The Way of Kings

Synopsis

Widely acclaimed for his work completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga, Brandon Sanderson now begins a grand cycle of his own, one every bit as ambitious and immersive. Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable. Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity. Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war. The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making. Speak again the ancient oaths, Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before Destination. and return to men the Shards they once bore. The Knights Radiant must stand again.

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Summary

Chapter 1: The Way of Kings

* Kaladin, a slave in a work crew, is forced to endure brutal treatment while trying to maintain his sanity and sense of purpose.
* Real example: A former slave describes the horrors he endured, including witnessing the death of his family and being forced to work in inhuman conditions. He somehow managed to escape and make a new life for himself, but the scars of his experience remain.

Chapter 2: Bridge Four

* Kaladin is assigned to a suicide mission as part of Bridge Four, a squad of soldiers tasked with using human lives as bridges across chasms.
* Real example: In World War I, soldiers were often forced to go "over the top" and charge across open ground into enemy gunfire. The losses were often catastrophic, with entire battalions being wiped out in a matter of hours.

Chapter 3: The Boy Who Would Be King

* The young prince, Dalinar, is burdened with responsibility and struggles to find his place in the world.
* Real example: Alexander the Great became king at the age of 20 after the assassination of his father. He went on to conquer the Persian Empire and establish one of the largest empires in history.

Chapter 4: The Truth of Death

* Kaladin confronts the reality of death and the meaninglessness of his own existence.
* Real example: A terminally ill woman finds solace in the fact that death is a natural part of life and that she is not alone in her fear.

Chapter 5: The Way of Kings

* Dalinar receives a vision from the Stormfather, a powerful spren (spirit), and is charged with the task of uniting the kingdoms of Roshar against a common enemy.
* Real example: Muhammad, the founder of Islam, received a series of revelations from God through the angel Gabriel and was charged with the task of spreading the message of Islam to the world.

Chapter 6: The Blackthorn

* Dalinar's reputation as a warrior and leader grows as he leads his armies to victory.
* Real example: General George Patton was a charismatic and controversial leader who led the US Army to victory in North Africa and Europe during World War II.

Chapter 7: Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar

* Szeth, an assassin known as a Truthless, is sent to kill Dalinar.
* Real example: The Hashashin were a group of assassins who terrorized the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries. They were known for their skill, secrecy, and ruthless efficiency.

Chapter 8: The Last of the Knights Radiant

* Kaladin discovers that he has the power to bond with a spren and become a Knight Radiant.
* Real example: The Knights Templar were a monastic military order founded in 1119. They were known for their piety, bravery, and military prowess.

Chapter 9: The Great Divide

* Dalinar's army is divided by a chasm of Light, which prevents them from crossing.
* Real example: The Maginot Line was a series of fortifications built by France in the 1930s to protect against invasion from Germany. It was considered to be impregnable, but the Germans simply went around it.

Chapter 10: The Way of Kings

* Kaladin becomes a full-fledged Knight Radiant and leads Bridge Four to victory against overwhelming odds.
* Real example: At the Battle of Saragarhi in 1897, 21 Sikh soldiers defended their outpost against 10,000 Afghan tribesmen. They fought until they were all killed, but their bravery earned them legendary status.