Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

159 reviews

takarakei's review

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Phew I did it! I've finally started this series. Overall I thought this was good, but as the first book in what I've been told is an epic series there's a lot of setup done here for the future. I don't know if I fully like the way Sanderson does his world-building, which tends to be mentioning things several times before explaining what they are (but I just keep thinking I've missed the explanation when I haven't). It also felt rather slow in parts, and I'm not sure if it really needed to be this long (yeah I know pray for me cause they only get longer from here). I do immensely enjoy the characters. The ending is a wild ride and I'm excited for the rest of the series (I just think we could've gotten there faster) because I see the potential for where this could go.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

microbemom's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Death, Slavery, Xenophobia, Child death, Genocide, Medical content, and War

hidden_squid's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Body horror and Death

Minor: Murder, Medical content, and Medical trauma

orvillefartenbacher's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Medical content, Racism, Trafficking, Genocide, Slavery, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Death

cheyannejeanette's review

adventurous reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The world building and magic system in this book is amazing. Sanderson truly shines in those two areas. It was pretty slow paced and you don't learn how things work and the full implications of what's going on around the characters until the very end and even then you're left with lots of questions. Absolutely set up for a sequel and I will read the next one, but I think I need a bit of a break first lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Medical content, Slavery, Death, and Grief

alix_tz's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Extremely well written and creative. Hard to put down even though the pace is slow at times. A lot of very intriguing elements that are still not completely resolved by the end of the first book, so this is not a stand alone volume in the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Slavery, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

kennacrowe27's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

I do not normally write out book reviews, but this is seriously one of the best books I have ever read and cannot stop thinking about it. 

The Way of Kings is an aptly named book. Although it follows several different characters with very different (though connected) stories, this book is about honor above all else. To take responsibility and do what is right over what is easy or personally advantageous. The amount of true introspection, courage, and sacrifice exhibited by the characters admittedly moved me to tears. 

This is indeed a long book, but to experience the rollercoasters of the incredibly well-crafted character arcs is absolutely worth every single page. Watching these characters struggle and come to grips with their situations is truly inspiring and, as only the best books do, has made me feel less powerless in the world. 

Apart from the characters, the world-building is just as incredible as other Sanderson books. Roshar is an incredibly rich and diverse place, and I am looking forward to learning more about the various cultures in the next book. There were also a number of plot twists presented at the very end that are making me so impatient to start Words of Radiance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Medical content, Slavery, Classism, War, Blood, Death, Grief, and Violence

Minor: Suicide attempt

jguerrera77's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The world is very richly built. For those who like fantasy and sci-fi, it doesn't delve too deep into world building that isn't believable. The characters are well-rounded and extremely compelling. I found myself wanting to know more about every one of them, the "heros" and the "villains" alike.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, War, and Blood

Moderate: Slavery

nojerama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. Holy shit. Ok I get what you were all talking about now. 

It started slow, but Sanderson's storytelling was frankly immaculate and he weaved all the threads together with precision and care. Kaladin was a firm favourite from the get go, Shallan is a character archetype I adore (I'm a forever student at heart and so seeing characters in any learning environment is my jam) plus her whole dilemma and how she deals with Jasnah was wonderful to watch grow and blossom. Dalinar was a slow burn but grew on me, his dry wit and blunt nature plus the inherent vulnerability in having a POV character deeply question their sanity meant I couldn't help but love him. Also loved Wit after seeing him

as Hoid in Tress of the Emerald Sea

, he made me snort my tea from laughing. 

The audiobook narrators were phenomenal, genuinely no idea why people were bitching about Kate Reading so much (maybe it's a marmite thing but I adored how she read Shallan). There were like one or two things I thought maybe needed a biiiiit more breathing room (for example I do not for one second believe Jasnah would have forgiven Shallan so quickly at the end there) but also for pacing sake I understand why they went the way they did so I'm not complaining. 

Also sorry I just have to, spoilers below also beware of cursing:

THE PARSHMEN?!? THE PARSHMEN ARE VOIDBRINGERS?!?!?!? When I got to that bit as God is my witness I paused my audiobook and just went what the FUCK

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Xenophobia, Violence, Self harm, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, Child death, Slavery, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Medical content, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Self harm, Death, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

lea2322's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Slavery, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Mental illness