Sunday, August 7, 2011

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I recently finished an incredibly long, yet incredibly good book titled The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. In it, we follow the life of Kaladin, an honorable young man who has been unfairly betrayed time and again, yet somehow finds the courage, with the help of his little pal Syl, to continue to help people, especially the men on his bridge crew.
The reader also follows Dalinar, one of the leaders of this society, who, searching his heart as well as the teachings of a book entitled The Way of Kings, comes to understand that the best kind of leader is one who supports and sincerely cares for those he leads.
We also get to know Shallan, a young woman whose first goal to steal something important from her mistress changes as she learns to care for the lady as a friend and not just as a teacher, and also as she learns unexpected truths about her world that changes the way she looks at things.
The Way of Kings is the first book of what is intended to be a long series, and not everything is resolved, as can be expected. Much though, is satisfyingly resolved with enough left over to keep the reader interested in what is coming next.
The book, despite its length, was a great story, and toward the middle, I was actually glad it was so long. Mr. Sanderson paced it just right, with the story flowing exactly as it needed to in the right parts. I really enjoyed it, and recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy.