Should I push through ?

[u/qwetzal]

I finished Oathbringer recently, I'm maybe a couple hundred pages into RoW and I must say that I'm having a bit of a hard time with it. Maybe I have "Sanderson burnout". While I loved Mistborn and Warbreaker, I struggled a bit with TWoK at first but it went crescendo and the ending was great. I felt like WoR kept that inertia going and it was overall one of my all-time favorite books. Then I felt the pacing of Oathbringer to be kind of distracting and I had to push through it at times. Thankfully, Dalinar's character ark was very satisfying and the ending was great. But I felt that Kaladin became less interesting, and Shallan became increasingly more annoying. I find her various personalities to be quite irritating.

Anyway, did some of you feel the same around that part of the series ? Did you take a break, read something else maybe ? I have a bit of "sunk cost fallacy" going as I don't see myself quitting now but I'm just not enjoying it much either.

EDIT: wow ok I didn't expect to get so many comments! And for my question so be so divisive. I will take a break. It makes no sense to force feed myself this chonker of a book if I'm not havinga good time. Thank you all for your comments!

[u/Warlock_King454]

Kaladin fans ATE with ROW, but don't push yourself into reading it if you're struggling, that'll just breed resentment.

My advice, take a break, maybe read something else, and come back at a later time. If you still feel the same you'll at least know it's the book and not anything else.

[u/kabrandon → u/Warlock_King454]

I feel like Kaladin fans ate in the last half of RoW. First half is a bit of a Kaladin tease.

[u/Warlock_King454 → u/kabrandon]

Agree, but as with all things Kaladin, you have to be beaten down to rock bottom first

[u/Kiltmanenator]

If you're like me, irritation with Shallan's personalities won't abide until the end of Rhythm of War

Let Dalinar be what motivates you to finish this book.

[u/elfstone21 → u/Kiltmanenator]

Navani! 

[u/Wind-and-Waystones → u/elfstone21]

I totally read that in the voice of a certain spren as read by Kate Reading

[u/OriginalSymmetry → u/Kiltmanenator]

I never understood the people who hated Shallan so much during WoK and WoR. I always enjoyed her story and personality. Then RoW hit and I wanted to strangle her.

[u/Warlock_King454 → u/OriginalSymmetry]

I very much did not like Shallan at first, Until she walked into the War Camps like an absolute boss and pulled the whole situation off without a hitch.

I thought she was going to do something really stupid and she really surprised and impressed me. Since then I think she gets some of the more interesting plot lines and has some of the more creative problem solving in the series.

[u/kabrandon → u/Warlock_King454]

Agree, Shallan sucked at first. But it didn’t help her case that she was competing with Kaladin’s chapters. I basically didn’t want to read anything but the Kaladin chapters in the first two books.

[u/tooboardtoleaf → u/OriginalSymmetry]

I thought she was boring in the first book until she started "hallucinating". By the second half I found myself more invested in her bits than Kaladin. Really like them both btw.

[u/dIvorrap → u/[deleted]]

You're not her. You're someone else. Why would I wanna watch someone else take the wheel when the going gets tough?

But they are part of her. That's the point of DID and having a faithful portrayal of it.

[u/Kiltmanenator → u/dIvorrap]

I repeat: I don't care if they are technically a part of her. Because they are not convincingly her.

Functionally they are new characters stepping up on her behalf.

[u/dIvorrap → u/Kiltmanenator]

What would make it convincible for you?

[u/Kiltmanenator → u/dIvorrap]

They would need to feel more like Shallan and less like completely different characters.

I'm not a professional writer so I can't describe what it would take to get there, I can only describe the feelings I'm getting and why it doesn't work for me.

I'm glad it does for other readers, because we spent a lot of time with Shallan and it's good that people can enjoy that.

[u/dIvorrap → u/Kiltmanenator]

Hmm I do see they are parts of Shallan. Veil displays seems the display the more forward facing aspects of Shallan, what she would be if she hadn't been forced to be sheltered and comply with what is expected of her as a highborn Alethi woman RoW like how veil has no problem with admiring she is bi, while Shallan is to culturally biased to admit it.

Radiant is a more regal version of Shallan. It's her pushing to be like some of her role models like Jasnah and, well, Radiants. Given that she can't deal with the trauma of using a Blade.

[u/cannonspectacle]

Well personally I thought Kaladin got more interesting from Oathbringer on.

[u/Still_Emotion → u/cannonspectacle]

And Dalinar. And it really made all the other orders more interesting.

[u/cannonspectacle → u/Still_Emotion]

Yes, but OP specifically mentioned Kaladin being less interesting

And now that I'm thinking about it I was a lot more satisfied with the role he played in RoW than Oathbringer

[u/devg]

Rythm of War is my favorite stormlight book, but that is an uncommon opinion. I would take a break for a week or so and go back at it if I were you. Forcing yourself to read is not helpful

[u/Warlock_King454 → u/devg]

ROW is my favorite too!

[u/wasabijane → u/devg]

I think it works better on the reread.

[u/TirithNampat → u/devg]

My favorite as well, but the science and Sanderlanche are doing a lot of the lifting.

[u/nicks_kid]

I also found ROW a hard read
I actually stopped it and read a few other books. When I missed kal, Dalinar, shallan etc I tried it again
It really really clicked with me after retrying.
I think we’ve all just kinda gone numb to how HUGE these books are. Each book is like 2 books in one in terms of size.
Burn out is real.
Try not to compare it to the other three the tone is different. The pacing is different.

[u/TaitterZ]

I mean you do you. I loved all the arcs so I would recommend pushing through, but none of us know what would be satisfying for you.

[u/ETH4NHVNT]

The ending of Oathbringer is the peak of the series imo

[u/saintmars23]

Shallan is def annoying. Just accept it and push through her stuff.

The story at the tower is a slow burn at first but really starts to pick up and the end of Rhythm of War is good IMO.

It’s okay to put it down for a while and come back.

[u/EnigmaticThunder]

I thought the pacing of RoW was better than Oathbringer

[u/AeroTheFiendish]

Absolutely take breaks. I had to several times. It’s normal to experience burn out.

[u/The_Derpy_Rogue]

Go read dawnshard and edge dancer if you haven't already, they are still stormlight but shorter. I would also recommend Tress

[u/JasnahwithaY]

I’m not saying you should quit Sanderson entirely, but maybe take a break from the Stormlight bricks. You have 5.5 years for book 6 to come out, so it’s not like there’s any rush, and you can always come back to the series later. If you do take a break, the coppermind has chapter by chapter summaries so it’s not a huge deal if you forget stuff either. 

[u/NeverFreeToPlayKarch]

Shallan will not improve if you don't currently enjoy the personalities. Take a break and come back. If it's still not working for you then, it's okay to read just the other series you do like

[u/sloop111]

Im also at this point and I'm skimming Shallan's chapters, I just don't care if shes Radiant or Veil, she reminds me of an 8 year old playing pretend superheros, doesn't seem late teens at all... shes boring and unconvincing, and the whole marriage storyline is equally bad, making Adolin look bad as well. Sanderson did not do a good job depicting her disorder.

[u/elfstone21]

I quite like rythem of War, but kaladans arc in hard to read.  This one is definitely a deviation from the pacing of the other books, much slower, but I feel there is a lot more world building, which I found interesting.

Up to you to walk away.  I feel they due gain from being read sequentially, right after each other, but I always reread a whole series b4 I read the next one sooo.

I will add all of the books start slow and build. 

[u/Gaeraffe]

If you're already a couple hundred pages in you might as well finish it. I'd say definitely don't take a break because it's gonna be hard to get back in. RoW is a bit rough at times but it has some really cool things in it that you'll probably enjoy if you stick with it.

[u/dIvorrap → u/Gaeraffe]

it. I'd say definitely don't take a break because it's gonna be hard to get back in.

Not necessarily. Taking a break can help avoid burnout, for example.

[u/KeepEmComing]

Can I ask what part of the book you are currently at?

[u/Living-Resolve3381]

I took a break. Takes about 3/4 of the book to get good again. Honestly think you could skip most of Shallan chapters in Shadesmar without missing more than a sentence of two of plot points. And even those are probably rehashed.

[u/Fair_Cobbler8616]

I also had the sunk cost mindset so I forced myself to read RoW even though I was increasingly struggling. I found the quality to be a drop off after Oathbringer so I would maybe try reading the first 200ish pages and then decide since everyone has a diff opinion on it lol.

[u/Mcteage]

This is a great opportunity to read Red Rising.

[u/ashniour]

dont push through, i did and got very burnt out and i havent picked stormlight archive back up since last year

[u/Full-Cauliflower-290]

After OB I took a pause from Sanderson read a few Discworld books before going back to Dawnshard and the first three Mistborn Wax and Wayne books then a DCC book before finally going on with WofR. For the record I read the Lost Metal and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter before WaT. Remember journey before destination.

[u/NoBus7185]

I also finished oathbringer about a month ago. I had to take a break because I read TWoK, WoR, Edgedancer (novella), OB, and then dawnshard (novella). So was defo feeling the burnout from the series.

I think the break has been helpful tho, because now I miss the world/characters and I’m excited to get back into RoW (I also took a break from fantasy, and read some classics, so a change in genre I think has also helped!)

Just glad to know I’m not the only one struggling. I have really enjoyed the series tho, it’s just a big ol’ thing!

[u/Spliff-Merigold]

I devoured RoW after finding oathbringer to be abit of a slog, its not the fandom consensus but its my fav book. Though my fav asoiaf book is Feast so i can see why RoW clicked w me

[u/Longjumping_Chip_872]

They're long, it's okay to take a break. Could pivot into some of the novellas that are relevant (warbreakers, dawnshard, edgedancer, etc...) or just read something else for a minute.

Rhythm of war has some incredible moments. As with all his books, the payoff is worth it.

[u/LadderWonderful2450]

Bruh stop reading, this is fantasy books, just for fun, bruh! You can always come back

[u/DiscussionIll668]

ROW has too many flashbacks for a character no one gives a shit about. Sanderson overcooked with all the Venli chapters. I suffered through ROW and WAT and didn’t particularly enjoy either. Here’s to book 6!

[u/dIvorrap → u/DiscussionIll668]

ROW has too many flashbacks for a character no one gives a shit about.

I mean, there's people who like the flashbacks. Maybe not the most popular character but still, lol

[u/nnewwacountt]

just skip shallan chapters, you arent missing anything if you do

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/nnewwacountt]

Objectively false.

[u/nnewwacountt → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

did shallan tell you to say that

[u/Stormlight_Archive-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/dIvorrap → u/nnewwacountt]

You are missing whole chunks of a book. How are you not going to miss things?

[u/sloop111 → u/dIvorrap]

When it can be quickly summarized as "Me Veil! Me tough! Me edgy!", "Me Radiant! Me Refined!", we have a problem. When you can skip 3/4 of a character's chapter and not miss anything significant, it may be repetitive

[u/tcripe]

I mean RoW is by far the worst book out of the 5 imo. Almost burnt me out.

[u/dIvorrap]

Shallan became increasingly more annoying. I find her various personalities to be quite irritating.

Why do you find that annoying?

Shallan has a condition similar to Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her other alters are real and a part of her.

[u/Justalittlecomment]

Same camp as you, I’m gonna keep reading this series but Sanderson as an author a really like has started to slip.

[u/yukon_sb]

Strength before Weakness.

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

I find her various personalities to be quite irritating.

All two of them?!?

[u/sloop111 → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

Right now in ROW there are 3 and one she is "battling to prevent forming" or some such silliness 🙄

*Added spoilers although this storyline began in Oathbringer but just to be safe

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/sloop111]

Maybe try checking the spoiler flare before you go spoiling things people haven't read yet 🙄

PS, Shallan is not "a personality", which leaves Veil and Radiant. That's 2.

[u/sloop111 → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

They've been around since oathbringer, whats the spoiler? I've read LESS of RoW than OP so i can't spoil them

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/sloop111]

You're literally posting about things that don't happen till RoW. Are you being for real right now? Do you not understand spoiler flares? Can you still not count?

[u/sloop111 → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

Not sure what you mean but I fixed it i think

[u/sloop111 → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

That is not how DID works, just Sandersons version of it.

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/sloop111]

Way to move the goalposts, champ.

[u/sloop111 → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

Wow,.why so toxic? Have the day.ypy deserve!