The Sanderlanche

A Review of The Way of Kings

Liam-son-son-Fred wore blue on the day he was to write a review. I’ll admit this review is premature--I’ve only completed the first book of Brandon Sanderson’s five-part epic, The Stormlight Archives. But the story captivated me so thoroughly that I couldn’t wait to put my thoughts into words. There’s something about the blend of grounded magic, complex characters, and masterful pacing that demands celebration.

This review will contain spoilers.

TLDR: I enthusiastically rate The Way of Kings 5/5 stars. Sanderson delivers a tightly paced, richly layered story featuring dynamic characters and a phenomenal magic system.

The Magic System

Oh me oh my, this magic system is just so good. For the uninitiated, it’s built on two key pillars: Spren, the tiny elemental creatures tied to natural phenomena, and Stormlight, an energy source that feels almost alive.

What I love most about Sanderson’s approach is how grounded it feels—it’s like explaining gravity or shadows to someone. It just makes sense. From this simple and intuitive base, he builds out shardplate, shardblades, fabrials, and lashings with elegant precision. Each addition feels natural and logical, not like some magic hand-wavey convenience. I’m sure there’s even more depth waiting in the next books, and I can’t wait to see how the system grows in Words of Radiance.

Character Dynamics/Growth

Standing on the shoulders of the strong magic system is an equally great cast of primary characters: Dalinar, Kaladin, and Shallan.

Dalinar—brother to the murdered king of Alethkar—is a fairly static character. He clings to Honor, almost annoyingly so, but I appreciated him as a foil to the flippant brutality of Alethi warfare. His mysterious visions of the past added a layer of intrigue and drama that I enjoyed. Honestly, I wish he had wavered more in his defense of honor—it might have made him more dynamic. Then again, perhaps his flaw is that his unwavering commitment to honor left him blind to Sadeas’s betrayal.

Kaladin’s arc in the first book is a sine wave of depression. He swings between being exceedingly competent and being ready to yeet himself off a cliff every chapter. Despite this, I found his journey compelling. Sanderson builds anticipation masterfully for Kaladin’s inevitable and satisfying bad-ass Sanderlanche fight scene. His arc also showcases Sanderson’s knack for exploring the dichotomy of master and apprentice through the interplay between Szeth and Kaladin. Even though the two haven’t met (yet???), they complement each other. Kaladin, a man of lost honor, is discovering the power of Stormlight, while Szeth, a similarly honorless pawn, demonstrates its pinnacle potential.

I’m also a HUGE sucker for zero-to-hero, assemble-the-team stories, and Kaladin delivers. His rise from unproven to undeniable leader reminded me of Ender’s Game, another favorite of mine. Like Ender, Kaladin isn’t overly competent alone, but his vision and leadership inspire others to rally around him. I love that most of what he achieves with his bridge crews isn’t miraculous—it’s just leadership, insight, and guts.

Shallan’s arc, in contrast, is more nuanced. She’s also fighting for her life and her house’s survival, but her path is scholarly rather than combative. Her wardship under Jasnah provides readers with fascinating insights into the history of Roshar and details about soulcasting, Spren, and Shadesmar. I enjoyed her slower, dialogue-heavy chapters and the mysterious tension of her subterfuge and eventual betrayal of Jasnah. I’m excited to see how her arc evolves—Sanderson has set her up for a more action-packed storyline as she learns to wield her soulcasting abilities.

Narrative System

I just want to take a moment to appreciate how well the narrative develops throughout this story. Switching points of view (POV) between chapters is notoriously difficult to pull off, but Sanderson absolutely nails it. Usually, I find frequent POV shifts make it harder to track key events or understand how characters connect—even phenomenal books like Lord of the Rings struggle with this when switching between Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship.

Sanderson avoids this pitfall by limiting the story to three primary characters and weaving their narratives together so seamlessly that information from one chapter often answers questions raised in another. For instance, Dalinar’s visions of fighting Voidbringers are later contextualized when Shallan and Jasnah discuss the Voidbringers’ true nature in a separate chapter. It’s like following a trail of breadcrumbs, and I loved the way everything fit together.

Another standout narrative device is the progressive flashback structure used for Kaladin’s story. Each flashback brings us closer to the present, building to the immensely satisfying Sanderlanche—a spectacular crescendo where all (well, almost all) of the main characters converge. These flashbacks don’t just reveal Kaladin’s backstory; they actively enhance the emotional and thematic payoff of the climax.

What I also appreciated was the breathing room Sanderson provides after the Sanderlanche. Instead of ending abruptly, the story takes time to explore the aftermath, allowing readers to process the emotional and narrative consequences.

Drawbacks
One of the few drawbacks in Sanderson’s writing—and really, my only significant critique—is that he occasionally tells more than he shows. This tendency is most noticeable with his male characters, particularly Kaladin and Dalinar.

A specific example comes from a scene where Kaladin, caught in a misery spiral, stands at the edge of a cliff contemplating death. His hopeless thoughts are repeated so extensively that, as a reader, I found it redundant. The over-explanation distracted me from fully connecting with the raw emotion of the moment.

That said, I understand why Sanderson does this—it makes the book more accessible to a wide audience. While it’s a minor flaw that occasionally taxed my patience, it doesn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the story or my 5-star rating.

Navigation of Race, Disabilities, Sex and Gender, and Religion

Sanderson’s writing is wildly progressive for a white middle-aged Morman guy. I was genuinely astonished at times, but perhaps I assume too much. Race, disabilities, sex, gender, and religion are broached both with narrative significance and respect. Renarin’s blood disease precludes him from fighting and interesting dynamics of race, gender norms, and religion are a primary aspect of the war between the Parshendi and Alethi. Shallan and Jasnah continuously debate atheism in a world where magic is undeniably real yet the gods are silent. It’s such a compelling contrast to our real world in which magic is not real yet people claim to commune with god constantly. It’s fascinating that Alethi have customs of men being warriors yet disconnected from reading, science, and technology while the women avoid battle but remain scribes of war. There’s so much more to say about this but I’m tired of writing, so I’m cutting this part short for the sake of brevity.

Predictions

More secrets are to be revealed about the Parshendi in Words of Radiance. Brando Sando has intentionally obscured details like:

1. Why do the Parshendi fight in pairs

2. Why do the Parshendi sing

3. Why do the Parshendi revere their dead the way they do

4. I think the Parshendi wanted to meet Dalinar

5. What's up with the chasm fiend?

6. Parshendi put gemstones in their beard. Why? My prediction is the the Parshendi leave their dead so they be eaten by the chasm fiend and this acts like a clam to “seed” gemhearts. Crazy idea but I stand by it.

Conclusion

The Way of Kings is a rare blend of epic worldbuilding, grounded magic, and compelling character arcs. Despite minor flaws, Sanderson’s storytelling delivers an experience that’s both thrilling and thought-provoking. I can’t wait to see what secrets Words of Radiance holds and how these characters continue to grow. If you haven’t already, read this book!