Rhythm of War: Book Four of the Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive, 4)

Taking Tolkien out of the equation, as someone who read all of wheel of time and all of the current 5 game of thrones( my with a clash of kings in game of thrones ranking as my favorite), I understand this to be a bold claim.

This book is a payout on the investment of the prior 3 books and reveals that no detail no character in the first 3 books was wasted. All of the characters, the events are leading up to something-an epic world, with a story worth re-reading.

Warning, this book starts off slow. It took 300 to 400 pages for it to get going. When I arrived at the thought " the pacing is too slow in this one", the narrative takes off and doesn't slow till the end.

Brandon Sanderson does such a great job of writing characters as humans, addressing depression, trauma, and dementia in his characters in a human and compassionate way. He ties up almost every lose end in this book whole still keeping the reader invested in what happens next. This book made me consider rereading the first 3 because it points to how the events in the first book continues to have echoes in this expansive rich universe Brandon Sanderson has created.

In fantasy, its a book that made me feel all of the emotions, exuberance, despair, sadness, and hope. There's a scene in the book that made me tear up, something I never expected a book would make me do. He treats the characters with amazing tenderness and provides closure to many character arches..

If you want action, complex characters, fantasy, and rich story telling, this book has it and this series is for you.

Is it even possible to give these books less than five stars? Is it even allowed? Every time we are blessed with a new book in the Stormlight Archive, it becomes one of the best books I've ever read. Plain and simple. They're just that fun. They reach those heights, that level of epic.

A forewarning, this review will be unfettered praise.

I somehow seem to forget just how much I love this series between installments. It's only natural I suppose, to need to immerse yourself in something again to remember just how much it grips you, but still, I seem to forget. It's just such a good story. Every little piece of it. The more we learn the more fun it is, and it is already a massive, interwoven, deliciously complex story. I can't get enough. And so when a new installment appears, I am consumed. Not just in the story itself, but the universe of which it is part. The story, the Coppermind entries, the WoB, all of it. Consumed.

Rhythm of War starts extremely strong. The one year time-jump makes catching up to the new norm a very fun experience. Our favorite characters are challenged in new and distinct ways: by forcing them to re-examine what it means to uphold their Oaths, by requiring them to face truths at the risk of losing the love around them, by pushing them to shed doubt in the face of danger, by challenging them to seek freedom when it would be so much easier to give up. In a series known for upping the ante with each new book, this installments still feels fresh; like an important piece of the puzzle, and a natural extension of the story. One gets the sense that Brandon knows exactly what he's doing...

And so I was enthralled. Having just finished it, I still am. There's nothing like the last stretch of a Sanderson book. He may be the only author who leaves you with more questions than you had when you began, but I thank him for it. He takes you up to the highest highs, and let's you ponder the future, marinating in the experience. His books are just so cool. And that sounds trite, but it's really not. No other books make me sit back and think "Damn, that is so cool" as often as Sanderson's. It's just a fact. And no they aren't literary masterworks or Pulitzer Prize winners, but the complaints that I used to see--hell, the complaints that I used to have--about his books are hard to apply these days. His skills have grown in noticeable and appreciated ways as things like character development and emotionally charged scenes become a major strong point in his work.

I go on and on about Brandon's worldbuilding, everyone does. But there's a damn good reason for that. Because as much as he is growing in other areas, worldbuilding and plotting remain his major strengths. He builds the kinds of worlds that are so interesting you stay up thinking about one little piece of them when you should be sleeping. Roshar--and the greater cosmere in general--is an incredible place to visit, and one that grows more enticing by the page. It is science-fiction flavored fantasy in the same way that something like Dune is fantasy flavored science-fiction. And for someone like me, that's a homerun.

No review of this book could even come close to summarizing all my thoughts on it. Installments of the Stormlight Archive are massive, and each one is a lengthy experience. A lot runs through your head during a thousand pages; more than a thousand. Plus, to truly review this book I would need to delve into the most massive of massive spoilers. But I will say this...

There is no doubt that the Stormlight Archive is Brandon's best series; he admits this himself. 'Magnum Opus' may be the term thrown around down the line. As such, this is the series where he's really starting to open things up, as far as the greater cosmere is concerned. It’s still on a small enough scale that you don’t have to have any idea what I’m talking about, but the connections are flowing. He is no longer being coy about the existence of other planets, and the ability to travel to and from said planets. It’s right there in the text, and it’s all starting to come out. So what that does is get readers who may have never read any of his books other than Stormlight really excited for the cool things they’ve yet to discover. And it also offers a hugely rewarding reading experience for those who have read the other cosmere books, as we piece things together and notice all the "hidden" gems. The balance Brandon has achieved in this is nothing short of remarkable.

I won't pretend his books are for everyone. Sometimes people want something more, and what's more subjective than one's reading material? But if you're looking for a fun world to immerse yourself in, with a master storyteller at the helm, pick up a book by Brandon Sanderson. Maybe I'll see you on the other end of the rabbit hole.

On occasion, there comes a piece of art into the world that comes to refine and redefine its genre. Just as 'Star Wars' came to be emblematic of the space opera and summer blockbuster, and 'Scream' reinvigorated the slasher film, I firmly believe 'Rhythm of War'--and more broadly, the Stormlight Archive as a whole--to be a landmark novel in the genre of modern fantasy, and a novel which everyone should read. At its heart, what sets 'Rhythm of War' apart from other modern fantasy is its relevance, its originality, and its optimism. Not coincidentally, these are three reasons why the novel should be read.

In terms of relevance, we live in a world of contention and chaos. Mental health problems are continually on the rise, there is political and cultural turmoil around the globe, and we as a race have yet to deal with the awful specters of racism, poverty, and sexism. While many modern fantasy novels deal with such themes, there is a tendency towards the fantastical--to brush aside reality in favor escapism. Not so with the Stormlight Archive! Amidst the fantasy of epic battles and arcane mysteries of the novels, we are treated to characters who battle realistically with depression, who struggle to reconcile differences of belief and ideals, and who struggle with both external and internal racism and sexism. In 'Rhythm of War', Sanderson is able to effectively create a compelling fantasy narrative that is nonetheless nested in the personal struggles common to all humanity.

And what a narrative it is! I will freely admit that Sanderson has certain flaws as a writer, such as an over-reliance on a few favorite 'pet tropes.' Yet, despite his weaknesses, this man EXCELS at crafting unique narratives and settings. Foreshadowing seems to come second nature to the man, but he does it with all the subtlety of a master painter. His world-building is unparalleled amongst his contemporaries, in part because of how well thought out it is. To give you a sense of what this man is capable of, he's invented a set of laws that dictate exactly how all magic in his written universe work. You heard me right--Sanderson invented a set of magical physics for the specific purpose of ensuring his world-building is consistent.

Finally, while Sanderson's writing is both relevant and creative, there is something more than this that sets apart 'Rhythm of War' and the Stormlight Archive as a whole. We see in modern fantasy a trend towards the dark and the gritty, evident in series like 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Witcher.' While these shows and novels are not necessarily bad, they create the unfortunate connotation that 'real art' must be dark, fetid, Machiavellian, needlessly violent, and filled with gratuitous sex--in a word, cynical. Furthermore, these series treat the problems of their world as a given, in a way 'giving-in' to their cynicism, admitting that it is a part of life and reality. This is where Sanderson truly shines apart, and why 'Rhythm of War' is so essential for the modern reader. It doesn't shy away from violence, nor from showing that people have great potential for cruelty and villainy. However, despite all of the terrible things that happen in the novel, Sanderon's characters consistently show that just because our world is bad, doesn't mean it cannot become better. Where other novels choose cynicism as a means of coping with the realities of an imperfect world, 'Rhythm of War' opts instead for optimism, and in doing so gives the modern reader a reminder that there is always hope for a better world, provided we are willing to sacrifice for it.

In the interest of time, I'm cutting my review here short. In summation: if you are looking for a creative book, that is truly engaging and original, read this! If you are looking for a fantasy novel that is nonetheless relevant to modern life, read this! And finally, if you are sick and tired of seeing pessimism and cynicism dominate the literary landscape, and want something hopeful instead, read this!

One final note: yes, the book is long. Over 1000 pages, to be semi-exact. For some, this is a deterrent. Don't sweat it! It reads quite easily, and the series flows very smoothly. May I also point out that you just read this entire review, and I promise you--it's a lot more fun than my writing!

What can I say... for four books in a row I just can't put these down. I never thought I my wildest dream that he could keep me interested after the savage whirling of chaos that was book 3... but B to the S is the most brilliant fantasy writer of my generation. And I just found out there is fifth on its way this year. 😳 Thanks for getting me reading again!

The expansion of world, incredible character arcs, and layers upon layers upon layers of meaning that only reveal themselves upon re-reading and revisiting sections... It's incomprehensible how he continues to do it, but he does, and what a gift to us. The book demands a bit more of the reader, but if you give to it, it will give back to you abundantly.

When you read your most anticipated book of the year and it meets or surpasses your every expectation where do you even begin with your review?

Well, I guess we will start at the beginning and in the prologue. The story opens with Navani’s PoV to let us see her in a whole new light. On the night Gavalar was killed she learned a few interesting things and we see how broken their marriage really was. The goals we thought he had for the shattered plains

"I have discovered the entrance to the realm of gods and legends, and once I join them, my kingdom will never end. I will never end.”

With Sanderson I have learned that there is always another secret and he is a master at doling them out. RoW was no exception to that so many implications for both Roshar and the Cosmere both. At the revelation of who the true head of the Ghost Bloods really is I almost dropped the book in shock.

There are so many building and emotional scenes throughout this book. So many tender and caring moments, so many infuriating ones. After this book I understand the Fused a little better and the goals of some of their people. Like all enemies there are those that are not all bad they are just people caught up in the middle of a war trying to stay alive.

“Extinction is the natural escalation of this war,” Leshwi whispered. “If you forget why you are fighting, then victory itself becomes the goal.”

Kaladin, oh Kaladin. I love the bridgeman and everything he has done in the series but his story while done well is a little bit of a struggle for me. He has battleshock really bad and has pushed through so much of it but it has become too much and Dalinar, seeing how much he is struggling needed to take him out of the main fight. Kaladin is lost through most of this story trying to find a new purpose and searching for a way to both heal himself and still keep his oaths so he doesn’t hurt Syl. But in true Sanderson fashion you know there will be the big moments for him still in this and the Bridgeboy is going to find a was through it somehow. Chapters 105 – 110 were the most emotional for me in this entire series. I absolutely loved the moment that Kal got in them. It was exactly what he needed and so well done I sobbed through most of it.

Shallan also had an extraordinary story. She is dealing with some of her own issues including that currently she is alternating between three people Shallan, Radiant and Veil. Adolin is probably the best husband ever as he takes her exactly as she is split personalities and all. They do have a fun and interesting marriage as he interacts with all of her personalities differently. Her story was really one of the more interesting in the book as she tries to overcome things perceived as weaknesses and being pulled in so many directions.

“Adolin is right,” Veil said. “He’s always been right about you. Tell me. Who is the strongest of mind? The woman whose emotions are always on her side? Or the woman whose own thoughts betray her? You have fought this fight every day of your life, Shallan. And you are not weak.”

Adolin has grown on me so much from the semi spoiled child I thought he was way back in Way of Kings. He is truly a man now and I love how great a friend he is. He is really a great person and I get so excited when I think of him and Maya and how they together might change everything.

“Adolin?” Kaladin said as he changed. “Your first thought was to get Adolin?” “I needed someone you couldn’t intimidate,” she replied. “That list at best includes three people. And the queen was likely to transform you into a crystal goblet or something.”

He really is there for his wife, his father, his friends and his country. If there is anyone that can help bring a deadeye back, I think it will be him. I do love that he is rebelling a little against Dalinar as he becomes his own man.

Navani is really at the forefront for much of this book. She has always been brilliant but due to some obligations and a husband that showed zero support she had been beaten down throughout the years. Her storyline ended up being one of the most exciting in the Tower as she both fought and worked with the enemy. It will make sense as it is totally complicated. She really has come into her own and I thought she did a great job with the information she had. Navani is a fighter and she fought a hard battle in this.

Dalinar, well he had his hands full too with the war and trying to learn how to be a bondsmith and what that actually meant. It is time for him to step back from the actual war into more of a leadership role. It is amazing his transformations. He is the one who will have to deal with Odium and the movement on that front totally has me concerned about him going into the last book in this set of 5. It should be pretty epic since we are now down to the wire. Dalinar is a really great leader and I wonder if he will be able to make a new Oathpact, hopefully a better one that doesn’t leave people stuck on Braize being totured.

All of our characters go though so many things in this and I was stuck to my seat needing to know all the things in this book. There are so many great moments:

-- People I loved (too many to name) -- People I loved hating (Taravangian and Moash you know what you’ve done) --Relationships I am rooting for (Adolin/Maya, Adolin/Gallant, Adolin/Shallan, Kal/Syl, Jasnah/Witt :P) -- Characters I sobbed to say goodbye to (sheds a lonely tear) -- Characters I cheered for as they had their big moments (Navani, Adolin, Shallan, Kaladin, Dalinar, Rlain etc etc etc) -- Cosmere information that will have me pondering for awhile after this -- SO MUCH MORE…

It was a fantastic ride and Mr. Sanderson has definitely outdone himself again. There is so much to worry about going into the next book capturing the final 10 days. I’m so nervous for all these characters that have become completely real to me. It will be a journey I look forward to.

This book does a great job with its focus on PTSR, anxiety and depression. I loved seeing it handle these hard topics with such strong character. The book drags a bit whenever there is deep explanation of the science of the world though. Those sections were a slog and my eyes glazed over many times reading about fabrial science. All in all though, a very good story. Can't wait for Wind and Truth

Another huge, impressive, fast-moving book in what is one of the best fantasy series of the last decade, that would be a 5-star review with a better focus on the edit and a few limitations on intentionally confusing the reader. I give it a big recommendation for fans of high fantasy, with the hopes that some of these issues will be cleared up (though, to be honest, I'm going to read the rest of the series even if those persist).

The fourth book in the Stormlight Archive series sees all of the main protagonists going through personal crises. Dalinar, Radiant Bondsmith and king of Urithiru, the mystical city of Radiants, is struggling both to understand his powers and to maintain the alliance of nations against the threat of the Fused, the enemy that arose from the strange race of former slaves now infused with powers from the dark god Odium, and also trying to outthink the traitor-king Taravangian. Navani, Dalinar's scholar wife and former sister-in-law, works tirelessly to study fabrials, the gems capturing magic spren that allow feats of wonder like flight (not to mention the full functions of the city itself), but despite making great advances, she still views herself as fraudulent, a scholar in name only. Kaladin Stormblessed, Radiant Windrunner and Captain of Dalinar's armed forces, has a mighty bout of battle-shock, freezing against an enemy in the worst of times, causing him to suffer one of his dark times of self-doubt and nihilism. Shallan, Radiant Lightweaver and wife of Dalinar's son Adolin, is beginning to lose herself to the two other "faces" she wears under her illusions, giving way to a nefarious third alternate persona that may hide a secret from her past, and leading her into taking missions for a mysterious secret society that promises her the answers she seeks. Adolin struggles to find his purpose, when it seems all those around him are bursting with special powers and divine responsibilities while he spends his days studying the latest fashions and the now-obsolete art of dueling. When the Fused manage to invade and occupy Urithiru while Dalinar is away in the west prosecuting the war, thereby cutting off the alliance from use of the teleporting powers of the Oathgates, all of these main actors, and their hundreds of supporting characters, are left to resist as well as they can during their most difficult personal times.

As always in this series, and indeed with every other book by Sanderson I've read, there's a metric ton of action equal to the multifarious interlacing storylines. If you like war stories, there's lots of fighting; if magic is your thing, that's there on virtually every page in multiple forms; if political intrigue is up your alley, this story presents so many factions and internecine plots that you may need a flowchart. The plot moves quickly, and the book is hard to put down, with character arcs that are mostly satisfying for what is essentially one of the middle books of this incredibly lengthy planned series. Sanderson obviously has planned the series in such detail that he's got thousands of plot points to dole out over the course of ten 1200+ page books, even if his plan is still inchoate and undiscernible to the reader at this point in the story.

It does seem that there's an almost intentional confusion of magic systems and histories on the part of the author, so that the entire backstory leading up to the current page is never solidly formed in the reader's mind, as every few hundred pages a new revelation throws everything the reader previously understood on its head. It also seems that the author is trying to form a Grand Unified Theory of Nerdiness by attempting to combine high fantasy, urban fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, and political thrillers into a single tale, to the point where at times the efforts seem slightly disjointed. A corollary to this is that a series of this size and scope that might see a handful of years between new books NEEDS to have an appendix with a Dramatis Personae and a glossary; while there's a short description of the various magic systems at the end of this book, there's nothing to remind the reader who all the hundreds of characters are and what their positions/powers might be. And I've said it before: the fact that Lift, one of the absolute best characters in the entire series, doesn't have a larger, central role in the main narrative is unforgivable, and to wait 550+ pages in this book to reintroduce her is a mortal sin -- if she's good enough for a stand-alone novella, she's good enough for a few dedicated chapters in a book more than a thousand pages long.

As for mechanics, I was less than pleased. The book is rife with split infinitives, the use of "the times where" (vs "the times when"), spelling mistakes (like "rifled through" instead of "riffled through"), subject/pronoun disagreement, employment of em dashes when literally any other punctuation mark would be more appropriate; the use of "reveal" as a noun; and other grammarian pet peeves that disturb my zen. I understand that in this permissive era of writing, many of these are guidelines rather than rules, but the use of colloquial internet-English in a high fantasy takes the reader out of the "high" part of the fantasy in a way that is completely avoidable by following a few grammar, punctuation, and syntax rules. On top of this, the unbelievably impressive illustrations in this book are nearly ruined by accompanying text that is so difficult to read because of font and font size (EVEN IN HARDBACK SIZE) that they may as well be written in alien script.

Listen, I love this series and most other things by Sanderson I've read, but I can love a thing and want it to be better. So, it's a 5-star story (with a HUGE RECOMMENDATION for fans of high fantasy), with some troubling plot issues and some seriously problematic editorial issues. I'm investing a boatload of time in reading these massive tomes of his, and I hope he respects that time investment enough to cure some of these foibles. Overall, though, big ups to this series.