The Way of Kings Review *SPOILERS*

I've finally (almost) finished it! This is the book I mentioned forever ago, the one that's 1,252 pages long. I'm almost done it, with a little less than 100 pages left, but I got a little excited and decided to do the review now. I highly doubt my opinion will change in the last few chapters.

I think we might have the beginning of a series that will be a contender for my favourite book series. This book is amazing, but definitely not for anyone who hates world building. The Way of Kings is unique because of the new world that Brandon Sanderson has created. The biggest detail is something called the Highstorms, which are pretty much hurricanes that come every few days. The world also includes massive exoskeleton creatures, plants that are either made of rock or disappear into the ground at the slightest wind or touch, seasons that last only weeks, and of course magic. Of all of Sanderson's books, this is definitely the best example of world building.

Of course, creating a new world can be confusing for the reader. I love it, as it gives you the chance to use your imagination and see old things at new angles. However, I know there are plenty of fantasy fiction readers who hate it. They don't like trying to figure out what a simple thing is, and don't understand why it has to be given a new name. For example, the end of a year is called a Weeping, money is called spheres, and devices that use some sort of electricity are called fabrials. But the best part is how Sanderson shows all the new details. Of course he uses words, but in addition he created a character who is very skilled at drawing. It's through many of her drawings that we see things such as Chulls (large lobster-like creatures with a thick shell), skyeels (basically flying eels...) and the many plant forms.

Every author and book has flaws though. There were several grammatical or spelling errors that I noticed, but the those were easy to pass over. The largest thing I noticed, and one that may have been deliberate, was the use of the omnipotent narrator. Normally this'll mean getting into the mind of several characters, but being separated by a page break or a chapter. He does this, but in the same chapter, and even in the same paragraph, he'll switch between two or three different points of views. It's very distracting, but probably not that big for someone that reads, but does't write.

Despite the flaws, this is definitely one of my favourite books. Anything by Brandon Sanderson has been amazing, and I would suggest any of his works to other fantasy fiction readers. He's one of those authors that you might have heard of a few times, but never thought to pick up his books. Do it! You'll never regret it!


And some additional art: