Book Review: Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson

Stormlight Archive #3

Plot summary mostly for my benefit, with my interpretation. Oh so many spoilers!

Flashbacks are all Dalinar, with him gradually recovering his memory of his wife.

Kaladin follows some Parshendi, realizes they are just people too. 

Dalinar is trying to forge an alliance with other kingdoms, Tarvangan/Karbranth  is first to join, with the assumption that Dalinar would try to conquer them if they didn't join. Tarvangan is following the Diagram, healers help in Jah Keved, and the sick/injured ruler makes T. king to spite the other factions - as the Diagram predicted. Dalinar uses the Stormfather to bring other rulers into the visions, eventually convinces Queen Fen and the Lyft/Gaz duo. 

Kaladin flies Elhokar/Shallan/Adolin/bridge 4 to Kholinar, capital of Alethi, to see what's up with the queen. If fabrials (spanreeds) are used, screaming corrupt spren are attracted, and Fused attack. Parshmen army is gathering outside walls. Darkness palpable in palace, lighteyes who went there never returned. Spren are corrupt and distorted all around the city. Shallan, disguised, brings a message to the queen, is stabbed and left for dead. Cult of Moments dresses up as spren and parade in the city. Kaladin joins wall guard, meets Azure, a woman leading them. Veil steals food, distributes it to poor, trying to get an invitation to the Revel, party held in the palace. Finally works, as she discovers whoever she gave food to was targeted by gangs, made to wait for her, then give up food. She gets to the Revel, discovers large group completely under the influence of Unmade, the Spirit of the Revel, circling endlessly. Second unmade, who corrupts the spren, communicates with her to say it wants to help. Queen is bonded to an unmade, somehow.

(What triggers the attack?) Fused and thunderclast attack Kohlinar. Kaladin tries to go with Elhokar to get the queen, who go eldritch. Kaladin watches Moash kill Elhokar. Shallan tries to deal with Unmade who are covering the oathgate, and it withdraws without her doing anything, friendly unmade warns her it's a trap. They are cornered, battle is lost, and they are forced to use the oathgate anyway. They end up in Shadesmar, including Azure.

Lighthouse keeper's fortune stone tells Kaladin he must get to Thaylen city to protect Dalinar. They travel to a city to try to get to the perpendicularity to get back, even though it's the wrong direction. Fused are in control of city, inspecting ships. Syl gives herself up to honorspren on a ship to avoid capture by Fused. They travel near Thaylen city, convince captain to let them flee to avoid pursuing Fused. Discover massed army of spren and group of fused at the oathgate.

Dalinar continues building a coalition. Remembers Evi in stages, and finally remembers battle of the Rift, and deception/ambush by the leader's son that he spared the last time he attacked the Rift. That leaves him unhinged, and he orders burning of the city. Evi went on her own to beg them to negotiate/surrender, she was imprisoned, and Dalinar unknowingly fires the former safehouse that is now Evi's prison. Dalinar, in remembering, drinks for 2 weeks straight.

Tarvangan decides to undermine Dalinar, releases info about meeting Odium in vision, coalition backs away. 

Moash given special dagger, kills Jezereh, king of radiants, in Kolinar.

Giant battle at Thaylen city. Corrupt spren flow from Shadesmar and turn Sadeas' army against the defenders. Two thunderclasts are summoned. Kaladin/Adolin/Shallan attempt to get past Fused to go through oathgate - they fail, Kaladin not ready to say the words for 4th ideal, Syl assures him someone else can save everyone this time (i.e. Dalinar perpendicularity).

Szeth pledges himself to follow Dalinar to become a radiant Skybreaker, instead of obeying the Parshendi laws. Try to recover the teardop ruby with Lyft, almost eaten by his sword. Saved by stormlight from: 

Dalinar confronts Odium, challenges to contest of champions. Odium reveals that Dalinar has been groomed as his champion. Dalinar refuses to break, figures out the most important step is the next step, and opens a perpendicularity, reinfuses all spheres in Thalen treasury. Odium flees. Kaladin/Shallan/Adolin come through, after fighting Fused. Shallan raised illusion army to distract Thrill consumed soldiers. Szeth and Lyft recover ruby using duplicate illusion ruby as distraction.

Dalinar uses the ruby to trap the Thrill unmade. Kaladin fights Amaram who is transforming into crystal hearted thing, Rock kills Amaram with shardbow to the crystal (broken vow angst unresolved). Jasnah soulcasts to restore the city wall with bronze. Renarin has a corrupt spren, Jasnah almost kills him, but relents. Renarin manages to disable a thunderclast. Teft becomes a radiant, still wants firemoss.

 Revelation: The voidbringers are actually the humans. Parshendi are native, humans immigrated, and brought Odium with them. Honor was originally a Parshendi god, until the humans adopted him. The Recreance, where radiants broke their oaths and killed their spren, was likely the result of this being revealed in the distant past. 

Wit helps an orphan and rescues a Pattern spren in Kolinar, then leaves so Rayse doesn't level the city to get him.