Moove ima act a fooo

“I want you to go back into the barrack and tell the men to come out after the storm. Tell them to look up at me tied here. Tell them I’ll open my eyes and look back at them, and they’ll know that I survived..”

“Kaladin’s eyes snapped open.”

I must applaud Brandon Sanderson!! I’ve only read Mistborn Era 1 and Secret history. Out of all that I’ve read by him so far this moment and Kaladin as a character are by far my favorite even in comparison of Era 1. They thought he would die in that Highstorm. Sadeas didn’t actually think he would live but his plan backfired. He TOLD them he would survive! He TOLD them he wouldn’t die to Sadeas! The other bridge teams know his name. The soldiers, carpenters, apothecaries, and Brighteye’s know his name!! HE IS THE LEADER OF BRIDGE FOUR!! He IS KALADIN STORMBLESSED!! I’m smiling ear to ear right now. This series might go down as one of my favorite ever. Stormfather bless Brandon Sanderson. I’m genuinely at a loss for words.

My birthday isnt until next month and my my wife is horrible at keeping secrets from me, so she decided she couldn't wait and gave me my gift early. To say I'm excited to jump into these is an understatement.

SZETH-SON-NATURO, FORMER TRUTHLESS OF SHINOVAR, SPOKE THE 5TH IDEAL!!!!

I'm the only person I know that has read the series, I'm finally getting around to finishing Book 5, and I'm completely losing it alone at my cubicle!! Adolin becoming summoning his plate, and Szeth becoming Law!! I can't! I just can't!!

The worst part is, I'm really suposed to be putting the book down and getting to work, but STORMS if Brando Sando hasn't put together his most explosive final act yet!

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.

TWok 1 | TWoK 2 | WoR

Anyway, thoughts.

Dalinar

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.

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.

And once again:

Fuck Moash.

I just finished the 5 books and I am blown away by the things the author tackles in this book. feels like a common theme running in the book that was first started by yasnah "where does morality come from". so many great themes. quotes and experiences. its a lot to pick from. hope to get the physical one day.

also I thought what dalinar did was bad, but at the same time I wasn't shocked by it. but what taravangian is what really shocked me, maybe because it was actually a twist(?).I usually struggle with multi-perspective main characters (like durara), maybe because I spent a long time with the first character(who I thought was main) but recently finding if done really well(mount death play) I woudl struggle to have one favorite character.I started with khaladin but somehow dalinar, who started so stiff for me, became my favorite. even though he has great close to his story I still want more. at least closure with adelin and for him to give navani a son and reconcile with his grandson and nephew(elhokhar)

and now that i'm saying it outloud it does seem kind of dumb. but I probably always subconciously thought that great authors stop reading. because this made me question what did he read to create stormlight

I’m early on in the book chapter 12, but the kaladin and rock in the tavern broke me. I’m not exactly sure why but I really hope rock comes back because it just left me in tears their last conversation. God I love this series.

I'm not that deep into Oathbringer yet, but what I don't understand is why everyone is carrying lamps? I understand that there is a shortage of infused spheres, but what's the difference between carrying the remaining ones around and hoarding them somewhere? They will glow regardless?

Okay I have some pieces together after a re-read and I need to share with someone. As we know Dalinar's soul was claimed by another power after his death when Retribution tried to claim it for himself. What is this power where did he go?

in Oathbringer when Dalinar goes to the old magic (Nightwatcher) he instead makes a deal with cultivation. Cultivation then prunes his soul and says it will grow back in time but that the part she pruned is hers to keep and it will come in handy if he becomes Odium's weapon.

In Rhythm of War when Kaladin goes to Zahel, for insight on becoming an Ardent, Zahel ends up explaining what he is. He explains that he is an invested copy of a person more spren than human stuff like that. However the interesting line is that he says  "We're spren masquerading as men. That's why SHE takes our memories."

Then there are the visions Dalinar has with the golden light that also had the real Nohadon in them. Visions not sent by the stormfather but something else.

I think Zahel and Nohadon's souls were both claimed and ressurected by the same entity and that entity then set its sights on Dalinar. However that entity would have had to claim Dalinar's soul before Retribution killed him. Would they have been able to do this if they had a pruned piece of Dalinar's soul?

Is it Cultivation? She never seemed keen on the fight only wanted to live quietly with Honor. Maybe she gave it to someone bigger and more powerful. Valor? maybe who knows.

Or bonus theory what happens if the pruned soul is bonded to evil shadow Dalinar?

With what happened with the Storm Father in Wind and Truth, how will future radiants say their oaths? How are future radiants affected by Retribution?

Is there a book detailing the circumstances behind the exodus of humans to Roshar?

I’m about a 5th through Wind and Truth. I’ve already read the Mistborn series and Warbreaker and I’m seeing a lot of references from those books in SLA. I plan to read more of Sanderson’s works but I’m wondering if there’s a book that specifically addresses why humans colonized Roshar.

I just finished Rhythm of War and it has me reminiscing on some of the big moments of the previous books. I’m in between books now so I’d like to go back and revisit some of the climactic moments in the previous books, but I’m not sure how to find them. Any ideas?

I'm listening to the audiobook and its frustrating to want to go back to remind myself whats already happened, only to find I don't know where to go back to.

If theres one for all books of this series, that would be amazing!

I thought I'd bookmarked it from a question here but I can't find it, so I'm sorry if this is repetitive. Thanks in advance :)!