Jake Farmer’s Reviews > The Way of Kings > Status Update

Also, I'm kinda over the Mormon conflict. Not entirely, but he does have a decent atheist character and ongoing dialogue about belief and morals. I just need to settle down.

Oh man. I've heard things get real crazy soon and am anticipating it greatly. So K turned down a shardblade! Got totally fucked by Amaram. But he's a surgebinder! Like Szeth! Even better! Dalinar is having legit visions and finally kissed Navani. The Mormon tameness is funny. But romance interests me the least in books like this.

Aaah! The second set of interludes is soooooo good! So much info about the Shin in the first one, a genuinely funny chapter about the guy studying spren (can't remember the name of his race, but heavily inspired by Memento, super cool lol) and that final chapter with Seth?! Oh man. Jaw dropper. Let the drama begin. Was wondering where 10 books worth of material was gonna come from!

Ooooh yeah! And I loved Dalinar's epiphany of using shardplate for constructive uses, not just battle. Of using it for the pursuits of the common man. Never even occurred to me that it could be used that way, and I don't think anyone in Alethkar has considered it either lol Dalinar for the people!

Damn. Dalinar is stepping down. The spanreed communication is cool and interesting. An elegant fantasy method to communicate over long distances. Kaladin had his little moment in the chasm with his spear. Pretty cool. Still want to see him fight! And get a shardblade! Fuckin' Sadeas! Why are the visions telling Dalinar to trust him?

Separate note: I just found out Sanderson is LDS, and for some reason this is throwing me. But it also bothers me that it's an issue for me. Main point: The political/moral implications of consciously/subconsciously including things in a fantasy world as one builds it (the types of creatures, the customs/cultures, presence/absence of LGBT characters) is very difficult. Purely washed away by the "It's just fantasy!"??

Kaladin continues to be badass, a great mixture of surgeon/soldier. Definitely focused on saving/sparing his men. I think it's a smart calculation to make these bridgemen & not soldiers, as it makes his purpose more pure, saving the lowest of low, rather than just saving his men so they can kill more. Will be interesting to see development of K's relationship to killing and the vast question of morality vs. war.

When or how will Shallan reckon with her hypocrisy of looking down on gamblers, sailors, scoundrels, hussling for a living, when she is on a mission to steal for the good of her family?
Dalinar time travelling in his visions? Why is he being shown these things? He's a tragically flawed noble man in a place that rewards more ruthless calculations. Hope he ends up okay... Third book is called Oathbringer so...

LOVES Kal's chapter in which he takes the lead during the bridge run and heals all his wounded men. A true leader. So far, like him a lot more as a healer than a warrior. it's interesting, Sanderson has this warrior character, but engineers the story so you never see him actually fight in action. Wonder when that will finally happen...

Is Syl real? What's her deal? Is Kaladin cray cray? Oathbringer is the shit. I want Kaladin to get a shardblade, real bad. Really liked the battle with the chasmfiend. Dalinar is legit as fuck. The Wit is cool, but think he might be involved with the King's saddle breaking...