The Way of Kings

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The Way of Kings

First edition book cover
Author	Brandon Sanderson
Illustrator	Isaac Stewart Ben McSweeney Greg Call
Cover artist	Michael Whelan
Language	English
Series	The Stormlight Archive
Genre	Epic fantasy
Publisher	Tor Books (US), Gollancz (UK)
Publication date	August 31, 2010
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages	1007 (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN	978-0-7653-2635-5
OCLC	799352269
Dewey Decimal	813/.6
LC Class	PS3619.A533 W375 2010[1]
Followed by	Words of Radiance

The Way of Kings is an epic fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson and the first book in The Stormlight Archive series.^[2] The novel was published on August 31, 2010, by Tor Books.^[3] The Way of Kings consists of one prelude, one prologue, 75 chapters, an epilogue and nine interludes.^[4] It was followed by Words of Radiance in 2014,^[5][6][7] Oathbringer in 2017, Rhythm of War in 2020 and Wind and Truth in 2024. A leatherbound edition was released in 2021.^[8]

The story rotates between the points of view of Kaladin, Shallan Davar, Dalinar Kholin, Adolin Kholin, Szeth-son-son-Vallano and several other minor characters, who lead seemingly unconnected lives. In 2011, it won the David Gemmell Legend Award for best novel.^[9] The unabridged audiobook is read by narrator team Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.

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The backstory of the novel revolves around recurring disasters known as Desolations, where monstrous Voidbringers ravage the world and human survival hangs in the balance. To counter the threat, the Knights Radiant (so named for their glowing aura and eyes) battle against the Voidbringers using magical armor and swords known as Shardplate and Shardblades, as well as magical powers. The most recent Desolation, which occurred thousands of years before the main events of the novel, was believed to be the final one, and has become a time of myths and legends. The Knights Radiant are of particular note within the backstory, as they left behind their weapons and armor and disappeared into obscurity at the time of the last Desolation. Their discarded armor and swords remain as some of the most priceless heirlooms.

The magic of the world is based on gemstones that glow for many weeks after they are imbued with "stormlight" from recurring, hurricane force magically powered storms known as highstorms. These commonplace gemstones are also used as mundane currency in merchant transactions, as well as interior lighting at night in wealthy houses and palaces. Drawing in this "stormlight" energy from gemstones is what fuels the magical talismans of priest-wizards - gem encrusted gloves called Soulcasters - that convert matter into another form, such as stone into grain. Stormlight also powers gemstone constructs known as fabrials with various labor- or time-saving applications, such as a fabrial that creates red light and heat to replace wood in a fireplace. Soulcasters and fabrials are devices typically owned only by nobility. In Alethkar, nobility is also based on eye color, blue eyes being seen as the purest royalty due to the association with the legendary Knights Radiant, who had glowing eyes.

The world itself has flora and fauna which have adapted to the common, and extremely powerful highstorms. Most animal life is based on crustaceans, many of which can burrow into the ground to survive a highstorm. Plant life is also mobile, in that it retracts into the ground to survive highstorms. Because all highstorms come from the eastern ocean and travel west, the western side of rocks and mountains harbor plant and animal life. Also, spirits called spren exist and react to the emotions of people and the environment. High wind will have windspren in the form of ribbons of light that flow with the wind and can change their shapes. Suffering from pain will cause red painspren to appear around the wound, and giving a noble, heartfelt speech or completing a hard task will have gloryspren of golden, twinkling lights form a halo around the head of the speaker. Spren are so common that many people pay no attention to them.

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Four thousand and five hundred years ago, a catastrophic war known as the Last Desolation ended when mankind fought victoriously against their enemies, the Voidbringers. Devastated by the war and mass casualties, the Herald Kalak rendezvous with the king of the Heralds, Jezrien. All other Heralds have renounced their Oathpact and abandoned their Shardblades. Determined to keep their departure a secret, Jezrien and Kalak leave their legendary swords, Honorblades. Kalak feels guilt for abandoning the tenth and last Herald whose Shardblade is missing.

Szeth, a Shin man cast out by his people and condemned to obey his constantly changing masters, is sent to assassinate the king of one of the world's most powerful nations, Alethkar. As the story progresses, he continuously changes hands, doing his best to hide the fact that he possesses an Honorblade, a mythical blade used by the Heralds that can cut through any material. He also possesses access to powers that are no longer available to normal humans (“Surgebinding”), once possessed by the Knights Radiant and thought lost, making him incredibly difficult to defeat in battle.

Within the palace of Kholinar, Szeth sneaks into the hallway and uses his Surgebinding abilities to outmaneuver the king's guards. Within the king's chambers, Szeth confronts King Gavilar covered in armored Shardplate. Szeth defeats the king by causing the balcony he is standing on to collapse, mortally wounding him. Szeth reveals to the King that he was sent by the Parshendi to kill him. Before Szeth flees the scene, a dying Gavilar gives the black Spheres to him and informs him to give his last regards to his brother Dalinar, before passing out. The Parshendi, a race similar to the docile parshman slaves of other nations, claim responsibility for the assassination. Gavilar's paranoid son, Elhokar, declares war on the Parshendi for their betrayal.

Six years later, Kaladin, a dark-eyed Alethi villager with a burning hatred for light-eyed nobles, and trained in his youth as a surgeon by his father, volunteers to go to war for the army of a local lord named Meridas Amaram, to protect his brother, Tien, on the field of battle. In his third battle, Kaladin fails to protect his brother, who is killed. This drives Kaladin to become a better fighter, resolving to protect others from the same fate.

During a later battle, Kaladin succeeds in killing an enemy Shardbearer and is given the chance to claim the enemy's Shardblade and Shardplate by right, becoming a Lighteyes himself. However, he rejects the Shardblade and Shardplate, fearing the person he may become, and is then betrayed by Brightlord Amaram, who takes the treasure for himself and brands Kaladin a slave to hide the theft, cementing his hatred of Lighteyes. After a number of escape attempts, he is later branded as a deserter and is forced into service as a Bridgeman in an army battling the Parshendi on the Shattered Plains. Along the journey of enslavement, he meets and befriends an amnesiac Spren named Sylphrena, who serves as Kaladin's emotional support. Having felt depressed about his failures, Kaladin decides to cast himself to the Honor Chasm to end his life until Syl returns and convinces him to continue his efforts to protect the Bridgemen.

Shallan, a minor light-eyed Veden whose family's inheritance is in danger, hatches a scheme to switch a broken Soulcaster (a device that allows the user the power of transmutation) with a working one belonging to Jasnah Kholin, sister of the Alethi King Elhokar. Shallan travels to the coastal city of Kharbranth, where Jasnah conducts her research following King Gavilar's death. During a meeting with Kharbranth's King, Taravangian, she petitions Jasnah to become her ward, and through persistent effort, she manages to gain Jasnah's confidence and becomes her apprentice.

Highprince Dalinar Kholin, brother to the late King Gavilar, serves his duty as the King's bodyguard with Torol Sadeas taking his part as the king's advisor. With his sons Adolin and Renarin joining him, Dalinar enlists King Elhokar to kill a Chasmfiend in order to harvest the gemheart and regain his nephew's honor as king. However, the Chasmfiend ambushes them. As Elhokar provides a diversion, Dalinar and Adolin quickly wound the beast. However, Elhokar's saddle is suddenly cut, causing him to fall to the ground before getting crushed. Dalinar quickly holds the beast's foot and Adolin cuts the support leg causing the Chasmfiend to collapse with Elhokar taking the final blow and winning the Gemheart with glory.

After the hunt, Dalinar speaks with Adolin about his time with Gavilar long before his death. Before he died, his brother directed Dalinar to review an ancient tome called "The Way of Kings", which leads Dalinar to start questioning Alethekar’s warlike and competitive nature. He also begins to experience visions in which he sees the ancient Knights Radiant and receives a cryptic word to unite his allies. For Dalinar, these visions cast doubt on the mistaken history of the Radiants and begin to reveal the truth about the Voidbringers and the current state of the world. All of these events make Dalinar reluctant to fight in battle. Dalinar's conviction is questioned by those closest to him, casting heavy doubt on his sanity and bringing into question his claim to leadership. In the political unrest of the age, perceived weakness is caused by others attempting to eliminate him. Having no other options to uncover his visions, Dalinar plans to abdicate his war position to Adolin.

Kaladin tries his efforts to recruit the Bridgemen but they refuse, due to their submission to their life of slavery. Despite this, Kaladin is able to threaten the bridge Sergeant Gaz for payment for medical and food supplies for injured men. Following the upcoming bridge run, Kaladin gains mutual respect from two fellow bridgemen: Rock, by switching positions during a bridge run and Teft for his loyalty. Gaz orders the entire bridgemen to chasm duty where they might recover remnants of scraps of armor, spheres, and weapons while evading mazed caverns and predatory chasmfiends. During their collection, Kaladin stumbles upon a spear and reluctantly performs a Kata technique which surprises the entire bridge crew, including Teft and Rock. As the bridge crew finishes their chasm duty, Kaladin and Rock decide to provide a stew for the night which wins over the rest of the bridge crew. The following day, most of the bridge crew join Kaladin and accept him as their leader.

Following his killing spree, Szeth follows his former master's instruction until he encounters a dark figure who manages to kill his former master and reclaim his Oathstone from him. As the figure departs, he gives Szeth a list of high-ranking noblemen to assassinate.

Kaladin manages to rally the other men in his group and turns them into a team that can survive. After he accidentally ruins a battle by changing tactics, he is beaten violently and left outside during a high storm to die under Sadeas' orders. However, he manages to survive thanks to a sphere Teft gave him for good luck. With Kaladin unconscious, Teft witnesses Kaladin healing himself from the sphere. As Kaladin awakens from his slumber, the Bridge crew continues to follow Kaladin's instructions and gains Kaladin's mutual respect as their leader. Kaladin learns from Sigzil that Sadeas has planned to strategically use Bridgemen as bait for the opposing armies' archers, allowed to die so that the trained army can attack more easily. Kaladin begins to lose hope again, but, with Syl's and Teft's encouragement, he decides to train and support the bridge crew in self-defense.

Living as a ward, Shallan grows comfortable while focusing on her mission and aiding Jasnah with her studies. During her spare time, she meets a friendly ardent named Kabsal who secretly opposes Jasnah's research on the Voidbringers which the Ardents refuse to speak about. Shallan begins to grow paranoid whenever she sketches her drawings, where she sketches strange creatures that appear unexpectedly. Shallan grows doubtful towards Jasnah when she mercilessly kills four thugs with her Soulcasting. Furious and shocked by her actions, Shallan swaps Jasnah's Soulcaster her own and hides it. After successfully stealing the Soulcaster, she is frustrated by her inability to use it until she accidentally turns a goblet into blood. Knowing Jasnah will soon arrive and discover her deception, Shallan breaks a pitcher and cuts herself to make it seem as though the blood is hers, which Jasnah mistakes for a suicide attempt. Upon awaking, Shallan is visited by Jasnah and Kabsal. After Kabsal encourages Shallan and Jasnah to try a sample of jam, he and Shallan begin to die of poison. In an attempt to save her own life, Shallan reveals her deception to Jasnah. Despite her success in saving Shallan, Jasnah reveals to Shallan that Kabsal was an assassin sent for her. Unbeknownst to this betrayal, Shallan confesses that she planned to take Jasnah's Soulcaster to support her family's debt. Jasnah expresses her disappointment for Shallan's deception leaving Shallan in tears.

Szeth arrives at the banquet hall of Jah Keved, successfully defeats the Shardbearers and guards, and assassinates the king.

As a result of his unlikely survival from the Highstorm, Kaladin begins to discover that he possesses the Surgebinding ability that grants him enhanced strength, speed, and healing every time he consumes Stormlight from spheres (currency). He runs off in shock until he wanders towards the canyons where he meets the King's Wit, who has renamed himself as Hoid. Hoid begins to narrate the story of Derethil and the Wandersail, by which Kaladin concludes that the moral of the story is taking responsibility. Hoid then gives Kaladin his flute and asks him to take care of his pupil (Sigzil) before running off into the darkness. As he comes to the realization from Hoid's story and his irresponsible act, he comes to terms with his powers and resolves to do whatever he can to save Bridge Four. Kaladin returns to the group and asks Teft about his knowledge on Radiants.

Dalinar and Adolin argue about their decision to focus on the war, Dalinar's visions, and the stability of Alethkar while Renarin suggests they continue their research of learning the purpose of Dalinar's visions and the history behind the Radiants' betrayal. Having been troubled by his mental stability, Dalinar pushes Navani (Gavilar's widow) away out of shame. During a gala, Wit plans to depart in secret and privately informs Dalinar that Sadeas is announcing the results of his investigation. Dalinar and Adolin prepare for Sadeas's false accusation only to discover that Sadeas proclaims Dalinar is innocent and exonerated from any involvement. Feeling grateful for his innocence, Dalinar discusses with Sadeas their plans to unite the Highprinces by setting up a trap for the Parshendi at a Tower in the Shattered Plains to which Sadeas agrees. During one of Adolin's duels, Dalinar discusses with the king his plans to withdraw from the Vengeance pact and focus more on stabilizing the Alethkar society. Navani, fed up with being alone, confesses her feelings towards Dalinar, who kisses her, and they begin a courtship.

During the Battle of the Tower, Dalinar and his troops easily overpower the first wave of Parshendi hordes only to be ambushed and outnumbered by a second army. Sadeas betrays Dalinar and leaves him stranded on the plateau. During the struggle, Dalinar gets separated from his troops and encounters a Parshendi Shardbearer; the two leaders duel until the Parshendi Shardbearer overpowers Dalinar. Adolin spots a crew Bridgemen in the distance and commands the troops to evacuate only to find out his father is stranded.

As Sadeas and his armies return to their post, Kaladin and his crew remain behind until he realizes that they are free. However, Dalinar and his forces are stranded fighting valiantly against the hordes causing Syl to restore her memories and reveal herself as an Honorspren. Syl pleads with a reluctant Kaladin to save Dalinar and his armies. After realizing the Radiants' first ideal and remembering his father's words, Kaladin, and Bridge Four go back to save Dalinar's forces. As Kaladin tries to divert the Parshendi's archers, he lures an entire wave of arrows to himself, causing him to collapse, much to everyone's shock. As Bridge Four continue their rescue mission, Kaladin lies unconscious and suddenly remembers the loss of his brother Tien during the war. He awakens, charging the Parshendi armies where he summons his Surgebinding abilities and speaks the Radiants' second ideal for the first time. With the power of Surgebinding and Bridge Four's aid, Kaladin quickly outflanks the rest of the Parshendi troops allowing the Kholin army to retreat, albeit gravely weakened. Kaladin instructs Adolin to evacuate the army, as he rescues Dalinar from the Parshendi Shardbearer. As they flee, Dalinar and the Parshendi Shardbearer raise their blades in a respectful salute.

Dalinar thanks Kaladin for his rescue, offering his protection in return. Arriving in Sadeas's camp to find Navani there to confront the highprince, Dalinar speaks privately to Sadeas, aware that neither of them wants a war which would destroy Alethkar. Sadeas privately confesses to Dalinar that he chose to betray Dalinar because of his worry that he was walking the same path as his brother Gavilar. Accusing him of killing the king or attacking him outright would have turned the highprinces against each other, destroying what Sadeas desired to preserve. Sadeas also reveals that he believes Elokhar knows who tried to kill him. Now aware of their intentions, Dalinar and Sadeas part as enemies and end their alliance. When Sadeas refuses to grant him the bridgemen, Dalinar trades his Shardblade, Oathbringer, in exchange for the thousand bridgemen he has left, later claiming to Kaladin that he considers it a worthy exchange, having paid with one priceless weapon for the thousands of priceless lives saved by the bridgemen. Dalinar confronts Elhokar, disarming him and pummelling him until the king is helpless before him, his guards refusing to come to his aid as they are Dalinar's men. Dalinar correctly deduces that Elhokar rigged his own saddle to prompt an investigation into possible assassins, clearing himself of any responsibility, stating that he would have killed Elhokar himself if he wanted to and that nothing or no one would have stopped him. Having grown distrustful of the Highprinces, Dalinar declares himself the Highprince of War and sets forth plans to enforce the Codes to unite the army despite their disapproval.

Shallan correctly deduces that Jasnah's Soulcaster does not possess the ability to transmute, but instead hides her uncommon inherent ability to Soulcast. Since Shallan Soulcasted the goblet into blood, she reasons that she also has this ability. Shallan confronts Jasnah with these facts, and subsequently pleads with Jasnah to take her back on as her ward, to which Jasnah agrees. Jasnah plans to start instructing her in its proper use. She also reveals her research into the secrets of the Knights Radiants' desertion and the enslavement of the Parshmen. Jasnah's father, King Gavilar, had started researching their origins when he had encountered the Parshendi in the Shattered Plains, surprised by the existence of a culture of warrior Parshmen and concerned that the whole of humanity's servant class could turn against them. Jasnah's research had subsequently revealed that Gavilar's fears were founded: stories of the ancient Voidbringers seemed to point to the fact that the now-docile Parshmen were the Voidbringers, enslaved by humanity. Jasnah also reveals the existence of the Ghostbloods, a secret organization searching for the same answers she is, but for different reasons. Kabsal was a member of the Ghostbloods, their symbol having been found on his body after his death. When Shallan recognizes the symbol, she realizes that her father is a member of the Ghostbloods.

In the Shattered Plains, Dalinar appoints Kaladin and his thousand-strong Bridgemen to serve him, his family, and the king as bodyguards, convinced that they will never side with Sadeas or any of the other Highprinces in the game of spies and saboteurs that they are inevitably going to start once his appointment as Highprince of War will be announced, Kaladin is appointed captain of the guard and Dalinar gifts him his old cloak as a symbol of gratitude and favor. Kaladin, in exchange for time to accomplish his goals, promises to train his Bridgemen well and even begins to entertain the idea of teaching Surgebinding to some of his men.

Szeth arrives in Kharbranth to assassinate King Taravangian. However, the king reveals himself as the figure responsible for the assassinations Szeth carried out. Taravangian deliberately added his name to the list to avoid suspicions if Szeth was captured. He escorts Szeth to a secret hospital where he and his followers conduct a brutal experiment on people dying from blood loss. Much to Szeth's horror, Taravangian explains that he was recording their dying words, prophetic visions about the past Desolations and the upcoming cataclysm Roshar will face. Desiring to remove the existing rulers to rebuild a more stable governing foundation, Taravangian orders Szeth to kill Dalinar Kholin before he can unite the Alethi Highprinces.

Dalinar receives a vision, encountering the stranger he had seen in the very first of his visions: the Almighty of Roshar, the recognized God of Vorinism. Dalinar realizes that the Almighty cannot hear him and that his previous assertions that he could trust Sadeas had been based on Dalinar's assumptions. Dalinar learns of the existence of another entity named Odium, who destroyed the Almighty. The visions Dalinar has been seeing are echoed by the Almighty sent out before His death to warn Roshar that an Everstorm is coming, an event capable of destroying the world. He instructs those who hear Him find the lost secrets of the Knights Radiant to ensure that Roshar will survive the coming cataclysm.

In Kholinar, Hoid waits for an event to happen, distracting himself by talking to some guards who are confused by him but reluctant to remove him since he has the appearance of a lighteyes. As Hoid speaks, a darkeyed Shardbearer breaks through Kholinar's gates, stunning the guards. The Shardbearer identifies himself as Talenel’Elin, or Talenel, a Herald who disappeared along with the others thousands of years earlier (during the events of the prelude) and who the Vorins now remember as a god. He announces that the Everstorm is coming, before collapsing on the ground along with his Honorblade. Having witnessed this event, Hoid worries that the warning has come too late.

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The primary chapters within the book are told from the viewpoint of several major characters, while the book's interludes are told from the viewpoint of other characters (not all of which repeat).

• Kaladin: A darkeyes from the nation of Alethkar, who is forced to serve on a bridge crew in the army of Highprince Torol Sadeas. Formerly an apprentice learning surgery from his father and a member of the army of Brightlord Amaram, he hates Lighteyes because of Amaram. Amaram betrayed Kaladin, by first causing the death of his brother, Tien, and after Kaladin saves him from a man in Shardplate, forcibly takes the Shards for himself, killing all of Kaladin's close friends in the process. Kaladin can use Stormlight to heal himself and make himself stronger and faster than any normal human being. He is accompanied by an Honorspren named Sylphrena, or Syl for short. She came to him because of his innate honor and kindness in the face of the evil and betrayal that seemed to surround him. Kaladin's connection with Syl is what gives him his power with Stormlight; it also gives Syl the level of sentience she possesses.
• Szeth-son-son-Vallano: An assassin from the land of Shinovar. He refers to himself as a "Truthless", who must serve those who bear his Oathstone. Bearer of an Honorblade and wielder of Stormlight. His Windrunner abilities are granted by his Honorblade. He hates being forced to murder and weeps as he does.
• Shallan Davar: A minor lighteyes from the nation of Jah Keved. Her family has fallen on hard times after the death of her father. She seeks to be accepted as the ward and student of the renowned scholar Jasnah Kholin, sister to King Elhokar of Alethkar. A skilled artist who can with a single glance remember and recreate a scene with charcoal and paper, she learns that she is able to Soulcast without a Soulcaster, just like Jasnah. Though the beginning of the book has her plotting to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster to save her family, she has become Jasnah's true apprentice by the end of the book.
• Dalinar Kholin: A highprince of Alethkar, brother to the slain King Gavilar, uncle to the current king. Nicknamed the Blackthorn. A general who helped unite the kingdom with his brother Gavilar. A man who experiences visions during the highstorms, and a Full Shardbearer, he is criticized as weak after he begins to follow the Codes and talks about stopping the pointless war Alethkar is engaged in.
• Adolin Kholin: A lighteyes of Alethkar and heir to his father Dalinar's highprince seat. A skilled duelist and a Full Shardbearer, he loves and respects his father despite fearing that he has gone mad.
• Navani Kholin: Widow of King Gavilar, mother of King Elhokar and Jasnah. A skilled artifabrian (one who creates devices known as fabrials). She has always loved Dalinar, even when she was married to his brother, Gavilar. She attempts to rekindle a relationship with Dalinar but is initially rebuffed; eventually, she convinces Dalinar to embrace his feelings at the end of the book.
• Jasnah Kholin: the sister to the king of Alethkar and the greatest scholar in Roshar. Mostly viewed as a heretic by the ardent, she is capable of Soulcasting without a Soulcaster.
• Taravangian: the king of Kharbranth. He employed Szeth to kill a great number of leaders around the world, following the Diagram, a master plan to prepare the world for the Last Desolation, made by himself.

• Kalak is one of ten Heralds of the Almighty. His viewpoint chapter is the prelude which takes place 4,500 years before the events of the first chapter.
• Axies the Collector is a Siah Aimian engaged in a quest to catalog all the different varieties of spren on Roshar. He is virtually immortal due to an interaction with investiture.
• Baxil is a thief of Emuli nationality, the cousin of Av. He and a beautiful lighteyes woman break into places to destroy artwork.
• Geranid is a scientist and philosopher. She lives with Ashir on a small Reshi island, where she spends her time studying spren.
• Ishikk is a fisherman from the Purelake. He is approached by three strangers, who he calls Grump, Thinker and Blunt. They are using him as an agent to find a man named Hoid.
• Nan Balat is one of Shallan's brothers, a lighteyed Veden. After Nan Helaran, Balat's eldest brother, was proclaimed dead by their father, Balat gained the title 'Nan', making him first in line.
• Rysn is a young woman from Thaylenah, an apprentice merchant. She travels with Vstim to Shinovar.
• Wit, also known as Hoid, the Drifter, and Cephandrius, is the court jester of king Elhokar Kholin at the Shattered Plains. Wit's role as court jester simply allows him to insult everyone he meets, often by just deliberately discussing that person's worst character flaws openly. Wit is also secretly more than he seems, often possessing an omniscient knowledge of things he shouldn't, and the ability to know where to travel to meet important people and offer obscure but useful advice and information to those he briefly meets. Hoid is in all books in the Cosmere, a universe where most works by Sanderson are set.^[10]

Sanderson started working on pieces of The Way of Kings in the late 1990s. Some characters and scenes, particularly Bridge Four, originated in Dragonsteel, Sanderson's honors thesis at Brigham Young University that was completed in 2000. The finished first draft of The Way of Kings was completed in 2003.^[11] Sanderson approached Tor (later renamed Reactor) with the book at this time. Although the publisher was interested, it decided that "something wasn’t quite right" and declined to publish it.^[12] Its further development was delayed when Sanderson instead decided to focus on the first Mistborn trilogy, which was published from 2006 to 2008.^[13] Returning to the task in the late 2000s, Sanderson indicated that he "threw away everything, and started on page one again."^[14]

On June 10, 2010, the prologue and the first three chapters of the book were released along with an introduction by Sanderson as a preview on Tor.com.^[15] On July 8, 2010, the next three chapters (4–6) were released in audio format.^[16] On August 5, 2010, chapters 9 and 11 were released. Chapters 7, 8, and 10 were not released on that date as Tor desired the contemporary focus to be drawn toward Kaladin, a main character.^[17] On August 26, 2010, chapters 12 and 13 were released.^[18]

Some of the early drafts have been made available in the years since. The original Dragonsteel text from 2000 is still in the possession of Brigham Young University.^[19] It was formerly available only via inter-library loan, and was the only undergraduate thesis in BYU history that needed to be rebound because it had been read so frequently.^[20] Several Dragonsteel-era Bridge Four chapters were released on Sanderson's website in 2017.^[21] The full text was ultimately made available as a bonus for the Words of Radiance leatherbound edition Kickstarter,^[22] as well as on Sanderson's website in 2024.^[23] The 2003 draft, retroactively entitled The Way of Kings Prime, was made available in its entirety on Sanderson's website in 2020.^[24]

In its first week of released, the book was #7 on The New York Times Best Seller list.^[25] In subsequent weeks, the book was #11,^[26] #20,^[27] and #25.^[28]

The Way of Kings received critical acclaim and received praise for its extensive world-building. An early review from the website Unshelved gave the book a positive review.^[29] A review from Elitist Book Reviews pointed out some problems with the book (black-and-white characters, too much exposition), but gave an overall positive opinion of the book.^[30] The website SFReviews.net gave the book a mixed review, praising Sanderson's writing and creativity, but criticizing its extreme length and overall dearth of action.^[31]

SF Reviews pointed out, "The ride is luxurious, the scenery is often breathtaking, but The Way of Kings is truly a long and winding road."^[31] KeepingTheDoor.com commented, "The Stormlight Archive is a series that, like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings epics, every fantasy fan worth their salt must read and be familiar with. This will be one of the giant series that will help shape the entire scene."^[32]

An audiobook version was released in August 2010 by Macmillan Audio, read by narrator team Kate Reading and Michael Kramer, who have also read several other books written by Sanderson, including The Wheel of Time series.^[36] A 5-part GraphicAudio version of The Way of Kings was released from March to July 2016. Reading and Kramer also recorded an audio version of the 2002 draft, The Way of Kings Prime. That version is freely available on the Dragonsteel website.^[37]

In October 2016, the rights to the entire Cosmere universe were licensed by DMG Entertainment, though the rights on all Cosmere works besides The Stormlight Archive have since lapsed.^[38] DMG is fast-tracking an adaptation of The Way of Kings.^[39] Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan were hired as screenwriters. DMG founder Dan Mintz will produce the film, with Sanderson and Joshua Bilmes serving as executive producers.^[40]

A VR game, "The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains", developed by Arcturus VR, was released on March 2, 2018.

• The Way of Kings title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• The Way of Kings at the Internet Book List