When I finished this book I texted my brother saying that I just read a thousand pages, basically nothing happened, and somehow I absolutely loved it.

My shout moment was when dalinar saw kaladin and Bridge 4 fighting and holding off the army and him saying "that's the most admirable thing I've ever seen." Finally giving them recognition and value. Teared the fuck up mid battle

Just finished my first reading of The Way of Kings! It was so good. The first thing I did was come back to this video to watch the spoiler section!

You guys put me on WOK. Saw a vid of y’all saying WOR was the highest rated on Goodreads. Had to check it out…now my life is high fantasy. Finished all the Stormlight, Mistborn Era 1, Warbreaker, and now on Tress…I am a changed man from Sanderson and y’all were the catalyst. Thank you thank you

I think the history question is answered in later books and maybe even addressed in this one. The desolations were coming more and more often and so they lost progress. After the final desolation they were finally able to begin progressing again, but at that point they were basically back to the Stone Age. Look at real human history. The Stone Age lasted 2 million years and we have no written record of it. The Bronze Age finally started 5,000 years ago and even that we barely have fragments of. It’s mostly just artifacts we use to reconstruct that time with some basic written records like hieroglyphs.

53:31 For the worldbuilding, the thing is, there IS a history for it. However, there's two things to consider: 1) a lot of knowledge had been lost through the Desolations, which set humanity back thousands of years. 2) A lot of it simply isn't relevant to characters to just...tell the audience. The safe-hand thing IS actually explained, but only to Kaladin, briefly, because the other characters (Shallan, Dalinar, Adolin, Navani) already KNOW it. They don't HAVE to have it explained to them. Like...I know I personally don't go around thinking about the history of the sandwich, I just eat a sandwich. The characters aren't going to be thinking about aspects of the world every time they appear. In that, I think the book is actually MORE realistic for it, because all of that history is in the background, except for when characters are trying to find things out.

"Why do Vorin women have their 'safehand' covered?" This was raised in the video, as an argument that a few things in this world are not explained, and don't seem to make sense, but are just thrown at you. Am reading Words of Radiance at the moment, and Shallan gives the answer to that (page 365): Tyn: It's just a hand, Shallan. [..] That hand looks exactly like your other hand. Shallan: A lot of women have breasts that aren't much more pronounced than male ones. That doesn't make it right for them to go out wearing no shirt, like a man would! Our society has some norms that "we just do", and we don't necessarily understand their origin. You may consider something "indecent", but that doesn't make it objectively indecent. For example, something one culture considers incident, another doesn't. I agree however that ideally in the world of Roshar we'd like an explanation from a culture's POV on some of the cultural norms, but we have to remember that, even in real life, not always do we have an explanation about why we do things the way we do. "It's just is".

Guys... really. Sanderson's world building is shallow? That is way, way beyond absurd. Sanderson's world is built with so many layers and intricacy... I am not aware of any other author that is comparable in that regard. There are plenty of reasons given why the cultures on Roshar are the way they are. Much of the Alethi culture is a result of the religious schism that was the recreance and how that event is remembered. It resulted in a very strict societal structure with a rigid class system and very defined roles for each member in that society. To nitpick that the genesis of a specific social norm like the "safehand" is not explicitly explained is silly. The real point is that it (and the strict roles of men and women) fit exceptionally well to a society of that nature. I would argue that the somewhat arbitrary nature of this social construct (safehand) was very much intended by Sanderson. The comparison with Tolkien is very funny. In the Lord of the Rings practically NOTHING is explained. Hobbits just are the way they are, same for Orcs, same for Elves and so on. While Tolkien's world was created with a lot of originality, at the same time it is very, very simplistic. There is good, there is bad, and very little in between. And no, having separate works of literature (the Silmarillion for one) does not compensate for that. There is a reason that all that exposition is not done in the LOTR and the same is true for Sanderson's work. Your basic argument that Sanderson is using relatively straightforward prose so the world building is also rather simple makes no sense at all. Those are two different topics. I have the feeling that your objection to the worldbuilding is mostly rooted _in the way_ the world is explained, and how organic that feels to you (and this is an argument I can somehow follow), but again, that is not really the wordlbuilding itself, that is about how you feel it is communicated to you.

The book took a lot out of me to read and listen. However, I slowly fell in love with these characters and would constantly think about reading the next chapter. Dalinar was my favorite character throughout and I yelled "Let's Go!" when Kaladin leaped off the bridge. Great review guys!

Very similar story to you guys. This is where my fire for reading was rekindled. Now I have the leather bound and 2 shelves full of read and unread books. Never looking back, it is still to this date the most I've connected to a book. Everything about it hit me at the perfect time.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY SHALLOW?!” - This was a perfect layup for Richie to go out and say “In the sha shallow…” ugh

This sanderlanche is definitely my favorite in all of stormlight, thanks again for putting me onto the books!

I agree with the guy on the left on his critiques. The words in the book felt secondary to the plot rather than part of it. There were so many instances of repetition throughout the work that felt redundant, and the specific prose in many instances felt lacking. Many characters winced and regarded each other. Similarly, the world-building was either a litany of facts and terms put into your face, or just chalked up to lost history. Overall the work was still very enjoyable, binged it in a few days. But not a definite recommend to everyone for me, 9/10.

Read First Law now, the way Abercrombie flips fantasy tropes around is siiick.

I did the exact same thing I would count how many pages or chapters until the next chapter about kaladin but I loved the books and read them all so fast. I stood up out of my chair and cheered during the duel in the second book

Cabbage 🤙 I would probably rate prose and dialogue separately so I don't know how to feel about that, but your worldbuilding interlude had me cackling. This must be the first time I heard someone call Sanderson's worldbuilding shallow 😱Richard really woke up and chose violence and I can respect that 😂

Been waiting for this one. Great work guys! Currently on the last 100 pages of Words of Radiance. The journey has been incredible!

I incorporated some of the Rambler review scale into my own review system, which contains a category weight aspect, and this is the score I came up with: Setting- 8 World (Lore)- 6 Character- 7.5 Plot- 9 Mechanics- 6 Emotional Impact- 10 Final Score: 7.92 Great discussion on this one, guys! Your perspectives are insightful.

Cabbage I agree with you guys on various points and just like you this is what got me back into the fantasy genre.

If they adapt Sanderson I'd want an animation like gibli movies for books like tress and the emperors soul

Those world building critiques sound more like nitpicks. Canonically the history of the world is fractured due to the desolations and we would only learn more as the characters we follow learn more but they haven’t yet

Just finished the book and came back for spoiler part. It was absolutely amazing, I loved every single page (it was my first book by Sanderson)

Found you on tiktok like 2-3 months ago and have read mistborn era 1 and stormlight books 1-2. Loving all the cabbage

Rating dialogue really depends on what you want from it. Readability and nice one liners like in stormlight or more flowery deeper dialogue like the way of the wind or the prince of nothing

I don’t get the Shallan hate. I loved her in this book. In fact there was a moment during one of the parts that I was like, “I wonder what Shallans up to”

I started this video a month ago, when i started the way of kings. Today i came back to this after finishing the book. I fell out of reading when i was in high school (about a decade ago now), and i have found my passion reignited with the way of kings. I can see why Sanderson is held in such high reguard now. Im so excited to start words of radiance now, and i am swearing to myself i will be caught up by the time the fifth book is out and i cant wait to experience it with you guys, who kept me going with all the high praise you guys give this series. Best moment for me? "One more thing, im bangin your mom"😂😂

I'm only 1 minute into this episode, and I already relate. I've always loved fantasy, but when I was younger I used to love reading and writing. In the last 2 years I decided to take it up again, and I started with The Way of Kings. I've read the first 3 books in the Stormlight Archive, it is indeed my favourite series of all time thus far. I definitely attribute my continued reading adventures to it. So excited to hear you guys ramble about these books as I don't really have a friend group or anything else to share my love of this series with. EDIT: Cabbage

I have just finished this book and OMG I absolutely loved it!!! Thank you

I’ve been watching your guises videos for a while now now I really enjoy your content and your perspective on things also cabbage

LETS GOOOOO!!! My Week is finally compete!!!

I read recently, and I can't wait to read the next ones, in my country they are still translating the books and I am super excited to read every single thing in this series. And about the last part of the book, I also cheered out loud hahaha and got chills all over my body. Loving your guys videos.

Cabbage! You guys are becoming my new favourite Book tube reviewer

The lack of tech progress is a story point though, hence the quick technical advances in mistborn

That's crazy I was a huge reader growing up and way of kings got me back into reading as well! I'm caught up on cosmere and on book 12 of wheel of time

Cabbage!! Finished this book last week and I still can't get it out of my head. Currently binge-reading warbreaker so I can go into book 2 ASAP. Awesome discussion guys, the world building part was really hilarious 😂

As a character I like Dalinar, but his overall plotline in WoK felt a little boring. But he has one of the best character moments. The part where he takes a warhammer and starts doing the slave work while thinking to himself is one of the most epic moments and it does not have any fighting at all, whenever I think about that part, Dalinar's theme instantly starts playing in my head

Cabbage for real you guys are great all around good discussion I see your point of view how it’s only an eight but I also empathise with “cool guy” because I could tell for him it’s perfect it’s like a crush there is nothing wrong with it (also for me) and then bald guy it’s a good book but he doesn’t agree with you fully and your so enthusiastic so he’s trying to bring it down a bit

Just started my reading journey really enjoy yalls videos. Oh and cabbage.

It’s interesting to only have listened to the book and heard the narrators pronunciation of names, and then hear the way others pronounce the names in their head. Just finished the book yesterday. Great review thank you.

You guys are the best.

One thing that's really interesting listening to the audiobook and hearing people say different characters names who read the paperback and comparing the translations is pretty great

Cabbage was great. 1:13:38 glad you made it😂

Cabbage indeed. I do get the points that were brought up, even if I haven't read Tolkien to compare Brandon's writing to

all hail the cabbage, and i am very new to the channel!

Cabbage and the first video of yours I’ve seen. Looking forward to checking out your other stuff too!

This was a fun review.

you kept talking about 4,000 years ago but that was the end of the last desolation the first destination was about 10,000 years ago and in between now and the last destination the recreance happened which reset Society again. the first book also talks about how the Church change and destroyed a lot of histories to match their beliefs before they were deposed from power.

Was in a reading slump for a while, this book and wanting to watch this review made me finally put in the time to read. - cabbage

7 month late cabbage! XD I'm catching up on all the vids on your channel since I've discovered it. ;D

I LITERALLY JUST FINISHED THE BOOK AND CAME TO THIS VIDEO, can’t wait to hear your opinion guys!

I don’t know how I’d live with myself if I hadn’t picked up a Sanderson book back in 2020. I read mistborn first and my life was forever changed.

Agreed with basically everything. Book 2 is my favorite so far. I am halfway through oathbringer and honestly i am not liking it as much. The Dalinar flashbacks are great, but i am finding the present story a bit slow. Lets see if the later half of it pays off, cause i heard book 3 is a lot of peoples favorite.

I did make it to the end #cabbage, and I love the passion 😂 I just finished this book last night, and it really was epic just like everyone has said. Dalinar is the absolute man! SPOILER My fist pumping moment was definitely when Dalinar gave up is blade for all the Bridgemen. “Strength does not make one capable of rule, it makes one capable of service”. Truly was great to see him both live up to his morals/ideals, while not being selfish as he knows he can be. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Love you guys. just bought Hyperion on your recommendation. i would push back though on the world building of stormlight compared to the wheel of time, where was the world building in the dragon reborn compared to oathbringer. i think the wheel of time has the best fantasy world in all of fantasy but stormlight isnt even half complete. who know what it will be when it is done. Have you guys read skyward? it is a fun scifi series!

the one on the right really represents me, he reacts the exact same way I do when someone says stuff like "sanderson's writing is not flowery enough" or like "you could cut out some chapters in TWOK and it wouldn't matter".

I just finished The Way of Kings for the first time 3 days ago. I’m curious at the history thing. I wonder if vorinism struck what ever happened from the radiants leaving to present day and Mabey even re-wrote some of history to reflect what we see in the way of kings, for example light eyes being superior to dark eyes, everyone accepts it. But the in universe way of kings suggest the opposite, or atleast that light and dark eyes are more equal. Especially in the epilogue when we find out Taln is a dark eyes. We believe the radiants betrayed mankind but we don’t know why just the vorinism says so

The first law is amazing, only book series that can hold a candle to A song of Ice and fire

Way of Kings is my third favorite Stormlight Book... I think? I'd rate them 4>3>1>2. I seem to be alone in not liking book 2 :-/ EDIT: The way I read the big gap in history is that... they were in a literal dark age and all the history has been completely forgotten. The world had been so devastated that until only a thousand years ago things hadn't gotten better at all.

I dropped name of the winds because I started reading the way of kings. Was close to the end of it but bridge 4 sucked me in. Now I'm looking to buy basically all his books starting with mistborn

way of kings is my favourite of the stormlight archive so far, but I would agree the worldbuilding is ok, but for sure could be better.

Great video to watch while sipping hot cabbage soup.

Not my Cabbages!!!!! Really enjoying you guys. Keep it up!!!

I'd read Way of Kings so long ago, that listening to the spoiler talk portion of their video actually felt like spoilers. I so need to read it again before going on to book two. But, I agree - slow burn. Great World. Great characters. Great Sanderslide. Must read recommendation.

So true about shallan chapters. i was okay with her in the first chapters, then came part 3, where kaladin chapters were really good, and shallan was still thinking, should she steal or no and kaladin was judged by the damn storm thank god she was poisoned so we can finally have interesting thing in her story then there came her last chapters which were good but yah overall her chapters were the most boring i wish if they were shorter i understood in the end if the book that her importance is for the next book but still for that book she was boring and kaladin past was boring it was too damn long and not necessary

Cabbage!!! Loved the rant y’all

I've listened to this book on audible 4 times. Love it

I'm super late to this but I did get introduced to this book by you guys so here I am. Loved the book, but one plot point Im missing clarity on concerns the relationship between Szeth and Taravangian. Did he order the assassination of Gavilar, or did their relationship really start after Szeth was traded and moved around?

Do not agree with Kaladin and depression . I would say its more trauma and survival anxiety than depression. Of course someone being an bridgeman would think their life is worthless. Kaladins story is more like having the strength of doing what is needed while exhausted and being a guiding light. The only reason Kaladin had that was because of his special abilities.

Cabbage...great video...really enjoyed it..

Im halfway through the book. This is my 3rd time trying to get through it. Its soooo slow compared to The Mistborn Trilogy. I keep waiting for something to happen. I met Sanderson at a Con this year. He signed my copy. So Im committed to finishing it, but its a tough read

The Shallan philosophy chapter(Jasnah kills 4 goons) and the Wandersail chapters are underrated in my opinion.

Man I held off reading this book for so long mostly just cause I felt like I wasn’t prepared, but I just couldn’t stop when I started 🦦 I enjoyed dalinar a lot but honestly none of the plot lines felt as entertaining and grounded as kaladins so I was counting the pages to his chapters every time 😭

Do you guys plan on reviewing the other books of the series anytime soon?

Cabbage. I just read way of kings. Its my first Sanderson book outside the mistborn series. And i loved it. Its so long but i enjoyed every page. My favorite character is Dalinar he is so awesome, so cool. I don't have a problem with world building, i think its great for ONE BOOK. And chapters with Shallan were the least interesting, but they are still great chapters. So right now Way of Kings is my most favorite book.

I know this video is so old, but i will say that the lack of history for the last 4,500 years is that The Heirocracy went through and re-wrote history, unless you're referring to scripts outside of Vorin Doctrine, which are viewed as heresy, lunacy, or something of the like to our main cast. The same thing happened in Europe several times, and between desolations and the dissolution of the Heirocracy, the loss of knowledge is explained CABBAGE

Will you guys please review the poppy war PLEASE!!! But the trilogy. I need to hear yall review that .

Cant wait for the book 4 deep dive sooo much of that book satisfied in me questions and concerns in ways i wouldnt expect and added new things i need to know more about

This was also the book that got me back into reading

Do you both have Goodreads? I would like to follow you so I can get more fantasy book suggestions

Has he said how many books will be in this series? I bought the first 3 today (I regret nothing!) I also remember when large books use to intimidate me.

For some reason after watching this I'm wanting a nice fresh cabbage to eat

Just picked up a copy on your recommendation 🏄‍♂️

Just finished TWoK 20 min ago…. Wow!

just finished this book and loved it so much!! Only thing to fill the void until we get Red God😰

I have and always have pronounced Shallan as Shah-Lin. I cannot see her as Shah^ Lan as you pronounce it as it just sounds to close to Shalom and I imagine Tom Hardy in Peaky Blinders saying Shalom Arfur and it ruins it for me haha.

Cabbage. But one thing I wanted to mention was the pronunciation of Jasnah’s name, I think it is something like “yas-nah” at least going by how it is pronounced in the audiobooks. 29:41

Cabbage baby ;) loved the review,I agree with most of it!!

Love this channel 🤣

Cabbage lol, great episode about a great book

I just finished TWOK and came here with the exact same energy Austin is carrying. Richie, how DARE you have a negative thing to say about this book 😂 also, cabbage, of course.

if the portrayal of depression with Kaladin impresses you then I would want you to check our March comes in like a lion. It's a Manga about a boy who plays shogi but the shogi is really just a tool to explore characters and it's not a shogi manga the way Slam Dunk would be a Basketball Manga. I like to think of it as a Manga about how different people deal with the shit that life throws at them and it's beautiful. You could also watch the anime instead of the Manga because it's amazing too.

Beware! I only thought there were spoilers for Way of kings, but they also spoiler book 3 😢 33:25

I may be late but cabbage!! 😂

Isn't jasnah the neice of dalinar

All I have to say is "oh no my cabbages" haha XD

Cabbage 😂 can’t believe you’re hating on Brandon Sanderson’s world building Richard

Can you just jump into stormlight without reading other cosmere novels?

1:03:00 The age of the world between ancient times and modern day is explained and the explanation details how the Hierocracy's bleaching of history keeps the days of the Radiants and Heralds shrouded in mystery. We know quote a bit about the time following the Hierocracy though, so I disagree

Also not to knit pick just FYI its Yeah-sna not jas-na, I listened to the audio books ahaha

i kind of took the easy way and listen to the whole series on audiobook. and i absolutely hate how you pronounce Adalin, Yasna, and Shalon. hahah enjoyed the video though.