A Titan of Words and his Throne

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Alan Mathew, CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

  Drifting, tumultuous landscapes as far as the mind’s eye can see. Characters as complex as any that have been put to paper. A history that spans a lifetime, evoking excitement instead of suffocation.

  The Way of Kings is high fantasy that remains fresh and new, and it’s been built up by an author so prolific, detailed, and enrapturing that only his own words will do him justice.

  For some, the size of The Way of Kings is an off-putting sight. Easily a few hundred thousand words in length, the novel itself is a story one must follow through the most demanding of travels, from the bloodstained Shattered Plains to the majestic, but deeply flawed city of Kholinar.

  One Brandon Sanderson quote always stands out to me when I think about his work. 

   “We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us. Our callused feet, our backs strong from carrying the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh delight of experiences lived.”

  While this will always, and to some, should always, apply to how we move throughout our life, the journey through The Way of Kings is equally rewarding when one puts in the effort.

  Truly speaking, while the initial effort, that first dive into the page, is always the most demanding for the untested reader, the story itself acts as a guardian and caretaker, inspiring even the weariest eyes to stay wide and read on.

  The Way of Kings is a multi-perspective, rousing feat of literature. It follows a series of individuals on the land of Roshar, where magic exists but is a thing of ancient religion more than present day fact.

  No more.

  Roshar is plunged into war from directions that are barely comprehensible, and in a world where lives are won or lost on the basis of relics from a bygone era, a slow return of the past can mean devastation—or salvation.

  Shardplate and Shardblade are rare armor and weapons, passed down generations through royal lines and influential powers. They make or break wars, and with a nation at war with a seemingly alien race that gives no ground, they can be everything.

  Kaladin is a former soldier and current slave, a broken man with cracks in his soul leaking out volumes of light every second. His will is held by threads, and redemption in a world where no one can even bother to protect the innocent is impossible. He’s lost more and broken harder than most people could ever imagine.

  This is his journey.

  Shallan is a girl whose family has fallen apart, whose brothers are her life, and whose future is uncertain. She will wear any face she has to in order to save what she can, and her humanity might be the cost. She’s drawn into a world of spren and monsters but discovering the real monstrosities will require her to look deeper and farther than she’s ever looked before.

  This is her journey.

  Countless more paths weave and intersect with these two, but ultimately, it’s not the complexity of this world that defines this story but how this world handles its complexity.

  Without a reservation in my heart, I urge you to read The Way of Kings. Masterpieces are named every second, and far too many are unworthy, but the only way to see whether this novel meets that standard is to read it for yourself.

  Breathe in the past, present, and future with Brandon Sanderson, and revel in your respect, your awe, and even your confusion. This novel demands nothing less.