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manioł is Currently Reading

manioł is currently reading

Ocean Passages: Navigating Pacific Islander and Asian American Literatures (Critical Race, Indigeneity, and Relationality)

by Erin Suzuki

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 05, 2026 08:16PM

manioł is currently reading

Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 05, 2026 08:15PM

manioł is currently reading

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)

by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: 2024, fantasy, currently-reading, 2026, reread

Reading for the 2nd time

read in April 2024

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manioł said: " 4.5/5
It's difficult to even sum up my thoughts on this book. I'm sure I've started a review that way before, but this time I really mean it. The Way of Kings is just so expansive, so intricate, well-planned, and well-structured, that even though read 4.5/5
It's difficult to even sum up my thoughts on this book. I'm sure I've started a review that way before, but this time I really mean it. The Way of Kings is just so expansive, so intricate, well-planned, and well-structured, that even though reading it is a massive, multi-week undertaking, it still manages to feel cohesive and satisfying. While I've never been the biggest fan of fantasy novels, Sanderson is clearly a master at the craft, to the point where most of the issues I have are more a product of the genre than his technique. I was nearly in shock when I finished the book; I'm writing this review the day after finishing it because I needed some time to process.

I'll start by praising the actual characters and plot lines. The stand out here is, of course, Kaladin. The stakes of his story, despite arguably being the smallest, feel the largest. That's probably because of how expertly Sanderson forces you to experience Kal's emotional crashes and highs, really bonding you to him as a character. It helps that Kal has a tragic yet relatable story: how to stop those you love from being hurt, how to care but not care too much when things inevitably go wrong. These questions have no right answers, as we all know from our own experience, and so Sanderson doesn't give any. Instead, he offers the catharsis of working through these issues in fiction; Kal's successes feel like your successes and his failures feel like your failures. It's difficult to express how well Sanderson managed to pull this off. Shallan and Dalinar both have fascinating stories as well, but their chapters often pale in comparison to Kal's, which positively shine, both structurally and emotionally. The only other character I really felt compared to Kal was Szeth, and I can't wait to see him become a bigger player in the second novel. Also, Adolin was there, I guess.

The world building was spell binding, mostly because it exists not as a static reality, but as an ever-changing landscape that the characters have to grow to understand. Though it can often feel like Sanderson is dropping details for no reason, this is usually not the case. For example, his elaboration on the spren and the scientists who study them feels vitally important to the unraveling of the story. Additionally, the way technological advancement factors in is so interesting because it demonstrates how the concepts of religion and science might be applied to a new world with entirely different natural laws. Lastly, I would be remiss to not mention how dynamic the pacing is. For a 1200-page book, it is remarkably readable, and part of that is due to how well it is set up and then how information trickles down to the reader through the characters' revelations. That makes the book a real page-turner, and means that you're absolutely floored once those revelations all click into place. Really, all I want to do is reexperience the twists again.

Admittedly, I still have some minor pacing issues. I do think the book is too long, but as I mentioned, this is debatable due to genre. A lot of the stuff that could theoretically be cut might disrupt the reader's immersion or could be a detail that fantasy fans live for. I also think the nature of the multi-person perspective means that some chapters will be slower than others, breaking the book's momentum. I'm specifically referring to switching over from a Kal chapter to an Adolin chapter because the plot will literally go from Kal doing the most amazing, earth-shattering feat known to this world at this time to Adolin doing his little duels or flirting with his little girlfriends. I'll also admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of the flashback scenes. As a rule, I think flashback subplots always ruin momentum, but I'll admit that by the end of this one, I was sold. Sanderson manages to build the tension in two parallel storylines very well.

The craziest part is that I'm not even exhausted after finishing this book, which was the case when I finished Game of Thrones. Instead, I immediately want to start reading the next one. So I guess I'll be back once I've finished that one too! ...more "

progress:

(page 0 of 1007)
"me: not even halfway to my reading goal.
also me: has 150 bajillion books to finish for class.
also also me: you know what i should reread right now???" — Aug 04, 2026 08:43AM

Apr 05, 2024 05:17PM · see review

See all 14 books that manioł is reading…