor)
- Chadrin, Tadr, Daniv (part of Vasher‘s group of monks)

Houses of Vedenar (Jah Keved)
- Shinri Davar (Jasnah‘s ward) (not really Shallan)(17)
- Tethren Rienar (Shinri‘s betrothed)
- Shendaran Rienar (Tethren‘s sister)
- Randach Davar (Veden nobleman, previous owner of Jek’s Bondstone, dead)
- Talshekh Davar, head of House Davar (one of the 3 ruling families), Shinri's cousin
- Ilhadal Davar (Shinri‘s father)

Other Monarchs and Notables
- Jeksonsonvallano (Szeth)
- Oshlen Reil aka the Traitor who killed King Nolhonarin
- King Talhmeshas of Pralir
- King Ahven of Vedenar (Taravangian), House of Vedenel
- Karathach (the Puppeteer, force behind the throne of King Ahven)
- King Amelin of Thelanah
- King Tamar of Lakhenran
- Kalden (a soldier in Lakhenran)
- Lord Intara of Teth-Kanar

The Heralds (aka the Elin)
- Taln Stonesinew, the Steadfast
- Jezrien Stormrider, the King
- Prael Smokewish, the Discerning
- Nale Suneyes, the Just
- Chanaral Bondseal, the Maker
- Ishar Holydaw, the Sacred
- Shalesa Ashmaker, the Scatterer
- Balear Soulsong, the Timeless
- Vedel Keywatcher, the Elsesmith
- Kazaveren Lightcall, the Healer

[Zitong Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this was really interesting. I went into this not expecting to love to, considering at early this was written in Sanderson’s career. What I was looking for was at how The Way of Kings has changed and at how much he has improved as a writer over time. Ok, so first off, I found it fascinating at what was established in this early draft, especially regarding the characters and the worldbuilding and at how similar many aspects were, but also at how dissimilar many aspects were. It was no where near on the level compared to the finished Way of Kings, which is better is every aspect.

Many of the more foundational aspects of worldbuilding were established here, although the more interesting and much more original aspects of Roshar were absent. There were no spren, nor Shadesmar, or the Parshendi, while many cultures and countries were also not here yet. Many aspects felt much more like a traditional fantasy novel and the magical elements weren’t overly special. While it was still decent, if this was the first book in the Stormlight Archive, it would have been good, but it would not have been super special and it was no where near as polished as it is was.

The characters in this was fine, and there certainly are hints of where it leads into the fantastic character work in his more recent published works. Most of these main characters appear in Stormlight, albeit with slightly different names(Shinri Davar instead of Shallan Davar, or Aredor instead of Adolin for example). There was a lot more of Jasnah which I found interesting, and the basis of her characters were certainly there, though she is not as well written, though was still a good character to follow around. A POV character in this novel was also a Herald, who was probably one of the best characters in this book. The character arcs are completely different and overall, they were ok, though not as thoughtful or unique as what comes in The Way of Kings. They felt more standard and normal and especially in terms of character growth. It was just what is sort of expected in normal decent fantasy, though nothing phenomenal. Kaladin’s entire arc and plot does not exist here, although, it is clear that Sanderon’s likely developed his character from Merin in this book as there are many parallels between the two.

While some arcs in terms of a large scale in terms of plot, were similar, the actual events in this novel was really quite different to what occurred. It is interesting looking at all the changes that have occurred between 2002 and 2010. It was… good, but not amazing and many parts were really quite predictable in what occurred. There were some elements that are fairly standard in fantasy, though there are hints as to how Sanderson developed there parts and that was really cool to see.

One thing I noted was that he switched some names around and also the relationships between certain characters. For example, Navanah was the name of Elhoker’s wife, whereas Navani(which is fairly similar) is instead his mother in the actual books. This also felt much faster paced for the most part, and it is much shorter by a few hundred pages compared to the actual Stormlight books. I wouldn’t say it is rushed, though there are some odd pacing moments, and simply, it does not go to the level of depth, especially in worldbuilding and characters.

I found that while this is still good fantasy, it does lack the depth and majesty and it is incredibly at how much Sanderson has improved as a writer throughout his career. 6/10

[Nacho Iribarnegaray · Rating 3 out of 5]

¡Literalmente me lo he leído para poder hacer un vídeo sobre ello!

[MPM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I.... I don’t even know what I am to say.
Don’t get me wrong I have a lot on my mind but it’s nothing of importance to anyone.
Really I’m just astounded that even the reject version of the WoK is still really freaking amazing.

Brb, gonna go rant to a friend and overthink everything

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Way of Kings Prime is Sanderson’s first attempt at writing The Way of Kings. The best way to describe The Way of Kings Prime is as an alternate version of The Way of Kings. There are seeds of what will become Sanderson’s published work as well as storylines/characters that are taken in a completely different directions.

As Sanderson mentioned in the foreword, The Way of Kings Prime takes on more than it can handle. The characters pale in comparison to what they’ll become in The Way Kings, the magic system is underdeveloped, and the lore/history can be confusing at times. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that the novel bites off more than it can chew as things become more and more muddled.

The biggest criticism I have of The Way of Kings Prime is the treatment of the women in the world. The women’s lack of agency is especially frustrating when considering Jasnah and Shallan’s characters in the published version. Shallan’s alternate version, Shinri, was especially difficult to read considering some of the things that happened to her. Some of these chapters were difficult to read and so unlike Sanderson’s official work. Let’s just say, I’m glad Sanderson changed this lack of agency.

Overall, The Way of Kings Prime does read like a first draft, however this unpolished, first draft reads better than a lot of fantasy novels on bookstore shelves today. If you’re a Sanderson super fan, The Way of Kings Prime is a must read.

[Aditi Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book in itself is so overwhelming. It feels like so much is going on, too much is being told. Though rough around the edges, it has one of the fastest advancing plot written by Sanderson. But the pace contributes to the less convincing world-building.

Giving Jasnah a much needed attention, TWOK prime shows a much humane and emotionally present Jasnah who is capable of falling in love.

After reading this, I seriously regret that Sanderson didn't move forward with Taln as one of the main characters of his series. He feels so reliable that reader himself/herself finds solace in his achievements and having a Herald who is betrayed by his own bretheren shows the extent to which the humankind is doomed. It shows the urgency and declares the uncertain future.

Talking about Shallan, I must say I missed her here. Her witty presence was a fun in original series.

I wish I could continue reading this viewpoint to the series.

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many thoughts about this book..... sooooooooooo many..................... 4 stars because I adore the foetus forms of all my favourite characters, and because I'm rating and reviewing this based on my experience reading this as a person who already read all of the canon Stormlight series and loved it, rather than as its merit as a book on its own (which, let's be real, is not the way this book is supposed to be read and judged anyway). I would also like to say that the criticisms I have of the way Brandon dealt with certain themes and characters in this book are fully referring to 2002 Brandon who wrote this book, not current Brandon, who has proven to me, at least, to be incredibly reflective and constantly improving himself and his craft as he learns from his past. The differences between this book and canon Way of Kings alone are greatly impressive proof of this.

This review is going to be so scrappy but basically -

Way of Kings Prime as a book by itself without any context of canon series: Mediocre.

Way of Kings Prime read with knowledge of the canon series and the understanding that this is a foetus form of the final text: Absolutely fascinating.

We're going to go vaguely by characters, because we all know how much I adore a good character-driven piece of prose, so:

Renarin?? An absolute legend. My SON!!!! My wonderful, powerful, caring son who I adore with all my heart. I cannot wait to read more about Renarin in canon, he is the absolute best! Him creating a early version of the Diagram......................... actually inspired. Good for him! Renarin's scenes were the highlight of the book for me.

Taln?? I loved his chapters. All his knowledge about past Roshar was so interesting, and his quest to find his fellow Heralds was very compelling. Brandon said in his introduction that he had intended to keep Taln's state of sanity ambiguous throughout the book, and I don't know if it was just because I've read the canon series already or what but there was not a single moment where I doubted his sanity, except in the Epilogue when the so-called peasants came and told Jasnah about his so-called past, at which point I was just..... confused and waiting for the other shoe to drop (which it did). Also, Lhan was a great character to put alongside Taln, one who I enjoyed learning about very much.

Jasnah?? Oh god. There is so much to unpack here. Actually most of my thoughts about this book are Jasnah related. Bear in mind that she is my favourite character in the canon series so this opinion is definitely influenced by that, but I also like to think I have enough objective thinking skills to have picked apart these problems anyway, even if I had no prior knowledge of this character. Strap in, folks.

I take huge issue with the way Jasnah was treated throughout the book, both by the other characters in-verse, and also by how Brandon basically used her as a vessel through which to philosophise about belief and ways of life. It didn't actually feel as if she had any agency (a true feat for someone who is supposed to be the most powerful woman in Roshar) - either she was being manipulated or subjected to blatant misogyny by those around her, or I could feel her just being used by Brandon to explore various philosophical topics that interested him. Obviously authors use characters to explore themes and ideas all the time, but in this case it felt extremely heavy-handed.

Her arc started with a classic "atheist who works solely through logic and doesn't have emotions" and then to show that she had emotions the book had her fall in love, and then killed off the man she loved in order to render her emotionally distraught enough to admit that the entirety of her prior life, favouring logic and political progression over sentiment and familiar relationships, had been "a waste". (I wish that wasn't a direct quote from the book but... yeah, it was. One of the last things she does in the book is call her life a waste.......... Yikes.) I understand that this was not the sole message the book was trying to send about Jasnah, (there was some interesting nuance around the importance of belief coming not just in the form of religion, but in the form of hope and trust in your friends and loved ones) but having the epilogue primarily depicting her preparing for Taln's funeral whilst thinking about how much she regretted her past choices essentially worked to invalidate Jasnah's chosen way of life. I felt like her characterisation and agency as a character was severely inhibited by the lack of subtlety with the way the events around her were manipulated by Brandon throughout the book in order to force her to reach this conclusion.

This being said, whilst I disapprove of Jasnah's overall arc in this novel, there were some wonderfully juicy moments. Her movements within the Alethi courts were as satisfying to witness as ever, and it was very exciting to get to see more of her and Shinri (Shallan) together as a political power duo than we get in canon! The way Jasnah built herself back up into power in the Capitol through various calculated, risky power plays after spending years away from the court in the Prallan war was incredibly sexy of her. Furthermore, Jasnah's interactions with Taln were fascinating, with the two of them being excellent character foils to each other in their current forms. The way they could both get under each other's skin and expose each other's insecurities and make them question each other's views and values was a wonderfully explored dynamic, very juicy, a highlight of the book. I adored Jasnah turning his body to smoke at the end of the book, it was a gorgeous touch. Also, the yearning between them................. as much as I hate to say it, I did enjoy it. I rationalise it with a strict detachment of WOK Prime Jasnah from canon Jasnah, for whom actions such as falling in love with a man would be entirely out of character. As a friend told me before I read this book - thankfully, none of this is canon!!! On that note, the fact that Meridas was alive at the end of the novel greatly irritated me. I placate myself by remembering that he died in Oathbringer. Moving on...

Merin (Kaladin) was the character that Brandon clearly spent the most time in the years between writing WOK Prime and WOK thinking heavily about, because the development of that character and his backstory and motivations is one of the most impressive differences between WOK Prime and canon WOK. This being said, Merin was still an enjoyable character in this book, and he did have some incredible moments - such as duelling five shardbearers at once and winning. I feel like this scene was ultimately reworked into Words of Radiance's "Honour is dead, but I'll see what I can do" duelling scene, as it features the same incredible sense of earned satisfaction in battle through use of a hint of magic. It seems that here would be an excellent place to put in a shoutout to VASHER!!!!! AN ABSOLUTE ICON!!!!! The way Vasher has been fully formed ever since 2002, and since then appeared in multiple Cosmere worlds.............. his power! Always a pleasure to read scenes featuring him.

The other thing I loved about Merin was his relationships with Aredor (Adolin) and Renarin. It was so exciting to see the three of them just hanging out together in the first half of the book. There was nothing remarkable about these scenes, they were just a greatly enjoyable time. Speaking of Aredor, he struck me one of the characters that was the most similar to how he is in canon, which was something I found interesting. Not much to say here, just that I love him and am very pleased that Brandon ultimately decided not to kill him off :)

Shinri (Shallan) and Jek (Szeth)..... sure were there! Shinri sort of just spent the entire book being moved around from captivity to captivity, which was a bit of a rip for her, I must say. Jek felt like his purpose was just to give the reader insight into the Veden King Ahven's movements without making him a POV character, rather than being a super compelling character in his own right. Oh, and my thoughts on the King Ahven?? Yeah, we're not going to go there. There's lots to unpack there, probably more than any other part of the novel, but I do not have the inclination nor the energy to do so. All I will say is: wow he is disgusting.

Okay, well, there we have it!! That was a summation of my most pressing thoughts about the book, I hope that future me reading this because she's trying to remember what Way of Kings Prime was like will be enlightened. Whilst I clearly have criticisms about the treatment of some characters in this book, overall it was a very enjoyable read and a fascinating look into the development of the Roshar we know and love today! It was an excellent start to 2020 Stormlight hours, working as a little primer to get me in the right mindset to start my Stormlight reread ahead of Rhythm of War's release! Journey before destination, folks.

PS - I just realised I forgot to write about Dalinar. Basically: the man's over-enhanced sense of honour just doesn't have the same juicy flavour without his backstory as a rampaging warmonger. Stan Oathbringer Dalinar.

[Mayank Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: Stupid me realizing 10 days later that i had saved this as a draft instead of posting :facepalm:

Wow, this book was like deja vu wrapped in rough paper. Characters you know and love but in a different storyline. In Sanderson's own words he wrote this not because he wanted to write something that would sell but because he wanted to write something for himself. That in itself is such a bold and brazen and yet brave attitude.
The story is much faster paced than the original and while the original (or should i say the published) one has a very well explored storyline, this has a bit hastened ending and quite literally kills off characters to end their arc.
Overall I loved it and would definitely read a part two, especially coz of the cliffhanger ending.

[Nick Tankard · Rating 3 out of 5]

8/10

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way of Kings Prime is such an interesting read because this “failure” of a book was still fantastic in its own right. This is the original draft of Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings before he scrapped it and completely rewrote the story. It’s fascinating to see which things he kept in his final story and which he removed. The story is still set in Roshar and we follow some familiar characters or their stand ins, but it is very different. There aren’t any spren or Parshmen yet. The characteristic Brandon Sanderson hard magic system isn’t present, and although the story is as complex and vast as the final version ended up being, the story isn’t as layered.

What really struck me with WoK Prime are the characters. In place of Kaladin, we get Merin, who is a major character but not the main protagonist. Merin has the nobility and inherent goodness and likability of Kaladin, but he hasn’t been as well developed and doesn’t come with the intense backstory that made Kaladin who he is. Dalenar (Dalinar) and Renarin survive pretty intact in terms of personality, but they get different stories. I hope that Adenor’s (Adolin) storyline here doesn’t reflect what will happen in book 5 because I will not be a happy camper if it does. Shinri is the Shallan counterpart and is radically different, and I may actually like Shinri better. Jek (Szeth) has a major viewpoint in the story rather than the short excerpts we get in WoK. But the two biggest revelations in WoK Prime are Jasnah and Taln the Herald. They both play a huge roles in this story, and their intertwining storylines are what I’ll miss the most about this early version of the book. I did not know I needed nor wanted this storyline, but I want it now. Also, I loved Brother Lhan, a character who doesn’t exist in the main series.

Needless to say, but I would still have loved this book had it been released as the official version of The Way of Kings (with some tweaks to the climax and ending which felt were really rushed). I certainly recommend reading this for fans of The Stormlight Archive, and I believe the ebook version is still free on his website. The Way of Kings Prime tells a complete story, but it is obviously a first volume in a series. I do wish for Brandon Sanderson to give a general outline of where he planned on going with this original story before be rewrote it.

[Siona Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a neat insight to what Brandon originally had planned for the series, but nowhere near as good as his writing (both in just basic writing and in his plot, character, and magic system development) is today. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a hardcore cosmere fan, but otherwise I don’t think it would be “worth” your time since none of the plot threads will ever be resolved.

I will say, I did like the Onyxseer powers and that seemed really cool. And it was awesome getting to have so much from Jasnah’s perspective. It sucks her book is supposed to be book 10 lol. But allegedly she’ll have a great focus in the back half anyway.

[Marina Vidal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puntuar esta novela es extraño. No es El Camino de los reyes, pero algunas de las semillas de lo que es sí que están, y son maravillosas. La novela tiene sus cosas y se nota que algunas de ellas no funcionan del todo, pero sigue siendo una historia interesante. Es diferente y a la vez similar. Y he de admitir que aunque la versión final es mucho mejor en casi todos los aspectos, WokPrime no tiene nada que envidiar a su versión canon. Es una historia paralela muy digna y lo suficientemente bien ejecutada como para tener valor por sí misma.

Eso sí, se tiene que leer sabiendo lo que es y desde luego con la versión final ya leída. No hay sprens, no hay puente cuatro y la mayoría de personajes son sombras de los finales, pero encontrareis la esencia del Archivo de las Tormentas entre sus páginas y como curiosidad fan es absolutamente divertidísima de leer.

[Sakshi Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the first version of Way Of Kings, written 9 years before the much more evolved book that was released. It’s remarkable how much I liked reading this.

The characters are immensely different, which I expected, but the world is so different as well. The magic, the politics, the high level plot - everything is much milder in this book. I loved getting a midpoint glimpse between nothing and the Way of Kings at it was in Sanderson’s mind. It honestly made me feel like he started from a simple story, with some common tropes, and then let it marinate for a really long time. I love that he shared this version, his “successful failure”.

My heart ached for characters I loved that were just missing from this alternate reality, characters that weren’t at their potential by far, and characters who died too early. This felt more like a game between Kingdoms, whereas the current books are a lot more about a people and the magic they can unleash.


Every failure from this book actually excited me, because it showed me how stereotypically Sanderson was thinking about his characters, and how he evolved from that into the 2011 actual release. Women are so much better written in the published versions. Characters are wonderful and a delight to take the journey with. The magic has spirit, and the world has a lot of complexity.


There were a few things I wished he’d kept in the later version - I wish I could have had more of
Taln or Vasher.


I don’t do well with alternate reality books. I think too much of the characters as they were, and keep forcing the alt-characters to make similar decisions. As the author, I’m so impressed that Sanderson was able to bring out so much more from his characters. How does one re-write a 1000 page book?


Overall, a 4. It’s a complicated rating though.

[Kaleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rookie Brandon is still better than most of what you can find out there. I enjoyed the book, but can see why he made the changes he did moving from Prime to Canon.

What I liked -
The story - the alternate timeline was fun to read. It wasn't just little things either. Merin/Kaldin taking the Shardblade put the story on an entire different trajectory. Not going into much detail to avoid spoilers, but the story could easily be a different planet in the Cosmere with a few more tweaks. There's a lot that made it's way to Canon, but enough unique about Prime that it was a good story.

The characters - Brandon is great with his character. I didn't think he could make a worse (better?) villain than Canon Sadeas, but Prime's Meridas gives him a run for his money. He really is such a despicable, awful person. You really wish he could get his due, but considering this was written as a first in a series, he's left alive. :( I enjoyed seeing Jasnah have a love interest. Taln was amazing and I hope we get more Herald's PoV in Canon. Elhokar was even more of a brat in this one, and I was happy with the way the story ended for him. Jek/Szeth had a neat story in this one. I cared about him in this one faster than in Canon, but like his character as well.

What I didn't like -

Cohesiveness - Things are a little more scattered in this one. Brandon even says as much in the intro. There's not as much world building, a lot less of the magic system. It's still a well done story but not the polished version we're used too.

The cliff-hanger ending - Come on Brandon! Please give us a resolution to this. Due to the differences between Canon and Prime, I don't know that Canon's resolutions would work here. Even a novella wrapping this up would be great!

[Nesreensada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though Brandon is one of my favourite authors, this book as stated by himself is a failure. Nonetheless it started off as an enjoyable but compared to his style it lacks the character development and the whole writing style seemed rushed.
I still i am happy that i got to read another perspective of the way of kings

[Julio A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
this book was rough around the edges but it still turned out to be a very interesting read to get some insight of how the world of Roshar has changed from Brandons original vision to the masterpiece he released in 2010.

[Love Dhanoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85 stars

[Shreyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Way of Kings Prime' (Sanderson Curiosities) by Brandon Sanderson.

“I’ve often wondered something, Lord Herald. Is it possible for a man to so fill his life with important things that he doesn’t have time enough left for the ones that are vital?”

This isn't a rough draft of 2010 The Way of Kings. This is the alternate universe version written way back in 2002 - one without the spren.

What begins as a fantasy mystery thriller during the initial pages ends up being a very good Sanderson book. Of course, comparison to the 2010 canon version are bound to happen. The plot is far too different than the canon version, but there are certain familiar elements. The characters are quite solid on their own. Jasnah seems a bit unlike the SA Jasnah, yet her arc is compelling enough. The magic system and the world building seem a bit rough, but again, this was way before Sanderson honed his skills as a writer.

The book closes a smaller arc, but the epilogue leaves many questions unanswered which lead up to a much bigger arc. But alas, I doubt we might never know where Brandon was leading up the TWoK Prime story considering it is considerably different from the SA version. Hopefully, we may get some of the ends resolved in some of the WoBs. Hopefully..

Without any comparisons with the 2010 version, the book stands out on its own... and I wonder how this was dropped by multiple publishers. But if that wouldn't have happened, we would never have got the Stormlight Archives. Would recommend it to every Sanderfan who is curious enough for more Sanderson works.

An unexpectedly great read. I would give it a 4.5/5.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

At about halfway through I was questioning why this book was considered a "good failure". It was exciting, it was mysterious and it had great world building, as well as believable characters and action.

At 80% doubt crept in, there were a lot of threads left hanging and I doubted there was enough book left to tie them all up. And ultimately that was the case - the ending failed to deliver on the multiple promises it made, leaving key questions unanswered (what exactly happened seventeen years ago? And what about the mystery army? - to name a few, I have a loooong list) and ultimately leaving the ending less than satisfactory.

But even though it fell short at the end, the way there was worthy of praise and I am so grateful that we get to read this book with its strengths and its flaws (and for free). I am even more grateful that Sanderson rewrote it and gave us the marvel that is the stormlight archive.

[Twila · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[penta]

Nie widzę sensu w ocenianiu książki, którą sam autor uznał za wersję nie do wydania, tho I admire the effort, by dać fanom zerknąć na coś takiego.

Also: BRANDOSANDO PLS MAKE *THE* SHIP CANON AGAIN PLS

[Utkarsh Anand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't dare say this is better than the 2010 released WOK (The Way Of Kings) but reading the prime version helps you appreciate the nuances that Brandon Sanderson added to the 2010 WOK. We follow several characters such as Merin (Kaladin), Dalenar, Jasnah, Taln, Shinri (Shallan) and Jek (the truthless). This book however would ruin your first three books of the series 'The Stormlight Archives' if you haven't read them first.

A protracted war ends…. just to give birth to another one and then another and then another. Royal courts with more adversaries than allies. A savior demigod questioning his own sanity. No true Heralds to protect the fractured world from it's massacre this time. And at dangerous times like this, when the world needs a hero, it has only to offer lords with ambiguous morals swallowed in civil wars.

Overall-
WOK Prime is an easier read than the 2010 WOK as the whole story feels more cohesive and in flow. Not a must read but still intersting.

The good-

-Characters- The slightly more humane touch in Jasnah and the moral conflicts Taln faces were the two main changes that I liked in this book.

-Excellent depiction of events at the broader scale through lenses that focused on individual personalities and relationships.

-No slog in the middle which most Sanderson books suffer from.
Apart from these the book has the typical Sanderson action sequences, intricate magic system etc.

The bad-

I found the book lacking an elaborate world-building and wanted strong background stories for characters like Dalenar and Merin. However these complaints are more of a comparison to the 2010 WOK than actual deficiencies present in the book. The ending was less intriguing by Sanderson standards but still delightful.


Recommended for?
Readers who are comfortable with 700+ pages epic fantasies and looking for battles studded with politics, naive heroism and grey areas of moral duty.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy cow! For the first draft of a book and what was considered a 'failure' by Sanderson himself, I was blown away by this. Reading it was an interesting experience. I love The Stormlight Archive and when reading this first draft of The Way of Kings it was honestly hard not to make comparisons. Though there is still some good world-building, it pales in comparison to the final version. I greatly missed the Parshendi! There are some characters that overlap a little (Jasnah and Dalenar for example), and others that have almost completely changed from first draft to the published version so that they have more depth (Shinri becoming Shallan, Merin becoming Kaladin, for example). I really enjoyed reading more from Jasnah's perspective, and I also loved the dynamic between Taln and Lahn. Although there are some inconsistencies in the narrative (eg. Merin being told Vasher had never taken on a student and a lengthy conversation as to why this may be the case, and 100 pages later another monk explaining what Vasher had taught a pupil prior to Merin in sword fighting), this is still a cohesive story with some interesting twists and turns. I was pretty amazed at just how polished Sanderson's first drafts are, given how long this is and how many plot threads are present. I was also really surprised by the unexpected character deaths and how different their roles become in the final cut. I think now I've got a better understanding and appreciation of just how much changes from one draft to the next for huge works such as this. For a 'failure' this certainly didn't feel like one!!

[Gregg Buford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very glad that he did continue to think about how he wanted The Way of Kings to be as while this was a decent book it doesn't come close to the final product. Every thing from the characters and power system is so much better. The way this written I would have wondered how he would continue the series at all. I think people would liked this if it was published but not to the degree I and others liked the current Stormlight Archive. Good to see to what were some of his original ideas were though and that he knew he could do better.

[Stephan van Velzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really surprising in so many ways. I'm glad Brandon rewrote it, but also sad to never get a sequel. There's so much here I want to know more about. All the seeds for Way of Kings are here, but it's still a completely different book.

So glad Brandon got over this GRRM-emulation phase, though!

[Αλέξης Ζησιμόπουλος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια δωρέαν, θαυμάσια αποτυχία.

[Hannah]

Look, I'm not going to rate this in stars. That would be unfair. This is a version of The Way of Kings that didn't get published, because it didn't work that well. Some things were rough and Brandon Sanderson stated that this has a lot of flaws and that this was not really revised a lot before being published.

But honestly, this book doesn't need to be perfect. Here, we can see Brandon's progress and it's obvious how much he improved between this book and the real The Way of Kings. This book isn't the finished work. Still, this book isn't terrible. It's far from that and I have read so much worse actually published books that are canon and the novel that counts. (If that makes sense.)
It's also so interesting to see what other ideas Brandon had and how different this version is. I was extremely surprised how different some things were. For example, there are no Spren, no Parshendi (or Parshmen), no Chasmfiends, etc. As you can see, there were a lot of changes from this version to the final one. I do believe the things in The real The Way of Kings worked better, but there were so many interesting plot points and characters here too. It was great to see so much of Taln.
On the one hand, I'm glad that the Stormlight Archive is how it is right now, but I also want to know what would have happened later in this version. It's a bit frustrating that I will never know.

So, I would say that fans of the Stormlight Archive "should" read this, if they want to know what could have been differently in this series.