Just wow. This is the first book of the Stormlight Archive series and it represents over ten years of world building on the part of Brandon Sanderson. The world is so rich and the magic systems are so detailed that this single book contains more depth than most Fantasy series do in their entirety. The paperback version is 1280 pages (the audiobook is 45+ hours) of great character development and story telling. The entire series is planned to be 10 books in total composed of two story arcs of 5 books each. The Way of Kings is an amazing work of fantasy that grabbed my attention from cover to cover and is not to be missed.

There is so much going on in this book (and the series) that it is hard to summarize in a review. One of the most interesting magic systems in the book (there are multiple systems) is that of the Shardbearers. Shardblades and Shardplate are ancient weapons and armor that make their possessors (Shardbearers) extremely powerful. These artifacts are controlled by those in power but if you are able to slay the wielder of such an item in battle then you may claim the blade and/or armor for yourself. Claiming such an item turns your eyes "light" and essentially elevates you into the noble class. It is the dream of many a dark eyed peasant to one day win such a prize on the battlefield and elevate their lot in life.

There are a plethora of interesting characters but most notable among them are Kaladin, Dalinar, and Shallan. Kaladin is a dark eyed man who has led a difficult life. He trades in his medical training for a spear when his younger brother is conscripted into the army and he promises his mother that he will keep his brother safe. A promise that he fails to keep and will forever haunt him. Kaladin hates the light-eyed nobles for all of their scheming and corrupt actions including the conscripting of his younger brother. Over time Kaladin becomes a soldier of much renown who eventually slays a Shardbearer on the battle field and does the unthinkable. He rejects his right to the Shardblade because he does not want to become a light-eyed noble. Instead of being rewarded for such an action this decision results in Kaladin winding up as a slave. He is sold to another army and assigned to be a bridge carrier, a position that means certain death.

Highprince Dalinar is a light eyed noble and brother of the former King who was murdered in his own castle despite being a full Shardbearer. Dalinar was given the ancient tome known as The Way of Kings by his brother just before his death and Dalinar dedicates his life to following the guidance contained within. Dalinar always acts with honor and expects the rest of his noble house and family to do the same. This results in Dalinar losing status among the other nobles who are predominantly corrupt and devious in their dealings. Dalinar does what he can to make the current King successful (his nephew) but even that influence is slipping away due to his continued dedication to The Way of Kings. Dalinar blames himself for the death of his brother because he was drunk on the night of the assassination and unable to help.

And finally, there is Shallan. A minor light-eyed noble who comes up with a scheme to save the lands of her failing house by running a scam on Jasnah, the sister of the King. Shallan is able to secure a role as an apprentice to Jasnah and in this capacity she learns a great deal about the Knights Radiant and the Voidbringers.  The Knights Radiant is the ancient order of warriors that created the Shardblades and Shardplate which they used in their eternal fight against the Voidbringers. They left behind their artifacts of power after the last battle of the Desolation and they are now more legend than fact; however, Jasnah is infatuated with understanding more about them and their ancient foe. Jasnah is not convinced that the Desolation is over and as Shallan starts to believe the same she begins to have second thoughts about her scam but her house is at stake and she has no choice but to proceed.

All of the above barely scratches the surface but hopefully it gives a taste of what this book has to offer. Despite all of my praise I do know that it is possible to bounce off of this one as it is big and complex. If you don't give it your full attention then you will get lost and miss many of the subtle details that bring it all together so well. I have listened to the 45+ hour audiobook twice and the second time was even more enjoyable than the first. I understood so many more of the little things the second time through that it took my enjoyment of the series to another level. However, if you can't commit with your full attention to this complex story then I would recommend that you pass. There is now also news that this is coming to the big screen. I can't wait and they better not screw it up!

Michael Kramer and Kate Reading team up on the audiobook and they both do a fantastic job. This is a veteran team of narrators that also performed The Wheel of Time series and they know their craft well. I do recommend listening in addition to reading this one as they really bring the characters to life. Brandon Sanderson is my favorite author and this is my favorite series of his and that is saying a lot.