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A review by georgierosereads
The Way of Kings, Part Two by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
Escapism is a quintessential element of my enjoyment of literature,and has been from an almost disturbingly young age. I hate to give the impression of persecution – I have never been subject to bad treatment as a child, I grew up with two parents who, although separated, both made it clear they loved and accepted me for who I was – but in other areas of life I often felt ‘different’. This feeling of difference manifested itself in ways that never appeared abundantly clear until I reached adulthood and acceptance. Alas, that is an altogether discussion, and a part of my personal journey. What I meant to say, completely lacking in succinctness of course, is that reading has always been a way of compartmentalizing elements of my life. I may struggle with maintaining friendships due to my social capacities, but I can engage with the social dynamics of characters separate from my own identity. I could even take on the identity of characters, mimicking the traits I admired and twisting them into my own idea of what they represented for me. Confidence. Bravery. Popularity. Whilst I rooted for characters, drew comfort from their experiences of close friendships and relationships, and engaged with their worldview and experiences, a fundamental aspect of my experience was feeling part of something larger than myself, and being part of that ‘in crowd’, even if this was only through a set of characters.
The Way of Kings, the first book of the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, connected me with an entirely unexpected way. I could choose to focus on the incredible plot twists that left me dizzy with pleasure, or the way in which Brandon manages to balance establishing his worldview without holding his readers back with heavy descriptions. Instead, I want to focus on the characters that he crafted, and the reasons why they resonated with me so heavily.
For the first time, I read from the perspective of a character who thought like me. I read from the perspective of a character who didn’t always know the right answer the first time around, and I watched this character start to make better choices, and use his pain to make improvements to his mindset and life over time. Kaladin Stormblessed is a character who will stay with me for the remainder of my adult life, for both his susceptibility to gloominess, as well as the strength shown in his ability to accept opportunities for growth. Reading through introspective chapters, Kaladin’s negative mindset is actively challenged and he is forced to consider other, more positive possibilities. I have recently undertaken Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aimed at challenging negative thoughts and opening your mind to every possibility, so to see this helpful, healthy behavior modelled in literature was certainly powerful.
Kaladin may be the central focus of the first book of the Stormlight Archive, however he is just one character in this 1000 page treasure trove of a novel. Each individual character holds their own motivation, and struggles with the morality of their previous actions, and the discomfort which naturally occurs when the person you once were conflicts with the person that you are trying to become. Dalinar Kholin is a Highprince struggling to reconcile his new sense of duty and honour with his identity as a war general, lethal in combat. Shallan is a quick-witted young woman learning how to navigate the world on her own terms for the first time in her life. It feels important for modern fantasy characters to be introduced who have been ground down by their experiences, who lack hope, and for these individuals to be represented with true, raw vulnerability. In its simplest form, The Way of Kings is in many ways a story of a strong set of morally gray characters on the road to self-actualization, a journey on a sea that is not always smooth sailing.
There are currently three Stormlight Archive books published, as part of a planned series of ten books. The scope of the world is massive, however it says a lot for a book to be as large as this one, yet still leave you wanting more. The book never feels heavy, in fact I practically flew through it due to Sanderson’s effective pacing and clear, straight forward writing style. The Author expressed a desire that each of the Stormlight Archive books can be seen as a close examination of one of his cast of characters, with Kaladin being the primary focus in The Way of Kings. This method of character work was highly effective and led to some extremely emotive scenes. Sanderson has already laid the groundwork – I don’t know who the focus will be for the next book but I feel confident that he will do the characters their due justice through careful examination.
Book 4 of The Stormlight Archive, Rhythms of War, is due to be released in November. If there is ever a time to start reading, it is now. I hope that I have encouraged you to give this book a try, and that you enjoy it as much as I have. If you want to discuss Spoiler content for The Way of Kings, please contact me via Twitter @georgierreads, and I will be reading book two in the series, Words of Radiance, commencing in September once I finish Book 6 of the Wheel of Time, Lord of Chaos.
Thank you as always to those of you who have taken the time to read my late night ramblings.
G x
The Way of Kings, the first book of the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, connected me with an entirely unexpected way. I could choose to focus on the incredible plot twists that left me dizzy with pleasure, or the way in which Brandon manages to balance establishing his worldview without holding his readers back with heavy descriptions. Instead, I want to focus on the characters that he crafted, and the reasons why they resonated with me so heavily.
For the first time, I read from the perspective of a character who thought like me. I read from the perspective of a character who didn’t always know the right answer the first time around, and I watched this character start to make better choices, and use his pain to make improvements to his mindset and life over time. Kaladin Stormblessed is a character who will stay with me for the remainder of my adult life, for both his susceptibility to gloominess, as well as the strength shown in his ability to accept opportunities for growth. Reading through introspective chapters, Kaladin’s negative mindset is actively challenged and he is forced to consider other, more positive possibilities. I have recently undertaken Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aimed at challenging negative thoughts and opening your mind to every possibility, so to see this helpful, healthy behavior modelled in literature was certainly powerful.
Kaladin may be the central focus of the first book of the Stormlight Archive, however he is just one character in this 1000 page treasure trove of a novel. Each individual character holds their own motivation, and struggles with the morality of their previous actions, and the discomfort which naturally occurs when the person you once were conflicts with the person that you are trying to become. Dalinar Kholin is a Highprince struggling to reconcile his new sense of duty and honour with his identity as a war general, lethal in combat. Shallan is a quick-witted young woman learning how to navigate the world on her own terms for the first time in her life. It feels important for modern fantasy characters to be introduced who have been ground down by their experiences, who lack hope, and for these individuals to be represented with true, raw vulnerability. In its simplest form, The Way of Kings is in many ways a story of a strong set of morally gray characters on the road to self-actualization, a journey on a sea that is not always smooth sailing.
There are currently three Stormlight Archive books published, as part of a planned series of ten books. The scope of the world is massive, however it says a lot for a book to be as large as this one, yet still leave you wanting more. The book never feels heavy, in fact I practically flew through it due to Sanderson’s effective pacing and clear, straight forward writing style. The Author expressed a desire that each of the Stormlight Archive books can be seen as a close examination of one of his cast of characters, with Kaladin being the primary focus in The Way of Kings. This method of character work was highly effective and led to some extremely emotive scenes. Sanderson has already laid the groundwork – I don’t know who the focus will be for the next book but I feel confident that he will do the characters their due justice through careful examination.
Book 4 of The Stormlight Archive, Rhythms of War, is due to be released in November. If there is ever a time to start reading, it is now. I hope that I have encouraged you to give this book a try, and that you enjoy it as much as I have. If you want to discuss Spoiler content for The Way of Kings, please contact me via Twitter @georgierreads, and I will be reading book two in the series, Words of Radiance, commencing in September once I finish Book 6 of the Wheel of Time, Lord of Chaos.
Thank you as always to those of you who have taken the time to read my late night ramblings.
G x