The Way of Kings

Gavilar Kholin, the King of Alethkar, the most powerful nation on the continent of Roshar, celebrates the peace treaty he has just signed with the Parshendi, a mysterious group of people with marbled skin whom he met for the first time during a hunt several years ago. The Parshendi seem to be related to the parshmen, humanlike beings enslaved by the Alethi. However, the parshmen seem docile while the Parshendi are warriors.

Szeth-son-son-Vallano, an outcast from Shinovar, has been ordered by the Parshendi to kill Gavilar. He bides his time, dressed as a server in a white uniform. When everyone is drunk, he slowly makes his way toward the royal chambers. He is supposed to kill the king in a way that draws as much attention as possible.

Szeth abhors killing and believes he is damned by each life he takes. However, he has been declared “Truthless” by his people, cursed to obey anyone who holds his Oathstone. This practice is dangerous as Szeth has the ability to manipulate stormlight and possesses a Shardblade, a magical sword that can be called forth and dismissed with a thought and can cut through anything. If a living being is hit with a magical blade, its soul is also severed. Magical Shardplate armor is the only thing that can withstand a Shardblade.

After antagonizing and killing a number of soldiers and alerting the entire palace to his intent, Szeth faces the king, who wears Shardplate. After a prolonged and difficult battle, Szeth causes Gavilar to fall off a balcony. The king’s armor is too damaged to save him. His last request is for Szeth to convey a message to his brother: “find the most important words a man can say” (26). Szeth writes the message in blood next to the king’s body before fleeing into the night.

Five years after the events in the Prologue, a 15-year-old boy, Cenn, finds himself in the middle of a minor border dispute. An older veteran assures Cenn that he will be fine as they are part of Kaladin Stormblessed’s squad. Kaladin’s strategic thinking and fierce fighting style, as well as his luck, mean that their squad loses almost no men.

Since this is a minor border dispute, no Shardbearer, a warrior in possession of a Shardblade or Shardplate, is expected to be present. However, one suddenly appears on the battlefield and charges against Lord Amaram, Kaladin’s commander. Kaladin leaves his men behind and charges the warrior.

Eight months after the events in the first chapter, a mysteriously enslaved Kaladin is taken to an unknown destination. During the long journey, Kaladin becomes the target of a windspren, a small creature made of light who looks like a young girl. Spren are usually small and have no sentience, but the one seeking Kaladin’s company is able to communicate and has fully-formed thoughts of her own.

Shallan Davar, a young aristocratic woman from the small kingdom of Jah Keved, sails to Kharbranth, the City of Bells. She seeks audience with Jasnah Kholin, Gavilar’s daughter and the present Alethi king’s sister.

Recently assassinated, Shallan’s father left behind a mountain of debt. Shallan and her brothers pretend that their father is still alive, but the ruse can work only for a limited time. Eventually, their father’s partners will take everything away from the Davar family. As a last resort, Shallan has devised a daring plan to save her family by becoming Jasnah’s ward. Jasnah is infamous for being a heretic in the widely accepted religion of Vorinism. Jasnah is also very well educated and connected, and becoming her ward would be a social boon for Shallan, whose family is about to go bankrupt.

Kaladin’s slave caravan arrives at the Shattered Plains, “an enormous riven plain of rock […] that was split and cut by sheer chasms, crevasses twenty or thirty feet wide” (87). The young man feels hopeful again, and dreams of finding a way to join the war effort and hold a spear once again.

Shallan first sees Jasnah talking to the local King Taravangian. Strong winds have caused a cave in inside the palace, blocking the room where the royal granddaughter and her entourage are located. Jasnah possesses a magical artefact, a Soulcaster, that can help, but it will use up many gemstones, which charged with Stormlight energy from Roshar’s highstorms, a violent weather system. The princess will sacrifice the gems in exchange for free access to the city’s library, the most extensive one on Roshar.

While they walk to the cave in, Jasnah quizzes Shallan on her education in order to determine whether to accept her as a ward. The younger woman is lacking in many areas, and the princess to reject her. Shallan is disappointed but determined to change Jasnah’s mind as her plan hinges on Jasnah’s Soulcaster.

Kaladin is assigned to be a bridgeman, the lowest position in the army and tantamount to certain death. In order to fight on the Shattered Plains, the king’s army needs to cross over chasms between plateaus. To do so, the bridgemen carry enormous wooden bridges for the army can to cross over. There is no protection afforded to the bridgemen, they eventually die from Parshendi arrows.

Gaz, the bridgemen captain, immediately dislikes Kaladin and sends him to Bridge Four, which is about to go on a run. Kaladin is so exhausted by running with the weight of the bridge that he passes out in the middle of battle. Kaladin is woken by the windspren who urges him to get up and follow the retreating crew or else he will be stranded on the plateau. Kaladin asks the spren its name and to both their surprise she replies that it is Sylphrena or Syl.

Shallan plots how to change Jasnah’s mind. She decides to go to the library and write Jasnah a letter, presenting logical arguments in favor of taking her on as a ward. Just Shallan finishes her appeal, a young ardent, a monk-like priest, arrives to the alcove looking for Jasnah. He is called Brother Kabsal and his intention is to convert the princess. Kabsal soon leaves and Jasnah arrives not long after, looking displeased.

Jasnah is angry at finding Shallan in her alcove but quickly calms down and apologizes for her outburst. She praises Shallan on her persistence and ability to write logically. Jasnah tells her to study more and reapply in a few months’ time. While a generous offer, it is not a viable option for Shallan whose family cannot wait.

Shallan decides to study as much as possible during the night and petition the princess again the following day. She goes to a book seller and buys several treatises on philosophy and history mentioned by Jasnah. Shallan then goes back to the library and rents an alcove, determined to learn as much as possible. Just as she is about to begin reading, Jasnah appears. The princess is impressed with Shallan’s determination and tells her to move her things into Jasnah’s rooms.

Kaladin realizes that Gaz has placed him on the bridge crew with the most casualties. It seems that everyone but Kaladin dies. The young man slowly becomes depressed, thinking that there is nothing he can do to stop the bridgemen from dying.

This chapter provides background information on Kaladin. His father, Lirin, is a surgeon in a small town in an isolated province. Nine years prior to the novel’s present, Kaladin trains to become a surgeon although he dreams of fighting in the army and earning glory. His father disapproves, as he believes that killing never helps anyone and that the wars fought by the aristocracy are meaningless.

In this chapter, it also becomes clear that Tien, whose name Kaladin mentions occasionally, is his younger brother who has died.

Kaladin’s despair increases. He decides to jump off the plateau in the middle of a storm. However, while he is poised over the precipice, Syl comes back and brings him poisonous plant leaves. Not knowing what they are, the spren believes they can help him and urges him to try taking care of the bridgemen. If they are going to die, there is nothing Kaladin can do to hurt them further. The spren’s words inspire Kaladin and he resolves to try and help those around him.