The Way of Kings
Score Modern
What it's about
Roshar is a world of stone and storms, where tempests so powerful sweep the land that animals hide in shells and grass retracts into the ground. Centuries after the fall of the Knights Radiant, the orders of knights who once protected it, war rages again, and three people are pulled into it: a slave who was once a surgeon's apprentice, a highprince haunted by visions, and a young scholar with a secret plan.
Why it's worth reading
It opens The Stormlight Archive, the most ambitious series by one of today's most popular fantasy writers. Readers love its invented world, its magic system and how its pieces come together.
You'll love it if you liked
Mistborn, The Eye of the World or The Name of the Wind
Good to know
It's more than 1,000 pages and starts slowly, but the payoff in the last few hundred pages is famous. It's book one of a planned ten.
Quick answers
Is The Way of Kings worth reading?
Yes. It opens The Stormlight Archive, the most ambitious series by one of today's most popular fantasy writers. It ranks #87 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 87.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Way of Kings about?
Roshar is a world of stone and storms, where tempests so powerful sweep the land that animals hide in shells and grass retracts into the ground. Centuries after the fall of the Knights Radiant, the orders of knights who once protected it, war rages again, and three people are pulled into it: a slave who was once a surgeon's apprentice, a highprince haunted by visions, and a young scholar with a secret plan.
How long does it take to read The Way of Kings?
About 25 hours (1007 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Way of Kings?
If you liked it, try Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan or The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
By the numbers
- Readers100 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller84 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Goodreads Choice (fantasy) finalist (2025, for Wind and Truth).
Where it ranks
- #12 of the 461 fantasy books we rank
- #48 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #87 of the 2,819 books we rank
Shortlisted
- Goodreads Choice (fantasy) finalist (2025, for Wind and Truth)
Reads as
Epic, Adventurous
More by Brandon Sanderson
Tress of the Emerald SeaIf you like this, read next
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Fifth Season
Dungeon Crawler Carl
House of Earth and Blood
Six of Crows
The Eye of the World