Excerpt of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson Released (New Series)

Brandon Sanderson, the author who took over Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, has a new series in the works called The Stormlight Archive, the first book of which, The Way of Kings, will hit your shelves on August 31st, 2010! The best part, however, is that you can read the first three chapters for free on Tor.com (along with a prelude and introduction by the author)! All you have to do is head on over to this link and sign in or sign up (it’s free to join Tor.com). More information about the series will become available here. More information after the fold:
About the Book:
The Way of Kings is the first book in a ten-book epic fantasy series. The publicist who brought this book to my attention had this to say:

Here is a world with historical depths to rival Tolkien, a deep and compelling cast of characters to rival Jordan, and a complex and involving story with all the head-spinning twists and surprises the young fantasy master has become known for. Sanderson’s unique gifts for imaginative landscapes and distinctive systems of magic and technology have never been more apparent. THE WAY OF KINGS is an ambitious and immersive first novel in a series that could ultimately redefine the fantasy landscape.

And the back cover apparently reads as follows (from Amazon):

Widely acclaimed for his work completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga, Brandon Sanderson now begins a grand cycle of his own, one every bit as ambitious and immersive.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.

Speak again the ancient oaths,

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.

and return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again.

Sounds interesting. I hope there’s as much detail in the world as this seems to indicate.
Author Bio:

Brandon Sanderson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hero of Ages and Warbreaker. He is currently completing Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time. He also teaches at Brigham Young University, where he earned a master’s degree in creative writing. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, he lives in Utah with his wife and two children.

And that’s all I’ve got right now. Sounds interesting. I’ve never read anything by Sanderson before, but this one has grabbed my interest for sure. What about you?