The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archives, #1) by Brandon Sanderson | REVIEW

If you’re intimidated by this book/series, don’t be. Seriously, don’t be. It’s a vast world but I assure you that Brando Sando has got your back and will hold your hand as he leads the way to a world that’s just brimming with imagination. You won't feel the 1000 pages (lol) as it passes you by.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Way of Kings

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Tor Books

Publishing Date: August 31, 2010

Tags: Adult Epic High Fantasy

Synopsis:

With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, is the first in a planned trilogy.

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.

THE REVIEW

— 4.75 —

⇢ content warnings// Depression, Gore, Suicide ideation, Violence, War, PTSD

"Authority does not come from a rank" "Where does it come from?" "From the men who give it to you. That's the only way to get it."

I knew 3 different people who started this book after I did, but still finished before I did. It's okay though... it's okay.

[my three liner pitch: ↣ dark and thought provoking but wholesome epic high fantasy that centers around themes of power, ruling, leadership, and nuanced conversations on the disparities between men and women in a society. Filled to the brim with characters that hook you from the beginning and you constantly want to cheer for. A plot that runs forward without looking back but holds your hand when it comes to world-building so that you don't get lost in the vastness of it. ↢]

i am sore from that 100-day journey i feel like i just went through

...in conclusion: i loved it

"Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service."

I LOVE KALADIN AND BRIDGE FOUR SO MUCH. That also goes for all the other characters. I don't how Brandon Sanderson manages to weave characterizations that pulls you in while preparing all the foundations for the plot in the background. I didn't expect this book to have a found family aspect to it either but I welcome it. It explores anxiety and PTSD very openly and forces you to face the result of war on individuals.

The character relationships there and the development from what happened with Kaladin in the past was so heart warming and satisfying to read. Especially given the fact that they are in the middle of war… it felt like they had this own little family in the midst of all the death… *sobs and screams incoherently*

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”

It's difficult to condense my feelings into a short review but I just love the way Brandon Sanderson builds his worlds as he makes you care for each character first before fully explaining the world that he has plopped you in the middle of.

It's multi-POV, action-packed, heartfelt, exciting, thrilling, and I am running out of adjectives. It had it's slow moments in the middle but I think thats just how it is with Sanderson before he pulls an ending that sweeps you off your feet. I'm sure someone has already said it but the ending is surely explosive. Each plot point truly makes you appreciate every detail that Sanderson worked into it to get you so invested in the first place.

I really fell in head first.