The Way of Kings

Pre-publication

The publication of The Way of Kings was delayed when Sanderson, instead, decided to focus on his Mistborn trilogy. On June 10, 2010 the prologue and the first three chapters of the book were released, along with an introduction by Sanderson, as a preview on the Tor website. On July 8, 2010 the next three chapters (4-6) were released in audio format exclusively on the Tor Website. On August 5, 2010 chapters 9 and 11 were released exclusively on the Tor Website. Tor wrote that they did not release chapters 7, 8, and 10 because they wanted to focus on the storyline of Kaladin, one of the main characters. On August 26, 2010 chapters 12 and 13 were released exclusively on the Tor Website

Setting

The backstory of the novel revolves around an epic recurring disaster known as the Desolation where monstrous Voidbringers ravage the world and human life hangs in the balance. To counter the threat, the Knights Radiant (so named for their glowing aura and eyes) possess magical armor and swords known as Shardplate and Shardblades as well as fantastic magical powers. The last Desolation was believed to be the final one, and has become a time of myths and legends, in particular as the Knights Radiant left behind their weapons and armor and disappeared into obscurity. In reality, the Knights Radiant could no longer bear the great burden and lied. Their discarded armor and swords remain as some of the most priceless heirlooms that are worth an entire kingdom's ransom to possess.

Other major components of the story are the unique magic of the world, based on gemstones that glow with light for many weeks after reoccurring, powerful storms known as high-storms. These commonplace gemstones are also used as mundane currency in merchant transactions, as well as interior lighting at night in wealthy houses and palaces. Drawing in this "stormlight" energy is what fuels magical talismans of priest-wizards (the gem encrusted gloves called Soulcasters) that convert into another form, such as stone into grain, or people into stone, and powered gemstone constructs known as fabrials, such as a fabrial that creates red light and heat to replace wood in a fireplace. Soulcasting and fabrials are not uncommon, but typically only owned by the nobility. The nobility is also based on eye color, blue eyes being seen as the purest royalty due to the association with the legendary Knights Radiant who had glowing eyes.

The world itself has notable flora and fauna, all of which is based on surviving the common, and extremely powerful high-storms. Most animal life is based on crustaceans, most of which can burrow into the ground to survive a high-storm. Plant life is also mobile in that it retracts into the ground to also survive high-storms. Because all high-storms come from the eastern ocean and travel west, the western side of rocks, mountains, and hills become the major locations of plant, and by extension animal life. Also, spirits called spren exist and react to emotions of people and the environment. High wind will have windspren in the form of ribbons of light that flow with it. Suffering from pain will have red painspren appear around the wound, and giving a noble, heartfelt speech will have gloryspren of golden, twinkling lights form a halo around the head of the speaker. Spren are so common that many people take them for granted, yet it is revealed that intelligent honorspren who bind themselves to a mortal person are actually the source of a Knights Radiant magical powers.

Plot

The story rotates between the points of view of Kaladin, Shallan, Szeth, Dalinar Kholin, and several other minor characters, who lead seemingly unconnected lives. Szeth, a Shin man cast out by his people and condemned to obey his constantly changing masters, is sent to murder the king of one of the world's most powerful nations, Alethkar. As the story progresses, he continuously changes hands, doing his best to hide the fact that he possesses a Shardblade, a magical blade given to the Knights Radiant that can cut through any material. He also possesses an ability to bind things together for a certain amount of time (“Surgebinding”), once possessed by the Knights Radiant and thought lost, making him incredibly difficult to defeat in battle.

When Szeth was sent to kill the Alethi King Gavilar, the Parshendi, a race similar to the docile servants of other nations, claim responsibility for the assassination. Gavilar's son then goes to war with the Parshendi. The story shifts to the viewpoint of Highprince Dalinar Kholin, the brother of the murdered King. Before he died, his brother directed Dalinar to an ancient tome called The Way of Kings, which leads Dalinar to start questioning the warlike and competitive Alethkar way of life. He also begins to experience visions in which he sees the ancient Knights Radiant. For Dalinar, these visions not only cast doubt on the mistaken history of the Radiants, they also begin to reveal the truth about the Voidbringers and the current state of the world. All of these events make Dalinar reluctant to battle. Dalinar's conviction is questioned by those closest to him, casting heavy doubt on his sanity and bringing into question his entitlement to leadership. In the political unrest of the age, perceived weakness is cause for others to try and eliminate him.

Meanwhile, the story also follows Kaladin, a darkeye peasant with a burning hatred for lighteyes nobles. Trained in his youth as a surgeon, Kaladin volunteered to go to war for the army of a local lord to watch over and protect his brother on the field of battle. In his third battle Kaladin fails to protect his brother, who is killed. This drives Kaladin to become a better fighter, resolving to protect others from the same fate. During a later battle, Kaladin succeeds in killing an enemy Shardbearer, and by right could claim the enemy's Shardblade and Shardplate, becoming a lighteyes himself. However, he rejects the Shardblade and Shardplate and is then betrayed by Brightlord Amaram, who takes the weapons for himself and brands Kaladin a slave to hide the theft. This event cements Kaladin's hatred for nobles and leaves deep emotional scars. After a number of escape attempts, he is forced into service as a bridgeman in an army battling the Parshendi on the Shattered Plains. Bridgemen are used strategically as bait for the opposing armies' archers, allowed to die so that the trained army can attack more easily. Kaladin manages to rally the other men in his group and turn them into a team that can survive. However, after he accidentally ruins a battle by changing tactics, he is beaten violently and left outside during a Highstorm to die. He manages to survive. As a result of his unlikely survival, he begins to discover that he possesses the Surgebinding ability. As he struggles to find a way for his men to escape their lives as bridgemen, he comes to terms with his powers and begins to learn how to use them.

Shallan, a minor lighteyes woman whose family and lands are in danger, hatches a daring plot to switch a broken Soulcaster (a device that allows people to change objects to other things) with a working one belonging to Jasnah Kholin, sister of the Alethi King. She petitions Jasnah to become her apprentice, and through persistent effort she manages to gain Jasnah's confidence and becomes her apprentice. After successfully stealing the Soulcaster, she is frustrated by her inability to use it until one fateful day, when she accidentally turns a goblet into blood. Knowing Jasnah will soon arrive on the scene, Shallan breaks a pitcher and cuts herself to make it seem as though the blood was hers, which Jasnah mistakes for a suicide attempt. Shallan soon discovers that Jasnah's Soulcaster does not possess the ability to transmute, but instead hides her uncommon inherent ability to Soulcast. When Jasnah learns that Shallan also has the inherent ability to Soulcast, she forgives the girl for trying to steal her Soulcaster and begins instructing her in the proper use of their shared power. She also reveals her research into the origins of the Knights Radiant and Voidbringers and prepares Shallan and herself to travel to the Shattered Plains to meet with Jasnah's uncle Dalinar.

Viewpoint characters

The primary chapters within the book are told from the viewpoint of several major characters, while the book's interludes are told from the viewpoint of other characters (not all of which repeat).

The following characters are viewpoint characters in the interludes of the book:

Reception and sales

In its first week of release the book was #7 on The New York Times Best Seller list. In subsequent weeks the book was #11, #20, and #25.

An early review from the website Unshelved gave the book a positive review. A review from Elitist Book Reviews pointed out some problems with the book, (black-and-white characters, too much exposition) but gave an overall positive opinion of the book. The website SFReviews.net gave the book a mixed review, praising Sanderson's writing and creativity, but criticizing its extreme length and overall dearth of action.

SF Reviews pointed out, "The ride is luxurious, the scenery is often breathtaking, but The Way of Kings is truly a long and winding road." KeepingTheDoor.com commented, "The Stormlight Archive is a series that, like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings epics, every fantasy fan worth their salt must read and be familiar with. This will be one of the giant series that will help shape the entire scene."

Audiobook

An audiobook version of the book was released in August 2010 and read by narrator team Kate Reading and Michael Kramer.

Awards and nominations