Oathbringer's Revelation

Lore & Background

The story reveals that six years prior, King Gavilar Kholin met with Eshonai of the Listeners, revealing a plan to revive gods using a Fabrial device that traps Spren inside Gemhearts. Horrified by this, Eshonai orchestrated an assassination to stop him. In the present timeline, Dalinar Kholin utilizes his Bondsmith abilities and Stormfather's aid to revisit visions, learning that the Almighty he once knew was named Honor, who had warned of the Everstorm. This revelation exposes Odium's summoning of nine corrupted shadowed Spren known as the Unmade. The narrative also details how the Everstorm altered Parshmen physiques, allowing them to rebond with Voidspren and transform into Fused guided by Ulim. Furthermore, Dalinar discovers that Honor sent Ten Heralds to fight Odium's forces, but they succumbed to torture in Damnation, leaving humanity vulnerable.

In Their Own Story

Dalinar Kholin begins the story at Urithiru, proposing marriage to Navani with Stormfather's consent while processing the loss of his first wife. Simultaneously, Kaladin returns to Hearthstone, reuniting with his parents before tracking escaped Parshmen and learning about the Voidspren threat. Shallan investigates the murder of Torol Sadeas alongside Adolin, eventually confronting Mraize who reveals a dark force within Urithiru. This leads her to discover an abandoned library inhabited by the Unmade Re-Shephir, the Midnight Mother, whom she repels using Lightweaving. In a pivotal moment, Shallan unknowingly combines her abilities with Dalinar's Bondsmith powers on a map, revealing the location of Ten Oathgates. As political tensions rise with Sadeas' followers and Elhokar plans to abdicate, Dalinar challenges an ardent named Kadesh to a duel, restoring his memories of his wife Evi. The climax involves Taravangian introducing Malata, a Dustbringer, while Stormfather reveals he can send visions to anyone, prompting Dalinar to accept a challenge from Odium.

Reader's Guide

The development of Oathbringer saw the book evolve from an initial concept titled Stones Unhallowed focusing on Szeth-son-son-Vallano, to Skybreaker, and finally settling on Oathbringer with Dalinar Kholin as the focus. Brandon Sanderson completed his first draft on December 9, 2016, at 461,223 words, expanded it to a third draft of 514,000 words by March 15, 2017, and finalized the fifth draft on June 15, 2017, cutting it down to exactly 450,000 words. Due to this unprecedented length, Tor Books utilized a different press and bindery than the one used for Words of Radiance. To manage the timeline, Sanderson wrote the novella Edgedancer, published in Arcanum Unbounded on November 22, 2016. The cover art by Michael Whelan was revealed on March 16, 2017, depicting Jasnah Kholin defending a city against an invasion.

Did You Know?

• The manuscript grew to a peak of 514,000 words during the third draft before being cut down to 450,000 words for the final version.
• Due to its length, Tor Books had to use a different press and bindery than the one used for Words of Radiance.
• The original title of the book was Stones Unhallowed, with Szeth-son-son-Vallano intended as the main focus before shifting to Dalinar Kholin.
• The cover art by Michael Whelan shows Jasnah Kholin simultaneously soulcasting a wall and reaching for a Shardblade while defending a city.

Developmental Evolution

The journey of Oathbringer from concept to publication involved major shifts in focus and scale. Initially conceived under the title Stones Unhallowed with Szeth-son-son-Vallano as the central figure, the narrative eventually pivoted to Skybreaker before settling on its final name, centering instead on Dalinar Kholin. This shift mirrored Brandon Sanderson's deepening exploration of his characters and themes over time. The writing process spanned five distinct drafts, seeing the manuscript grow from 461,223 words to a peak of 514,000 before being meticulously trimmed down to 450,000 words for the final release on June 15, 2017. Sanderson kept fans in the loop throughout, sharing progress updates on Reddit and engaging via blog posts and conventions. The sheer size of the project required Tor Books to use a different printing press and bindery than those used for its predecessor, Words of Radiance, due to the book's unprecedented length.

Narrative Architecture

Oathbringer is structured with one prologue, an epilogue, and 122 chapters interspersed with 14 interludes. The prologue reveals a pivotal moment from six years prior where Eshonai discovers Gavilar Kholin's treacherous plan to revive ancient gods using captured Spren, leading her to orchestrate his assassination. As the narrative unfolds, Dalinar Kholin experiences profound visions involving the Stormfather and the Almighty, uncovering the identity of Honor and the looming threat of Odium's Unmade. Simultaneously, Kaladin returns to his hometown of Hearthstone, confronting personal demons while investigating the terrifying effects of the Everstorm on the Parshendi, who are now rebonding with Voidspren under the guidance of corrupted entities like Ulim. Shallan uncovers an Unmade named Re-Shephir in an abandoned library within Urithiru.

Visual Identity and Presentation

The visual presentation of Oathbringer was crafted to match its grand narrative scope. The cover art, painted by renowned artist Michael Whelan and revealed on March 16, 2017, depicts Jasnah Kholin in a moment of intense action, defending a city against an invasion while simultaneously wielding a Shardblade and soulcasting a breach in the wall caused by a thunderclast. Inside, the hardcover edition features endpapers showcasing four of the ten Heralds, with two created by Howard Lyon and two by Dan dos Santos, adding artistic depth praised as gorgeous by reviewer Frannie Jackson. The audiobook version continues this high standard, featuring the dynamic narration team of Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.

Strategic Release and Engagement

The release strategy for Oathbringer was designed to build anticipation leading up to its November 14, 2017 publication date. Tor Books revealed the cover art in March 2017, followed by a detailed blog post explaining its significance to the plot. In the months preceding release, Sanderson shared select chapters and interludes on his website and at conventions. The prologue was released online on August 22, 2017, with subsequent chapters made available weekly until launch day. Additionally, Sanderson wrote a novella titled Edgedancer, focusing on the character Lift, which was published in an anthology just weeks before Oathbringer's debut.