Finished the book last night and this is going to come off a bit negative, but the book needs to be about 300 pages shorter than it is. My other large issue with the Stormlight archive that gets worse and worse with each passing novel is the involvement in the Cosmere. More easter eggs are being introduced with each book and while people that have read all of his Cosmere novels and series multiple times will be able to pick it up, to a more casual reader(me) it feels like we're being left in behind because I just don't remember a lot of these characters. He honestly needs to come out with a reference book and glossary that helps someone like me that only read Elantris once, or Mistborn twice and haven't read all of the novellas. Heck even just a full explanation of the implications would help after each novel.
Overall: The book is wordy with what feels like very little in the way of forward progress for the series where long stretches of it were not critical to the movement forward, the plot, or character development. I was hoping with such a heavy investment made by the reader, that we'd get a more drawn out and spectacular crescendo but the book kind of wrapped up in about 5 chapters and I was left with a feeling of, "That's it?" I had a lot of the same feelings from reading Jordan/Sanderson's The Gathering Storm. I didn't leave very satisfied. I will absolutely continue to read the series and want to see it reach its conclusion but each passing book seems to be more focused on the die hard readers that can re-read multiple times. With a 16 month old rampaging through the house and a demanding career, that's just not me and I hope Brandon gives that some consideration for future novels. I was once one of those avid readers but life gets in the way and your priorities change, especially over a series that take a decade or more to complete.
Radiant shard plate is just spren that form the plate together----awesome. Maya hopefully becomes Adolin's spren ---- awesome. I hope to see thousands of windrunners in the next book.
I fully understand that my opinion probably deviates from the majority on here but I thought it needs to be said.
