The way of Kings-part one by Brandon Sanderson
(The first book in The Stormlight Archive.)
The way of kings is set in an almost totally different world to ours. The book follows a few different characters point’s of view or perspectives, looking at ‘The War’ from everyone’s different angle. ‘The War’ in question is the main focus in The Way Of Kings, slowly working it’s way back to it’s dark origins and it’s effects on the everyone.
The area where the so called, ‘War’ is fought is in the otter reaches of ‘Alethkar’, or more specifically, the shattered plains. The once king of a united Alethkar was King Gavilar Kholin, the Blackthorn, Dalinar Kholin’s brother. Together the two had united all of Alethkar, conquering everything that stood in the way of a united kingdom and making, Alethkar once again, a single nation.
After Uniting Alethkar the brothers went on a celebratory journey into the remote hills of they’re new kingdom. While in the hills they happened upon a new species of ‘Parshendi’, or the dull minded slaves of human kind. The Parshendi being the slaves of human kind were credited for being unable to think for themsleves let alone survive in the wilderness, without human aid. Surely this was a sign of what a united Alethkar could bring. Immediately discussions began between the two races over landownership, treaties and the peaceful future of the two races.
This is where it gets slightly confusing, for one reason or another the ‘Parshendi’ end up assassinating the newly crowned, Gavilar and began the unending ‘The War’. The Kingdom, now effectively ruled separately, by each of it’s previously united factions, pledge revenge and wage war on the Parshendi’s home. This is ‘The War’ which The Way Of Kings follows, this is ‘The War’ to end all wars. This is the war to decide the fate of the human race. Now where have you heard the former before? And how did that turn out? Who will end up win and at what cost?
AGE RATING: 14+
TEEN RATING: 6/5
TEEN OVERVIEW: Teen Rating: A seriously complex book. Quite similar to the likes of Eragon or even The Lord of the Rings but, arguably even more gripping!
