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jkpiowa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors of all time, and this book is probably number 1 of what he's written.
Way of Kings is a large-scale epic fantasy on the scale of The Wheel of Time, but much better (in my own opinion). This first installment can be slow at times, which is to be somewhat expected from a 1200+ page book. We follow a whole cast of characters as they contribute in different ways to the war of the Alethi against the Parshendi, in revenge for the assassination of the Alethi king several years ago. In the last couple hundred pages, their stories converge in an awesome and action-filled ending that always makes my heart race.
It's amazing, but not without concerns. The Parshendi are mostly described as darker skinned, and are the "bad" guys, though it remains to be seen how that plot point develops over time. A lot of the plot is centered around having specific physical features, the people in power being "lighteyes". Also all the women wear skirts or dresses, and are considered less-than if they are immodest and show their "safe hand". Still remains to be seen how these things develop over the series.
Way of Kings is a large-scale epic fantasy on the scale of The Wheel of Time, but much better (in my own opinion). This first installment can be slow at times, which is to be somewhat expected from a 1200+ page book. We follow a whole cast of characters as they contribute in different ways to the war of the Alethi against the Parshendi, in revenge for the assassination of the Alethi king several years ago. In the last couple hundred pages, their stories converge in an awesome and action-filled ending that always makes my heart race.
It's amazing, but not without concerns. The Parshendi are mostly described as darker skinned, and are the "bad" guys, though it remains to be seen how that plot point develops over time. A lot of the plot is centered around having specific physical features, the people in power being "lighteyes". Also all the women wear skirts or dresses, and are considered less-than if they are immodest and show their "safe hand". Still remains to be seen how these things develop over the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, War, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, and Body shaming
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