--- product_id: 771574 title: "The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive" price: "$80.43" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/771574-the-way-of-kings-book-one-of-the-stormlight-archive store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # 1000+ pages of immersive worldbuilding Epic fantasy with legendary Shardblades & armor Dynamic storm-driven ecosystem shaping story The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive **Price:** $80.43 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⚡ Unleash the storm—where legends rise and worlds collide! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive - **How much does it cost?** $80.43 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/771574-the-way-of-kings-book-one-of-the-stormlight-archive) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Collector’s Must-Have:** Own a used copy in good condition of a #1 NYT bestseller with a cult following. - • **Immersive Worldbuilding:** Explore Roshar’s unique ecology shaped by relentless, colossal storms. - • **Legendary Magic & Warfare:** Experience the power of Shardblades and ancient Knights Radiant in a war-torn world. - • **Epic Scale, Unmatched Depth:** Dive into a 1000+ page saga that redefines fantasy storytelling. - • **Complex Characters, Real Stakes:** Follow multi-dimensional heroes and antiheroes whose fates intertwine in a gripping narrative. ## Overview The Way of Kings, Book One of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, is a critically acclaimed epic fantasy novel featuring a richly detailed world shaped by supernatural storms, legendary warriors wielding mystical Shardblades, and a complex cast of characters navigating war and ancient secrets. This used copy in good condition offers entry into a bestselling saga praised for its immersive storytelling and groundbreaking worldbuilding. ## Description From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings , Book One of the Stormlight Archive, begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion. 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. Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson The Cosmere The Stormlight Archive ● The Way of Kings ● Words of Radiance ● Edgedancer (novella) ● Oathbringer ● Dawnshard (novella) ● Rhythm of War The Mistborn Saga The Original Trilogy ● Mistborn ● The Well of Ascension ● The Hero of Ages Wax and Wayne ● The Alloy of Law ● Shadows of Self ● The Bands of Mourning ● The Lost Metal Other Cosmere novels ● Elantris ● Warbreaker ● Tress of the Emerald Sea ● Yumi and the Nightmare Painter ● The Sunlit Man Collection ● Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series ● Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians ● The Scrivener's Bones ● The Knights of Crystallia ● The Shattered Lens ● The Dark Talent ● Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (with Janci Patterson) Other novels ● The Rithmatist ● Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds ● The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England Other books by Brandon Sanderson The Reckoners ● Steelheart ● Firefight ● Calamity Skyward ● Skyward ● Starsight ● Cytonic ● Skyward Flight (with Janci Patterson) ● Defiant Review: Awesome epic fantasy - It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a good epic fantasy. The operative word being "enjoyed." The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson may have been over 1,000 pages long, but it didn't read like it. He's one of my favorite authors - I've read Elantris 7 or 8 times by itself - and I'd been looking forward to this book for some time. The main storyline revolves around the war sparked when the black-and-red-skinned Parshendi assassinated the Alethi King. Ten years after the war began, it has devolved into a competition between the Alethi princes for the gemstone hearts of the giant crustacean-like monsters who inhabit the battlefield. Only one of the princes, the Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, sees a problem with this, but his nightmarish visions of the end of the world have alienated him from his peers and made his judgment suspect. The plot was incredible complex, mostly following the stories of several main characters: a former soldier turned slave, forced to labor under the infamous "bridge crews" who are essentially human shields to protect the real warriors from enemy arrows. A thief masquerading as a scholar to steal a priceless magical artifact and save her family. A paranoid young king who sees assassination plots in even his most trusted of advisors. An enslaved assassin with the ability to manipulate the forces of gravity who despises the murderous acts his masters force him to commit. A spren - largely unintelligent, fairy-like creatures attuned to very specific elements like pain, wind, or glory - who is becoming sentient as the human she is fixated with grows back his soul. All the worldbuilding is detailed and very well done, but it does make for a somewhat slow start. So if you mean to dive into it, bring your patience.There was a good amount of repetition throughout the book; for example, I lost count of how many times Sanderson repeated that the Parshendi were not the same creatures as the enslaved parshmen, even though they looked exactly alike. I kept waiting for that to become relevant, but it didn't - at least in this book. There isn't much action for it being 1,000 pages long, and, as it is apparently the first novel in an anticipated 10-novel-long series, nothing is really wrapped up by the end. It's a thousand pages long, but at the end you feel like nothing's happened yet. That being said, it was brilliantly written and engaging, I cared about all of the characters, and it read very quickly despite its length. I'm definitely going to read the next one even if it's 2,000 pages. The world itself was staggering in scope but not so unfamiliar that it alienated the reader; humans are humans and dogs are dogs, although most other life forms seem to be giant crustaceans (which is actually kinda cool; the last time I encountered any kind of giant crustacean was in Stephen King's The Drawing of the Three). Each nation was well-crafted and explored, and each vastly different that the last. One nation is plagued by 'Highstorms' so powerful that they whip building-sized boulders through the air likfe confetti and the plants themselves have learned how to move out of the way. Another is filled with creatures who consider all forms of stone holy. I could go on for a long, long time about this book. But if you enjoy epic fantasy, you'll enjoy this. I really liked it, and I'll probably read it again just before the next book comes out. Review: Do yourself a favor - Don't start this book! - I made a very unusual, very serious mistake in reading this book. The series is not finished, and likely won't be for... oh many years yet. Typically, I make sure that a series is complete before I start it. Not so in this case, and boy was I disappointed to find out that it's actually an in-process event. Nevertheless. This book is fantastic. Incredibly well written, with unusual and well thought out world building, it engages from the very first. Unlike some other epic fantasy series, like the Malazan Book of the Fallen, for example, the story takes off from the beginning. In the Malazan series, the reader is thrown immediately into the action but in a way that made me wonder at first if I missed something and started on Book 2. It was difficult to keep up with the characters at times and hard to understand exactly what was going on; though I still count the Malazan series among my favorites of all time. This series distinguishes itself by keeping the cast of characters fairly simple. Don't get me wrong: there is a plethora of interesting characters here, but we spend enough time with them to really get to understand them, and the way they are organized (with specific chapters of perspective) keeps it logical and allows the reader to flow from one perspective to the next without any disturbance. We don't know just yet, since this is the first in a ten book series, how exactly these characters will all come together - but we know they will. As with most of the great fantasy novels, these are characters that are difficult to assign a simple "good" vs. "evil" description - they all seem to have a little of both. The world building and the magic is phenomenal. The descriptions of all of the plant life makes me see this world as one that is constantly filled with movement: almost as if the flora has been moved from underwater to above ground. The illustrations throughout help the reader to visualize some of these descriptions, and are really well done (though it's hard to read some of the notes on the illustrations on my Kindle - in this case, a hard copy may be better). The non-human creatures are inventive and original. The use of magic - the stormlight - is incredibly unique and captivating. I find myself holding my breath as they breathe in the stormlight... haha! I'm in love with Kaladin's character, and I keep thinking "please don't kill him off, please don't kill him off..." :) One other note: I've read Sanderson's Mistborn series and while I thoroughly enjoyed that, it seems that the Stormlight Archive is so far beyond the Mistborn books with regard to quality that it almost seems like they were written by two different people. If I had to nitpick to find any negatives about this book (very hard to do), it would be the form of cursing used. It didn't take long for me to be annoyed with phrases like "Storm it!" and "Storm you!" and "That's storming idiotic!". This seems to be a common problem I have with most fantasy novels, though. I just wish they'd stick to normal cursing. But like I said, this is an extreme nitpick and really the only negative thing I could think of. Love, love, love this book and hope I don't have to wait TOO long before #3 comes out. **ETA: I alluded to this above, but one point should be underlined: the Kindle version will NOT do justice to the illustrations in this book (and the next). If you don't want to get the full effect by buying a hard copy version, you can check out Brandon Sanderson's website for the illustrations. I highly suggest you do this, as the color in some of the pictures changes everything. **ETA: I actually forgot to mention something I feel is very important. While the rest of the series won't be published for a while, I really do appreciate that Sanderson has left the series (and now I'm really talking more of the second book rather than the first but felt it appropriate to include here) on a good note. While there are of course unanswered questions, and we as readers want to know what happens to all of these folks and how they come together, it still has the sense of a complete ending. I love that he didn't really end with a cliff hanger, at least as far as the action is concerned, and we are not stuck in frustration for the duration. It left me feeling satisfied with the ending, while maintaining my curiosity about the future of this world. On a similar note, I also appreciate that the beginning of the second book wasn't TOO much of a recap of the first. I really hate it when a book within a series repeats the previous books as if the reader is picking up with that version - it just seems a little condescending. I like that the author assumes (as he should) that the reader has already waded through the history prior to arriving at the present and only includes brief references as appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Sanderson, for that. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #8,783 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #20 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books) #32 in Epic Fantasy (Books) #259 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 87,350 Reviews | ## Images ![The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81cO02Zz6VL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Awesome epic fantasy *by B***H on September 14, 2011* It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a good epic fantasy. The operative word being "enjoyed." The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson may have been over 1,000 pages long, but it didn't read like it. He's one of my favorite authors - I've read Elantris 7 or 8 times by itself - and I'd been looking forward to this book for some time. The main storyline revolves around the war sparked when the black-and-red-skinned Parshendi assassinated the Alethi King. Ten years after the war began, it has devolved into a competition between the Alethi princes for the gemstone hearts of the giant crustacean-like monsters who inhabit the battlefield. Only one of the princes, the Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, sees a problem with this, but his nightmarish visions of the end of the world have alienated him from his peers and made his judgment suspect. The plot was incredible complex, mostly following the stories of several main characters: a former soldier turned slave, forced to labor under the infamous "bridge crews" who are essentially human shields to protect the real warriors from enemy arrows. A thief masquerading as a scholar to steal a priceless magical artifact and save her family. A paranoid young king who sees assassination plots in even his most trusted of advisors. An enslaved assassin with the ability to manipulate the forces of gravity who despises the murderous acts his masters force him to commit. A spren - largely unintelligent, fairy-like creatures attuned to very specific elements like pain, wind, or glory - who is becoming sentient as the human she is fixated with grows back his soul. All the worldbuilding is detailed and very well done, but it does make for a somewhat slow start. So if you mean to dive into it, bring your patience.There was a good amount of repetition throughout the book; for example, I lost count of how many times Sanderson repeated that the Parshendi were not the same creatures as the enslaved parshmen, even though they looked exactly alike. I kept waiting for that to become relevant, but it didn't - at least in this book. There isn't much action for it being 1,000 pages long, and, as it is apparently the first novel in an anticipated 10-novel-long series, nothing is really wrapped up by the end. It's a thousand pages long, but at the end you feel like nothing's happened yet. That being said, it was brilliantly written and engaging, I cared about all of the characters, and it read very quickly despite its length. I'm definitely going to read the next one even if it's 2,000 pages. The world itself was staggering in scope but not so unfamiliar that it alienated the reader; humans are humans and dogs are dogs, although most other life forms seem to be giant crustaceans (which is actually kinda cool; the last time I encountered any kind of giant crustacean was in Stephen King's The Drawing of the Three). Each nation was well-crafted and explored, and each vastly different that the last. One nation is plagued by 'Highstorms' so powerful that they whip building-sized boulders through the air likfe confetti and the plants themselves have learned how to move out of the way. Another is filled with creatures who consider all forms of stone holy. I could go on for a long, long time about this book. But if you enjoy epic fantasy, you'll enjoy this. I really liked it, and I'll probably read it again just before the next book comes out. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Do yourself a favor - Don't start this book! *by L***J on June 2, 2014* I made a very unusual, very serious mistake in reading this book. The series is not finished, and likely won't be for... oh many years yet. Typically, I make sure that a series is complete before I start it. Not so in this case, and boy was I disappointed to find out that it's actually an in-process event. Nevertheless. This book is fantastic. Incredibly well written, with unusual and well thought out world building, it engages from the very first. Unlike some other epic fantasy series, like the Malazan Book of the Fallen, for example, the story takes off from the beginning. In the Malazan series, the reader is thrown immediately into the action but in a way that made me wonder at first if I missed something and started on Book 2. It was difficult to keep up with the characters at times and hard to understand exactly what was going on; though I still count the Malazan series among my favorites of all time. This series distinguishes itself by keeping the cast of characters fairly simple. Don't get me wrong: there is a plethora of interesting characters here, but we spend enough time with them to really get to understand them, and the way they are organized (with specific chapters of perspective) keeps it logical and allows the reader to flow from one perspective to the next without any disturbance. We don't know just yet, since this is the first in a ten book series, how exactly these characters will all come together - but we know they will. As with most of the great fantasy novels, these are characters that are difficult to assign a simple "good" vs. "evil" description - they all seem to have a little of both. The world building and the magic is phenomenal. The descriptions of all of the plant life makes me see this world as one that is constantly filled with movement: almost as if the flora has been moved from underwater to above ground. The illustrations throughout help the reader to visualize some of these descriptions, and are really well done (though it's hard to read some of the notes on the illustrations on my Kindle - in this case, a hard copy may be better). The non-human creatures are inventive and original. The use of magic - the stormlight - is incredibly unique and captivating. I find myself holding my breath as they breathe in the stormlight... haha! I'm in love with Kaladin's character, and I keep thinking "please don't kill him off, please don't kill him off..." :) One other note: I've read Sanderson's Mistborn series and while I thoroughly enjoyed that, it seems that the Stormlight Archive is so far beyond the Mistborn books with regard to quality that it almost seems like they were written by two different people. If I had to nitpick to find any negatives about this book (very hard to do), it would be the form of cursing used. It didn't take long for me to be annoyed with phrases like "Storm it!" and "Storm you!" and "That's storming idiotic!". This seems to be a common problem I have with most fantasy novels, though. I just wish they'd stick to normal cursing. But like I said, this is an extreme nitpick and really the only negative thing I could think of. Love, love, love this book and hope I don't have to wait TOO long before #3 comes out. **ETA: I alluded to this above, but one point should be underlined: the Kindle version will NOT do justice to the illustrations in this book (and the next). If you don't want to get the full effect by buying a hard copy version, you can check out Brandon Sanderson's website for the illustrations. I highly suggest you do this, as the color in some of the pictures changes everything. **ETA: I actually forgot to mention something I feel is very important. While the rest of the series won't be published for a while, I really do appreciate that Sanderson has left the series (and now I'm really talking more of the second book rather than the first but felt it appropriate to include here) on a good note. While there are of course unanswered questions, and we as readers want to know what happens to all of these folks and how they come together, it still has the sense of a complete ending. I love that he didn't really end with a cliff hanger, at least as far as the action is concerned, and we are not stuck in frustration for the duration. It left me feeling satisfied with the ending, while maintaining my curiosity about the future of this world. On a similar note, I also appreciate that the beginning of the second book wasn't TOO much of a recap of the first. I really hate it when a book within a series repeats the previous books as if the reader is picking up with that version - it just seems a little condescending. I like that the author assumes (as he should) that the reader has already waded through the history prior to arriving at the present and only includes brief references as appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Sanderson, for that. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Top Notch Fantasy Book *by M***N on February 3, 2026* I just finished my first book of the year, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, book one of The Stormlight Archive, and it’s an easy 5 out of 5. This is a massive, well-told story set in a vast world that feels real because the characters drive the plot, not the other way around. Dalinar was my favorite—his struggle to live by honor and do right by his kingdom and king is deeply relatable. Kaladin’s story hit hard too, especially when he speaks the Second Ideal, “I will protect those who cannot protect themselves,” which perfectly captures who he is. Shallan’s chapters were a great change of pace and a smart way to deliver lore without it ever feeling like homework. Even at nearly 1,000 pages, the book never felt daunting. I wouldn’t recommend it as a first Cosmere read, but for any fantasy fan willing to invest the time, this book delivers on everything it promises. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive, 1) - Words of Radiance: Book Two of the Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive, 2) - Rhythm of War: Book Four of The Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive, 4) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/771574-the-way-of-kings-book-one-of-the-stormlight-archive](https://www.desertcart.us/products/771574-the-way-of-kings-book-one-of-the-stormlight-archive) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-12*