The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)

The Way of Kings is the first volume of «The Stormlight Archive», the result of more than a decade of world-building and writing, transformed into a masterpiece of contemporary fantasy in ten volumes. With it, Brandon Sanderson positions himself as the genre author gaining the most readers worldwide.

I long for the days before the Last Desolation.

The days when the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. A time when there was still magic in the world and honor in the hearts of men.

The world was ours, but we lost it. There is probably nothing more exhilarating to the souls of men than victory.

Or perhaps victory was an illusion all along? Did our enemies understand that the harder they fought, the more we resisted? Perhaps they saw that fire and hammer only produced better swords. But they ignored the steel long enough for it to rust.

There are four people we observe. The first is the physician, who stopped healing to become a soldier during the most brutal war of our time. The second is the assassin, a killer who weeps whenever he kills. The third is the liar, a young woman who wears a scholar's cloak over a thief's heart. Lastly, there is the high prince, a warrior who looks to the past while his thirst for war languishes.

The world can change. The empowering and use of Shards may reappear, the magic of days past may be ours again. These four people are key.

One of them will redeem us. And one of them will destroy us.

Reviews:
«Brandon Sanderson is a legend.»
Alexelcapo, @EvilAFM

«I loved this book. What more is there to say?»
Patrick Rothfuss

«It is rare for a fiction writer to understand so well how leadership works and how love takes root in the human heart. Sanderson is surprisingly wise.»
Orson Scott Card

«Fans of epic fantasy will eagerly await the publication of the next volume in the series.»
Library Journal