rachaelsfantasyland's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was the first Brandon Sanderson book I ever read (bold choice, I know), and returning to it half a decade later for a re-read now that the series is completed was my best decision of 2025 so far. This is a masterpiece of epic fantasy. Sanderson is the GOAT when it comes to world-building! Between the ecological and cultural descriptions (so! many! crustaceans!), I feel like I truly understand the world of Roshar. The characters are loveable and understandable even when they make mistakes that make me cringe (I’m looking at you, Shallan). I love Kaladin so much and my heart breaks for him constantly. Overall, this is a wonderful story of war, violence, and despair, but also hope, curiosity, and brotherhood. Oh, and there’s magic!
Oh, also, I'm so here for Navani clawing her way out of the 'sister'-zone. It's so funny to me that when Dalinar calls her the honorific for older sister, she retaliates by getting him alone and kissing him just a few chapters later. She is not letting the dead-brother's-widow part get in her way.

Also I'm so gay for Jasnah. Sanderson is a coward if he doesn't make her a girl-kisser.

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geminisoul's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The world that was created in this book was so emersive and just so well executed. The characters felt complex and I really grew to love them. I cannot wait to continue with this series. 

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curly_haired_chaos_gremlin's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Writing: 5⭐️/5 
I think Sanderson’s writing is outstanding. Rich descriptions, beautiful dialogue, and stunningly crafted characters all twine together in this novel to create some truly decadent writing. Even the fight scenes were wonderfully written, as Sanderson has a way of describing the action without the details becoming tangled in the movement. 

Characters: 5⭐️/5
Sanderson could write a spin-off about probably any character in this series, and I would care enough to read it. Every character feels real in this book. 

Plot: 5⭐️/5 
The plot and the world in this novel are stunning. I loved learning about the world, and I loved the stories that were explored throughout. It’s a long novel, and yet the pacing is perfect, taking the time to explain each moment that needs explaining. Ugh, I just want to dive into it again.

Who Should Read This Book? 
  • Someone looking for a remarkable high-fantasy series
  • Someone who likes Brandon Sanderson
  • Readers looking for a fantasy series with stunning writing

Content Warnings? 
  • War, violence, blood, slavery, mental illness, suicide, suicidal thoughts, classism, grief, murder, injury, injury detail, vomit

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5
Love, love, love. Where has Sanderson been all this time? 

Final Rating: 5⭐️/5

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mads_reads_books's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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bohboh's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Where to start? Incredible worldbuilding, intriguing characters, beautifully written action sequences, and a good medium-pacing but fast when it needs to be. There some of every fantasy book subgenre crammed in here, I think, and every bit of it works together to make a symphony.

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travisdabis's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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jillustrations's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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directorpurry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.25


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kashby's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

i cried

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