First Impressions: The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

I have been reading The Way of Kings for a few days now.  Although my review is still - regrettably - a ways off, I hope this post gives you some perspective on what you may be getting into when you crack open the pages of this literary beast.

(the U.K. cover of the book)

As loyal readers may know, I am now in veterinary school and pretty much all of my time is being taken up by studying and sleeping.  This serves all the more to emphasize that fact that I have been unable to put down this book.  Something about Sanderson's writing style is so infectious that you always need to find out what is going to happen next. I am about a quarter of the way through the novel, and so far there have been bloody battles, dangerous hunts, catastrophic storms, and witty banter.  The story begins with two main characters:  Shallan, a young girl trying to decide between her calling of a naturalist and the devious plans of her family, and Kaladin, a young surgeon - turned soldier - turned slave, trying to fight his way back to the man he once was.  These characters (along with many others) are set against a backdrop of a landscape that has evolved to survive during horribly devastating storms.

I don't want to give too much away, and there will be more details (never spoilers) in my coming review, but know this:  I was instantly hooked into this book, and if you get any enjoyment out of reading a large novel filled with great characters and a detailed world, I think you may as well.