Book review: The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

SPOILERS

I wanted to write down what I thought the major events of the first book because I'm re-reading the series so I can read the 5th book with everything fresh in my mind.

Opening: Gavilar assassination by Sveth, truthless, assassin in white. Lashing to change gravity, stick objects together.

Kaladin: we get his full back story, training as a surgeon growing up, joining the army to protect his little brother Tien, then having to watch him die. Later, he kills a shardbearer to protect his lighteye lord Amaram, then when he refuses to claim the shardblade because it caused the death of most of his squad, he has to watch the rest of his squad killed and is made a slave, so Amaram can claim the shards. This is told in flashbacks throughout the book. The main timeline follows him as a slave, meeting Syl the spren, then being made a bridgeman in Sadeas's army on the Shattered Plains. He despairs and nearly kills himself, Syl convinces him to try to help. He figures out how to train and protect his squad of bridgemen, but by using the bridge to shield them from arrows, he throws an assault on the Parshendi at the Tower into disarray, and his strung up in a highstorm as punishment. Bridgemen are bait, they aren't supposed to survive. Hints that he's using stormlight from spheres to fuel special abilities to survive from before are confirmed when he survives the highstorm, healing some of his wounds, and seeing a giant face in the storm.

He works with Rock, Teft, Moash, Skar on an escape plan. Teft recognizes Kaladin's Radiant powers. They use Parshendi carapace armor to enrage them and draw all arrow attacks, saving bridgemen lives. Finally rescues Dalinar from Sadeas's betrayal at the Tower, and Dalinar buys all the bridgemen from Sadeas with his shardblade.

Dalinar keeps the codes from The Way of Kings, has visions during highstorms. Old magic keeps him from remembering his first wife. He wants to unite the high-princes, protect Ehlokar the young king. Final vision reveals the visions are just recordings, the almighty is dead. Adolin likes duels and women. Navani is Gavilar's widow, finally begins courting Dalinar. Sadeas uses joint assault on the Tower to betray Dalinar, leave him stranded. Meets Parshendi shardbearer, who beats him, says "I've finally found you." Kaladin intervenes. Kaladin's crew rescues instead of escaping.

Shallan wants to apprentice with Jasnah to steal her fabrial to save her family/brothers, after her father's death. Kabsal ardent fancies her, bread and jam. Shallan takes Memories by blinking, can reproduce accurately in a drawing later. Starts seeing squiggle-headed figures in her drawing. Sees shadesmar. Shallan is poisoned by Kabsal, reveals she stole the fabrial so Jasnah can save her. Jasnah furious/exile threat, but Shallan figures out Jasnah doesn't need fabrial, shows her she can talk to the figures and enter Shadesmar - she must tell a 'true thing' to voices, we learn she killed her father, and has a shardblade. Shallan wants to help Jasnah. Jasnah accepts her, reveals worry that the Parshmen are voidbringers, and that the Ghostbloods are trying to kill her. Shallan realizes her father was a Ghostblood.

Tarvangian uses Sveth to kill leaders and rulers, king of Jah Keved, revealed to be draining blood to kill critically ill so he can record their death prophecies.