The Way of Kings is an epic fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. It was released by Tor Books on August 31, 2010. It is the first volume in a planned ten-novel series called The Stormlight Archive. The world of The Way of Kings is one constantly assaulted by hurricanes, referred to in the book as highstorms. Flora and fauna have evolved to cope with this condition. In response to an attack by malevolent entities , the "Almighty" fashions magical weapons and suits of armor, called Shardblades and Shardplates. The "Almighty" equips knights, known as Radiants, with these, and, eventually, the... Radiants defeat the evil Voidbringers. Then, for unknown reasons, the Radiants turn against mankind, ignoring their cause and vanishing. They leave their Shardplates and Shardblades for all who want them, thus creating wars and strife. The book begins at a phase where warlords have, for many years, been gathering armies around Shardblade-wielding fighters. These armies fight over possession of the remaining Shardblades in an attempt to acquire a decisive advantage. The book begins with a look at the life of the Heralds, the leaders of the Knights Radiant.
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