Dalinar Kholin is a lighteyed (or higher-class) man from a nation called Alethkar. He is highprince of war under the kingship of his nephew, but his nephew offers to make him King of Urithiru during Oathbringer. As a young man, Dalinar earned the moniker of the “Blackthorn” due to his skilled and brutal fighting. His brother, Gavilar, used Dalinar to intimidate and beat down Alethi princedoms until they joined the Kholins as one nation under King Gavilar. Oathbringer reveals the depth of Dalinar’s personal, emotional journey from the Blackthorn to becoming a man of honor.

Oathbringer centers around Dalinar’s memories that slowly return. He recalls his wife for the first time in years and struggles with the shame and guilt he carries over her death. He must grapple with who he was then, who he has become, and who he wants to be in this novel, all while he unites the nations of Roshar to save their planet from Odium’s destruction. Dalinar knows that unification is essential for survival, but he struggles to convince others to work with him without shows of power. When he lapses into the use of force, he feels himself become once again the man he was.