The Way of Kings Part One by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings Part One by Brandon Sanderson is the explosive beginning of The Stormlight Archive, an epic fantasy series set on the storm-battered world of Roshar.

This is a world shaped by violent highstorms.

Armies fight across shattered landscapes.

Kings compete for power.

Ancient orders have vanished.

Legendary weapons called Shardblades can turn a warrior into an almost unstoppable force.

And somewhere beneath the wars, politics, and old myths, forgotten powers are beginning to return.

About The Way of Kings Part One

The Way of Kings Part One introduces readers to Roshar, one of Brandon Sanderson’s most ambitious fantasy worlds.

The story follows several major characters whose lives slowly begin to connect.

Kaladin is a young spearman whose life has collapsed.

Dalinar Kholin is a powerful highprince troubled by mysterious visions.

Shallan Davar is an intelligent young woman hiding dangerous secrets.

And Szeth, an assassin with terrifying abilities, is carrying out murders that could destabilize kingdoms.

Their stories unfold against the background of a massive war on the Shattered Plains.

7 Epic Reasons to Read The Way of Kings Part One

1. Roshar Is an Incredible Fantasy World

One of the greatest strengths of The Way of Kings Part One is its world-building.

Roshar is not a generic medieval setting.

Massive storms shape the environment.

Plants react to danger.

Animals have evolved to survive violent weather.

Cities and cultures have developed around the storms.

The world feels different from almost anything else in epic fantasy.

2. Kaladin Is a Powerful Main Character

Kaladin begins the story at one of the lowest points in his life.

He has experienced betrayal.

Loss.

Failure.

And despair.

Yet he continues to survive.

His story becomes one of leadership, responsibility, loyalty, and the struggle to protect people when everything seems hopeless.

3. Dalinar’s Visions Add Mystery

Dalinar Kholin is an experienced warrior and political leader.

But he begins experiencing strange visions.

They appear to show events from the distant past.

He does not know whether the visions are real.

Or whether he is losing his mind.

These visions introduce some of the biggest mysteries in the series.

4. Shallan Brings Intelligence and Secrets

Shallan’s story is very different from Kaladin’s.

She enters the world of scholarship.

Art.

Research.

Politics.

And deception.

She has an important goal.

But she is also hiding something.

Her chapters introduce another side of Roshar and begin uncovering mysteries connected to ancient history.

5. Shardblades and Shardplate Are Unforgettable

Shardblades are legendary weapons.

They can cut through almost anything.

Shardplate gives warriors incredible physical power and protection.

Owning these weapons can change a person’s political status instantly.

They are central to warfare, power, and social hierarchy in Roshar.

6. The Story Is Full of Ancient Mystery

The Knights Radiant once protected humanity.

Then they disappeared.

The Voidbringers are remembered as ancient enemies.

But much of what people believe may be incomplete or wrong.

The Way of Kings Part One slowly reveals that the past is much more important than the characters realize.

7. It Begins a Huge Epic

This book is only the beginning.

Brandon Sanderson builds the story slowly and deliberately.

Small details become important later.

Characters who seem unrelated begin moving toward larger events.

The scale expands with every chapter.

Readers who enjoy long-form fantasy may especially appreciate this approach.

The World of Roshar

Roshar is defined by highstorms.

These storms are so powerful that they influence architecture.

Plants.

Animals.

Travel.

Warfare.

And everyday life.

The landscape has adapted to survive them.

This makes Roshar feel like a complete ecosystem rather than simply a backdrop.

Kaladin’s Journey

Kaladin’s story is one of the emotional centers of The Way of Kings Part One.

He has known success.

He has also experienced terrible loss.

When readers meet him, he is struggling to find a reason to continue.

His journey is not simply about becoming stronger.

It is about deciding whether helping others is still worth the pain.

Bridge Crews

One of the most memorable elements of Kaladin’s story is the bridge crew.

These men are treated as expendable.

They are forced into dangerous battlefield roles.

Survival seems almost impossible.

Kaladin gradually begins to see them as more than prisoners or soldiers.

Leadership becomes part of his identity.

Dalinar Kholin

Dalinar is an Alethi highprince.

He is respected as a warrior.

But his behavior begins changing.

He becomes increasingly interested in ancient codes of honor.

He also experiences visions during highstorms.

These visions may contain warnings about Roshar’s future.

His beliefs create tension with other political leaders.

The Way of Kings Within the Story

The title also refers to an important text inside the novel.

Dalinar becomes deeply influenced by an ancient work called The Way of Kings.

Its ideas about leadership, duty, and honor begin affecting how he sees power.

This creates conflict because the society around him often values strength and victory more than restraint.

Shallan Davar

Shallan is young, intelligent, artistic, and ambitious.

She seeks out the famous scholar Jasnah Kholin.

Her reasons are not entirely academic.

She has a plan.

And that plan could change her family’s future.

Her story introduces important ideas about scholarship, religion, philosophy, and Soulcasting.

Jasnah Kholin

Jasnah is one of the most respected scholars in Roshar.

She is independent.

Highly intelligent.

And willing to challenge accepted beliefs.

Her research into ancient history becomes increasingly important.

Through Jasnah, Shallan begins discovering that old myths may contain uncomfortable truths.

Szeth the Assassin

Szeth is one of the most mysterious characters in the opening of the story.

He possesses abilities that seem almost impossible.

He can manipulate gravity.

Run along walls.

Use a Shardblade.

His actions create political chaos.

His role also introduces readers to some of the deeper magical systems of Roshar.

The Shattered Plains

Much of the war takes place on the Shattered Plains.

The landscape is divided by enormous chasms.

Armies must cross bridges to reach distant plateaus.

The geography shapes military strategy.

It also makes battles especially dangerous.

The setting becomes one of the most recognizable locations in the series.

The Alethi War

The Alethi armies are fighting the Parshendi.

The conflict has continued for years.

Highprinces compete for glory.

Gemhearts.

Shardblades.

And political influence.

The war is not simply about defeating an enemy.

It also exposes divisions within Alethi society.

The Knights Radiant

The Knights Radiant belong to Roshar’s ancient past.

They were legendary warriors associated with powerful abilities and mysterious orders.

Then something happened.

They abandoned their role.

Their disappearance became one of the greatest historical mysteries in the world.

The question of what really happened becomes increasingly important.

Shardblades

Shardblades are among the most iconic weapons in Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy universe.

They are enormous swords.

But they are surprisingly light in the hands of their wielders.

They can cut through stone and armor.

Possessing one can transform an ordinary warrior into a powerful noble.

Their true origin becomes part of the larger mystery.

Shardplate

Shardplate is magical armor.

It greatly increases strength.

Speed.

Protection.

A warrior wearing Shardplate becomes incredibly difficult to defeat.

Combined with a Shardblade, the wearer becomes known as a Shardbearer.

Shardbearers have enormous influence on the battlefield.

Honor and Leadership

Leadership is a major theme in The Way of Kings Part One.

Kaladin leads from the bottom.

Dalinar leads from the top.

Both face different challenges.

What makes a good leader?

Power?

Fear?

Honor?

Sacrifice?

Responsibility?

The novel keeps returning to these questions.

Strength Before Weakness

One of the most important ideas in The Stormlight Archive is expressed through a set of ancient words:

Life before death.

Strength before weakness.

Journey before destination.

These ideas become increasingly meaningful as the characters develop.

The words are connected to the lost Knights Radiant.

Journey Before Destination

The phrase “Journey before destination” captures one of the central themes of the series.

Results matter.

But how a person reaches those results matters too.

The choices people make along the way define who they become.

That idea appears repeatedly through Kaladin, Dalinar, Shallan, and other characters.

Brandon Sanderson’s Magic Systems

Brandon Sanderson is known for structured magic systems.

Roshar includes several unusual forms of power.

Stormlight.

Surgebinding.

Soulcasting.

Shardblades.

Spren.

Readers gradually learn how these systems work.

The explanations are part of the mystery rather than being revealed all at once.

Spren

Spren are strange beings that appear throughout Roshar.

Different types may be associated with emotions.

Natural forces.

Ideas.

Fear.

Pain.

Wind.

Flames.

Their presence gives the world a unique visual identity.

Some spren become much more important than they initially appear.

Epic Fantasy With Slow-Building Payoff

The Way of Kings Part One is a large-scale fantasy novel.

It takes time to establish its world.

Characters.

Magic.

History.

Politics.

The story rewards patience.

Events that initially seem unrelated gradually become connected.

Readers who enjoy deep world-building may find this especially satisfying.

Who Should Read This Book?

The Way of Kings Part One is ideal for readers who enjoy epic fantasy, complex magic systems, enormous worlds, political conflict, ancient mysteries, character development, and long-running series.

It may especially appeal to fans of Mistborn, The Wheel of Time, and other large-scale fantasy sagas.

Because this is the first half of the UK split edition of The Way of Kings, readers should continue with The Way of Kings Part Two to complete the first Stormlight Archive novel.

About Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is an American fantasy and science-fiction author best known for Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, Elantris, Warbreaker, and the wider Cosmere universe.

He also completed the final novels in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series.

Gollancz lists The Stormlight Archive among his major bestselling fantasy series.

Readers can learn more through the official Brandon Sanderson website.

Product Details

Title: The Way of Kings Part One

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: The Stormlight Archive

Series Position: Book 1, Part 1

Genre: Epic Fantasy / High Fantasy / Adventure

Language: English

Common Gollancz Paperback Edition

Publisher: Gollancz

ISBN-13: 9780575097360

ISBN-10: 0575097361

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: May 26, 2011

Bibliographic listings commonly give this edition as approximately 594–608 pages depending on the cataloging method. Hachette confirms the paperback ISBN and publication date, while Google Books lists 594 pages.

Important Part One Note

This edition is not the complete novel by itself.

The original The Way of Kings is a single novel, but Gollancz released some paperback markets in two physical volumes because of its size.

The Way of Kings Part One contains the first portion.

Readers need The Way of Kings Part Two to finish the complete first novel of The Stormlight Archive. Google Books explicitly describes the title as being released in two volumes due to the size of the book.

Do not confuse this ISBN with later single-volume hardbacks, deluxe editions, or U.S. editions.

Always check the barcode on your physical copy before entering final WooCommerce specifications.

Explore More Fantasy Books

The Way of Kings Part One begins an enormous fantasy journey.

Kaladin searches for a reason to keep fighting.

Dalinar struggles to understand impossible visions.

Shallan enters a world of knowledge and deception.

Szeth carries out assassinations that could reshape kingdoms.

And ancient powers begin returning to Roshar.

Readers looking for more epic fantasy can explore Fantasy Books at Bargain Books.

You can also explore Fiction & Literature Books at Bargain Books.

For readers who enjoy massive worlds, deep character arcs, magical weapons, political conflict, ancient mysteries, and carefully constructed fantasy systems, The Way of Kings Part One is an excellent entry into Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive.