The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
★ Top 5 book of 2010 · #2 on Best Books of 2010
On Roshar, a land battered by powerful storms, ancient magical blades and armor decide the fates of kingdoms. Kaladin, a slave soldier, and the visionary Dalinar are caught in a baffling war, while Shallan pursues her own path.
Best for: Epic fantasy fans who want a vast, immersive world and a big series
The Way of Kings is #2 on BookWard's Best Books of 2010, out of 43 2010 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Way of Kings is about
Roshar is a world of stone and storms, where powerful tempests have shaped both the land and the people living on it. The Knights Radiant fell centuries ago, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain, and wars are still fought over them. When a king is assassinated, his son declares war on the Parshendi, and the fighting settles on the Shattered Plains.
The story moves between several viewpoints. Kaladin, a peasant who followed his drafted brother to war, is betrayed, branded a slave, and made a bridgeman. Shallan schemes to get close to a scholar and her working Soulcaster. Dalinar, a highprince, has strange visions during highstorms and begins to question his people's love of war.
This is the first book of The Stormlight Archive. It suits readers who like large, carefully built worlds and serious questions about honor, leadership, and protecting others.
The Way of Kings on the Best Books of 2010
The Way of Kings came out in 2010. Of the 43 books first published in 2010 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #2 on our Best Books of 2010 list.
Why it made the list: 1,167 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (165 ratings); 51 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Reader favorite.
Nearby on the 2010 list
- The Lost Hero Rick Riordan, #1
- Divergent Veronica Roth, #3
- The Personal MBA Josh Kaufman, #4
See all Best Books of 2010 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2009 Best Books of 2011.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 858 want to read it, 51 are reading it now and 258 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 from 165 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 88 | 55% |
| Reader love | 100 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 79 | 20% |
Questions about The Way of Kings
When was The Way of Kings published?
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson was first published in 2010.
Was The Way of Kings one of the best books of 2010?
The Way of Kings is #2 on BookWard's Best Books of 2010, out of 43 2010 books that cleared our data bar. 1,167 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (165 ratings); 51 are reading it right now.
Why is The Way of Kings on the Best Books of 2010 list?
1,167 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (165 ratings); 51 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2010
- The Lost Hero Rick Riordan, #1
- Divergent Veronica Roth, #3
- The Personal MBA Josh Kaufman, #4
- The Red Pyramid Rick Riordan, #5
- It's Not Summer Without You Jenny Han, #6
- The Immortals of Meluha Amish Tripathi, #7
See the full Best Books of 2010, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
Find your own best books
Add what you have read, rate it, and BookWard will recommend what to read next.
Free while in beta. No credit card needed.