Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive, #3) (Cosmere Universe)

by Brandon Sanderson

The eagerly awaited sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Words of Radiance, from epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, at the top of his game.

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe whose numbers are 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, Shalladin 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 is 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.

• ISBN10: 1250162165
• ISBN13: 9781250162168
• Publish Date: 1 November 2018 (first published 1 November 2016)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Imprint: Tor Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English

Reviews

[moraa]

by far my favourite instalment in The Stormlight Archive.
why, you ask?

1. In a world of such magnitude and complex characters, I enjoyed the chance to understand more of them than I had in the previous books.

2. Sanderson is a master of the climax – almost 200 pages of non-stop action (and a satisfying pay off too, if my still shaking hands are anything to go by).

3. Sanderson is a master of the fight scene.

I laughed, I cried, and I bit into my tongue instead of that piece of chicken I was supposed to be having for supper, see you on November 17th folks!

I will remember those who have been forgotten.

[HekArtemis]

I really really loved tWoK and WoR, like Mistborn I stayed up until 3am or later, getting sucked into reading them. I had only one issue with them, I just don't like Shallan, or Veil, or Radiant. I don't like anything about Shallan, I don't enjoy her back story, I don't enjoy her arc, I don't enjoy her reason for becoming Jasnahs ward - the only thing I kind of like about her is her snarkiness. Otherwise, nothing. Ugh I hate her.

And so Oathbringer began to really drag on me, because there was just so much Shallan and her story arc got even more annoying to me. And that love triangle type thing, what? What was that?

In addition I struggled with Dalinars flashbacks, and the way he reacted to his returning memories. I really like Dalinar, but I guess I just struggle with mental illness arcs or something. Though I do appreciate Kaladins recurring depressive episodes, what happened with Dalinar was something else.

By the half way point of the book I had started to skim read, majorly, just trying to get past the bits I didn't like. Which is sad, because I still enjoyed the story over all. The last 100-150 pages was where it all picked up a lot for me, everything came together, or apart lol. And I have to admit I was surprised by the revelation about the Voidbringers, though it also made sense.

I found Tal's tiny story interesting, what an interesting character, to be so enthusiastic and optimistic about what was done to him. I hope we see more of not-completely-broken him in later books. I also really loved the interactions between Adolin and Maya, I really hope that goes somewhere.

Despite struggling with certain aspects of this book, I am very much looking forward to the next installment. I just wish there were/will be more Kaladin and less Shallan. And more Jasnah.

[chrssym]

I just really love these.

[wyvernfriend]

heavy, twisty and interesting This could have been split into 2 or 3 manageable books. By managable I mean will not cause my RSI to flare. At over 1200 pages it's a tome and a half. We're dealing with the fact that things have to be resolved, there's a lot of twisty messy politics, social issues, and pasts coming to haunt people. It's mostly about people dealing with past trauma so they can move on. A lot of it is self-inflicted but much of it is situational and then I got to the end and realised that while there were a few tied threads there were a number left untied and waiting for another book.
It's an interesting read, intresting and complex characters that aren't simple and straightforward but our heroes are mostly trying to do the best they can with the tools at hand and sometimes the tools break and sometimes those tools are humans. politics is a messy, complicated thing that breaks the best and under a war footing can make some strange bedfellows.

[ross91]

Kal, baby, I need you to be happy!

Anyway, this book was insane! It's always amazing to end the year with a favorite!

I'm so overwhelmed I can't even form coherent thoughts, so here's some blabbing:

So.. hell yeah Queen Jasnah (Elhokar's death was the saddest thing of the book though)!!
Szeth with the Radiants!!
Poor little Renarin deserves more love!!
Lopen is just the best human being ever
Kal, you'll swear new oaths soon, I believe in you!
Adolin is just the guy that seems perfect and boring but he's actually flawed and interesting and needs to be preserved at all costs
Gloryspren, gloryspren everywhere!!
I missed Eshonai but Venli turned out to be interesting as well
More Lift! And more Fen! And more Azure!
Dalinar was scary. He's still one of my favorites (even though Kal is now in first place) but how he treated his wife was THE WORST. And poor baby Renarin! God, I don't think I'll ever forgive him!
And that interlude about soulcasting and Aimia was so damn interesting, I want to know what happened in Aimiaaaa!

And lastly I dunno why 'cause I LOVE Kal and I hate Shallan but I shipped them together and now my ship is dead and I'm not even mad but still, Adolin is so much better than Shallan ... god ok that's enough.

And I want to see Kal smile more often... IS THAT SO HARD???

[adamfortuna]

After the amazingness of books 1-2 it was going to be hard to match up. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and did gasp at many times at what was going on. At first I wanted more of certain characters, then I started to realize Sanderson was concentrating on the characters with the most areas of growth - which made for a more interesting story.

[KitsuneBae]

OMG!

We now have a cover and it's one of my favorite characters. JASNAH!

[Mercy]

4.5/5