Sean Anderson
asked:
I'm not fond of overly religious fantasy. I know Brandon Sanderson is a LDS member, which isn't at all a problem for me, but as an anti-theist I often found myself thinking (whilst reading Mistborn) that his religious beliefs (monotheistic with subplots of prophets etc...) were flavouring the story a little too much for my liking. Should I read The Way of Kings if I feel this way about Mistborn?
To answer questions about
The Way of Kings,
please sign up.
Trong Tran
I find it hard to believe that if you finished Mistborn you would believe Mistborn was Monotheistic flavored. That would, actually be incorrect if you finished the book.
(Spoilers for Mistborn incoming, only in this paragraph)
Interestingly enough, if you didn't pick up on it, though yes Brandon is a fully devout religious believer, he writes atheistic viewpoints beautifully and reasonably. Sazed, arguably the most religious character in the book, became incredibly doubtful, to the point that he even said EVERY religion he knew wasn't factually consistent!
As you read, you'll understand the religious themes don't even feel related to anything we know, because he literally made it up and based it on an intricate foundation for a magic system. Powerful deities/entities that give power to the worlds they occupy, and of course, religions that stem from the powers that manifest because of it.
The Stormlight Archive has a powerfully written Atheist as an important character that doesn't seem half-cocked and poorly created. She gives really powerful arguments, despite Brandon's beliefs.
All in all, I recommend the series. Religion really takes a backseat in this series, but in both this one and Mistborn is stems from realistic perspectives of the populace. I hope you understand that.
TL;DR: Yes you should, it's not as religious.
(Spoilers for Mistborn incoming, only in this paragraph)
Interestingly enough, if you didn't pick up on it, though yes Brandon is a fully devout religious believer, he writes atheistic viewpoints beautifully and reasonably. Sazed, arguably the most religious character in the book, became incredibly doubtful, to the point that he even said EVERY religion he knew wasn't factually consistent!
As you read, you'll understand the religious themes don't even feel related to anything we know, because he literally made it up and based it on an intricate foundation for a magic system. Powerful deities/entities that give power to the worlds they occupy, and of course, religions that stem from the powers that manifest because of it.
The Stormlight Archive has a powerfully written Atheist as an important character that doesn't seem half-cocked and poorly created. She gives really powerful arguments, despite Brandon's beliefs.
All in all, I recommend the series. Religion really takes a backseat in this series, but in both this one and Mistborn is stems from realistic perspectives of the populace. I hope you understand that.
TL;DR: Yes you should, it's not as religious.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more