The Way of King's is author Brandon Sanderson's attempt at epic fantasy. Before I critique the novel, let me say that it well deserves its grade as an A- book and ranks above a few of the other novels he has put out (all of which are fantastic by the way). So don't let the 1001 pages or any negative feedback put you off.
I will not talk about the writing because it is similar to that of his other books and in no way exceeds or falls short of them. Therefore I will only focus on plot line and things of that nature.
Pace: In a book this large it is impossible to completely avoid the feeling that a particular section or chapter is dragging. This will always happen at one point or another with a book of this size. I actually had this problem less with Way of Kings than I have with other books with a comparable length. Most of the time Brandon is pretty good about decided when he needs to switch viewpoints again and visit a character he has neglected for a while. This book actually reminds me a lot of The Great Hunt (The second book of The Wheel of Time series) in which the author must juggle more than a few viewpoints.
Characterization: This is the bulk of my negative comments about the book. Although Dalinar and Kaladin are well-developed (as well as all the minor characters on the Shattered Plains), Jasnah, Shallan, and the other characters in the west are not. In Shallan's case we do know quite a bit about her past, but it is . . . well, boring. For me Shallan did not get interesting until her encounter towards the end of the novel. Although I love reading about Kaladin's past (especially his brother Tien) I felt like putting in SO MUCH of it was cheating the reader. I realize Brandon has a clear view of what he wants to do but I would rather he work those large chunks into the chapters as smaller chunks or comments or memories over a longer period of time to give the reader the sense that he is actually getting to know Kaladin better rather than just reading Kaladin's history.
Magic: As always, Brandon has an interesting magic system quite different than anything he has written before. I suppose that is his trademark: to invent a new and unique magic system for each of his books. Way of Kings is no exception. I felt like he handled it perfectly. A little over explanation of surgebindings in fight scenes, but overall well done.
Climax and Ending: The climax was perfectly placed and well developed and supported by what the reader has come to know. The ending was not rushed yet not dragged out either and it made for the perfect transition into the second book when it comes out. The mini-climax and ending for the Jasnah/Shallan story thread was much too rushed but it had to happen that way because of Brandon's neglect concerning that storyline.
Best/Worst: As far as characters go Dalinar, Kaladin, then Adolin top the list for me. Kasbal and Shallan are solidly at the bottom. The pace of unfurling the magic system with Kaladin and Dalinar was perfect. Elokhar, though he is meant to be a weak character, is too weak in my opinion. Hoid (explained below).
Things to look forward to: A Jasnah viewpoint in future books would be great because she comes across as a potentially interesting character but she didn't really get a chance to shine here. I would also like an ardent viewpoint at some point in the series so that the reader can more fully explore the Devotaries and the Vorin religion.
Hoid: Brandon has the tendency to talk down to his reader at times. He realizes that not all of his readers can figure out everything by themselves, but it still bothers me when he has to directly come out and say things. Hoid in this book is a great example of that. I would rather continue to read vague hints and clues at the cosmere and Hoid but this book gives him nearly two full chapters worth of material. I don't know how I feel about this. I would rather be forced to figure it out on my own at roughly the same pace as Brandon has been laying it out thus far. A pace increase was required eventually, but this was too far of a leap.
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