Skip to content

Oathbringer

Oathbringer

Book Three of the Stormlight Archive
Epic FantasyFantasy
Pages
1243
Published
2017
Language
English

Synopsis

Three years after the Evenstorm broke, the Voidbringers have returned in numbers not seen in millennia, and humankind is losing. Dalinar Kholin, once a ruthless warlord, now leads an alliance of nations from the ancient tower-city of Urithiru and struggles to forge a coalition before the enemy overwhelms them. His flashback chapters reveal the violent past of the Alethi Unification War — battles he cannot fully remember — and the pivotal moment that transformed him into who he is. Meanwhile Kaladin and Shallan descend into the hidden realm of Shadesmar to seek spren allies, and Shallan works to reconcile three fractured identities she has created to survive. Oathbringer is the most character-focused Stormlight Archive entry to date, centering Dalinar's arc of guilt, memory, and moral reckoning while delivering the series' most ambitious reveals about Roshar's ancient prehistory.

Prose complexity
10/10

Vibe

TenseDarkReflectiveEmotionalAtmospheric
Multiple POVsRedemption ArcCourt IntrigueMorally Grey

Genres

Epic Fantasy Fantasy High Fantasy Adventure Military

About the author

B
Brandon Sanderson

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1975, Brandon Sanderson spent his early twenties working graveyard shifts at a hotel — writing novels at the front desk between guest check-ins. By the time his debut, Elantris, was published by Tor Books in 2005, he had completed thirteen novels in the drawer. His subsequent Mistborn trilogy and the ongoing Stormlight Archive series established him as the primary architect of the Cosmere, an interconnected fictional universe in which most of his fantasy series share...

Characters

Dalinar KholinProtagonist

The reformed warlord confronting his violent past as he tries to unite Roshar against the returning enemy.

Kaladin StormblessedProtagonist

Captain of the royal guard whose growing Radiant powers now face the challenge of fighting an enemy who was once human.

Shallan DavarProtagonist

Struggling to reconcile the fractured personas she created to survive.

Jasnah KholinSupporting

Scholar and Elsecaller, newly returned and serving as queen-regent, whose cold pragmatism puts her at odds with Dalinar's code of honor.

Adolin KholinSupporting

Dalinar's son, carrying a dangerous secret of his own.

All characters in Oathbringer

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need to read the previous books in The Stormlight Archive before Oathbringer?

    Oathbringer is the third book in The Stormlight Archive and continues an overarching narrative. While some character arcs might offer minor standalone enjoyment, the plot, world-building, and character development rely heavily on events and established lore from The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance.

  • How does Oathbringer connect to Brandon Sanderson's other Cosmere books?

    Oathbringer is a significant entry in Sanderson's Cosmere universe, featuring subtle connections and recurring background characters that link it to series like Mistborn and Warbreaker. While it can be enjoyed independently, readers familiar with the broader Cosmere will recognize deeper implications and Easter eggs.

  • Why does this book spend so much time in Dalinar's past?

    The Stormlight Archive devotes each book's flashback chapters to one of the five original main characters. Oathbringer is Dalinar's turn, revealing through the Alethi Unification War how he became who he is — and a dark act he cannot remember.

  • Does Oathbringer end on a cliffhanger?

    Oathbringer resolves many immediate plotlines and character arcs introduced within its pages, providing a sense of conclusion for its specific narrative journey. However, it also sets the stage for future conflicts and developments in The Stormlight Archive, leaving readers eager for the next installment.

  • How long is Oathbringer?

    The US hardcover runs approximately 1,220 pages, making it the longest book in the series at time of publication.

  • What is Shadesmar?

    Shadesmar is the Cognitive Realm — a mirror dimension where thoughts and perceptions take physical form. Kaladin and Shallan travel there to recruit spren allies for the war, and it receives its most detailed treatment yet in this volume.

  • Who is Taravangian?

    Taravangian is the seemingly benevolent king of Kharbranth who secretly commissioned the Assassin in White's murders. His intelligence fluctuates daily between near-idiocy and terrifying genius — on his smartest days, he makes decisions of cold, horrifying logic.

  • Does Oathbringer resolve the cliffhangers from Words of Radiance?

    It resolves the immediate crisis while dramatically expanding the conflict to a global scale. Most readers consider the climactic battle sequence among the best in the series.

  • Is Oathbringer a good entry point for the Stormlight Archive?

    No — it is the third book in an ongoing series and requires full familiarity with the first two volumes.

Read all 17 reviews