For those of you who don't know... I am a "Sanderfan." Or "Fanspren." Or "Sharder," or...whatever you want to call it! The point is... I am DEFINITELY a fan of the writings of the great author, Brandon Sanderson.
I have read everything from "Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians," to the "Mistborn" series, and even "The Rithmatist!" However, my life was forever changed when I picked up his 2010 novel... "The Way of Kings."
Series or Standalone?
"The Way of Kings" is the first book in "The Stormlight Archive," which is to be a 10-book series that takes place on the planet of Roshar, part of the Cosmere (the universe where a majority of Sanderson's novels take place - I'll have a whole post dedicated to the Cosmere at a later date).
Format
Now...how to describe the format and plot of WoK? Well, this book is...unique.
Throughout its 1,007 pages, it follows six main viewpoints, with 9 other perspectives/stories told through interludes that are spread out between the different sections of the book. It may sound kind of complex and hard to follow, but I got used to the format pretty quickly.
Plot/Characters
The main plot of the novel centers around a conflict between the Alethi and the Parshendi peoples, who are currently at war on the Shattered Planes. Amidst battles for resources and discontent between the Alethi Highprinces, old powers and oaths are once again stirring and return to the Alethi people.
I feel like if go into much more detail than that, I would already be giving away too much. Suffice it to say... this book is AWESOME; it does NOT disappoint!
The characters develop right before our eyes, as does the magic system; we literally learn about it with the characters. And, the ending is very satisfactory.
Magic!
Now, back to the magic system. As some of you may know, Brandon Sanderson is know for his hard magic systems, or systems that are very well developed and don't rely only broad generalizations or definitions.
On Roshar, the main magic that is explored in WoK is made through Oaths. When individuals are chosen by the divine to be Knights Radiant, they are forced to make Oaths ("To Protect those who can't Protect Themselves" and other such Oaths) in order to receive the power to complete them.
To summarize: I give this book a whopping 5 out of 5 stars. It's a great start to a great series, and while it is long (about 1,000 pages), it doesn't feel like it. The characters and battles feel real, the magic is fascinating, and in general, the book fills you with a sense of wonder and the need to keep reading. Sanderson has definitely redefined a "page-turner" with this book - you will literally NOT want to stop once you've picked it up; I know I didn't. And, if you feel it's a little slow-going to get used to the format, just keep going, I promise that the payout is worth it.
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