Reviews

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

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microbemasher's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was easily my favorite book in the series so far. I hadn't expected the character revelations we saw in it, and I love how even "simple" characters in this series have the capacity to surprise me.

The Sanderstorm at the end was a doozy. This book left me chomping at the bit for books 4 and 5, but also terrified of what else I might learn in those books!

Content Warnings

pinakamataas's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Oathbringer definitely doesn’t deliver the portrayal of high morality and pristine characters, but the ability of the author to write character growth to a character that you originally thought was the epitome of the good guy, and when all turns out to be false, is really a mindfuck of the highest order.
I acknowledge that who Dalinar is in WoK and WoR and who he was in the past are two completely separate people, and in Oathbringer Dalinar regains his memories and he truly has to come to terms with what he has done, and thus it’s the ultimate reading experience to see how the new and shiny Dalinar is roughed up by his past and truly grows as a person. This whole plot line is truly satisfying, but honestly hard to read.
I’m actually really appreciative of Shallan’s arc together with Adolin in this book. How she herself is confused over her personality and in turn her illusions and their characteristics, but then she opens up and finally lets Adolin see her, and I just loved how Adolin came clean about his actions at the end of WoR 🫣, there were so many bumps in the road to them coming together, but frankly it’s nice to read about choosing the other. It’s not going to be my favourite grand romance of the series, but to be honest, I’m not reading SA for romance.
I read it to feel emotions that IRL would be debilitating. And Sanderson delivered.
And here it was much less a Sanderlanche than several mini avalanches after the halfway point.
(Really hard to keep this spoiler free, so much happens here)

Elokhar’s death was one of the most useless, devastating things to happen, right after he made his first adult decision of not being a petulant child and abandoned his voidbringer wife and saved his toddler son, while carrying his child and actually starts to say the oaths to use the Stormlight, and then Moash just offs him?! Absolutely heartbreaking.

Then the subsequent travel through Shadesmar and how the world is a complete mindfuck of a place (but still very well written), gaining Syl’s backstory the young ancient daughter 😅, and then shit starts to hit the fan in the physical world and Kaladin&co just can’t catch a break before finally Kaladin for the first time actually does catch a break and I got all fuzzy inside.

And then the honorable mentions that can’t be left off the review: Lift was being less ridiculous, but that’s what you get for playing more important role in the plot. Azure had an interesting beginning, but frankly she should have listened to Kaladin, he’s rarely wrong of where he needs to be, but I expect she’ll make a comeback in RoW. Szeth made an interesting decision especially with what Skybreakers stand for, but his dark companion? Oooh! I did not expect the return of Nightblood and I’m here for it! (Chanting: More! More! More!)

And finally, there’s Anticipationspren floating of what will Venli do in RoW. This is getting more complicated.