Thoughts on The Way (Of Kings) - Chap 7 - 14

The Way of Kings : The Stormlight Archive
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Fantasy
August 2010

Chapter 7 - Chapter 14
Pages 112 - 220

The Story

We continue learning about Brightlady Shallan Davar as she tries to covince Brightness Jasnah Kholin to take her on as a ward.  Jasnah tells Shallan that her history and philosophy knowledge is deficient and she will take her on if she studies.  Shallan knows that will take FOREVER so she needs to find a way to get Jasnah to change her mind.

Meanwhile, Kaladin is trying to decide if he wants to continue living as a slave or kill himself.  We look back at Kaladin as a youngster as he trains with his surgeon father all the while wishing he could be training to become a soldier.  Now that Kaladin is a soldier, he wonders if he made the right choice.

We are also introduced to The King Elhokar Kholin, his uncle Brightprince Dalinar Kholin and some other Brightprinces: Adolin, Renarin, Sadeas and Vamas.  They are going on a hunt for the great chasmfiend.  These chasmfiends have gemhearts that allow them to support their armies while trying to fulfill the Vengeance Pact and take out Parshendi, the ones who ordered King Gavilar Kholin's murder.

The World Building

Sanderson continues to flesh out Roshar so we have some new people, places and other stuff to add to our knowledge.

The Spren - light that takes shape under a variety of circumstances

• creationspren - silvery
• flamespren - attracted to fire
• logicspren - cloudy looking
• lifespren - green
• gloryspren - golden

The Places

• Valath
• Alethkar - missed noting this last week!
• Bavland
• Villages and towns - Fu Abra, Fu Ralis, Fu Namir, Fu Albast, Fu Moorin, Ironsway

People - more nationalities - Roshar is HUGE!

• Makabaki - The Azish and The Emuli
• Unkalaki

Vocabulary

• Shardbearers - have shardplates and shardblades
• nahn - citizenship levels - first nahn are only second to the ruling class
• Nan - first son (not just by age)
• Nomon - blue middle moon
• soulcasting
• fabrial and fabrial science - recreating power from the past with gemstones
• safehand vs freehand - girls have them, the safehand gets covered at adolescence
• Heralds - teach mankind after ousting from heaven
• Voidbringers - fought the Heralds
• Radiants - founded by the Heralds but went overboard with power
• Selay - language
• kongril - brings good luck
• curses - Stormfather, Dustmother, Kelek, Damnation
• oathstone - if you have someone's oathstone they do whatever you want
• Alethi War Codes - in the old days was followed by the Radiants. Gavilar Kholin re-discovered them and found they were actually about bringing peace.  He was the only one who followed them.  Now Dalinar, Gavilar's brother, follows them and teaches them to his sons.
• Ryshadium - special horses that can bear the weight of Shardbringers and can communicate with them.
• chasmfiend - weird 30-foot tall creature that armies want to destroy
• women - readers
• men - involved in business

Family Ties 

Gavilar Kholin - King who was killed by Szeth on Parshendi orders
Navani - Gavilar's Queen
Elhokar - Gavilar's son, now the King, 27, Shardbearer, his blade is Sunraiser
Jasnah - Gavilar's daughter, atheist, leading scholar, Soulcaster

Dalinar Kholin - Brightprince who was preoccupied the night his brother, Gavilar, was killed.  Now determined to take care of his nephew, Elhokar.  He's a Shardbearer who's blade is Oathbringer.
Adolin- Dalinar's son, Brightprince, 23, Shardbearer, things his dad needs to do more warmongering
Renarin - Dalinar's son, Brightprince, 19

Lirin - only surgeon in Hearthstone, second nahn, studied in Kharbranth
Hesina- Lirin's wife and assistant
Kaladin - Lirin's son, 27,  was a soldier known as Stormblessed Kaladin, now a slave working in Brightprince Sadeas' troops as a bridge leader.
Tien - Lirin's son, deceased, Kaladin blames himself for Tien's death

Brightlord Davar - abusive father who cheated his way through life and left his family destitute
Shallan - Davar's daughter, wants to steal from Jasnah Kholin
Helaran - Shallan's missing older brother, presumed dead
Nan Balat - Shallan's next older brother, loves killing helpless creatures
Tet Wikim - Shallan's brother who appears to be manic depressive
Asha Jushu - Shallan's brother

What I'm Thinking

Sanderson has created a fantastic world that becomes more visible as I continue reading. The characters are starting to become people as we learn bits and pieces of their lives both now and in the past.  It's like I'm assembling a puzzle and I almost have all the edges filled in.  The picture is emerging and I'm getting pulled into the story.  It's becoming increasingly hard to take notes as I just don't want to step out of the book for a moment!

What's Next

Chapters 15 - 22.