Title: The Way of Kings, Book 1 of The Stormlight Archives
Author: Brandon Sanderson
# Pages: 1007
Published: 2010
Rating: 5 stars
In The Way of Kings, Sanderson introduces the reader to Roshar, a land only recently brought under the rule of a single king. An assassin who can walk on walls and ceilings kills the king who brought about the kingdom’s unification, so the king’s son and the king’s brother lead the kingdom in war against those responsible for the king’s death.
The war takes place on the chasms, a desert-type terrain that has large ravines that require bridges to cross. The armies aren’t able to make their way across the desert, because enormous storms tear through the land every few days, so they stay in camps and race to fight against the other side as often as possible.
In Roshar, the men do not learn to read, and their highest form of honor comes from being warriors. Women are their scribes, as well as the scientists and engineers that create new technology. A person’s worth is measured by the lightness or darkness of his or her eyes. Plants pull away when they’re approached by humans. Carriages are pulled by things that sound a bit like crabs.
This book tells the stories of the king’s brother, Brightlord Dalinar, and his son, Adolin; the king’s daughter, Jasnah; a young warrior, Kaladin; and
Favorite Quotes:
“Sometimes the prize is not worth the costs. The means by which we achieve victory are as important as the victory itself.”
“To
lack feeling is to be dead, but to act on every feeling is to be a child.”