The Way of Kings - By Brandon Sanderson

CONTENTS

Prelude to the Stormlight Archive

Book One: The Way of Kings

Prologue: To Kill

Part One: Above Silence

1: STORMBLESSED

2: HONOR IS DEAD

3: CITY OF BELLS

4: THE SHATTERED PLAINS

5: HERETIC

6: BRIDGE FOUR

7: ANYTHING REASONABLE

8: NEARER THE FLAME

9: DAMNATION

10: STORIES OF SURGEONS

11: DROPLETS

Interludes

1-1: ISHIKK

1-2: NAN BALAT

1-3: THE GLORY OF IGNORANCE

Part Two: The Illuminating Storms

12: UNITY

13: TEN HEARTBEATS

14: PAYDAY

15: THE DECOY

16: COCOONS

17: A BLOODY, RED SUNSET

18: HIGHPRINCE OF WAR

19: STARFALLS

20: SCARLET

21: WHY MEN LIE

22: EYES, HANDS, OR SPHERES?

23: MANY USES

24: THE GALLERY OF MAPS

25: THE BUTCHER

26: STILLNESS

27: CHASM DUTY

28: DECISION

Interludes

1-4: RYSN

1-5: AXIES THE COLLECTOR

1-6: A WORK OF ART

Part Three: Dying

29: ERRORGANCE

30: DARKNESS UNSEEN

31: BENEATH THE SKIN

32: SIDE CARRY

33: CYMATICS

34: STORMWALL

35: A LIGHT BY WHICH TO SEE

36: THE LESSON

37: SIDES

38: ENVISAGER

39: BURNED INTO HER

40: EYES OF RED AND BLUE

41: OF ALDS AND MILP

42: BEGGARS AND BARMAIDS

43: THE WRETCH

44: THE WEEPING

45: SHADESMAR

46: CHILD OF TANAVAST

47: STORMBLESSINGS

48: STRAWBERRY

49: TO CARE

50: BACKBREAKER POWDER

51: SAS NAHN

Interludes

1-7: BAXIL

1-8: GERANID

1-9: DEATH WEARS WHITE

Part Four: Storm’s Illumination

52: A HIGHWAY TO THE SUN

53: DUNNY

54: GIBLETISH

55: AN EMERALD BROAM

56: THAT STORMING BOOK

57: WANDERSAIL

58: THE JOURNEY

59: AN HONOR

60: THAT WHICH WE CANNOT HAVE

61: RIGHT FOR WRONG

62: THREE GLYPHS

63: FEAR

64: A MAN OF EXTREMES

65: THE TOWER

66: CODES

67: WORDS

68: ESHONAI

69: JUSTICE

Part Five: The Silence Above

70: SEA OF GLASS

71: RECORDED IN BLOOD

72: VERISTITALIAN

73: TRUST

74: GHOSTBLOOD

75: IN THE TOP ROOM

Epilogue: Of Most Worth

Endnote

Ars Arcanum

ILLUSTRATIONS

Map of Roshar

Map of the Unclaimed Hills and Alethkar

Shallan’s Sketchbook: Skyeels

Map of the Lumberyard

Shallan’s Sketchbook: Chulls

Prime Map of the Shattered Plains

The Alethi Codes of War

Map of the Warcamps

Historical Greatshell Picture

Map of Kharbranth

Map of Four Cities, from Kabsal’s Evidence

Shallan’s Sketchbook: Shalebark

Shallan’s Sketchbook: Axehounds

The History of Man

Shallan’s Sketchbook: Rockbuds

Navani’s Notebook: One

Shallan’s Sketchbook: Plants

Navani’s Notebook: Two

Detail of the Tower Plateau

Relief of Nalan’Elin

THE WAY OF KINGS

PRELUDE TO

THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE

Kalak rounded a rocky stone ridge and stumbled to a stop before the body of a dying thunderclast. The enormous stone beast lay on its side, riblike protrusions from its chest broken and cracked. The monstrosity was vaguely skeletal in shape, with unnaturally long limbs that sprouted from granite shoulders. The eyes were deep red spots on the arrowhead face, as if created by a fire burning deep within the stone. They faded.

Even after all these centuries, seeing a thunderclast up close made Kalak shiver. The beast’s hand was as long as a man was tall. He’d been killed by hands like those before, and it hadn’t been pleasant.

Of course, dying rarely was.

He rounded the creature, picking his way more carefully across the battlefield. The plain was a place of misshapen rock and stone, natural pillars rising around him, bodies littering the ground. Few plants lived here.

The stone ridges and mounds bore numerous scars. Some were shattered, blasted-out sections where Surgebinders had fought. Less frequently, he passed cracked, oddly shaped hollows where thunderclasts had ripped themselves free of the stone to join the fray.

Many of the bodies around him were human; many were not. Blood mixed. Red. Orange. Violet. Though none of the bodies around him stirred, an indistinct haze of sounds hung in the air. Moans of pain, cries of grief. They did not seem like the sounds of victory. Smoke curled from the occasional patches of growth or heaps of burning corpses. Even some sections of rock smoldered. The Dustbringers had done their work well.

But I survived, Kalak thought, hand to breast as he hastened to the meeting place. I actually survived this time.

That was dangerous. When he died, he was sent back, no choice. When he survived the Desolation, he was supposed to go back as well. Back to that place that he dreaded. Back to that place of pain and fire. What if he just decided…not to go?

Perilous thoughts, perhaps traitorous thoughts. He hastened on his way.

The place of meeting was in the shadow of a large rock formation, a spire rising into the sky. As always, the ten of them had decided upon it before the battle. The survivors would make their way here. Oddly, only one of the others was waiting for him. Jezrien. Had the other eight all died? It was possible. The battle had been so furious this time, one of the worst. The enemy was growing increasingly tenacious.

But no. Kalak frowned as he stepped up to the base of the spire. Seven magnificent swords stood proudly here, driven point-first into the stone ground. Each was a masterly work of art, flowing in design, inscribed with glyphs and patterns. He recognized each one. If their masters had died, the Blades would have vanished.

These Blades were weapons of power beyond even Shardblades. These were unique. Precious. Jezrien stood