The Way of Kings
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-03-22 21:31:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Brandon Sanderson
- ISBN：0765365278
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Summary
I long for the days before the Last Desolation。 Before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us。 When there was still magic in Roshar and honor in the hearts of men。
In the end， not war but victory proved the greater test。 Did our foes see that the harder they fought， the fiercer our resistance？ Fire and hammer forge a sword; time and neglect rust it away。 So we won the world， yet lost it。
Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon， forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin， who weeps as he kills; the liar， who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince， whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes。
One of them may redeem us。 One of them will destroy us。
In the end， not war but victory proved the greater test。 Did our foes see that the harder they fought， the fiercer our resistance？ Fire and hammer forge a sword; time and neglect rust it away。 So we won the world， yet lost it。
Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon， forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin， who weeps as he kills; the liar， who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince， whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes。
One of them may redeem us。 One of them will destroy us。
Reviews
Faye Faye
，
One of the best books I’ve ever read。 Characters journey and pain felt real and relatable to me。 The world building is masterful and leaves you craving more。 This book has helped me through hard times; I’ll always be grateful to it and to Brandon Sanderson。
Crazybookworm
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amazing amazing！！！！！！ such a worldbuilder。 I want
Lynn Truitt
，
Listen， I'm going to be perfectly honest， this book， as a standalone， is entirely overrated， so I'll be dumping most of my negative opinions to make up for all the stellar reviews。 This is a setup for a ten book series and oh boy you can tell。 Personally， I latch on to deep world-building and characterization; as long as the plot doesn't completely drag， I'm satisfied。 However， if you're expecting a fast or even moderately paced novel， best look elsewhere。 Honestly， my major issues with this boo Listen， I'm going to be perfectly honest， this book， as a standalone， is entirely overrated， so I'll be dumping most of my negative opinions to make up for all the stellar reviews。 This is a setup for a ten book series and oh boy you can tell。 Personally， I latch on to deep world-building and characterization; as long as the plot doesn't completely drag， I'm satisfied。 However， if you're expecting a fast or even moderately paced novel， best look elsewhere。 Honestly， my major issues with this book were the scattered plot lines and the tedium。 For example， at least half of the first part of the book consists of Shallan's chapters， but then， she disappears for a few hundred pages， replaced with Dalinar and his son， then Dalinar disappears for a few hundred pages。 The one character that remains consistent is Kaladin， but even his story is littered with flashbacks。 Sometimes， the characters and situations I actually wanted to read about would disappear for a hundred pages。 I was never bored， but the disappearances became frustrating。 This， along with the excess flashbacks， one off perspectives， and philosophical ramblings， drag the book into occasional tedium。 Plus， the entirety of the plot is a lead up to the main conflict of the series rather than a solid standalone， and given that it is a lead up; I never felt overly concerned for the main characters。 High stakes are definitely coming， but it's going to take a book or two。Despite all these flaws， I always had trouble putting the book down， and despite the absolutely gargantuan size of the book; I finished in less than a week， and I'm definitely starting the next book as soon as I finish writing this review。 Like most of Sanderson's work; the world is rich， detailed， and entirely unique。 The different points of view create a tapestry of perspectives that spans large and small stakes。 The reader gets a sense of the coming threat; while the characters remain in the dark， the best form of tension。 The characters， from the POV characters to the side characters， contain distinct and unique traits， and despite the extensive cast， I never got confused on who was who。 The Way of Kings is an epitome of epic fantasy， but it contains all the faults that accompany a book of such a large scope。 。。。more
Aaron Rey Acevedo
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Never did I think a literal tome would be fully engaging the whole way through。 I'm glad I was proven wrong！ Never did I think a literal tome would be fully engaging the whole way through。 I'm glad I was proven wrong！ 。。。more
Pauline
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Absolutely amazing！ I was a bit intimidated by this book - it's super long and kind of confusing in the very beginning， but I'm so glad I invested the time and energy and got to experience this world。 Can't wait to dive into Words of Radiance！ Absolutely amazing！ I was a bit intimidated by this book - it's super long and kind of confusing in the very beginning， but I'm so glad I invested the time and energy and got to experience this world。 Can't wait to dive into Words of Radiance！ 。。。more
Lacey
，
I listened to this one in audio book format， it took me a long while， but so worth it。 This world is so artfully crafted by Brandon Sanderson。 You can tell that he really took care and thought when working through this book and its universe。 The different perspectives fit together so seamlessly， even in the confusion that is often a necessary evil to the beginning of a fantasy series， the different characters' viewpoint's blend into each other flawlessly。 Seeing the paths of each character get m I listened to this one in audio book format， it took me a long while， but so worth it。 This world is so artfully crafted by Brandon Sanderson。 You can tell that he really took care and thought when working through this book and its universe。 The different perspectives fit together so seamlessly， even in the confusion that is often a necessary evil to the beginning of a fantasy series， the different characters' viewpoint's blend into each other flawlessly。 Seeing the paths of each character get more and more entwined as the stories align is so satisfying。 Some scenes were so colorful and articulate that I was nearly moved to tears with the sheer power of the writing。 To me， this attention to detail is what separates an amazing novel/series from a mediocre one。 I can't wait to keep reading。 。。。more
Thomas
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Amazing story。 A tale woven with perfection。The characters are complex and interesting。 The storyline moves slowly enough for a good read but quickly enough to captivate you。
Amy
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A steadily building， excellent highstorm of a book。 Once hooked， you won’t be able to put it down。 There is always a reason to keep reading。 You may end up so consumed you dream this book in your sleep。
Pablo Corman Sanchez
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Épico， profundo y más grande que la vida misma。 ¡Larga vida a Sanderson！
Jon Vincent
，
Phenomenal world building and character building; Sanderson is one of the best—if not the best—working today when it comes to those elements。 At a 1，000 pages， this is an endeavor， but it’s never an arduous one。 The pages fly by and I frequently found myself thinking about this story when I wasn’t reading it， eager to get back and find out what happened next。 I already own the next three in the series and am looking forward to continuing， but I’m definitely going to read a few shorter books befo Phenomenal world building and character building; Sanderson is one of the best—if not the best—working today when it comes to those elements。 At a 1，000 pages， this is an endeavor， but it’s never an arduous one。 The pages fly by and I frequently found myself thinking about this story when I wasn’t reading it， eager to get back and find out what happened next。 I already own the next three in the series and am looking forward to continuing， but I’m definitely going to read a few shorter books before diving into Words of Radiance。 。。。more
Mathia Lim
，
Dear Brandon Sanderson，I was THIS close at rating the book a 4。8 ⭐ because some long action scenes seemed a bit repetitive to me however， since you are a blessed genius and dropped the shock of the century at the last 100 pages， I have decided that this book deserves a solid 5⭐"The officer will not require no action of his soldiers that he would not be willing to perform himself。" Leadership， The Alethi Codes of War。Can I just say that this is probably the first book that moved me to tears not b Dear Brandon Sanderson，I was THIS close at rating the book a 4。8 ⭐ because some long action scenes seemed a bit repetitive to me however， since you are a blessed genius and dropped the shock of the century at the last 100 pages， I have decided that this book deserves a solid 5⭐"The officer will not require no action of his soldiers that he would not be willing to perform himself。" Leadership， The Alethi Codes of War。Can I just say that this is probably the first book that moved me to tears not because of the sorrow but rather of how beautiful a scene was written。 I had the same feeling when I watched the Ride of Rohirrim and the battle of Narnia in The Lion， The Witch and The Wardrobe。 The Way of Kings has that perfect cinematic epic war fantasy vibe you'd see in book to movie adaptations before and the build up that has lead to that one defining moment across this monstrous 1000-page book was worth it。Though， let me tell you why I loved The Way of Kings:1。 World-Building - Unlike my first Brandon Sanderson book that was The Final Empire （Mistborn # 1）， the world of Roshar has a very unique landscape， flora， fauna and civilization which has adapted to their weather conditions in which a highstorm occurs every few days。 I found that Sanderson's descriptions of this world is more detailed and intricate and you can easily visualize the setting of the book along with the many cultures and representations and it amazes me how his imagination has brought to life a world such as this that takes place mainly in the shattered plains full of chasms with the warcamps of the Alethi。2。 Characters - The Way of Kings is a character driven story。 I was surprised at how I took the slowburn pacing of this book quite well since I'm more interested in fast paced books。 However， Sanderson has written characters that are so much more than how we see them at the surface。 He wrote about people who are broken and carefully constructed how each have overcome their own challenges specifically with depression， PTSD， and childhood trauma。 Because of this， I very much liked Kaladin's POV。 Everytime a chapter ends， I wished that the next one would be his。 Another character I was very attached to was Sylphrena who is just adorable and as well as Rock and Dalinar among others。 You'll also get your fair share of unlikeable characters you'd wish you can strangle 😅。 3。 Magic Systems。 This wouldn't be a Brandon Sanderson book if it will lack a very complex magic system。 The concept that the power comes mainly from the energy of stormlight is very fascinating。 The shardblades and shardplates， and the spheres used as currency are all infused with stormlight and what made it more complex is that the possession of such shardblades and plates didn't technically make it's bearer immortal。 There isn't a deus ex machina situation and each victory in fight scenes all come from the skill and capabilities of the characters。 There are still a lot of reasons which I can state that may convince you to pick up The Way of Kings such as the politics， religion， little bits of humor， fight scenes， the connections in the cosmere and the like but that will be left for you to find out because the journey in gathering clues and the buildup of events should be for you to enjoy on your own。 However， if you liked A Song of Ice and Fire， The Poppy War， and other epic high fantasies， do pick this up and before you know it， you'll find that a thousand pages still isn't enough。 ❤️ 。。。more
Dana_r
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DNF。 Sanderson is too much in love with his own words for it to be a good book。
Liam
，
I typically don’t get wrapped up in fiction to the point where I can’t put the book down。 This however， is one of the best fiction books I’ve ever read。 I loved it。
Camila
，
This book was so good。 I cried more than once （on moments that weren’t even sad？？） just because Brandon Sanderson wrote characters that he made me care about so much。 Takes a bit to get into it， but after 200 or so pages it grips you and doesn’t let go。
Tabish Khan
，
Really enjoyed this opening book to this epic fantasy and definitely keen to read the other books in the series。This is my first book by Brandon Sanderson and he definitely knows how to get readers invested in the story， with strong central characters and while the action is sparing there's not much filler here and it never feels like it sags - despite the fact it's over 1，000 pages。While the story itself does have unpredictable elements the story arc of the central characters is largely predict Really enjoyed this opening book to this epic fantasy and definitely keen to read the other books in the series。This is my first book by Brandon Sanderson and he definitely knows how to get readers invested in the story， with strong central characters and while the action is sparing there's not much filler here and it never feels like it sags - despite the fact it's over 1，000 pages。While the story itself does have unpredictable elements the story arc of the central characters is largely predictable， though the most interesting character is the assassin Szeth and he doesn't get enough pages in my opinion。The book does a great job of world building。 While some elements are familiar to other fantasy worlds there are some unique elements such as currency also being a light source， the storms that dominate the land and the spren （spirits） that are associated with emotions and other elements that would normally be invisible。While I won't rush straight into the sequel， I do want to read it - and the rest of the series too。 。。。more
Garrett Baze
，
The day I’m writing this review is after giving myself a full day to ponder and dwell on what I experienced。 It cannot be overstated how exceptional and vivid the characters and world Sanderson has written become。 This is my first experience with a Sanderson book and I could not be more taken by the overflowing amount of love and thought put into this work。 It has been some time since I have felt so impressed， excited and in love with a book series since the lord of the rings， and the dragon rid The day I’m writing this review is after giving myself a full day to ponder and dwell on what I experienced。 It cannot be overstated how exceptional and vivid the characters and world Sanderson has written become。 This is my first experience with a Sanderson book and I could not be more taken by the overflowing amount of love and thought put into this work。 It has been some time since I have felt so impressed， excited and in love with a book series since the lord of the rings， and the dragon riders of Pern。 Therefore like Tolkien and Mcaffrey respectively， I’ve never experienced a so beautifully constructed world， brilliant and diverse characters， and a story that sets out to completely overtake you。 When first reading I was intrigued and optimistic but held my judgment to not rush into anything， but once I got halfway into this epic I was officially and irreversibly hooked， Sanderson leads you along and gives you just enough answers to keep you interested and wanting more， while leaving you with more and more mystery and intrigue。 You’re basically gently taken in by his hand and then without warning once you begin to understand this book， masterfully and vigorously thrown into this deep and rich world， story， and beloved characters。 All this while only finishing book one。 Needless to say that even so， this has quickly and confidently planted itself as one of my all time favorites。 。。。more
Yako Machaco
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I've read this book nearly every year since I picked it up。 It truly solidified my faith in Sanderson and made me a believer in modern epic fantasy。 This story never fails to help me feel like there is hope in the world， and that honor is not truly dead。 I've read this book nearly every year since I picked it up。 It truly solidified my faith in Sanderson and made me a believer in modern epic fantasy。 This story never fails to help me feel like there is hope in the world， and that honor is not truly dead。 。。。more
Kameron Moore
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This book is a grand trip。
Larissa
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I picked up this book because I appreciated Brandon Sanderson’s contribution to the Wheel of Time series。 I was more than pleased to find his writing and imagination were matched， or perhaps even better than this classic series I had loved。 This book offered amazing character development， fantastic lore， and riveting adventure。 Can’t wait to finish the series！！
Girl
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1000 pages + 45 hours of audiobookStormfather， this was epic！！！Brilliant， marvellous， ingenious。。。
Maja
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Maybe a 4。5？ But still not， it took a whike to get there， but you almost needed all that build-up to feel part of the story。 We really got to see how everything happened and what ked up to it。
Eevee Rambeau-Dameron
，
WOW what a book！！ It's been a long time since I read something like this。 I don't know what my life was without reading Brandon Sanderson。 WOW what a book！！ It's been a long time since I read something like this。 I don't know what my life was without reading Brandon Sanderson。 。。。more
Gloria Gna
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Sigo con mi cometido épico de ponerme al día con los libros de Sanderson 。El comienzo de esta historia me ha despistado: dos prolegómenos para empezar， uno situado hace 4500 años， que se dice pronto y otro se supone que actual y， como es habitual en Sanderon， los dos con abundancia de seres y situaciones raras sin la menor explicación， para que el lector quede atrapado y busque esas explicaciones a lo largo del tocho， porque es un tocho。 En el primero presenta unos diosecillos de pacotilla， tan Sigo con mi cometido épico de ponerme al día con los libros de Sanderson 。El comienzo de esta historia me ha despistado: dos prolegómenos para empezar， uno situado hace 4500 años， que se dice pronto y otro se supone que actual y， como es habitual en Sanderon， los dos con abundancia de seres y situaciones raras sin la menor explicación， para que el lector quede atrapado y busque esas explicaciones a lo largo del tocho， porque es un tocho。 En el primero presenta unos diosecillos de pacotilla， tan del gusto del autor -hasta ahora， en todos sus libros hay olimpo de pseudo-diosecillos-。 El segundo de los prólogos me ha decepcionado， pues plantea una pelea épica de esas que mi lado lógico rechaza por incongruente。 Me explico: es profundamente ilógico que todos los soldados desaparezcan y dejen solo al guerrero de la armadura radiante。 Con que se hubieran quedado tres o cuatro se habrían multiplicado las opciones de neutralizar al intruso。 Pero Sanderson quería a toda costa que triunfase， así que hace que los atacados sean ineptos totales en estrategia de batalla。 Decepcionante。Y cuando por fin arranca el libro primero， resultaque el capítulo 1 es un prólogo más。 Ya van tres。 Si bien este tercer prólogo me sirve para ver que Kaladin tiene muchos puntos para llegar a ser pseudo-divino， literalmente， porque en todos los libros de Sanderson hay diosecillos de cartón。 Mi voto para Kaladin， pero supongo que habrá más elevados a la pseudo-divinidad de opereta。A todo esto， ya que por fin， tras tres prolegómenos， ha empezado la historia de verdad， decir que transcurre en un mundo espectacular -Sanderson es maestro indiscutible en el arte de construir universos- en el que las tormentas son la leche frita。 Hay variedad de razas y de naciones， además de espíritus traviesos y flora-rocosa。 En este mundo， el asesinato del rey de Alethkar -narrado en el segundo prólogo- es el origen de una guerra contra los parshendi。 Guerra a la que llega Kaladin， aunque no de la forma que él quisiera。 Por otra parte， hay una joven pija， Shallan， convencida de que el robo es preferible a la pobreza。 La contraparte es Jasnah Kohlin， que resulta mucho más interesante。 。。。more
Jim
，
This is my second time reading this book。 This time I listened to it thru Audible。 What a pleasure the performances were excellent and Brian Sanderson's world building is as beautiful as ever。 The characters are well developed， the story is exciting and pulls you in to this world。 This world of Rock and storms。 The class/caste system in this world defines you by the color of your eyes; Light Eyes at the Top believed to be honorable， Dark eyes to be less so， but are they。 Kaladin， son to a surgeo This is my second time reading this book。 This time I listened to it thru Audible。 What a pleasure the performances were excellent and Brian Sanderson's world building is as beautiful as ever。 The characters are well developed， the story is exciting and pulls you in to this world。 This world of Rock and storms。 The class/caste system in this world defines you by the color of your eyes; Light Eyes at the Top believed to be honorable， Dark eyes to be less so， but are they。 Kaladin， son to a surgeon， on his path to be one himself when he makes a sacrifice to save another。 He realizes that he must fight against it in his own way， suffering loss after loss until he finds his path with the lowest of the low。 Brightlord Dalinar the commander of one of the Alethi houses， brother to the late King and Uncle of the current。 He lives by the old codes of honor while those around him see the war as a way to riches and treat it as a game。 Can he save them all？ Shallin the daughter of a minor house whose lies to herself and her mistress cause great conflict both inner and outer。Each of the characters as well as the world Brandon has created are amazing。 If you enjoy Fantasy， Magic and great characters you will enjoy this book 。。。more
Trent
，
2。5/5I get the feeling that all of Sanderson's story ideas sound f$&@ing awesome as a barebones storyboard。 The guy just doesn't have the writing chops to bring it to life。Lots of problems in this one for me:-LOTS of telling instead of showing。 -Sanderson just isn't that funny。 There are some truly painful sections featuring Shallan and Wit that made me stop what I was doing to stare into the middle distance praying for the cringe to stop。-1000 pages and this is the narrowest feeling "epic fanta 2。5/5I get the feeling that all of Sanderson's story ideas sound f$&@ing awesome as a barebones storyboard。 The guy just doesn't have the writing chops to bring it to life。Lots of problems in this one for me:-LOTS of telling instead of showing。 -Sanderson just isn't that funny。 There are some truly painful sections featuring Shallan and Wit that made me stop what I was doing to stare into the middle distance praying for the cringe to stop。-1000 pages and this is the narrowest feeling "epic fantasy" I've ever read。 You get basically two locations and almost nothing else to connect the larger world。 I don't know how this is possible。 There is too much of the same thing over and over。 -Still can't shake the YA feel I get when I read Sanderson。 There's an adversion to sex and violence （the main weapon for MASS slaughter leaves no blood）， even when the plot would make more sense if it was there。 I also maintain that swear words made exclusively for the fantasy world are the worst。 About stopped reading at "storm leavings"。 So why still 2。5 stars？ When it gets good， it's good。 There are really compelling aspects to the story and world。 They just don't happen enough！ This is not the pinnacle of epic fantasy， and the prestige that comes with this series is not earned。 The only reason I may continue is because I've already purchased the next two books。 For now， I need a Sanderson break。 。。。more
LittleFear
，
Brandon Sanderson's universe is so brilliant it almost angers me。 How can one author be so talented？ I thought he couldn't do better than Mistborn （and well， this is only the first book so I cannot judge right away） but he just might？？？ The Way of Kings has a place in my heart - and one my shelves - and I'm more than ready to keep on reading the Stormlight Archive though I have to say; the beginning was a bit slow。 My parents and friends were almost mocking me， saying things like "so， is anythin Brandon Sanderson's universe is so brilliant it almost angers me。 How can one author be so talented？ I thought he couldn't do better than Mistborn （and well， this is only the first book so I cannot judge right away） but he just might？？？ The Way of Kings has a place in my heart - and one my shelves - and I'm more than ready to keep on reading the Stormlight Archive though I have to say; the beginning was a bit slow。 My parents and friends were almost mocking me， saying things like "so， is anything happening in your book yet？" and I would answer "I'm at page 300 and not really， but the world-building is pretty cool！" and so on and on and on。 I believe Brandon Sanderson might have lost some readers along the way since the universe is SO BIG and he has SO MUCH info to fit into these pages， but I held on。 I was patient。 I trusted him。 And I was right to do so。 Not only did the plot thickens， but I grew immensely attached to the universe （I adore the idea of fearspren， rottenspren， gloryspren etc。） and of course， to the characters。 Dalinar and Kaladin were easily my favourites。 Even if I tend to prefer more。。。 twisted， nuanced characters， I just couldn't help but love those righteous men。 Especially Kaladin。 Man， what a story this one has （his character kinds of reminds me of Kelsier in Mistborn， don't you agree？） and I was just so proud to see him fight his way through。。。 everything。 Really， right now， this is how I feel about this book: proud， and ready to begin Words of Radiance。 。。。more
Caitlin Danylkiw
，
The Way of Kings was my first Brandon Sanderson book， and I absolutely loved it！ The worldbuilding and characters are incredible， and I'm looking forward to downloading the rest of the SA onto my kindle to continue the journey！ 100/5 stars！！ The Way of Kings was my first Brandon Sanderson book， and I absolutely loved it！ The worldbuilding and characters are incredible， and I'm looking forward to downloading the rest of the SA onto my kindle to continue the journey！ 100/5 stars！！ 。。。more
olivia
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Sanderson knows how to tell a story。 This reminded me of Sarah J。 Maas' writing:✧ confusing， do-not-know-how-to-pronounce names✧ new made-up words that I now have to remember and add to my vocabularyBut The Way of Kings was very well thought out， very well executed， and very long。 Like the longest novel， I have ever read。 And I know how much effort Sanderson puts into this series because it takes him years to complete an installment。 Respect。 "I'm going to die， aren't I？" :） Sanderson knows how to tell a story。 This reminded me of Sarah J。 Maas' writing:✧ confusing， do-not-know-how-to-pronounce names✧ new made-up words that I now have to remember and add to my vocabularyBut The Way of Kings was very well thought out， very well executed， and very long。 Like the longest novel， I have ever read。 And I know how much effort Sanderson puts into this series because it takes him years to complete an installment。 Respect。 "I'm going to die， aren't I？" :） 。。。more
Natalya Kahmann
，
I overall enjoyed this book， but for me， it REALLY dragged in the middle and was repetitive。 But the ending was great and I want to jump into Words of Radiance right away。 This seems to be a pattern with me and his books。 LolSanderson has built an interesting world （once again） and compelling characters （once again） and this is a good first book in this very large series。 I say if you are interested， go for it。
keith boody
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I tried and I tried again and I kept trying but i just could not finish this。 I gave it a good go and got half way but it felt bland and I wont be wasting anymore time on this。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Way of Kings
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Way of Kings&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Way of Kings&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0