Sign in with Facebook
Jonathan O'Neill's Reviews > Oathbringer Part Two
Oathbringer Part Two (The Stormlight Archive, #3.2)
by
by
Oathbringer (Parts 1 and 2) � 4 �
Words of Radiance (Parts 1 and 2) � 5 �
The Way of Kings (Parts 1 and 2) � 4.5 �
I am surrounded by Gloryspren and humming to the Rhythm of Satisfaction. A mesmerizing and wholly immersive entry in the series albeit a little indulgent at times and not without its issues. Oathbringer takes all of Sanderson’s traits (good and bad), plugs them into an amplifier and cranks it up to 11. Luckily for us, there is far more good than bad.
***CHASMFIEND-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SERIOUSLY. FLAT OUT SPOILERVILLE UP IN HERE!***
THE GOOD
It goes without saying that the worldbuilding in Oathbringer is surely some of the best you’ll find in Fantasy. It’s Sanderson’s bread and butter and is often the reason I feel I can forgive some of the weaker aspects of his writing. Oathbringer builds on what we know about the true nature of The Heralds and the 3 shards of Roshar (Honor, Cultivation and Odium). We are introduced to the Unmade and the Fused. Through Szeth, we understand more about the order of ‘The Skybreakers� and the Herald Nin. We learn more of Taravangian and ‘The Diagram�, of Shadesmar and the 3 interconnected realms. We learn the true identity of the Voidbringers! There’s a lot going on okay! I’m 97% sure that Sanderson wears an ice-pack on his forehead at all times to prevent his frontal cortex from exploding due to sheer overload. This and characterization are the big selling points of this series.
I’m not one to read Fantasy primarily for commentary on real-world themes. Quite the opposite actually, I’m here for the fantastical. Escapism is the goal. I’d be quite happy to leave the heavier topics to my non-fictional reads. That said, if a book does contain said commentary or at the least representation of certain themes, I’m here for it. In Stormlight, Brandon’s handling of themes is very tasteful. Deliberate but unforced. If you care to know, themes covered include drug addiction (Teft’s reliance on Moss), alcoholism (Dalinar’s past and a present-day relapse), depression (The black dog is always at Kal’s heels) and dissociative identity disorder (Shallan using the personas Veil and Brightness as alternatives in order to avoid confronting her tragic past). In fact, one of the major themes is the strength in accepting your past (failures, shortcomings and all) and rather than wilting and succumbing to that version of yourself, taking the “next step� and pushing forward. On a broader level, Sanderson questions the morality of war through Dalinar and Gavilar’s vicious domination of Alethkar as well as the revelation that humans were not infact the original inhabitants of Roshar, bringing in to question whether they really have the right to begrudge the Parshmen fighting for the reclamation of lands that thousands of years ago, belonged to them. This also mirrors the effects of colonisation in our world. Our ancestors stole aboriginal lands. We undoubtedly owe a debt but would you be willing to give up everything you own to pay the debts of your ancestors? I’ve hideously simplified that but for the purpose of this review you get the point.
The section of the novel in which the gang fly to Kholinar to reclaim their homeland and seek out Elhokar’s wife and son is, by far, the peak in my opinion. Sanderson really nails the oppressive, sinister tone within the city’s walls. Taking into account the ‘Cult of Moments� and the influence of the Unmade, it gives off similar vibes as ‘King’s Landing� when the High Sparrow and the Faith Militants were gaining traction. This section also contains a couple of really moving moments between Shallan and Wit (Hoid). I’d really like to see more of the serious side of Wit, they were some of my favourite scenes in the book.
“Failure is the mark of a life well lived. In turn, the only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone.� - Wit
Dalinar’s flashbacks are probably my favourite in the series so far. He was an absolute monster, there’s no doubt about it. The reputation as the ‘Blackthorn� is well-earned. I had little sympathy for him until we learned of the unmade and the influence that ‘the thrill� had on him throughout his life. That said, I loved how he wholly accepts the blame for the atrocities that he has committed in a pivotal moment in the novel. Given the way things ended with Evi (aka shshshsh) and the fact that Dalinar always had eyes for Navani even when he was with Evi, I actually find the current relationship between Dalinar and Navani a bit distasteful and frankly pretty insulting to the memory of Evi! A few paragraphs from Evi’s perspective would’ve been amazing too. She’s such a beautiful soul with a tragic story and I feel she was only really implemented as a tool for Dalinar’s development.
”I’ll break you Tanalan. Your sorry, weeping city will be held up before all who would defy my brother� I will be forced to leave only widows and corpses to populate the rift.� - Dalinar
THE BAD
The big negative, which I already mentioned in my ‘Words of Radiance� review is a major lack of lasting consequences. Our main cast is essentially invincible and, to be honest, it’s really starting to hurt the experience a bit. Examples in this book include Hobber’s legs (healed with Stormlight), Adolin stabbed by Fused (healed with Stormlight), Rock after he’s attacked by the thief for the Honorblade (Yep, Stormlight), Szeth when Nightblood begins to consume him (Lift� uses Stormlight), Lift when the entire lower half of her body is crushed by a Thunderclast (*sigh* Stormlight)� Give.me.a.break! Even secondary characters, more often than not, are safe from death. If there are no consequences, there is no tension. If there is no tension, scenes like the final battle in this book become just a pure display of power, which hasn’t been enough for me since I was 11 years old watching Dragonball Z in my PJs! Please, ‘Rhythm of War�, do better! Also, when do we stop getting out of impossible situations just by speaking the next ideal! Dalinar’s latest skill is completely OP!
The pre-chapter Excerpts from Dalinar’s ‘Oathbringer� text in the early chapters of the novel were terrible! How do you say so little, in so many words?!
The Chill attitude about Szeth (THE ASSASSIN IN WHITE!!) turning up to join the ranks in the final battle. He killed Gavilar, crippled Hobber, soul-severed Kaladin’s arm and attempted to assassinate Dalinar�. And now he’s Dalinar’s bodyguard!! What the hell is going on here?! Nearly everyone present should have wanted the man dead!
Every man and his dog becoming a storming radiant. I understand that before the Recreance there were thousands of Radiants but I thought the road to becoming one was much more harrowing than what we are seeing! Perhaps it’s just a little jarring seeing as we followed Kal through 1000+ pages of trials and tribulations before he managed to get his powers and a lot of the secondary characters stories have been happening “off-screen� but it doesn’t feel right. I mean, bloody Lopen is a Knight Radiant! God help me if Shallan’s thugs become Radiants, I don’t know if I could take it.
That’s all folks! Happy reading!
“The king’s sister� She says that the power has to get into your soul somehow. So I’ve been trying to cry a lot, and moan about my life being so terrible, but I think the Stormfather knows I’m lying.� - Lopen
Words of Radiance (Parts 1 and 2) � 5 �
The Way of Kings (Parts 1 and 2) � 4.5 �
I am surrounded by Gloryspren and humming to the Rhythm of Satisfaction. A mesmerizing and wholly immersive entry in the series albeit a little indulgent at times and not without its issues. Oathbringer takes all of Sanderson’s traits (good and bad), plugs them into an amplifier and cranks it up to 11. Luckily for us, there is far more good than bad.
***CHASMFIEND-SIZED SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SERIOUSLY. FLAT OUT SPOILERVILLE UP IN HERE!***
THE GOOD
It goes without saying that the worldbuilding in Oathbringer is surely some of the best you’ll find in Fantasy. It’s Sanderson’s bread and butter and is often the reason I feel I can forgive some of the weaker aspects of his writing. Oathbringer builds on what we know about the true nature of The Heralds and the 3 shards of Roshar (Honor, Cultivation and Odium). We are introduced to the Unmade and the Fused. Through Szeth, we understand more about the order of ‘The Skybreakers� and the Herald Nin. We learn more of Taravangian and ‘The Diagram�, of Shadesmar and the 3 interconnected realms. We learn the true identity of the Voidbringers! There’s a lot going on okay! I’m 97% sure that Sanderson wears an ice-pack on his forehead at all times to prevent his frontal cortex from exploding due to sheer overload. This and characterization are the big selling points of this series.
I’m not one to read Fantasy primarily for commentary on real-world themes. Quite the opposite actually, I’m here for the fantastical. Escapism is the goal. I’d be quite happy to leave the heavier topics to my non-fictional reads. That said, if a book does contain said commentary or at the least representation of certain themes, I’m here for it. In Stormlight, Brandon’s handling of themes is very tasteful. Deliberate but unforced. If you care to know, themes covered include drug addiction (Teft’s reliance on Moss), alcoholism (Dalinar’s past and a present-day relapse), depression (The black dog is always at Kal’s heels) and dissociative identity disorder (Shallan using the personas Veil and Brightness as alternatives in order to avoid confronting her tragic past). In fact, one of the major themes is the strength in accepting your past (failures, shortcomings and all) and rather than wilting and succumbing to that version of yourself, taking the “next step� and pushing forward. On a broader level, Sanderson questions the morality of war through Dalinar and Gavilar’s vicious domination of Alethkar as well as the revelation that humans were not infact the original inhabitants of Roshar, bringing in to question whether they really have the right to begrudge the Parshmen fighting for the reclamation of lands that thousands of years ago, belonged to them. This also mirrors the effects of colonisation in our world. Our ancestors stole aboriginal lands. We undoubtedly owe a debt but would you be willing to give up everything you own to pay the debts of your ancestors? I’ve hideously simplified that but for the purpose of this review you get the point.
The section of the novel in which the gang fly to Kholinar to reclaim their homeland and seek out Elhokar’s wife and son is, by far, the peak in my opinion. Sanderson really nails the oppressive, sinister tone within the city’s walls. Taking into account the ‘Cult of Moments� and the influence of the Unmade, it gives off similar vibes as ‘King’s Landing� when the High Sparrow and the Faith Militants were gaining traction. This section also contains a couple of really moving moments between Shallan and Wit (Hoid). I’d really like to see more of the serious side of Wit, they were some of my favourite scenes in the book.
“Failure is the mark of a life well lived. In turn, the only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone.� - Wit
Dalinar’s flashbacks are probably my favourite in the series so far. He was an absolute monster, there’s no doubt about it. The reputation as the ‘Blackthorn� is well-earned. I had little sympathy for him until we learned of the unmade and the influence that ‘the thrill� had on him throughout his life. That said, I loved how he wholly accepts the blame for the atrocities that he has committed in a pivotal moment in the novel. Given the way things ended with Evi (aka shshshsh) and the fact that Dalinar always had eyes for Navani even when he was with Evi, I actually find the current relationship between Dalinar and Navani a bit distasteful and frankly pretty insulting to the memory of Evi! A few paragraphs from Evi’s perspective would’ve been amazing too. She’s such a beautiful soul with a tragic story and I feel she was only really implemented as a tool for Dalinar’s development.
”I’ll break you Tanalan. Your sorry, weeping city will be held up before all who would defy my brother� I will be forced to leave only widows and corpses to populate the rift.� - Dalinar
THE BAD
The big negative, which I already mentioned in my ‘Words of Radiance� review is a major lack of lasting consequences. Our main cast is essentially invincible and, to be honest, it’s really starting to hurt the experience a bit. Examples in this book include Hobber’s legs (healed with Stormlight), Adolin stabbed by Fused (healed with Stormlight), Rock after he’s attacked by the thief for the Honorblade (Yep, Stormlight), Szeth when Nightblood begins to consume him (Lift� uses Stormlight), Lift when the entire lower half of her body is crushed by a Thunderclast (*sigh* Stormlight)� Give.me.a.break! Even secondary characters, more often than not, are safe from death. If there are no consequences, there is no tension. If there is no tension, scenes like the final battle in this book become just a pure display of power, which hasn’t been enough for me since I was 11 years old watching Dragonball Z in my PJs! Please, ‘Rhythm of War�, do better! Also, when do we stop getting out of impossible situations just by speaking the next ideal! Dalinar’s latest skill is completely OP!
The pre-chapter Excerpts from Dalinar’s ‘Oathbringer� text in the early chapters of the novel were terrible! How do you say so little, in so many words?!
The Chill attitude about Szeth (THE ASSASSIN IN WHITE!!) turning up to join the ranks in the final battle. He killed Gavilar, crippled Hobber, soul-severed Kaladin’s arm and attempted to assassinate Dalinar�. And now he’s Dalinar’s bodyguard!! What the hell is going on here?! Nearly everyone present should have wanted the man dead!
Every man and his dog becoming a storming radiant. I understand that before the Recreance there were thousands of Radiants but I thought the road to becoming one was much more harrowing than what we are seeing! Perhaps it’s just a little jarring seeing as we followed Kal through 1000+ pages of trials and tribulations before he managed to get his powers and a lot of the secondary characters stories have been happening “off-screen� but it doesn’t feel right. I mean, bloody Lopen is a Knight Radiant! God help me if Shallan’s thugs become Radiants, I don’t know if I could take it.
That’s all folks! Happy reading!
“The king’s sister� She says that the power has to get into your soul somehow. So I’ve been trying to cry a lot, and moan about my life being so terrible, but I think the Stormfather knows I’m lying.� - Lopen
Sign into ŷ to see if any of your friends have read
Oathbringer Part Two.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
October 10, 2020
–
Started Reading
October 10, 2020
– Shelved
October 10, 2020
–
0.0%
"1. Gavilar: "Not everything can be resolved with bloodshed Dalinar, we must try diplomacy!"
*Gavilar fails at diplomacy*
Gavilar: "RELEASE THE BLACKTHORN!!"
2. Navani acknowledges that she's not a real scientist but has some ideas she'd like to discuss...
Oh geez, one of THOSE people!
3. I think I'll politely decline invitation to the NanKhet family Christmas dinner! *loosens tie* Yeesh!"
page
0
*Gavilar fails at diplomacy*
Gavilar: "RELEASE THE BLACKTHORN!!"
2. Navani acknowledges that she's not a real scientist but has some ideas she'd like to discuss...
Oh geez, one of THOSE people!
3. I think I'll politely decline invitation to the NanKhet family Christmas dinner! *loosens tie* Yeesh!"
October 11, 2020
–
11.9%
"Dalinar: "I... was beginning to realize that I'm uncomfortable with the idea of scribes controlling the fate of nations. The things women write are stronger than my military."
Oh boy! I know there's 600 years and a galaxy separating Dal from the adage "The pen is mightier than the sword" but he's literally surrounded by powerful, genius women. You're better than this Dal."
page
90
Oh boy! I know there's 600 years and a galaxy separating Dal from the adage "The pen is mightier than the sword" but he's literally surrounded by powerful, genius women. You're better than this Dal."
October 14, 2020
–
26.06%
"1. If there was a Stormlight screen adaptation, would there be Spren floating around or popping out of the ground like little translucent pokemon at all times? Any scene with a large group of people would be absolute chaos!
2. Would hornyspren fall under passionspren or a category of their own. And... What form would they take?
3. For the love of God, would people please stop antagonizing The Blackthorn!"
page
197
2. Would hornyspren fall under passionspren or a category of their own. And... What form would they take?
3. For the love of God, would people please stop antagonizing The Blackthorn!"
October 17, 2020
–
46.96%
"1. Shadesmar is essentially one of those ball pits that kids play in at indoor playgrounds. Pro tip: Don't inform the parents that their kids are swimming in the souls of inanimate objects, they won't appreciate it.
2. Stupidity aside. Part 2 is mesmerizing! I'm so immersed that I've taken to reading while lashed to the ceiling!... What of it!"
page
355
2. Stupidity aside. Part 2 is mesmerizing! I'm so immersed that I've taken to reading while lashed to the ceiling!... What of it!"
October 23, 2020
–
91.93%
"The dirt beneath her feet, how I envy thee.
Jasnah Kholin. What a Woman!"
page
695
Jasnah Kholin. What a Woman!"
October 23, 2020
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-20 of 20 (20 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Di
(new)
Oct 23, 2020 03:14PM
Glad you’re enjoying it as much as I am, Gancho!
reply
|
flag
Di wrote: "Glad you’re enjoying it as much as I am, Gancho!"😄 Thanks Brightness! It's been a journey!
Great review! I fully agree with everything you said, the good and the bad. The low stakes and everyone becoming a radiant are things that many people critiqued (at least from what I saw), so I hope Brandon changed that in RoW. Let‘s hope and see :)
Laura wrote: "Great review! I fully agree with everything you said, the good and the bad. The low stakes and everyone becoming a radiant are things that many people critiqued (at least from what I saw), so I hop..."Thanks Laura! I almost gave this a slightly lower rating after writing this review just because these issues really do irritate me but overall, after three 1000+ page books I'm well and truly invested in the world and am willing to forgive a lot. I'll be expecting George RR Martin level culling in ROW 😂 But seriously, I'll settle for anything that will slightly raise the blood pressure!
Excellent review as always friend Jonathan😂totally agree with you. I can't help but feeling the same way about Shshshsh too! I feel conflicted about his relationship with Navani. Like on one hand so sweet that they always loved one another and on the other, Evi the wee cinnamon roll! But maybe we're all just a bunch of air sick lowlanders stuck in mateform😂
Emily wrote: "Excellent review as always friend Jonathan😂totally agree with you. I can't help but feeling the same way about Shshshsh too! I feel conflicted about his relationship with Navani. Like on one hand s..."Thanks Em! Haha! We are definitely that! 😂
I’d like to politely disagree with the last negative and this is why. I think it is impossible for us to follow every character who’s turning Radiant to know what they’ve been through. It’ll take too many books to cover (not that I’ll mind that either). And we'll need a lot more to battle Odium’s army. Plus who knows how certain high sprens really think, for eg the Dustbringer’s ashspren. Someone in Shallan’s team already showed some lightweaving capability btw 😆. I also don’t think a Knight Radiant is technically achieved until the 3rd Ideal, but I could be wrong.
TS wrote: "I’d like to politely disagree with the last negative and this is why. I think it is impossible for us to follow every character who’s turning Radiant to know what they’ve been through. It’ll take t..."Thanks for commenting TS! Always here for some Stormlight discussion! 😂 I agree we obviously can't see everyone's transformation as there will presumably be hundreds/thousands of Radiants eventually. My issue remains specifically with the Honorspren. They were all seemingly attracted to the one group of people (bridgemembers) when they began to train as Squires. I can only assume it's due to their connection with Kal and the powers of a Windrunner that potentially make a bond easier to initiate. The timeframe in which characters like Teft or Lopen became Radiants is nowhere near the amount of time it took Kal or Shallan to make their bonds, even if it was offscreen. Teft, I could almost believe due to his circumstances but what could Lopen have done that made him "ready" or even worthy of making a bond. I just think it cheapens the process and does Kaladin's struggle a disservice.
Oh god, I totally forgot about Vathah lightweaving! Those cryptics are a weird bunch though. I don't think their primary concern would be if you were honorable or not. Almighty help us all! 🤦♂�
Great review, Jonathan! It really does sound like I'm going to hate this book. I felt like I'd wasted my time reading the first two books when the lack of consequences kicked in at the end of WoR. If every man and his dog becomes immortal I will likely drop this book like a heavy rock fused with Stormlight! It's such a shame because he really had me invested during all the 'Bridge 4' stuff during book 1. Now I just feel like I read all that for no reason since there was no possible way he could die.
Thanks very much Michael. Personally, I think there is so much to love about the characters and the world-building in these stories that I can look past the issue, to a degree. Stormlight healing is definitely wearing a bit thin though. Who cares if somebody's entire body is crushed or if they're stabbed through the gut when they're just gonna heal up again. They're not so much immortal, it's more that Sanderson would seem to have a Tolkien-esque preference of keeping all his characters safe and sound. I would love to be proven wrong! :)
An excellent review as always Jonathan! I especially liked your nuanced takes on the flaws of this book - which I found myself agreeing with completely. A book this large having few lasting consequences makes it so much less compelling!
I'm doing all I can not to spoil anything, but I love your reviews! Let's discuss after I finish 😅
Thanks Stars! Definitely steer clear of this review AND comment section until you're done! 😂
Mark wrote: "An excellent review as always Jonathan! I especially liked your nuanced takes on the flaws of this book - which I found myself agreeing with completely. A book this large having few lasting consequ..."Thanks Mark, I appreciate it! That's probably the biggest issue that I have with the series to be honest, everything else is fairly minor and I did still give it 4 stars meaning, I loved it. I just think it's always worth at least pointing out the drawbacks. No book is perfect :)
Drat, that's one hell of a review!Oh my God, I so agree about the AiW - my thoughts exactly! Kaladin was severely punished by Amaram and Sadeas for much less.
On the other hand, I think the Alethi now have so many problems that the AiW is the least of them. Not to mention that that this epic battle and the events preceding that were so chaotic the Alethi must have felt almost as lost in the stream of developments as the readers (maybe not applicable to all, but, personally, I did end up carried away by the stream of events). As for some specific characters, exposure to divine powers should be exceptionally disorienting. And AiW was pretty quick to vanish from sight, too.
I also wonder if the "loose attachment" factor could have played a role...
Would expect it to hit the fan in the following book, though...
Sofija wrote: "Drat, that's one hell of a review!Oh my God, I so agree about the AiW - my thoughts exactly! Kaladin was severely punished by Amaram and Sadeas for much less.
On the other hand, I think the Alet..."
Thanks Sofija! Yeah, it'll definitely be addressed in ROW. In most cases when I have a minor issue with something Sanderson's done, it's remedied either later in the same book or in the next. Less than 2 weeks now! 😀
omg the excerpts of Oathbringer at the start of each chapter annoyed me too! I feel like it never arrived at a point, I even back and re-read them after finding out Dalinar wrote them (I assumed it was Jasnah) and they really said NOTHING iMPORTANT! love the review!!
Ugh, I know right?! I don't remember exactly what it was now but weren't there like a dozen chapters where the Oathbringer excerpts were like...." I'm gonna tell everything now..... Some people aren't gonna like it but doggone it, here I go!.... I've been meaning to write this for some time, this is it!..... Hold my beer, we'll get started right after the commercial!.... The sum of my experiences, coming up..... I was just like, Dal, my man, would you say something! 😂
Jonathan wrote: "Ugh, I know right?! I don't remember exactly what it was now but weren't there like a dozen chapters where the Oathbringer excerpts were like...." I'm gonna tell everything now..... Some people are..."hahahaha yes! and then he ends up saying basically nothing -_-
Woops - turns out i didn't finalise catching up on my friends reviews either...I must have been distracted by a cremling scuttling past 🙈Fantastic review!!!
Really wish i could string words & thoughts together as you do 👍🤩
