Brandon Sanderson, ever heard of him? No? Well... CHECK OUT HIS BOOKS. THEY'RE GREAT.

Sanderson has created an Epic Fantasy series called the Stormlight Archive. The first book is called 'The Way of Kings.' And get this, each book in the series is named after a book Sanderson created in the series. 'The Way of Kings?' It's a book Dalinar Kholin, one of the main characters, lives by.

The series contains giant light-weight swords that form out of mist and create legends out of the men who wield such mighty weapons. The blade can cut through anything but flesh. Although it cannot cut flesh, it can cut the soul.

The novel takes place in a world called Roshar; a place where deadly Highstorms rule. Highstorms are like thunderstorms and hurricanes on steroids. These storms are so dangerous that anyone caught in one dies. Highstorms make life on Roshar truly interesting. Because of these storms, grass pulls into the ground, leaves retreat into branches, and trees lie flat when disturbed. This is the way of life when something so deadly comes around every few days.

The first book (the way of kings) follows mostly on a character name Kaladin. Many, however, have taken to calling him Kaladin Stormblessed. Kaladin is raised as a surgeon but becomes a spearman, then a slave and is ultimately placed into a Bridge Crew. A bridge crew is a group of men who carry a giant wooden bridge on their shoulders across the Shattered Plains (the war-front between the Alethi and the Parshendi). Being in a bridge crew means... death. They're sent to the front of the armies to be shot down by enemy arrows. And Kaladin is placed into most casualty high crew of them all: Bridge Four. Throughout the novel, you learn how and why he ended up in such a terrible place.

The book also follows two other characters: Dalinar Kholin and Shallan Davar. Dalinar is an honorable general and HighPrince, who is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Or at least he was in his more youthful days and before visions were sent to him. These visions have started to taint his reputation and rumors are being spread that he's gone mad.

Shallan Davar is a young woman who has never left her Father's estates until now. With the threat of a financial collapse in her family house, she takes up the task of becoming the ward to one of the most powerful, intelligent, and dangerous women in all of Roshar; Jasnah Kholin, sister to the King (her brother) and niece to Dalinar.

Much, much more earth-shattering things take place that will literally have you at the edge of your seat. And throughout the entire book, you get this sense that something BIGGER is at play.

So far, only three books are out, although ten books are planned for the total amount of novels. However, each book contains 1,000+ pages, and A LOT happens. Many epic, great, and also terrible (for the characters and world) things will occur. Please don't let the page count scare you away. This series deserves so much attention and recognition.

I recommend this series to anyone who loves high fantasy, amazingly well-developed characters and world, magic, and a chance to see a new classic appear right before your eyes. I truly believe this author, Brandon Sanderson, could join the ranks of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Michael Moorcock.

Book summary/back cover of the first book; The Way of Kings
I long for the days before the Last Desolation. Before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. When there was still magic in Roshar and honor in the hearts of men.

In the end, not war but victory proved the greater test. Did our foes see that the harder they fought, the fiercer our resistance? Fire and hammer forge a sword; time and neglect rust it away. So we won the world, yet lost it.

Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon, forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin, who weeps as he kills; the liar, who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince, whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes.

One of them may redeem us. One of them will destroy us.

From Brandon Sanderson—the author completing Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series—comes The Stormlight Archive, a richly imagined epic set in a world relentlessly blasted by awesome tempests, where emotions take on physical form, and terrible secrets hide deep within the rocky landscape.

~*~
Speak again the hallowed oaths:
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before destination.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.
~*~