The Way of Kings

The Stormlight Archive, Book 1

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

Length: 45 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

From number one New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, book one of the Stormlight Archive, begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the 10 consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where 10 armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

The result of more than 10 years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.

Speak again the ancient oaths:

Life before death.

Strength before weakness.

Journey before destination.

And return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again.

Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson:

The Cosmere

The Stormlight Archive:

• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance
• Edgedancer (Novella)
• Oathbringer

The Mistborn trilogy:

• Mistborn: The Final Empire
• The Well of Ascension
• The Hero of Ages

Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series:

• Alloy of Law
• Shadows of Self
• Bands of Mourning

Collection:

• Arcanum Unbounded

Other Cosmere novels:

• Elantris
• Warbreaker

The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series:

• Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
• The Scrivener's Bones
• The Knights of Crystallia
• The Shattered Lens
• The Dark Talent

The Rithmatist series:

• The Rithmatist

Other books by Brandon Sanderson:

• The Reckoners
• Steelheart
• Firefight
• Calamity

©2010 Dragonsteel Entertaiment, LLC (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

For YEARS I Missed THIS ONE???

I bought this book a few years ago, along with a flurry of others, in preparation for a lengthy trip overseas. Somehow THIS book got lost in the Chaos and sat in my Library, Forgotten, for YEARS. Then I experienced one of those "Can't Find A New Book That Looks Good Right Now" Slump, and was browsing back in my library as far as 2004 hoping to find a book that maybe I had "Put Off For Later" or something... and stumbled upon this one again. I THOUGHT I had already listened to it, but I couldn't remember the plot, and even the Publisher's description wasn't ringing any bells for me... "OK, Time To Listen To THAT One Again, At Least Until I Recognize It..."

...by about the 2nd hour of this book, I realized this was one of those "I Put It Off For Later, Or Something" books I had been looking for... By the 20th HOUR of this book, I COULD NOT BELIEVE that this Jewel had been sitting, LOST, in my library all that time!!!! By the 30th hour, I was watching the clock in a 'lack of sleep haze', dreading every minute that went by, knowing the book was getting ever-closer to ENDING! By the 40th Hour, I was throwing a dart into a picture of Einstein on my Dartboard every 15 minutes, because I was SURE it had to be one of HIS stupid theories about time/space that was responsible for time seeming to move FASTER as the end the book got closer, Especially after I checked the 'net and found out the next book wasn't available, and there wasn't even any info about a possible second book's release date!! (There HAS to be a "Time/Space/Book-Ending Correlation Law of the Universe" we just haven't discovered yet!)

Surprisingly, I wasn't so badly upset when the book DID end after 45 HOURS, because I realized I was going to HAVE to listen to this book again to refresh my memory about the series when a release date for a second book got close, Not to mention that I was SURE I was missing important chunks of the book due to stupid interruptions ("I have to eat... AGAIN?!?!?"), and sleep deprivation!

FANTASTIC Book!!!! Doubly so, since I usually don't like "This kind of book", being more of a "Hard Corp Sci-Fi Aliens/Hi-Tech/Strange-Planets/Warfare" fan... Which this book kinda IS, While NOT being...

And NOW I'm Procrastinating as hard as possible, doing things like writing this review for Book 1, because I only have 6 Hours and 19 Minutes left in the SECOND book (which is over FORTY EIGHT HOURS long, and even better than the first book!)... Need to print out another picture of Einstein!!!!

Ummm WOW

I was expecting a good book, I tottaly underestimated this book. If indeed this is a "Epic" series it will be better than WOT. Amazing....

Complex and drawn out

If you like complex, drawn out stories, this is for you. Sanderson does an OK job with the moral disengagement and re-engagement of the major characters, but secondary characters like Saddeus are not as well developed. The over-archng plot is difficult to grasp, but the subplots are clear enough and easy to follow. If you have a spare 45 hours and lots of driving or flight time like I do, this helps pass the tedium. However, it was not a story that compelled me to drop everything and listen to completion. Good, not great is my review.

Just a bit too long during the battles...

Sanderson is a fantastic writer - I have loved everything he has done previously and this included! However, I think the battle/war scenes go on too long without explaining all the cool equipment/powers - I was lost sometimes and re-wound frequently. Other than that, this is an awesome beginning to an epic I look forward too!

Good vs Awful

Michael Kramer was good. Kate Reading sounded like a GPS narrator. It bothered me that they pronounced Sadius' name differently; someone should have endured they were on the same page there.

Superior Novel - Waiting Sequel

This is the first review I have ever written. I now understand why this author was chosen to complete the Wheel of Time Series. This book was outstanding and I am already waiting for the next volume. The story line, plot and character development are all superb and at no time did I lose the thread. I than Mr. Sanderson for his contribution to my leiterary pleasure.

Stupendous!

The only word I can think of as describing this book is that it is absolutely stupendous! I came into this book only on sheer numbers of purchases. I work in a factory 8 hours a day 5 days a week and have gotten mind boggling bored of listening to the radio or music, so I went towards audio-books. This is my very first audio-book and I was not disappointed at all.

It was a rocky start for myself, as the beginnings of many books tend to be. But, once the motion got going I found myself hooked. The multiple point of views this book tells it's story through was a bit difficult to follow at first, but soon I came accustom to them. The captivating lore, intriguing characters, and slow pace allowed myself to go through a progressive journey of excitement and empathy.

That being said, the book is not without flaws. I found myself not amused of a certain character, I shall not spoil it for anyone else, but if they read reviews and comments I am quite sure they will know who I'm talking about.

Even towards the end I could not feel a shed of care for this character and the female narrator Kate Reading did not help the cause! I want to believe she is a great narrator, many say she is. But, for storm's sake I can not tolerate her recording. She sounds like the studio gave eviebot text to read and then they hit the record button. The acoustics seem to be off and it makes listening to her absolutely jarring. I can hear a faint similar situation from Michael Kramer but it's quite forgettable compared to Kate Reading's recording. Her's practically screeches out at you saying it has problems.

I will add in that the two narrators pronounce name's differently as well. I tried my best to tolerate it, but towards the end she practically say's a characters name more than 2 dozen times in a span of 5 minutes. I wanted to chuck my phone across the factory floor through sheer frustration.

I ended up skipping most of her narrating and reading summaries online. I know that is shallow and unkind of me, but I paid for the audio-book so people who will argue with me can just storm off! I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Kramer's narrating and was begging to the storm-fathers that the recording would be better for the next book. Sadly, I heard recording of the sequel and have found out that it will be told mainly through the perspective of the character I don't like, so I may just skip that one entirely. I'm not sure why it feels like the two narrators never sat down and discussed how they would narrate and pronounce names; when they are husband and wife. I wish I could have read it myself ,but I don't have the time to.

With all that said, it still is an amazing book. I still very much enjoyed it. And I shall wait eagerly for the third book.

Stellar. Great writing, Great reading

Wow. Awesome awesome book. Everything a good fantasy novel should be: Well-defined and described world, deep & colorful history behind the story, wonderful character development. Couldn't listen to it fast enough. Only problem: Now I have to wait for book #2 to come out!!!

Fantastic, gritty fantasy

couldn't stop listening. The Interesting, multi dimensional characters, various motives both of the "good" and "bad" characters made them much more intriguing, I genuinely did not see a couple of the plot twists coming. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable. One of the only fantasy books that's made me want to be a better man.

It's the best

I think this is genuinely my favorite novel I've ever read. I can't wait to read the next one. the beginning is a little slow as it establishes characters, places, and all the foundation needed to tell the story, but once it picks up it doesn't slow down.