Oathbringer – Brandon Sanderson (2017)

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, published in 2017, is the third epic installment in The Stormlight Archive, an expansive high fantasy series set in the war-torn world of Roshar. Continuing directly after the events of Words of Radiance, the book delves into the legacy of war, the burden of leadership, and the complexity of redemption, as Dalinar Kholin and his allies struggle to unite a fractured world against an ancient, returning threat.

Plot Summary

The Everstorm had come.

It howled across the world of Roshar, red lightning crackling within its depths, bringing with it the awakening of the parshmen – once docile servants, now transformed into the Voidbringers of old. Amid the chaos, Dalinar Kholin, Highprince of Alethkar and bearer of a mysterious bond with the Stormfather, led his people to the ancient city of Urithiru, a mythical tower hidden high in the mountains. Within its halls, amid corridors echoing with forgotten voices, he sought to build a new order, to unify the shattered kingdoms of the world under a banner of resistance.

But unity did not come easily. The Alethi highprinces remained fractured, weighed down by politics and ambition. The death of Highprince Sadeas, found murdered in the deep tunnels of Urithiru, cast a shadow across Dalinar’s fragile coalition. Unknown to all but a few, the killer was Dalinar’s own son, Adolin, who had struck in a moment of passion and justice. The court whispered of vengeance, while Dalinar tried to steer attention toward a greater threat rising beyond their squabbles.

Haunted by visions from the long-dead god Honor, Dalinar was told to unite them. Each vision offered glimpses of the ancient past, of a world long lost and a power now returning. As he struggled to decipher these cryptic messages, Dalinar faced the secrets of his own past. Through the power of the Stormfather, he recovered memories locked away – memories of the Blackthorn, the ruthless warrior he had once been. He had killed his own wife, Evi, in a fit of wrath during a brutal siege. The truth shattered him, but he stood amid the wreckage of guilt and chose to bear it. Refusing the absolution offered by the god Odium, Dalinar instead declared his intent to lead with honor, not escape from his sins.

Elsewhere in the tower, Shallan Davar grappled with her own fractured mind. As a Lightweaver, her power was born from truths spoken and hidden, and she buried herself in alternate personas – Veil the spy, Radiant the warrior – to cope with the trauma of her past. Her connection with Pattern, a cryptic spren, deepened as she explored the mysteries of Urithiru. The tower itself was alive with secrets: hidden corridors, ancient fabrials, and murals that told stories no one remembered. Shallan’s illusions uncovered monsters lurking in forgotten corners, ancient creatures bound to the Voidbringers. She led a secret investigation into a series of mysterious deaths, which led her to the ancient enemy – the Unmade – spren of chaos who corrupted minds and feasted on suffering.

Kaladin Stormblessed, once a slave and now a Windrunner, flew into the heart of enemy lands to reach his family in Hearthstone. What he found there shattered his certainty – parshmen who had once served without thought now lived free, terrified and unsure. They were not monsters. They were people, victims of theft – their minds stolen generations ago. He could not bring himself to fight them. The war would not be as simple as light against dark, honor against destruction. Kaladin returned to Urithiru bearing questions no sword could answer.

The listeners, once known as the Parshendi, awakened their ancient gods. Venli, sister of the fallen Eshonai, stood at the heart of this transformation. She had brought about the return of Odium, god of hatred, and watched as her people became vessels of war and destruction. But within her, a different rhythm stirred – the whisper of another spren, a voice of freedom buried beneath the song of conquest. Surrounded by the chaos she had helped create, Venli began to question everything.

Odium, the god who had killed Honor, moved his pieces across the board. He sent his champion, a being in black Shardplate with red eyes and nine shadows, to confront Dalinar. The forces of Odium laid siege to the city of Thaylenah, where ancient Oathgates could be reactivated to bring armies across the world in an instant. It was there that Dalinar, Kaladin, Shallan, and the others gathered to make their stand.

The sky turned black as the Everstorm clashed with the highstorm above the port city. Voidbringers swarmed, and the Unmade unleashed terror. Renarin, Dalinar’s younger son, revealed his own bond with a corrupted spren, his powers unpredictable and strange, yet essential. Adolin stood alongside the Radiants, though without magic, wielding his skill and courage against overwhelming odds. Shallan wove illusions and light, Kaladin flew through the tempest to shield the helpless, and Dalinar faced a god.

Odium came not with fire or thunder, but with memory. He showed Dalinar the atrocities he had committed – cities burned, innocents slain, Evi’s final screams. Odium offered release from guilt, a place beside him as one of his champions. But Dalinar, broken and bloody, remembered the words of the Knights Radiant. He accepted his past and declared himself the one who would bind the world together. He summoned Honor’s lost powers and created a storm of his own – not of destruction, but of unity.

The light of that moment pushed Odium back, shattered the hold of the Unmade, and drove the Voidbringers from the city. A new oath was sworn. A new Radiant was born. Dalinar had claimed the next ideal – I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.

In the quiet aftermath, Thaylenah stood – battered, but standing. The Knights Radiant, once scattered legends, had returned. Urithiru stirred with new life. The Oathgates would open again, linking the world’s capitals. Yet Odium still watched, and his champions still walked the land. The war had only begun.

But in the heart of Roshar, where storms howled and ancient powers stirred, one man stood defiant, his hand raised against the dark. He would not break. He would not kneel.

He would unite them.

Main Characters

• Dalinar Kholin: A war-hardened highprince turned visionary leader, Dalinar is the soul of Oathbringer. Haunted by violent past deeds and a shrouded history of conquest, Dalinar battles both external threats and internal demons. His journey revolves around seeking redemption, rebuilding Urithiru, and forging unity against the looming Desolation. His spiritual evolution and bond with the Stormfather mark him as the narrative’s emotional and moral anchor.
• Shallan Davar: An artistic Lightweaver with a fractured identity, Shallan wrestles with the trauma of her past and the multiplicity of personas she creates to cope with it. As she deepens her bond with her spren, Pattern, and explores the mysteries of Urithiru, her storyline challenges the boundaries between illusion, truth, and self-deception.
• Kaladin Stormblessed: A former slave and Windrunner whose bond with the spren Syl grants him flight and healing powers. Kaladin continues his mission to protect those who cannot protect themselves, but in Oathbringer, he is also tested by his confrontation with the transformed parshmen, forcing him to reckon with his prejudices and empathy.
• Adolin Kholin: Dalinar’s son and a gallant duelist, Adolin is known for his charm and sense of duty. His arc in this book deepens as he grapples with his father’s ideals, his own feelings of inadequacy, and the consequences of his secret role in the murder of Highprince Sadeas.
• Navani Kholin: A brilliant engineer and Dalinar’s lover, Navani brings intellect and pragmatism to the struggle. Her relationship with Dalinar serves as both a romantic and political alliance, and her work with ancient fabrials is crucial to understanding the old magic of Roshar.
• Venli: One of the Parshendi (or listeners), Venli emerges as a tragic figure who betrays her people by helping bring back their gods. Her storyline offers a critical perspective on the Parshendi’s awakening, the return of Odium, and the nuances of cultural guilt and survival.

Theme

• Redemption and the Burden of the Past: Dalinar’s arc centers around confronting his war crimes and rebuilding his life through the ideals of the Knights Radiant. His refusal to erase his memories, choosing instead to face them, defines the moral core of the narrative – that redemption lies in accountability, not denial.
• Unity in Diversity: “Unite them” is the mantra that echoes throughout the book. With Roshar divided among kingdoms, races, and ideologies, Oathbringer presents unity not as homogenization but as cooperation amid difference. Dalinar’s effort to forge alliances symbolizes the struggle to bridge divides in the face of existential threat.
• Memory, Identity, and Self-Perception: Both Shallan and Dalinar navigate fragmented memories and altered identities. Shallan creates personas to manage her trauma, while Dalinar uncovers repressed memories. These arcs explore how identity is shaped not just by truth but by what we choose to accept or deny about ourselves.
• The Nature of Leadership: Leadership is dissected through the choices and sacrifices of Dalinar, Kaladin, and even Gavilar (through flashbacks). The novel critiques conquest and authoritarian rule, advocating instead for service, moral courage, and transparency.
• Divine Influence and Free Will: Set against the backdrop of gods like Odium and the long-dead Honor, the story interrogates the role of divine mandates in mortal decisions. Dalinar’s rejection of Odium’s offer of absolution for his past is a pivotal moment affirming human agency.

Writing Style and Tone

Brandon Sanderson’s prose in Oathbringer is a masterful balance of accessibility and grandeur. He wields a clear, direct narrative voice for much of the exposition, particularly when explaining the intricacies of magic systems, politics, or lore. Yet, he seamlessly transitions to lyrical or intense emotional cadences during key moments—particularly in Dalinar’s visions, Shallan’s inner dialogues, and battle sequences. These shifts allow readers to experience both the epic scale and intimate struggles that define the story.

The novel’s structure reflects Sanderson’s ambition and meticulous plotting. Interweaving multiple POVs, timelines, and interludes from peripheral characters, Oathbringer delivers a kaleidoscopic view of its world. His use of epigraphs from ancient texts adds a mythological layer to the narrative, while in-world art, maps, and diagrams deepen immersion. The tone oscillates between the grim weight of impending war and the hopeful resilience of characters seeking light in darkness. It’s heroic, tragic, and philosophical, often all at once.