Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3) – Brandon Sanderson

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance.

Dalinar Kholin's Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar's blood-soaked past and stand together--and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past--even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization.

The Stormlight Archive just gets better with each book and OATHBRINGER is my favorite of the series by far! I’m still not in LOVE with the series like how I fell for Mistborn but I’m really kind of loving this ridiculously massive series. By the third book, I’ve really gotten to know these characters inside and out. I love the relationships between each one and how each relationship is constantly moving and growing. It’s been so much fun spending SO much time with these characters and in this world! I think I’m not quite as in love with this as I have been with other Sanderson works because of its length, and that’s also why I love it all at the same time. It’s not that the length itself is a deterrent but the reveals take longer to reveal and I’m just antsy to get some good plot twists that I love so much!

I just can’t wait to get to the incredible world-building and series-connector moments that I know are coming! I have so many theories and I just have to know how everything connects!! I love how there’s always more beneath the surface and honestly, I don’t want to wait for book four to find out more! There were definitely a lot of THINGS that happened in OATHBRINGER though and I think this was the book where the most things really took place.

Exploring this world is incredibly fun! There are so many locations, plus locations on other planes… I mean, there’s a LOT to explore! What’s even more interesting is how each of these concepts have started apply in so many ways, and even hints at the other plane concept for all of the other planets in the Cosmere. The Cosmere concept has me totally geeking out, always, and although it gets just a touch confusing, it’s actually super cool.

I also love getting know more about each culture and how much detail and thought has gone Ito their origins. I also love how Sanderson humanizes the horrible, heartless enemy. You really get to peek behind the obvious and dig a little deeper into to truth. The characters have so much depth that we’re constantly getting to discover these characters in new ways. I love Kaladin and Dalinar, obviously, and Shalan grew on me in WORDS OF RADIANCE but she kind of lost her noodle for a while which was a bit annoying (still is). I really loved Adolin as well and I’ve loved the dynamics between all of the characters. Bridge 4 is my absolute favorite too.

Like always, another Brandon Sanderson series has it all. I’m in it for the long haul with this series, only being through the third book and there are expected to be ten or so… But hey, I’m here for this! I’m always up for any Sanderson.

Kept Me Hooked On: Character depths. I love how much these characters have changed and grown over the series so far!
Left Me Wanting More: Twists. I just cannot wait for everything to come together and develop even further! I love the twists and turns these series have!