Sanderson has said in many interviews that he considers The Stormlight Archive (The ten-book series that The Way of Kings kicks off) his magnum-opus. His great work. He's been working on this story since he was in high school.
It shows.
Again, wow. The world that he created, called Roshar, is insanely imaginative. Just think of the ocean floor, minus all of the water. Unfortunately for the inhabitants, giant Hurricanes sweep across the landscape every few days. The ways that the plants and wildlife have adapted to these storms add so much depth to the book. It's amazing.
The story follows four major characters:
1. Szeth: A magic-wielding assassin. That's about all we know about him. He hates killing, but does it anyway. I love his sections.
2. Shallan: A studious girl with a dark secret, who's out to steal from one of the most powerful women in the kingdom. She's my least favorite of the four characters. Something about her just doesn't do it for me.
3. Dalinar: An aging general who many feel is losing his mind. He really picks up in the final third of the novel. I loved him by the end.
4. Kalladin: A surgeon turned soldier turned slave turned soldier. His character arc is one of the best I've ever read. Period. Kalladin rocketed himself into the upper echelon of my favorite fantasy characters of all time.
All in all, I give the story a 9 out of 10. Seriously, this book is great. As far as I'm concerned, Shallan's arc is the only downfall to the otherwise phenomenal story. There are nine more books to be released though, so hopefully she'll grow on me in the future.
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