I just finished reading Oathbringer and I had some strong feelings about the resolution of the love triangle and my girlfriend suggested that I go on this forum and read the discussion going on here. Before I start reading this thread I just want to share my quick thoughts about the romance plot. I also want to say that my english isn't my first language so I can't articulate words and form sentences (in a way that makes sense) as easily as most of you so sorry in advanced for my bad grammar!
Basically my problem is that I'm confused as to why this love triangle exists in the first place. What purpose does it serve? What does Kaladins feelings for Shallan add to his character development? Why add all the foreshadowing between Shallan and Kaladin only to have Shallan marry Adolin so quickly at the end? I feel like if you take Kaladin away then the issues with Shallan would still be the same. Adding him to the mix only frustrates me as a Kaladin fan. If someone here could give me some insight that would be great. I wasn't expecting a Kaladin and Shallan pairing in the end but I was expecting (or maybe hoping) for Shallan and Adolin to split so Shallan could figure herself out before committing herself to a relationship with anyone. I think Shallan even making a decision at all is what bothers me.
I do prefer Kaladin and Shallan since they are my two favourite characters, and because this pairing is different from the typical male royalty the main female characters seem to always get paired up with in Brandons books. I certainly do not mind Shallan and Adolin though, I just wish their relationship was written better in a away that convinces me that they are good for each other but this book doesn't do that in my opinion. I don't think they're developed enough as a couple for them to get married. I don't want to read about Adolins perfect hair or his strong but gentle arms give me something more! Maybe I'm asking for too much, I don't know. I guess this is one of the reasons why I'm bothered by their early marriage. I don't think there's enough emotional depth and I think too much of their relationship is purely based on physical attraction. To be honest I hope this isn't the end of the romance plot, something about it just doesn't seem right to me. Maybe I'll feel better about this book once books 4 and 5 are out and we know why things happen the way they happen, but for now I don't feel satisfied with the way things are going.
This might be a little off topic but why do these arranged marriages that happen in Brandons books always work out? Laral was my second choice for Kaladin, and I was hoping for them to maybe rekindle old flames but she seems to be ok with her marriage with someone as scummy as Roshone.
I would go deeper and share more of my thoughts but I'm not confident enough in my writing ability. Sorry for the rant. This probably doesn't add anything new to the conversation here so sorry about that, I just wanted to share my thoughts as a fellow fan of this series. I still really loved this book even though this one sub plot wasn't really satisfying to read. Hopefully everything I've written makes sense and sorry if it didn't.
Alright, now it's time for me to dive into this thread!
