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

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

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

Amazing but something stands out

I throughly enjoy each book in the series but the one thing always holding it back every time I sit down to listen is the voice of Kate Redding. She mispronounces words, names, and places that add confusion. For example she will pronounce feral as “fearel” and pronounce Zile as “Zi’le.” She also only has like three voices that she can do and each honestly which sound so similar and give me such a headache to listen to more than fifteen minutes. Michael Kramer has GOT to be the best narrator ever but Kate Redding is just really holding this series back for me. It’s hard to appreciate the beauty of a stain glass window(Kramer’s performance) through a scratched up cracked window( Redding’s performance).

I recently found Brandon Sanderson's books... some of my favorite already!

this is my second series I've started with Brandon Sanderson and I really enjoy it! Great story, full character development and very entertaining.

Fantastic Fantasy Novel with great original and structured stories.

so far, 24hrs into the book. my only complaint, is the female reader. her energy, her voices, her reading style, it's all reminiscent of an ai woman reading. bland, dull. I find myself wanting to skip through the parts so far that she has read. no disrespect, but the male reader is just so passionate and pleasing to the ears it makes the female reader seem out of place. fantastic book though so far 👍🏼

Methodical Beginnings

I read the Mist Born series as my first entry into Brandon Sanderson’s writing. I fell in love with those books and was captivated by the characters right away. The Way of Kings, took decidedly longer to get engrossed or entranced by. This book is phenomenal in it’s complexity with slow but meticulous world and character building. It wasn’t until I got to the late 30s and early 40s chapters that I was reeled in by this book. After finishing it I can see that it was carefully constructed as a long introduction into the world and characters that I assume Sanderson will build on in an epic and exciting way. I really enjoy the idea that he took a long book like this to build your foundation into the Stormlight wolrd.

So much. The story linking together was and IS amazing.

I haven’t been able to read as much lately, but this book reminded me of how awesome reading is (in this case listening), and that I need to make time for it. I loved every second of this book, that’s all I have to say. You will not regret buying it.

so damn good.

even the parts I wasn't a huge fan of all came together masterfully in the last third of the book

Wonderful complex story

Loved the story. The narrator was..ok.. but the story is fantastic! 10 out of 10 would have recommend!

Everything GoT is missing

Great world building and character development. Found myself excited to hear more about all of the characters and thankfully I was not worried they would randomly get killed. Bonus points, the author isn’t a jillion years old and taking his sweet time.

Great.

This first volume of the Storm Light Archive is a solid 5 stars. Anyone who like fanisty should read The Way of Kings and don't like the size discourage you

instant classic...thoroughly entertaining

great character development and epic story. this is my third listen. love this world! epic...