The Way of Kings

The Stormlight Archive, Book 1

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

Length: 45 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

According to mythology, mankind used to live in 'The Tranquiline Halls': heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms, but the Voidbringers followed. The Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, the Shardblades. Led by 10 angelic Heralds and 10 orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won (or so the legends say).

Today the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself - and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne.

On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes, a young spearman is forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn't understand and doesn't really want to fight.

©2010 Dragonsteel Entertainment LLC (P)2011 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Epic

This book consumed my life for 3 weeks. Not a second of it was wasted.

All of the characters are interesting and real. Even the bit players stuck with me - Ishic the Fisherman in particular. I really hope that Sanderson will expand on some of those in the next books - I'm optimistic, from all reports he'll have plenty of pages to fill :). I keep trying to imagine what will happen when all of the characters eventually meet (for instance, I'm certain that Rock will fall head-over-heels for Shalan).

The glimpses you get of the 'magic' systems are intriguing, and I kept catching myself trying to put the pieces of it together when I really should have been doing other things (sleeping, for instance).

The environment is unique, the plants and animals are a mixture of the familiar and strange and hint at events that must have happened in the world's past ... and even as I write this, I'm putting more pieces together :) I think I may have to listen to it for a 5th time.

I would recommend listening to the whole book at least twice. Listening over it again with hindsight/foreknowledge of where the story is going lets you see events in a very different way, and the simple length means that even the most careful listener will miss some gems. I'm considering buying the hardcopy as well.

Astonishing as always

Astonishing as always. The depth od the characters and the stort is fantastic. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are really good.

Slow at times but deliberatly and with great effec

A quality listen and intriguing for relisten because of it's slow reveal. The mythos is new, the world is interesting and the main characters I fell in love with.

explosive ending, well worth the 45 hours!

a bit slow to start off, but gets better and better, with a proper ending leaving you dumb founded and excited! not to mention Mr Hoid...

enchanting and intricate and performed very well

This has opened me to an enchanting world filled with lore and mysteries you can't wait to find out about. told from a unique perspective. the readers were clear and performed well which added to the enjoynment.

Best author of all time

This is the 4th time I've listened to this book and now with my better understanding of the cosmere there are still new things I have picked up on

Addictive

While this book like many of Sandersons other books might be a little slow to get going, it sets the starting point of one of the most intriguing book series and fantasy worlds I have ever experienced. And once the story picks up it makes up for any slowness in spades. The book works well as a starting point, while also having lots of hidden treats for those who have read other books set in the cosmere without them feeling forced. My only real issue with this book comes from a few instances of the two narrators using different pronunciations at certain points (the biggest example is in the 60-70 hour mark where a major characters name is pronounced very differently than what he has been in the entire rest of the book), but this is only really a minor annoyance in this book, and is for the most part gone in book 2&3. There are also a few minor mistakes (a mispronounced word here and there), but no glaring errors. There is also the fact that having two very different narrators in a single book can be jarring at times.

If you liked Game of Thrones...

or if you like a good story filled with wonderful creatures then this is for you!

Story - Starts off slow and deliberate but after a while it really grabs you. I liked that not everything was explained. If the characters see a creature then they see it as it is to them, perfectly normal, if the creature needs explanation then the author uses very clever devices to describe them.

Narrator - Tells the story in a good way. He neither detracts nor adds to the story which is great because this story is good enough to stand on it's own. He uses inflection and accents that a not over the top to distinguish between characters.

I enjoyed this very much and am looking forward to more.

Excellent

never completed an audio book before, this Just had me hooked. i even startede wanting to clean the House and wash dishes, Just for an excuse to listen to My book

Impresive

At first Michael Kramer sound really unpleasing for me but after 1h i felt in love with it and now amb eager of continuing the story with him and Kate.

The story is really awesome at all times, after the fist part with shen I could not wait to hear more from the story and the lore.

One of the best novel I read/listen. In pair with the king killer chronicle and much better in lore and imagination.