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

Wow! Fantastic!

What a great book. I love the story and performance. I also really enjoyed that there was a female and male narrator for different sections. I'm curious to see how they come together later. My only complaint was that one name (Sadeas) was pronounced differently by each narrator.

Loved It

Loved it going to listen to the second one immediately. I really loved the intertwining stories and the magic system is well thought out.

IF you can make it to the end, you'll be satisfied

Long, a bit arduous, but still well worth it to become immersed in a new yet strangely familiar world. I'm glad I made it to the end, though the end is not the end, it was still a satisfying finish that left me feeling well traveled with a minagerie of images marinating my brain for weeks to come.

Good Stuff

Loved the book, but narrators need to decide on common pronunciation. A minor defect thought.

A thrilling ride

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and had a hard time turning off my headset. It has its slow moments but it builds momentum and is remarkably deep.

Great book with a great narrator!

This is a great epic fantasy book. The two narrators that they hired to read this book both give awesome performances with each character getting a different voice.

Slow start, but ultimately amazing

It took me maybe 4 attempts to get into this story, but once I finally got a couple hours in I became very interested and, although I could tell when certain things were going to happen, I greatly enjoyed the journey.

My one complaint is a minor one. Kate Reading only reads one section that includes Sadeas as a character and it was disconcerting to hear her pronounce that name completely differently from Michael Kramer. You would think someone would make sure something like that matched up. Her choice of voice for that character was also entirely different and also disconcerting. Fortunately, as I stated, it's only one short section of the story and other than that both narrators were excellent.

I'm going to start the second book soon and I can't wait to see where this is heading.

So so

The book gets kinda boring at times, it’s so slow. It’s one you’d rather see as a movie and get out the parts that drag on. I got bored with each characters story at different times. I feel like there was a lot of stuff he could have left out. Then some stuff it’s like too much going on. It was just ok.

Recommended

I was searching for a good storyline, and I found one. Great for a long drive!

My new favorite fantasy novel

This book was incredible, the narrator was great throughout. I am looking forward to listening to this again with my wife