The short version
A vast, reflective installment that puts leadership, accountability, and the cost of unity at the center of the epic.
Quick answers
What to know before you start
- Where does it fit?
- Book 3 in The Stormlight Archive.
- Can I start here?
- This is book 3. Check the series reading order first.
- Is the series complete?
- No — the indexed series is ongoing.
- When was it first published?
- 2017. Edition publication dates may differ.
- How long is it?
- 1,248 pages in the reference edition.
- Is an audiobook indexed?
- Yes — narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, with a runtime of 55 hrs 5 min.
- What is the point of view?
- Third person across a large ensemble.
What it's about
A spoiler-light premise
As a devastating conflict spreads across Roshar, Dalinar Kholin tries to unite nations that have every reason to distrust him while confronting the violence of his own past. Kaladin, Shallan, and their allies pursue different fronts in a war whose history is becoming less certain the more they learn.
The reading experience
What to expect on the page
- Point of view
- Third person across a large ensemble
- Prose style
- Direct, expansive, and cinematic
- Pacing
- Long build with several major convergences
- Story focus
- Coalition politics, personal accountability, and magical history
- Reading commitment
- High — the third very long volume assumes detailed knowledge of the series
You'll probably like it if
Readers already invested in Stormlight who enjoy immense scope, moral self-examination, and lore-heavy payoffs.
Maybe skip it if
You want a concise sequel or have not read the first two mainline volumes.
Story profile
Themes & familiar elements
Themes
- Responsibility
- Unity
- Memory
- Redemption
Tropes
- Broken hero
- Ancient secrets
- Coalition of rivals
- Epic siege
Before you start
Content considerations
Spoiler-light subjects that may matter when choosing this book.
- War and graphic fantasy violence
- Addiction
- Trauma and grief
- Depictions of past domestic abuse
Editorial perspective
Oathbringer rewards investment in the first two books with major historical revelations and a character-focused examination of whether responsibility can coexist with redemption.
Ways to read
Formats & editions
Print edition
1,248 pages
- Publisher
- Tor Books
- Length
- 1,248 pages
- Published
- 2017
Page count and cover can differ between editions.
Audiobook
Narrated by Michael Kramer & Kate Reading
- Runtime
- 55 hrs 5 min
- Edition
- unabridged
- Language
- English
- Listed for
- US
Details verified Aug 10, 2026. Retailer availability and edition details can vary by country.
Sources & verification
Where the edition facts come from
Publisher, format, ISBN, page-count, narrator, and runtime details are kept at edition level because they can vary between versions and markets.
- Audible US Unabridged English audiobook · checked Aug 10, 2026
At a glance
Fantasy Index scorecard
Continue in order
The Stormlight Archive
This series is still ongoing.
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