If you want to read an epic fantasy that isn't GoT or LoTR, this is amazing. ( )

OK, my first review here. After reading my first Brandon Sanderson I just couldn't resist.

The last books I read before WOK were the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett and the King Killer books by Patrick Rothfuss. I seem to be getting into epics! I loved these books because they were written by 'storytellers'. They set such a vivid scene and yet manage to create incredible suspense and excitement. I thought that The Name of the Wind was the greatest 'storytellers' read that I would find.....

Then I found the Way of Kings!

This is a monster. I ploughed through it by alternating between reading and listening to the (superb) audiobook. I was hooked after the prologue. I have no idea how an author becomes skilled enough to write over 1000 pages of story without ever allowing the reader to lose focus, and with the reader never wanting to! Such a talent.

The absolute clincher for me was that I loved the Kaladin / Bridge 4 story. I was disappointed when the author moved attention away towards one of the other plots of the story - but never for more than a couple of paragraphs. That is the amazing thing about this book, you will love the main plot and want to stick with it but each sub plot will grab you in turn. You want to read them all at the same time and cannot wait to find out what happens next to each of the main characters.

I won't try to summarise the plot - it's on the back of the book. If you like great stories, long detailed stories that you don't want to end, then buy the Way of Kings. It won't disappoint and you'll want to read the Words of Radiance as soon as you finish the last page.
( )

This is an epic, that is for sure. I want to give it more stars because... damn. I would like to read the next one: I want to know what happens, I want to see where the characters go, etc. BUT: am I ready for another ~1000? I'm just not sure.

I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars. I want to give the 1 because of the sheer amount of world-building here. But... yeah, I'll give it the 4-stars. ( )

Okay, so.

This book has sat at the top of my to-read list for several years. Seriously. My friends love it, the reviews screamed that it was insanely good. It really sat at the #1 position no matter how I ordered the stupid list. For years.

Maybe that's why I didn't read it. The expectations were too high. The book was too epic. I didn't want to get into another Game of Thrones where I'm waiting for the latest tome for years, and end up having to read several thousand pages to catch up on the story lines before the latest book comes out. I wonder if the whole series will hold up to the first book. I have to worry that the author will die before the dang series finishes.

Those last worries really don't apply to Sanderson, though; he's young, he's a writing machine, I can't imagine how he puts out the number of books he does a year without wearing his fingers down to nubs, most everything he writes is fantastic.

And so I finally embarked upon The Way of Kings.

It mostly held up to the hype. It definitely reads like Sanderson -- if you like him, you'll love this; if you don't, you won't. Simple as that. It's easily accessible language, great characterization, NO DANG CLIFFHANGERS AT THE END OF EVERY CHAPTER .. ahem. Actually, that last part is important. This book is good -- there's a good hook at the end of it, but not something that I'll be foaming at the mouth to read the next one about. And I can take a break before I jump into the next novel without freaking out that I'm going to lose the line of plot.

Either way, at the end of the book, I was repeatedly recommending it to my husband, who probably won't pick it up until the series is closer to completion. The journey was worth it -- just wishing I hadn't started it until it was finished either. ;) ( )

High 1.

Oh my... What a mercy it is to have finished this.

My hesitance in reading long books rarely has anything to do with the actual length - if a book is good, then the idea of being able to immerse myself in it for many pages is appealing. Unfortunately, it's incredibly rare to come across anything as lengthy as 1000 pages that actually justifies its length, and so alarm bells are normally ringing. So many fantasy books fall into this trap, and the excuse often made is "oh, it's world building" - but it's not. It's verbosity. And verbosity is only SOMETIMES tolerable (or even enjoyable) when A. The prose is good, and B. What's being conveyed is painting a bigger picture. Sanderson does not paint a bigger picture, he paints over what he's already painted - and he doesn't do it with much flair.

The prose isn't terrible, mind, but it's functional at best. It's not that it's "flowery" - it's not that kind of indulgence. The biggest problem is that it's constantly expository - nor is it useful exposition, but repetition. He gives the reader zero credit and wastes countless pages reminding them of what they already know... Again and again.

The Way of Kings is a book that twiddles its thumbs for pages on end, and then decides to drop a number of twists right at the finishing line. A clever tactic, because it might compel the reader to press on to the next volume (but I ain't falling for that... Oh no). And it's damn frustrating, because the book has legs... It's just that he cripples them.

I think Sanderson is capable of writing a good book - and who am I to say he hasn't? (This is my first) - he knows the basics of writing, he knows how to plot, his characterisation is decent and only really held back by stalling development with filler; but this isn't a good book. There is no justification for the length of The Way of Kings. Cut it in half; all depth could be retained (nay, improved upon),and everything would be made much, much tighter as a result. I can imagine the exact same story playing out - with no negative effect on character or plot - in half the number of pages AT LEAST. Heck, everything that happens in here should probably have been ticked off by the half way point, and then taken even further. There is farrrr too much of characters wondering and walking and mulling over the same scenario for the entire book. Progress is MINIMAL.

Yes, there are some nice world building elements, but nothing to yell about. Stuff to do with ettiquete and class is interesting, and the magic systems seem well thought out. Spren feel like a gimmicky joke half the time though. Drink every time any character does anything and [insert emotion here] spren appear to announce what they're feeling/experiencing. It becomes predictable and, while it's clear that Sanderson has bigger ideas in store for where he takes them, half the time they just feel like a tedious visual marker for practically anything internal.

Sanderson seems to be a nice guy. I've been following some of his lectures and they contain numerous nuggets of universally applicable writing advice. Some elements in The Way the Kings are even genuinely compelling.

Ultimately though, a *potentially* good story is ruined by indulgent filler, repetitive exposition, clunky action, cringe dialogue, redundant flashbacks, irrelevant asides... Ugh. I could go on. ( )