The Way of Kings

Sept 2022 - July 2024. Give or take 600 days, which is still only 60% of the total length of the Way of Kings(Book 1 of the Stormlight Archive). This is the total duration that the Way of Kings stayed on my Goodread’s “Currently Reading” bookshelf, although I was not actively reading the book during this entire duration. I read it in bits and pieces, occasional spurts followed by long stretches of limited reading activity and attention being diverted to other books on my bookshelf. I finally picked it up in earnest earlier this year, and after a few more breaks(including a much welcomed break for our newborn), I’ve finally finished it. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series.

The worldbuilding in the Way of Kings is one of the most detailed and wonderous that I’ve ever come across in an epic fantasy. Sanderson’s ability to conjure up a planet with entirely new and unique biological and physical rules, and combine it with a unique backstory and real world politics is very impressive. It is a very long and at times difficult read, and I do believe that the book could’ve been shortened by at least 200-300 pages without it affecting the overall story. However, there is something to be admired about an author who puts out his unique version of his art, which in this case involves a dense 1010 page story,which takes its sweet time to reach its climax. I may not agree wit his artistic decision, but I do applaud him for sticking with his convictions.

It’s impossible to write a review of this book without giving major spoilers. Besides, the synopsis is easily available online, and I don’t want to repeat it here. What drove me towards ultimately completing the book is that somewhere around the halfway mark in the book, I started developing genuine care and interest in the lives of the three main characters and where they would be heading. As other commentators have said online, the ending of the book is brilliant and the slow buildup really pays off. I’m very excited to be diving into the rest of the Stormlight Archive, the broader Coosmere universe and even into the Sanderlanche(Sanderson’s writing style, where the major bulk of the book is a slow read that explodes into a nailbiting finale towards the last few hundred pages).