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The Stormlight Archive #3
Oathbringer
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2017)ASIN B01NAWAH85 moved to the more recent edition
In Oathbringer humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance.
Dalinar Kholin’s Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified.
Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar’s blood-soaked past and stand together—and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past—even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization.
1220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2017
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
386 books246k followersI’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
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October 28, 2020
My review probably won’t be able to do this book justice. Well, justice is dead but I’ll see what I can do.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that my expectations regarding Oathbringer were extremely hard to contain. I had heard a lot of fantastic things about this series the first time I went through The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance last year, but I read through them many years after their original release dates. Oathbringer is a different experience in terms of environment and surrounding hype; this time I’m actually in the midst of all the hype, praises, and excitement everywhere. Because of this my expectations were Skybreaking high; especially after reading one of my favorite books of all time: Words of Radiance. Despite my irrational expectations, I’m gratified to say that Sanderson managed to meet my expectations because Oathbringer ended up being another masterwork installment in The Stormlight Archive series.
There’s always something in Sanderson’s story that resonates with me. Whether it’s a topic involving religion, oppression, camaraderie, or love, any book he writes will always feature one theme that is expressed articulately, and that is hope. In my opinion, out of every book that Sanderson has written so far, Oathbringer is the darkest in terms of tone. Yet, despite how dark the story gets, Sanderson reminds us that hope will always be there, and it is a theme that I will always appreciate. It’s refreshing, satisfying, and makes me happy to read his books. There’s always something philosophical and positive to learn and apply in our real-life situations from Sanderson’s books, and that remained true here, maybe even stronger than ever.
The story was unpredictable, full of twists and turns and filled with tons of revelations. Oathbringer managed to build upon every foundation that was prepared since the beginning of The Way of Kings, and in phenomenal ways. In this gigantic book, there are no words wasted. In fact, there is so much plot progression in Oathbringer that it makes both The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance–as epic and majestic as they are already—feel like a preparation for this book alone. With new antagonists who completely raise the stakes for Roshar, along with tons of powerful and memorable moments, Oathbringer is a meticulously structured book that felt like a trilogy or duology on its own.
The amount of action sequences in this book far surpasses both of its predecessors. Sanderson is seriously at the top of his game when it comes to his action scenes here. If you have read any of Sanderson’s books, you should know by now that Sanderson always prepares a fantastic climax sequence to end his book in a memorable way; this applies for all of his books. The fanbase called it the "Sanderson Avalanche" (no idea who named this in the first place) and this time, we didn’t get just one, but two avalanches. This, in my opinion, is a very smart move. Not only it made the book felt like a duology/trilogy, it also made the pacing exceptional. Unlike Words of Radiance, which featured Sanderson’s best close-quarter combat sequences to date, Oathbringer’s final conclusion is more of an epic war on a grand scale. Giant monsters, magical blades, magic clashing and unleashed, dark and cataclysmic situations, heart-pounding, intense, fist pumping and poignant moments, all told in magnificent shifting multi-POV narration; it was action-packed, pivotal, and simply epic in the true sense of the word.
It’s been half a year since I’ve read and reviewed any of Sanderson’s full novels. You know what made me miss his work the most? His characterizations. Sanderson always has a way of developing his characters with his narration to the point where we truly get inside their heads, even when it’s written in third person perspective. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books and there are really only a few authors who can do this wonderfully. The number of characters featured is not small by any means; this series features hundreds of characters. At the same time, it features Sanderson’s biggest cast of POV; yet these characters all remain distinct and unique in their personalities. Tons of characters—both main and side characters—receive proper and significant character developments, but the spotlight of this book undisputedly goes to Dalinar. We have seen Kaladin’s past in The Way of Kings, Shallan’s in Words of Radiance, and finally, it’s time for Dalinar’s. If you have started the first book, most likely you’ll know already what Dalinar past will involves. I need to remind you of this: unlike the previous two books—even though Words of Radiance was meant to be Shallan’s book—Kaladin is not the main character here. Oathbringer is without a doubt, Dalinar’s book.
Picture: Dalinar Kholin by vargasni
It's truly an incredible experience to have witnessed Dalinar’s growth throughout the passage of time. Three chapters into his past and I can say that it was already better than all Shallan’s flashback chapters in Words of Radiance. I was completely captivated by Dalinar’s character development and history here; Sanderson truly did a superlative job in integrating Dalinar’s past into the main storyline. It was emotionally rewarding to read the culmination of all his experience in this book; making him one of my favorite characters of all time.
If I have to choose only ONE thing that Oathbringer did better than its predecessors, it’s definitely the lore and world-building. The world-building is already masterfully done in the previous two books, but somehow, Sanderson successfully made it even better. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance storylines were heavily centered on The Shattered Plain, whereas Oathbringer finally diverts its attention from that place and visits many other major cities in Roshar. It’s epic in scope and, combined with intricate maps and astounding revelations in the lore, this is once again Sanderson at the top of this game. If you’re not a fan of intricate world-building, I seriously think you’re going to have a hard time enjoying this series because that is definitely one of the main strengths of this series.
I’ve talked about Sanderson’s prose several times now, and I don’t think I need to state how well written his books are. His prose is simple, immersive, vivid, (Oops, I did it again) but the most important thing to me is that it always feels like coming “home”. Sanderson shows us that fancy words and purple prose aren’t necessary to create a masterpiece of an epic fantasy. His writing never felt forced, it’s like all these words came to his head naturally. A sign of an amazing book is when you’re reading and never felt bored with any page. Oathbringer is in fact the biggest single installment I’ve ever read in my life, and I was completely enthralled with every moment of it. Some much smaller book could make me feel like homework but for Oathbringer, despite its staggering size, I still craved more. This is all due to the extremely well written and well-polished prose style that Sanderson employs.
Let’s talk about the book’s value. When people told me they don’t want to start this series because it’s too monstrous, I honestly can’t agree with that. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance were too short for me; with each book’s conclusion I always ended up craving more, and that’s still true here. Oathbringer is a staggering 450k words or 1243 pages and somehow, it’s still not enough. Plus, each book in the series feels like a special limited edition. Starting from the beautiful endpapers by Dan Dos Santos and Howard Lyon, then the gorgeous chapter icons and twenty-two interior artworks by amazing artists such as Miranda Meeks, Kelly Harris, Ben McSweeney, Isaac Steward and once again, Dan Dos Santos, we are given so much in order to enrich our imagination and experience. Oathbringer is truly a MUST HAVE book. At the time of writing this review, I have around one hundred physical books and only three of them—Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Arcanum Unbounded—are hardcovers. I won’t go into full detail on why I dislike hardcover, but to explain it as simply as possible, they’re heavy, uncomfortable to read, and super expensive. However, I have to make a special exception for this series because of its gorgeous artworks and satisfying value. I spent $45 to buy the HC of Oathbringer, (it is that expensive where I live) but it was truly money well spent and I’ll do it again for future installments of the series.
Picture: Thaylen Female Fashion by Dan Dos Santos.
I have talked a LOT about this book. Let’s get to the most important questions:
-Is Oathbringer a worthy sequel? Absolutely
-Is it better than the previous books? Sadly, I have to say no.
It’s definitely better than The Way of Kings but not Words of Radiance. In my opinion, it’s inferior to Words of Radiance in terms of quality. There are some things that Words of Radiance did better, especially when it comes to intimate and evocative scenes, and there are also some ways in which Oathbringer surpasses it, such as plot and world building. However, this will be the first time I actually have some cons—though they are minor—with any installment in this series.
To me, the main character of the series is Kaladin. This is almost completely a Dalinar and somehow, Shallan’s book. I know, I know, it was meant to be written that way, and I have no complaint about how it’s written. However, Kaladin’s storyline didn’t truly begin until halfway through the book, which took 600 pages; before that, his POV was scarce and close to nonexistent despite him making an appearance in other character’s POV.
Picture: Grumpy Kaladin by botanicaxu
It’s just a matter of preference; Dalinar’s, Shallan’s, and everyone’s storyline are incredibly compelling in their own way, but Kaladin and Bridge Four will always be special and remained one of the most illuminating parts of the series for me. Secondly, I mentioned in my Words of Radiance review that I fell in love with Shallan’s character there, but Oathbringer changed my mind on this. Shallan’s growth—though fascinating and making the plot more interesting—occurred in ways that made me dislike her character. Shallan is, in fact, the first female character written by Sanderson that I dislike at this point, and I sometimes even found her infuriating. Lastly, there are two scenes that I wish didn’t happen off-screen.
Do know that these are minor cons and that the three books in The Stormlight Archive totally stand above almost all books I’ve ever read in the genre. Oathbringer is not a perfect book by any means, but just like true love, I absolutely love this book with all my heart despite some flaws it had. Diving into this series is like diving into a long-term relationship, and one I’m glad to partake in. Call me selfish but right now, I’m at the point where I’ll be completely happy if Sanderson decides to drop all his outside of Cosmere universe works. I just can’t bring myself to care about his other books outside of Cosmere when in fact, I already know that the Cosmere and this series comprise his magnum opus.
This will probably be my last epic fantasy novel review of the year. I binge reread and read the series so far within three weeks and now I’m in a major “Stormlight Archive’s hangover”, I will need at least a month before starting another epic fantasy series unless I’m willing to risk rating them unfairly. That said, I’m going to end my review here, this has become the longest review I ever wrote so far and trust me, there are a myriad amount of things I left out for the sake of making this review as spoiler-free as possible for your maximum reading experience. Oathbringer is not just a book, it’s a grimoire that’s filled with magical power capable of transporting me to the best kind of escapism experience. It strengthens the reason why I read, why I love epic fantasy, and why The Stormlight Archive is my number 1 favorite series of all time. (I haven’t read Malazan Book of the Fallen yet so this might change in the future.)
The Stormlight Archive has always been one of the series which I urge anyone to start as soon as possible, and this is still true. Waiting for the completion of this series before diving into it is ridiculous; not only are you going to have to wait at least twenty years before its completion, but we don’t even know what the future holds for this series, and for each one of us. Do. Not. Wait. Start this masterpiece series now and let us speak the ancient oaths together!
Picture: My Cosmere collection
Side note: I need to remind you once again to please read Warbreaker before diving into this series; same as Words of Radiance, one more character from that book appears here.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
It’s not an exaggeration to say that my expectations regarding Oathbringer were extremely hard to contain. I had heard a lot of fantastic things about this series the first time I went through The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance last year, but I read through them many years after their original release dates. Oathbringer is a different experience in terms of environment and surrounding hype; this time I’m actually in the midst of all the hype, praises, and excitement everywhere. Because of this my expectations were Skybreaking high; especially after reading one of my favorite books of all time: Words of Radiance. Despite my irrational expectations, I’m gratified to say that Sanderson managed to meet my expectations because Oathbringer ended up being another masterwork installment in The Stormlight Archive series.
“This book, the third in the Stormlight Archive, is the most intimate, most tightly woven, and most eclectic book I’ve ever written—all wrapped up into one… I like this book. I really, really like this book.” –Brandon Sanderson
There’s always something in Sanderson’s story that resonates with me. Whether it’s a topic involving religion, oppression, camaraderie, or love, any book he writes will always feature one theme that is expressed articulately, and that is hope. In my opinion, out of every book that Sanderson has written so far, Oathbringer is the darkest in terms of tone. Yet, despite how dark the story gets, Sanderson reminds us that hope will always be there, and it is a theme that I will always appreciate. It’s refreshing, satisfying, and makes me happy to read his books. There’s always something philosophical and positive to learn and apply in our real-life situations from Sanderson’s books, and that remained true here, maybe even stronger than ever.
“The trick to happiness wasn’t in freezing every momentary pleasure and clinging to each one, but in ensuring one’s life would produce many future moments to anticipate.”
The story was unpredictable, full of twists and turns and filled with tons of revelations. Oathbringer managed to build upon every foundation that was prepared since the beginning of The Way of Kings, and in phenomenal ways. In this gigantic book, there are no words wasted. In fact, there is so much plot progression in Oathbringer that it makes both The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance–as epic and majestic as they are already—feel like a preparation for this book alone. With new antagonists who completely raise the stakes for Roshar, along with tons of powerful and memorable moments, Oathbringer is a meticulously structured book that felt like a trilogy or duology on its own.
The amount of action sequences in this book far surpasses both of its predecessors. Sanderson is seriously at the top of his game when it comes to his action scenes here. If you have read any of Sanderson’s books, you should know by now that Sanderson always prepares a fantastic climax sequence to end his book in a memorable way; this applies for all of his books. The fanbase called it the "Sanderson Avalanche" (no idea who named this in the first place) and this time, we didn’t get just one, but two avalanches. This, in my opinion, is a very smart move. Not only it made the book felt like a duology/trilogy, it also made the pacing exceptional. Unlike Words of Radiance, which featured Sanderson’s best close-quarter combat sequences to date, Oathbringer’s final conclusion is more of an epic war on a grand scale. Giant monsters, magical blades, magic clashing and unleashed, dark and cataclysmic situations, heart-pounding, intense, fist pumping and poignant moments, all told in magnificent shifting multi-POV narration; it was action-packed, pivotal, and simply epic in the true sense of the word.
It’s been half a year since I’ve read and reviewed any of Sanderson’s full novels. You know what made me miss his work the most? His characterizations. Sanderson always has a way of developing his characters with his narration to the point where we truly get inside their heads, even when it’s written in third person perspective. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books and there are really only a few authors who can do this wonderfully. The number of characters featured is not small by any means; this series features hundreds of characters. At the same time, it features Sanderson’s biggest cast of POV; yet these characters all remain distinct and unique in their personalities. Tons of characters—both main and side characters—receive proper and significant character developments, but the spotlight of this book undisputedly goes to Dalinar. We have seen Kaladin’s past in The Way of Kings, Shallan’s in Words of Radiance, and finally, it’s time for Dalinar’s. If you have started the first book, most likely you’ll know already what Dalinar past will involves. I need to remind you of this: unlike the previous two books—even though Words of Radiance was meant to be Shallan’s book—Kaladin is not the main character here. Oathbringer is without a doubt, Dalinar’s book.
Picture: Dalinar Kholin by vargasni
It's truly an incredible experience to have witnessed Dalinar’s growth throughout the passage of time. Three chapters into his past and I can say that it was already better than all Shallan’s flashback chapters in Words of Radiance. I was completely captivated by Dalinar’s character development and history here; Sanderson truly did a superlative job in integrating Dalinar’s past into the main storyline. It was emotionally rewarding to read the culmination of all his experience in this book; making him one of my favorite characters of all time.
“Dalinar Kholin was a connoisseur of death. Even since his youth, the sight of dead men had been a familiar thing to him. You stay on the battlefield long enough, and you become familiar with its master.”
If I have to choose only ONE thing that Oathbringer did better than its predecessors, it’s definitely the lore and world-building. The world-building is already masterfully done in the previous two books, but somehow, Sanderson successfully made it even better. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance storylines were heavily centered on The Shattered Plain, whereas Oathbringer finally diverts its attention from that place and visits many other major cities in Roshar. It’s epic in scope and, combined with intricate maps and astounding revelations in the lore, this is once again Sanderson at the top of this game. If you’re not a fan of intricate world-building, I seriously think you’re going to have a hard time enjoying this series because that is definitely one of the main strengths of this series.
I’ve talked about Sanderson’s prose several times now, and I don’t think I need to state how well written his books are. His prose is simple, immersive, vivid, (Oops, I did it again) but the most important thing to me is that it always feels like coming “home”. Sanderson shows us that fancy words and purple prose aren’t necessary to create a masterpiece of an epic fantasy. His writing never felt forced, it’s like all these words came to his head naturally. A sign of an amazing book is when you’re reading and never felt bored with any page. Oathbringer is in fact the biggest single installment I’ve ever read in my life, and I was completely enthralled with every moment of it. Some much smaller book could make me feel like homework but for Oathbringer, despite its staggering size, I still craved more. This is all due to the extremely well written and well-polished prose style that Sanderson employs.
Let’s talk about the book’s value. When people told me they don’t want to start this series because it’s too monstrous, I honestly can’t agree with that. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance were too short for me; with each book’s conclusion I always ended up craving more, and that’s still true here. Oathbringer is a staggering 450k words or 1243 pages and somehow, it’s still not enough. Plus, each book in the series feels like a special limited edition. Starting from the beautiful endpapers by Dan Dos Santos and Howard Lyon, then the gorgeous chapter icons and twenty-two interior artworks by amazing artists such as Miranda Meeks, Kelly Harris, Ben McSweeney, Isaac Steward and once again, Dan Dos Santos, we are given so much in order to enrich our imagination and experience. Oathbringer is truly a MUST HAVE book. At the time of writing this review, I have around one hundred physical books and only three of them—Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Arcanum Unbounded—are hardcovers. I won’t go into full detail on why I dislike hardcover, but to explain it as simply as possible, they’re heavy, uncomfortable to read, and super expensive. However, I have to make a special exception for this series because of its gorgeous artworks and satisfying value. I spent $45 to buy the HC of Oathbringer, (it is that expensive where I live) but it was truly money well spent and I’ll do it again for future installments of the series.
Picture: Thaylen Female Fashion by Dan Dos Santos.
I have talked a LOT about this book. Let’s get to the most important questions:
-Is Oathbringer a worthy sequel? Absolutely
-Is it better than the previous books? Sadly, I have to say no.
It’s definitely better than The Way of Kings but not Words of Radiance. In my opinion, it’s inferior to Words of Radiance in terms of quality. There are some things that Words of Radiance did better, especially when it comes to intimate and evocative scenes, and there are also some ways in which Oathbringer surpasses it, such as plot and world building. However, this will be the first time I actually have some cons—though they are minor—with any installment in this series.
To me, the main character of the series is Kaladin. This is almost completely a Dalinar and somehow, Shallan’s book. I know, I know, it was meant to be written that way, and I have no complaint about how it’s written. However, Kaladin’s storyline didn’t truly begin until halfway through the book, which took 600 pages; before that, his POV was scarce and close to nonexistent despite him making an appearance in other character’s POV.
Picture: Grumpy Kaladin by botanicaxu
It’s just a matter of preference; Dalinar’s, Shallan’s, and everyone’s storyline are incredibly compelling in their own way, but Kaladin and Bridge Four will always be special and remained one of the most illuminating parts of the series for me. Secondly, I mentioned in my Words of Radiance review that I fell in love with Shallan’s character there, but Oathbringer changed my mind on this. Shallan’s growth—though fascinating and making the plot more interesting—occurred in ways that made me dislike her character. Shallan is, in fact, the first female character written by Sanderson that I dislike at this point, and I sometimes even found her infuriating. Lastly, there are two scenes that I wish didn’t happen off-screen.
“Accept the pain, but don't accept that you deserved it.”
Do know that these are minor cons and that the three books in The Stormlight Archive totally stand above almost all books I’ve ever read in the genre. Oathbringer is not a perfect book by any means, but just like true love, I absolutely love this book with all my heart despite some flaws it had. Diving into this series is like diving into a long-term relationship, and one I’m glad to partake in. Call me selfish but right now, I’m at the point where I’ll be completely happy if Sanderson decides to drop all his outside of Cosmere universe works. I just can’t bring myself to care about his other books outside of Cosmere when in fact, I already know that the Cosmere and this series comprise his magnum opus.
This will probably be my last epic fantasy novel review of the year. I binge reread and read the series so far within three weeks and now I’m in a major “Stormlight Archive’s hangover”, I will need at least a month before starting another epic fantasy series unless I’m willing to risk rating them unfairly. That said, I’m going to end my review here, this has become the longest review I ever wrote so far and trust me, there are a myriad amount of things I left out for the sake of making this review as spoiler-free as possible for your maximum reading experience. Oathbringer is not just a book, it’s a grimoire that’s filled with magical power capable of transporting me to the best kind of escapism experience. It strengthens the reason why I read, why I love epic fantasy, and why The Stormlight Archive is my number 1 favorite series of all time. (I haven’t read Malazan Book of the Fallen yet so this might change in the future.)
The Stormlight Archive has always been one of the series which I urge anyone to start as soon as possible, and this is still true. Waiting for the completion of this series before diving into it is ridiculous; not only are you going to have to wait at least twenty years before its completion, but we don’t even know what the future holds for this series, and for each one of us. Do. Not. Wait. Start this masterpiece series now and let us speak the ancient oaths together!
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.”
Picture: My Cosmere collection
Side note: I need to remind you once again to please read Warbreaker before diving into this series; same as Words of Radiance, one more character from that book appears here.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
December 5, 2017
Well, this was disappointing. Easily the worst so far. I postponed writing a review hoping some time and a re-read would somehow improve my opinion of the book. It didn’t.
Part 1 was passable. Part 2 was watered by too many unnecessary PoVs. Part 3 was watered by too many sub-plots and not enough interaction between characters. Part 4 didn’t manage to pick up the pace. Part 5 tried to squish so many events it became chaotic.
The plot takes over characters and they are like leafs in the storm. They just accept whatever for the purpose of moving the story forward because there was no time to be bothered or surprised. So much so that the author felt the need to at least include a sentence on how overwhelming everything is and people have no choice, but to carry on without wasting time to be relatable or fleshed out. Yeah, that should fix it… not.
Adolin murdered Sadeas at the end of WoR, yet the consequences lead to a larger narrative arc with little personal development. None of the main cast cared. Adolin was missing in the second part, served as solely comic relief in the third. Kaladin also didn’t get a PoV in the second part; instead we have various Bridge Four narrators. Expansion of PoV characters is one of the things I dislike in this book. The world is large enough. We already have interludes. The constant inclusion of new viewpoints breaks the WoK promise of focus. Those new Kaladin flashbacks were unnecessary, we already have chapters upon chapters on Dalinar’s flashbacks, can Brandon not make a third of the book about the past, please? Especially when simultaneously trying to have thousand things happen in the present, too.
Shallan continues her personality split, which initially didn’t bother me much, but I hoped we’d be done with that by the end of the book. Instead not even the Hoid dues ex machine could stop this painfully boring arch. Her fascination with Kaladin doesn’t get explored, but neither is it fully denied. However, he does acknowledge he never loved her, which should have been obvious; you don’t fall in love with someone just because you fell in a chasm with them. Plus she constantly insults him and shows no appreciation of his character. Why do people ship them again? Anyway, I’m glad there wasn’t a love triangle.
Dalinar’s flashbacks were probably the most interesting set we got so far. Dalinar’s oath was once again unclear. What exactly happened? Why didn’t Dalinar ask that question? He didn’t know what Ascention is. He ignored this remark like he ignored all mentions of Adonalsium while simultaneously claiming to be looking for the real God and anything larger than Honor.
Syl is this special Ancient Daughter and blah-blah. Like Ivory is basically a prince, Stormfather is sliver of Honor, Glys is half corrupted… Don’t tell me, is Wyndle Cultivation’s personal gardener?
Lift was able to enter Dalinar’s visions and sneak up on Odium? Where’s the foreshadowing for that? Last book and in Edgedancer she had very little understanding of her powers. How about a little explanation? Or can she suddenly do this because it’s convenient for the plot? Like how Amaram conveniently became a superpowerful mutant Kaladin couldn’t win against?
And the drastic change in the scope of Shallan's abilities - last book she could barely make her illusions move and they disappeared if she wasn't looking unless attached to Pattern. Now she can make them perform a play, create a whole army of them - no need to look or attach them to anything. She can also have a conversation with her illusions! How believable... At least she had the decency to be surprised.
A dozen new PoVs and characters, yet not a sentence about Redin, the bastard son of the late king of Jah Keved, who rode with a considerable force somewhere? Yet another dropped sub-plot and unfulfilled expectation from last book.
R.I.P all characters with the letter E, the author hates you all. Elhokar’s non-existent redemption arch with unsatisfying end was one of the worst. Now a woman and a heretic is king and I bet we won’t see the social outcry and pushback such a drastic change should have upon a nation, because the plot probably can’t spare time to deal with this like it couldn’t with a bunch of other arcs that were left midway.
List of ‘overpromised and under delivered’:
•Everstorm
•Voidbringers
•Unmade
•People’s hatred for Radiants
•Recreanse secret
But the crown of ‘most ridiculous’ goes to the Skybreakers – the only Knight Radiant Order to have kept their oaths for millennia only to join the enemy they have been fighting since times immemorial. Wow. As if the secret that caused Recreanse should be a secret to them. They learned this over a thousand years ago for fucks sake. They should have told Nale centuries ago and I’m already extremely skeptical to the notion this is news to a Herald… This is either bad writing or an insult to the readers’ intelligence as there should be something else. If there isn’t, this a plot hole larger the hole that sank Titanic.
Part 1 was passable. Part 2 was watered by too many unnecessary PoVs. Part 3 was watered by too many sub-plots and not enough interaction between characters. Part 4 didn’t manage to pick up the pace. Part 5 tried to squish so many events it became chaotic.
The plot takes over characters and they are like leafs in the storm. They just accept whatever for the purpose of moving the story forward because there was no time to be bothered or surprised. So much so that the author felt the need to at least include a sentence on how overwhelming everything is and people have no choice, but to carry on without wasting time to be relatable or fleshed out. Yeah, that should fix it… not.
Adolin murdered Sadeas at the end of WoR, yet the consequences lead to a larger narrative arc with little personal development. None of the main cast cared. Adolin was missing in the second part, served as solely comic relief in the third. Kaladin also didn’t get a PoV in the second part; instead we have various Bridge Four narrators. Expansion of PoV characters is one of the things I dislike in this book. The world is large enough. We already have interludes. The constant inclusion of new viewpoints breaks the WoK promise of focus. Those new Kaladin flashbacks were unnecessary, we already have chapters upon chapters on Dalinar’s flashbacks, can Brandon not make a third of the book about the past, please? Especially when simultaneously trying to have thousand things happen in the present, too.
Shallan continues her personality split, which initially didn’t bother me much, but I hoped we’d be done with that by the end of the book. Instead not even the Hoid dues ex machine could stop this painfully boring arch. Her fascination with Kaladin doesn’t get explored, but neither is it fully denied. However, he does acknowledge he never loved her, which should have been obvious; you don’t fall in love with someone just because you fell in a chasm with them. Plus she constantly insults him and shows no appreciation of his character. Why do people ship them again? Anyway, I’m glad there wasn’t a love triangle.
Dalinar’s flashbacks were probably the most interesting set we got so far. Dalinar’s oath was once again unclear. What exactly happened? Why didn’t Dalinar ask that question? He didn’t know what Ascention is. He ignored this remark like he ignored all mentions of Adonalsium while simultaneously claiming to be looking for the real God and anything larger than Honor.
Syl is this special Ancient Daughter and blah-blah. Like Ivory is basically a prince, Stormfather is sliver of Honor, Glys is half corrupted… Don’t tell me, is Wyndle Cultivation’s personal gardener?
Lift was able to enter Dalinar’s visions and sneak up on Odium? Where’s the foreshadowing for that? Last book and in Edgedancer she had very little understanding of her powers. How about a little explanation? Or can she suddenly do this because it’s convenient for the plot? Like how Amaram conveniently became a superpowerful mutant Kaladin couldn’t win against?
And the drastic change in the scope of Shallan's abilities - last book she could barely make her illusions move and they disappeared if she wasn't looking unless attached to Pattern. Now she can make them perform a play, create a whole army of them - no need to look or attach them to anything. She can also have a conversation with her illusions! How believable... At least she had the decency to be surprised.
A dozen new PoVs and characters, yet not a sentence about Redin, the bastard son of the late king of Jah Keved, who rode with a considerable force somewhere? Yet another dropped sub-plot and unfulfilled expectation from last book.
R.I.P all characters with the letter E, the author hates you all. Elhokar’s non-existent redemption arch with unsatisfying end was one of the worst. Now a woman and a heretic is king and I bet we won’t see the social outcry and pushback such a drastic change should have upon a nation, because the plot probably can’t spare time to deal with this like it couldn’t with a bunch of other arcs that were left midway.
List of ‘overpromised and under delivered’:
•Everstorm
•Voidbringers
•Unmade
•People’s hatred for Radiants
•Recreanse secret
But the crown of ‘most ridiculous’ goes to the Skybreakers – the only Knight Radiant Order to have kept their oaths for millennia only to join the enemy they have been fighting since times immemorial. Wow. As if the secret that caused Recreanse should be a secret to them. They learned this over a thousand years ago for fucks sake. They should have told Nale centuries ago and I’m already extremely skeptical to the notion this is news to a Herald… This is either bad writing or an insult to the readers’ intelligence as there should be something else. If there isn’t, this a plot hole larger the hole that sank Titanic.
July 1, 2021
ugh the wait will be so long
October 22, 2024
Watch my video review by clicking here.
Not quite as good as the rest of the series, but still an enjoyable book set in a truly incredible world.
Not quite as good as the rest of the series, but still an enjoyable book set in a truly incredible world.
August 28, 2024
4.5 stars.
Finishing Oathbringer was both a satisfaction and a disappointment. Satisfying because this book was absolutely astonishing in every way that I expected it to be. Disappointing because I wanted it to be longer (even though it's almost 1300 pgs and it took me over two weeks to finish it).
What can I really say about Oathbringer? Questions that I have waited years for answers were finally answered, all of my favorite characters were amazing as usual and Sanderson still keeps on developing a 10/10 solid epic fantasy world with intriguing and full-fledged characters in a world filled with great magic and despair.
I just......Don't know how to really write a proper review for this without leaving out important bits and things here. All I can say is that this series is looooooooooooong and can be rough to get through at times, but it is so satisfying to read and if you have read some of Sanderson's other books in the Cosmere universe, then Oathbringer will blow your mind with how complex it is within the Cosmere and how it all relates.
My only really critique for this book is that the overall redemption/forgiveness theme in the story could be a tad too much at times, but I see why it was necessary to bring it so much in focus for the overall arc. There are also some expectations that were not fulfilled within the plot, but those might be fulfilled within the next book(s).
Anyhow, Oathbringer is astonishing in a mind-blowing way. Absolutely worth the wait and one of the most memorable books I have read this year.
Thank you, Brandon Sanderson.
BEFORE READING OATHBRINGER
Edit: 9/12/2017: ONLY TWO MONTHS LEFT UNTIL I HAVE THIS BOOK IN MY HANDS, WHAT A JOY!!!
I NEED THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW WHO DO I HAVE TO SACRIFICE TO GET IT IN MY HANDS?!!?!?!
Finishing Oathbringer was both a satisfaction and a disappointment. Satisfying because this book was absolutely astonishing in every way that I expected it to be. Disappointing because I wanted it to be longer (even though it's almost 1300 pgs and it took me over two weeks to finish it).
What can I really say about Oathbringer? Questions that I have waited years for answers were finally answered, all of my favorite characters were amazing as usual and Sanderson still keeps on developing a 10/10 solid epic fantasy world with intriguing and full-fledged characters in a world filled with great magic and despair.
I just......Don't know how to really write a proper review for this without leaving out important bits and things here. All I can say is that this series is looooooooooooong and can be rough to get through at times, but it is so satisfying to read and if you have read some of Sanderson's other books in the Cosmere universe, then Oathbringer will blow your mind with how complex it is within the Cosmere and how it all relates.
My only really critique for this book is that the overall redemption/forgiveness theme in the story could be a tad too much at times, but I see why it was necessary to bring it so much in focus for the overall arc. There are also some expectations that were not fulfilled within the plot, but those might be fulfilled within the next book(s).
Anyhow, Oathbringer is astonishing in a mind-blowing way. Absolutely worth the wait and one of the most memorable books I have read this year.
Thank you, Brandon Sanderson.
BEFORE READING OATHBRINGER
Edit: 9/12/2017: ONLY TWO MONTHS LEFT UNTIL I HAVE THIS BOOK IN MY HANDS, WHAT A JOY!!!
I NEED THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW WHO DO I HAVE TO SACRIFICE TO GET IT IN MY HANDS?!!?!?!
September 4, 2024
Third read, along with Graphic Audio, and that Sanderlanche still gave me all the feels!
----------------------------------
That Storming genius has outdone himself. Again!
Words of Radiance was easily the best book I've ever read, which naturally resulted in some pretty high expectations going into Oathbringer. As much as I've tried to dampen it after waiting for over 3.5 years, I just had to accept that it was futile.
Who am I kidding? Sanderson has completely smashed my all expectations by offering yet another best book I've ever read.
Is Oathbringer a masterpiece? I certainly think so. Is it a fantasy classic that will stand the test of time and be remembered in the same vein as Lord of the Rings? That might stretch it a bit too far, but only time will tell. I wouldn't also call it flawless, as it is not. As far as I am concerned, however, it is a singularly brilliant creation which is both epic in its scope and intimate in its soul.
The worldbuilding in this book, to put it mildly, outshines its predecessors. We finally leave the confines of The Shattered Plains to traverse the other parts of this vivid and alien world. The events from the end of Words of Radiance precipitated the need to extend the reach of the political narrative to other monarchies in Roshar. Urithiru, Kholinar and Thaylen City are all impressive and fascinating in very distinct and unique ways. I appreciate having the large full-coloured map of Roshar behind the dust jacket that came in handy when trying to understand the relative location of one country to another. The interior art is, as usual, stunning in illustrating the worldbuilding elements.
An endpaper depicting in-world Heraldic art. By Howard Lyon
Oathbringer is a dense book. Much to my delight, the lore and histories of Roshar, which so intrigued readers in The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, are deeply explored. With each deftly handled exposition or revelation, one cannot help but wonder at the mind that did not merely create but also balance and manage such complexity (not only of Roshar but the Cosmere); the skill to weave that complexity into strands that teased and yet seemed almost apparent on hindsight. It is like seeing tiny unconnected parts of a massive painting, each giving you a small clue, its implications only dawning upon you once the larger picture has been revealed. Even then, I am sure that I am only seeing a fragment of a whole - one which is, more or less, complete at this stage. Or so I've been led to believe.
After three books in, one thing that I kept marvelling at is Sanderson's naming convention in this series. Using the term Radiants to denote knights who adhere to specific Ideals and who glow with Stormlight is so fittingly epic. The names of the Ten Orders of the Knights Radiant, those of the Heralds and the Unmade, and the pivotal historical events such as the Desolations, Aharietiam and the Recreance - it all just sounds so appropriate in its own context. I don't usually pay much attention to this aspect while reading (unless it's really bad). In this series, it is too good not to do so.
As for pacing and plot progression, it is close to perfection. Oathbringer felt even more like a trilogy in a single book than the previous two instalments. The narrative ebbed and flowed with a slower start followed by mini-climaxes and little lulls as the events gradually escalated to a mind-blowing, heart-stopping and breathtaking climactic ending. When the final chapters start to switch into multiple POVs, you will know that you have arrived at what has come to be known as the "Sanderson avalanche". In this book, it is an avalanche to end all that had come before – to think that this is only the third instalment.
For all the worldbuilding, lore and action present, this novel is sublime in balancing between a grand sweeping tale and personal character growth. And this is where the book transcended from great to spectacular.
I've watched a recording of the BYU launch party of Oathbringer, where Sanderson said that the first magic system he developed for Stormlight was that of soulcasting; an allusion to transformation, which is the theme of The Stormlight Archive. It is about the change and progression of people through their conflicts, both internal and external, and experiences. As such, the series is ultimately character-driven, despite all the fantastical elements wrapped around it.
Most of you would know this if you follow the series and its updates closely. Oathbringer is Dalinar Kholin's book, as the previous two were Kaladin's and Shallan's respectively - from a backstory perspective. And it very much feels like Dalinar's book. With a longer history given his age relative to the two younger main characters, there are a lot more flashback chapters of Dalinar - an enlightening, powerful and highly relevant backstory to the events unfolding in the present timeline. The manner in which the story of his past is woven to lead into the climax is absolutely masterful.
The development of the characters - both main and supporting ones - continues to be most compelling and excellent, taking the story in a direction that is not entirely expected, but still wholly satisfying. It is an understatement to say that Sanderson does not make it easy for his characters. The path towards being a full Knight Radiant demands an embodiment of the Ideals, each being more difficult than the previous. In this, we see our beloved characters going through significant internal struggles and learning acceptance, which makes any transformation more realistic and gratifying when it happens. More importantly is how Sanderson enabled readers to feel as if they are part of the inner turmoil and eventual evolution of these characters, instead of being a mere bystander to the events. And by staying steadfast to an existing core cast, this only further fuelled my empathy and emotional investment for them, favourites or otherwise.
Allegorically, the story deals with both big and abstract world-spanning issues and small and personal real-life matters. I respect the effort he took to understand and then write about mental health issues, as well as his openness in dealing with discrimination and prejudice, whether it's challenging individual perception, societal norms or even religious doctrine.
Now, I need to touch upon the prose and dialogue. Personally, I have always enjoyed Sanderson's dialogue and writing, and find him quite talented in delivering simple, direct and succinct phrases that truly make an impact, without having to go into long and rambling philosophical discourses. The in-world texts in The Stormlight Archive demonstrate that he is capable of writing in a more ‘elegant and poetic' manner, but perhaps that is just not how he wanted to tell his stories. Just as I can admire long beautiful passages of introspection and philosophy, I can also equally appreciate the simplicity of unembellished prose which distils the verbiage. Given how dense these Stormlight books are, I prefer this style of writing as it allows me a more thoroughly immersive experience. Notably, his writing skills are noticeably improving with every book he releases.
All that said, the primary reason why this is the best book I've ever read is that it gave me the most emotionally charged reading experience I've ever had. I cried and laughed. I squealed and screamed. I felt my heart turning to mush. It brought out joy, tears, sorrow, pain, fear, anger, excitement, anticipation, shock, wonder and awe, so strongly that I'm sure emotionsprens surrounded me. This is also, in my opinion, the darkest book that Sanderson has ever written. There are moments, which made me think that the series is treading into the grimdark territory.
Admittedly, I did wish for my favourite character of the series (and possibly of all-time) to have more presence in this instalment, but I accept that this might not always be the case given that the story is not going to centre around one main character (as much as it might seem to be in the past two books). There are also a few storylines which appear to be given too much of a light touch in the narrative, possibly in compromise for the momentum of the overarching story, or even perhaps to fit into future books. These are a few of the issues which, I am all too aware of, may not be entirely well-received by some existing fans.
Oathbringer can be treated as Book 3 of 5, out of a larger 2-part series of 10 books, with the second part of The Stormlight Archive heading in a new direction. As with each volume so far, this novel is a self-contained story that concludes most satisfactorily, while teasing the reader with more questions and leaving some loose and new threads for future instalments. Even after reading over 1200 pages, I wanted more and almost flipped back to the first page to start over again. There can be no other testament to the magnificence of Sanderson's magnum opus, where every book so far had succeeded in perpetuating such an obsession from me.
Fantasy fans, allow me to reiterate - if you haven't started reading this fantastic series, seriously, what are you waiting for? A fair warning though – be prepared to suffer from a hangover once you have finished reading these masterpieces.
NB: For maximum reading enjoyment, one should read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance and absolutely must do so before Oathbringer.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
----------------------------------
That Storming genius has outdone himself. Again!
Words of Radiance was easily the best book I've ever read, which naturally resulted in some pretty high expectations going into Oathbringer. As much as I've tried to dampen it after waiting for over 3.5 years, I just had to accept that it was futile.
Who am I kidding? Sanderson has completely smashed my all expectations by offering yet another best book I've ever read.
Is Oathbringer a masterpiece? I certainly think so. Is it a fantasy classic that will stand the test of time and be remembered in the same vein as Lord of the Rings? That might stretch it a bit too far, but only time will tell. I wouldn't also call it flawless, as it is not. As far as I am concerned, however, it is a singularly brilliant creation which is both epic in its scope and intimate in its soul.
Art is about emotion, examination, and going places people have never gone before to discover and investigate new things. The only way to create something that nobody hates is to ensure that it can't be loved either. Remove enough spice from soup, and you'll just end up with water.
The worldbuilding in this book, to put it mildly, outshines its predecessors. We finally leave the confines of The Shattered Plains to traverse the other parts of this vivid and alien world. The events from the end of Words of Radiance precipitated the need to extend the reach of the political narrative to other monarchies in Roshar. Urithiru, Kholinar and Thaylen City are all impressive and fascinating in very distinct and unique ways. I appreciate having the large full-coloured map of Roshar behind the dust jacket that came in handy when trying to understand the relative location of one country to another. The interior art is, as usual, stunning in illustrating the worldbuilding elements.
An endpaper depicting in-world Heraldic art. By Howard Lyon
Oathbringer is a dense book. Much to my delight, the lore and histories of Roshar, which so intrigued readers in The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, are deeply explored. With each deftly handled exposition or revelation, one cannot help but wonder at the mind that did not merely create but also balance and manage such complexity (not only of Roshar but the Cosmere); the skill to weave that complexity into strands that teased and yet seemed almost apparent on hindsight. It is like seeing tiny unconnected parts of a massive painting, each giving you a small clue, its implications only dawning upon you once the larger picture has been revealed. Even then, I am sure that I am only seeing a fragment of a whole - one which is, more or less, complete at this stage. Or so I've been led to believe.
After three books in, one thing that I kept marvelling at is Sanderson's naming convention in this series. Using the term Radiants to denote knights who adhere to specific Ideals and who glow with Stormlight is so fittingly epic. The names of the Ten Orders of the Knights Radiant, those of the Heralds and the Unmade, and the pivotal historical events such as the Desolations, Aharietiam and the Recreance - it all just sounds so appropriate in its own context. I don't usually pay much attention to this aspect while reading (unless it's really bad). In this series, it is too good not to do so.
As for pacing and plot progression, it is close to perfection. Oathbringer felt even more like a trilogy in a single book than the previous two instalments. The narrative ebbed and flowed with a slower start followed by mini-climaxes and little lulls as the events gradually escalated to a mind-blowing, heart-stopping and breathtaking climactic ending. When the final chapters start to switch into multiple POVs, you will know that you have arrived at what has come to be known as the "Sanderson avalanche". In this book, it is an avalanche to end all that had come before – to think that this is only the third instalment.
For all the worldbuilding, lore and action present, this novel is sublime in balancing between a grand sweeping tale and personal character growth. And this is where the book transcended from great to spectacular.
I've watched a recording of the BYU launch party of Oathbringer, where Sanderson said that the first magic system he developed for Stormlight was that of soulcasting; an allusion to transformation, which is the theme of The Stormlight Archive. It is about the change and progression of people through their conflicts, both internal and external, and experiences. As such, the series is ultimately character-driven, despite all the fantastical elements wrapped around it.
The past is the future, and as each man has lived, so must you.
The question is not whether you will love, hurt, dream and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt, when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path.
Most of you would know this if you follow the series and its updates closely. Oathbringer is Dalinar Kholin's book, as the previous two were Kaladin's and Shallan's respectively - from a backstory perspective. And it very much feels like Dalinar's book. With a longer history given his age relative to the two younger main characters, there are a lot more flashback chapters of Dalinar - an enlightening, powerful and highly relevant backstory to the events unfolding in the present timeline. The manner in which the story of his past is woven to lead into the climax is absolutely masterful.
Accept the pain, but don't accept that you deserved it.
The development of the characters - both main and supporting ones - continues to be most compelling and excellent, taking the story in a direction that is not entirely expected, but still wholly satisfying. It is an understatement to say that Sanderson does not make it easy for his characters. The path towards being a full Knight Radiant demands an embodiment of the Ideals, each being more difficult than the previous. In this, we see our beloved characters going through significant internal struggles and learning acceptance, which makes any transformation more realistic and gratifying when it happens. More importantly is how Sanderson enabled readers to feel as if they are part of the inner turmoil and eventual evolution of these characters, instead of being a mere bystander to the events. And by staying steadfast to an existing core cast, this only further fuelled my empathy and emotional investment for them, favourites or otherwise.
Ten spears go to battle, and nine shatter. Did that war forge the one that remained? No. All the war did was identify the spear that would not break.
Allegorically, the story deals with both big and abstract world-spanning issues and small and personal real-life matters. I respect the effort he took to understand and then write about mental health issues, as well as his openness in dealing with discrimination and prejudice, whether it's challenging individual perception, societal norms or even religious doctrine.
Now, I need to touch upon the prose and dialogue. Personally, I have always enjoyed Sanderson's dialogue and writing, and find him quite talented in delivering simple, direct and succinct phrases that truly make an impact, without having to go into long and rambling philosophical discourses. The in-world texts in The Stormlight Archive demonstrate that he is capable of writing in a more ‘elegant and poetic' manner, but perhaps that is just not how he wanted to tell his stories. Just as I can admire long beautiful passages of introspection and philosophy, I can also equally appreciate the simplicity of unembellished prose which distils the verbiage. Given how dense these Stormlight books are, I prefer this style of writing as it allows me a more thoroughly immersive experience. Notably, his writing skills are noticeably improving with every book he releases.
All that said, the primary reason why this is the best book I've ever read is that it gave me the most emotionally charged reading experience I've ever had. I cried and laughed. I squealed and screamed. I felt my heart turning to mush. It brought out joy, tears, sorrow, pain, fear, anger, excitement, anticipation, shock, wonder and awe, so strongly that I'm sure emotionsprens surrounded me. This is also, in my opinion, the darkest book that Sanderson has ever written. There are moments, which made me think that the series is treading into the grimdark territory.
Admittedly, I did wish for my favourite character of the series (and possibly of all-time) to have more presence in this instalment, but I accept that this might not always be the case given that the story is not going to centre around one main character (as much as it might seem to be in the past two books). There are also a few storylines which appear to be given too much of a light touch in the narrative, possibly in compromise for the momentum of the overarching story, or even perhaps to fit into future books. These are a few of the issues which, I am all too aware of, may not be entirely well-received by some existing fans.
Oathbringer can be treated as Book 3 of 5, out of a larger 2-part series of 10 books, with the second part of The Stormlight Archive heading in a new direction. As with each volume so far, this novel is a self-contained story that concludes most satisfactorily, while teasing the reader with more questions and leaving some loose and new threads for future instalments. Even after reading over 1200 pages, I wanted more and almost flipped back to the first page to start over again. There can be no other testament to the magnificence of Sanderson's magnum opus, where every book so far had succeeded in perpetuating such an obsession from me.
Fantasy fans, allow me to reiterate - if you haven't started reading this fantastic series, seriously, what are you waiting for? A fair warning though – be prepared to suffer from a hangover once you have finished reading these masterpieces.
NB: For maximum reading enjoyment, one should read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance and absolutely must do so before Oathbringer.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
August 20, 2020
ARC provided by Tor in exchange for an honest review.
1.) The Way of Kings ★★★★★
2.) Words of Radiance ★★★★★
2.5) Edgedancer ★★★★
“You cannot have my pain”
I am so sorry this review is a month late! With the holidays and the start of this new year, my life has just been a little hectic to write a review that does this amazing book and series justice! But hopefully this will sing even an ounce of the praise that this epic fantasy series deserves, because this third installment was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Also, I’m going to try to write this review spoiler free, but I am very sorry if I accidentally say a little something that could perhaps be considered a spoiler. I mean, these three books are massive, and this story is so heavy, I apologize in advance if I slip up. I know I won’t say anything major, but please use caution, or maybe pass on my review, if you would like to start The Way of Kings completely blind. And I also think it is important to note that it is very important to read the novella, Edgedancer, before reading Oathbringer, too!
This is a huge scale, epic fantasy, that is massive not only in size, but in content. Roshar is divided into ten mini/major kingdoms, that are self-governed. Alethkar is the largest kingdom on Roshar, and where most our main characters come from.
There is a battle going on for all of Roshar. The Parshendi, who live in the middle of the Shattered Plains, are being led by some ancient beings to gain more land and to free their enslaved relatives. They also have war waged on them for assassinating a king.
The Stormlight Archive world is unlike anything else in literature. First off, unforgiving Highstorms are constantly happening around the world of Roshar. Highstorms provide Stormlight, which is an energy that the people keep in different gemstones, which have a super vast array of different uses. And because this story surrounds wars on many different fronts, it makes sense that these Highstorms also help power some pretty powerful and unique weapons, armor, and even some magical companions.
We mostly follow three main characters, even though these books have extremely large casts! Each of the characters you’ll be introduced to, you’ll easily love, or easily love to hate. These are some of the best and most fleshed out characters I’ve ever read.
➽Dalinar - This whole series truly starts when Dalinar’s brother, the King himself, is murdered in cold blood. Dalinar is also a Highprince of Alethkar. Dalinar has struggled throughout all of these books, trying to remember a past that is too dark for him to remember. In my very humble opinion, Oathbringer is Dalinar’s book. Him and his family are truly the focal point, and Dalinars character arch, both past and present, made me feel more emotions than I have words for.
➽Kaladin - Once an apprentice surgeon, once a solider, once a slave, once a head guard, always a natural born leader, but now… so much more. Kaladin’s story has been such a beautiful story to watch unfold, and I know it’s nowhere close to being done. Kaladin has very much struggled with his self-worth, but I think he is truly starting to realize how much he belongs, and how sometimes it is worth it to take a chance, even if you’ve regretted it in the past. Also, if I don’t see a flute being played anytime soon… I’m going to explode with anticipation.
➽Shallan - My feminist icon cinnamon roll. I will never understand people who say that Brandon Sanderson cannot write female characters. Shallan, and her journey, is one of the most inspiring things in this entire series. She is daughter of a recently deceased Brightlord. Then, studied under Jasnah Kholin, Dalinar’s niece. She will forever and always be an artist. And she is constantly growing more and more with her powers and as a person. On top of all this, I love the representation she shows/gives as an abuse survivor.
And even though I personally feel like these are the main three, there are so many amazing characters in this world. Jasnah is forever and always my queen. Adolin has completely stolen my heart in every way imaginable. Syl is everything I’ve ever wanted in literature, but I probably don’t deserve her. Pattern made me cry from laughing probably about 20 times with “NO MATING!” Hoid is probably going to end up my favorite character in all of literature, or at least the Cosmere. And I’ll forever be begging for more Szeth chapters, because no amount will ever be enough.
“To love the journey is to accept no such end. I have found, through painful experience, that the most important step a person can take is always the next one.”
The heart of this story is oppression, but Oathbringer really focuses on what happens when you realize you’ve been the one oppressing on lands that you thought were your own. Some pretty heavy parallels to our world, if I do say so myself.
The bones of this story are religion, and what people from all walks of life are willing to do in the name of their God(s). I’ve said this in many reviews, but religion is equally the best and worst thing in this world. Religion can bring love, and acceptance, and peace, but never has a war been fought that hasn’t somehow been about religion. Brandon Sanderson is a very religious man, but the way he writes about people who choose not to believe is so wonderfully done.
“The question,’ she replied, ‘is not whether you will love, hurt, dream, and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt, when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path.”
The theme of this story is and always will ultimately be love. The love of lovers, the love of family, the love of friends, the love of ourselves, the love of clans, the love of our soldiers, the love of our God(s). Oathbringer truly feels like a love letter to found families and how true, unconditional love can change the world, always. Like, I know that sounds somewhat corny for this epic fantasy series, but it’s the damn truth. Love will always be the biggest driving force, and this is proven time and time again in this series, but truly highlighted in Oathbringer.
I know Brandon Sanderson gets a lot of hate for a ten-year-old, ignorant statement he made. And I’ll never defend or make excuses for what he said; it was wrong, but I do believe he has changed his views and no longer feels/thinks like that.
As for the representation in this book, Oathbringer has a m/m relationship that warms my heart so very much! We also get a POV from a disabled woman who is in a wheelchair, who also happens to have the best bird companion ever. And this book heavily deals with grief and trauma. Dalinar, in my opinion, very much is living with PTSD and we find out a lot about his past in this book. You know, the past he desperately wanted to never remember. My heart broke for him over and over in this book, but I think the portrayal of his grief was expertly done and it meant a lot to me. Brandon Sanderson has also stated that Renarin is on the autism spectrum, which is awesome representation we rarely see in high fantasy.
Content warnings for severe depression, suicide, war themes, physical abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, violence, murder, and gore. This is a very heavy book, that doesn’t shy away from brutal things, and that constantly talks about wars, and duels, and battles. Please, use caution if these things are not for you.
I finished this book on Christmas day, and I couldn’t have asked for a better gift. This series just brings me so much love and joy. I honestly feel like it is Brandon Sanderson’s best work to date, and I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to wait until the next installment. I truly believe this is a once in a lifetime series, and I feel so blessed to be able to experience it. Perfection.
“Life breaks us, Teft. Then we fill the cracks with something stronger.”
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September 9, 2024
ALL. THE. STARS.
I adore the first two books in this series beyond words and that may even be an understatement. I mean, Words of Radiance is one of the best books I have ever read and an absolute favourite of mine, so when I say Oathbringer had big shoes to fill, we’re talking BIG shoes. It’s sometimes unfair to a book to have to live up to such expectations, as when they fail to live up to them it’s often a product of over-hype as the cause of the failure, when in fact, the book is brilliant in it’s own right. Anticipation wants it’s cake and it wants to eat it too. I take my hat off to Sanderson though, for he carries these expectations on his shoulders like a Herald, and not only delivers, but most times exceeds them. With Oathbringer he has once again surpassed everything I thought possible, after the pinnacle that is Words of Radiance. While that book is still my favourite, this one surpasses it in almost every other way.
“Failure is the mark of a life well lived. In turn, the only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone.”
Oathbringer is of course, Dalinar’s book, and his story is fascinating, delivering a delightful deep dive into the Blackthorn’s past, displaying his demons in the light of day and clearly highlighting his strengths and weaknesses for all to see. It’s a powerful story on it’s own merits, but woven in with the narrative of this series it becomes a catalyst in the creation of a linchpin going forward. We do of course get to see POV’s from all the other characters we love and expect to see in a Stormlight Archive book, with some Kaladin (Not even close to enough) and lots of Shallan (Still not a fan, but I like her more by the ending of this, even though she got 20K words more page time than Kaladin - GRRRR) and many others, including a few from Bridge 4, but Dalinar’s tale dominates and rightfully so. He has always been a very compelling if somewhat enigmatic character, and this story was needed to shed some light on his character and the dark days of his youth. This past, and a few other storylines serve to make Oatbringer the darkest of the stormlight books so far, but the themes of redemption, hope and transformation are still at the forefront of this story and provide the necessary light to counter any darkness.
Ash by Dan dos Santos
At this point in the review I would normally gush about Brandon’s worldbuilding, but there is really no need at this point as, let’s face it, pretty much everyone and their Larkin knows that our boy Sanderson is the BOSS at creating worlds and magic systems. (PS: He is the BOSS at way more than just those.) I do feel the need to say how much he surprised me though with revealing an absolute treasure trove of information AKA secrets about this world, it’s inhabitants and gods and so much more. Mostly you would expect these to be slowly doled out as the series progresses, but here we are given so many revelations that you would be forgiven for thinking that we have been given the keys to the Stormlight Archive vault, but oh you are SO wrong young padawan. This is Sanderson, and there is always another secret. In fact I am even more excited as what we have learned may feel vast, but to quote Sir Isaac Newton - “What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean.”
For a book that is just over 1200 pages long, the story never ceases to entertain and that says quite a lot about Sanderson’s writing. This may be a chonker of a book, but I was extremely sad when it ended and felt I could have easily read another 1000 pages or so in a heartbeat. That is one hell of a feat of storytelling and speaks both to the accessibility of the writing and the storytelling prowess of the author. Sanderson is also very well known for his edge-of-your-seat action sequences and in particular, the last 100 pages or so that are as exhilarating as they come and have earned the title of The Sanderlanche. Oathbringer has the author showing off in terms of how he has perfected this craft of his, with more than one climax, and a mind blowingly thrilling close to this book that is a Sanderlanche of around 150 pages, and completely epitomises the word epic.
"How many guilty may be punished before you’d accept one innocent casualty?"
Ishi by Dan dos Santos
Oathbringer is another magnificent addition to the Stormlight Archive in what was already one of my favourite series of all time and I can honestly say that there is nothing else like it. By the time that Rhythm of War is released we will be one book away from the completion of the first arc (Brandon has stated that the 10 book series will consist of two 5 book arcs) and without a doubt in my mind, this is shaping up to be a masterpiece of fantasy and a must read for any lover of the genre.
An absolute MUST read of a series.
I adore the first two books in this series beyond words and that may even be an understatement. I mean, Words of Radiance is one of the best books I have ever read and an absolute favourite of mine, so when I say Oathbringer had big shoes to fill, we’re talking BIG shoes. It’s sometimes unfair to a book to have to live up to such expectations, as when they fail to live up to them it’s often a product of over-hype as the cause of the failure, when in fact, the book is brilliant in it’s own right. Anticipation wants it’s cake and it wants to eat it too. I take my hat off to Sanderson though, for he carries these expectations on his shoulders like a Herald, and not only delivers, but most times exceeds them. With Oathbringer he has once again surpassed everything I thought possible, after the pinnacle that is Words of Radiance. While that book is still my favourite, this one surpasses it in almost every other way.
“Failure is the mark of a life well lived. In turn, the only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone.”
Oathbringer is of course, Dalinar’s book, and his story is fascinating, delivering a delightful deep dive into the Blackthorn’s past, displaying his demons in the light of day and clearly highlighting his strengths and weaknesses for all to see. It’s a powerful story on it’s own merits, but woven in with the narrative of this series it becomes a catalyst in the creation of a linchpin going forward. We do of course get to see POV’s from all the other characters we love and expect to see in a Stormlight Archive book, with some Kaladin (Not even close to enough) and lots of Shallan (Still not a fan, but I like her more by the ending of this, even though she got 20K words more page time than Kaladin - GRRRR) and many others, including a few from Bridge 4, but Dalinar’s tale dominates and rightfully so. He has always been a very compelling if somewhat enigmatic character, and this story was needed to shed some light on his character and the dark days of his youth. This past, and a few other storylines serve to make Oatbringer the darkest of the stormlight books so far, but the themes of redemption, hope and transformation are still at the forefront of this story and provide the necessary light to counter any darkness.
Ash by Dan dos Santos
At this point in the review I would normally gush about Brandon’s worldbuilding, but there is really no need at this point as, let’s face it, pretty much everyone and their Larkin knows that our boy Sanderson is the BOSS at creating worlds and magic systems. (PS: He is the BOSS at way more than just those.) I do feel the need to say how much he surprised me though with revealing an absolute treasure trove of information AKA secrets about this world, it’s inhabitants and gods and so much more. Mostly you would expect these to be slowly doled out as the series progresses, but here we are given so many revelations that you would be forgiven for thinking that we have been given the keys to the Stormlight Archive vault, but oh you are SO wrong young padawan. This is Sanderson, and there is always another secret. In fact I am even more excited as what we have learned may feel vast, but to quote Sir Isaac Newton - “What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean.”
For a book that is just over 1200 pages long, the story never ceases to entertain and that says quite a lot about Sanderson’s writing. This may be a chonker of a book, but I was extremely sad when it ended and felt I could have easily read another 1000 pages or so in a heartbeat. That is one hell of a feat of storytelling and speaks both to the accessibility of the writing and the storytelling prowess of the author. Sanderson is also very well known for his edge-of-your-seat action sequences and in particular, the last 100 pages or so that are as exhilarating as they come and have earned the title of The Sanderlanche. Oathbringer has the author showing off in terms of how he has perfected this craft of his, with more than one climax, and a mind blowingly thrilling close to this book that is a Sanderlanche of around 150 pages, and completely epitomises the word epic.
"How many guilty may be punished before you’d accept one innocent casualty?"
Ishi by Dan dos Santos
Oathbringer is another magnificent addition to the Stormlight Archive in what was already one of my favourite series of all time and I can honestly say that there is nothing else like it. By the time that Rhythm of War is released we will be one book away from the completion of the first arc (Brandon has stated that the 10 book series will consist of two 5 book arcs) and without a doubt in my mind, this is shaping up to be a masterpiece of fantasy and a must read for any lover of the genre.
An absolute MUST read of a series.
June 23, 2022
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson(Stormlight Archive,#3)
Some parts of the story moved me to tears and taught valuable lessons. Sanderson did an extraordinary job of world-building and characterization. Each character was so unique and incredible. Rich and a complex world! So real! loved that each book truly ended in a fulfilling way. Yet this is an epic fantasy…and it’s not over yet.
Love it.
Some parts of the story moved me to tears and taught valuable lessons. Sanderson did an extraordinary job of world-building and characterization. Each character was so unique and incredible. Rich and a complex world! So real! loved that each book truly ended in a fulfilling way. Yet this is an epic fantasy…and it’s not over yet.
To love the journey is to accept no such end. I have found, through painful experience, that the most important step a person can take is always the next one.
Love it.
Currently reading
July 26, 2024👀
November 17, 2017
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/11/14/...
A full five stars to Oathbringer and nothing less. If you’ve read the two previous volumes in the Stormlight Archive, you’d probably already understand; this series is a masterful, meticulous continuation into the journey to explore the mysterious world of Roshar, and once again this third installment is revealing so much more about our characters and their roles in this epic tableau. I find myself speechless, as I often am after reading a Brandon Sanderson novel, because there’s so much to talk about and yet also so much I can’t spoil. I’m also not too articulate when my mind is blown, so trying to put into words my roiling feelings upon finishing Oathbringer will be difficult, but I’ll try my best to convey my thoughts on this work of art. That said, you should still only read this review after you’ve read the first two books (and if you haven’t yet, what are you waiting for, anyway!?) just in case.
For readers who have made it to this point though, you’ll already know that the world is on the verge of another Desolation, a cataclysmic event that has occurred on a cyclical basis throughout the history of Roshar. The heralds of these wars, known as Voidbringers, have returned along with the other forces of Odium, a powerful being who is the manifestation of hatred itself. The focus once more returns to the main characters of this series: Dalinar Kholin, a Highprince of Alethkar who is the brother of the late King Gavilar; Kaladin, also known as the Stormblessed, who was a bridge crew slave before eventually becoming captain of the royal guard; Shallan Davar, a young Lighteyes woman and scholar-in-training, who studied under the tutelage of Princes Jasnah Kholin; and Adolin Kholin, eldest son of Dalinar and a full Shardbearer like his father, who is now betrothed to Shallan. Together, these characters must work together to hold off the end of the world, but to do that they’ll also need some outside help.
Desperate for allies, Dalinar has set up his new base of operations at the legendary city of Urithiru after losing his own home to the invaders, attempting to reach out to the other Highprinces and rulers of other nations in the hopes of forming a united front against the forces of Odium. The enemy has now subsumed a great number of Parshendi fighters for their side through awakening of the previously docile parshmen with their summoning of the Everstorm, and the only chance the humans have now may be the mysterious fabrials known as Oathgates which, when activated, are said to be capable of transporting anyone to Urithiru.
Problem is though, Dalinar not only has the shadow of his past working against him, most people also think he’s gotten soft in his resolve as well as in his head, especially after he expressed beliefs that could be considered heresy. So far, much of what we’ve seen of Dalinar paints him as an honorable, principled, and valiant figure, which is one of the reasons why he’s always been a favorite of mine ever since meeting him in The Way of Kings. But the story has always teased a darkness in his past, hinting at an angry, violent, and ruthless young man before the assassination of Gavilar dramatically altered his way of thinking. There was also that mysterious business with Dalinar’s wife, whom he can’t remember at all—not even her name, which comes across as white noise in his mind if someone utters it in his hearing.
As a result, many questions have been raised about Dalinar’s history, and the good news is that Oathbringer lives up to every expectation by offering up a ton of answers. Is it any wonder that this may be my favorite volume of the Stormlight Archives yet? In between telling the events of the present, the narrative also occasionally takes us back to the past, delving into Dalinar’s younger years. Admittedly, these sections weren’t always easy to read, and not just because we got to see some of the atrocities he’s committed in his youth. It was also hard to reconcile this young man, who constantly fed off his sense of “The Thrill” by seeking violence and death, with the older and wiser Dalinar I’ve come to know. Though I hated to admit it, I even came to sympathize with some of the other leaders and their reluctance in helping Dalinar, fearing him to be a tyrant who will use the Oathgates to usurp them. Still, I suppose there was some beauty in these flashback chapters, especially when Adolin was born and we got to see Dalinar react to becoming a father, but ultimately there is a lot more pain than happiness in these past sequences, and some of the terrible and heartbreaking events covered the final few flashbacks damn near broke me.
Of course, Oathbringer being “Dalinar’s book” notwithstanding, Sanderson also pays plenty of attention to the other characters, developing the roles of Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin, and even those of a number of important supporting figures besides, including a few I can’t name for fear of revealing too much. Shallan in particular gets a lot of love, because following the revelation that she is a Knight Radiant, she has become something of a magical powerhouse. That said, getting a hang of her Lightweaving abilities involve a lot of growing pains, and in inventing multiple identities for herself, Shallan also risks losing the essence of who she is. Much of Shallan’s storyline sees her testing the limits of her powers and learning to become comfortable in her own skin, which also ties into her growing relationship with Adolin, who is trying to come to terms with all that is expected of him as Dalinar’s son. Their romance subplot continues to fill my girlish heart with glee though, because I still can’t get over just how damn cute the two of them are together. To be honest, Kaladin was perhaps my one source of mild disappointment, and only because his character and personality has not evolved as much compared to the others. The storming bridgeboy is still as brave, loyal, and caring as ever, but his penchant to want to save everybody all the time also means that the all-consuming guilt still gets to him when he realizes he can’t. But then again, that’s why we all love Kaladin, isn't it?
Thus far, I know I’ve only mostly talked about the characters, but mainly because I think they are the heart and soul and these books. But I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the incredible world-building, even if I probably sound like a broken record by now, since it’s no secret that Brandon Sanderson is a genius when it comes to this area. I am in awe of the number of new ideas that are still coming out of this series though, and the astounding amount of new knowledge I gained about the world of Roshar from reading Oathbringer. The characters go to some amazing places and see some amazing things, and we learn along with them as they discover new and important information about the Desolations, the Heralds, the Oathpact, Honorblades, spren, and so much more.
And finally, all I have to say about the plot is that it was epic. Virtually no other word would do to describe this magnificent feat of storytelling. While I won’t pretend that every moment of this 1200+ page tome was a riveting experience, I can honestly say I was never bored. Oathbringer was long and slow to build, but in a good way, unfolding at the kind of pace that increases anticipation rather than induces tedium, and there were also plenty of surprises and shocking developments, including both triumphs and losses. The last two hundred pages or so were something else as well. Much of the book builds towards this final showdown, when all the character POVs come together in an exhilarating, climactic battle that’s sure to knock you off your feet. You’ll remember the ending to this one for sure.
All told, Oathbringer is another stunning addition to the already impressive Stormlight Archive, and I’m in love with this series more than ever. Events are starting to come together to form a clearer picture, but of course there’s still much to come in this journey, which I’m excited to continue. If you’ve been enjoying this ride as much as I have so far, trust me when I say there is no way you will want to miss this book. Read it, I say, read it!
A full five stars to Oathbringer and nothing less. If you’ve read the two previous volumes in the Stormlight Archive, you’d probably already understand; this series is a masterful, meticulous continuation into the journey to explore the mysterious world of Roshar, and once again this third installment is revealing so much more about our characters and their roles in this epic tableau. I find myself speechless, as I often am after reading a Brandon Sanderson novel, because there’s so much to talk about and yet also so much I can’t spoil. I’m also not too articulate when my mind is blown, so trying to put into words my roiling feelings upon finishing Oathbringer will be difficult, but I’ll try my best to convey my thoughts on this work of art. That said, you should still only read this review after you’ve read the first two books (and if you haven’t yet, what are you waiting for, anyway!?) just in case.
For readers who have made it to this point though, you’ll already know that the world is on the verge of another Desolation, a cataclysmic event that has occurred on a cyclical basis throughout the history of Roshar. The heralds of these wars, known as Voidbringers, have returned along with the other forces of Odium, a powerful being who is the manifestation of hatred itself. The focus once more returns to the main characters of this series: Dalinar Kholin, a Highprince of Alethkar who is the brother of the late King Gavilar; Kaladin, also known as the Stormblessed, who was a bridge crew slave before eventually becoming captain of the royal guard; Shallan Davar, a young Lighteyes woman and scholar-in-training, who studied under the tutelage of Princes Jasnah Kholin; and Adolin Kholin, eldest son of Dalinar and a full Shardbearer like his father, who is now betrothed to Shallan. Together, these characters must work together to hold off the end of the world, but to do that they’ll also need some outside help.
Desperate for allies, Dalinar has set up his new base of operations at the legendary city of Urithiru after losing his own home to the invaders, attempting to reach out to the other Highprinces and rulers of other nations in the hopes of forming a united front against the forces of Odium. The enemy has now subsumed a great number of Parshendi fighters for their side through awakening of the previously docile parshmen with their summoning of the Everstorm, and the only chance the humans have now may be the mysterious fabrials known as Oathgates which, when activated, are said to be capable of transporting anyone to Urithiru.
Problem is though, Dalinar not only has the shadow of his past working against him, most people also think he’s gotten soft in his resolve as well as in his head, especially after he expressed beliefs that could be considered heresy. So far, much of what we’ve seen of Dalinar paints him as an honorable, principled, and valiant figure, which is one of the reasons why he’s always been a favorite of mine ever since meeting him in The Way of Kings. But the story has always teased a darkness in his past, hinting at an angry, violent, and ruthless young man before the assassination of Gavilar dramatically altered his way of thinking. There was also that mysterious business with Dalinar’s wife, whom he can’t remember at all—not even her name, which comes across as white noise in his mind if someone utters it in his hearing.
As a result, many questions have been raised about Dalinar’s history, and the good news is that Oathbringer lives up to every expectation by offering up a ton of answers. Is it any wonder that this may be my favorite volume of the Stormlight Archives yet? In between telling the events of the present, the narrative also occasionally takes us back to the past, delving into Dalinar’s younger years. Admittedly, these sections weren’t always easy to read, and not just because we got to see some of the atrocities he’s committed in his youth. It was also hard to reconcile this young man, who constantly fed off his sense of “The Thrill” by seeking violence and death, with the older and wiser Dalinar I’ve come to know. Though I hated to admit it, I even came to sympathize with some of the other leaders and their reluctance in helping Dalinar, fearing him to be a tyrant who will use the Oathgates to usurp them. Still, I suppose there was some beauty in these flashback chapters, especially when Adolin was born and we got to see Dalinar react to becoming a father, but ultimately there is a lot more pain than happiness in these past sequences, and some of the terrible and heartbreaking events covered the final few flashbacks damn near broke me.
Of course, Oathbringer being “Dalinar’s book” notwithstanding, Sanderson also pays plenty of attention to the other characters, developing the roles of Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin, and even those of a number of important supporting figures besides, including a few I can’t name for fear of revealing too much. Shallan in particular gets a lot of love, because following the revelation that she is a Knight Radiant, she has become something of a magical powerhouse. That said, getting a hang of her Lightweaving abilities involve a lot of growing pains, and in inventing multiple identities for herself, Shallan also risks losing the essence of who she is. Much of Shallan’s storyline sees her testing the limits of her powers and learning to become comfortable in her own skin, which also ties into her growing relationship with Adolin, who is trying to come to terms with all that is expected of him as Dalinar’s son. Their romance subplot continues to fill my girlish heart with glee though, because I still can’t get over just how damn cute the two of them are together. To be honest, Kaladin was perhaps my one source of mild disappointment, and only because his character and personality has not evolved as much compared to the others. The storming bridgeboy is still as brave, loyal, and caring as ever, but his penchant to want to save everybody all the time also means that the all-consuming guilt still gets to him when he realizes he can’t. But then again, that’s why we all love Kaladin, isn't it?
Thus far, I know I’ve only mostly talked about the characters, but mainly because I think they are the heart and soul and these books. But I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the incredible world-building, even if I probably sound like a broken record by now, since it’s no secret that Brandon Sanderson is a genius when it comes to this area. I am in awe of the number of new ideas that are still coming out of this series though, and the astounding amount of new knowledge I gained about the world of Roshar from reading Oathbringer. The characters go to some amazing places and see some amazing things, and we learn along with them as they discover new and important information about the Desolations, the Heralds, the Oathpact, Honorblades, spren, and so much more.
And finally, all I have to say about the plot is that it was epic. Virtually no other word would do to describe this magnificent feat of storytelling. While I won’t pretend that every moment of this 1200+ page tome was a riveting experience, I can honestly say I was never bored. Oathbringer was long and slow to build, but in a good way, unfolding at the kind of pace that increases anticipation rather than induces tedium, and there were also plenty of surprises and shocking developments, including both triumphs and losses. The last two hundred pages or so were something else as well. Much of the book builds towards this final showdown, when all the character POVs come together in an exhilarating, climactic battle that’s sure to knock you off your feet. You’ll remember the ending to this one for sure.
All told, Oathbringer is another stunning addition to the already impressive Stormlight Archive, and I’m in love with this series more than ever. Events are starting to come together to form a clearer picture, but of course there’s still much to come in this journey, which I’m excited to continue. If you’ve been enjoying this ride as much as I have so far, trust me when I say there is no way you will want to miss this book. Read it, I say, read it!
October 26, 2019
A special thank you to The Fantabulous Branwen, who not only buddy read this book with me, but has been buddy reading the entire Stormlight Archive series with me! Branwen, it's been so much fun discussing experiencing the magical world of Roshar with you, and I can't wait to read the next books with you as well!
And now, on to my...
”Book, you have the right to a speedy trial” review!
THE DEFENSE
-Building on the earlier books.
This is a book review, so it’s a perfect time to talk about a video game… right?!?
(There’s a method to my madness, I swear…)
One of my favorite gaming experiences was when I played Mass Effect 2. The story of the game itself was great, but what really made it so fascinating for me was how choices I made in the first game were carried over. Side characters I had forgotten about came back, seemingly unconnected events came together, and what felt like a story with many side plots became a full cohesive narrative. And that’s exactly how I felt reading book 3 of the Stormlight Archive. While the first two books felt more like separate volumes, this is the one where the whole series really begins to mesh. As we learned more about the history of Roshar and its inhabitants, bits of dialogue and seemingly minor events from the previous books suddenly carried much more weight. I’ve always said Brandon Sanderson was a master at world-building, but in this volume, he didn’t just build a world, he brought it to life! I loved how events from the first two books came full circle in this one and the ramifications rippled throughout the world of Roshar.
- The villains are so good at being bad.
Who doesn’t love a good villain? In fact, there's a whole subcategory of cat gifs dedicated to them acting like villains!
(Q. How do you know a cat is planning something evil?
A. IT’S A CAT!!!)
I felt that the villains really stepped up their game in this volume. While the first two books featured people with less than noble motives, or even people with questionably noble intentions but ruthless methods to achieve them, this time around the puppet masters who had been influencing events behind the scenes finally stepped into the spotlight. I loved the inclusion of “The Unmade”, twisted spren that serve a mad god, and each have their own unique powers and influence on the world. This reminded me of the Forsaken from the “Wheel of Time” series, where the minions of the main antagonist sometimes felt like they were a bigger threat than the one they served. And not only we see the machinations of the servants of the mad god, but the mad god itself was a much larger presence this time as well. A hero can only truly rise if there is a formidable challenge for them to conquer, and the heroes of the Stormlight Archive have never been challenged as much as they were this time around!
- The Knights Radiant shine brighter than ever.
It’s amazing how the characters have changed so much from the first book, yet still feel so true to themselves. Kaladin still tends to look down his nose at the lighteyed nobles, yet now he recognizes how unfair his prejudices can be. Dalinar tries so hard to be a better person than he was before, even as he sometimes falls back on his former brutal tendencies. Renarin is as awkward as ever, yet he shows more backbone and continues to try to fit in even when he knows he won’t. Of all the main characters, I think the one who has come the farthest is Shallan. In the first book, Shallan seemed so unsure of herself, and she responded to everything with a flip remark, to the point where it could really grate on the nerves… for the other characters in the story as well as the people reading it! Yet while Shallan still struggles with her insecurities, she is clearly a stronger person now than she was before. In fact, Shallan has what I considered to be the most badass moment of the story! That's not to say Shallan has completely conquered her demons. Shallan grapples with an identity crisis (that manifests itself in a truly astounding way throughout the book), but the fact that she suffers from this inner conflict just makes her seem that much stronger in those moments when she fights to overcome it. All the main characters have been given so much depth by this point in the series, it makes the reader care that much more about them. The Knights Radiant have overcome so much, they have certainly earned the right to strut like badasses!
(That’s totally Shallan making the snarky comment at the end!)
- Improved magic system.
A good magic trick is a beautiful display of mystery and wonder!
(How... HOW DID HE DO THAT?!?)
In addition to his ability to create such vast and interesting worlds, I've always admired Brandon Sanderson's unique magic systems as well. The Stormlight series has always had an intriguing magic system, but like everything else in this volume, it was built upon into something even greater than before. Illusionists paint stories and even worlds that come to life. Everyday inanimate objects have souls that can be touched. Every type of emotion attracts fantastic spren from between worlds. The magic really comes alive during the epic battles and add extra layers of excitement to them. I continue to be amazed at how Sanderson creates such complex magic systems that are still easy to understand.
Expect the unexpected.
It's practically impossible to talk about surprises in a book without being spoilery, so please forgive me for how vague the next few sentences are! Suffice it to say that every time I thought I knew where the story was leading, the story pulled me in an entirely unexpected direction. From an investigation in the first part of the novel that generated far more questions than answers, to strange encounters later on in the story, Sanderson never ceased to astound me. Again, I can't really get into specifics, But here is a gif to help illustrate the necessity to be vague at times...
(Perhaps my gif-finding abilities aren't quite as sharp as they used to be...)
And now for my one criticism about the book...
THE PROSECUTION
- Journey before destination... looooooong before destination!
As much as I love the Stormlight Archive series, these books definitely aren't for everyone. There's no denying that the story tends to move at a snail's pace... and that's only when the story is actually moving forward at all. To once again use a video game analogy, I've often compared this series to "Skyrim", where exploring the world and its occupants takes precedence over the actual main story line. I was so enthralled by the world building and character studies that I was never once bored reading this, and I felt this volume did have more action than the preceding novels in the series. Still, if you read the earlier books and were frustrated waiting for the story to advance, then this volume probably won't make a convert out of you!
(This man will probably not be pre-ordering Book 4!)
THE VERDICT
"Oathbringer" is a masterpiece of world building and character study. My favorite book in the series so far, I loved how elements from the first two books came together in this one to create an even richer reading experience. It's massive length and slow pace means it takes a while to see how it all plays out, but much like one of the oaths declared by the Knights Radiant, this volume focuses on the journey before the destination!
And now, on to my...
”Book, you have the right to a speedy trial” review!
THE DEFENSE
-Building on the earlier books.
This is a book review, so it’s a perfect time to talk about a video game… right?!?
(There’s a method to my madness, I swear…)
One of my favorite gaming experiences was when I played Mass Effect 2. The story of the game itself was great, but what really made it so fascinating for me was how choices I made in the first game were carried over. Side characters I had forgotten about came back, seemingly unconnected events came together, and what felt like a story with many side plots became a full cohesive narrative. And that’s exactly how I felt reading book 3 of the Stormlight Archive. While the first two books felt more like separate volumes, this is the one where the whole series really begins to mesh. As we learned more about the history of Roshar and its inhabitants, bits of dialogue and seemingly minor events from the previous books suddenly carried much more weight. I’ve always said Brandon Sanderson was a master at world-building, but in this volume, he didn’t just build a world, he brought it to life! I loved how events from the first two books came full circle in this one and the ramifications rippled throughout the world of Roshar.
- The villains are so good at being bad.
Who doesn’t love a good villain? In fact, there's a whole subcategory of cat gifs dedicated to them acting like villains!
(Q. How do you know a cat is planning something evil?
A. IT’S A CAT!!!)
I felt that the villains really stepped up their game in this volume. While the first two books featured people with less than noble motives, or even people with questionably noble intentions but ruthless methods to achieve them, this time around the puppet masters who had been influencing events behind the scenes finally stepped into the spotlight. I loved the inclusion of “The Unmade”, twisted spren that serve a mad god, and each have their own unique powers and influence on the world. This reminded me of the Forsaken from the “Wheel of Time” series, where the minions of the main antagonist sometimes felt like they were a bigger threat than the one they served. And not only we see the machinations of the servants of the mad god, but the mad god itself was a much larger presence this time as well. A hero can only truly rise if there is a formidable challenge for them to conquer, and the heroes of the Stormlight Archive have never been challenged as much as they were this time around!
- The Knights Radiant shine brighter than ever.
It’s amazing how the characters have changed so much from the first book, yet still feel so true to themselves. Kaladin still tends to look down his nose at the lighteyed nobles, yet now he recognizes how unfair his prejudices can be. Dalinar tries so hard to be a better person than he was before, even as he sometimes falls back on his former brutal tendencies. Renarin is as awkward as ever, yet he shows more backbone and continues to try to fit in even when he knows he won’t. Of all the main characters, I think the one who has come the farthest is Shallan. In the first book, Shallan seemed so unsure of herself, and she responded to everything with a flip remark, to the point where it could really grate on the nerves… for the other characters in the story as well as the people reading it! Yet while Shallan still struggles with her insecurities, she is clearly a stronger person now than she was before. In fact, Shallan has what I considered to be the most badass moment of the story! That's not to say Shallan has completely conquered her demons. Shallan grapples with an identity crisis (that manifests itself in a truly astounding way throughout the book), but the fact that she suffers from this inner conflict just makes her seem that much stronger in those moments when she fights to overcome it. All the main characters have been given so much depth by this point in the series, it makes the reader care that much more about them. The Knights Radiant have overcome so much, they have certainly earned the right to strut like badasses!
(That’s totally Shallan making the snarky comment at the end!)
- Improved magic system.
A good magic trick is a beautiful display of mystery and wonder!
(How... HOW DID HE DO THAT?!?)
In addition to his ability to create such vast and interesting worlds, I've always admired Brandon Sanderson's unique magic systems as well. The Stormlight series has always had an intriguing magic system, but like everything else in this volume, it was built upon into something even greater than before. Illusionists paint stories and even worlds that come to life. Everyday inanimate objects have souls that can be touched. Every type of emotion attracts fantastic spren from between worlds. The magic really comes alive during the epic battles and add extra layers of excitement to them. I continue to be amazed at how Sanderson creates such complex magic systems that are still easy to understand.
Expect the unexpected.
It's practically impossible to talk about surprises in a book without being spoilery, so please forgive me for how vague the next few sentences are! Suffice it to say that every time I thought I knew where the story was leading, the story pulled me in an entirely unexpected direction. From an investigation in the first part of the novel that generated far more questions than answers, to strange encounters later on in the story, Sanderson never ceased to astound me. Again, I can't really get into specifics, But here is a gif to help illustrate the necessity to be vague at times...
(Perhaps my gif-finding abilities aren't quite as sharp as they used to be...)
And now for my one criticism about the book...
THE PROSECUTION
- Journey before destination... looooooong before destination!
As much as I love the Stormlight Archive series, these books definitely aren't for everyone. There's no denying that the story tends to move at a snail's pace... and that's only when the story is actually moving forward at all. To once again use a video game analogy, I've often compared this series to "Skyrim", where exploring the world and its occupants takes precedence over the actual main story line. I was so enthralled by the world building and character studies that I was never once bored reading this, and I felt this volume did have more action than the preceding novels in the series. Still, if you read the earlier books and were frustrated waiting for the story to advance, then this volume probably won't make a convert out of you!
(This man will probably not be pre-ordering Book 4!)
THE VERDICT
"Oathbringer" is a masterpiece of world building and character study. My favorite book in the series so far, I loved how elements from the first two books came together in this one to create an even richer reading experience. It's massive length and slow pace means it takes a while to see how it all plays out, but much like one of the oaths declared by the Knights Radiant, this volume focuses on the journey before the destination!
February 7, 2018
It’s self-evident that if you’re reading book three of a series that requires a Sherpa to place each volume on your bookshelf and that is part of a series that has, as of yet, SEVEN unpublished volumes to come (don’t you die on us, Sanderson—DON’T YOU DIE!), you probably enjoyed the first two (in my case, check and check).
So, if you’re reading this and wondering if you should dive into this series despite the fact that there are rumors (as yet uncorroborated, though we’re working on it) that OJ Simpson used a hardcover copy of the second book to kill a cocktail waitress and a pool boy, then the answer is yes, you absolutely should. Sanderson is as mind-blowing a world builder as there is in fantasy today, and his writing chops are more than solid. I’ll note that I’ve liked each successive book in the series slightly less than its predecessor, but, given that I’d still call book three “really freaking good,” that shouldn’t be taken as a suggestion to stay away. Book three tailed off a bit for two minor reasons (I’m still disturbed by the blatant eye color-related prejudice and I’m mildly worried that he blew his plot wad too early) and one bigger one, which I’ll delve into below. But, suffice it to say, if you’re on the fence about taking the plunge, throw caution to the wind, take out a life insurance policy on Mr. Sanderson, and dive in.
Now then: about that length…
(If I had a nickel every time I’d heard THAT from someone…well, I’d have five cents, which would be pretty swell. But, I digress.)
Look, I love a massive, sprawling epic as much as the next fantasy reader. I had a concentration in Victorian lit as an English major in undergrad, which should tell you something about my affinity for things that are overwritten and far longer and more complex than they need to be (see, for example, my review of The Turn of the Screw and, oh, the entire first half of The Camelot Shadow). But, and it’s a big but (unlike my own, which, sadly, is flatter than a portable hole and offers no appeal for those who are inclined toward juicy doubles), things are getting out of control in epic fantasy land.
I blame George Martin (and his editor), at least in part, as each subsequent volume of A Song of Fire and Ice kept getting bigger and bigger and slaying more forests and selling more copies—that gave editors the idea that bigger is better, which has unleashed an entire generation of epic (and grimdark) fantasy writers who are padding page counts, Sanderson foremost among them. And, yes—it’s the length and depth of those stories that gives them their appeal, and it’s clearly not turning readers off, based on how well Sanderson/Rothfuss/Lynch/Goodkind/etc. are selling. Sanderson, whose prodigious output once allegedly caused a thousand monkeys to not only throw out their typewriters, but to swear off ever even trying to write Hamlet again, is the undisputed word count champ amongst this group, and one wonders if his vast intellectual horsepower and burgeoning reputation as a fantasy titan are scaring his editors away from suggesting that he maybe do a little judicious pruning to speed things up a bit here and there. Now, I’m not a professional editor, but even I could have hacked 150 pages out of Oathbringer without diminishing the quality of the story (and likely improving it). Sanderson makes it work because his characters are, by and large, sufficiently compelling that you’re okay hanging out with them for extended periods of time where just tweezing nose hairs and Q-tipping out some earwax* while they banter, but there are multiple stretches in the book where I found myself feeling like I was at the part of a Def Leppard concert at the County Fair where they go, “And now we want to play you something off our brand new album!” and everyone goes to the bathroom so they can get back in time for the closing Rocket/Hysteria/Pour Some Sugar on Me triptych.
I don’t want to pee when I’m reading Sanderson (I mean, I know I NEED to pee at some point over the course of the 1,200+ pages, but you know what I mean). A little editing goes a long way, so consider this a polite plea to consider the plight of the full-bladdered reader, the guy at the Def Leppard concert in Kalamazoo who’s about seven Bud Lights deep into the evening and is so relieved when the band cues up some hackneyed, watered-down 2018 retread of Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad (which, incidentally, is an epic and awesome song—fact) that they nearly pee themselves on the way to the urinal, only to get the stage fright when they get there because they have to pee into the trough and they find that they just can’t pee when their hip is sandwiched between (and touching) two other dudes’ hips, like there’s a pee-stop button embedded in his hip bone.
Because I don’t want to be that guy (again).
Regardless, looking forward to book four. I’m off to send Mr. Sanderson some vegetables so we can keep him healthy and, failing that, to look into cryogenically freezing his head…
*There was no actual tweezing or Q-tipping, but there probably could have been and his editors would have left it in.
So, if you’re reading this and wondering if you should dive into this series despite the fact that there are rumors (as yet uncorroborated, though we’re working on it) that OJ Simpson used a hardcover copy of the second book to kill a cocktail waitress and a pool boy, then the answer is yes, you absolutely should. Sanderson is as mind-blowing a world builder as there is in fantasy today, and his writing chops are more than solid. I’ll note that I’ve liked each successive book in the series slightly less than its predecessor, but, given that I’d still call book three “really freaking good,” that shouldn’t be taken as a suggestion to stay away. Book three tailed off a bit for two minor reasons (I’m still disturbed by the blatant eye color-related prejudice and I’m mildly worried that he blew his plot wad too early) and one bigger one, which I’ll delve into below. But, suffice it to say, if you’re on the fence about taking the plunge, throw caution to the wind, take out a life insurance policy on Mr. Sanderson, and dive in.
Now then: about that length…
(If I had a nickel every time I’d heard THAT from someone…well, I’d have five cents, which would be pretty swell. But, I digress.)
Look, I love a massive, sprawling epic as much as the next fantasy reader. I had a concentration in Victorian lit as an English major in undergrad, which should tell you something about my affinity for things that are overwritten and far longer and more complex than they need to be (see, for example, my review of The Turn of the Screw and, oh, the entire first half of The Camelot Shadow). But, and it’s a big but (unlike my own, which, sadly, is flatter than a portable hole and offers no appeal for those who are inclined toward juicy doubles), things are getting out of control in epic fantasy land.
I blame George Martin (and his editor), at least in part, as each subsequent volume of A Song of Fire and Ice kept getting bigger and bigger and slaying more forests and selling more copies—that gave editors the idea that bigger is better, which has unleashed an entire generation of epic (and grimdark) fantasy writers who are padding page counts, Sanderson foremost among them. And, yes—it’s the length and depth of those stories that gives them their appeal, and it’s clearly not turning readers off, based on how well Sanderson/Rothfuss/Lynch/Goodkind/etc. are selling. Sanderson, whose prodigious output once allegedly caused a thousand monkeys to not only throw out their typewriters, but to swear off ever even trying to write Hamlet again, is the undisputed word count champ amongst this group, and one wonders if his vast intellectual horsepower and burgeoning reputation as a fantasy titan are scaring his editors away from suggesting that he maybe do a little judicious pruning to speed things up a bit here and there. Now, I’m not a professional editor, but even I could have hacked 150 pages out of Oathbringer without diminishing the quality of the story (and likely improving it). Sanderson makes it work because his characters are, by and large, sufficiently compelling that you’re okay hanging out with them for extended periods of time where just tweezing nose hairs and Q-tipping out some earwax* while they banter, but there are multiple stretches in the book where I found myself feeling like I was at the part of a Def Leppard concert at the County Fair where they go, “And now we want to play you something off our brand new album!” and everyone goes to the bathroom so they can get back in time for the closing Rocket/Hysteria/Pour Some Sugar on Me triptych.
I don’t want to pee when I’m reading Sanderson (I mean, I know I NEED to pee at some point over the course of the 1,200+ pages, but you know what I mean). A little editing goes a long way, so consider this a polite plea to consider the plight of the full-bladdered reader, the guy at the Def Leppard concert in Kalamazoo who’s about seven Bud Lights deep into the evening and is so relieved when the band cues up some hackneyed, watered-down 2018 retread of Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad (which, incidentally, is an epic and awesome song—fact) that they nearly pee themselves on the way to the urinal, only to get the stage fright when they get there because they have to pee into the trough and they find that they just can’t pee when their hip is sandwiched between (and touching) two other dudes’ hips, like there’s a pee-stop button embedded in his hip bone.
Because I don’t want to be that guy (again).
Regardless, looking forward to book four. I’m off to send Mr. Sanderson some vegetables so we can keep him healthy and, failing that, to look into cryogenically freezing his head…
*There was no actual tweezing or Q-tipping, but there probably could have been and his editors would have left it in.
March 15, 2024
Re-Read 3/15/24:
I'm still enjoying the frelling hell out of this. I really appreciated all the focus on Dalinar's past even MORE on re-read. Especially when we get to the point where all my perceptions of this place -- and the other -- gets turned on its head.
No spoilers.
But, HOLY HELL what a ride THAT became! ;)
Original Review:
Holy c**p.
This was amazing.
I thought it was going to be hard to top the first two doorstoppers, but this one not only outdid the others in page-count but also in the quality of the storytelling. Every aspect of it was brilliant.
I'm not usually one to gush on and on about epic fantasies. Most are pretty okay and I can slog through and eventually enjoy certain ones like GoT all right, but a few really manage to jump right out there and grab you with character, world-building, and overall story with heart, rage, heartache, and amazeballs reveals that are about as far away from the usual as you can get but still slam you with the reality and inevitability. I'm talking about Dalinar.
I mean, sure, we get a lot of great stuff from Kaladin as he grows into his new heroic role and learns a lot of disturbing things about the Parchendi, including the fact that humanity is the invaders to this land, that we are the villains. And Shallan continues to grow as an illusionist and her love story is quite satisfying if generally on the backburner to the main action. Doesn't matter. I think I'll always love her and all her split personalities.
But even though we think we've learned a lot of things about the ultra-honorable Dalinar and we're satisfied with the fact that he's bonded with the Stormfather himself, the reveals regarding his missing memory is kinda shocking, to say the least. I mean, it's kinda flooring. And now all the unspoken and referred-to actions of his younger self now make a lot more sense. He's an animal. All about the passion and the Thrill. The blood-rage, the thing that consumes all. How did he get here from there? Ah, that's the trick, no?
Well, I can tell you all that it is all brilliant. :)
But don't just think this is all character development. Indeed, most of it is occurring during really fantastic scenes of action or during inopportune times. The momentum is maintained. And then there's a whole squad of flying, storm-riding heroes. Matter-altering women, master illusionists, blade dancers, immortal assassins, gods, and my personal favorite... the cognitive realm itself.
Oh, yes, we are treated to the homeworld of the Spren. A lot of it. And a very cool place it is. :) Nature spirits or creatures of pure thought, who cares? It's damn cool. :) And the reveals about humanity? NICE. :)
I think this one might be my favorite. It obviously builds on the previous novels, but it has the wonderful distinction of not just gliding. It pushes and strives for a lot more and I couldn't be happier. :)
Bravo, Sanderson! You've got a life-long fanboy here!
I'm still enjoying the frelling hell out of this. I really appreciated all the focus on Dalinar's past even MORE on re-read. Especially when we get to the point where all my perceptions of this place -- and the other -- gets turned on its head.
No spoilers.
But, HOLY HELL what a ride THAT became! ;)
Original Review:
Holy c**p.
This was amazing.
I thought it was going to be hard to top the first two doorstoppers, but this one not only outdid the others in page-count but also in the quality of the storytelling. Every aspect of it was brilliant.
I'm not usually one to gush on and on about epic fantasies. Most are pretty okay and I can slog through and eventually enjoy certain ones like GoT all right, but a few really manage to jump right out there and grab you with character, world-building, and overall story with heart, rage, heartache, and amazeballs reveals that are about as far away from the usual as you can get but still slam you with the reality and inevitability. I'm talking about Dalinar.
I mean, sure, we get a lot of great stuff from Kaladin as he grows into his new heroic role and learns a lot of disturbing things about the Parchendi, including the fact that humanity is the invaders to this land, that we are the villains. And Shallan continues to grow as an illusionist and her love story is quite satisfying if generally on the backburner to the main action. Doesn't matter. I think I'll always love her and all her split personalities.
But even though we think we've learned a lot of things about the ultra-honorable Dalinar and we're satisfied with the fact that he's bonded with the Stormfather himself, the reveals regarding his missing memory is kinda shocking, to say the least. I mean, it's kinda flooring. And now all the unspoken and referred-to actions of his younger self now make a lot more sense. He's an animal. All about the passion and the Thrill. The blood-rage, the thing that consumes all. How did he get here from there? Ah, that's the trick, no?
Well, I can tell you all that it is all brilliant. :)
But don't just think this is all character development. Indeed, most of it is occurring during really fantastic scenes of action or during inopportune times. The momentum is maintained. And then there's a whole squad of flying, storm-riding heroes. Matter-altering women, master illusionists, blade dancers, immortal assassins, gods, and my personal favorite... the cognitive realm itself.
Oh, yes, we are treated to the homeworld of the Spren. A lot of it. And a very cool place it is. :) Nature spirits or creatures of pure thought, who cares? It's damn cool. :) And the reveals about humanity? NICE. :)
I think this one might be my favorite. It obviously builds on the previous novels, but it has the wonderful distinction of not just gliding. It pushes and strives for a lot more and I couldn't be happier. :)
Bravo, Sanderson! You've got a life-long fanboy here!
October 30, 2020
While trying to compose a review that will do this series justice, the question becomes not whether Oathbringer was an amazing installment in the Stormlight Archive series, but how do I explain how fiercely I loved it without gushing like a fangirl? Suffice to say it’s on a pedestal. I can see so many of the brilliant ideas within it shaping fantasy works for decades to come. It truly is the next evolution in the genre similar to that brought on by the likes of Jordan and Tolkien. At least, that’s how I feel about it.
Expansive world building always wins me over, and I can think of very few worlds as impressive as Sanderson’s Roshar. Stormlight Archive is a series that encompasses many different cultures across this island continent. Sanderson provides a constant infusion of these races by highlighting their differences (and celebrating their similarities). This variety of humanity is easily my favorite element. I’ve experienced so many exotic places in this series alone – it truly is a wonder. It is world building like this that makes me ecstatic to be a reader.
I especially loved learning more about each culture through the diverse cast of characters within Bridge Four (even if I am just an “airsick lowlander”). I’ve always loved the characters in this series, but I think Oathbringer is the first book I’ve also appreciated their complexity/duality. They’re definitely not cookie-cutter profiles with mildly interesting back-stories, but deeply flawed individuals with more than just the external conflicts to overcome. If the first two books delved into Kaladin and Shallan’s past, respectively, then book three was an exploration of the events that shaped Dalinar. Even minor characters in this series are rich and interesting, and I eat up all new information revealed about every single one of them. There were a few new characters that got to share the limelight in Oathbringer (brought in from the interludes in previous books) and I delighted in how they changed the dynamics of the story.
If I’m honest, I’ll admit that there were a few moments throughout Oathbringer where I wondered if the pacing was a little too slow (keeping in mind that I didn’t have a single issue with pacing for the first two 1000+ page novels). It had me considering if it was enough of an issue to take away from my enjoyment of all the other amazing elements. Ultimately, it wasn’t because every time I thought it, something profound would happen to reel me back in. Then the snowball climax of the story hit and all of my hesitations were swept away. The book felt different than the first two, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was weaker. My friend Liam, over at Thoughts of a Thousand Lives, summed up my internal debate perfectly: “…each of these books is different enough that it’s extremely hard to compare them. All three of them sit pretty equally with me because of that, and the quality of the writing, worldbuilding, and character development never varies at all.”
And that’s the crux of it – all of the things I’ve come to expect from a Sanderson novel were there in abundance. Overall, Oathbringer contained all of the plot advancement and amazing moments I’d hoped to get out of it. Multiply that with the fact that the tome itself is a gorgeous piece of art filled with sketches and diagrams that enhance the story, and you have a reading experience unlike no other. I applaud Sanderson’s ambition and commitment to this project, as I could see how he could have easily wrapped it up in this third book and left a few things unresolved (as many authors have done). What a delight that one of my favorite series on the market continues strong with many more novels to come. If you haven’t ventured into this series yet, you are sorely missing out!
I want to say a HUGE thank you to the publicists at TOR/Forge and Brandon Sanderson for sending me an early copy of Oathbringer for review. You made my year! :D
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
Expansive world building always wins me over, and I can think of very few worlds as impressive as Sanderson’s Roshar. Stormlight Archive is a series that encompasses many different cultures across this island continent. Sanderson provides a constant infusion of these races by highlighting their differences (and celebrating their similarities). This variety of humanity is easily my favorite element. I’ve experienced so many exotic places in this series alone – it truly is a wonder. It is world building like this that makes me ecstatic to be a reader.
I especially loved learning more about each culture through the diverse cast of characters within Bridge Four (even if I am just an “airsick lowlander”). I’ve always loved the characters in this series, but I think Oathbringer is the first book I’ve also appreciated their complexity/duality. They’re definitely not cookie-cutter profiles with mildly interesting back-stories, but deeply flawed individuals with more than just the external conflicts to overcome. If the first two books delved into Kaladin and Shallan’s past, respectively, then book three was an exploration of the events that shaped Dalinar. Even minor characters in this series are rich and interesting, and I eat up all new information revealed about every single one of them. There were a few new characters that got to share the limelight in Oathbringer (brought in from the interludes in previous books) and I delighted in how they changed the dynamics of the story.
If I’m honest, I’ll admit that there were a few moments throughout Oathbringer where I wondered if the pacing was a little too slow (keeping in mind that I didn’t have a single issue with pacing for the first two 1000+ page novels). It had me considering if it was enough of an issue to take away from my enjoyment of all the other amazing elements. Ultimately, it wasn’t because every time I thought it, something profound would happen to reel me back in. Then the snowball climax of the story hit and all of my hesitations were swept away. The book felt different than the first two, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was weaker. My friend Liam, over at Thoughts of a Thousand Lives, summed up my internal debate perfectly: “…each of these books is different enough that it’s extremely hard to compare them. All three of them sit pretty equally with me because of that, and the quality of the writing, worldbuilding, and character development never varies at all.”
And that’s the crux of it – all of the things I’ve come to expect from a Sanderson novel were there in abundance. Overall, Oathbringer contained all of the plot advancement and amazing moments I’d hoped to get out of it. Multiply that with the fact that the tome itself is a gorgeous piece of art filled with sketches and diagrams that enhance the story, and you have a reading experience unlike no other. I applaud Sanderson’s ambition and commitment to this project, as I could see how he could have easily wrapped it up in this third book and left a few things unresolved (as many authors have done). What a delight that one of my favorite series on the market continues strong with many more novels to come. If you haven’t ventured into this series yet, you are sorely missing out!
I want to say a HUGE thank you to the publicists at TOR/Forge and Brandon Sanderson for sending me an early copy of Oathbringer for review. You made my year! :D
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
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October 31, 2024
Rating: 6/5 stars
2024 reread review:
I agree wholeheartedly with myself here. This is a book that gets better each time you read it. Which is pretty incredible, as I found it close to perfect the first time. The Stormlight Archive is such a special series. It's my favorite story outside of the Greatest Story Ever Told. But as far as fiction goes, nothing tops this series. And Oathbringer itself is incredible. The climax of this book will never not move me.
2020 reread review:
Upon rereading Oathbringer, not only am I still blown away by it, I actually love it even more. It’s a rare book that grows and deepens and improves when revisited, but Sanderson has a knack for churning out such fiction. His intricate plotting, superb pacing, insane world building, fathomless character development, and impeccable attention to detail are all second to none. Is it any wonder he’s in my top three favorite authors? Below is my original review of Oathbringer. I can’t wait to dig into Rhythm of War next month!
Original November 2017 review:
This book deserves all the stars in the Cosmere. And then some.
When I read The Way of Kings, it became one of my favorite books of all time. When I read Words of Radiance, it supplanted its predecessor, which I find to be incredibly rare for a second book in a series. I was understandably impressed, but while I was excited for Oathbringer, I honestly believed there was no way it could be better than the books that came before it. I’ve never in my life been happier to have been proven wrong. Sanderson absolutely blew me away with Oathbringer. I don’t how he did it, but I’m ecstatic that he did.
In The Way of Kings, we got Kaladin’s back story, which I loved. In Words of Radiance, we learned about the past that shaped Shallan. Here, in Oathbringer, it is Dalinar’s turn. His past has so far been the most painful to read about in my opinion, because the man he used to be is so vastly different from the man he is today. Something I really appreciated was the fact that we were getting his flashback scenes as he himself remembered them, allowing readers to feel like they were truly making this journey step for step with Dalinar. His past is both fascinating and incredibly disturbing.
However, as with the preceding books, Dalinar is far from the only perspective we receive. We get more of Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin, and more who I won’t list because I don’t want to spoil anything. One thing I absolutely loved was the inclusion of Bridge Four chapters, from the perspectives of various bridgemen. This was a wonderful gift Sanderson included for his fans.
Watching the Knights Radiant expand and grow and even take squires was absolutely wonderful to behold. Yet again, the Words spoken were powerful and varied and moving. I love the Ideals Sanderson has created here, as I think they make for incredibly powerful words to live by for both character and reader. But sometimes those Words feel impossible to say, and we’re unable to choke them out. I like that this struggle isn’t shied away from in the series. Saying the Words isn’t easy; if it was, everyone would be a Radiant. What makes someone Radiant potential is the immense pain they’ve experienced and their ability to rise above it, even as they continue to struggle.
There was an immense amount of character development in this book, for both our main characters and side characters. Some characters struggled with their identity, incapable of accepting themselves for who they are. Depression was battled, and it wasn’t always conquered. Addictions reared their ugly heads and refused to be ignored. Demons from the past plagued their hosts and laughed at the pain they inflicted. Decisions were questioned and regretted. Everything the characters went through made them feel so incredibly alive. Sanderson showed us raw, real people, and he exposed their pain and struggles to us. But he also showed us their triumphs, which were made all the more poignant because we witnessed the fight to attain them.
In my opinion, the central theme of this book was one of forgiveness and acceptance, mostly of yourself. It’s about knowing your flaws and accepting them as part of you. It’s about not hiding who you are, even if you don’t like who that person is. It’s about owning up to your mistakes and learning from them. It’s about knowing that you’re broken, perhaps beyond repair, and loving yourself anyway. It’s about people’s powerful ability to heal other people, and in the process lessen their own pain. It’s about sharing the pain with friends, because no one can shoulder a bridge alone. It’s about crying when you need to and finding a way to laugh through the tears. It’s about flinging your arms wide and letting the sun shine on your scars when you’d rather wallow in the shadows. It’s about accepting that life is hard and imperfect and unfair and embracing it anyway.
This book moved me. I laughed and cried and raged. Its over 1,200 pages passed by too quickly, but reading it was an incredible experience. Yes, now the waiting game begins for book 4, but if the first three books are any indication, it will be well worth the wait.
I’d like to thank my marvelous friend TS for not only sending me this beautiful book as an early Christmas gift, but for being there to laugh and cry and rage with me as I read. She made an already incredible experience even more wonderful.
2024 reread review:
I agree wholeheartedly with myself here. This is a book that gets better each time you read it. Which is pretty incredible, as I found it close to perfect the first time. The Stormlight Archive is such a special series. It's my favorite story outside of the Greatest Story Ever Told. But as far as fiction goes, nothing tops this series. And Oathbringer itself is incredible. The climax of this book will never not move me.
2020 reread review:
Upon rereading Oathbringer, not only am I still blown away by it, I actually love it even more. It’s a rare book that grows and deepens and improves when revisited, but Sanderson has a knack for churning out such fiction. His intricate plotting, superb pacing, insane world building, fathomless character development, and impeccable attention to detail are all second to none. Is it any wonder he’s in my top three favorite authors? Below is my original review of Oathbringer. I can’t wait to dig into Rhythm of War next month!
Original November 2017 review:
This book deserves all the stars in the Cosmere. And then some.
When I read The Way of Kings, it became one of my favorite books of all time. When I read Words of Radiance, it supplanted its predecessor, which I find to be incredibly rare for a second book in a series. I was understandably impressed, but while I was excited for Oathbringer, I honestly believed there was no way it could be better than the books that came before it. I’ve never in my life been happier to have been proven wrong. Sanderson absolutely blew me away with Oathbringer. I don’t how he did it, but I’m ecstatic that he did.
In The Way of Kings, we got Kaladin’s back story, which I loved. In Words of Radiance, we learned about the past that shaped Shallan. Here, in Oathbringer, it is Dalinar’s turn. His past has so far been the most painful to read about in my opinion, because the man he used to be is so vastly different from the man he is today. Something I really appreciated was the fact that we were getting his flashback scenes as he himself remembered them, allowing readers to feel like they were truly making this journey step for step with Dalinar. His past is both fascinating and incredibly disturbing.
However, as with the preceding books, Dalinar is far from the only perspective we receive. We get more of Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin, and more who I won’t list because I don’t want to spoil anything. One thing I absolutely loved was the inclusion of Bridge Four chapters, from the perspectives of various bridgemen. This was a wonderful gift Sanderson included for his fans.
Watching the Knights Radiant expand and grow and even take squires was absolutely wonderful to behold. Yet again, the Words spoken were powerful and varied and moving. I love the Ideals Sanderson has created here, as I think they make for incredibly powerful words to live by for both character and reader. But sometimes those Words feel impossible to say, and we’re unable to choke them out. I like that this struggle isn’t shied away from in the series. Saying the Words isn’t easy; if it was, everyone would be a Radiant. What makes someone Radiant potential is the immense pain they’ve experienced and their ability to rise above it, even as they continue to struggle.
There was an immense amount of character development in this book, for both our main characters and side characters. Some characters struggled with their identity, incapable of accepting themselves for who they are. Depression was battled, and it wasn’t always conquered. Addictions reared their ugly heads and refused to be ignored. Demons from the past plagued their hosts and laughed at the pain they inflicted. Decisions were questioned and regretted. Everything the characters went through made them feel so incredibly alive. Sanderson showed us raw, real people, and he exposed their pain and struggles to us. But he also showed us their triumphs, which were made all the more poignant because we witnessed the fight to attain them.
In my opinion, the central theme of this book was one of forgiveness and acceptance, mostly of yourself. It’s about knowing your flaws and accepting them as part of you. It’s about not hiding who you are, even if you don’t like who that person is. It’s about owning up to your mistakes and learning from them. It’s about knowing that you’re broken, perhaps beyond repair, and loving yourself anyway. It’s about people’s powerful ability to heal other people, and in the process lessen their own pain. It’s about sharing the pain with friends, because no one can shoulder a bridge alone. It’s about crying when you need to and finding a way to laugh through the tears. It’s about flinging your arms wide and letting the sun shine on your scars when you’d rather wallow in the shadows. It’s about accepting that life is hard and imperfect and unfair and embracing it anyway.
This book moved me. I laughed and cried and raged. Its over 1,200 pages passed by too quickly, but reading it was an incredible experience. Yes, now the waiting game begins for book 4, but if the first three books are any indication, it will be well worth the wait.
I’d like to thank my marvelous friend TS for not only sending me this beautiful book as an early Christmas gift, but for being there to laugh and cry and rage with me as I read. She made an already incredible experience even more wonderful.
January 14, 2018
This will just be a quick informal review as I know better reviewers have already written essay long assessments on what they think about Oathbringer. This is a difficult one for me to rate actually. The Stormlight Archive is probably my second favourite fantasy world following Malazan. I adore the characters so much. Kaladin is brilliant and I really liked Shallan's development, especially with reference to Veil. (We didn't get to see too much of Radiant but I'm sure she'll be important going forward.) Dalinar is as confused and conflicted as ever and this time we get to see more dream sequences and also his backstory. Certain segments of the flashbacks were pretty intriguing, especially his time suffering from alcoholism, details about his ShShShShSh wife and about his meeting with the Nightwatcher. I can't help thinking that some of Dalinar's sections bored me though. I know they are super important to the story but I can't deny that I was occasionally disappointed when I saw that a 25-minute Dalinar flashback was in the middle of the more immediate action. In addition to this, I mainly found that the interludes took me away from the drama and I was often found to be rushing these sections. For all these tiny problems I had with the book, there are many amazing moments and aspects here too. Talking to Wit is always charming, crazy and interesting, Shallan's progression was really well described and intriguing, Bridge Four essentially turning into flying superheroes, and I liked a couple of the fable-like past stories that were presented to add depth to this already deep and monstrously detailed world. These tales in isolation would probably win most short story contents. Most notable to me was a short story that Shallan depicted using her drawings to bring it to life for Pattern. Speaking of Pattern - I adore the spren. I really wish I had a pet one whether they could turn into a sword or a 'sylblade' or not. Syl is my favourite and we find out a bit more about her and her past here which was really interesting. The magic's still brilliant as is normally the way in Sanderson books and as the Radiants and others get used to there powers it seems like the possibilities could be endless if the mysterious capabilities are in the right hands. I enjoyed seeing Lift in this after reading her novella - Edgedancer. It's great to find out more about the ultimate enemy Odium and talk about his nine shadows created superb imagery in my mind. Some of Szeth's chapters were slightly boring but the ending makes his 'transformation' seem worthwhile... and what's going on with his sword? The last 20-percent of the narrative was brilliant but before that I found sections dragging, therefore, it didn't quite have the unputdownability that a 5-star rating of mine needs to have. All this being said, it's still a brilliant book by arguably the best, most consistent and most reliable author writing fantasy today. I'll still pick up the 4th book in this series the day it comes out but unfortunately, this one didn't quite tick all the boxes. It's still recommended if you've read the previous two of course. This is no way a 'dud' though - the characters, magic and the world are magnificent.
October 30, 2024
Reread going into Wind and Truth the final book of the first set of 5 covering one huge story arc.
Wow, wow, wow. Oathbringer might be my favorite books of the series thus far. I still am floored by all the things I should have seen, that were right there in front of my the whole damn time. Brilliant...just brilliant.
I honestly am so happy for the reread because there were some pretty big key points I forgot at least one of my reads.
1. The Parshman OMG...how did I forget that.
2. Szeth becoming truthless
3. Amaram...grrr
4. The Thrill, well who would have seen that coming in WoKs?
5. NIGHTBLOOD!!! So I could have gotten this part wrong...but seems like
There are so many great moments and quotes. I have over 500 things marked throughout the book and quite a few notes and questions. This series stands up to every re-read and re-listen, which is huge. Loving my Stormlight Journey.
"Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a person who is in the process of changing" Stars
Spoiler Free Section:
I always feel like I get more when I read a Sanderson book. Not only is the story fantastic but the book itself is always beautiful. The art inside the book, maps and the cover jacket are always exquisite and make owning the hardback a necessity. Then there is the audio which is always well performed and makes something this size even more enjoyable when you can switch back and forth. This will be another Sanderson book I end up having in 4 different formats.
Oathbringer was my most anticipated book of 2017 and it just about lived up to every expectation I had even if it wasn’t in the ways I thought it would.
For one it is a bit darker than the prior installments. Dalinar, Shallan, Kaladin and Renarin all had moments that were quite depressing and character wrenching. This surprised me a little because I really thought I’d see Adolin struggling with the events at the end of Word of Radiance but I guess not.
I ADORE Dalinar, he is one of my favorite written characters of all time and it was hard to see him as The Blackthorn and reconcile them as the same man. Mostly because The Blackthorn is a pretty big jerkface. Good thing I got to know Dalinar first since that other guy could have ruined our love. His journey was more than I expected and his bargain different than I thought. I loved that it was a surprise.
Some of the things I liked the most are that I’m always surprised in a Sanderson book. There are things you just know are going to be a big deal and then they are thrown out just randomly without fanfare. Then there are other moments that you had no idea would be HUGE and important and then they come along and hit you right up side the head with a huge thwack. Parts IV and V of the book I was on the edge of my seat, couldn’t possibly sleep, must know what will happen.
In this there was/were:
- Reunions that made me cry
- Moments that made me cheer
- A character, or two actually, I might hate more than Sadeas
- The resolution to a potential love triangle (whew)
- Cross Over Characters I was so happy to see
- My new favorite duo/threesome ever
- Jasnah as a badass. Seriously she rocked it so hard.
- Kaladin and Syl Hugging I SHIP IT!!! really it has no hope but I ship it anyway.
- Conversations with the Stormfather These were some of the most enlightening parts of the story
- An almost that didn't happen
- Scary Unmade
- Odium
- Moral dilemmas
- And Much Much More.
There is too much to tell. This remains my favorite EPIC Fantasy series of all time to date.
Wow, wow, wow. Oathbringer might be my favorite books of the series thus far. I still am floored by all the things I should have seen, that were right there in front of my the whole damn time. Brilliant...just brilliant.
I honestly am so happy for the reread because there were some pretty big key points I forgot at least one of my reads.
1. The Parshman OMG...how did I forget that.
2. Szeth becoming truthless
3. Amaram...grrr
4. The Thrill, well who would have seen that coming in WoKs?
5. NIGHTBLOOD!!! So I could have gotten this part wrong...but seems like
There are so many great moments and quotes. I have over 500 things marked throughout the book and quite a few notes and questions. This series stands up to every re-read and re-listen, which is huge. Loving my Stormlight Journey.
"Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a person who is in the process of changing" Stars
Spoiler Free Section:
I always feel like I get more when I read a Sanderson book. Not only is the story fantastic but the book itself is always beautiful. The art inside the book, maps and the cover jacket are always exquisite and make owning the hardback a necessity. Then there is the audio which is always well performed and makes something this size even more enjoyable when you can switch back and forth. This will be another Sanderson book I end up having in 4 different formats.
Oathbringer was my most anticipated book of 2017 and it just about lived up to every expectation I had even if it wasn’t in the ways I thought it would.
For one it is a bit darker than the prior installments. Dalinar, Shallan, Kaladin and Renarin all had moments that were quite depressing and character wrenching. This surprised me a little because I really thought I’d see Adolin struggling with the events at the end of Word of Radiance but I guess not.
I ADORE Dalinar, he is one of my favorite written characters of all time and it was hard to see him as The Blackthorn and reconcile them as the same man. Mostly because The Blackthorn is a pretty big jerkface. Good thing I got to know Dalinar first since that other guy could have ruined our love. His journey was more than I expected and his bargain different than I thought. I loved that it was a surprise.
“I will take responsibility for what I have done,” Dalinar whispered. “If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.”
Some of the things I liked the most are that I’m always surprised in a Sanderson book. There are things you just know are going to be a big deal and then they are thrown out just randomly without fanfare. Then there are other moments that you had no idea would be HUGE and important and then they come along and hit you right up side the head with a huge thwack. Parts IV and V of the book I was on the edge of my seat, couldn’t possibly sleep, must know what will happen.
In this there was/were:
- Reunions that made me cry
- Moments that made me cheer
- A character, or two actually, I might hate more than Sadeas
- The resolution to a potential love triangle (whew)
- Cross Over Characters I was so happy to see
- My new favorite duo/threesome ever
- Jasnah as a badass. Seriously she rocked it so hard.
- Kaladin and Syl Hugging I SHIP IT!!! really it has no hope but I ship it anyway.
- Conversations with the Stormfather These were some of the most enlightening parts of the story
- An almost that didn't happen
- Scary Unmade
- Odium
- Moral dilemmas
- And Much Much More.
There is too much to tell. This remains my favorite EPIC Fantasy series of all time to date.
November 20, 2022
“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing.”
I don't even know how to begin to write a review for a 1000+ page book. And I really don't know how to write a review for a Sanderson novel, tbh.
I think it's already established the man isn't human. Or normal. Real? Questionable.
I very much want his imagination.
This was epic! Of course it was. The ending? Sanderson always seems to get that right. So much of it made me happy. So much of it made me hyped to read the next book. The twists and turns and revelations! I can't wait to see where everyone's journey will take them.
I can gush about Dalinar. And Kaladin. They're my favourite characters. Plus Bridge Four. Wit and Edgedancer. Heck, even Taravangian and Odium, fuckin nutcases.
Every single character is extremely well-rounded. Rich. Individuals. They are all on a specific journey somewhere, figuring something out about themselves and their lives and it's all so interesting to read about. You can count on Sanderson to always provide introspection about life that is very much unique to the character, but relatable at the same time. I love the themes about life that he explores. It all just feels so very real. And even better that this is done in a fantastical setting.
I know Sanderson is known for his magic systems and world-building and creating stupidly good plots, but it's his characters that I find he excels at.
“What fools we can be… We never know as much as we think.”
Now, whilst I loved this - It's not possible to dislike his books - I did prefer The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. The pacing in Oathbringer caused me to be bored at times, in particular, the second half of the book, bar the ending. I had no pacing issues whilst reading book 1 & 2, neither was I ever bored.
I also don't know how to feel about Shallan's character arc. I much preferred her arc in the first two books. The different personas, the constant back and forth of her trying to figure out who she was wore me out. They became long-winded and I think it could've been shortened.
But, I had a great time reading this, listening to the audiobook as I would get ready to start or end my day. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are incredible. These audiobooks are such a performance.
------------------
THE PROLOGUE HAS BEEN RELEASED!! Can someone read it so we may fangirl like lunatics?! Thanks!
Link: https://www.tor.com/2017/08/22/oathbr...
I don't even know how to begin to write a review for a 1000+ page book. And I really don't know how to write a review for a Sanderson novel, tbh.
I think it's already established the man isn't human. Or normal. Real? Questionable.
I very much want his imagination.
This was epic! Of course it was. The ending? Sanderson always seems to get that right. So much of it made me happy. So much of it made me hyped to read the next book. The twists and turns and revelations! I can't wait to see where everyone's journey will take them.
I can gush about Dalinar. And Kaladin. They're my favourite characters. Plus Bridge Four. Wit and Edgedancer. Heck, even Taravangian and Odium, fuckin nutcases.
Every single character is extremely well-rounded. Rich. Individuals. They are all on a specific journey somewhere, figuring something out about themselves and their lives and it's all so interesting to read about. You can count on Sanderson to always provide introspection about life that is very much unique to the character, but relatable at the same time. I love the themes about life that he explores. It all just feels so very real. And even better that this is done in a fantastical setting.
I know Sanderson is known for his magic systems and world-building and creating stupidly good plots, but it's his characters that I find he excels at.
“What fools we can be… We never know as much as we think.”
Now, whilst I loved this - It's not possible to dislike his books - I did prefer The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. The pacing in Oathbringer caused me to be bored at times, in particular, the second half of the book, bar the ending. I had no pacing issues whilst reading book 1 & 2, neither was I ever bored.
I also don't know how to feel about Shallan's character arc. I much preferred her arc in the first two books. The different personas, the constant back and forth of her trying to figure out who she was wore me out. They became long-winded and I think it could've been shortened.
But, I had a great time reading this, listening to the audiobook as I would get ready to start or end my day. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are incredible. These audiobooks are such a performance.
------------------
THE PROLOGUE HAS BEEN RELEASED!! Can someone read it so we may fangirl like lunatics?! Thanks!
Link: https://www.tor.com/2017/08/22/oathbr...
May 29, 2023
"Life before death - Strength before weakness - Journey before destination."
That took far longer than I had expected.. In comparison, Oathbringer was the slowest of the series so far, with a lot of internal reflection going on..
It's hard to believe, even with nearly 5000 pages in to the series, how much we don't know about Roshar...
Review to come.
That took far longer than I had expected.. In comparison, Oathbringer was the slowest of the series so far, with a lot of internal reflection going on..
It's hard to believe, even with nearly 5000 pages in to the series, how much we don't know about Roshar...
Review to come.
December 5, 2020
*** 4.75 ***
This book was all about accepting the journey and the multitude of faults and falls it consists of, rather than look at where it has gotten you and what the destination was to begin with... The first book was the journey of Kaladin, the second Shallan's, and this one is all about Dalinar, the Blackthorn! I might write a review, eventually, when I am more capable of gathering all my thoughts, but for now I just need to say - READ THIS SERIES! IT IS AWESOME!!!
"...“You are not a heretic, Dalinar Kholin. You are a king, a Radiant, and a father. You are a man with complicated beliefs, who does not accept everything you are told. You decide how you are defined. Don’t surrender that to them. They will gleefully take the chance to define you, if you allow it.”..."
This series, this author, this Cosmere Universe .... All of it is something no fan of a good story should miss!
"...“I will take responsibility for what I have done,” Dalinar whispered. “If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.”..."
June 26, 2024
Leave it to Sanderson to create one of the best character developments I've ever seen. I went from thinking Dalinar was 'meh' to bawling my eyes out over his character and loving him so much.
I'm honestly just struck speechless. And like why am I even surprised?? It's Sanderson. No words will ever be enough to convey the emotional journey I had with Oathbringer. There cannot be a journey without a beginning—and it truly shows.
Dalinar's life has been anything but peaceful—however, even with the world at chaos, he had his own self to trust and rely on knowing who and what he's come from... but is that really true?
When memories slowly start to come back—memories buried deep within that were never supposed to emerge—shocking truths are revealed making Dalinar question whether the man he is today... has always been a lie?
I really don't think I'll be finding another character to rival Dalinar's development in this book any time soon or maybe ever because seriously, it's just that spectacular. Anyone who says it's bad clearly doesn't know what they're talking about and I will be ready 🔪🔪
Literally every revelation thrown completely shook me to the core. I was honestly so so worried coming into this because of everything I'd heard about Oathbringer being Dalinar focused and there being some pacing issues but I needn't have feared because I adored it all.
Dalinar's past was so intriguing and suspenseful. Seeing the man he is today has me in awe with all that he's gone through and done. A tyrant he was but now... now he's something much different.yes i love being cryptic
So many of Kaladin's scenes physically hurt me. He doesn't have as much as a focus as he did in the previous books but oh his journey is still very much ongoing. Kaladin's depression is even more evident in this book and there's still so much he has to work with. But oh god literally the amount of pain Kal's had to go through with - it hurts so much. Especially a certain scene during the 2nd half😭😭
I really can't wait to see what comes next for Kal and how he'll battle the darkness within him. He deserves all the love in the world <3
While Kaladin got less screen time than usual, Bridge Four got so much more. Like getting some of their POVs??? A BLESSING. Seriously, the way Bridge Four has grown so much—it makes me want to cry. They've come such a long way from the defeated and lost bridgemen they once were and I'm so so proud. I never in a million years imagined Sanderson could make me love them more than I already do but clearly he's done exactly that in Oathbringer. And I just love how even though all of Bridge Four's grown so much—it doesn't mean each and every one of them is completely fine.
Teft's POV was something I never knew I needed in my life. Seeing through his POV how much he was hurting... it was so heartbreaking😭 But of course Bridge Four would be there for him AND JUST MY HEART- I said it before and I'll say it again: Each of Bridge Four's POV and everything about them was a blessing.
CAN YOU HEAR ME SOBBING??? "The Girl Who Stood Up" is officially one of my all time favourite chapters. Shallan is going through so much hell, it's tearing me apart. I need my girl happy😭 Her past still haunts her even now and because of that past, Shallan truly believes that she deserves all the pain in the world. She thinks herself to be broken and hates herself so much.
Because of her trauma, she's resorted to having different personas in order to escape the pain. It's really amazing how Sanderson dealt with her storyline but at the same time—SO MUCH PAIN. Her journey's only beginning and there's still so much Shallan has to work through, one of them being to be able to forgive herself.
I genuinely don't understand the people who hate Shallan??? Also, Wit being there for Shallan is literally everything. He's so sweet, I love him so much🥺🥺
If anyone reads this quote and tells me that Adolin and Shallan aren't perfect for each other 🔪 Shadolin is literally in my top 3 OTPs. Honestly, how does Sanderson always create the most wholesome relationships??? Not only is Adolin a cinnamon roll as always BUT LIKE HE'S SO SUPPORTIVE OF SHALLAN?? It's so precious and could he be anymore perfect?? Both of them support the other without a hint of judgement from their revelations sfdsfsds I love them
If Adolin and/or Shallan are killed in book 5 I will literally die and haunt Sanderson for the rest of his life :) That goes for any other character I love in this series.
I must admit that I didn't really have much of an opinion on Navani previously but after this book?? QUEEN. I adore her so much. And the fact that the next book is Navani focused??? I cannot express how much I'm excited for that.
I can't believe I'm saying this but Jasnah actually annoyed me a few times HOWEVER she had so many amazing moments that definitely made up for all that. Especially that one scene !! I almost got a heart attack and right after that was crying because literally all the feels.
Is it really any surprise that Renarin too is a cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs??? I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND NEED MORE. He's trying so hard to make his father proud and be useful and just-🥺 You're already amazing, Renarin.
Of course, I already mentioned Wit but seriously, who does he think he is to turn me into an emotional mess?? He's such a mysterious character whose motives we still don't know, but like I love him so much?? If it ends up being that he was fooling everyone all along or somethinghighly doubtful, I'll be beyond heartbroken and feel very murderous towards a certain guy 🔪
I'm still reeling from that ending like what the actual hell?? The amount of plot twists and events that happened??? Like literally all the way to the very last page, its revelation after revelation. The Sanderlanche in this was no joke like I still can't get over that last plot twist especially?? This is so much more of a cliffhanger than The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance were like oh god the torture it must've been waiting for the 4th book WHICH HAS ME SCARED FOR THAT CLIFFHANGER ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT A CERTAIN SOMEONE SAID. *sobbing*
Also shoutout to Sandersonas of this wasnt a review for his book for creating not only such beautiful and emotional lines but also having so many of them apply to real life and be so inspiring?? That literally takes so much skill and I'm so going to use one of his quotes (now that's going to be very painful) for my yearbook🔥
I once said in a review that I trusted Sanderson but clearly I wasn't thinking at that time ha ha the last word I'd use to associate Sanderson with would be "trust."
I'm not ready for the agonizing wait book 5 will be once I read Rhythm of War. Yay pain!😃
________
Reviews:
The Way of Kings:: ★★★★★
Words of Radiance: ★★★★★
Oathbringer: ★★★★★
Rhythm of War: ★★★★★
I'm honestly just struck speechless. And like why am I even surprised?? It's Sanderson. No words will ever be enough to convey the emotional journey I had with Oathbringer. There cannot be a journey without a beginning—and it truly shows.
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.
Dalinar's life has been anything but peaceful—however, even with the world at chaos, he had his own self to trust and rely on knowing who and what he's come from... but is that really true?
When memories slowly start to come back—memories buried deep within that were never supposed to emerge—shocking truths are revealed making Dalinar question whether the man he is today... has always been a lie?
"The most important step a man can take? It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar."
I really don't think I'll be finding another character to rival Dalinar's development in this book any time soon or maybe ever because seriously, it's just that spectacular. Anyone who says it's bad clearly doesn't know what they're talking about and I will be ready 🔪🔪
Literally every revelation thrown completely shook me to the core. I was honestly so so worried coming into this because of everything I'd heard about Oathbringer being Dalinar focused and there being some pacing issues but I needn't have feared because I adored it all.
Dalinar's past was so intriguing and suspenseful. Seeing the man he is today has me in awe with all that he's gone through and done. A tyrant he was but now... now he's something much different.
“Perhaps it was time, for once, to stop letting the rain dictate his mood. He couldn’t banish the seed of darkness inside him, but Stormfather, he didn’t need to let it rule him either.”
So many of Kaladin's scenes physically hurt me. He doesn't have as much as a focus as he did in the previous books but oh his journey is still very much ongoing. Kaladin's depression is even more evident in this book and there's still so much he has to work with. But oh god literally the amount of pain Kal's had to go through with - it hurts so much. Especially a certain scene during the 2nd half😭😭
I really can't wait to see what comes next for Kal and how he'll battle the darkness within him. He deserves all the love in the world <3
“I will protect those I hate. Even if the one I hate most is myself.”
While Kaladin got less screen time than usual, Bridge Four got so much more. Like getting some of their POVs??? A BLESSING. Seriously, the way Bridge Four has grown so much—it makes me want to cry. They've come such a long way from the defeated and lost bridgemen they once were and I'm so so proud. I never in a million years imagined Sanderson could make me love them more than I already do but clearly he's done exactly that in Oathbringer. And I just love how even though all of Bridge Four's grown so much—it doesn't mean each and every one of them is completely fine.
Teft's POV was something I never knew I needed in my life. Seeing through his POV how much he was hurting... it was so heartbreaking😭 But of course Bridge Four would be there for him AND JUST MY HEART- I said it before and I'll say it again: Each of Bridge Four's POV and everything about them was a blessing.
"It's terrible to have been hurt. It's unfair, and awful, and horrid. But Shallan... it's okay to live on."
CAN YOU HEAR ME SOBBING??? "The Girl Who Stood Up" is officially one of my all time favourite chapters. Shallan is going through so much hell, it's tearing me apart. I need my girl happy😭 Her past still haunts her even now and because of that past, Shallan truly believes that she deserves all the pain in the world. She thinks herself to be broken and hates herself so much.
"Accept the pain, but don't accept that you deserved it."
Because of her trauma, she's resorted to having different personas in order to escape the pain. It's really amazing how Sanderson dealt with her storyline but at the same time—SO MUCH PAIN. Her journey's only beginning and there's still so much Shallan has to work through, one of them being to be able to forgive herself.
I genuinely don't understand the people who hate Shallan??? Also, Wit being there for Shallan is literally everything. He's so sweet, I love him so much🥺🥺
"You don't have to hide, Shallan. You don't have to push it down. Maybe the vase is cracked, but that only means it can show what's inside. And I like what's inside."
If anyone reads this quote and tells me that Adolin and Shallan aren't perfect for each other 🔪 Shadolin is literally in my top 3 OTPs. Honestly, how does Sanderson always create the most wholesome relationships??? Not only is Adolin a cinnamon roll as always BUT LIKE HE'S SO SUPPORTIVE OF SHALLAN?? It's so precious and could he be anymore perfect?? Both of them support the other without a hint of judgement from their revelations sfdsfsds I love them
If Adolin and/or Shallan are killed in book 5 I will literally die and haunt Sanderson for the rest of his life :) That goes for any other character I love in this series.
"Love wasn't about being right or wrong, but about standing up and helping when your partner's back was bowed."
I must admit that I didn't really have much of an opinion on Navani previously but after this book?? QUEEN. I adore her so much. And the fact that the next book is Navani focused??? I cannot express how much I'm excited for that.
“You are not a heretic, Dalinar Kholin. You are a king, a Radiant, and a father. You are a man with complicated beliefs, who does not accept everything you are told. You decide how you are defined. Don’t surrender that to them. They will gleefully take the chance to define you, if you allow it.”
I can't believe I'm saying this but Jasnah actually annoyed me a few times HOWEVER she had so many amazing moments that definitely made up for all that. Especially that one scene !! I almost got a heart attack and right after that was crying because literally all the feels.
"You claim you are not the person everyone thinks you are. Maybe you worry, instead, that you are that person."
Is it really any surprise that Renarin too is a cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs??? I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND NEED MORE. He's trying so hard to make his father proud and be useful and just-🥺 You're already amazing, Renarin.
“Failure is the mark of a life well lived. In turn, the only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone.”
Of course, I already mentioned Wit but seriously, who does he think he is to turn me into an emotional mess?? He's such a mysterious character whose motives we still don't know, but like I love him so much?? If it ends up being that he was fooling everyone all along or something
I'm still reeling from that ending like what the actual hell?? The amount of plot twists and events that happened??? Like literally all the way to the very last page, its revelation after revelation. The Sanderlanche in this was no joke like I still can't get over that last plot twist especially?? This is so much more of a cliffhanger than The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance were like oh god the torture it must've been waiting for the 4th book WHICH HAS ME SCARED FOR THAT CLIFFHANGER ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT A CERTAIN SOMEONE SAID. *sobbing*
Also shoutout to Sanderson
I once said in a review that I trusted Sanderson but clearly I wasn't thinking at that time ha ha the last word I'd use to associate Sanderson with would be "trust."
I'm not ready for the agonizing wait book 5 will be once I read Rhythm of War. Yay pain!😃
________
Reviews:
The Way of Kings:: ★★★★★
Words of Radiance: ★★★★★
Oathbringer: ★★★★★
Rhythm of War: ★★★★★
December 5, 2018
You NAILED IT. You... genius human.
First of all, this is NOT a review. There are plenty of well-spoken, coherent people in here who can give this book the justice it deserves far better than I can. This is me incoherently recounting my emotional state while I was reading it.
WOW. So freaking much happened that I don't even know where to begin. It all started out well and mellow. There were lighthearted funny moments and all around ‘’calm’’-ish (well, as calm as can be expected) atmosphere as the journey of our heroes picked up right from where WoR left off - racing against time, trying to stop the annihilation of mankind (You know how it goes).
WELL! In no time, like a true BS fashion, the shitstorm of epic proportions left me sleepless; unable to think of anything else, pacing around my room muttering ‘what the shit just got revealed!’, and with one hell of a migraine! I kid you not, my head is still pounding from the lack of sleep.🤕
As the fates of our leads were hanging on by a thread (a very thin one, mind you), the shocking revelations that came to light and the things I DID NOT see coming which kept hitting me from every direction sent me on a wave of emotions I didn’t even know I had.
One minute I'm at the edge of my seat, eyes wide open over what I’d just read, terrified of what’d come next (after Mistborn, I learned never to trust Sanderson with my beloveds. I’m still haunted by some memories), the next I’m yelling - damn Sanderson, yes! you just dropped the mic! And then of course, back to, what the actual fuck just happened.
I'm also pretty certain that I missed some crucial parts as I was racing to the finish line, which shall be rectified in my next re-read. How is it that Sanderson always manages to turn me into an emotional mess!?
Dalinar's flashbacks were epic! As his past is integral to his arc in the present, finding out about the ‘beast’ before the tamed warrior, why the rest of the continent is so reluctant to trust him, and his constant internal conflicts was a page-turner. I mean, wow. Talk about a tortured soul.
And of course, the one and only beloved, Kaladin Stormblessed. Though he’s not completely let go of the darkness within him, he's matured in more ways than one and can now better deal with the new conflicts that he's faced with that bare a heavy weight on his shoulders.
It was also amazing to see the other members of Bridge Four get time in the spotlight that coincide with Kaldin’s arc in the climax.
The characters that Sanderson creates are so insanely complex and riveting. No one’s ever completely innocent or saintly. They all have their flaws, shortcomings and... good people end up doing some completely messed up shit. Which makes them human and utterly relatable. I LOVE THEM ALL! Including the 'villains'. You find yourself sympathising even with them as their for-the-greater-good intentions come to light (Wait, no. Some Just belong in the gutter).
And the world & magic system?... well, to say it is amazing would be an insult. Simple as that.
Whenever I read any BS books (which I end up completely loving), I find myself asking, do I love this because of its content or am I being biased because I love the author? Well, trust me, this series is worthy of praise all on its own merits. As well as his other books. I’m just giving credit where credit is due.
However, that’s not to say that I didn’t miss certain things from the past two books. The biggest of which being, the dialogues between Kaladin and Dalinar. Every conversation between them carried such depth and weigh that I wish I saw some of that here as well. The other thing being, Shallan. Though I loved her in the previous books and her powers seem to have improved, I found myself getting so very annoyed with her here. There were moments she did more harm than good. In a nutshell, she was batshit crazy.
One last note, that's right - he did it again!
Furthermore, apologies because this was messy as shit! But I did warn you. Incoherent, questionable emotional state.
Now I'm off to pick up some fun comic book or binge-watch Friends cause I’m in some serious need of laughter.
First of all, this is NOT a review. There are plenty of well-spoken, coherent people in here who can give this book the justice it deserves far better than I can. This is me incoherently recounting my emotional state while I was reading it.
WOW. So freaking much happened that I don't even know where to begin. It all started out well and mellow. There were lighthearted funny moments and all around ‘’calm’’-ish (well, as calm as can be expected) atmosphere as the journey of our heroes picked up right from where WoR left off - racing against time, trying to stop the annihilation of mankind (You know how it goes).
WELL! In no time, like a true BS fashion, the shitstorm of epic proportions left me sleepless; unable to think of anything else, pacing around my room muttering ‘what the shit just got revealed!’, and with one hell of a migraine! I kid you not, my head is still pounding from the lack of sleep.🤕
As the fates of our leads were hanging on by a thread (a very thin one, mind you), the shocking revelations that came to light and the things I DID NOT see coming which kept hitting me from every direction sent me on a wave of emotions I didn’t even know I had.
One minute I'm at the edge of my seat, eyes wide open over what I’d just read, terrified of what’d come next (after Mistborn, I learned never to trust Sanderson with my beloveds. I’m still haunted by some memories), the next I’m yelling - damn Sanderson, yes! you just dropped the mic! And then of course, back to, what the actual fuck just happened.
I'm also pretty certain that I missed some crucial parts as I was racing to the finish line, which shall be rectified in my next re-read. How is it that Sanderson always manages to turn me into an emotional mess!?
Dalinar's flashbacks were epic! As his past is integral to his arc in the present, finding out about the ‘beast’ before the tamed warrior, why the rest of the continent is so reluctant to trust him, and his constant internal conflicts was a page-turner. I mean, wow. Talk about a tortured soul.
And of course, the one and only beloved, Kaladin Stormblessed. Though he’s not completely let go of the darkness within him, he's matured in more ways than one and can now better deal with the new conflicts that he's faced with that bare a heavy weight on his shoulders.
It was also amazing to see the other members of Bridge Four get time in the spotlight that coincide with Kaldin’s arc in the climax.
The characters that Sanderson creates are so insanely complex and riveting. No one’s ever completely innocent or saintly. They all have their flaws, shortcomings and... good people end up doing some completely messed up shit. Which makes them human and utterly relatable. I LOVE THEM ALL! Including the 'villains'. You find yourself sympathising even with them as their for-the-greater-good intentions come to light (Wait, no. Some Just belong in the gutter).
And the world & magic system?... well, to say it is amazing would be an insult. Simple as that.
Whenever I read any BS books (which I end up completely loving), I find myself asking, do I love this because of its content or am I being biased because I love the author? Well, trust me, this series is worthy of praise all on its own merits. As well as his other books. I’m just giving credit where credit is due.
However, that’s not to say that I didn’t miss certain things from the past two books. The biggest of which being, the dialogues between Kaladin and Dalinar. Every conversation between them carried such depth and weigh that I wish I saw some of that here as well. The other thing being, Shallan. Though I loved her in the previous books and her powers seem to have improved, I found myself getting so very annoyed with her here. There were moments she did more harm than good. In a nutshell, she was batshit crazy.
One last note, that's right - he did it again!
Furthermore, apologies because this was messy as shit! But I did warn you. Incoherent, questionable emotional state.
Now I'm off to pick up some fun comic book or binge-watch Friends cause I’m in some serious need of laughter.
January 3, 2018
I am so in love with this world. And by that I mean Roshar - the spren! the storms! the spren! the Listener's rhythms and forms! THE SPREN! - but definitely also the entire Cosmere. Brandon Sanderson has created something incredible here and I'm enjoying every part of it.
As for this book specifically, it was a terrific ride. We learned more about the history of Roshar and the desolations and we got some big developments in the current situation. There were also some great characters arcs. Shallan and Kaladin both had a lot to deal with, and of course dealt with it in veeeery different ways. Dalinar's past caught up with him and we got to see who he was, but also who he is very much becoming. Navani had to hold everything together when Dalinar couldn't. Adolin had to find a way to deal with this new world and his place in it. Jasnah... was fucking awesome. Renarin was explored a little more, though I still want to know SO MUCH MORE about him. I want his flashbacks. A bunch of the bridgemen got some extra focus in this book, and I loved that.
Unless I'm forgetting someone, this book even gave us our first officially gay Sanderson character! I know it wasn't a big deal in the book, but it brought a huge grin to my face. EDIT: I was corrected by Daniel in the comments, because of course there's Ranette from the Wax & Wayne Mistborn books! :)
Oh, and Cosmere developments! I am such a geek when it comes to worldhoppers and other magics crossing over. I probably missed some of it, but everything I noticed got me so excited! I'm gonna go explore the forums soon, see what I missed!
On the whole, I just adore all of these characters. At this point, after about 3500 pages with them, I've grown entirely attached to them. And the spren! Syl and Pattern are definitelly some of my favourite characters. Along with Shallan, of course, and Rock and Lopen , and Lift! God, I adore Lift. And Wit, but I don't think that needs saying.
I didn't reread the first two books before jumping into this one, because that would have taken months, and I was reading other things. I was mostly fine; I never felt lost, but I do think it would have been even even better if I had. I think before the next one comes out - which will probably be three years from now - I'll take about a year to slowly make my way through the first three (and Edgedancer!) again. Similarly, I want to reread Mistborn 4-6 before The Lost Metal comes out and a bunch more of his books before they get sequels. Basically, there's a lot of Sanderson to (re)read, even if I am caught up now, so I don't have to feel too sad that I've finished this.
--------------
WE HAVE A COVER!!!
That's just stunning, can't wait to get my hands on it!
---------------
I'm extremely excited about this book and my sister knows that, so she did a thing. A brilliant thing. She made me the book:
ISN'T IT GORGEOUS? IT IS. IT TOTALLY IS. If the actual book looks like this, I'll be thrilled. AMAZING SISTER. AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS BOOK.
As for this book specifically, it was a terrific ride. We learned more about the history of Roshar and the desolations and we got some big developments in the current situation. There were also some great characters arcs. Shallan and Kaladin both had a lot to deal with, and of course dealt with it in veeeery different ways. Dalinar's past caught up with him and we got to see who he was, but also who he is very much becoming. Navani had to hold everything together when Dalinar couldn't. Adolin had to find a way to deal with this new world and his place in it. Jasnah... was fucking awesome. Renarin was explored a little more, though I still want to know SO MUCH MORE about him. I want his flashbacks. A bunch of the bridgemen got some extra focus in this book, and I loved that.
Unless I'm forgetting someone, this book even gave us our first officially gay Sanderson character! I know it wasn't a big deal in the book, but it brought a huge grin to my face. EDIT: I was corrected by Daniel in the comments, because of course there's Ranette from the Wax & Wayne Mistborn books! :)
Oh, and Cosmere developments! I am such a geek when it comes to worldhoppers and other magics crossing over. I probably missed some of it, but everything I noticed got me so excited! I'm gonna go explore the forums soon, see what I missed!
On the whole, I just adore all of these characters. At this point, after about 3500 pages with them, I've grown entirely attached to them. And the spren! Syl and Pattern are definitelly some of my favourite characters. Along with Shallan, of course, and Rock and Lopen , and Lift! God, I adore Lift. And Wit, but I don't think that needs saying.
I didn't reread the first two books before jumping into this one, because that would have taken months, and I was reading other things. I was mostly fine; I never felt lost, but I do think it would have been even even better if I had. I think before the next one comes out - which will probably be three years from now - I'll take about a year to slowly make my way through the first three (and Edgedancer!) again. Similarly, I want to reread Mistborn 4-6 before The Lost Metal comes out and a bunch more of his books before they get sequels. Basically, there's a lot of Sanderson to (re)read, even if I am caught up now, so I don't have to feel too sad that I've finished this.
--------------
WE HAVE A COVER!!!
That's just stunning, can't wait to get my hands on it!
---------------
I'm extremely excited about this book and my sister knows that, so she did a thing. A brilliant thing. She made me the book:
ISN'T IT GORGEOUS? IT IS. IT TOTALLY IS. If the actual book looks like this, I'll be thrilled. AMAZING SISTER. AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS BOOK.
October 22, 2022
I read most of this book over a period of a month or more time. It left me exhausted, partly because this book would exhaust anyone sane. Also I did not temper the reading experience with the enjoyment of a second (and much less voluminous) book. I must belabour the point that I fell at the last hurdles. I could not bear to persevere with this book to what would be a bitter end. Thus the removal of one star from my rating.
What is utterly bizarre is that this reading acted like a quantum phenomenon. First, I was enjoying it. Secondly, I had given the initial reading of Oathbringer 5 stars. But since that time I had been reviewing the book in my head and decided that the book merited 1 star. The fun does not end here. I also was shocked to discover that this so-called 1 star material had lots of moments that I had forgotten, most of them moments of gem-like brilliance.
Even after these volte-faces, I felt my brain being lobotomised to a slush while reading this book which to my senses, was an excellent read. I do not know why I was enjoying it and hating it at the same time. Maybe my quantum comparison was inaccurate. After all, Feynman himself claimed that if you think you understand quantum theory, then you don't understand it at all.
But though I digress, this is no joking matter. I got severe reading block when reading Oathbringer. I had to take a break from reading, a 4 day hiatus. When I went back to the book, I used my last strength to read up to the last quarter. After that I said 'no more'. This book broke me. And here I thought we were going to get along.
The magical stuff in the book is not magic. It narrates the reintroduction of 'magic' in the book, but there is a fuel of sorts in this book which powers most awe-inspiring acts. That fuel is Stormlight, which occurs whenever a 'highstorm' falls on a settlement or city. We get the same characters who we had cared for in book 2. They are all struggling with their troubles. Shallan, she of unspeakable sense of humour was different here.
Did I say this book was rocambolesque? It was indeed. Before picking book 3 up again, my preferred characters were 1) Kaladin 2) Adolin 3) Dalinar 4) Shallan. Now, this order is upside down and reversed completely. Shallan as Veil was my favourite because of her adventures. They were the best. I always feel good when a male author writes about a female character with care, and skill.
The world building was, as to be expected, elaborate in the merest details. Sanderson turns into a world beater when writing this series. I was particularly avid for any info about the unmade. And I was glad to hear one of them (nine Unmade in total here) talk, and have an individuality and a sense of right and wrong. This is one correct way to render supernatural beings. The Unmade are powerful and mysterious beings. They feel so much more unbeatable than good old dragons (which are not in this universe).
By reading patiently and turning back pages, I managed to piece together a lot of details that had been missed by me all these years ago. Oathbringer was my Moby Dick. I'm glad not to have gone to the bitter end with it, though, and to have cut it loose. The structure of this book was intelligent. There was no big reveal at the end (I checked coppermind, a wiki of the Stormlight Archives), but each adventure in the book brought new knowledge to the fore. Though I almost became an Unmade with the perusal of this book, I gleaned a sense of appeasement reading it. Now I can resume my activities as a reader with my regular earthly, and 'Newtonian' (read Unquantum) small tasks.
What is utterly bizarre is that this reading acted like a quantum phenomenon. First, I was enjoying it. Secondly, I had given the initial reading of Oathbringer 5 stars. But since that time I had been reviewing the book in my head and decided that the book merited 1 star. The fun does not end here. I also was shocked to discover that this so-called 1 star material had lots of moments that I had forgotten, most of them moments of gem-like brilliance.
Even after these volte-faces, I felt my brain being lobotomised to a slush while reading this book which to my senses, was an excellent read. I do not know why I was enjoying it and hating it at the same time. Maybe my quantum comparison was inaccurate. After all, Feynman himself claimed that if you think you understand quantum theory, then you don't understand it at all.
But though I digress, this is no joking matter. I got severe reading block when reading Oathbringer. I had to take a break from reading, a 4 day hiatus. When I went back to the book, I used my last strength to read up to the last quarter. After that I said 'no more'. This book broke me. And here I thought we were going to get along.
The magical stuff in the book is not magic. It narrates the reintroduction of 'magic' in the book, but there is a fuel of sorts in this book which powers most awe-inspiring acts. That fuel is Stormlight, which occurs whenever a 'highstorm' falls on a settlement or city. We get the same characters who we had cared for in book 2. They are all struggling with their troubles. Shallan, she of unspeakable sense of humour was different here.
Did I say this book was rocambolesque? It was indeed. Before picking book 3 up again, my preferred characters were 1) Kaladin 2) Adolin 3) Dalinar 4) Shallan. Now, this order is upside down and reversed completely. Shallan as Veil was my favourite because of her adventures. They were the best. I always feel good when a male author writes about a female character with care, and skill.
The world building was, as to be expected, elaborate in the merest details. Sanderson turns into a world beater when writing this series. I was particularly avid for any info about the unmade. And I was glad to hear one of them (nine Unmade in total here) talk, and have an individuality and a sense of right and wrong. This is one correct way to render supernatural beings. The Unmade are powerful and mysterious beings. They feel so much more unbeatable than good old dragons (which are not in this universe).
By reading patiently and turning back pages, I managed to piece together a lot of details that had been missed by me all these years ago. Oathbringer was my Moby Dick. I'm glad not to have gone to the bitter end with it, though, and to have cut it loose. The structure of this book was intelligent. There was no big reveal at the end (I checked coppermind, a wiki of the Stormlight Archives), but each adventure in the book brought new knowledge to the fore. Though I almost became an Unmade with the perusal of this book, I gleaned a sense of appeasement reading it. Now I can resume my activities as a reader with my regular earthly, and 'Newtonian' (read Unquantum) small tasks.
December 17, 2017
"Having power is a terrible burden, the worst thing imaginable, except for every other alternative."
Power and its burden seems to be a major theme in Oathbringer, which features a number of exciting and frustrating developments in its 1200 pages. (The most frustrating revelation of all is the fact that we will be waiting until 2020 at least for the fourth installment.)
Every Stormlight Archive volume is a character study of a different Knight Radiant; first Kaladin, then Shallan, and now Dalinar. Oathbringer focuses heavily on Dalinar’s past as the Blackthorn and the violent history he’s tried to put behind him through discipline and honor.
"You stand where you do because of a brutal determination to do what had to be done. It is because of that trail of corpses that you have the luxury to uphold some lofty, nebulous code. Well, it might make you feel better about your past, but morality is not a thing you can simply doff to put on the helm of battle, then put back on when you’re done with the slaughter.”Branderson definitely did not hold back on Dalinar’s characterization, turning him into a tortured man with a frightening past. What’s more, constant flashbacks to the mind of the Blackthorn did not detract at all from Dalinar’s plotline in the present, as I sometimes felt was the case with Shallan in Words of Radiance.
Kaladin faces bigger challenges than ever before in this book; his Windrunner ideals are rocked badly when he once again faces that, in a war, you cannot protect everyone, even if both sides are right in some way. Although I thought he was pushed to the sidelines a little to broaden our perspective of Roshar; chapters that may have followed Kal were instead dedicated to Teft, Venli, Moash, Renarin, and other emerging players on the field. Still, Kaladin gets some great lines, like:
"Ten spears go to battle, and nine shatter. Did that war forge the one that remained? No. All the war did was identify the spear that would not break.”
Mild spoilers in this paragraph only – speaking of Kal, Oathbringer saw the unfortunate crash and burn of my favorite ship, Kallan. I was obviously disappointed, not so much that things didn’t pan out the way I would have liked, but rather that Branderson spent SO MUCH TIME building up their relationship in Words of Radiance that I ended book 3 feeling vaguely cheated.
Why set up a mutual attraction, both physical and emotional, between two characters then dismiss it offhand in a single chapter? From the hilarious scene where Kal and Shallan first met, through the entire chasmfiend fiasco, then all the little moments in Oathbringer when even Syl was shipping it – all casually pushed aside in a single scene. That felt kind of unfair. If the author was going to make Shallan endgame with someone else, there at least should have been more drama surrounding her final choice after all the buildup.
Overall, I liked that Oathbringer widened its focus a little more beyond the human scope and gave insight into the parshmen and spren worlds. In over 3000 pages of the series so far, things would have gotten old if we stuck with the same old characters. In book 4 I hope to read more from Lift, Venli, Jasnah, and Renarin.
Let me leave off with this fun little note Branderson may or may not have left to all his critics:
"That a thing is hated is not proof that it’s great art, but the lack of hatred is certainly proof that it is not.”
December 7, 2020
Ok so one thing for sure is it's not a format thing, this was a graphic audio reread and it's not any better.
Actually, I think I'll take that half star 🙂
When I reread I want to discover things I missed the first time that help me understand the plot and characters but what happened is I asked even more unanswerable questions about the choices Sanderson made here.
--------------------------------------------
3.5 I guess.
Well if this isn't the biggest disappointment of the year then... Then I have some worrisome months ahead 😨
I would like to start this by apologizing to all the hardworking people that put a lot of time and effort into this book, I’m sorry I didn’t like this book as much as I hoped.
Before I start you should know that I love this series, that I went in with high expectations and that I been meaning to read this for the last 8 months. It’s always amazing to be back to this world and I love how I forget myself in it.
I love the writing and the characters and the plot, I love how the reveals are subtle and the endings are explosive. All this was amazing in the previous 2 books and some of it still holds in the third book. But it’s not the same, this book is just different, and not in a good way.
If I must give just one reason it’d be this, I think Sanderson spread himself too thin with this one, I think he tried to do many things and incorporate too many Cosmere books and references but unfortunately, that meant he sacrificed a lot of the things I love.
There’s a lot of small reasons why I didn’t enjoy this rather than just one big reason tho. It’s the pacing of the book, it’s the choices that I don’t understand why they have been made, it’s what I hoped for vs what I got and it’s what I hated in book 2 made bigger and worse this time.
So I’ll start with the end of Words of Radiance. After finishing that book I made a tiny list (and by that I mean a list of 2 things) of what I hope to see in Oathbringer, not only did I not get what I want I kinda got the opposite and the things I hated in WoR were even more detailed in this one.
The first thing on the list was Renarin. I loved him in WoR I wanted more of him and more than that, I wanted a good character development, one that only Sanderson could do. Not only Renarin was absolutely ignored but at the end his character changed so abruptly that I actually had to stop to wonder if this really happening (again not in a good way), why was that? Who came up with the idea to only give him a few pages at the end? I have no idea. Now maybe Renarin gets his own book in the future, maybe he even saves the world and becomes emperor, who knows? But I still didn’t get my Renarin chapters and I didn’t like what happened at the end with him.
What makes this worse is that other minor characters got their own chapters and not to mention the interludes that go into random characters in some random place, I like the interludes, but I won’t sacrifice Renarin for them.
To be honest I don’t know if I hate what happened with him more or what happened with Moash and Teft, I really really would’ve loved if Renarin and Moash switched places, I do not mean plot-wise but the time devoted to their characters, I think I would’ve preferred to see Renarin’s character slowly developing and Moash coming out of nowhere and doing what he did. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and I ended up hating both, the one I liked got no scenes and the one I didn’t care much about got scenes but the change was rushed and didn’t feel real to me.
The second thing on the list was Elhokar. After WoR I thought we’d get the character development of the ages, maybe that was unrealistic of me but something about Elhokar succeeding just felt right and for once in fantasy I hoped that the (somewhat) bad king actually gets a redeeming arc and learn from his mistakes. I won’t say anything more to not spoil you, I just didn’t like Elhokar’s development and found it very cheap.
The things I didn’t like from book 2 that were even worse in this book are.
Shallan, Adolin and Kaladin. I DO NOT like love triangles, especially and most importantly useless stupid ones! Yes I get that characters have feelings, yes sometimes it’s good to explore more about what would these characters do if such and such happens, all that is fine, however 2 things I absolutely do not agree with, one is a character that romanticizes cheating, and the other is a character realizes that there’s a relationship between two and ignores it bc well he’s in love and that’s all the excuse they need to act upon their feelings. Thank goodness the first one didn’t happen or else I’ll be writing an entirely different review. The second one did happen tho and it’s THE ABSOLUTE WORSE when your favorite, and I mean bestest characters in the series! Use that as an excuse to start a stupid romance with a stupid character nevertheless.
Anyway, I’m just glad it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.
I also didn’t like Dalinar and Navani in book 2 and that continued to the beginning of this one but at the end I was too mad at the other romance to care for this and I actually got over it once they worked that issue.
The other thing I didn’t like about WoR is that it was too long. Well technically I do like that it’s long it’s part of the fun of it and the writing is great to forget yourself in it but yeah there were moments were I just didn’t care about who’s talking or what’s happening, this was even more so in Oathbringer, some parts were just insignificant considering what happens at the end, literally the end of the world is coming soon but the actions of these characters doesn’t sound like they are really trying to prevent it, I mean the enemy is mobilizing forces and gathering supply and numbers but all Dalinar does is send one guy to scout, then send a small group to retake a city and he keeps chatting with other nations that don’t want to talk to him. I was comparing this to Empire of Storms in the sense that both were trying to get nations on their side and gather armies, and EoS did a better job imo, it did an even better job considering we had glimpses to what the enemy was trying to do unlike here which kept that info hidden till nearing the end.
I get that Dalinar isn’t into politics and he really was trying but come on dude, you have a guy that can literally fly why were you insisting that they come to you, you could’ve went to them, and his solution to that problem was one of the things I thought about from the very first chapters!
This makes me want to talk about these characters and how at times they were kinda stupid if I’m being honest. Here are some points I had problems with.
-Relain, no one asked him about the parshmen and we didn’t hear from him after that one time at the beginning, maybe he knows nothing but guess what? You know less than nothing so every information he gives you is important.
-(WoR spoiler here) knows about Shadesmar and it’s a freakin entire world but no let’s not ask the thousand years old spren there. The group didn’t do that either.
-Some things are just too convenient, like Shallan’s weaving doesn’t draw the voidbringers but Kaladin does (hopefully this would be explained in the nest books)
-Dalinar and everyone really just takes what the stormfather says even tho he’s a shadow of a spren and half his memories are gone. There are books, read them and do your research!
-No one thought of asking the Shin people even tho the assassin was from there!
-The secret societies in this world, you idiots know they know something so why not seek them or infiltrate them!
Also I had a huge problem with Kaladin in this book, I love him and maybe this is why I’m hard on him but my gosh can he be annoying at times, I mean I get it you want to save everyone, that’s great and I love you for it, but you also CAN’T SAVE EVERYONE! People will die! I liked his struggle in book 1 and even more so in book 2, but now it just feels like he’s repeating the same thing, maybe you should do what your father said and become a surgeon if you don’t know who to fight. After 3 long books I was hoping he’s over that now, especially that he gets attached too easily to people and it was unrealistic what he’s trying to do.
What disappointed me most tho is
As I mentioned before the pacing of this book was off for me, I like that these books end with explosive endings but this one felt forced. I think for me it felt like that bc as I said the character's focus was on so many things at the start and suddenly at the end everything is concentrated on one place.
I do not understand why somethings were handled the way they have been, I mainly mean the investigation Adolin was handed but also Kaladin visiting his family and leaving like that, Shallan and her brothers were never mentioned until the very end, and I thought Ialai's character was SO weak in this one compared to the other two books, both her and Amaram. I thought for sure they'd have a bigger role and present some problems for Dalinar but he managed to do that all in his own, they actually kinda helped him by not asking more about the investigation and just accepted what he gave them.
Lastly what I hope is the next books explain more about some of the things that just don't make sense,
I believe that’s all. The potential in this series was high and still is but I’d be lying if I don’t say that it took a plunge with this book, I mean this was on top of my all time favorite high fantasy books, now tho I don’t know if it can be on the top 5, and the problem is that I’m thinking of series that I never read but I’m sure would be better than this.
Actually, I think I'll take that half star 🙂
When I reread I want to discover things I missed the first time that help me understand the plot and characters but what happened is I asked even more unanswerable questions about the choices Sanderson made here.
--------------------------------------------
3.5 I guess.
Well if this isn't the biggest disappointment of the year then... Then I have some worrisome months ahead 😨
I would like to start this by apologizing to all the hardworking people that put a lot of time and effort into this book, I’m sorry I didn’t like this book as much as I hoped.
Before I start you should know that I love this series, that I went in with high expectations and that I been meaning to read this for the last 8 months. It’s always amazing to be back to this world and I love how I forget myself in it.
I love the writing and the characters and the plot, I love how the reveals are subtle and the endings are explosive. All this was amazing in the previous 2 books and some of it still holds in the third book. But it’s not the same, this book is just different, and not in a good way.
If I must give just one reason it’d be this, I think Sanderson spread himself too thin with this one, I think he tried to do many things and incorporate too many Cosmere books and references but unfortunately, that meant he sacrificed a lot of the things I love.
There’s a lot of small reasons why I didn’t enjoy this rather than just one big reason tho. It’s the pacing of the book, it’s the choices that I don’t understand why they have been made, it’s what I hoped for vs what I got and it’s what I hated in book 2 made bigger and worse this time.
So I’ll start with the end of Words of Radiance. After finishing that book I made a tiny list (and by that I mean a list of 2 things) of what I hope to see in Oathbringer, not only did I not get what I want I kinda got the opposite and the things I hated in WoR were even more detailed in this one.
The first thing on the list was Renarin. I loved him in WoR I wanted more of him and more than that, I wanted a good character development, one that only Sanderson could do. Not only Renarin was absolutely ignored but at the end his character changed so abruptly that I actually had to stop to wonder if this really happening (again not in a good way), why was that? Who came up with the idea to only give him a few pages at the end? I have no idea. Now maybe Renarin gets his own book in the future, maybe he even saves the world and becomes emperor, who knows? But I still didn’t get my Renarin chapters and I didn’t like what happened at the end with him.
What makes this worse is that other minor characters got their own chapters and not to mention the interludes that go into random characters in some random place, I like the interludes, but I won’t sacrifice Renarin for them.
To be honest I don’t know if I hate what happened with him more or what happened with Moash and Teft, I really really would’ve loved if Renarin and Moash switched places, I do not mean plot-wise but the time devoted to their characters, I think I would’ve preferred to see Renarin’s character slowly developing and Moash coming out of nowhere and doing what he did. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and I ended up hating both, the one I liked got no scenes and the one I didn’t care much about got scenes but the change was rushed and didn’t feel real to me.
The second thing on the list was Elhokar. After WoR I thought we’d get the character development of the ages, maybe that was unrealistic of me but something about Elhokar succeeding just felt right and for once in fantasy I hoped that the (somewhat) bad king actually gets a redeeming arc and learn from his mistakes. I won’t say anything more to not spoil you, I just didn’t like Elhokar’s development and found it very cheap.
The things I didn’t like from book 2 that were even worse in this book are.
Shallan, Adolin and Kaladin. I DO NOT like love triangles, especially and most importantly useless stupid ones! Yes I get that characters have feelings, yes sometimes it’s good to explore more about what would these characters do if such and such happens, all that is fine, however 2 things I absolutely do not agree with, one is a character that romanticizes cheating, and the other is a character realizes that there’s a relationship between two and ignores it bc well he’s in love and that’s all the excuse they need to act upon their feelings. Thank goodness the first one didn’t happen or else I’ll be writing an entirely different review. The second one did happen tho and it’s THE ABSOLUTE WORSE when your favorite, and I mean bestest characters in the series! Use that as an excuse to start a stupid romance with a stupid character nevertheless.
Anyway, I’m just glad it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.
I also didn’t like Dalinar and Navani in book 2 and that continued to the beginning of this one but at the end I was too mad at the other romance to care for this and I actually got over it once they worked that issue.
The other thing I didn’t like about WoR is that it was too long. Well technically I do like that it’s long it’s part of the fun of it and the writing is great to forget yourself in it but yeah there were moments were I just didn’t care about who’s talking or what’s happening, this was even more so in Oathbringer, some parts were just insignificant considering what happens at the end, literally the end of the world is coming soon but the actions of these characters doesn’t sound like they are really trying to prevent it, I mean the enemy is mobilizing forces and gathering supply and numbers but all Dalinar does is send one guy to scout, then send a small group to retake a city and he keeps chatting with other nations that don’t want to talk to him. I was comparing this to Empire of Storms in the sense that both were trying to get nations on their side and gather armies, and EoS did a better job imo, it did an even better job considering we had glimpses to what the enemy was trying to do unlike here which kept that info hidden till nearing the end.
I get that Dalinar isn’t into politics and he really was trying but come on dude, you have a guy that can literally fly why were you insisting that they come to you, you could’ve went to them, and his solution to that problem was one of the things I thought about from the very first chapters!
This makes me want to talk about these characters and how at times they were kinda stupid if I’m being honest. Here are some points I had problems with.
-Relain, no one asked him about the parshmen and we didn’t hear from him after that one time at the beginning, maybe he knows nothing but guess what? You know less than nothing so every information he gives you is important.
-(WoR spoiler here) knows about Shadesmar and it’s a freakin entire world but no let’s not ask the thousand years old spren there. The group didn’t do that either.
-Some things are just too convenient, like Shallan’s weaving doesn’t draw the voidbringers but Kaladin does (hopefully this would be explained in the nest books)
-Dalinar and everyone really just takes what the stormfather says even tho he’s a shadow of a spren and half his memories are gone. There are books, read them and do your research!
-No one thought of asking the Shin people even tho the assassin was from there!
-The secret societies in this world, you idiots know they know something so why not seek them or infiltrate them!
Also I had a huge problem with Kaladin in this book, I love him and maybe this is why I’m hard on him but my gosh can he be annoying at times, I mean I get it you want to save everyone, that’s great and I love you for it, but you also CAN’T SAVE EVERYONE! People will die! I liked his struggle in book 1 and even more so in book 2, but now it just feels like he’s repeating the same thing, maybe you should do what your father said and become a surgeon if you don’t know who to fight. After 3 long books I was hoping he’s over that now, especially that he gets attached too easily to people and it was unrealistic what he’s trying to do.
What disappointed me most tho is
As I mentioned before the pacing of this book was off for me, I like that these books end with explosive endings but this one felt forced. I think for me it felt like that bc as I said the character's focus was on so many things at the start and suddenly at the end everything is concentrated on one place.
I do not understand why somethings were handled the way they have been, I mainly mean the investigation Adolin was handed but also Kaladin visiting his family and leaving like that, Shallan and her brothers were never mentioned until the very end, and I thought Ialai's character was SO weak in this one compared to the other two books, both her and Amaram. I thought for sure they'd have a bigger role and present some problems for Dalinar but he managed to do that all in his own, they actually kinda helped him by not asking more about the investigation and just accepted what he gave them.
Lastly what I hope is the next books explain more about some of the things that just don't make sense,
I believe that’s all. The potential in this series was high and still is but I’d be lying if I don’t say that it took a plunge with this book, I mean this was on top of my all time favorite high fantasy books, now tho I don’t know if it can be on the top 5, and the problem is that I’m thinking of series that I never read but I’m sure would be better than this.
September 30, 2020
**UPDATE 10/21/18: Yes, rereading this already.....**
**UPDATE: Because ever since I read this book it has completely wrecked me from making significant progress on anything else. It's the sign of a great book when a month and three other books can pass, and your mind is still trapped by this one. Read at your own risk 😭😭😭😭.**
A Full Five Stars: ✰✰✰✰✰
So here's the thing - I'm a slow reader, and also a slow writer, so this review is coming behind a myriad of other reviews singing this book's praises. I’ve almost been hesitant to even write a review because of that. I can't say anything beyond what has already been said - mainly, that this book is simply outstanding, surpassing my expectations and more.
But I can talk about why this book was special and significant to me personally. Really - seriously - this book was amazing, in so many different ways, but it's not just the great world building, epic plot, and compelling characters that would make me recommend this book or this series. I will recommend The Stormlight Archive to literally everybody I know because of the impact it has made on me personally, and that’s not something I can convey in a five star rating or by talking about what I think is really the artistic genius of Brandon Sanderson.
Each of these books was released at a time in my life when I was going through some huge transition phases, and times of confusion in a lot of ways. Including this book. It's actually a little creepy haha. The Way of Kings came out when I was fourteen, dealing with insecurity, isolation, and major depression. I didn't have any friends, because nobody liked me - and I couldn't blame them - but I wanted to change, and this time of my life was hugely formative because of that. Words of Radiance came out when I was 17 and starting out in the career I have now (insurance sales), while finishing my degree online - which was completely daunting to me at the time. I remember being in one of my insurance classes, reading my huge hard cover of Words of Radiance during every break that we had, and it took me literally two months to finish it because I was still taking my regular online classes as well.
And then there's this book. I'm now 21, and I (at least I think) have become an emotionally healthy person haha; I have loads of experience in a career I've managed to make work, am married to my best friend, and we now have a baby on the way, which has brought about another huge transition phase for us.
I hold really unique emotional ties to a lot of the characters in these books, and even certain aspects of the story, that I've never felt before with any other book series. Reading about Kaladin coming to terms with past hurt, and dealing with his pain and depression in the present, was always something that encouraged me. I needed those kinds of reminders - that it's possible to overcome, even after being brought so low. Reading Shallan's story helped me as I was fighting to become somebody better than who I was. It reminded me that the only way we can become the person we're supposed to be is by admitting to the wrongs of our past, accepting even the painful things of life, and then learning to truly confront it, rather than push it under the surface. Because sometimes it's okay to hurt.
Reading about Dalinar, in a different sense, made me so thankful for redemption. That we are not defined simply by who we were, but by who we choose to be:
I can't really even put into words why these things are so meaningful to me. Even just putting the books aside, these are lessons that have worked their way into the heart of who I am as a person, and finding a book (or a series) that resonates with me like this just doesn't happen. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this book in particular added A LOT, not just to the incredible story, but also to the themes that were previously developed in the first two books. This will probably always be my favorite series of all time because of this.
*cough* Okay, now that my emotional dump is finished, I'll say a few more technical things about this book.
Normally I'd have a bunch of quotes in my review, but there were SO MANY GOOD QUOTES that were unfortunately also minor spoilers, so I didn't want to include anything that could be a potential giveaway. But this book surprised me. Sanderson took the story in a direction that I actually wasn't expecting, with a lot more tension, a whole lot of blood and brutality, and plenty of twists and turns along the way. This was by far the most intense book yet in this series.
The characters were developed even more fully than the prior books, with a spotlight on Dalinar and flashbacks into his life. Honestly, my favorite POV from this book was Bridge Four. Getting a little glimpse from the POV of several of my favorite characters from Bridge Four was awesome, and I only wish we would have had a little bit more than what we got.
The worldbuilding, as always, was top notch. This is Sanderson's masterpiece in this regard, and it just keeps getting better with each and every book.
In Conclusion:
You'll hear a lot of people saying that "this book was better than the first two" or "this book wasn't as good as the first two", and while I can understand where those people are coming from, each of these books is different enough that it's extremely hard to compare them. All three of them sit pretty equally with me because of that, and the quality of the writing, worldbuilding, and character development never varies at all.
This is Sanderson at his best. If you have not yet started this series, I literally can't emphasize enough how highly I recommend them. If you have read the first two books but have reservations about book number three - fear not haha. You will not be disappointed.
Happy reading =].
**UPDATE: Because ever since I read this book it has completely wrecked me from making significant progress on anything else. It's the sign of a great book when a month and three other books can pass, and your mind is still trapped by this one. Read at your own risk 😭😭😭😭.**
“The question is not whether you will love, hurt, dream, and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt, when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path.”
A Full Five Stars: ✰✰✰✰✰
So here's the thing - I'm a slow reader, and also a slow writer, so this review is coming behind a myriad of other reviews singing this book's praises. I’ve almost been hesitant to even write a review because of that. I can't say anything beyond what has already been said - mainly, that this book is simply outstanding, surpassing my expectations and more.
But I can talk about why this book was special and significant to me personally. Really - seriously - this book was amazing, in so many different ways, but it's not just the great world building, epic plot, and compelling characters that would make me recommend this book or this series. I will recommend The Stormlight Archive to literally everybody I know because of the impact it has made on me personally, and that’s not something I can convey in a five star rating or by talking about what I think is really the artistic genius of Brandon Sanderson.
Each of these books was released at a time in my life when I was going through some huge transition phases, and times of confusion in a lot of ways. Including this book. It's actually a little creepy haha. The Way of Kings came out when I was fourteen, dealing with insecurity, isolation, and major depression. I didn't have any friends, because nobody liked me - and I couldn't blame them - but I wanted to change, and this time of my life was hugely formative because of that. Words of Radiance came out when I was 17 and starting out in the career I have now (insurance sales), while finishing my degree online - which was completely daunting to me at the time. I remember being in one of my insurance classes, reading my huge hard cover of Words of Radiance during every break that we had, and it took me literally two months to finish it because I was still taking my regular online classes as well.
And then there's this book. I'm now 21, and I (at least I think) have become an emotionally healthy person haha; I have loads of experience in a career I've managed to make work, am married to my best friend, and we now have a baby on the way, which has brought about another huge transition phase for us.
I hold really unique emotional ties to a lot of the characters in these books, and even certain aspects of the story, that I've never felt before with any other book series. Reading about Kaladin coming to terms with past hurt, and dealing with his pain and depression in the present, was always something that encouraged me. I needed those kinds of reminders - that it's possible to overcome, even after being brought so low. Reading Shallan's story helped me as I was fighting to become somebody better than who I was. It reminded me that the only way we can become the person we're supposed to be is by admitting to the wrongs of our past, accepting even the painful things of life, and then learning to truly confront it, rather than push it under the surface. Because sometimes it's okay to hurt.
Reading about Dalinar, in a different sense, made me so thankful for redemption. That we are not defined simply by who we were, but by who we choose to be:
“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing.”
I can't really even put into words why these things are so meaningful to me. Even just putting the books aside, these are lessons that have worked their way into the heart of who I am as a person, and finding a book (or a series) that resonates with me like this just doesn't happen. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this book in particular added A LOT, not just to the incredible story, but also to the themes that were previously developed in the first two books. This will probably always be my favorite series of all time because of this.
*cough* Okay, now that my emotional dump is finished, I'll say a few more technical things about this book.
Normally I'd have a bunch of quotes in my review, but there were SO MANY GOOD QUOTES that were unfortunately also minor spoilers, so I didn't want to include anything that could be a potential giveaway. But this book surprised me. Sanderson took the story in a direction that I actually wasn't expecting, with a lot more tension, a whole lot of blood and brutality, and plenty of twists and turns along the way. This was by far the most intense book yet in this series.
The characters were developed even more fully than the prior books, with a spotlight on Dalinar and flashbacks into his life. Honestly, my favorite POV from this book was Bridge Four. Getting a little glimpse from the POV of several of my favorite characters from Bridge Four was awesome, and I only wish we would have had a little bit more than what we got.
The worldbuilding, as always, was top notch. This is Sanderson's masterpiece in this regard, and it just keeps getting better with each and every book.
In Conclusion:
You'll hear a lot of people saying that "this book was better than the first two" or "this book wasn't as good as the first two", and while I can understand where those people are coming from, each of these books is different enough that it's extremely hard to compare them. All three of them sit pretty equally with me because of that, and the quality of the writing, worldbuilding, and character development never varies at all.
This is Sanderson at his best. If you have not yet started this series, I literally can't emphasize enough how highly I recommend them. If you have read the first two books but have reservations about book number three - fear not haha. You will not be disappointed.
Happy reading =].
Want to read
April 10, 2014Soo I just saw that there are going to be ten books in this series. Ten? 10?! TEN?!! So, what you're telling me is that I'm going to be in my mid 40's before I get to see the end of this story... damn
Want to read
March 17, 2017*screams for eternity over this wonderfully glorious cover*
This book will end my life.
I expect to have a heart attack after finishing this.
Counting the days until release in November..
This book will end my life.
I expect to have a heart attack after finishing this.
Counting the days until release in November..
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