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orionmerlin 's review for:
The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Characters – 7.5/10
I liked these people, but they wore me out. Kaladin spends about 600 pages circling the same drain of despair before finally pulling himself up — it’s powerful in moments, but the repetition made me sigh instead of cheer. Shallan is fun when she’s being snarky, but she also feels trapped in a tonal tug-of-war between trauma dumps and quippy one-liners, which gave me whiplash. Dalinar had interesting ideas — visions, honor, the creeping suspicion he’s going mad — but his chapters crawled compared to Kaladin’s life-or-death urgency. Bridge Four was the highlight: their gradual camaraderie felt genuine and gave me something warm to hold onto in the endless bleakness. But overall, the character work could’ve used a tighter edit. Less “Kaladin despair montage #37,” more actual growth along the way.
I liked these people, but they wore me out. Kaladin spends about 600 pages circling the same drain of despair before finally pulling himself up — it’s powerful in moments, but the repetition made me sigh instead of cheer. Shallan is fun when she’s being snarky, but she also feels trapped in a tonal tug-of-war between trauma dumps and quippy one-liners, which gave me whiplash. Dalinar had interesting ideas — visions, honor, the creeping suspicion he’s going mad — but his chapters crawled compared to Kaladin’s life-or-death urgency. Bridge Four was the highlight: their gradual camaraderie felt genuine and gave me something warm to hold onto in the endless bleakness. But overall, the character work could’ve used a tighter edit. Less “Kaladin despair montage #37,” more actual growth along the way.
Atmosphere / Setting – 8/10
Roshar is impressive… almost to a fault. Everything is so different — spren everywhere, animals with too many legs, storms that regularly smash the planet — that it sometimes felt like the book was shoving me by the shoulders saying, “Look how unique I am!” The Shattered Plains are striking at first, but by the fifth or sixth bridge run they’re just another backdrop for human misery. Kharbranth had charm, but the warcamps were dull, interchangeable stretches of tents and posturing nobles. Sanderson clearly wants me to feel awe at the alienness of this place, but by the halfway point I just wanted a change of scenery. The worldbuilding is meticulous, yes, but also exhausting to absorb at the pace it’s delivered.
Roshar is impressive… almost to a fault. Everything is so different — spren everywhere, animals with too many legs, storms that regularly smash the planet — that it sometimes felt like the book was shoving me by the shoulders saying, “Look how unique I am!” The Shattered Plains are striking at first, but by the fifth or sixth bridge run they’re just another backdrop for human misery. Kharbranth had charm, but the warcamps were dull, interchangeable stretches of tents and posturing nobles. Sanderson clearly wants me to feel awe at the alienness of this place, but by the halfway point I just wanted a change of scenery. The worldbuilding is meticulous, yes, but also exhausting to absorb at the pace it’s delivered.
Writing Style – 6.5/10
Sanderson’s prose gets the job done, but it’s not exactly elegant. It’s repetitive, utilitarian, and prone to overexplaining. Characters constantly rehash the same internal debates (Kaladin: “I’ve failed. But maybe I haven’t. But I have. But—” screams into storm). Dialogue often feels like stage directions with quotation marks. And the pacing? Glacial. The book is over a thousand pages, and it feels like it. Every character arc could have been trimmed without losing impact. There are flashes of sharp writing — Wit’s barbs, a few genuinely chilling battle descriptions — but for most of it, the style felt more like slogging through a textbook on Rosharan misery than reading a novel.
Sanderson’s prose gets the job done, but it’s not exactly elegant. It’s repetitive, utilitarian, and prone to overexplaining. Characters constantly rehash the same internal debates (Kaladin: “I’ve failed. But maybe I haven’t. But I have. But—” screams into storm). Dialogue often feels like stage directions with quotation marks. And the pacing? Glacial. The book is over a thousand pages, and it feels like it. Every character arc could have been trimmed without losing impact. There are flashes of sharp writing — Wit’s barbs, a few genuinely chilling battle descriptions — but for most of it, the style felt more like slogging through a textbook on Rosharan misery than reading a novel.
Plot – 6.5/10
The plot is technically there, but buried under so much setup and wheel-spinning that it sometimes felt like I was reading the world’s longest prologue. Kaladin’s arc is emotionally satisfying in the end, but it takes forever to get there. Shallan’s theft plotline is intriguing but moves at the pace of molasses — her chapters felt like speed bumps on an already slow road. Dalinar’s visions add lore but do little to drive the story forward until very late. When things finally click in the climax, it’s undeniably exciting, but I couldn’t shake the sense that I’d endured a marathon just to get one burst of adrenaline at the finish line. A thousand pages for “Kaladin learns to believe in himself” is a long way around the block.
The plot is technically there, but buried under so much setup and wheel-spinning that it sometimes felt like I was reading the world’s longest prologue. Kaladin’s arc is emotionally satisfying in the end, but it takes forever to get there. Shallan’s theft plotline is intriguing but moves at the pace of molasses — her chapters felt like speed bumps on an already slow road. Dalinar’s visions add lore but do little to drive the story forward until very late. When things finally click in the climax, it’s undeniably exciting, but I couldn’t shake the sense that I’d endured a marathon just to get one burst of adrenaline at the finish line. A thousand pages for “Kaladin learns to believe in himself” is a long way around the block.
Intrigue – 7/10
I was invested enough to keep going, but not without grumbling. The mysteries (Voidbringers, the Assassin in White, spren mechanics) dangled in front of me like a carrot on a stick — interesting, sure, but rarely delivered on. Kaladin’s bridge runs were tense and brutal, but they also became predictable: run, suffer, despair, repeat. Shallan’s academic scheming had sparks of intrigue but frequently bogged down in infodumps and sketching metaphors. Dalinar’s honor-obsessed chapters often tested my patience more than they piqued my curiosity. I wasn’t bored exactly, but I wasn’t exactly enthralled either. It felt less like being pulled along by the story and more like dragging myself through because I wanted the satisfaction of finishing.
I was invested enough to keep going, but not without grumbling. The mysteries (Voidbringers, the Assassin in White, spren mechanics) dangled in front of me like a carrot on a stick — interesting, sure, but rarely delivered on. Kaladin’s bridge runs were tense and brutal, but they also became predictable: run, suffer, despair, repeat. Shallan’s academic scheming had sparks of intrigue but frequently bogged down in infodumps and sketching metaphors. Dalinar’s honor-obsessed chapters often tested my patience more than they piqued my curiosity. I wasn’t bored exactly, but I wasn’t exactly enthralled either. It felt less like being pulled along by the story and more like dragging myself through because I wanted the satisfaction of finishing.
Logic / Relationships – 8/10
If nothing else, Sanderson plays fair with his rules. The Stormlight system is consistent, the spren have clear patterns, the ecology of Roshar at least pretends to make sense. No eye-rolling deus ex machina moments, which I appreciated. The relationships, though, sometimes felt schematic: Kaladin = Leader Who Inspires, Dalinar = Noble Dad, Shallan = Clever Student. Bridge Four is the standout exception — their gradual transformation from broken slaves to brothers-in-arms was genuinely moving. Dalinar’s strained bond with Adolin also rang true. But too often the relationships felt like checkboxes on a character arc outline rather than organic connections. Consistent, yes. Compelling? Less often than I wanted.
If nothing else, Sanderson plays fair with his rules. The Stormlight system is consistent, the spren have clear patterns, the ecology of Roshar at least pretends to make sense. No eye-rolling deus ex machina moments, which I appreciated. The relationships, though, sometimes felt schematic: Kaladin = Leader Who Inspires, Dalinar = Noble Dad, Shallan = Clever Student. Bridge Four is the standout exception — their gradual transformation from broken slaves to brothers-in-arms was genuinely moving. Dalinar’s strained bond with Adolin also rang true. But too often the relationships felt like checkboxes on a character arc outline rather than organic connections. Consistent, yes. Compelling? Less often than I wanted.
Enjoyment – 7/10
Here’s the thing: I didn’t hate reading The Way of Kings, but I was exhausted by it. Every time I thought the book was about to pick up momentum, it slowed down again for more visions, more lectures, more “Kaladin stares into the void of his depression.” By the time the climax hit, I was relieved more than exhilarated. Yes, the ending delivered spectacle, but I was so tired from the journey that it felt more like stumbling across the finish line than triumphantly crossing it. I don’t regret reading it, but the thought of committing to another 1,000+ pages in this series makes me want to take a very long nap first.
Here’s the thing: I didn’t hate reading The Way of Kings, but I was exhausted by it. Every time I thought the book was about to pick up momentum, it slowed down again for more visions, more lectures, more “Kaladin stares into the void of his depression.” By the time the climax hit, I was relieved more than exhilarated. Yes, the ending delivered spectacle, but I was so tired from the journey that it felt more like stumbling across the finish line than triumphantly crossing it. I don’t regret reading it, but the thought of committing to another 1,000+ pages in this series makes me want to take a very long nap first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Fatphobia, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria
This book is heavy on war violence and battlefield trauma—Bridge Four’s storyline in particular is brutal, with repeated depictions of dehumanization, death, and physical suffering. Kaladin’s depression and suicidal ideation are central and portrayed in depth. Dalinar’s storyline deals with visions that others perceive as madness, brushing up against ableism and mental health stigma. Shallan’s plot involves childhood trauma, a fraught parental relationship, and emotional manipulation. While there’s no sexual assault depicted, the story doesn’t shy away from systemic brutality, cycles of abuse, and the crushing psychological weight of survival.