I delayed reading this book for months because I didn't want to get to the end of the first arc in this series. But Sanderson was able to leave room for hope in new beginnings for the second arc. Some characters' endings felt too sad for what they deserved, but that was, of course, realistic with these high stakes. A few things shocked me; other things confirmed my suspicions. I was obsessed with seeing Navani and Dalinar fully step into their grandparent roles, complete with nicknames...Sanderson expertly draws three-dimensional characters in real-feeling families. My favorite surprise was that Szeth

gets a wife who loves him and writes about his life: I love that so much for him!

I also loved Adolin's deepening understanding of the nature of promises and how powerful that can be when applied intentionally. There were a few times certain lines or decisions didn't feel like they fit the fantasy world (why are we suddenly using modern curse words, for example?), and I was frustrated that, to me, it felt like the really complicated conflict between the singers and humans built up over thousands of pages was somewhat brushed to the side because of one couple. I found it exceptionally unrealistic that Shallan and Adolin would continually focus more on their same individual struggles than ever think about each other or their relationship. But most of my concerns were minor compared to the sublime experience of being immersed in the Stormlight Archive. Overall I enjoyed my first read and I'm sure I'll enjoy many rereads in the future.