2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
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The Way of Kings
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The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1)
Hii, really excited to be reading this with you! I just finished the Mistborn series last month and it's one of my absolute favorites! Everyone says this one is even better so that's exciting :)
This series is one of my favourites and I hope you all enjoy reading it. I will hop in from time to time to see what you all think!
Izajen wrote: "Is it too late to join in? This looks interesting and I’ve never heard of the series before..."Jump right in!
I finished part 2 last night but I was too sleepy to post my thoughts here. Here I go:Let me start by saying that the book only gets better. I was not very sure of plunging into the Stormlight universe when this buddy read was suggested because I am also reading two other fantasy series in parallel - A Song of Ice and Fire ( aka the Game of Thrones) and The Dark Tower series which are just as popular as this one and there was a high chance of me mixing up all the worlds, but how wrong I was! The Stormlight Archive has a distinct world of its own and it’s impossible to mix it up with the other worlds/universes. I’m so glad I decided to join this buddy read!
Part 2, thoughts: (view spoiler)
Sorry, my intention was never to write so much. 😬
Trisha wrote: "I finished part 2 last night but I was too sleepy to post my thoughts here. Here I go:Let me start by saying that the book only gets better. I was not very sure of plunging into the Stormlight un..."
Hehe, the more you read, the more you will write.
(view spoiler)
Btw did you read the other Cosmere books before this? Particularly Mistborn, Warbreaker and Elantris.
Raviteja wrote: "Btw did you read the other Cosmere books before this? Particularly Mistborn, Warbreaker and Elantris."I didn’t - please don’t say that I should have read those before to understand this series better. Any connections between these works?
And thanks for your response on my thoughts, appreciate it. I’m enjoying this book so much and looks like you did as well. :)
Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Btw did you read the other Cosmere books before this? Particularly Mistborn, Warbreaker and Elantris."I didn’t - please don’t say that I should have read those before to understa..."
hehe, Since all these books are in the same universe, there are certain connections that you will see only if you read the others. After you finish this book, atleast read Warbreaker before you start the next one in this series. There is one particular easter egg that is very fun to spot. Among all the worlds in Cosmere, Nalthis (Warbreaker) and Roshar (Stormlight Archive) are closely connected, and it becomes too obvious in Rhythm of War
I've read this way back in 2017 and I immensely enjoyed it. I am glad that you are enjoying it too. :)
L'm a bit (chapter 16). My cat was sick and we had to put him down so my reading has been slow.(view spoiler)
Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "I finished part 2 last night but I was too sleepy to post my thoughts here. Here I go:Let me start by saying that the book only gets better. I was not very sure of plunging into th..."
I did read them, the only one I have left is book The Bands of Mourning. I loved Elantris more than I expected.
Raviteja wrote: "After you finish this book, atleast read Warbreaker before you start the next one in this series..."How I wish I can buy more time 😕 Thanks Raviteja, I’m adding Warbreaker to my TBR and will try my best to read it before I read the second installment, though I can’t promise (signed up for far too many books next month)!
Dominique wrote: "L'm a bit (chapter 16). My cat was sick and we had to put him down so my reading has been slow.[spoilers removed]"
Sorry about your cat, Dominique! Take care!
Dominique wrote: "L'm a bit (chapter 16). My cat was sick and we had to put him down so my reading has been slow.[spoilers removed]"
I'm so sorry for your loss, Dominique. Take care!
Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "After you finish this book, atleast read Warbreaker before you start the next one in this series..."How I wish I can buy more time 😕 Thanks Raviteja, I’m adding Warbreaker to my ..."
haha, we all run short of time to read books :D
With Words of Radiance, Warbreaker is not gonna make too much difference. I read Warbreaker after Oathbringer and I regret that.. When I saw that sentence in WoR for the first time, it didnt feel any special.. but after reading Warbreaker, I went through WoR again and I could only curse myself for not reading it before.
Happy reading!
Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "After you finish this book, atleast read Warbreaker before you start the next one in this series..."How I wish I can buy more time 😕 Thanks Raviteja, I’m adding Wa..."
Now I have to read Warbreaker again.. not angry about it!
Dominique wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "After you finish this book, atleast read Warbreaker before you start the next one in this series..."How I wish I can buy more time 😕 Thanks Ravite..."
Hmm, if you remember the magic system (view spoiler) and other key components, you dont need to read it again.
For WoR, I usually recommend it because spotting the easter egg is quite fun. In Oathbringer there are a few easter eggs that refer to Warbreaker. In Rhythm of War, they are no longer easter eggs and they are quite direct.
Raviteja wrote: "Dominique wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "After you finish this book, atleast read Warbreaker before you start the next one in this series..."How I wish I can buy more ti..."
Yes I do remember! if I have time I still might pick it up again.
Finished Part 3. This is a quick read even though it is quite chunky. My ebook has 1470 pages, although on goodreads, all versions seem to have less than 1300. Anyway, here is what I think of part 3:(view spoiler)
Dominique wrote: "L'm a bit (chapter 16). My cat was sick and we had to put him down so my reading has been slow.[spoilers removed]"
So sorry to hear that Dominique.
Sorry guys, I'm a little behind on my reading due to a few reasons but I'm planning to start this as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading. Excited to respond to all your thoughts!
Kathelijne wrote: "Sorry guys, I'm a little behind on my reading due to a few reasons but I'm planning to start this as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading. Excited to respond to all your thoughts!"No problem, Kathelijne! Join us when you can, this book is anyway planned for two months. :)
Trisha wrote: "Part 4 done. More thoughts: "I hope you got answers to some of your previous questions..
Sanderson is brilliant at writing the climax. Typically the last 20% will have a lot happening and it is almost impossible to put it down!
I am interested to hear what you think as a whole once you finish this book.
Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Part 4 done. More thoughts: "I hope you got answers to some of your previous questions..
Sanderson is brilliant at writing the climax. Typically the last 20% will have a lot happe..."
I loved it!! (view spoiler)
Finished!! All I’d say is - this book was an ADVENTURE, my staying up till 4 am in the morning just to finish this proves it. :D
Trisha wrote: "Finished!! All I’d say is - this book was an ADVENTURE, my staying up till 4 am in the morning just to finish this proves it. :D"I wish i still had the energy to stay up late and finish a book like I used to.
Finished part 1!(view spoiler)
I do feel like I have to make tons of notes because of the insane amount of name-drops and concepts! I'm not sure how I'm gonna remember it all haha
Finished part 2 already, this book has me hooked completely! This is the first time I'm really annotating a book and I think it was the right choice because I'm loving it.(view spoiler)
Trisha wrote: "I finished part 2 last night but I was too sleepy to post my thoughts here. Here I go:Let me start by saying that the book only gets better. I was not very sure of plunging into the Stormlight un..."
(view spoiler)
Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Btw did you read the other Cosmere books before this? Particularly Mistborn, Warbreaker and Elantris."I didn’t - please don’t say that I should have read those bef..."
Definitely will be reading Warbreaker next then! Are there any other easter eggs with other books or series in the cosmere?
Dominique wrote: "Finished part 2Dalinar has to trust Sadeas, but the actions and words makes you wonder if Sadeas will be trustworthy. I like that we got a glimpse of Dalinar's vision of the past. It does seem t..."
(view spoiler)
Sorry I'm writing so much, I just have a lot to catch up on! So many thoughts haha
Kathelijne wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Btw did you read the other Cosmere books before this? Particularly Mistborn, Warbreaker and Elantris."I didn’t - please don’t say that I should ha..."
There are very minor ones with Mistborn too, but I dont find them too significant to the plot. You will be able to pick them out only if you remember all the characters and events. There are very minor ones from Elantris too, but again those are also almost not so significant.
The ones with Warbreaker are important, and you can spot them easily.
If you had read atleast another Cosmere series (Mistborn/Elantris) + warbreaker, there is one conclusion that you can draw.
Kathelijne wrote: "Finished part 2 already, this book has me hooked completely! This is the first time I'm really annotating a book and I think it was the right choice because I'm loving it.First of all, I LOVE Ka..."
Regarding Heralds and Radiants, I will wait for you to finish the book and will talk about it if you still have questions :)
Kathelijne, I agree with Raviteja, your confusion around the Heralds and the Radiants should get cleared by the end of the book. And I love your notes, keep sharing them! Did you look at mine? I wrote so much, it’s one of those books where you can’t stop assuming, drawing conclusions and highlighting the content in all possible colours. I did that! :DBtw, if you are up for reading Warbreaker, we can read it together. Going by Raviteja’s advice, that’s probably the one we should start with. I also want to read the Mistborn series, but that’s too much of a commitment at this stage; Elantris seems to be an easier deal though!
Also, now that I see two of you (Raviteja & Dominique) have rated it a perfect 5 on 5, it makes me think if I’d been too strict with my rating. I absolutely loved it but when I compare the plot with another 5🌟 series - A Song of Ice & Fire, I find The Way of Kings lacking in terms of the plot which is simpler than the GOT books. If I hadn’t read those, I would have rated this a perfect 5. Am I being too strict?
Trisha wrote: "Also, now that I see two of you (Raviteja & Dominique) have rated it a perfect 5 on 5, it makes me think if I’d been too strict with my rating. I absolutely loved it but when I compare the plot wit..."hehe. I dont think so. When I read The Way of Kings, Harry Potter was my only reference, so in comparison the scale of plot and world-building was mind-blowing. You had better ones to compare with, and you didnt find it a true 5 star read I guess.
If I remember, you actually rated this 4.5 stars, which I think is fair, from your review. Its sad that GR doesnt let us rate what we really want.. But no, your rating is not too strict.
Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Also, now that I see two of you (Raviteja & Dominique) have rated it a perfect 5 on 5, it makes me think if I’d been too strict with my rating. I absolutely loved it but when I compa..."Haha, thanks! And that’s right, I rated it a 4.5 on 5, and it took all my strength to round it down to rate it in terms of stars. How I wish GRs could understand how much that additional 0.5🌟 matters!
Raviteja wrote: "Kathelijne wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Btw did you read the other Cosmere books before this? Particularly Mistborn, Warbreaker and Elantris."I didn’t - please don’t s..."
Alright, I just finished Mistborn in December so I hope I can spot the minor ones. Mmhhh very intrigued by what that conclusion might be... :)
Trisha wrote: "Kathelijne, I agree with Raviteja, your confusion around the Heralds and the Radiants should get cleared by the end of the book. And I love your notes, keep sharing them! Did you look at mine? I wr..."Okay I'll come back to that at the end of the book I guess! Also, I definitely looked at your notes and love them. Completely agree!!
Yeah I'm definitely up for Warbreaker! If we should read it before Words of Radiance like Raviteja suggested, we should read it this month right?
Kathelijne wrote: "Yeah I'm definitely up for Warbreaker! If we should read it before Words of Radiance like Raviteja suggested, we should read it this month right?"Yay! Yes, we should read it this month. Let me know when you plan to read and I’ll start around the same time. We can discuss the book right here, Raviteja and Dominique can share their thoughts as well since they have already read it. :D
Kathelijne wrote: "Alright, I just finished Mistborn in December so I hope I can spot the minor ones."I think you would have spotted it better in The Final Empire, had you read Mistborn after The Way of Kings. There is a very minor reference in Final Empire but you would not realize it if you read that book first before Stormlight Archive.
The good thing is, a similar one will come in Warbreaker, and you will not miss it :)
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Books mentioned in this topic
Secret History (other topics)Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection (other topics)
Mistborn: The Final Empire (other topics)
Mistborn: The Final Empire (other topics)
Elantris (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Brandon Sanderson (other topics)Brandon Sanderson (other topics)





Pages: 1007 pages
Length: 2 Months (January and February)
Participants: Kathelijne, Dominique, Trisha, Sharon.
Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!
Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.