I read this before Network Effect since chronologically it takes place before even though it was released after. I really enjoyed how it's just a stand alone mystery but still full of Murderbot's characteristic humor and emotionality.

First, I have to say this review will include spoilers so beware. Second, it's definitely a rant. Where to start?

I didn't pick this up expecting a literary masterpiece — I read books one and two and I know of Sanderson's tendency to tell you everything and show you very little. But I found this so much worse than the previous two books. It was entirely too long and barely moved the plot forward. The series as a whole struggles to contain the massive scope of the project and instead of figuring out how to prune it into shape, it produces these tomes that just retread old ground or kill characterizations. Plus jumping from one character POV to another at the end, you could tell Sanderson struggled with how to tell the story at the end of the book.

For example, how many times are we going to see Kaladin do the same bridge for thing over and over? We got 2 Bridge 2 Four with the parshmen and then Bridge Four: Tokyo Drift in Kholinar and it almost seems like Sanderson has no idea what to do with Kaladin at this point. That's somehow better than the absolute character assassination of Shallan.

Many people claim the series handles mental health well and I so disagree. Shallan getting multiple personalities (a thing that has been debunked) and being kinda "cured" of her trauma or assuming the personalities through the power of love? It actually makes me so mad. So much of Shallan this book was spent on this and random side quests that made no sense for her character.

Things that should have made more of a splash just fizzled out right away: Where was the reaction to Jasnah coming back alive? The reveal that Adolin killed Sadeas was also brushed over even though that death had load bearing weight on some of the actions of the rest of the plot.

Then there's the fact that we're supposed to care for some of these other characters, but we spend so little time with them that they elicit no emotion for me. I should have felt something when Jasnah was about to kill Rennin but I was like ???? ok??? I don't know him at all.

Then there's the magic system. I know that Sanderson is a big fan of hard magic systems and thinks you have to explain every single thing. But where is the WHIMSY. This is magic but it's like bureaucracy. To be a Radiant you have to bind to a spren and that determines what order you're in and each order has two powers blah blah blah. I do think if magic were real we'd learn about it like a science and find the logic and structure to it and I'm sure all this structure helps him as an author keep track of all the rules - however, you can keep me as the reader a little in the dark about all the mechanics.

Should have DNF-ed!