The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive, Bk 1)
Author:
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Andrew N. - , reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1
From reading his other books, I noticed that Brandon Sanderson is gifted at making his characters more personal and real. It is far easier to get to understand a character that has their own flaws and quirks. You will find yourself empathizing, loving or despising any character he creates, rather than just being uninterested.
With the start of the eleven book Stormlight Archive series, Sanderson starts to delve into a world just as complex as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. It may be a bit discomforting to pick up the book and notice you have a thousand page monstrosity to leaf through, but if you have read and liked any of Sanderson's other work, then you might be up to the task.
The book cycles through four primary characters. There are a few interludes in between to help get the reader integrated with the different cultures in the world. As with the Mistborn trilogy, the world seems to have a good number of different magic/science systems related to structure of the world (most of which is just hinted). Unlike other fantasy titles, the races are not based on some rehash of western or eastern mythological figures. Rather, it is truly an inventive mix of racial and cultural traits. The concept of flora and fauna is also turned on its head with the use of carapace-wearing animals, and mollusk-like plants.
The writing in itself did not seem to have any slow spots, nor descriptive breaks that seem to last forever, which nearly destroyed most other fantasy series. The writing seems to flow from point to point, though I found myself hoping for the continuation of one characters story and dreading the break between his and another. In the end the breaks seemed to be well timed and planned.
Overall, the book was a great read with many elements being brought together and formed into a brilliant cohesion. If you are a fan of Sanderson's other works, or interested in other long running series, you will not be disappointed. For those that can not commit to a 1000 page book, or wait for the ten following volumes, I'd suggest books like Elantris, or other good one-shot stories.
With the start of the eleven book Stormlight Archive series, Sanderson starts to delve into a world just as complex as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. It may be a bit discomforting to pick up the book and notice you have a thousand page monstrosity to leaf through, but if you have read and liked any of Sanderson's other work, then you might be up to the task.
The book cycles through four primary characters. There are a few interludes in between to help get the reader integrated with the different cultures in the world. As with the Mistborn trilogy, the world seems to have a good number of different magic/science systems related to structure of the world (most of which is just hinted). Unlike other fantasy titles, the races are not based on some rehash of western or eastern mythological figures. Rather, it is truly an inventive mix of racial and cultural traits. The concept of flora and fauna is also turned on its head with the use of carapace-wearing animals, and mollusk-like plants.
The writing in itself did not seem to have any slow spots, nor descriptive breaks that seem to last forever, which nearly destroyed most other fantasy series. The writing seems to flow from point to point, though I found myself hoping for the continuation of one characters story and dreading the break between his and another. In the end the breaks seemed to be well timed and planned.
Overall, the book was a great read with many elements being brought together and formed into a brilliant cohesion. If you are a fan of Sanderson's other works, or interested in other long running series, you will not be disappointed. For those that can not commit to a 1000 page book, or wait for the ten following volumes, I'd suggest books like Elantris, or other good one-shot stories.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
