The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
Book 1 in 'The Stormlight Archives' series. Followed by 'Words of Radiance.'
Having discovered Brandon Sanderson last year through the Mistborn series, I was looking forward to trying a different series altogether. The Stormlight Archives is a far larger and more intricate beast, with this first book being 1001 pages long and having numerous characters with point-of-view chapters. It also takes a little bit more time setting up the world than Mistborn did, meaning that it takes a little while to get into the flow of the story. This is particularly noticeable in the first few chapters, with the prologue starting thousands of years earlier than the main events of the book, the next chapter telling an event that - though important - is also a few years than the main point, the next chapter giving the viewpoint of a character that dies during important events that are also a year before the main plot, and then finally the 'main' timeline of the book begins. Even after this there are 'interludes' involving minor characters, some of whom we never see again, and flashbacks to the childhood of Kaladin, who at least is one of the main characters.
All of this sounds potentially negative, yet once I got into Way of Kings I really enjoyed it. There are three main storylines going on, with Kaladin's being possibly the most interesting; he has become a slave due to an unspecified betrayal and is soon forced to help carry bridges into battle in the Shattered Plains, a role that has a high mortality rate. Yet Kaladin is soon shown to have some sort of luck on his side, as well as a growing friendship with a 'spren' (like a little spirit) named Sylphrena. The mystery behind his luck and his unusual friendship with 'Syl' drive much of his storyline.
A second storyline follows Dalinar, a high-prince fighting in the same war that Kaladin has been enslaved in, and Dalinar's son Adolin. Dalinar follows a chivalrous code based on an ancient book called 'The Way of Kings' and enforces it on all his warriors - to his son's chagrin. Dalinar also is experiencing disturbing visions that may have something to do with the distant past, but that are also threatening his standing by making him appear insane.
The third main storyline is that of Shallan Davar, a woman from a minor family who is trying to get close to Jasnah Kholin (Dalinar's daughter) in order to steal a valuable soulcaster, which Shallan hopes will save her family from bankruptcy.
Sanderson excels in creating worlds that are quite different from our own but have a strong internal logic to them. In this world violent 'highstorms' ravage the land regularly, with all plant life having learned to retract into the ground in order to avoid damage. These highstorms also fill gemstones with 'stormlight' which has many uses, including in currency and magic. Sanderson also loves including religious and philosophical ideas in his stories, and allowing them to be explored through the conversations of his characters. This takes place mostly in Shallan's storyline as she is befriended by a priest and also interacts with Jasnah, who considers herself an atheist.
The book is long and does go in a number of directions, but I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading the sequel, though as I am trying to pace myself with books this year I might not launch straight into it.
Well worth a read for fans of fantasy.
Completed 9 February 2023.
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