I remember when I was first introduced to Brandon Sanderson’s work, I was wondering around a Barns & Nobel, and I saw one of his books from the Mistborn trilogy. And I was hooked on his writing from the first word. He has always been very good at building a word and filling it with wonderful characters. And I had high expectations for his newest installment to the Stormlight Archives, Oathbringer from the previous two installments of the series. For those who have not yet read Oathbringer I will try my best to keep this review to the point and spoiler free.
As always the depth of the main characters’ individual stories is done in amazing detail. In each installment of the Stormlight Archives, there has been a focused on one of the main characters, delving into their personal history. In this installment, we are treated to Dalinar Kholin’s backstory, a history that does not disappoint. We see his growth from the man who he was during the battles with his brother to unite Alethkar, to the birth or his son, Adolin and finally to the time he went to the Nightwatcher.
Of course, as I followed all the twists and turns of Dalinar’s history, I also watched the refounding of the Knights Radiant, under Dalinar’s guiding hand as he tries to not only unite Alethkar but all of Roshar. And with every passing new chapter of Dalinar’s history, both feet seem to grow further out of reach.
When I wasn’t following Dalinar, I was following the other major characters and Bridge 4 through their story arcs. Kaladin’s story picks up right where it left off racing back to his hometown. The twists and turns he goes through stretch him as a character and bring him to life in a way that rivals the telling of his own story from The Way of Kings, while Shallan’s arc has her trying to reconcile her abilities with who she truly is, at the core of herself. Meanwhile, Bridge 4 continues its growth and development as its members, stretching their limits and develop their abilities.
However, it would not be a proper Brandon Sanderson epic without delving into the story arcs of various supporting characters. And of course, he does not disappoint in this regard as we find ourselves being guided through new and important viewpoints that expand and grow the story Brandon Sanderson is growing with every installment.
Brandon Sanderson wove all of these storylines and more together masterfully, keeping me engaged and wanting to continue turning the pages. The revelations discovered within the text of Oathbringer deepened my understandings of Roshar, successfully deepening my desire for the next installment of the series.