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The world of Roshar has dissolved into chaos since the enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm. Now, it sweeps the land with destruction, often giving its people little to no warning and following no set timeline like the storms they once knew. And in its passing, the once peaceful and subservient parshmen are awakened. Their anger has been kindled at their millennia-long enslavement by the human race, and they are ready to fight back.
Kaladin Stormblessed sets out on a desperate journey to warn his family of the coming threats, but along the way he discovers that the parshmen’s anger may be justified. With this new point of view as a source of internal conflict, he is unsure how to face the future.
Meanwhile, nestled in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar’s investigations into the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant unearths dark secrets — some that are perhaps best left buried. The further she dives into the search for truth, the more she loses of herself.
As the end of their world draws closer, Dalinar realizes uniting his homeland was too small a mission. If Roshar hopes to survive, he’ll have to unite all the nations of their world and find a way to confront and put aside his blood-soaked past.
Of the Stormlight Archive books so far, Oathbringer definitely has the darkest tone. Yet despite the darkness of the world, hope persists, and this hope is a strong theme throughout these books.
Picking up directly after Words of Radiance, Oathbringer diverts its attention from the Shattered Plains to expand the world-building of other major cities and places in the world of Roshar. At the forefront is the exploration of the tower city of Urithiru. This gives the story an epic scope, and while it’s one of its strongest points, it’s also one of the book’s greatest flaws (in my opinion.) The complexity of race, cultures, world, and politics — along with a huge cast of characters — often makes it a struggle to follow the story.
To top it all off, Oathbringer comes in at a whopping 1,200-plus pages. I’ve known some people who can rip through these books, but for me, it took a lot of effort to read. (In fact, it took me two and a half months just to finish this monstrosity!) I would have found the book more enjoyable and less like work if the author had cut back on the countless subplots and lengthy political conversations.
That said, this series has some of my favorite fictional characters of all time. Sanderson is a master at crafting characters that are flawed yet continually struggle toward the light and are genuinely honorable. Despite having to put the book aside several times, I always returned and was compelled to continue reading because of them.
In truth, though, if I had to sum up the Stormlight Archives in one sentence it would be this: They’re 3-star high fantasy books with 6-star endings.
Rated: Moderate, bordering on high for harsh topics and violence. Violence is a big part of the story and is sometimes fairly detailed, featuring war and occupation, quite a bit of death, and potential end-of-the-world scenarios. A character’s flashbacks can be brutal, chilling, and horrible. In an attack, many men, women and children — including a character’s wife — are burned alive. Men suffer from alcoholism, and one actively struggles with PTSD and coming to terms with himself as a murderer. Some sexual innuendos and rude jokes are made. Little to no profanity is present, though. Characters use fantasy curses instead.
