Three characters -- a soldier, a scholar, and a thief -- converge on an ancient mystery that could change their world forever.
About This Book
On a storm-scoured world where colossal tempests sweep the land and life has adapted to shelter from them, three lives begin to converge as an ancient evil stirs: a once-idealistic surgeon's son sold into slavery and forced to run suicidal bridge charges across a war-torn plateau, a haunted highprince plagued by visions that may be madness or prophecy, and a clever, desperate young woman scheming to save her ruined house through theft and scholarship. Sanderson launches an enormous epic fantasy series with the meticulous, rule-bound magic and intricate worldbuilding he is known for, building a strange, wondrous setting of crab-like creatures, living storms, and mysterious spirits, and structuring the huge book around the slow forging of a broken man into a leader. The pace is deliberate, front-loading extensive worldbuilding and character history before its payoffs, which are considerable. This suits readers who want to sink into a vast, intricately constructed fantasy world with a detailed magic system and years of story ahead, and who enjoy slow-building character arcs and epic scope. It fits less well anyone wanting brevity or a fast start, since the book is over a thousand pages and unhurried. The detail that the enslaved protagonist is forced to carry assault bridges into arrow fire, the most expendable role in a brutal war, gives his arc its powerful foundation. Immersive, ambitious, and hugely popular, it rewards readers ready for a long commitment. Those wanting a quick or self-contained read may find it daunting, but the depth of world and the redemption at its heart are exactly what have made it a cornerstone of modern epic fantasy.
Who This Is For
Best for readers who want momentum: big setpieces, high stakes, and a story that never stops moving. This is a book that asks something of you. Dense, layered, and best read slowly. It takes its time, and that's the point. Patience is rewarded. If you prefer quiet, character-driven fiction, the relentless pace may tire.
Best Read When
Best read when you're in the mood for something action-packed and adventurous, and a read that's slow and deeply immersive.
What It Explores
The Way of Kings explores survival and what extreme circumstances ask of people, war and its costs — both during and long after, and identity and the gap between who we are and who we pretend to be.
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