He just can't keep getting away with this...

A review of Brandon Sanderson's third installment to The Stormlight Archive - Oathbringer

Each time I have finished a Sanderson novel, I can’t help but think:

“This is his best work yet.”

Every

Single

Time.

And it has left me wondering why?

And how?

And I’ve come to a conclusion which I’ll discuss - just a bit later on.

First, we should discuss Oathbringer, my most recent conquest in the Sanderson universe.

A brief synopsis:

Dalinar Kholin’s armies may have won, but victory came at a devastating cost. The Parshendi’s final act—the summoning of the Everstorm—now tears across Roshar, leaving ruin in its wake. Worse, its passing has awakened the Parshmen, no longer silent servants but a people realising, all at once, the weight of their enslavement. On a desperate ride to warn his family, Kaladin wrestles with a truth he can’t ignore: their fury might be justified.

High above the storms, in the ancient tower of Urithiru, Shallan Davar delves into the mysteries of the long-abandoned stronghold, uncovering secrets that should have stayed buried. Meanwhile, Dalinar begins to see that uniting Alethkar was never the real challenge. If Roshar is to survive, its nations must set aside old grudges, and he must face the blood-soaked past he’s spent a lifetime trying to outrun—because even the return of the Knights Radiant might not be enough to stop what’s coming.

Development of the characters:

It feels as though Sanderson has chosen to develop one character in each book. In the first book, The Way of Kings, we had this strong development of Kaladin Stormblessed, as he came to terms with his destiny. Since then, he has remained a fairly dynamic character, just lacking further growth. It does feel like there is more to come for Kaladin, but I assume that will come in the next two books.

Then, in Words of Radiance it was Shallan’s turn. She grew. Developed. Matured. Became stronger and wiser - despite fracturing her identity. Then, like Kaladin, she remained consistent with this growth in Oathbringer.

So, who could possibly grow in Oathbringer?

Elhokar Kholin had some nice development of character. No longer the prissy, weak, future King, Elhokar stood up and lead his country.

Good development, but not the major character shift in the third book.

Adolin? Sure - he developed nicely. But he kept along his trajectory at a steady pace, which began in the second half of the first book.

Ah - so it must be Dalinar.

And it is such a clever way Sanderson has developed a character who, upon first glance, would be unwilling to change. Or need further development.

Sanderson utilises flashbacks to shift Dalinar’s perspective. Dalinar, having gone to the Nightwatcher, a super-spren who grants people one boon and one curse. Dalinar’s? It is unclear what his boon and what his curse are. We learned in a previous book (I can’t quite remember if it was the first or second - but I am leaning towards the latter) that Dalinar had all memories of his dead wife wiped, even to the point where he could not hear her name spoken by others.

Over the course of Oathbringer, Dalinar’s memories of Evi, his wife, and the conquering of Alethkar come flowing back. And what we see is a whole new side to Dalinar. A bloodlust we haven’t seen previously. An arrogance. A violent nature. We see The Blackthorn.

And it just adds so much depth to, arguably, the best character in the series. It provides so much context to some of his actions in The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance.

Masterful character development.

So how does he manage to make each book his best?

It is really quite simple.

And others have picked up on this.

And I knew this coming in.

Termed The Sanderlanche it is common knowledge that Sanderson builds for 80% of his novels, then rams home with an action packed, hyper intense, beautifully crafted and expertly executed final 20%, the likes of which are impossible to put down.

It leaves you feeling shell-shocked. An artillery of words screaming and hissing in the air and leaving craters in your heart and mind.

That, really, is the best way I could explain it.

Final review

It can’t get less than 5/5 for me.

It just can’t.

It is the best in the series so far.

Leave a comment if you’ve read this, or any of Sanderson’s work. Which is your favourite?