Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

I don't know how Brandon Sanderson does it, but he makes me finish 1,200 page books that start out grinding my nerves. I'd say the first half of this novel was a slog. While I appreciate the delve into the human psyche, the character development was actually a bit overdone. It took absolute ages to get resolution for a very minute problem. And yet, more intrinsic emotional distress seemed to happen in a flash.

But you know what, I'm just glad that Sanderson is attempting to put mental health at the forefront of a novel. These people are becoming symbolic to their world. That is a heavy burden that will fracture even the most stable of people. Being able to see how the protagonists transition into Knights Radiant is actually what kept me slogging through the less motivating sections.

There was plenty of new stuff to see, too.  Shallan, Adolin, Kaladin, and Azure take us on a trek through Shadesmar, home of the spren, where we get to learn some very tantalizing hints about Shardblades. I know there will be more about this in the future, and my curiosity is certainly peaked. 

We also have the history of Kaladin and Shallan in the books, so this time around we spend our flashbacks with Dalinar. Another doozy right there, but A+ for some serious character growth.

It was really the last part of the book that really just made this a four star novel for me, though. Once I hit that part, I just couldn't put the book down. All the webs that were being spun had solidified into a picture I just had to stare at. Beautiful.