A review by cinnamonrollbooks
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

On re-read this is more of a 4.5 due to pacing issues but the Sandalanche is strong in this one! I think this might actually have the strongest ending of the first three books.

Original Review

5 Stars

Of course this was another 5* read. Of course.

Oathbringer had a slightly different feel to the first two books in the Stormlight Archive series. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of fun action scenes, but nothing quite as visually outstanding as the first two books in my opinion. However, this book is outstanding in another way - the external battles of this story very much take second place to the internal battles the characters are facing.

That isn't to say the first two books don't focus on internal battles - they really do. It's a huge element of the series, but this instalment really takes it to another level. The exploration of mental health via these characters is exquisite. Just compare Dalinar and Moash -
Dalinar owning his past as using it as a springboard to pushing himself forwards and finding inner peace vs Moash constantly blaming others and using his own tragic past as an excuse to do terrible things, letting the anger rot him from within and destroy the friendships that should have meant so much to him. They are perfect mirror images of each other.
. There's also Teft's storyline which honestly nearly had me in tears when he finally says the words. If you've read the book, you'll know what I mean. We also have Shallan with her identity issues, Kaladin battling depression, and the general instability of characters such as Teravangian and Szeth. Even secondary characters who get only a little screentime follow this theme, such as the other members of Bridge Four and Rsin coming to terms with her disability. Everyone's coming to terms with something in this book, and though some give in and others are still fighting, the overall effect is wonderfully uplifting.

Of course, this novel isn't all about mental health. It's also yet another amazing fantasy book in this series; the world expands as we finally take a trip through Shadesmar, there's some startling revelations about the true history of this world, and all the major players are starting to come together. There's also the Dark Dalinar flashbacks, where we finally get to see his (very) bloody past, and how he became the (much better) man he is now - it's horrific yet very compelling, and you can't help but feel sympathy for Dalinar even though he is basically a reformed villain
that scene where Renarin hugs Dalinar and he cries did actually make me tear up, especially since hugging was very much Evi's thing. Also it's definitely a huge turning point for Dalinar, and you feel the magnitude of it.
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The political side of the story is probably where the pacing is slowest - I must admit characters discussing strategy is not a fave of mine - but because it's Sanderson there's plenty of humour and character dynamics to make these scenes enjoyable. Can I just add at this point how much I love Sebarial and Palona? They are actual icons. As is Lift; I loved her interactions with Dalinar and Szeth in particular. The contrast between their characters is *chef's kiss*.

There's also a really cute romance in this book. As much as I love Kaladin, Adolin is a literal himbo and we support him being happy above all else. The respect this man has for the woman he loves. His fears that he isn't good enough for her. GAH.
I kind of (extensively) shipped Kaladin and Shallan in <i>Words of Radiance</i>, and still see the potential there, but honestly I ship all three of them. They're a great team. Also I really loved that little snippet we got of Kaladin and Tarah was super cute and I also ship them. I ship everyone.


Then there's the humour. Oh god, the humour in these books. Every time Lopen speaks I want to laugh. Lift is a legend. Pattern (NO MATING) and Syl and Wyndle are just the best.

There's probably so much more I could say that I can't remember right now (this was a 1200 page book, who can blame me) but basically this was amazing. Whoop.
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