Item: Oathbringer
Rating: 4.00
Author: hekartemis

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.

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.

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

by Brandon Sanderson

Reviewed by HekArtemis on Nov 28, 2019

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