Part One: Above the Silence (and Interludes)

[P.T.]

A journey of a thousand pages starts with a single word, right?

Let's talk about:
- Prelude to the Stormlight Archive
- Prologue: To Kill
- Part One: Above Silence (Chapter 1-11)
_ Interludes: Ishikk, Nan Balat, The Glory of Ignorance

Spoilers for the above sections only, please. :)

[Elad]

I started the book a little early, so I'm the first one here. Yay! Anyway, this is my third time reading Way of Kings and it's just as good as I remember it, that is to say it's AWESOME!

The Prelude- looking back at it, it's a goldmine of information and clues. We can see how the Heralds' names have been changed and distorted in modern times (Jezrien-Jezerezeh, Kalak-Kelek, Talenel-Talenelat'Elin). We also actually get to see the Heralds themselves, and we get clues as to why they disappeared millennia ago.

Prologue: To Kill- This was an excellent introduction to modern Roshar and to the current political and social situation. Apart from that it is also steeped in atmosphere and you can almost see the scene as it plays out. Szeth is very mysterious, yet all the more badass for it. The action scene when he fights all the guards and Gavilar is incredibly well thought out and imaginative. The prologue also sets up a mystery. What did Gavilar's dying message to Dalinar mean? And what is the strange gemstone that he gives to Szeth?

Part One: Above Silence- Here we meet Kaladin and Shallan, two of our main characters. Kaladin is obviously the focus of this book, as it goes much more into his backstory and character. We first see him from Cenn's pov, and since he's confused by Kaladin, so are we. He seems to actually care about his squad, unlike others, and even puts his own money into saving his men and even others outside his squad. It's kind of sad to see him go from a brave and compassionate warrior to a beaten down slave who has given up on himself and others.
On the other hand, Shallan is a breath of fresh air and nicely offsets Kaladin's moping and his intensity. She also has an interesting backstory and motivation for coming to Kharbranth. Her dilemma is very well done: either pursue her dream of becoming a scholar with Jasnah, or to remain faithful to her family and to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster. Shallan's scenes with Jasnah are just pure gold. Whether they are learning, debating or just making small talk they are just both so intelligent and witty that it is just so much fun to read.
Interludes: I just want to say that I love the idea of these interludes. They serve the double purpose of expanding the world of Roshar for us, giving it a more epic feel and dropping some hints about the future.
Ishikk- Ishikk just might be my favorite interlude character. He's really laid back and relaxed and you can't help but share that feeling when you read about him. Although there's something I'm confused about. The foreigners that visit him and are looking for Hoid are identified in the wiki for the book as characters from other Cosmere novels. Does anyone know if that's canon? And if so what's the source?
Nan Balat- To be honest, I hate all of Shallan's family. Her father is (was) abusive and has anger issues, her mother is dead so she can't really help anyone, her stepmother isn't much help either and her brothers all have their own problems: sadism, gambling, depression and drinking. Although, as unlikable as they are, I still like seeing first hand how the situation is affecting them.
The Glory of Ignorance- Anything with Szeth in it is bound to be awesome. Szeth is in a very low place physically, but he is just relieved that he doesn't have to kill anyone. He enjoys living in obscurity, even enslaved to petty men like Took. I wonder how long it'll last...
Whew! This was a long winded analysis. To sum up, I really enjoyed reading again and returning to this world. I also picked up on a few things I didn't notice before because of hindsight. Anyway, I can't wait to keep reading this book!
I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am.

[TS]

Indeed, and these thousand words form possibly my absolute favourite book at this point in time. I've reread this the 2nd time around a couple of months back but I'm eager to follow this thread to see what others think.

[Tyler]

Having now starting to read the book for a second time, the prologue with Szeth is so amazing! There are little things that need to be answered in future books that I didn't catch the first time I read the book. 1. Who are the two men that Elhokar are talking too conspicuously? 2. Why is the satatue of Shalash missing from the hall with the other Helards statues present?

I'm sure we will get answers soon. But it's cool reading TWOK again and catching things and new secrets that are hidden away in the pages. Brandon is an amazing writier and one of my all time favorites.

[Sophie]

This is my first time reading and so far I'm really enjoying it. I don't really have anything to say however. I think I'm just soaking all the information up and trying to process it as I go along. So far, so good though!

[P.T.]

I'm impressed with how many people are re-reading this! And very excited to hear what you think on your first read, Sophie.

[Evanreader1999]

love sadly tho im reading it when im not exatly in the mood for it but im sso for in im gonna keep reading. so glad this series is just starting so i can follow it. but when part one ended and i saw we soulnt see shallan until part three i was so sad.

[Milou]

This is the first time I am reading this, and I am loving it so far. The world and customs are interesting to me, for example that men often cannot read and the concept of the safehand. The prologue was really awesome. Just like the other female characters in other Sanderson books I have read so far, I adore Shallan. It is a shame she is not in the second part.

[Raquel]

I'm having a hard time with this one. Maybe I'm also not in the right mood for it, but I keep delaying picking it up, and when I do, I get tired easily. What I think it is, is that I'm finding it very confusing so far (albeit that I only read until chapter three), and I feel I don't get enough time to bond with the characters. I'm glad to have this group, because all the messages of love for the book gave me new motivation to keep on going :)

[Raquel]

I'm happy to say it worked: I pushed through the confusing start, and I'm fully engaged by now (that I've reached part II)!!

Milou wrote: "This is the first time I am reading this, and I am loving it so far. The world and customs are interesting to me, for example that men often cannot read and the concept of the safehand. The prologu..."

I absolutely agree! This has been the most intricate and complex Brandon Sanderson world I've read so far, and all the details amaze me. The sprens, especially, are so much fun.

I absolutely love Shallan, that detailed description of how her drawing talent works really moved me. I also love Kal's sentient windspren, Syl. She was such a sweet addition to Kal's journey.

I'm sad to hear Shallan isn't in this next part, but I'm ready to meet Hoid!