Author: Brandon Sanderson

There’s something to be said about a Sanderson book.

Just looking at one can give you the sweats and cause you to lose faith that you can ever be brave enough to read it. After all, he’s one of the very few still writing tomes of epic fantasy with each one weighing enough to hold down the foundation of my house.

Yet, he’s such a great author and I love reading him because his books remind me I still have an imagination. His words create enough imagery in my head without ever causing me to slow down to remember some obscure kingdom name which now has a pivotal role in the plot.

The Way of Kings still made me nervous.

Would I have the patience to endure a true one thousand page epic, which is only book one of many? To top it off, would I have the willingness to finish it when my time was limited to smaller sips instead of the giant gulps fantasy requires?

Well, I went for it and happy that I did.

It does require a bit more patience than his other works as this one follows the perspective of six different characters, with some side tangents on minor ones. You will have to re-acquaint yourself with the world you’re in every time you jump because the story lines are seemingly disconnected.

I found myself attached to two of them while plodding along with the other two, which is why I think I kept at it. I wanted to know what was going to happen to my two favourites (Kaladin and Shallan). Although, if I had to guess, this book was setup to lead you that way anyway.

Then you hit about the three quarters of the book and your patience is rewarded. Up until now, it’s been a slow burn that gently tugs at your interest. Once you get to this point, it skyrockets. You fly to the end and then you get hungry for more.

Now I’m worried because he setup some high hopes for book number two. I haven’t read any reviews or descriptions for it… but I do know the book is the maximum possible size a publisher can print.

What did I get myself into?