Book Review: The Way of Kings

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Sanderson's masterful worldbuilding is on full display in this first book of his Stormlight Archive epic fantasy series.

There are many narrative characters in this story. So many, in so many different places, that there are long stretches where we don't see some of them. The three main perspectives were those of Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar, each of whom was distinct and had a very different adventure. Kaladin is a beaten-down underdog hero whose deep sense of empathy causes him to protect the weak even when he fears he'll fail. Shallan is a clever, sheltered girl experiencing the wonders of the world for the first time and trying to find her path in life. And Dalinar is a stalwart general, loyal and brave, but rigid in a way that makes him unpopular with his peers. This book focused mostly on the inner conflicts of these three characters, bringing each of them to a tipping point that forced them to decide who they were going to be moving forward.

While there were some external plot events, The Way of Kings seemed most concerned with setting the stage and players for the larger story to come. There were also "interlude" chapters that seemed to exist for worldbuilding alone. They tended to follow seemingly random characters who never showed up again. The interludes were still well-written, and they were interesting, but I'm not sure they added enough to the story to justify their place in the book. We could have just had the Szeth chapters as interludes and covered the other snippets of worldbuilding elsewhere.

Plot-wise, this book definitely has the feel of a longer story that has been cut into chunks. I loved getting to know the characters and their world, and there was a sort of conclusion, but the story definitely feels unfinished. It does not stand on its own. If you're thinking about reading The Way of Kings, you should plan to read the entire series so that you get the full story.

I enjoyed The Way of Kings immensely, and I'm eager to see where the series goes! Recommended for fans of epic fantasy who love deep wordbuilding and characters with significant internal conflicts.

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