Just Finished The Way of Kings: Notes, Theories, and an Unhealthy Amount of Excitement

Follow up from last post.

Unbelievable. You know, if you're telling me to read a 1.1k-page book, I'm usually assuming that by the end of it, I would be filled with content, and not desperately asking for more. What an INCREDIBLE book. I'm in awe. I will cease speaking about how good it was. 9.99/10. As near perfection as one can get.

Here are my notes and thoughts. Please no spoilers unless it's non-spoiler like The Weeping last time.

• Dalinar did indeed meet Kaladin, and indeed through Sadeas. I was scared, but it exceeded my expectations in unimaginable ways. Amazing. Just amazing. The Sanderlanche really consumed me as per usual. Those last chapters were some of the best fiction I've ever read — especially from 65 onward. AND especially chapter 67 "Words" was a flat-out masterpiece. How is this guy managing to pull raw transitions in a book?

• Dalinar and Kaladin's conversation went basically: ask crazy demand > "Yes." Ask crazy demand back > "Yes." Just two honorable men "Understandable, have a nice day"-ing.

• I was so curious about how they were recording deaths in the epigraphs, but hand to my mouth, shock on my face, I DID NOT EXPECT THAT. That sly king guy. Nah…

• So Syl was indeed behind Kaladin's power, and he was behind her consciousness. Honorspren, huh? Would that mean Syl is attracted to Kaladin because of his honor? Perhaps something similar is happening to Dalinar with his visions — the figure in his vision is probably like >!Ruin!< from Mistborn. I know a spoiler about SLA where someone says>! "Honor is dead, but I'll see what I can do,"!< so I'm assuming this guy is >!Honor!<. Also Cultivation mentioned, so that must be another person like them.

• Kaladin's Bridge Four had a lot less casualties than I expected. Which is crazy to say. Regardless, I'm glad.

• Maybe Kaladin's group can become like him as well, but probably less powerful. The Knights Radiant must rise again... and they WILL, I know it! It's probably gonna be a lot of people, not just Kaladin. But whole group would be too much hmm...

• Shallan's powers got me a bit confused when she's transferring in some place, but I'll RAFO. Though it's a really nice touch when the lamp or whatever she transformed into blood talked. Kaladin's mother's words were true — there are spren in everything.

• Is there a hypespren and glazingspren? Because those would appear around me every time I'm reading when Kaladin's using Stormlight. Or Dalinar's battles.

• Szeth, Szeth, Szeth — how I feel for this guy. We are for sure getting him meeting Dalinar and Kaladin next book, and I can't wait. He basically has the same powers as Kaladin, so he probably has an honorspren too. And what exactly is being Truthless? I can't imagine what would make someone just follow orders like that. What culture, what backstory, what made him this way. Insane in concept. He's obviously doing terrible acts, but I feel such pity for him for he seems to geniunely see no other choice than follow orders. It's one of the most intriguing characters for me; hopefully we get more screen time for him.

• The last Herald, the one who got left alone in the beginning, popping up in the end was interesting. I thought maybe he was the one behind Dalinar's vision at first, but it turned out otherwise. Was he suffering for 4,500 years? Fighting and holding something back alone? My man is in a competition with Szeth on who has it worse. Think he's got this one if the former is true. Sorry, Szeth.

• Parshendi are Voidbringers? What? It makes sense, but I don't feel 100% sold on this. We're not seeing their final form, probably? I was expecting Voidbringers to be more 'spiritual.' Somewhere a chasmfiend is depicted as a Voidbringer — what if all these Parshendi grow into chasmfiends? That wouldn't be very nice.

• I'm still confused as to how the Parshendi got around Szeth and their assassination of Gavilar. It must have not been the Parshendi.

• AND who is the Parshendi Shardbearer!

• This Odium guy is not a nice fellow, actually dare I say he seems a very unkind fellow! Probably like >!Ruin !<from Mistborn, but seems more powerful? But I'm wondering if he's dangerous Cosmere-wise since he seems much more powerful. The lad at the end of Dalinar's vision was pointing at what I'm assuming are other planets, so Odium should be a universe-level threat. Maybe in that way other characters will connect? I'm so, so, so excited. I've read Mistborn Era 1 with Secret History, and Elantris with its subbooks. They had great scopes. But neither felt as epic and dangerous as this.

• Adonalsium. I'm quite sure I heard that somewhere when I was reading Secret History. Or saw it on a search. >!Think this was some being that got separated into guys like Ati from Mistborn. If that's true I wonder what kind of attribute could be behind Odium.!<

• I'm wondering what Hoid's goal is and how powerful he is. I know he became a >!Mistborn !<like it was nothing in Secret History. If I read somewhere correctly, Sanderson is planning some other complete series as more of a finale, called Dragonsteel or whatever? Exciting stuff regardless. And also another Stormlight Archive era. I wonder if Odium is solved in Era 1 then? AH! Well, I got 4 more books to go!

• This book will be insane on a reread. Kaladin's sphere going dun early on is such a detail to catch, and there's a lot of other stuff like that. Omg.

• LIFE BEFORE DEATH. STRENGTH BEFORE WEAKNESS. JOURNEY BEFORE DESTINATION.

Genuinely some of the best shit I've read.

I can't wait to get into Words of Radiance, but I got so many recommendations to read Warbreaker before it. So I'm gonna read that and then follow through with Words of Radiance. I just cannot believe I'm looking at 6k pages and thinking "fuck, that's too little, I would've wanted more." That's how much I loved this book and can't wait to read this series.

The way this book handles depression, honor, and morality through its characters is amazing. The plot lines up smoothly, and it feels like everything was worked on for years to form this masterpiece. I can tell why they call it Sanderson's magnum opus.

THE KNIGHTS RADIANT MUST STAND AGAIN.