Should I read books 4 and 5? Looking for honest perspective.
I know this is a repetitive question and might be frustrating for hardcore fans, but I would appreciate genuine input.
How I got here: A friend's husband recommended Stormlight at a dinner party. I bought Way of Kings and didn't start it. A year later, a coworker pleaded with me to read it (mix reading listening). I did. My reading pace:
- April 21–27: The Way of Kings (1,000 pages / 45 hours audio)
- April 28 – May 5: Words of Radiance (1,100 pages / 48 hours audio)
- May 6–7: Edgedancer (250 pages / 10 hours audio)
- May 7–19: Oathbringer (1,200 pages / 55 hours audio)
I own Dawnshard and Rhythm of War but haven't started them. I'm beginning new work soon, so my reading time will shrink significantly.
I genuinely loved a lot of the series >!especially the Dalinar arc in Oathbringer!<, which I think is some of Sanderson's best writing. >!But I had real frustrations with Oathbringer's ending that I'd like to be honest about:!<
- >!The climactic confrontation with Odium felt unearned. New powers appeared on schedule rather than being foreshadowed, and Odium as an antagonist felt one-note compared to how complex Sadeas was.!<
- >!Speaking of Sadeas: his death was a huge moment at the end of Words of Radiance and the political fallout never fully landed. Amaram tried to fill that vacuum but never developed into the threat his setup suggested.!<
- >!The love triangle resolved without the emotional weight its setup promised. Shallan and Kaladin's chasm connection got dropped rather than addressed. And they trip together to Thaylen city cut althoghter.!<
- >!The compressed timeline bothered me most. All three books happen in roughly one year. The world doesn't have time to breathe. Urithiru never becomes a real place because nobody lives in it long enough. Real political and emotional changes need duration that the books don't allow.!<
I don't want responses telling me to write my own book or that I don't understand Cosmere.
I'm asking a sincere question: given my constraints (limited reading time) and my mixed reactions, is it worth continuing? Or is this a reasonable stopping point?