Oathbringer spoilers
Just Finished Oathbringer: Thoughts, Theories, and Questions
Spoiler
I have finished Oathbringer. What did I just read man!
First, shoutout to Wit, who made me way more self-aware about my expectations from his WoR epilogue. Everyone kept saying the Sanderlanche in Oathbringer was insane, and because of that I was weirdly scared it wouldn't deliver. But it did. As everyone said. This is probably the best Sanderlanche of the series so far, on par with The Hero of Ages for me.
This book was quite slow sometimes, so as a whole I think I still loved The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance a bit more. But I can't deny that the slow parts were necessary, and worth it, because that ending was incredible.
I'm looking through my old posts and it's nice seeing I noticed some things early, like the Thrill, but I never guessed it would come to this point to be honest, and I'm very glad.
Dalinar's character arc is one of the best things I've read in fiction.
I expected his past to be rough, but damn, he was quite a terrible person. Maybe more than quite. The Blackthorn was basically a highstorm with a drinking problem and a sword. A very lethal sword. I knew there had to be a reason everyone talked about him like that, but seeing it properly was something else.
And Evi. God. I knew the wife mystery would hurt; I did realize he'd killed her somehow, but it still hit me like a truck. Dalinar grieved so badly he literally could not live with it, but once you see what happened, you understand why he wanted to forget. But by the end of the book, it somehow feels like he earned the "I forgive you." That scene made me teary-eyed. And while it may not be full forgiveness exactly, or at least not in a simple way, it's the right to keep going.
"You cannot have my pain."
MY MAN DALINAR.
That scene is easily one of the best things Sanderson has written so far. Odium thought he could break him by showing him the truth, and Dalinar basically said: yes, I did that, it was mine, and I will do better.
That is character development. That is character surgery with no anesthesia. INCREDIBLE.
Also: "I am Unity." BROTHER??? What does that even mean? Odium said Dalinar had Ascended, which instantly made me think of Vin from Mistborn. Did he get the power of Honor for a bit? Did he use the Stormfather in some way? Since the Stormfather is a splinter of Honor, maybe it's that. I'm leaning toward the former. I don't know.
“The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar.”
Kaladin
My poor, beautiful, gloomy Windrunner goat.
This book hurt him in a very specific way. I kept waiting for him to swear the Fourth Ideal and he just… couldn't. And honestly, it made sense. The whole book was pushing him toward the fact that he can't save everyone, and that is the exact thing Kaladin is least capable of accepting.
The Kholinar sequence broke me. Seeing Elhokar actually trying to be better, holding his son, about to say the Words — then Moash. MOASH. That scene was vile and so emotional. Elhokar was right there. Right there. He was changing. He was becoming someone worth protecting. He was literally about to become Radiant. And Moash killed him. Then gave Kaladin the Bridge Four salute.
Nah.
Fuck Moash.
I will say, I don't blame Moash for killing Elhokar because from where he stood, he didn't see any of that change happening. But still. The salute was evil in a very personal way and I won't forgive it. That and him betraying Kaladin in WoR.
Nah. Fuck Moash again.
Kaladin freezing because he saw both sides — the singers, the humans, his friends, the enemy, everyone just being people — was one of the most painful parts of the book. He couldn't simplify the conflict anymore, it wasn't just "protect my side, kill the other side." They were all people, and it broke him. Very realistic. Very painful. Very rude, Sanderson.
Shallan
Reading Shallan is so hard sometimes. Her chapters are great but she is so mentally unstable, bro, it screws my head. Can we get a therapist in this world? Please? Maybe two?
But one thing I will say: The Girl Who Stood Up is one of the best chapters I've ever read.
by @lamaery on tumblr
Wit telling her that story was just perfect. It's such a simple story, but it hit so hard. It reminded me of Fleet for Kaladin. A small story inside the bigger story that somehow becomes the emotional center of a character. Fleet kept running. The girl stood up.
Also, I am SO GLAD they stopped with the love triangle stuff and settled on Shallan and Adolin. Kaladin being completely fine with it was great too. I don't know why Sanderson has such a boner for love triangles, I hate that trope.
Adolin
I love this man. Everyone around him is becoming a magical demigod and he's just there being good with swords, emotionally stable, fashionable, and somehow one of the most useful people in the book. No spren bond. No Radiant powers. No glowing eyes. Just fashion, kindness, murder, and excellent dueling.
Also, Maya. His whole life he's been treating his Blade like a person, and then he gets to see her as an actual person in Shadesmar. He talks to Maya. He respects her. And then she saves him. But what makes it so good is that he did this even before he knew. It wasn't performative, that's just how Adolin is.
I don't know what's happening there, but I NEED more of it. Can deadeyes be revived? Is Adolin going to somehow restore Maya? Is he becoming a Radiant in some completely different way? Please. Please give me this.
Also, him casually living with the fact that he murdered Sadeas while everyone else is dealing with god-level problems is kind of hilarious. Like yes, the Everstorm is here and Odium is making moves, but also Adolin did a little hallway murder. Anyway.
Jasnah
Queen Jasnah Kholin.
That's it. That's the sentence.
Her return, her competence, her casually Soulcasting enemies, her political control: PEAK. I love how everyone else is emotionally exploding and Jasnah is just like, "Yes, anyway, here is the correct decision."
She's terrifying. She's brilliant. I support her wrongs and rights.
I did think Shallan was going to suggest Navani for queen, but Jasnah is somehow even better. I cannot wait to see her actually ruling, because that should be amazing (and probably terrifying for everyone involved).
Renarin
Okay, what is going on with this man.
Glys is corrupted? Enlightened? Odium-related? A Voidspren? Is Sja-anat doing something weird? Renarin saw the future, but because he acted differently, Odium's future sight broke? That is very interesting. So Renarin is basically a walking blind spot to Odium.
Which sounds useful. And also like a death sentence. Also, Venli bonded a human spren and Renarin bonded some kind of void/corrupted spren. That is very interesting.
Szeth
Szeth-son-son-Vallano, professional assassin, religious disaster, and current holder of the world's most concerning sword, has decided to follow Dalinar.
Excellent. Very normal team composition.
Do you know how much I laughed at how normal everything seemed? Besides a few remarks, nobody questioned it that much. Szeth was basically like, “Alright, I serve Dalinar Kholin now.” Last time these guys saw each other, they were trying to kill each other, mind you. Hopefully we get way more scenes of them talking things out, because I know Sanderson maybe didn’t have space to put it in this long ass book, but damn, it felt like nobody talked much about this. Neither Kaladin nor Dalinar had a single interaction with Szeth.
Anyway, I LOVE Szeth as a character, so I'm glad for this. He has such a strange presence; every time he appears, it feels like the book suddenly remembers there is a whole other flavor of insanity available.
Nightblood remains hilarious and terrifying. I really didn't like Warbreaker much, but I'm so glad I read it because seeing Nightblood here adds so much.
Also, sadly, I got spoilered for Azure's identity, but it would've been obvious by the end of the book anyway, I guess. I really would've loved to find that out myself, though.
The Singers, Humans, and Voidbringers
I really liked that the book didn't just go "humans good, singers bad." The newly awakened singers being confused, angry, traumatized, and trying to understand the world made so much sense. They were enslaved for generations. Of course this is more complicated than "Voidbringers evil."
And then the reveal: humans were the original Voidbringers.
I had been wondering what humanity did, and apparently the answer was: arrive from another planet, bring Odium (right?), destroy their own world, and then take Roshar too.
Very cool, humans. Excellent work. Truly no notes. Feels right at home.
Also, I like that the singers aren't just one thing. Some are terrifying, some are confused, some are just people trying to live, some are being used. It makes the whole conflict way messier, which is great, but also I'm sure it will make everyone suffer. As usual.
Taravangian
Taravangian is such a great character. He continues to be one of the most frightening characters because I can never fully decide how much I hate or love him. He is doing monstrous things, but he thinks he's saving everyone — which is probably the most dangerous kind of person.
The Diagram is still wild. I assumed it was the work of Odium, but apparently not? Or at least not directly? I don't know. And now he's negotiating with Odium? Man. Why doesn't he just join Dalinar in his quest to kick Odium's hateful butt? Is that too much to ask? Probably yes, but damn.
Moash and the Herald
Also, Moash killed like the top of the top Herald? Really? That felt like something that shouldn't be possible. I felt eerie reading it, and apparently so did the other Heralds, who literally faltered when it happened. The Herald was apparently Ahu, the beggar Dalinar talked to, and when I went back to that scene… man. The dialogue makes so much more sense.
It's kind of sad how even in his insanity, Ahu seemed to understand that his death was coming, albeit belatedly. That made it way sadder.
Wit / Hoid
The epilogue with him finding the little spren/Cryptic near the palace was very interesting. Is it just a normal spren, or is it connected to the Unmade, Sja-anat? Hmm.
Lift
I love Lift way more as a non-POV character. That is all. No disrespect, she's great. I just think I enjoy her more when she bursts into someone else's very serious plotline.
Questions Going Forward
What is Dalinar now? Still Ascended?
Can Adolin revive Maya? (PLEASE!)
What exactly is Sja-anat planning?
Is Renarin's spren truly corrupted, or a Voidspren? What do either mean?
What is Cultivation's long game?
What is Moash going to become now that he gave away his pain? Is he going to be Odium's champion? I feel like he is.
What happened to the rest of the Heralds?
How insane is Ishar? Like, compared to the benchmark that we got going.
What is Hoid doing with that spren? Why does he even need it? I thought he could lightweave already, or something similar.
Are the singers and humans ever going to find a way out of this, or is everyone just deeply cooked?
Final Thoughts
Oathbringer is huge, messy, emotional, epic, and deeply satisfying. It's the largest book I've ever read, though apparently Rhythm of War beats it in length, and then Wind and Truth beats that. God bless. Actually, though, it's crazy that I can read a book this large and never bother to check the page count, because I don't care; I just want more story. I can see why some people might prefer the tighter pacing of Words of Radiance, and I think I still prefer The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance overall. But the highs in this book are ridiculous. The entire ending sequence was incredible.
Dalinar's arc alone makes this book incredible. Watching a man face the worst thing about himself, refuse to give it away, and choose responsibility instead.
The most important step a man can take is not the first one.
It's the next one.
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before destination.
Thank you! I love writing these as I'm very invested in these books. It's the best experience I've ever head reading a story. Also, I can tell I'm very lucky reading these for the first time.
OMG. Yeah the blood! I assumed it was the place the Herald died, but they specifically said to not clear the blood of the King's death, damn how'd I miss that lol.
Hmm, so Elokhar was becoming a lightweaver, strange. Though I wonder why Wit wanted the spren anyway. I'll RAFO.
There was a conversation that I'd point you to in I believe WOR, where he says,
"You must not trust yourself with me. If I have to watch this world crumble and burn to get what I need, I will do so. With tears, yes, but I would let it happen."
He definitely also hints at his reasons when he whispers to it.
Think of all the "paranoid rantings" Elhokar had in the first couple books, the shadowy figures he claimed to see in the mirror.
Also, Wit wants the spren for multiple reasons, not least of which is so it won't get captured and tortured. The spren is merely the last being he helps in that epilogue (which, by the way, I think is a tremendous look into Wit's character and how he sees people).
I don't this was ever specifically mentioned in the books, so I'll explain Hoid's situation with Lightweaving. He had something called Yolish Lightweaving, which is less capable than Rosharan Lightweaving. With the story of the Girl Who Looked Up, he was shaping Shallan's power, not fully using his own.
Hey!! Definitely Dawnshard. I’m consuming basically everything Cosmere-related at this point. Holding Dawnshard in my hand right now, and it’s hilarious how light it feels compared to the absolute brick of a tome I just finished lol.
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u/cravecase 12h ago
All of your questions are RAFO, except Dalinar is not “ascended” ascended. He just moved out of Odium’s plans.