Review of The Way of Kings
What It's About
The Way of Kings is an absolutely astounding piece of literature, following multiple characters throughout the book.
The first is Kaladin, a grieving soldier who was captured and made a slave. Kaladin mourns the loss of his brother, and the loss of his sense joy and purpose. He keeps a lethal plant hidden in his pocket, desperate for a reason to keep living. And then he finds one; a spren*, strangely conscious and self-aware, begins to follow him, whispering truths into his ear. Kaladin is sent to a military camp, where he carries bridges across a vast expanse covered in chasms; Kaladin and his crew, Bridge Four, carry one bridge and lay it down for soldiers to cross over the chasms. With a newfound sense of purpose, Kaladin and Bridge Four vigourously exert themselves to do thier duty.
The second is Shallan, and mysterious scholar sailing to a rich, vibrant kingdom, though the reason of her excursion is not sightseeing, but robbery. Shallan plans to rob the princess, a regal woman named Jasnah Kholin, of her soulcaster*, in order to provide money for her faltering familly. For her to do this, though, she must become the princess's apprentice to get close enough to steal from her.
These are just two important characters in The Way of Kings, though there are dozens more I could talk about. As for the magic of Roshar, their home planet, some people use to be able to inhale and use a substance called Stormlight. They wielded magical swords that could cut through any substance like water, and they left flesh grey and dead in their wake. These swords, though uncommon, are used regularly by knights and kings to the present day in the book. The magic, however, was abandoned by an order known as the Knights Radiant millenia ago. But as magic begins to resurface, it's presence leaves ripples of uncertainty across the planet.
*Spren are manifestations of things like pain, fire, wind, water, fear, etc. that take different forms and have unique aspects, though the most they can ever verbalize is by repeating words said to them.
*Soulcasters are magical artifacts used for the purpose of transmutation. For example, with a soucaster, Jasnah could turn a rock into smoke, or turn blood into wine. The soulcasters could be used to turn normal things into precious stones, or valuable metals, as well.
What I Liked
The whole book was awesome, but here are three main points about The Way of Kings I liked the most:
Number one, the magic blew me away, seemingly pulling the magic curtain away and unveiling a whole new genre of fantasy. Way of Kings has one of the most unique forms of magic imaginable! (Sorry, but I can't go more into depth, I might spoil it!)
Number two, the characters are so incredibly intricate and well made, it felt like they were real, tangible people; I felt as if the characters were going to jump out from inside the pages! Sanderson goes into the history and past of each and every character, building up until you feel like the characters are your best friends!
And third, Sanderson is what's known as a world builder; he writes books that describe the world, heritage, folklore, magic, and people in a way that cascades into a magnificent waterfall of details!
What I Disliked
Some of the characters in the book deal with mental instability, as well as emotional instability. This aspect felt a little heavy for me, but it didn't reduce the greatness of the book at all!
Conclusion
The Way of Kings is my favorite piece of literature ever written, with magic that never stops growing, a world that teems with intricate details, and characters that almost walk right out of the book; Brandon Sanderson never ceases to amaze me!
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