The Way of Kings: Tien’s Death Attempt 1 [Assistant Peter’s note: This is Brandon’s first attempt at writing Kaladin’s flashback scene including Tien’s death. Brandon quickly abandoned this version and then wrote the published version two days later.] “This is a mistake,” Kaladin said, hurrying across the grassy rock through camp. “Amaram promised that he would remain…
The Way of Kings early brainstorms / outlines Assistant Peter’s note: Following are some of Brandon’s notes when he was planning the 2010 version of The Way of Kings. At the beginning of these it looks a lot like Way of Kings Prime, but then it starts to look more like the version we know and love.…
The Way of Kings Chapter 28 (D) This early draft chapter corresponds to the published chapter 28. The first scene here was changed to Adolin’s point of view in the published book, and there are important changes throughout. Dalinar stood with gauntleted hands clasped behind his back, watching two chulls follow their handler, stepping up…
The Way of Kings Chapter 26 (D) This early draft chapter corresponds to chapter 26 in the final book. “I stood in the darkened monastery chamber,” the woman read, standing at the lectern with the tome open before her, “its reaches painted with pools of black where light did not wander. I sat on the…
The Way of Kings Chapters 23 and 24 (D) This early draft chapter corresponds to parts of chapter 24, with a bit that went much earlier, into chapter 12. The first scene here was cut entirely, and included the only on-screen appearance of Dalinar’s head Stormwarden, Elthebar, who is mentioned twice by name in the…
The Way of Kings Chapter 20 (D) This early draft chapter corresponds to parts of chapter 18 and all of chapter 22. Dalinar strode down the hallway of the king’s war palace, booted feet clomping on marble flooring, the sound echoing against stone walls broken by windows on the leeward side. Those windows were the…
The Way of Kings Chapter 18 (D) This early draft chapter corresponds to parts of chapter 15 and chapter 18. You may notice that some lines appearing in the final book are here spoken by other characters. Four hours after the hunt, Dalinar and the others still waited on their plateau. The mound that had…
The Way of Kings Chapter 16 (D) This chapter is largely the same as chapter 13 in the final book, with a major difference at the end. You should be able to see why Brandon made this change. Ten heartbeats. One. That was how long it took to summon a Shardblade. If Dalinar’s heart was…
The Way of Kings Chapter 15 (D) This chapter continues the theme from the previous deleted scene, but it also references some major concepts that were changed in the final book. Gemhearts are quite different, “capturing plateaus” is a thing in this war, and Dalinar has a mysterious tattoo… This chapter also corresponds to parts…
The Way of Kings Chapter 13 (D) One of Brandon’s largest revisions in the early writing of the 2010 version of The Way of Kings was a restructuring of Dalinar’s first chapters. The reaction from Brandon’s writing group after they finished reading the chapters from Part Two in the first week of 2010 let him know about…
