The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive

There's SO MUCH to say about this book... If I were to write everything I want to say about this work, I would spend days here. I will try and be short for once. First of all, I think I should mention I had NEVER read anything from Brandon Sanderson before, and I am quite sure I couldn't have found a better start. I first discovered who Brandon was when watching Geek and Sundry's "The Storyboard". I got into it because I'm a huge fan of Pat Rothfuss', but then a guy showed up. He looked a lot like myself, and he was just SO funny! I thought to myself "Why not?". Then I came to Amazon and saw "The Stormlight Archive" for about $3,00. "Wut? 1k pages for 3 bucks? I'm in!". Here in Brazil, a 1k pages book would cost around 40~70 dollars. Kelek provide Kindle a long existance. Thank you. So, the book starts with a guy. A guy named Kalak. He is standing before a huge thunderclast, which is a creature made of stone and fire. There are dead bodies everywhere. Kalak has died many times. Many, many times. But this time he has survived. He, and other eight have survived. Only one of the 10 died this time. This Desolation was bad, but they survived. And they were supposed to go back. Go back to a place of fire and pain. But... Why? What if he just... didn't go? Where are the others?, he asked the King of Heralds. They are gone. The Oathpact is finished. If you're going, leave your Blade. And Kalak leaves his Blade. And he goes away. After an awesome prologue, the story jumps four thousand and five hundred years in the future, and we meet Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, who's about to kil a king. He wears white on the day he was to kill a king. And then we are presented to the concept of Stormlight. And we learn about Lashings. And we learn about Shardblades and Shardplates. And we get mesmerized by how marvelously Sanderson's writing is. His prose is crystal clear. The way he WEAVES the story before our eyes, using concepts we have never encountered before to create something plausible, belieavable, is just astounding. Szeth is one of the most marvelous characters I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. BUT, he is by no means the "main" character of the book. In fact, he appears only sporadically. After Szeth, we meet Kaladin. If there is a main character in this work, it is Kaladin. The character is complex. In fact, the story is complex. It is so complex, actually, that I've had trouble going through the first chapters. Everything is so REAL, so DETAILED, that we find ourselves in a new world, meeting new people, and a new way of life. There are rockbuds and axelhounds and chulls and chasmfiends and fabrials and ardents and parshmen and Parshendi and Alethi and... Well, it's a whole new world, really. It is one of the MOST MAGNIFICENT worlds I have ever had the pleasure to "be in". But it's a hard read at first. It is not hard because it is bad. On the contrary: it is hard because it is so good. You need some patience to understand you are in a whole new world, with its own fauna and flora. We have skyeels! Kelek's breath, skyeels! The peoples are different. The animals are different. EVERYTHING is different. Even the weather. I've found some references to anime and manga, especially One Piece here. The climate is pretty much crazy, just like the Grand Line's climate is also crazy. Seasons come and go unexpectedly, and they last what? Months? Weeks? No one really knows. And then, there are the Highstorms. They come from the Almighty-knows-where, and they come because... Why do they come, after all? Who sends them, and why? Why do they always come from there? The direction we call stormward? Highstorms are so powerful, and so important, that they have shaped the world and its creatures and plants. But what are they? When did they start blowing? They must be linked to the Heralds... The Knights Radiant, maybe? The Voidbringers? So many questions, and so little time to answer them... Because the True Desolation approaches, and Odium reigns. Really, I can't detail the book too much, because it would take days. I've already made a chaos of my review, but that's because the book is SO good. The series is planned to have 10 books. I don't know if Mr. Sanderson is ever going to read this, but anyway: if those book are NEARLY as good as the first one, then you, sir, will have written the most beautiful and epic fantasy of all time. I don't think it is possible for something to be better than the first book, but I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon did it. He is a master, and that's for sure. I'm so glad I got to read his work. SO GLAD... Kelek provide you live long and prosper, Brandon. Thank you.

There will be some MINOR SPOILERS here. This is going to be one of my longest reviews yet. The Way of Kings is the first book in Brandon Sandersons supposed challenger to the Wheel of Time series. Brandon Sanderson himself is the man who finished the Wheel of Time series with the last two books at the behest of the Estate of Robert Jordan, so he has the chops to write. Further, Sanderson has written quite a few books that I personally have enjoyed, including the Mistborn Saga and Steelheart, and the Rithmatist. It’s safe to say, I enjoy this man’s writing. In the Way of Kings, the world is constantly ravaged by “highstorms” which basically appear to be Hurricanes. The world has adapted to it, and there is some sort of magical quality to these storms as the currency, these gemstones, absorb “Stormlight”. The gems act as both a lightsource frequently, and the currency as well. The book follows three primary storylines using point of view styled storytelling, along with interludes using tertiary characters. The primary characters are Kaladin (an ex soldier turned slave turned bridgeman), Shallan (the sheltered daughter of a dead nobleman trying to save her house), and Dalinar (a Highprince and uncle to the king). Each character has their own goals and wants, and the storylines are all interesting in their own rights. The book is LONG, at just over 1000 pages. But I found myself reading it nonstop as its very character focused. Each character was interesting and while seperate, eventually their stories start to intersect. The story starts with an assassin, called The Man in White, killing the King of the Aleshi, on the night of their treaty signing with this group called the Parshendi. The Parshendi take credit for the killing, and a war breaks out. It has been 6 years since the war had started when our story begins. Kaladin’s story focuses on his trials as a slave turned bridgeman, a person who has to run large wooden bridges for a highprinces army. The bridgemen as expected to die as they are basically bait for the Parshendi archers. Kaladin is basically a broken man but eventually starts to overcome his own issues and tries his best to rally his fellow Bridgemen and keep them alive. Shallan however, is the daughter of a noble who has died, and his family has decided to hide his death in an attempt to avoid creditors. She goes chasing after the kings sister, Jasnah, to steal an item called a Soulcaster. She eventually learns several amazing things about herself and discovers a love of learning, as Jasnah is primarily a scholar. A lot of her story is focused on learning about the world and the history of the world. And finally, Dalinar is the uncle to the King and a Highprince, basically a leader of a country. He is a very honorable man who dislikes the games his fellow highprinces play with the war, and follows a very strict “Code” and forces his children to follow it as well. He bodyguards his nephew against assassins as well. Dalinar is plagued by visions throughout the book and a great deal of his story is him trying to figure out if he is going mad or not, along with dealing with the politics of war. By the end of the story all three plot lines begin to tie together, and the ending was satisfying while also making me want to read the next book to see how things turn out. Some things that are truly fascinating to me is the usage of racism as a way of life. The characters in Aleshi, the main country, are divided by the Lighteyes, and the Darkeyes. Your eye color determines your station and if you are a noble or not. A Darkeyes cannot be a noble and generally must obey the orders of the Lighteyes. Kaladin is a Darkeyes, as an example, while Dalinar and Shallan are lighteyes. Further, woman are the scholars in Aleshi, while men deal with war and the like. In fact, Men do not learn to read or write, having their wives handle such things. Its quite interesting as beyond there, the gender’s are basically equal. The Parshendi are, at least for now, an Enigma. Not much is known about them from the character’s point of view beyond the fact that they sing nearly constantly, and they hold their dead with the highest reverence. Whats really interesting is that there is a race of people who are totally subservient to the Aleshi called Parshman, which appear to be cousins of the Parshendi. The last thing I want to touch on is the magic system. As with all Sanderson novels, there is a magic system here, but there seem to be only a few practitioners. First there is Soulcasting, which is something Jasnah and others like her can do. It basically lets them transmute any one thing into anything else. Like turning stone into bread for example. This is something that people do with the aid of Soulcasters. There is also Surgebinding, of which the only one the reader knows about at the start is the Assassin in White. Surgebinding lets him defy gravity, push or pull objects, and stick objects together. Surgebinding requires Stormlight to use, and a Surgebinder absorbs the Stormlight that is stored in the various gems. Finally, there are the Shardblades and the Shardplate. These are more magical artifacts, left over from a time when a group of beings called Radiants walked the world. These weapons are bound to a person. Shardplate is basically power armor in fantasy form, increasing its wearers strength, speed, and defense. Shadeblades are almost like plasma swords. They can cut nonliving material likes it nothing, and living matter they “kill” without actually damaging it. Get hit by a Shardblade in the arm, the arm itself dies and can never be used. Shardblades also must be summoned, and if the carrier is disarmed of one it vanishes into mist. The Way of Kings is an interesting book and looks like a great intro to a new series. My only real issue is with its length, as some people may put off from its sheer size. But if you enjoyed Sandersons previous works or want a fantasy novel that is not the same old same old, give Way of Kings a try.

As one of the most popular fantasy series of the last few years, it should be no surprise that the first book in this series sucked me in from the very beginning. It's epic in scope, well-developed, and hard to put down with all of the action and political machinations and, of course, magic. Huge recommendation for fans of high fantasy. It's nearly impossible to summarize a 1200+ page book in a few sentences, as there are so many characters and sub-plots that run through the story, but the main characters stay consistent in their frequency of appearance in the chapters. Kaladin is a young former soldier of prodigious talent with a spear, who we discover through the book was betrayed by his commander and sold into slavery as a "bridgeman," a worker whose sole purpose is to carry portable bridges to span the chasms on the plains where his nation is fighting a war against a strange race of human-like beings; Kaladin is a natural leader with a painful past, but an ability to encourage men to unite and better themselves. Dalinar is a middle-aged highprince, part of the light-eyed nobility of his nation, brother to a king who had been murdered by an assassin a handful of years ago, sparking the current war, and uncle and principle advisor/general to the current king; Dalinar is plagued with strange visions of the past featuring the Knights Radiant, a near-mythological group of ancient knights with magical weapons, armor, and abilities, some of which have drifted down through history to be held by regular individuals in the current age. Adolin, Dalinar's son, is an excellent solider and duelist, and at times a spoiled prince, who tends to rebel against his father's need to stick to outdated Codes outlining the honorable conduct of a soldier. Shallan is a teenaged girl blossoming into womanhood, left with the weight of saving her declining house from total bankruptcy after her father had lost all fortune and the respect of his peers; Shallan has a brilliant mind, a quick wit, and a true talent for artistry that seems almost supernatural, and seeks to gain the trust of Jasnah, niece of Dalinar and sister of the king, who is a respected and erudite scholar, and just maybe a bit of a heretic against her own culture's religion. The cast of characters is voluminous, but most chapters revolve around these main ones, as they seek to understand the world and their roles in it, and possibly avert a world-changing disaster they've just become aware is brewing. The plot is epic in all meanings of the word: big, lengthy, involved, full of emotions and motivations and purpose, stretching to all points of the world that Sanderson has created out of whole cloth. It's clear that the author has spent a great deal of effort planning the millenia of backstory that predates the setting of the novel, and that plan is detailed and rich. There are multiple independent systems (or sources) of magic, each with its own rules and users, some seeming to be created from nature, others seeming to be fabrications of men and women. The history of the novel's world is deep, and trickles out in small bits throughout the long story, such that once the reader feels the dominant religion/mythology is finally understood, a new bit of ancient history is revealed that shows just how that religion has changed over time and may not be fully grasped by either the reader or the religion's current adherents. The characters are very well-developed, each with his or her own motivations and reasons for being where he or she is in life. All told, the plot is thick and convoluted, but in such a good way that the reader feels each character is growing and developing, while the action and plot still move along at a quick pace. This is one of those books that is incredibly hard to put down, so you may find yourself up all night reading. I really did struggle to find something to criticize in this book, but I did find a few things. While I know the author has his main characters trying to build a better world while battling their society's own shortcomings, there is still a startling undercurrent of racism to the culture being described: the main opponents of the war on the Shattered Plains are a mostly dark-skinned race seen as primitive, whose more docile cousins are used by the other nations as slave labor and described as all looking alike, which is viewed as normal and almost necessary for the culture of the mostly light-skinned and -eyed, and supposedly more noble, race on the other side of the war. At one point, the author made the surprising use of the word "moolie," which shocked me -- its use was as a pejorative nickname for a mute, and not a racial slur, but still it's a choice that the author made that perhaps wasn't well thought out and struck me as unnecessarily offensive when he could have used literally any other existing or made-up word. There was also the problem that I find all too pervasive in many fantasy books, a genre I love: there is a stark overuse of names using the letters A, K, L, and N (e.g., Kaladin, Dalinar, Adolin, Adalar, Elhokar, Navani, Jasnah, Shallan, etc.) -- after a while, all the names seem to have come from a standard Boggle tileset with only a few letters or syllables to choose from. I know that this may be passed on as distinctive for the racial/linguistic setting of the novel, but its similarities to many other names in many other fantasy series leaves me with the taste that such overuse of certain syllables is derivative, rather than original. Also, a surprising number of these names, when combined with the character's family name, follow a strange rule that Aleister Crowley (the occultist) set out that the best-sounding names are a dactyl (three syllables with emphasis on the first syllable) followed by a spondee (two syllables of equal emphasis), as if they were all created specifically for fitting in a certain poetic meter -- I'm not sure if I'm impressed by this, or if I view this as another example of derivative names. As for the writing mechanics, the book is incredibly clean. Sure, there are a few split infinitives and a handful of examples of "most everyone" or "most all," but in a book more than 1200 pages long, the number of grammatical or syntactical errors is actually miniscule compared to a lot of books out there these days. I enjoy Sanderson's writing style, which hints at both "high" fantasy writing and colloquial conversational banter. It's nice to read such a long book without wanting to throw it against the wall every few pages because of an egregious writing error. Overall, I'm excited to be into this series at long last. I understand it's intended to be a 10-book series, and so far there are only 3 released (with a fourth maybe coming later this year?), so I fully expect to be enjoying this rich world Sanderson has built for another few years. A huge recommendation for anyone who even kind of likes high fantasy series.

"The Way of Kings" is the first novel of Brandon Sanderson's "Stormlight Archive", a planned ten-book series as well as his magnum opus. Combining many traditional epic fantasy tropes with Sanderson's unique setting (as well as his talent for fast-paced execution), this novel is both a good read, and a welcome addition to the fantasy genre. The novel is set in the fictional world of Rosher, on a continent that is frequently ravaged by brutal storm fronts called "highstorms". It centers around three primary protagonists (as well as a handful of minor characters with few chapters): Kaladin (the main character), Shallan, and Dalinar. Kaladin is a surgical-student-turned-soldier-turned-slave, who spends most of the book fighting for survival as a "bridgeman" (a near suicidal mission involving the placement of unprotected bridges under a hail of enemy arrows). Shallan is a young "lighteyes" woman (the equivalent of a noblewoman), who is carrying out a desperate heist in the guise of a scholarly apprenticeship. Dalinar is an aging lord and the late King of Alethkar's brother, who is seeking vengeance for his assassination while being wracked with visions from the past. This book is a gigantic page-turner. Even with more than 1000 pages (long even by fantasy standards), it's an absolute breeze to read, and very difficult to put down. As is typical for Sanderson, the prose is fairly straight-forward and easy, with little ambiguity and difficulty in interpretation. It does occasionally slow down due to the frequent flashbacks, but they integrate relatively well into the narrative. Much of the book encompasses traditional fantasy tropes executed well. Kaladin is cast into a desperate situation in which he tries to avoid despair, but there's little question that he will manage to find a way out of it. Shallan's storyline is also fairly predictable, although Sanderson throws in a bit of a twist at the end that reveals a good deal about the setting (Shallan's arc, in general, is frequently used for expository purposes). The least predictable section of the story is that of Dalimar's, although he unfortunately has the least dynamic character of the three. All of this is interwoven with considerable action, lots of battles described in detail, and a good deal of magic. What makes the book truly different are two elements: the setting, and the magic system (an odd system including "lashing", a type of gravity manipulation). Sanderson seems to be carving himself a niche in world-building with the type of naturally ravaged world he creates with Rosher - the closest comparison to it is the ash-choked world of his previous fantasy series, the "Mistborn" Trilogy. He goes into a good amount of detail describing the unique creatures and plants that have arisen in the world, including hard-shelled crustaceans on land, as well as protected, retracting plants in a world where any topsoil is simply swept away. The only weakness is in the society that Sanderson portrays, which comes across as more of your typical european-style fantasy world than the type you might expect to evolve in such a world. All of this adds to the imagery of the novel, and none of it slows the pace down (as you might expect such detail to do). While enjoyable, "The Way of Kings" is not without its weaknesses. One of them lies in the same element discussed earlier as a strength: its predictability. After stripping away the unique world and magic, this is a very typical fantasy novel in many ways. There is little doubt that Kaladin, Dalimar, and Shallan will overcome their hardships, and while they take the reader on an interesting ride, none of them are truly unique, difficult, or memorable characters. If you're looking for such characters, this may not be the novel for you. There are two other concerns. One is the almost-total lack of overt sexuality, either implied or shown. Sanderson does throw in a mention of a prostitute or several, and the celibacy of the characters makes sense in-story, but it does affect the tone and characterization in a way that makes the book occasionally feel like a "young adult" novel. The other is the use of terminology: Sanderson occasionally uses terms and descriptions that don't really seem to fit the knowledge and perception of the viewpoint character, and it would sometimes pull me out of the story. Nonetheless, this is a solid fantasy novel, and one of the best releases of 2010. I strongly recommend it to any fantasy fans, as well as readers interested in a fast-paced, occasionally dark beginning to a new series.

There are times when I hate having grown up to be a fantasy fan. Most of the time it's when I pick up a book that seems promising - maybe because it's from a familiar author, or because you heard from a friend of a friend that it was good - but it turns out to be disappointing. Stock characters, old and tired plotlines, and a world that's basically Tolkien with some greasepaint and false noses added on. Given the number of people who write fantasy, the odds of coming across a truly interesting world with compelling characters and a story that has some surprises is difficult indeed. Fortunately, it looks like Sanderson has managed to pull it off. The world of Roshar is a strange and tempestuous place. The seasons come and go in unpredictable ways, sometimes bringing with them great highstorms that are so powerful that even the plants of this world have evolved ways to hide from them. It is a world filled with spirits, ubiquitous beings called spren, which pop up for almost any reason. There are the spren of nature - windspren, firespren, rotspren, riverspren and the like. There are spren that seem attracted to humans, like alespren, gloryspren, anticipationspren and logicspren. No one really knows what they are or why they exist, but they are everywhere in this world. The greatest kingdom in Roshar is that of Alethkar, which is barely a nation at all. A loosely bound alliance of ten high princes, the people of Alethkar are a hostile, ambitious, violent folk whose first and greatest love is battle and winning. Since the assassination of their king by the savage Parshendi, they have been involved in a seemingly endless siege of revenge on the great Shattered Plains. The greatest warriors of Alethkar - or any nation - are those who wield the amazing shardblades. Swords that seem to condense out of mist, the shardblades can cut through anything, though if they cut through a person their effects are a little more subtle. A warrior armed with a shardblade, wearing shardplate armor, can use the incredible power of stormlight to achieve feats that no normal man could survive. Bound within glowing gemstones and restored by the howling winds of the highstorms, stormlight is Roshar's greatest treasure. Within this world we follow an ensemble cast which, while adhering to certain fantasy archetypes, still is made interesting and worth watching. Dalinar, the brother to the dead Alethi king, is searching for a way to hold together the weak nation that his brother formed. He has been learning of the old ways, the teachings of the vanished and reviled Knights Radiant, in the hopes that they can help hold his people together. On the other end of Alethi society is Kaladin. Once a promising young surgeon, Kaladin joined the army in hopes of being able to fight on the Shattered Plains. He made it there, but not as a soldier - as a member of a bridge crew, one of the most expendable resources in the entire war. He became the lowest of the low, forced to find a reason to stay alive. In a city far from the fighting, young Shallan Davar has fought to become the ward of the great heretic scholar Jasnah Kholin. While she has ostensibly come to learn from the woman, her true purpose is to steal Jasnah's soulcaster, a device which, if used properly, can turn something into something else - stone into smoke, glass into blood, a man into fire. With this, Shallan hopes to revive her family's flagging fortunes after the death of her father. What she discovers with Jasnah, of course, is far, far more. Then there's Szeth-son-son-Vallano, truthless of Shinovar. Poor, poor Szeth. From a race of people known for their peaceful and easygoing natures, Szeth is the most powerful assassin the world has seen. He can harness the stormlight to manipulate gravity, making him able to do the impossible while he uses his shardblade to cut down anyone in his way. In truth, though, Szeth wishes only one thing - to find someone who is good enough to kill him, and end his tormented life. As you may have guessed, it's a complicated tale, and Sanderson doesn't hold to this whole "Give the reader time to get used to it" style of writing. If you're not paying attention from the beginning, you are likely to be very, very lost within the first chapter or so. But once everything settles down, the story turns into a fast-paced, multi-leveled adventure that takes place in a world that is imaginative and fascinating. The characters are enthralling, too, with many levels and - most importantly - flaws. While Kaladin is a brilliant organizer and leader, he has to fight continually against the despair of realizing what his life has come to. The easy thing would be to allow himself to die, but he knows he can't let himself do that. Dalinar, plagued by visions of what might be Roshar's ancient past, is fighting centuries of Alethi martial tradition by trying to bring the high princes together and end the war, rather than allowing it to go on. He's pulled between the love of his nephew, the king, and his frustration that the king won't be strong enough to do what needs doing. Shallan, who left her home with a clear purpose, is finding that nothing was what she thought it would be. Jasnah isn't an evil woman, despite being a heretic, and her plan to steal the soulcaster becomes less and less certain the more she learns. All of these characters are at the front edge of thousands of years of history, much of it shrouded in uncertainty - legendary Knights Radiant who fought Voidbringers before giving up their duty and turning against mankind. What actually happened is unknown, and perhaps won't ever be known. But the effects of those events echo to the present day, causing problems which our characters will eventually have to deal with. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give to Sanderson is that when I finished the book, I immediately went back to the first page and started reading again. There are very few books that have inspired me thus, but this one did - especially after the cascading Big Reveals at the end, which explain a lot, and cast a new light on a whole lot more. What's more, I found myself wishing that I had access to an animation studio while I read the action scenes. Fights can be hard to do in written form - there's a tendency to either describe too much or too little, and very often the reader gets slowed down trying to visualize what's happening in the story. Sanderson is very, very good at writing action, something I first noticed in Towers of Midnight. Even when Szeth is hopping from floor to ceiling to wall, flinging people around like toys, the action was very clear in my mind's eye, and it's something I would love to see animated, if not done in live action. And yes, to get back to why I hate being a fantasy reader sometimes, it is the first book in a series, which means I'm likely to be following it for quite some time. There's nothing truly wrong with that - there are plenty of series that I've followed in my day - but I never look forward to the waiting game that you have to play as the author works on the next book. To be fair, though, Sanderson is busy right now finishing up my favorite series, The Wheel of Time, so I think I can give him a little latitude. In any case, if you're looking for a dense, fun new series to read, definitely pick this up. I plan on getting into some of his other books, mainly in order to have something to do while I wait for the next one of these. -------------------------------------- "The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that." - Hoid, The Way of Kings

Storm Father be praised, I have found it. At long storming last. For years I've searched, high and low. Six books in, The Wheel of Time couldn't do it. Wizard of Earthsea couldn't do it. None of the many fantasy novels I've picked up only to put down again in short order couldn't do it. What is it you ask? Well, let me explain. Back in 2012 I picked up Gorge R.R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire after falling in love with HBO's Game of Thrones. I've always been an avid reader, and I credit Tolkien's Lord of the Rings with making me so. But for some reason, though I've always been a huge Tolkien fan, with the exception of the Narnia and Dark Tower books, I never returned to the genre which inspired me to read (and later to write) in the first place. A Song of Ice and Fire changed all that, and I've been looking ever since for a series match its greatness. Of course The Wheel of Time was the first place I turned, but after six overly long, yawn inducing books I don't think I have the stomach to go on. To Earthsea I went, and found its narrative boring, the style of writing not really doing anything for me. In The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson, I have found that series. High praise, considering that I'm comparing it to Song after only one book, but believe me it is worth every word of praise I can give it, and then some. It is in every way A Game of Thrones equal, and if I may be so brash to say Wheel of Times superior. I realize Sanderson is a huge Jordan fan and drew huge inspiration from his work, but in this readers not so humble opinion Sanderson is ten, nay twenty, times the writer Jordan was. No disrespect intended towards Jordan, a true pioneer in the genre, but I'm sorry it’s the truth. The first thing one will notice that sets this book apart is the setting. Yes, Sanderson goes with a traditional mid-evil setting in many ways, but WoK is just as striking with how different it is. Everything about this world, from its plant life, the creatures which inhabit it, and human culture, have evolved to contend with a series of brutal storms known as High Storms which sweep through the land every couple of weeks with hurricane like winds and rain. Plants recoil into the ground when the winds approach, animals evolve with huge shells to protect themselves, and human beings build their structures with roofs slanted towards from the storms. The world Sanderson creates is truly alien, more in line with a science fiction novel then a fantasy one, though technology remains mostly fantasy based. This level of detail is evident in every aspect of this world. Sanderson creates fictional philosophers with contradicting theories regarding various subjects, religious and cultural beliefs are deep and well thought out, and its magic system is exciting and rule based. It’s hard to imagine such a thorough world exists. The level of detail poured into it is simply incredible. The characters are varied and, at first at least, spread throughout the world. From Kaladin, a slave with a mysterious past forced to make suicidal charges at enemy positions, to the artistic Shallan, and the High Prince Dalinar, every single one had me fully invested in their stories. I'm not a man prone to emotion. Rare is the film that can bring me to tears, and rarer the book. Out of the hundreds of books I've read I believe only A Thousand Splendid Suns has ever come close to bringing me to tears. So understand that when I say this book brought me to the edge of tears that I mean that as the highest praise I can possibly give. I don't think Martins Red Wedding even got that kind of emotion from me. Maybe the Purple Wedding, though that was more excited cheers then tears, I’m sure you’ll understand. Only an author with a firm grasp of his characters, their personalities, quirks, wants, desires, motivations, etc, can even hope to illicit such a response, and Sanderson has proven with this one novel that he is a master of characters. Impressive, considering how completely he mastered his world building as well. Not many writers are good at both. Even fewer are masters of them. Sanderson is one of those few. Will the Stormlight Archive prove as good as A Song of Ice and Fire? Only time will tell. One book is hardly enough to source material to make a fair comparison between the two. The stories are also vastly different, with Sanderson focusing more on mysticism and magic rather than the gritty realism of Martins tale. Even so, I can firmly say that I am more than excited to dig deeper into the world of the Stormlight Archive and follow along with Sanderson for as many books as he wishes to write. What's that? He's going to write TEN? Ten freaking books? Funny thing. After The Eye of the World, the prospect of reading Jordan's tale to the end seemed more like a chore then a pleasure. Not here. If the remaining books are even half as good as Way of Kings, I will happily read whatever Sanderson gives me.

I have a new favorite author. His name is Brandon Sanderson. [image of Stormfather] This book . . . made me curse like a sailer. If I had tried to read it in public, at the very least, I would have been banned from the property. More likely, I'd have either been locked up for 24-hour observation at the local mental health ward, or locked up at the local precinct for Disturbing the Peace, but only after having passed numerous drug tests, proving that I wasn't Drunk and Disorderly. I am not exaggerating. Honestly, in a book this large, it's nearly impossible to touch on every highlight, so I'm left trying to decide which are the best . . . it's a thankless task, but here goes: Worldbuilding: If it's been done before, I haven't read it, and like Wit said, it's novelty we humans appreciate most. The majority of the world in THE WAY OF KINGS is like a tropical ocean habitat on dry land. Plants retract completely into the ground before a wagon wheel or foot can tread upon them. Instead of cows or oxen pulling those wagons there are "chulls" which are over-large hermit crab-sounding things. The monstrous "chasmfiends" the nobility hunt for sport are basically giant badass lobsters. Instead of ants or beetles scuttling on the ground, there are "cremlings" that sound an awful lot like crawdads. It's kind of awesome. More awesome than that are the people groups. While there were separate and distinct cultures, that wasn't the focus of the differences. The focus was on their Extras: the Alethi who fall into a kind of Berserk warrior state they call the Thrill when they are in battle. Purelakers who can communicate with the fish that fill the waters of their home. Parshendi who grow their own carapace-like armor and have legs strong enough to jump chasms in the Shattered Plains that everyone else needs a bridge to cross. Horneaters who have a kind of fairy sight that allows them to see elemental spren whether the spren wish to be seen or not. I absolutely loved it. Characters: There are so many great characters that I can only give you the gist. These people . . . I wept, but not from sadness, not from loss. I wept b/c my heart could not contain my awe and gratitude and respect for these men, these dregs of society, who one man and one spren had bound together into something so valiant, so courageous, so honorable . . . That I could do nothing but weep. Some people shy away from that sort of thing, and being the kind of person that I am, I view that as its own tragedy. Suffice it to say that if you are a character-driven reader, you will leave this world with a much expanded family. Master of Misdirection: I read this as part of a massive group buddy read (SHOUT OUT to my peeps at Fantasy Buddy Reads (view spoiler)). Several members achieved "Master of . . . " titles during the read, and I'm granting Sanderson Master of Misdirection status. Not only did he expertly paint characters as non-threatening nonentities so that your mind was blown when their nefarious true natures were revealed, but he stealthily laid the groundwork consistently throughout the story, making it utterly believable. But he didn't limit himself to grand scale misdirection, no, he did not. He also regularly made your heart stop for the three seconds it took to get past the obvious reaction to the reality of the situation that was entirely different from the path he had lead you down. *salutes* *fights urge to gesture rudely once back is turned* Moral Ambiguity: The singular complaint I saw voiced during the BR was that there wasn't an identifiable Great Evil that Good needed to triumph over. By the end of the book that was no longer the case, but even before that I didn't mind, b/c Sanderson constantly makes you question: what is right? What is good? It's a deliberate tactic to both make the reader really think about right and wrong, good and evil, and also to eventually make the difference abundantly clear. So if you're the kind of reader that needs that distinction, don't give up, b/c, man alive, you will get it. The last 10%: Sanderson followed a strict formula for the last 10% of his book. It goes like this: 1. What's the worst thing that can happen? Let's do that. 2. How can we make it even worse? Let's do that too. 3. Now let's make it look like---despite overwhelming odds---everything will work out fine. 4. Now let's crush that hope. Rinse, wash, REPEAT. Part IV will leave you emotionally wrung-out (in a good way), and Part V will give your FEELS a chance to recover whilst blowing your mind (really, your mind should be in pieces by the time you finish).. Having just finished yesterday afternoon, I'm surprised that I'm not still in some kind of stupor, but I've prevailed. I did have to step away several times during that last 10% to give myself a chance to recover. I used that time to: order paperbacks of both installments for my dad and hardbacks for myself, b/c these books . . . they deserve shelf space. What kept THE WAYS OF KINGS from being a 5.0 star read were a handful of issues in the beginning of the book. I've been told that WoK was shoved through the editing process to get it into bookstores quickly, and it shows in the repetition of phrases, especially in the prologue. The third time Someone came at Someone Else with "broad, sweeping strokes" (of his sword), I was over it. And when an Assassin continually referred to a hallway runner as being red . . . like blood . . . well, despite how fantastic the rest of the book was, I couldn't entirely overlook it's less than stellar start. However, overall . . . again I say, I have a new favorite author.

If you like epic tales, this is the book series for you. The first book really lays out a fascinating foundation for the Stormlight series. So may characters and intrigue in a story that keeps you wanting to read more.

The Way of Kings is genuinely one of my favorite books of all times. I've just finished reading it for the sixth time and I'm still gripped by the story. The great length of the book means I can keep this enjoyment going for almost a week for each read, and though I know exactly whats happening next I still worry for characters I know will survive and hope for characters I know will suffer or die. I've read Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, The Dark Tower, the Shannara series (and all books related to it) and many others like them and I can happily say that in my opinion, as great at though series are, the first book of the Stormlight Archive trumps them all. The character development is perfect all the way throughout, the magic system is wonderfully balanced and the rules that govern it are explicitly laid out and no "ace in the hole" plot armour pulls appear anywhere in here where a character manages to exceed the set boundaries of this magic system. I've also read the Second Book in The Stormlight Archive and I believe that it is just as good or better than this one. There series as a whole is brilliant so far and I'm eagerly awaiting the Third. WARNING - POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD The magic in Stormlight holds the top place among my favorite systems of magic because of the beauty of how it works and perhaps more importantly, the limitations its users face when using it. The magic doesn't make a person more skilled, but rather increases their speed and/or strength, allows them to control one or more of the 10 basic surges (Gravity, friction, etc). Their magic is also based on the amount of Stormlight that they currently hold so without that they become normal people once again. The plot consists of a great number of plots and subplots and follows several main characters along with snippets of other characters so we the reader gain a far better understanding of what is happening that the characters themselves. This also increases the readability as each character has a different way of handling issues so there is never a rut wherein the same actions are repeated time and time again as has been the case in some of the books I've read.

Well although I am reviewing only half part of the book but what can I say except the part that I am highly impressed by the world which has been created by Sanderson so far, although I was delaying starting the series due to my ASOIAF experience but I finally gave in seeing all the high reviews Words of radiance got. The story basically starts from an assassination, and what i loved is we are given glimpses of this magical world early on by introducing us to the magic system of this world, where in you basically use the storm light to do some extraordinary things.I imagined the lashings upside down like the non gravity jumps which the Isaac the hero did in Dead space to jump from one portion of room to another, due to that his down became the up and up became the down well it is easy to imagine that if you have played the game, also lashing something atop another thing was basically like the telekinesis power.The shard plate I imagines some what like the suit of armor which was used in Crysis game to enhance the abilities of humans also the shard blades can be imagined some what like the laser swords used in star wars movie.Well due to fine writing of Mr. Sanderson i was able to imagine these things at the start of the book itself. Well coming back to from where I left, this story basically begins from an assassination and after which a war has broken out between two kingdoms basically, although we explore the kingdom of Althekar a lot in this first part of the book the parshendi is still an enigma to me.The story basically progresses from the pov of following characters 1.Kaladin 2.Dalinar 3.Shallan 4.Szeth. Kaladin is basically what I think is an under dog of this story who goes from leading a platoon to a slave, another interesting part of his story is syl, who keeps on giving him hope when there is none also at the end of the book when Kaladin survives the storm on his own he starts having insights during each storm as if the storm father himself is speaking to him.We are also given Kaladin's background and this is also new way to explore a character where in we come to know his present actions are inspired by his past actions. Dalinar is an honored general in the king's army and he is the uncle to king himself also he is one of the shard plate carriers, we know that he basically blames himself for the assassination of his brother and is trying very hard to help his nephew manage a fragmented kingdom where in princes have more power than the king.The fight sequences of dalinar are awesomely written the two which I enjoyed the most are when he basically fights a chasmfiends and the dream sequence when he gets teleporated to the past and fights beasts. Shallan is basically a scholar who is out to save her family by stealing some thing important from the king's sister Jasnah, although Jasnah herself is another intriguing character who is trying to solve the mystery of her father's death by doing some scholarly research. Lastly we have szeth who is an shin and although he is able to use the storm light to do some extraordinary things is a truth-less being in his society as he is a killer. The world Sanderson is really beautiful where we have spren for all type of feelings like the wind spren or death spren, I think the spren are like the atoms in the storm light world.Also these storms are more than just storms and there is definitely something more magical about them. What can I say, I have just finished reading the second part of way of kings and in the words of Roshar, Storm it!!! this by far one of the best books I have read so far this year.I can't help myself but I have been literally blown by the storm present in this book. Phew! now that storm light is out of my system let me get back to the review.Although the first part of the book delved into the story of our central characters Kaladin,Shallan and Dalinar the second part progresses the story more faster, although I have excluded another important character from the list namely Szeth, I think Sanderson has purposely created an aura of mystery around this character and in the next coming books I definitely think we will get a background story on Szeth which will basically explain us the motivations behind his actions. Regarding Shallan we already know about her motivations from the start of the story, as to what is she planning on doing.although she succeeds in first part of her plan which is getting near Jasnah but will she succeed in the next part of the plan?It is better to read this part because the author explains her emotions quite properly to us also adding Kasbal in the mix of things clearly complicates matters for her.I think this part of the story was quite interesting as Sanderson is providing us with most important information regarding the Voidbringers,Desolation,Heralds and Radiants. My second most favorite character in this series is definitely Dalinar who just cannot forgive himself and keeps on blaming himself for the events which happened in the start of the book.From Dalinar's point of view we are given a view into the political world which is basically Alethkar, he is trying his best to hold together the fragmented pieces of land which is ruled by selfish High prince's who have basically made a joke of the vengeance pact.Almost till the end of the story Dalinar is second guessing himself but the end when he starts trusting himself he comes out as a strong personality.Sanderson is also giving us a picture regarding the past history of roshar by the visions he has.The side characters to this part of the story which are his sons Adolin and Renarian are also painted properly. Well no guesses but this book is of kaladin storm blessed , his character transformation is awesome from a youth trying to prove himself in father's eyes to becoming a squad leader and from that a big low of slave.another important part of his journey is Syl who as we have suspected is something more than she has been portrayed in the first of the book.Reading kaladin's journey was the best part for me in this book.also the action sequence at the tower is one of the best battle scenes I have read after Steven Erikson's Malazan book of fallen.The side characters in this part of story which are the bridge crew are also developed properly and you you do care to as to what happens to these characters. Some of the characters which are worth mentioning but are still a mystery in this book are Wit who is definitely someone we will have to keep a lookout for in the coming books.Also Axis was another character which just dropped in the middle of the story and created a strong impact for me.Last but but not the lest the world of Roshar has been beautifully painted by Sanderson with colorful spren coming out whenever there is a change happening to something like we have rain spren when it rains or wind spren. Well the storm I hope is going to the us to each and every corner of roshar and let us explore and give information regarding the wonderful place which is roshar.Do not miss this storm!!.

Stormfather! This was one of the best books I've ever read. After hearing so many people praise Brandon Sanderson's books, I decided to jump into his world starting with The Way of Kings. How happy I am to have read this! It's one of those fantasy books that makes you crave more, not allowing you to put it down. It has great characters, a really awesome world and a brilliant plot. I loved all of the characters in this book. Even the horrible and the damned. They all are smashing in a storm of betrayal, chaos and destruction. I wanted to know what was going to happen to each of them. But first off, my favorite of all - Kaladin. He is that character that you want every book to have. Brave, strong and determined to help others. He is a surgeon's son and was a soldier in Amaram's army where he was betrayed. He lost his brother, his friends, his crew. But once led to Bridge Four he finds hope and is determined to rebuild himself. Throughout the book, we learn more about him and about events of the past that influence decisions that he makes in the present day. There is something about Kaladin that makes you like him. We sympathise with him and want him to succeed. Another character I really loved was Dalinar. Dalinar Kholin, is fighting a war in the Shattered Plains for vengeance against the murder of his brother, Gavillar. Dalinar is the most honourable character you will ever meet. He also fights to fulfil his brothers dream - to try and unite Alethkar and bring order bia the Code. His only downfall - visions. Visions he gets of during highstorms that makes him and his house look vulnerable. There are other characters that we could talk about, but that would take forever..! The mythology in this world is what makes you go crazy. Talks of Knight Radians, Heralds, Voidbringers and the Desolation creates a whole new dimension of epicness. This isn't just a story about politics and squabbles between kings, highprinces and brightlords. It's also about mysteries and secrets of the past being unravelled and the consequences that it will bring to the world. There are so many other things that makes this book just brilliant. But if you want an epic fantasy story that will blow you away - this is the book for you. There are so many quotes I loved in The Way of Kings, but this was my favorite: "Life before Death. Strength before Weakness. Journey before Destination."

Książka przyszła szybko i w idealnym stanie, lepszym niż nawet się spodziewałem!

Nun trägt der nachfolgende Text das Label einer Rezension, aber so wirklich eine Rezension ist es nicht. Eher eine Eskalation von purem Nerdgasm. Denn anders kann ich weder The Way of Kings noch irgendeinen anderen der Nachfolgebänder des Stormlight Archive von Brandon Sanderson besprechen. Das führt für mich eigentlich zu genau demselben Grund, warum ich Tolkien nicht rezensiere: Es ist genial, Punkt, aus. Daran gibt es nichts zu diskutieren. Daher müsste die Frage für dieses Buch heißen: »Was ist hieran eigentlich nicht geil?«, statt »Wie gefiel es mir persönlich?« Da diese Frage aber sehr schnell mit »Nichts« zu beantworten ist, stellen wir lieber die Frage: »Was genau ist hieran geil?« The Way of Kings ist der Auftaktband des Stormlight Archives, der Reihe, die wohl als der Kern des Cosmere bezeichnet werden kann – für Brandon selbst ist das die Geschichte, die er schon immer erzählen wollte, bisher aber nicht konnte, weil sie so enorm ist. Und The Way of Kings ist erst der Anfang, der im Vergleich zu Words of Radiance oder gar Oathbringer noch ganz zart aussieht. Kaladin war nicht immer ein Sklave in den Brückenmanschaften des Großprinzen Sadeas. Einst war ihm der Weg eines Chirurgen in Khabranth beschieden. Irgendwie landete er dann aber als Speermann in der Armee Prinz Amarams und wurde von dort aus in die Sklaverei verkauft. Nun ist er am Boden der Gesellschaft angekommen, mitten unter den Ärmsten der Armen. Denn die Brückenmänner sind zum Sterben verurteilt. Kaladin hätte beinahe den Freitod gewählt, wäre da nicht das seltsame Sprengsel Syl, das sich an ihn gebunden hat und ihn zum Kämpfen ermuntert. Sie beide ahnen nicht, dass sie damit den ersten Schritt auf dem Pfad der Strahlenden Ritter getan haben. Im fernen Kharbranth derweil sucht Shallan Davar die Lehre der Häretikerin Jasnah, um von ihr die nur denkbar beste Ausbildung zu erhalten – und um ihren Seelengießer zu stehlen. Doch sie muss entdecken, dass Jasnah an etwas viel größerem forscht, das weit über den Untergang des kleinen Hauses Davar hinausgeht. Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. Das erste Ideal der Strahlenden Ritter, The Way of Kings, S. 1036. Ich bin jemand, der saugeiles Worldbuilding über alles schätzt. Und besser als das hier geht einfach nicht. Nur genauso gut, und das findet sich bei Tolkien. Roshar ist eine sturmumtoste Welt. Großstürme von enorm zerstörerischer Wucht ziehen in regelmäßigen Abständen von Westen her kommend über den gesamten Kontinent und prägen Leben auf ihn in allen Aspekten. Alles auf Roshar ist auf die Großstürme ausgerichtet, Tier, Pflanze und Mensch. Auf uns mag Roshar fremd erscheinen, doch gerade das macht den Reiz dieser Welt aus. Brandon schafft es exzellent, eine so fremde Welt so greifbar zu machen, als wäre man selbst ein Alethi und mit deren Kultur aufgewachsen. In Roshar gibt es zahlreiche Kulturen, und jede von ihnen ist einzigartig, viele gar fremdartig. Dass Alethi Damen ihre linke Hand, die Schutzhand, verbergen, da eine entblößte Schutzhand als anstößig gilt, ist dabei nur das geringste. Leute, so gestaltet man eine fremde Welt: in vielen kleinen Details von unserer abweichend, aber nicht zu fremd und alienhaft, und gleichzeitig so, als fühlte sie sich an, als sei das alles die natürliche Ordnung der Dinge. Roshar ist einfach episch und gewaltig. Alles hieran ist eine Nummer größer. Khriss, die Verfasserin der Ars Acana am Ende eines jeden Cosmere-Bandes, schreibt passenderweise in Arcanum Unbounded zum Rosharan-System und besonders zum Planeten und Kontinent Roshar, dass man sich hier regelrecht zwergenhaft vorkommt. Es gibt zahlreiche riesige Krustenkreaturen wie die friedlichen Chulle, die als eine Art Lasttiere eingesetzt werden, oder gar die gigantischen Kluftteufel, die in den riesigen Kluften der Zerbrochenen Ebene hausen und regelmäßig ganze Bataillone verschlingen. Und dann gibt es da natürlich noch die Splitterklingen und –rüstungen (Shardblades und Shardplates im Original, was einfach viel besser klingt, wie ich finde). Die Rüstungen geben ihrem Träger übermenschliche Kräfte und auch die Klingen scheinen nicht von dieser Welt. Sie schneiden lebendes Gewebe nicht, sondern brennen direkt die Seele aus ihm. Wird man von einer Splitterklinge getroffen, stirbt man mit brennenden Augen. Ritter in solch einer Rüstung sind eine imposante Erscheinung, die wunderbar in das Erscheinungsbild Roshars passen, wo alles größer wirkt. Außerdem, ganz nebenbei, ist der Kontext der Rüstungen endlich einmal eine wunderbare Erklärung für die völlig übertriebenen Rüstungssets, die ein Trope der Fantasy geworden sind. Hier macht das wenigstens Sinn! Die Großstürme, die regelmäßig über Roshar herziehen, tragen in sich Sturmlicht, die essenzielle Kraft des Systems. Sturmlicht wird nicht nur als Lichtquelle in Glaskugeln verwendet, die gleichzeitig auch das Währungssystem sind, sondern auch beispielsweise, um die überirdischen Kräfte der Splitter zu betreiben. Der Assassine in Weiß, welcher König Gavilar und Alethkar tötete und damit den Krieg der Alethi gegen die Parshendi auf der Zersplitterten Ebene auslöste, konnte mit Sturmlicht jedoch noch viel mehr. Es scheint, dass er die Kräfte der verschollenen Strahlenden Ritter besitzt. Man merkt Roshar an, dass es eine alte und turbulente Geschichte besitzt, auch wenn vieles davon in den Wogen der Zeit verschollen ging. Nur wenige Menschen wie Jasnah sind in der Lage, aus den Fragmenten, die sich aus den mythischen Zeiten erhalten blieben, die Wahrheit herauszufinden. Das Gefühl, dass in der Ferne eine Ruine auftaucht, die eine alte, längst vergessene Geschichte in sich trägt, kann Brandon in Roshar ebenso gut vermitteln wie Tolkien in Mittelerde, vielleicht sogar besser, weil es (noch?) nicht viel zur Vergangenheit Roshars gibt. Eines weiß man jedoch: Die Strahlenden Ritter, welche unglaubliche Fähigkeiten besaßen, sind verschwunden. Niemand weiß, wieso, aber allgemein wird von Verrat an der Menschheit gesprochen. Etwas Schreckliches passierte damals, als die Bringer der Leere die Welt beinahe zerstörten. Niemand weiß so recht, wer die Bringer der Leere sind, doch nun scheint es, als würden sie zurückkehren, um in der letzten, der Wahren Wüstwerdung Roshar zu vernichten. Und dann sind da noch die unglaublich inspirierenden Charaktere. Wer schon einiges von Brandon gelesen hat, weiß, dass seine Charaktere häufig auf eine ganz bestimmte Art und Weise denken. So auch hier. Es ist ermutigend zu sehen, wie sich Shallan, Kaladin und Dalinar Kholin durch alle Widrigkeiten boxen. Shallan will um jeden Preis als Mündel Jasnahs aufgenommen werden, obwohl Jasnah alles daran setzt, sie abzuschütteln. Kaladin gar wird in die Sklaverei verkauft und muss dort erdulden, dass er als lebendes Schild für die Soldaten Sadeas‘ missbraucht wird. Großprinz Dalinar erlebt Visionen, von denen er glaubt, dass sie vom Allmächtigen kommen, und die ihm sagen, dass er »sie« vereinigen soll. Kaum jemand glaubt ihm, seine Autorität als Kriegsherr und legendärer Schwarzdorn wird untergraben. Mit Cleverness und Verbissenheit boxen sie sich durch alle Hindernisse und das wirkt einfach ermutigend, besonders, wenn man selbst in einer schwierigen Zeit steckt. Jeder Stormlight-Band ist ein wahres Monster (was sich von Band zu Band sogar noch zu steigern scheint). Und trotzdem sind sie alle extrem kurzweilig. Es passiert immer etwas, bei dem man am Ball bleiben muss, um zu wissen, wie es weitergeht. Mal sind es packende Ereignisse, mal die Charaktere, die zu verfolgen ein wahrer Genuss ist, mal einfach nur das Gefühl, in diese wunderbare Welt abtauchen zu können und wirklich da zu sein. The Way of Kings wirkt besonders beim ersten Lesen sehr verwirrend. Es gibt viele kleine Details, die scheinbar nicht erklärt werden, deren Erklärung aber ebenfalls im Detail, den Folgebänden und manchmal auch in anderen Cosmere-Bänden steckt. Auch wenn man vielleicht nicht unbedingt weiß, was gerade vor sich geht (womit es einem wie den Protagonisten geht), hat man das stete Gefühl, dass etwas vor sich geht, etwas sehr, sehr Gefährliches. Nun, die Stormlight Bände sind, wie jeder Cosmere-Band, eine unbedingte Empfehlung. Aber das dürfte an dieser Stelle wohl ohnehin klar sein. Ich empfehle übrigens, das Album Epica von Audiomachine beim Lesen zu hören. Es erwies sich für mich als der beste Soundtrack zum Buch. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves. Das zweite Ideal der Strahlenden Ritter, The Way of Kings, S.1156 They named it the Final Desolation, but they lied. Our gods lied. Oh, how they lied. The Everstorm comes. I hear ist whispers, see ist stormwall, know ist heart. The Way of Kings, S. 1158