The way of Kings

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Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Sanderson, Brandon	4-week checkout	Due 03-13-2026

A new epic series by the best-selling writer of Robert Jordan's final Wheel of Time novels introduces the world of Roshar through the experiences of a war-weary royal compelled by visions, a highborn youth condemned to military slavery and a woman who would save her impoverished house.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Interesting World and story submitted by kmoon3 on July 8, 2013, 10:17am This wasn't the easiest introduction to such a large epic (the first book in The Wheel of Time series was much better at that) but if you can work through it the payoff is good. It's probably not the best Sanderson book to start off with. I look forward to the next books in the series.

Excellent start (and second one is better) submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 11, 2014, 2:22pm My kids were wowed when they saw me with this 1,001 page hardcover book. :-)

While overall I think this was a good book and well worth the read, I have some mixed feelings. Sanderson is an outstanding writer (his Mistborn trilogy is among the best books I've ever read), although this is apparently the first novel he ever wrote. It shows.

In his favor: he's clearly setting up a huge world with vast and intricate storylines that will continue (I hope) for many, many more books. The last 400 pages of the book are excellent and really hard to put down.

However, the first 600 pages need a lot more editing. I said to my husband, "It was always worth reading, but it wasn't always worth picking up." (After reading it, he agreed.) If Sanderson could have edited it down to 400 pages it would have been a much better read. I felt like he spent too much of the early part of the book setting up how different the world is ("Look! A spren! Look! The megafauna are crusteaceans! Look! A storm with supernatural powers!"). And he commented that Sanderson spent way too much time on Kaladin's youth, which I completely agree with. A little might have been fine, but it's not that interesting. The story was also told from one character's viewpoint at a time, a style I like for it's ability to show the reader only what a character can know or figure out, but I don't know that it was as well done as some other writers have done.

I'll certainly read the next installment, but I hope that Sanderson's writing experience since the first round of writing this one will improve part two of the Stormlight Archives. (Note: The second book is out and he is, indeed, a better writer/ has a better editor. The second one flies!)

Do Not Start submitted by www.net on July 22, 2018, 11:20am I loved this book, but the series is taking to long. If it's not too late for you, I would recommend waiting until the series is finished before you pick it up. Right now, the first three books are out. It is supposed to end up as a ten book series. I know that I am going to have to reread all of the books before I can read each new one. You would do better to wait, and then be able to read (or devour) all of the books at once. Once they all come out, I would recommend this book.

A Compelling Series Introduction submitted by MarkLabo on January 31, 2021, 6:45pm The Way of Kings is a compelling and well-written introduction to a fantasy epic series. It features many of Brandon Sanderson's typical trademarks; an interesting and unique world, a complex system of magical powers, and a plot that's a slow burn towards a large-scale, dramatic climax. The three viewpoint characters are all interesting and three-dimensional people, and the plot itself is engaging and fun. Be warned that the story does feature some dark themes, including mentions of prostitution and a viewpoint character contemplating suicide.

That said, it's by no means perfect - The Way of Kings does spend a bit too much time building up the world instead of progressing the plot, and the story of one of the three main characters is unconnected to and much less interesting than the other two - although she does become significantly more interesting in later books in the series. It is also extremely long, reaching over 1,000 pages; this isn't a book you'll be finishing in an afternoon.

As an introduction to a series, The Way of Kings is incredible; as a standalone book, somewhat less so. Still, for people interested in fantasy epics, complex worldbuilding, or a thoughtful exploration of mental illness in fantasy, it's a great novel and definitely worth a read.

The Way of Kings submitted by SBNB on June 21, 2022, 10:14pm Good start to The Stormlight Archive. It took me a bit to figure out the world and the timeline and who was who, but once I got things straightened out, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sanderson is a monster, consistently churning out sometimes multiple books per year. And while there are still many books expected in this series, at least he's reliable and pretty quick unlike two other infamous fantasy authors who have left fans hanging for over ten years. I would definitely recommend this book and this series.

Satisfying read submitted by symesmb on June 30, 2022, 11:45am If Sanderson should be known for anything it's that he can end a book well. The Way of Kings starts a little slow for some and parts may feel a little disconnected but Sanderson uses each piece to build momentum continually through the book to reach one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a long time. He ties the big plots up well and sets up the rest of the series in an exciting way. The world of Roshar has depth, substance, and mystery that make it a fantastic setting for a lengthy fantasy series. I'm excited for what comes next!

Good book from an even greater series submitted by shaight on August 1, 2022, 7:57pm I wrote a review for the audiobook version of this book already, but would like to add some additional thoughts here. (If you're debating starting this series or haven't listened to the audiobooks yet, I can't recommend the audiobook enough) This book starts off with an action-filled scene immediately. Something ominous and magical and confusing is happening and as the reader you are totally pulled in. However, after that scene the book does slow down dramatically for a little while as Sanderson builds up the cast of characters, the world, and current events that are taking place while our main characters are embarking on their journeys (whether they're aware of it or not). After that initial scene, it can take a little while for things to pick back up again. I remember my partner telling me at the time I was reading it that the payoff at the end of the series is more than worth a few slow parts and that even the slow parts contain important information. So, I took some breaks so I wouldn't get too burnt out but I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. By the end of the book I was raving about it and impatient for book two. Trust me, if you're at all into descriptive fantasy or sci-fi and enjoy lots of world- and character-building, you should give this series a try.

long but amazing submitted by Nu on August 25, 2022, 6:00pm a really good albeit slightly slow start to a great series. wonderful world-building.

Brilliant submitted by heapah on August 28, 2022, 10:56pm Brandon Sanderson is brilliant. Best world-building series I've ever read.

favorite series submitted by 16macleod_ian on June 17, 2023, 9:50pm power suits in a historical magic setting

Wonderful start to the series submitted by gryfinder on July 11, 2024, 8:30am TWOK is a great start to Sanderson’s terrific Stormlight Archives series. If the length of the book feels unapproachable, I highly recommend the audio book — Kate Reading and Michael Kramer do a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.

The Start of an “Epic” Epic Fantasy submitted by nguyen9251 on July 29, 2024, 11:51pm Brandon Sanderson is the Tolkien of our age. His writing is beautiful, his characters are compelling, and his plot twists will keep you guessing late into the night. This book (and series) will make you want to dive into Sanderson’s Cosmere over and over again!

Excellent start submitted by slyprid on August 2, 2024, 7:45pm An excellent start to an amazing world.

Worldbuilding at its Best submitted by mrindigo on August 9, 2024, 10:59pm Sanderson's world, The Cosmere, is well thought out and The Way of Kings is an excellent way to experience it. A long but very engaging read!

Can be slow at times but worth it in the end submitted by zeedutchman on July 16, 2025, 5:13pm I haven’t read any of the other series by Sanderson but the Stormlight Archives are definitely worth the read. There are some parts that a bit of a slog but, if you push through, you’re rewarded. The world building is great and the writing is excellent. There are some aspects that reminded me of the Sci Fi/Fantasy epics that have become popular over the last few years (Song of Ice and Fire, Dune, Hyperion); in a totally good way. If you like any of those, you’ll be into this.

5/5 submitted by juliehopkins on July 17, 2025, 12:30pm It's famously long, and I bounced off it the first few times I tried to read it. There is so much lore front loaded, but once I got past that I really enjoyed.

slow and ponderous, but still a good read submitted by hbcarter on July 22, 2025, 8:29am Sanderson is obviously a good writer, and I especially liked the depth of his characters. At any given part, the people and places felt completely immersive. But a lot of it felt like a lot of the scenes were included for thoroughness rather than actually adding to the story.

I think the people who will enjoy this book most would be the people for whom the world-building is most of the point, like Herbert or Tolkien. If you're of the mindset that a cool world is just the backdrop for a great story, this may not be worth the investment for you.

World-Class Worldbuilding submitted by Cttift on August 19, 2025, 10:00pm If you're into fantasy, this is an excellent way to get into Brandon Sanderson's works. His biggest strength as a writer is in his incredible worldbuilding, both in terms of the world itself as well as the magical system accompanying it (I mean, a crustacean-based ecosystem?! Who would've thought!?). I love it.

A little long, but great story and great characters submitted by VeraSchwankl on August 20, 2025, 5:06pm I loved the characters that were introduced in this book but I felt that the transitions between their different plotlines gave me a little bit of whiplash. Other than that though, a very fun read. Also other than the intense depiction of depression. That was still good, just not fun.