Brandon Sanderson: Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3)

The next installment in the Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson picks up right where the previous one left off. Most of our heroes find themselves in an ancient castle after activating the ancient magical machinery in an attempt to escape, following their defeat in the decisive battle from the last book. The strange creatures, parchmen, who were once slaves, have revolted and pose a threat to human habitats everywhere. The question arises: can humans survive, and considering how they treated the parchmen, should they?

Unfortunately, this book proved to be extremely slow-paced, with much of the time spent on seemingly inconsequential details. Several plotlines were almost forgotten, mentioned only briefly. The characters felt underutilized, with my two favorite characters in particular being almost neglected at the beginning. Kaladin, the former slave, spends a significant portion of the story traveling and doesn't participate in major events. Shallan, who was already slightly irritating, becomes even more grating and appears to develop a multiple personality disorder, exhibiting mostly whiny behavior.

I contemplated abandoning the book around the 600-page mark, as little of significance had occurred by then, and the flashbacks felt dull and unnecessary. However, the later parts of the book proved somewhat more interesting, with the flashbacks providing context for a certain character's reputation, explaining why he was both feared and despised by other nations to such a degree.

The book contained numerous anachronisms, where characters discussed things using very modern terms, which felt out of place given the faux-medieval setting. Overall, the book was slow-moving, overly verbose, and noticeably inferior to its predecessors. It raises the question of whether Sanderson, as a highly renowned author, may be exempt from rigorous editing. I am uncertain whether I will continue with the series.

1243 pp