4.5 stars, rounded up.

Content warning: suicidal ideation, violence, war

I have read this book three times. The first time was when I was 12, then when I was 13, and then now. I paid more attention to it this time (because apparently I wasn't paying much attention at all the first two times, considering the fact that I forgot at least two major scenes completely) but I enjoyed it just as much as the first two times.

Part of my high rating might be because I am extremely nostalgic about this book, but it's a high-quality book regardless, although it does have a few minor flaws.

Characters:

Kaladin: His character arc and backstory are perfect. I loved his flashbacks (although I love all the flashbacks in this series.)

Spoiler

The flashback in which Tien dies almost made me cry.

His storyline was probably the most gritty and dark, at least in the first book, but his relationship with the men of Bridge Four was so wholesome. Bridge Four is my favorite found family in all of literature. They go from not even knowing each other's names and being hostile to each other, to eating stew around the campfire together.

Syl: She is so wholesome and I love her.

Shallan: She's always been one of my favorite characters in this series. She seems so cheerful and witty, but she has a very dark backstory. The fact that she was constantly accidentally saying rude things to authority figures was mildly annoying, but I didn't mind too much.

Dalinar: I like him a lot, although his chapters in this book were a little dry at times. He's a great dad, and also his relationship with Navani was sweet.

Adolin: I forgot that how annoying he was in this book, especially in Part Two. Especially in the scene when he yelled at Dalinar about how he thinks Dalinar is going insane.

Szeth: His interludes were interesting, but I don't really like him as a character that much. His only personality trait seems to be that he is honor-bound to always obey his masters.

Jasnah: She seemed kind of jerky at the beginning of this book, but later in the series she becomes my favorite character. I simply like smart characters, and Jasnah is very smart.

Wit: Wit isn't in this book very much, but I still love him. His speech in the epilogue about what traits people value most was thought-prevoking.

Sadeas: Sadeas is a traitorous snake and I hate him so much. Also, why is his name pronounced two different ways in the audiobook? I need answers.

Plot:

At first it seems like there are several unrelated plots going on at the same time, but later (especially in later books in the series) they merge together very well.

The plot is mostly standard epic fantasy fare, with big battles and special swords and political intrigue, but there are several interesting twists. Although it's 1,007 pages long, most of the book is engaging enough that it seems a lot shorter.

Setting:

The setting contains some of the best and worst aspects of the book.

On the good side, there is the detailed magic system (although we don't see much of it in this book), the well-developed world building. The cultures are unique, and the world itself is really cool. I love the Highstorms because they are both extremely important to the plot and very aesthetic.

On the bad side, there is the weird gender roles. If men are the leaders, it doesn't make sense that women are the only people who can read. If only women are engineers, then why are men the only people who can go to war? Since women can presumably invent war-related things, since only women can invent things, it would make sense that they might be able to be soldiers, but no.

Writing:

The writing style is practical and to the point. No flowery writing here. But it's still reasonably well-written.

In conclusion, this is a very solid traditional epic fantasy book that I highly recommend to anyone who isn't too intimidated by the length.