The Way of Kings

Dalinar calls out his Shardblade, Oathbringer, which takes 10 heartbeats to materialize. The Shardblade is six feet long and incredibly heavy, but for someone wearing Shardplate it feels just right. It is described as “long and slightly curved, a handspan wide, with wavelike serrations near the hilt. It curved at the tip like a fisherman’s hook, and was wet with cold dew” (242).

Together with Dalinar, Sadeas, and Adolin, Elhokar battles the monster. Elhokar’s saddle snaps and he falls off his horse. After suffering several hits from the monster, his plate begins to crack and the king has difficulty moving. Just as it seems that the chasmfiend’s next blow will kill Elhokar, Dalinar intercedes and kills the monster.

Kaladin rises early and attempts to get the other men to come out of the barrack. They ignore him at first, so he tussles with Moash, a strong Alethi man with a hawkish face, and forcibly drags him outside. He tells the bridgemen that they should train every day in order to build up stamina. If they can run faster on the last approach before a battle, maybe fewer men will die. Most men think this idea is ridiculous. Rock, a large Unkalaki, or Horneater, laughs and calls Kaladin crazy. Gaz undermines Kaladin’s authority by saying that Kaladin can command the men only during bridge runs.

Despite the others’ resistance, Kaladin is not discouraged. He understands that true authority is given freely, not taken. The first step to gaining the men’s trust and respect is to demonstrate that he means what he says. Kaladin finds a heavy plank of wood and begins training by carrying it around in different positions.

After killing the monster, Dalinar contemplates the Shattered Plains. The current war strategy of quick skirmishes is his idea, but there have been unforeseen complications to what should have been a relatively quick campaign. The chasmfiends contain gemhearts, priceless stones filled with stormlight that allow the army to produce supplies magically. The monsters come to the plateaus to pupate, forming chrysalises, and whichever army gets to them first gains the ability to replenish their stores. This means that battles can continue indefinitely, even if the Parshendi forces seem to be slowly diminishing. Additionally, getting to a chrysalis has become a competition between the Alethi Highprinces, who work against each other as much as against the Parshendi.

Dalinar goes to the pavilion where the king and Sadeas wait. Elhokar believes that someone tampered with his saddle to assassinate him during the hunt. He charges Dalinar to look into the matter. Afterward, Adolin reveals that the king’s idea is ridiculous and urges his father to distrust Sadeas. Dalinar explains that he and Sadeas share a secret: Gavilar’s last words, written in blood. Dalinar also explains that he adheres to the Alethi War Codes, which call for discipline in all aspects of life, as the last thing Gavilar told him was to “follow the Codes tonight” (284).

Seven and a half years before the novel’s present, Kaladin discusses his potential departure for Kharbranth with Laral, the local lord’s daughter. Kaladin’s father wants to send him there to train to become a surgeon. Laral wants him to keep pursuing his dream of becoming a soldier. If Kaladin wins a Shardblade, he can become a member of the aristocracy. Though Laral does not state it explicitly, she wants Kaladin to court her and that can only happen if they have the same social status. When Kaladin returns home, he finds out from his father that the local lord has died and left them a small fortune for Kaladin’s education.

Kaladin goes to an apothecary for medical supplies. There, he learns that a potent and effective antiseptic derived from the knobweed plant is too expensive for the bridgemen. Even though knobweed grows around the war camp, extracting the liquid is a slow and difficult process, making it prohibitively expensive.

After Kaladin returns from his errand, the marching signal sounds. As crew leader, Kaladin has the right to stay in the safest position: in front while running to the battlefield and at the back during the final approach. While preparing for the final run, Kaladin realizes that he cannot lead from the safety of the back position, so he goes up front and switches places with Rock.

Kaladin is extremely tired after the run, but he is determined to save as many men as possible and looks for wounded. Rock decides to help in return for switching their places. While most of the wounded die quickly, three men survive. Normally, the injured are left behind, but Kaladin bargains with Gaz to bring back the men he saved.

Adolin investigates Elhokar’s suspicion that his saddle was sabotaged. While on a stroll with one of the women he is courting, Adolin talks to several leatherworkers who all agree the saddle strap looks cut. However, they all assume the leather broke because it was worn out by the buckle, rather than because it was cut with a knife. Adolin takes his companion to the temple in order to talk to a priest, or ardent. Adolin confesses his fears about his father’s state of mind due to Dalinar’s visions during highstorms. The ardent concludes that the visions are a product of Dalinar’s own mind, rather than messages from the Almighty.

In the meantime, Dalinar approaches Elhokar with the idea of ending the war or changing tactics. He requests to be made Highprince of War and to be granted special powers. Elhokar agrees to consider the idea if Dalinar can get the other lords to cooperate with him.

This chapter details one of Dalinar’s visions. When he experiences these episodes, he inhabits the body of someone present at the scene. While Dalinar remains aware of himself, he feels compelled to react to the events unfolding in front of him. In this vision, he is a farmer whose family is attacked by an unnatural monster. Just as the family is about to be overwhelmed by the creatures, a man and a woman wearing Shardplate fly down from the sky. They kill the creatures and heal Dalinar’s wounds. As the vision fades, a mysterious voice urges Dalinar to unite Alethkar tells him to “act with honor, and honor will aid you” (376). The Highprince interprets these words to mean that he can trust Sadeas.

This chapter offers a glimpse from Kaladin’s old life as a surgeon’s apprentice, as Kaladin attempts to save a girl injured in a fall. He does everything he knows how to do, but the girl dies from blood loss. Kaladin feels his failure deeply. His father attempts to teach him not to care so much for each individual patient, but the boy does not understand how to do that.

Kaladin wakes up sore from the previous day’s practice. He is tempted to give up and lie in his bunk the next bridge run, but his determination wins and he gets up. Some of the other men are awake, observing him. Kaladin resumes practicing with a plank and eventually feels better.

Gaz brings the news that Sadeas has been made aware of the wounded soldiers saved by Kaladin and has forbidden Gaz to pay or feed them. Most Bridge Four members refuse to help. Rock, however, is willing to share some of his food with a wounded bridgeman who looks like he might recover. However, just Rock’s help will not be enough to feed the three injured men. Kaladin approaches Teft, an older man without a slave brand. Teft is reluctant to give up his food but willing to help in other ways. Kaladin shares his daring plan to collect knobweed while Bridge Four is on rock duty.

Dalinar and his sons attend one of Elhokar’s feasts. Dalinar notices Gavilar’s widow, Navani. She is supposed to be in Alethkar, but must have recently arrived to the war camp. Dalinar is unsettled as he has always had feelings for Navani, despite her being his brother’s wife. She is also a cunning and dangerous woman, whom he cannot entirely trust.

While Kaladin and his men are out collecting stones, they also begin harvesting knobweed, the plant potent antiseptic sap. With the help of Syl, the men are able to collect large quantities of it. They hide it underneath the wagons to retrieve later. Each night, they squeeze the reeds and collect the sap in discarded bottles.

Dalinar attempts to entice various Highlords to collaborate with him. However, the rumors about the Highprince’s visions, as well as his significant military power, make the other aristocrats wary.

Another retrospective chapter describes the arrival of the new lord, Roshone, to Kaladin’s village. Everyone is excited and gathers to greet him. Roshone, however, turns out to be hostile and petty, resenting the town and the need to live there.

One of Dalinar’s scribes reads from The Way of Kings. A message arrives that a chasmfiend has crawled up on a nearby plateau. Dalinar and his men prepare to ride and extract the gemheart. His forces are inspired by their leaders and win the battle, acquiring the gemheart.

Kaladin strikes a deal with the apothecary to be paid for the antiseptic liquid his men extract from the knobweed plant. This will extend Bridge Four’s budget significantly.

Kaladin’s crew is assigned to chasm duty, or walking along the chasm floor scavenging useful things from the dead bodies that have fallen there. The job is both morbid and dangerous, as chasmfiends sometimes appear and kill the crews. During the harvesting process, Bridge Four finds several Parshendi bodies. Kaladin discovers that what he thought was armor is an organic shell that grows out of the enemy’s bodies. It is very hard, but extremely light.

Back at the camp, Kaladin entices the other men to join him by providing a fire and a warm meal. He tasks Rock with cooking stew. Gradually, some of the bridgemen come out of the barrack and join him around the fire.

Dalinar considers stepping down and making Adolin the Kholin Highprince. To work out some of his frustration, he helps dig a latrine hole in the rocky ground, a task meant for darkeyes, as the nonaristocratic Alethi are called. Navani interrupts with the message that the spanreed connected to Jasnah is flashing, meaning that the princess is available to converse. They exchange news and Jasnah sends a sketch of a presumed Voidbringer. The picture looks similar to a chasmfiend.