Points of interest:
1. It's his best book to date. Including THE GATHERING STORM. The step-up in quality is greater than the step-up between ELANTRIS and MISTBORN.
2. He has awesome magic systems in the book but doesn't throw them in the reader's face every five seconds. In fact, there's been bursts of magic use but nothing like MISTBORN so far. It's there and part of the world, but the book doesn't revolve around it like it does in the trilogy and ELANTRIS.
3. His worldbuilding is vastly improved. The world in ELANTRIS and MISTBORN feels a little flat, especially outside the main cities where the action takes place. The world in KINGS is far more believable and interesting, dozens of kingdoms and cities spread across a gargantuam continent with tons of cultural details and racial differentiations.
4. This is a more adult work. Those readers who freaked out over his very, very mild swearing in THE GATHERING STORM (if 'bloody' even counts as swearing these days) aren't going to be happy about this one, at all. There's a bit more swearing, a fair bit more violence and one character hints that she has been the subject of sexual violence. The world is also harsher and there's a lot more betrayal and treachery, and some unexpected character deaths. It's nothing that would really give Robert Jordan fans pause, let alone Morgan, Martin or Bakker ones, but those who feel Sanderson has been a bit too conservative and YA up to this point should be satisfied by his developments in this area.
5. Hoid has been mentioned, confirming that the world is set in the greater 'Sanderverse' of MISTBORN/ELANTRIS/WARBREAKER.
1. It's his best book to date. Including THE GATHERING STORM. The step-up in quality is greater than the step-up between ELANTRIS and MISTBORN.
2. He has awesome magic systems in the book but doesn't throw them in the reader's face every five seconds. In fact, there's been bursts of magic use but nothing like MISTBORN so far. It's there and part of the world, but the book doesn't revolve around it like it does in the trilogy and ELANTRIS.
3. His worldbuilding is vastly improved. The world in ELANTRIS and MISTBORN feels a little flat, especially outside the main cities where the action takes place. The world in KINGS is far more believable and interesting, dozens of kingdoms and cities spread across a gargantuam continent with tons of cultural details and racial differentiations.
4. This is a more adult work. Those readers who freaked out over his very, very mild swearing in THE GATHERING STORM (if 'bloody' even counts as swearing these days) aren't going to be happy about this one, at all. There's a bit more swearing, a fair bit more violence and one character hints that she has been the subject of sexual violence. The world is also harsher and there's a lot more betrayal and treachery, and some unexpected character deaths. It's nothing that would really give Robert Jordan fans pause, let alone Morgan, Martin or Bakker ones, but those who feel Sanderson has been a bit too conservative and YA up to this point should be satisfied by his developments in this area.
5. Hoid has been mentioned, confirming that the world is set in the greater 'Sanderverse' of MISTBORN/ELANTRIS/WARBREAKER.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
04/08/2010 09:14:06 PM
- 6623 Views
Cool beans.
04/08/2010 11:02:38 PM
- 1501 Views
You could easily start here.
04/08/2010 11:13:56 PM
- 1675 Views
Sanderson is one of the few fantasy authors I read.
05/08/2010 01:00:18 AM
- 1720 Views
I am very interested to hear what you think of this one.
05/08/2010 07:33:06 PM
- 1574 Views
The Way of Kings - A Practical Question...
06/08/2010 02:31:30 AM
- 1885 Views
Well, it really depends
06/08/2010 12:26:38 PM
- 1647 Views
As I understand it, Stormlight Archive was the FIRST thing he wanted to do
06/08/2010 06:03:21 PM
- 1634 Views
Sounds good. I only wonder how long we have to wait for the next one...
07/08/2010 12:13:57 PM
- 1679 Views
700 pages through it now.
10/08/2010 10:52:08 PM
- 1709 Views