The Most Important Words

"But we are each many different people, and you can tell much
about a person by what they carry with them" (142).
Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings (2010)



Points for Reflection

Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings (2010), Part One (chps. 1-11 & Interludes, pp. 15-180)

  1. Why does Szeth abhor the idea of Alethi scholars creating new Shardblades?
  2. Holding onto hope as a slave proves incredibly difficult; what glimmers of light shine on the slaves trafficked by Tylakv?  Does Kaladin have less hope than his fellow slaves, or more?
  3. How well do Jasnah and Shallan each conform to the rules of propriety regulating Vorin societies like Alethkar?
  4. Are Alethi men utterly illiterate?
  5. Does the novel thus far provide enough evidence to deduce what the Oathpact was that the Radiants broke?
  6. To what purposes do the few in possession of Soulcasters put their special devices?
  7. In what ways does the primary form of currency shape cultural values and practices?
  8. Does Jasnah, who spends most of her time researching the past, seem like an artifact of a bygone era?
  9. Do Kaladin’s past experiences on the battlefield appear to fulfill the dreams he had as a kid?
  10. Do Kaladin’s skills as a healer match his prowess as a fighter?
  11. What is Kaladin’s default emotional disposition, and why?
  12. What drives Kaladin to leadership in battle?
  13. Does Kaladin adhere to the Vorin faith dominating his culture?
  14. Why does Kaladin dislike lighteyed folk so much?
  15. Kaladin tells Syl that there’s a third category of people--a category never mentioned by his father--that he himself fits into it.  Does the book appear to implicitly support Kaladin’s conclusion?
  16. How does Sylphrena (Syl) differ from other windspren, and what does she appear to value?
  17. Why did Shallan develop skill with a pencil, and what benefits does this talent provide her?
  18. Does Shallan think herself attractive?
  19. Does Shallan prove as confrontational, as willing to rock the boat, as Jasnah?
  20. What conditions shaped Shallan’s education?
  21. How has Shallan’s family maintained their wealth in recent years?
  22. Nan Balat considers himself the only one of Shallan’s brothers to have escaped their father’s abuse unscathed? Is his self-estimation valid?
  23. Does Shallan’s intelligence match her artistic skill?
  24. In how many languages can Shallan speak?
  25. Does Shallan’s self-discipline extend to her mind?  Is she able to consciously suppress certain memories?
  26. Does Jasnah’s heresy present a serious obstacle to Shallan’s relationship with her?
  27. Which of the five Davar children proves the wittiest as they grow up together?
  28. Does Shallan appear to have loved her father?
  29. Why do the Alethi have such difficulty dealing with Szeth’s aggression?
  30. What attitude has Szeth adopted towards the mission given him by his masters?
  31. Do bridgemen’s crimes seem commensurate with the lives they must live as bridgemen?
  32. Do the heralds, of whom we gain only glimpses, seem human?
  33. Do Alethi efforts at social justice balance their love of violence?
  34. Are the Shin, of which Szeth is one, a peace-loving people?
  35. Do Vorin women occupy an enviable social position, in terms of education and profession, relative to modern women in the real world?
  36. In rejecting the Vorin devotaries, which encourage hard work at one’s profession, does Jasnah reject hard work itself?
  37. Does Kharbranth’s location and architecture suggest it could easily withstand attack?


abstract image of sun in distant, its rays penetrating a bluish landscape in the foreground
The Way of Kings (2010)
Michael Whelan

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu