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A review by toggle_fow
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
These books make me so mad.
How is his system of magic and theology so incredibly complex, and yet not overwhelming at all? It's almost the most vital and suspenseful part of the book! How are there so many main characters, and I care about all of them? How are there SO VERY MANY side characters, and I first, even know who they all are, and second, care about all of them? How are there so many distinct peoples, cultures, and races, and yet it's not confusing and I KNOW THEM ALL?
I'm infuriated! We've been with these same main characters for over three thousand pages now, and I'm still on edge waiting to hear more details about their secret pasts! How! This isn't fair, because I know I will never be able to write anything half as objectively good, and ALSO it's not fair because what am I supposed to do after having read all of these? Go on to a different series? Ridiculous. Unrealistic. My eyes have been opened. I'm cursed now with the knowledge that other books aren't as good as I would have thought they were, before having read these books.
Anyway, yeah, this was really good.
Dalinar's secret past is the one we get to discover in this book, and it is an extremely plot-relevant doozy. I honestly love Dalinar so very much. Being vindicated in him was probably one of the highest points of the book. I continue to love everyone else too, for example, Adolin, who is amazing and great. And Kaladin, who is the main character and without whom nothing else would matter. All of Bridge Four, whose presence is a joy and whose interactions are fantastic. Other people are waiting in the wings to be loved, for instance, Jasnah and Renarin. I already really like Renarin, but we need to spend a TON more time with him because he has many secrets to reveal. The same goes for Jasnah, whose secret past we got a tiny glimpse into. I'm chomping at the bit to find out more.
About halfway through the book, I got a little worried. The beginning was perfect. Stunning. Incredible. Iconic. Kaladin's reunion with his parents was fabulous! Creepy nuance was introduced with the discovery that parshmen aren't actually bad at all! Dalinar's coalition-building was starting to pick up! Unfortunately... their mission to Kholinar had me a tiny bit nervous. I feared for a while that I would have to give the book less than five stars, for some reasons:
1) You'll notice I didn't say that I love Shallan. That's because of her multiple personality issue, which I hate. Shallan herself is great enough, but I hate hearing her stupid personalities talk smack about each other. "You couldn't balance a book on Veil's head, but she'd be happy to balance one on your face. Shallan, what a silly flighty girl, constantly getting distracted. Radiant, so logical and cold." Honestly, shut the hell up. I don't CARE, and this is incredibly grating. This idiocy took up a lot of Shallan's screen time and got more and more annoying as she started losing control of herself. Especially how one of her personalities has a crush on Kaladin and the other likes Adolin? Of all the dumb, useless things we DON'T need to spend any of this book's thousand pages talking about.
2) WHEN THEY LOST KHOLINAR AND ELHOKAR AND ELHOKAR'S TODDLER SON. I was so upset? Losing Kholinar and the wall guard and all those people... fine, I guess. But I desperately wanted to see Elhokar make something of himself! The "how a good man becomes a great king" transition is so valuable and glorious! I wanted it so bad! And having his poor little kid get dragged off into the darkness... I was Very Worried.
3) Shadesmar is not fun at all. I do NOT enjoy spending time there. I don't find it very interesting, especially when so much is happening in the real world. When Kaladin and co. were trapped there, randomly hiking around and going "whoa, this vegetation is made of glass" it was a VERY frustrating experience. They spent a decent amount of time there, and I got more and more restless every chapter.
It went so far downhill at the fall of Kholinar, and there were comparatively few pages left, so for a while I was concerned. Luckily, those last hundred or so pages are JAM PACKED with action and they absolutely swept away all my worries. The no-holds-barred action that breaks out at the end had me riveted, and I couldn't have set the book down at that point even if my house was on fire.
Things that were great:
How is his system of magic and theology so incredibly complex, and yet not overwhelming at all? It's almost the most vital and suspenseful part of the book! How are there so many main characters, and I care about all of them? How are there SO VERY MANY side characters, and I first, even know who they all are, and second, care about all of them? How are there so many distinct peoples, cultures, and races, and yet it's not confusing and I KNOW THEM ALL?
I'm infuriated! We've been with these same main characters for over three thousand pages now, and I'm still on edge waiting to hear more details about their secret pasts! How! This isn't fair, because I know I will never be able to write anything half as objectively good, and ALSO it's not fair because what am I supposed to do after having read all of these? Go on to a different series? Ridiculous. Unrealistic. My eyes have been opened. I'm cursed now with the knowledge that other books aren't as good as I would have thought they were, before having read these books.
Anyway, yeah, this was really good.
Dalinar's secret past is the one we get to discover in this book, and it is an extremely plot-relevant doozy. I honestly love Dalinar so very much. Being vindicated in him was probably one of the highest points of the book. I continue to love everyone else too, for example, Adolin, who is amazing and great. And Kaladin, who is the main character and without whom nothing else would matter. All of Bridge Four, whose presence is a joy and whose interactions are fantastic. Other people are waiting in the wings to be loved, for instance, Jasnah and Renarin. I already really like Renarin, but we need to spend a TON more time with him because he has many secrets to reveal. The same goes for Jasnah, whose secret past we got a tiny glimpse into. I'm chomping at the bit to find out more.
About halfway through the book, I got a little worried. The beginning was perfect. Stunning. Incredible. Iconic. Kaladin's reunion with his parents was fabulous! Creepy nuance was introduced with the discovery that parshmen aren't actually bad at all! Dalinar's coalition-building was starting to pick up! Unfortunately... their mission to Kholinar had me a tiny bit nervous. I feared for a while that I would have to give the book less than five stars, for some reasons:
1) You'll notice I didn't say that I love Shallan. That's because of her multiple personality issue, which I hate. Shallan herself is great enough, but I hate hearing her stupid personalities talk smack about each other. "You couldn't balance a book on Veil's head, but she'd be happy to balance one on your face. Shallan, what a silly flighty girl, constantly getting distracted. Radiant, so logical and cold." Honestly, shut the hell up. I don't CARE, and this is incredibly grating. This idiocy took up a lot of Shallan's screen time and got more and more annoying as she started losing control of herself. Especially how one of her personalities has a crush on Kaladin and the other likes Adolin? Of all the dumb, useless things we DON'T need to spend any of this book's thousand pages talking about.
2) WHEN THEY LOST KHOLINAR AND ELHOKAR AND ELHOKAR'S TODDLER SON. I was so upset? Losing Kholinar and the wall guard and all those people... fine, I guess. But I desperately wanted to see Elhokar make something of himself! The "how a good man becomes a great king" transition is so valuable and glorious! I wanted it so bad! And having his poor little kid get dragged off into the darkness... I was Very Worried.
3) Shadesmar is not fun at all. I do NOT enjoy spending time there. I don't find it very interesting, especially when so much is happening in the real world. When Kaladin and co. were trapped there, randomly hiking around and going "whoa, this vegetation is made of glass" it was a VERY frustrating experience. They spent a decent amount of time there, and I got more and more restless every chapter.
It went so far downhill at the fall of Kholinar, and there were comparatively few pages left, so for a while I was concerned. Luckily, those last hundred or so pages are JAM PACKED with action and they absolutely swept away all my worries. The no-holds-barred action that breaks out at the end had me riveted, and I couldn't have set the book down at that point even if my house was on fire.
Things that were great:
• Szeth-son-son-Vallano my BOY. He's finally free and he's so good! I loved the paintball sequence where he effortlessly flexes on all the Skybreaker trainees. I love the sword, too, and their interactions. I can't wait to see him land in Shinovar and massively wreck some things.
• Taravangian continues to be the creepiest thing on the block, which I wouldn't say is "great" necessarily, but is definitely impressive. I don't even know why he's so creepy, really, even compared to the possessed queen and orgy demon. He's just the worst.
• Shallan's breakthrough with her multiple personality problem. This gives me so much hope! Wit is a lifesaver. She exerted executive authority over her weird personas, and chose to marry Adolin! Finally! I'm ready to love Shallan in the next book, since she hopefully has this more under control now.
• Did I mention Kaladin's reunion with his parents?!? Hearts are pouring out of all my orifices. I can't believe he got to punch Roshone and I can't believe he has a baby brother. *muffled sounds of me screaming into my pillow*
• THEY SAVED ELHOKAR'S KID. Wow!!!!!! Bridge Four!!!!!! Honestly, this is so very important to me. I would have had to think about whether to give four or five stars if they hadn't saved this toddler, but THEY SAVED HIM.
• I really liked seeing Lift and her buddy the Azish Prime get folded into the main story. Her first interlude took me by surprise way back when. Like, what was that? It was cool to see them take their place on center stage, and Lift and Szeth are such a weird and hilarious duo.
• DALINAR'S VINDICATION
• Pattern is hands down my favorite spren; he makes me laugh practically whenever he speaks.
• Bridge Four killed Amaram. This is such a great touch, and something I didn't expect but should have. It wouldn't have been as powerful if Kaladin had killed him himself; this was perfect.
• Dalinar and Navani's coalition-building efforts were deeply interesting. I love political shenanigans, and I hope there are more going forward because they will be even MORE interesting with Jasnah as queen of Alethkar.
• It's REALLY funny to me how in all the flashbacks everyone starts trembling in fear at Dalinar's arrival when he's nineteen years old and owns nothing but his bare fists. And now, when he is literally approaching godhood, no one seems to have any issue basically flipping him off on a whim.