The Way of Kings -- Brandon Sanderson

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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First of all, can I even begin to say how mind blowing-ly beautiful and genius this book was?!?!?! It wasn't even funny. This book has everything you could ask for in a non-Christian fantasy, and I was, and am, still mind boggled. Brandon Sanderson created such an intricate world; it was this close ( I'm making a centimeter sign with my fingers) to Tolkien's Middle Earth. Yes, hard to believe. The characters were gorgeous; my favorite was hands-down Kaladin. Butttt, Syl was right up there as well. Then, Dalinor, I love you. aS you've probably already figured out, I am horrible at character descriptions. Down right awful. But, here it goes : 

Kaladin was perfect. In the beginning, he is smoldering against those who did him wrong; you don't find out what happened until a few hundreds pages until the end. Oh yeah, and did I mention the book is one thousand and one pages long?! Yes, it is quite amazing. Okay, back to Kal. He grows so much in the story; and what I really liked was a chapter here and there was a bit from his past, from when he was 8 -- I think-- until just a year from the present. Oh, and he's 18. :D Dedication is what he has. I seriously think I may die waiting for the next book.

Now to Syl. She is a spren. A spren is something like the faeries in Roshar; there is a type for everything : Firespren appear when there is a fire; anticipationspren appear when-- you guessed it --anticipation is on the wind. And painspren, when there is pain. And many many more. Basically for everything else. I won't tell you what type of spren Syl is, because you don't find out until the end of the book (as in the last 100 pages). She appears to Kaladin in the beginning, asking him questions, and basically annoying the heck out of him. But you need to remember that spren are not smart in the least. They don't have minds, really. They are dumb. But Syl sticks around Kaladin, and they become best of pals. Okay, maybe not exactly. But close.

 Okay, so there are so many peoples in this book, there is no way I can cover all of them. So read the book :-) But I will go into a few more : Dalinor, Shallan, and Szeth. 

Dalinor first. He is a highprince, a lighteyes. Now we have to go into this. A highprince is basically right under the king. They have armies, and have some rule. Dalinor is also uncle to the King. The lighteyes. The lighteyes and darkeyes define ranks. Lighteyes are the highest, darkeyes are the lowest. FYI Kaladin is a darkeyes. Just a heads up if I didn't already say that. Okay, back to Dalinor. During things called highstorms, he has visions. Now around camps it goes, and everyone thinks he is going crazy. And he himself doesn't know if he should trust the visions or what. So I really, really liked Dalinor. He is honorable. He is kind. He is always saying to himself do not ask of others what you wouldn't do. And he is awesome! Minor detail. But still...

Shallan. She wasn't my favorite, but she wasn't my least favorite. She is about 17, and a lighteyes with red hair. She also has an extreme drawing talent. She is trying to apprentice to Jasnah, sister to the king. Jasnah is a renowned heretic and scholar. Shallan was slightly annoying, in my opinion, but I could sympathize with her for the most part. She was smart and  persistent, but she has an ulterior motive..... guess you'll just have to wait and see ;-)

Okay, Szeth. The first character. He is Truthless. He is an assasin. The Assassin in White. I felt SO sad for him!!! I'm sure he could be a sweet thing if he wasn't forced to kill people :-( I really liked him; but at the end he receives assassination orders for one of the main characters >.<

There was, unfortunately, some stuff; not a lot though. Kaladin uses the word b**t**d quite a few times ( just a note : when he uses them, the people are very deserving of it), but besides that, no other language. There are a couple references to prostitutes, and there is a sequence that includes a man beating up a woman (he's stopped, FYI) and the following conversation is slightly awkward... then it is pretty violent. Nothing described in details, so you of the queasy stomach, rest at peace ;-)
The end. LONG POST. Summing it up into 4 words : GO READ IT NOW! You won't regret it. I think. I hope. :-P have fun!!!!

-- JAM --

Ps. Peter and Neal's shadow. :-) S4 started last night, and it was super good xD Can't wait till next week!!!!!