Oathbringer Is The Best Book, Lift is Good, I Hate Monologuing

[E-Harmony]

Just finished my reread of Oathbringer in prep for RoW, and I think it's the best book in the series. I'll admit there's a possibility of recency bias but I thought a lot about it and I feel confident in, well, how I feel about this book. What do you think?

[datalaughing]

Great book, but every chapter we've gotten of RoW so far has me feeling like Brandon is going to top himself again. It's very exciting.

[E-Harmony]

1 hour ago, datalaughing said:

Great book, but every chapter we've gotten of RoW so far has me feeling like Brandon is going to top himself again. It's very exciting.

Finishing up Dawnshard, haven’t read any of the RoW chapters yet but you’ve got me excited! Honestly I’d be okay with getting a slower book if that’s what it ends up being, wouldn’t mind a breather before #5

[Use the Falchion]

I'll definitely watch the video when I have time! 

Oathbringer is the Stormlight book that means the most to me. I went through some of the toughest months in my life not too long after it came out, and Dalinar's quotes were some of my mantras. If I ever get a tattoo it'll be of the Bondsmith symbol. It means that much to me. At the same time, I'm not sure it's the best. I mean on a technical level absolutely - Brandon's prose and writing skills improve with each Stormlight book, and it shows here. (I always feel like he pushes himself during Stormlight books, solidifies those improvements during the YA trilogies he writes in-between the books, and then pushes himself to another level during the next Stormlight book.) 

But is it the best? It gives me the highest highs and the lowest lows. It gives me some of my favorite moments in the entire series ("The Subtle Art of Diplomacy" is an absolute gem of a chapter). It gives me the most important quotes. Dalinar's story is so resonant with me on some levels that I can't help but relate. And yet, I can't help but say that while it's the most important to me, it's not the best. Oathbringer feels like the sum of its parts, where to me WOR feels like it's more than that. Then again, I always cheat when I answer these sorts of questions - I always say that TWOK is my favorite to reread, WOR is objectively Sanderson's best work, and OB is the superior on a technical level and the book that means the most to me - and I'm sort of a contrarian, so don't take too much stock in what I say lol!

As it stands now, I'd say that Oathbringer is my "favorite," of the Stormlight books, but WOR is the "best." 

[E-Harmony]

5 hours ago, Use the Falchion said:

As it stands now, I'd say that Oathbringer is my "favorite," of the Stormlight books, but WOR is the "best." 

It’s hard to choose “best” between 3 absolute gems of books, but for me while WoR feels like a more cohesive narrative and smoother reading experience, Oathbringer offers the most complexed and balanced character work of the 3 while also offering greater Worldbuilding and great action sequences as well, that again are tied to character. WoR definitely had the better main character crossover scenes but I loved all the character arcs in Oathbringer more from the main characters to the side characters. But again you can’t go wrong picking any of the 3

[Frustration]

WoK is in my opinion the 'best'

WoR has the easiest re-read

and OB is the best first read.

[Mat]

They are all so good...

WoR is my 'favorite' and the 'best'

OB has just such good action sequences though. It's the most mind-blowingly awesome.

[E-Harmony]

12 hours ago, Frustration said:

WoK is in my opinion the 'best'

WoR has the easiest re-read

and OB is the best first read.

I had a meh first read of Oathbringer cause I hadnt read Warbreaker and was also burned out after bingeing all 3. But I had an amazing second read

11 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

OB has just such good action sequences though. It's the most mind-blowingly awesome.

Jasnah in particular Soulcasting was just incredible

[Chanarach]

OB depressed the hell out of me. Pretty good though. Hopefully Syl wrecks some VB in RoW.  

[+Harrycrapper]

On 11/11/2020 at 11:03 PM, Frustration said:

WoK is in my opinion the 'best'

WoR has the easiest re-read

and OB is the best first read.

These are my thoughts exactly. WoK is just an amazing first book in a series and there's always something new I see on every re read. WoR just flows smoothly and has the best pacing out of the 3 so far. And like you said OB is amazing on the first read but I always felt that the Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin plotline felt a little cheapened by the fact that they didn't get themselves out of Shadesmar and their survival predicated completely on Dalinar's big moment. Had Kaladin sworn the 4th Oath right there and defeated the Fused in Shadesmar, it might have made OB the best book over WoK. I understand Brandon didn't do that because he needs him to swear it at a different point(or not at all as some people speculate), but it left the plotline with more of a feeling of disappointment rather than triumph. I always get bored on re-reads with the Shadesmar portion of OB because none of the characters really progressed.