A review by nclcaitlin
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

4.5

FINALLY. Be prepared to be blown away (Storms? Get it?). 

The King of Alethi is murdered hours after the signing of a treaty with a peaceful people setting up a siege war of vengeance between them and the Parshendi.

Kaladin, once a promising surgeon and a soldier, is betrayed and sold into slavery. He is forced to work as a bridgeman, a position with a high mortality rate, and is contemplating his useless and luckless existence. 

Dalinar, the uncle of the new King, dislikes the dishonorable tactics used by his fellow highprinces in their quest for power and is driven to unite the Alethi. But there is no profit in peace. 

Shallon (my favourite at the moment) is a young woman from a fallen noble house. She seeks to become an apprentice to Jasnah Kholin, a renowned scholar, sister to the King. However, Shallan is also secretly trying to steal a valuable artifact from Jasnah in order to save her family from financial ruin.

Those candle flames were like the lives of men. So fragile. So deadly. Left alone, they lit and warmed. Let run rampant, they would destroy the very things they were meant to illuminate. Embryonic bonfires, each bearing a seed of destruction so potent it could tumble cities and dash kings to their knees.

The world-building is too complex to even get into in this review, but it is brilliant!There’s fauna, gem, a past history hinted at in the prologue and built upon as we start to see the scope the series promises.

Sanderson knows how to deliver incredible character arcs.

Kaladin, despite his constant losses and knock downs, is a natural leader and a beacon of hope. Through flashbacks, we see how he had two paths ahead of him - become a surgeon and heal people as his father wanted or become a soldier to protect people, and seek glory and camaraderie. 

Dalinar remains steadfast in his commitment to honor and justice despite doubts from everyone, including his sons and his nephew, the King. 

He is worries he is merely an old, tired soldier who fancies himself a philosopher.

Shallan is extremely witty and resourceful delivering biting sarcasm and shrewd observations. 

Also, shout out to the Wit (Hoid) who delivers the best one-liners in the Cosmere. He reminds me of the Fool from the Realm of the Elderings!

Sadeas flushed, but kept his temper. "A whore joke, Wit? Is that the best you can manage?" 

Wit shrugged. "I point out truths when I see them, Brightlord Sadeas. Each man has his place. Mine is to make insults. Yours is to be in-sluts."

Overall, I am so glad that this did live up to my expectations and the hype. I would have been devastated if it this was anything lower than a four stars. 

Sanderson is an incredible storyteller and I am always left feeling I have learnt something about myself and the world after closing his books. 

"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that."