Reviews with content warning for Death - The Way of Kings

To review this book, is to review myself and the journey I went through while reading it.

I started this book because my boyfriend told me it was an incredible book. This book, the fifth one written by Brandon Sanderson I’d ever read, was the book that spiraled him into completing all of the books written by the author in a frenzy of intrigue and need. So, I reluctantly began reading. I did not feel the passion or gusto to read this amazing book. I treated it like a slog to get through. Indeed, it is a large book. It has taken me a long time to finish it. But at some point, I realized it was no longer a challenge to consume. I craved the next word and the following chapter. I needed to know what came next more than I needed to do anything else.

I became paralyzed in this state of need. I needed to move through the book with speed and vigor. I had to physically move through the telling of the story. I couldn’t sit still and listen, I had to exercise the tension and anticipation.

I feel like I can only say that this book is a journey. I started reluctantly and finished it hungry. I finished this book while I walked 3 miles because I needed to be moving in order to contain my hunger for the next page to be metaphorically turned.

The world building is immaculate. There is so much to learn because there’s been so much built. The characters are real, their hearts beat and their lungs draw breath. The plot moves ever steadily towards a point in the distance I cannot yet grasp, but I am chasing after it on my two feet. I will reach the end of the universe one day, and I will be elated to be there, because then I will have experienced something like this book again and again.

I am happy to have read this book and experienced the wide array of emotions that swept through me while I read. I look forward to the next one, and anticipate that it will feel the same revelry upon completing that one too. I have been reborn. The way this book was written, God must be real for man to have created something so beautiful.

Content Warnings

mattiedancer's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Writing: 5⭐️/5

I think Sanderson’s writing is outstanding. Rich descriptions, beautiful dialogue, and stunningly crafted characters all twine together in this novel to create some truly decadent writing. Even the fight scenes were wonderfully written, as Sanderson has a way of describing the action without the details becoming tangled in the movement.

Characters: 5⭐️/5

Sanderson could write a spin-off about probably any character in this series, and I would care enough to read it. Every character feels real in this book.

Plot: 5⭐️/5

The plot and the world in this novel are stunning. I loved learning about the world, and I loved the stories that were explored throughout. It’s a long novel, and yet the pacing is perfect, taking the time to explain each moment that needs explaining. Ugh, I just want to dive into it again.

Who Should Read This Book?

Someone looking for a remarkable high-fantasy series
Someone who likes Brandon Sanderson
Readers looking for a fantasy series with stunning writing

Content Warnings?

War, violence, blood, slavery, mental illness, suicide, suicidal thoughts, classism, grief, murder, injury, injury detail, vomit

Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5

Love, love, love. Where has Sanderson been all this time?

Final Rating: 5⭐️/5

Content Warnings

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging medium-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? Yes

4.0

That was… a lot. Definitely not an instant favorite, but still a worthwhile read. I have to say, there’s so much worldbuilding for such a large world that I got so confused at times and honestly felt kind of stupid (and still do). I liked our three main POVs, although Dalinar and Kaladin kind of feel like alternate universe versions of the same character, especially with their internal struggles. I also kind of feel like most of the interludes (except for Szeth’s) were kind of unnecessary and made the worldbuilding more confusing because they draw in narratives from different parts of Roshar other than the ones that relate to the main plot and don’t really seem to connect to or add anything to our main storyline. But it also may just be a bit of an issue with adjustment to Sanderson’s writing style, since it’s the first book of his I’ve read. I think I’ll probably continue with this series (since I have basically no idea what to expect in the next books), although maybe not until all the books are out so I won’t have to take a couple months of rereading each time a new book comes out.

Content Warnings

ashley_mrose530's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Honestly, this book is nothing short of spectacular. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could. The pacing is amazing, the writing is perfectly simple but also captivating, and the characters are all lovable. I think this is definitely a great book for anyone who is looking to get into epic high fantasy. It drops you right in, in a good way. There's always going to be a little bit of confusion with a high fantasy as you try to get a sense of the world, but this book gave you just enough so you could understand and not be bored but also didn't overwhelm you with all of the information all at once. The world building was so seamless and well thought out and I loved learning about the magic system and the different species of humans.
I loved all of the characters even the more minor ones. They were all so well developed and had such distinct personalities. I even loved the one who was killing everyone and will be seen as the "bad guy". They all had a lot of depth throughout the book and stood out as individuals. I rooted for every single one of them to get what they wanted.
I also really liked the pacing of this book. Like I said, it does drop you in like right away with a character who is killing people as he's trying to kill a king, so it starts off on a high note which I think was a great way to start because when that was over you were completely ready to slow down and get a deeper sense of the world that you needed in order to move on. But the book itself was also separated into parts with interludes in between. I really enjoyed that it took a step back from the main story with those and added a side story to give you more information about the world and how it works without inundating you with exposition. It really worked with the pacing of the novel as a whole.
So yeah this was definitely a 10/10 read and I will be recommending it to anyone who is interested in high fantasy.

Content Warnings

jeffjk's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious 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

4.0

A solid fantasy epic that feels like a puzzle box you can untangle with enough careful attention. The characters are people I want to know or be, just exceptionally well-made lil people.

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ekcd_'s review

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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