Summary: Kaladin is a warrior fallen from grace, doomed to become a bridgerunner on
the plateaus of the Shattered Plains. All around him, men are shot, stampeded, or simply
surrender, and Kaladin must do everything in his power to survive. Dalinar is one of the most
powerful highprinces in the Shattered Plains, being uncle to King Elhokar, but his reputation is
being tarnished by rumors of insanity. Shallan is an artist at heart, but is forced to be an
apprentice to the heretic Jasnah in the hopes of stealing her Soulcaster. If she fails, she and her
entire family will be destroyed.
Plot: Kaladin is a young man who has been forced to become a bridgerunner after a
terrible loss in war.
Want: At first, Kaladin’s situation is hopeless, and he sees himself as a dead man.
However, after surviving numerous bridgeruns, he decides that he wants to survive. But to do
that, he must create the best bridgecrew in the whole army.
But: Many of the bridgemen in Kaladin’s squad are as hopeless as he once was. To
create a great bridge crew, he must first convince these men that their life is worth living, and
they can become stronger if they work hard enough.
So: Kaladin works hard to inspire the men. He endures agonizing physical training alone,
learns all the men’s names, and saves injured soldiers from the battlefield. His crew slowly
warms up to him, and soon they become an incredibly tight, and incredibly strong, group.
Then: Kaladin’s crew decides to be the last remaining bridge crew when Dalinar’s army
is betrayed and left to die. They fight alongside Dalinar’s army, and because of their willpower
and dedication, are able to save thousands of men from the grips of the Parshendi.
Opinion: The Way of Kings is a masterclass of fantasy. Brandon Sanderson manages to
suck the audience into his world, while at the same time giving an intriguing plot, great
characters, and an incredibly unique magic system like no other in the genre.
However, this book is not for everyone. It’s incredibly long (over 1,000 pages) and takes
its time when it comes to the plot. On top of that, with such an expansive world, it might be
difficult to get into for someone who hasn’t read a lot of fantasy. Despite all of this though, The
Way of Kings is worth the read.