Trent's Reviews > Oathbringer

“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing.”

Let me tell you a story.

In the spring of 2019, I witnessed the convergence of all things MCU in Avengers: Endgame, watched Game of Thrones, arguably the biggest TV Show in history, come to a (somewhat unsatisfying) end, and finally - listened to the longest audiobook of my life in Oathbringer.

I was, admittedly, much more excited for Endgame and Game of Thrones, but a weird thing happened - Oathbringer ended up being the best, most satisfying experience of the three. That may not seem surprising to the Cosmere super-fans out there, but it was for me.

Almost 8 years ago, I began my journey with Brandon Sanderson with Mistborn. I tore through the paperbacks of that trilogy and desperately wanted more. I immediately ordered the hardback of The Way of Kings and....was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it is a BEAUTIFUL book. But the story was paced so differently than Mistborn. It took me almost 3 years to finally get around to finishing it.

I did, though, and although I was still confused by some of the complexity of it - I bought/read Words of Radiance when it came out in 2014. Now, THIS was more like it! Much more action, adventure, and awkward romance! Okay, so the awkward romance and dialogue wasn't my favorite, but I did love the story, and was so excited for Book 3!

During the three year wait, however, I read a lot more. I discovered authors that were....different from Sanderson. Not necessarily better, per se, but different. I found myself listening to some of Brandon's critics. "He can't write believable dialogue”, they said. "His prose is too simple, and his language too modern." "His sense of humor is childish." "All of his characters share the same morality."

And on and on. I found myself growing less and less excited about Oathbringer. So much so that when it released in 2017 - I didn't buy it. I didn't pay attention to everyone discussing it. I put it out of my mind for nearly two years.

In the spring of 2019, however, I finally decided to revisit The Cosmere by rereading WoK and WoR, and reading OB. And friends? It was honestly the most fun I’ve had reading in years.

Let’s get this out of the way first: Oathbringer isn't perfect. There IS awkward dialogue. The Prose CAN be simplistic. The Pacing IS often slow. But GUYS - these criticisms pale in comparison to what Sanderson has accomplished with his characters, plotting, and world.

I was genuinely moved by the journey Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar and others continue to go through - their fight against past, present, and future mental illness was utterly enthralling. I love these characters - ALL of them, even (especially) the smaller roles.

In fact, this is where Sanderson’s side characters REALLY start to shine - folks like Teft, Renarin, Elhokar, Lift, Venli, Taravangian and others take a HUGE step forward.

The plot also steamrolled ahead in this book - way faster than the previous two. We got loads of new information that I am still trying to digest - and all of it makes me want to go back and reread the whole series again right now!

And finally, of course, I have to mention Roshar itself. This is a real, breathing, place. I genuinely can't think of a better-realized world in all of fiction. It is simply awe-inspiring. The history, the geography, the culture. Wow.

The lesson here, folks, is not to let other people tell you what to like or dislike - nothing is perfect. But some things might be perfect for YOU.

Stormlight Archive is perfect for me, and I can't wait for Rhythm of War in November 2020!

“If you could explain something perfectly, then you’d never need art.”