The Way of Kings Part One: The Stormlight Archive Book One

This was my first Sanderson book and I am extremely impressed. The world he's created is nothing short of amazing, and the characters are full of depth and intrigue.One aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the sense of slowly uncovering the secrets of the world. There's this pervasive sense of "hmmm what exactly happened here/why is the world the way it is?" and it's something that keeps you reading on for more answers because of how great the worldbuilding is.One thing I'll say to people who feel intimidated by the length of the book - please please please don't let that put you off this book. Overall with part 1 and 2 combined it's over 1000 pages long, so it's a big story with a slow-ish pace for the majority of the book...but do not mistaken slow pace for boring. The character arcs and plot slow burn over time and are still fun to read throughout, but when they finally pop off in the final 3rd of Way of Kings part 2, it was one of the best reading experiences I've ever had. It's known among Sanderson's fans that he likes to write to climaxes and bombshells that happen one after the other in succession near the end of his books - creatively called Sanderlanches - and trust me when I say they make up for all the slow pace in the world and it's extremely gratifying. Think of it as delayed gratification, but do yourself a favour and give this series a try - you won't be disappointed.I've already ordered Words of Radience, the second book in the series, and cannot wait to see what happens next!

The Way of Kings Part One lays the foundation for an enthralling adventure within the breathtaking Stormlight Archive series. Brandon Sanderson's richly detailed world-building and compelling characters immediately draw readers into the story. With its intricate plot and masterful storytelling, this book is a must-read for fantasy lovers. Whether you're diving into the series for the first time or revisiting it, you're in for an unforgettable journey.

In reality, as half of a larger book, I probably shouldn’t have rated this before reading the finale. Yes, it has been released as two individual books, but that is clearly for logistical reasons because this book was quite large enough as it was… any larger and I’d have struggled to lug it in my rucksack, let alone a handbag. And whilst my main reason for rating four stars initially was that it was slow, having re-read and then gone straight into the second part of the novel, I can’t see this as a flaw.This is undeniably a long, convoluted and stunningly in-depth novel and much of it is dedicated to setting the scenes and introducing the characters. When the novel is built around three key points of view, each in very different situations, locations and with very different challenges and experiences, the time taken to build the world is crucial. To make things that little bit more complex, one of the characters narratives has chapters in both the present and the past giving you a keen vision of what sculpted the man you see before you now.I will openly say that I loved nearly all of the characters, both our key characters and those surrounding them. Sanderson has a real talent for making all of them seem real, even those that you don’t actually spend a great deal of time with. I think my favourite out of the characters has to be Kaladin, and that seems to be a common theme in reviews here. There’s several reasons for that; first he is just a suburb character with complex motivations and an intriguing mystery behind him, but also because his storyline is one of the most fast moving and unpredictable.All of the characterisations are strong though; Kaladin with his surgeon skills and battlefield expertise condemned to life as a slave and a bridgeman for a crime we do not fully comprehend. A sacrificial criminal, unarmoured and unprotected, running the bridges before the soldiers and bait for Parsheni arrows. Bridgemen aren’t meant to survive and yet Kaladin is determined to make something of this life, however pitiful it may be, for both himself and those around him. Daladin, a High Prince standing in what seems to him to be an ever more pointless fight of vengeance for his King and brother seven years ago. A stern and unbending man, determined to do right by his role, his family and the Codes his brother bid him to follow, a man trying to propel change in an unwilling atmosphere and thought weak because of it or mad because of visions he cannot understand.Shallan is a frustrating character; both because of her intelligence and in spite of it. She is portrayed as very unfeminine in a world where strict attention is paid to gender roles and identities; different jobs, arts and even foods depending on your gender once you reach adulthood. Her quick witted retorts often felt forced and unnecessary, which is likely a clever ploy on the authors part to make her stick out from the norm. There is certainly a mystery behind her, as there is behind all of our key leads, yet whilst I did wonder what had happened to her father, it wasn’t as compelling as either Kaladin or Dalinar. I suspect my thoughts are partly also because I preferred the heretic Jasnah, finding her a deeply complex and intriguing character despite her position in the background.This is true throughout though; characters who relatively speaking are very much minor bit players in the actual story also grow a life of their own. Some of these characters, like Jasnah, Daladin’s son Adolin and a few of the bridgemen, play somewhat larger roles in influencing key characters and events, but many could easily have become background ornamentation. It is a credit to the strength of Sanderson’s writing that they didn’t; the surgeon determined his son should take the right path, the adept being a little too free with his words and his time, the gregarious sailor with his cocky smile, the assassin who started a war and then vanished only to show up in the most unlikely of places…Surrounding all of that is some superb writing, a complex and intricate world of magic, politics, action and intrigue and a magic system that is both simple and complex at the same time. I suspect more will be made of this within the following books, but the use of magic within what is essentially currency is an idea I haven’t seen used often and made for interesting reading. Sanderson also writes exceptional action scenes, his dialogue is rich and varied with each character having their own voice and personality and he has the ability to squeeze your heart and make you sweat in worry and dismay at times.This is, in a word, exceptional. I’m glad I re-read it before moving onto Part 2 though. I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to it, but it did and I would have been hopelessly lost without my re-read. If you're a fan of well written, complex fantasy with engaging characters and an enthralling world... Brandon Sanderson is for you.

Beautiful hardcover and arrived in perfect condition.

La esquina un poco doblada pero no mucho casi no se nota.Ya quiero leerlo

I think I got sent a used copy, which is a little disappointing, but other then that the delivery was quick

Buen libro y buena presentación. No hace falta decir nada mas.