Shardcast: Oathbringer Retrospective

Earth days, yes. One year (rosharan) after oathbringer’s release would be 9 hours and 20 minutes after the release time, but on 12/20/18 (rounding down the extra 3ish seconds per day (rosharan)) 

I actually finished Oathbringer like two days ago.

I enjoyed Oathbringer the first time I read it, but I actually think I like it even more now after just finishing a second reread a few weeks ago and having quite a while to really think about it. It definitely has some pacing issues. I remember the first time through feeling like the Kholinar and Shadesmar parts were long (I still liked them) but this time through I was actually surprised by how quickly I got through them. I think the things with parts 1-4 is that they were different from what I expected to happen. So on a reread knowing what was already going to happen, I really just got to enjoy it more. Part 5 and Dalinar’s whole arc are what really well and truly make this book amazing. I loved this part of the book on both reads. 

Overall I’d sum up my feelings on Oathbringer as the pacing and plot weren’t perfect, but the character stuff was so on point and fantastic. I love it. 

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Like, Evi dying? Oh, that was good!

/r/nocontext

I tend to do lots of re-reads, I see things differently every time I read a book. I have to go back and find the foreshadowing I missed, then I had to got back to tWoK and WoR in the context of OB. 

I like each book more as part of the whole. OB has my favorite flashbacks, but I think the other books have interludes that I like better. 

The most recent re-read the emotions were what stood out to me, I was crying with the characters more than I ever have, because of what was going on in my life it just hit me so hard. That is what great books do! They grow with you and remain a good friend your whole life long.

I listen to the audiobooks so it’s hard give pages for any evidence (and I butcher names) but I have a theory regarding Amaram and maybe Moash going forward.  I don’t think Amaram is dead, yes he’s gone but whether by taming yelignar or Odiom’s favor we’re gonna see a human reborn in the ever storm.   

Way of Kings is my favorite of the three, but WoR is a tighter book in that Shallan's flashbacks are more engaging than Kaladin's and the stories interweave more. 

Love Oathbringer, it has pacing issues towards the end especially where things were cut for time (Szeth explaining himself to Dalinar after the battle.) It reminds me of the Dark Knight Rises where Bruce escapes from the Pit and the next scene he is back in Gotham. Clearly he is resourceful and could get back, but jumping right to it was jarring. 

Moash chapters were a drag. In tWoK annotations Brandon described how Kaladin without Syl did not work especially in the early chapters were he is not doing anything. That's pretty much the Moash chapters a depressed guy just trudging along without any more cheerful, active character to play off of. They aren't terrible, but they drag. 

Dalinar flashbacks are the best of the three. Perhpas, because we are seeing a man in his 50s(?) who has lived a full life verus two teenagers remembering their terrible childhoods. 

102 minutes into Shardcast and chill and Evgeni gives you this look.

I have a really stupid question that's probably been asked many times before, but I can't find any references.  In the intro sequence for Who's That Cosmere Character, there's a snippet of Eric guessing Menace....who is Menace?  Is that even what he's actually saying?  I've searched for this name associated with the Cosmere but can't find anything!  Thanks for your help and sorry again if this has been answered before.

8 hours ago, Arthraxes said:

I have a really stupid question that's probably been asked many times before, but I can't find any references.  In the intro sequence for Who's That Cosmere Character, there's a snippet of Eric guessing Menace....who is Menace?  Is that even what he's actually saying?  I've searched for this name associated with the Cosmere but can't find anything!  Thanks for your help and sorry again if this has been answered before.

Eric is actually saying Mennis. Mennis is a super minor character that appears in the TFE prologue. 

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Mennis

16 hours ago, thegatorgirl00 said:

Eric is actually saying Mennis. Mennis is a super minor character that appears in the TFE prologue. 

https://coppermind.net/wiki/Mennis

THANK YOU!  It's been years since I've read TFE, no wonder I forgot about him.  Time for a reread.