Rhythm of War
Ratings625
Average rating4.6
After a really slow start, Rhythm of War came together really well, did some new things that were refreshing, and makes me feel curious and optimistic for the concluding book #5.
Pros:
For the first three books, it was fairly easy to group people into “the good guys” and “the bad guys.” Some people had rough pasts, or were traitors, but the audience was generally aware of that and characters didn't really transition between groups. In this book, however, you have an unexpected burst of “gray” characters. The new Taravangian, Raboniel, Venli, and even the Honorspren are all a great introduction to the plot, since you're never certain what might happen with their motives and loyalties.
It could have been a little gimmicky, but returning to the same pivotal incident in multiple different flashbacks over the series from different perspectives has been a great development. And as a reader, you now know sooo much more than you did in the series preface, so it all fits together in your mind much better.
I thought the mental health stuff was going to be gimmicky, but I actually thought it felt authentic to the characters and thoughtful. Of course that kind of thing would happen to Shallan and Kaladin, and it's nice to see them “break script” from what has been expected of their characters since book 1. That's also true for Adolin, whose time without a sword was really good for both him and the reader.
Sanderson has always handled information/misinformation really well, sometimes hiding knowledge from the reader, or certain characters, or both (thinking back to Mistborn's great twists). There's a good dose of that here, and the story is stronger for it.
Cons:
SOOOOOOOO long. I get that Sanderson can write quickly, which is great, but I think this book would have been improved significantly if he cut out 80-100 pages before the halfway point. There's a really good plot development around the 50% mark which carries the rest of the story on a quick pace, but it took me weeks to get there.
This book begins about a year after the end of Oathbringer. Dalinar and Jasnah are trying to win a war that feels interminable. Navani is trying to figure out the secrets of Urithiru. Kaladin is struggling with his mental health and how to keep on fighting. Shallan and Adolin are trying to unite the spren and the humans to help win the war, while Shallan struggles with her own past.
The character building we got in Navani and Kaladin's characters is exemplary. Sanderson is a master at character. He makes characters feels so real and relatable. Navani deals with Imposter Syndrome that was worsened by her relationship with Gavilar. She doesn't consider herself a scholar, but a patron to scholars. Her faith in herself is put to the test as she is forced to work on her own to find a solution to fixing their tower. This book propelled Navani to one of my favorite characters.
Kaladin's plot line really showcased the ups and downs of living with depression. It shows that no matter your status or wealth, depression can effect anyone. His evolving relationship with Syl is always such a joy to read. I do think that every book has been a little repetitive with his story. The arc in each book feels very similar.
The pacing of the book for the most part was engaging. I do think that Sanderson can become pretty long-winded about things that aren't necessary. For example, I don't think the in depth descriptions of the science behind fabrials was necessary. A brief overview of them would've been enough. There were a few areas that felt a little dragged out, but none were long enough that I wanted to put the book down.
I think the flashback chapters of Venli and Eshonai, while adding depth to their characters, didn't really feel necessary to me. I don't feel much connection to either of them.
I think Shallan's big reveal at the end was rushed through, and I don't think the stakes were high enough. Her plot was a little disappointing to me, and she is normally one of my favorite characters to read about.
The ending. Oh my gosh, the ending. Sanderson really pulled through in making me SO ANXIOUS for the fifth book. If you know, you know.
All in all, this book was a huge success. The tie-ins to the rest of the Cosmere were so enlightening and really built this world to be so much bigger than originally perceived. I am so excited for the next book.
I'm definitely hooked to Cosmere and will wait for the next books with great anticipation.
Maybe even read some other Cosmere books meanwhile...
Abhorrent pacing, but the Kaladin chapters are absurdly good and elevate this novel into a worthy sequel
3.5 stars.... Personally my least fav stormlight book so far but honestly still enjoyable - I know what ppl say when they claim it's getting way too bloated. BOOK 5 HYPE!!!
There goes Brandon Sanderson again, saving me tons of money in therapy.
I love where this book went and the characters it brought to the forefront. I love how it broke them all down and built them up again. I love how much the world expanded. I love how the author broke my heart. I love how he united them (if you know you know). I love the shock it delivered at the end and the worry it sparked in me.
I love this book. I can't wait to re-read it!
10/10 book
10/10 Graphical Audio adaption
This feels like watching Oppenheimer tbh
Y llegamos al cuarto tomo y Brandos Sanderson de repente se deja ir y no sé si será hora de irle poniendo un alto o nos quedamos aquí sentados esperando ver hasta donde va a parar. Voto por lo segundo, yo confío, en verdad que sí. Pero si los dos últimos libros del El archivo de las tormentas se me han hecho largos. Sigue teniendo muy buenos finales y muchas revelaciones, que se hace difícil captar todas.
Lo peor del caso es que a pesar de que el libro es más largo que una pandemia, me ha dejado con ganas de que salieran más algunos personajes.
genuinely life changing. That’s really all there is to say about it. Each of the character’s stories spoke so deeply to me that there were a lot of times I had to put it down and just digest it all. It felt like my own stories but in this back drop of a crazy amazing detailed fantasy world. Also definitely my favorite of this series so far.
Another great follow up book with a nice setup of Urithuru as the centerpiece. The range of broad POVs continue to excite and all characters stay true to themselves. Navani is really well constructed. Lots gets explained and the twist towards the end makes it a bit more interesting now. Overall a tad too predictable. I was able to guess most of the character arcs midway through the book. Onwards.
4.5. It so fun.
Noticeably less cohesive than the previous installments but I still had a lot of fun reading it because I've become so invested in these characters. I can imagine hating this series if I hadn't connected to any of the characters lol.
I keep thinking that Brandon Sanderson is toothless when handling the Stormlight Archive, but I still scream whenever something bad happens to a character I like so I guess I'm glad he lacks the teeth to actually bite them to pieces (I'm looking at you, Fitz and the Fool Trilogy). The day he kills one of them off I think I may abandon the series but thankfully the next book is still in the works so I have a blessed break from the worry.
Anyway, it's fun. I had a lot of fun reading it and that's my primary area of focus when it comes to the books I read.
Amazing ending, unfortunately a bit of a slog in the middle. The weakest of the for stormlight books so far, still an amazing read though
Of all the Stormlight Archive books I think this one felt the most in-tune with its main characters. The progression of the main players Kaladin, Shallan, Navani, Dalinar was absolutely fantastic. But along with some EXCELENT character progression we got so much more information about the world. The last 10% of this book was BONKERS, so many delicious tidbits that makes me super excited for the next edition of the stormlight archive. All in all excellent book in a masterful series.
I won't try and recap the story as others do, I could never do it justice. As always, this isn't your OG dragons and spells fantasy epic which is the best part. I felt like the story move forward more in this book than the previous. Can't wait to see how the story evolves and involves the rest of the cosmere.
“Our weakness doesn't make us weak. Our weakness makes us strong. For we had to carry it all these years.”
This book did a lot of heavy lifting to set things up for book five. Due to the amount of balancing, it feels less balanced compared to the others. Still very enjoyable nonetheless. I loved how much focus previous side characters got in this and that did a lot for the pacing.
5 de 5
Una vez más, disfrutando esta historia al máximo. Las referencias del cosmere son bien intensas en este libro, incluida algunas cosas del prologo del archivo 5.
Whew! What an emotional roller coaster! And SO MUCH happened. I think I'll need a while to process it all. Once again though, Brandon Sanderson proves why he is my favourite author. The world-building and magic system continues to amaze, but it is his characters and the messages he infuses into his books that keep me coming back and have made me so attached to his books, but most specifically this series. Kaladin continues to be my favourite character and his revelation at the end of this volume had me ugly crying for a good LONG time. It's both a heartbreaking moment and also has so much heart to it. I connect with Kaladin SO much and find my own solace in his revelations that make me relate it to my own experiences and life and I think that's truly what makes Sanderson's writing, although it is essentially fantasy, a cut above so many others I have read. In a recent talk Sanderson admitted he wanted his writing to bring people hope and give them a positive outlook and I love that about his books. It's not fluffy or unrealistic or easy, but it is laced with encouragement to try, to be better to keep going despite mistakes and short-comings and pain and sins to realize you have the choice to change, to at least TRY to be better, to ‘take the next step'. And it fills me with encouragement to do the same every time I read these books. I won't go into details about all that happens in this volume here, if you've made it this far in the series, just know that this is another absolutely worthy addition to it and well worth the invested time to read it. It's intricate, imaginative, emotional and continues to be one of the best series out there in the fantasy genre.
best stormlight book by far! focuses on a small scale siege scenario and sprinkles a little courtroom drama into the mix.
love how much time is devoted to both kaladin and navani while all the other less interesting characters are pretty much resigned solely to supporting roles this time around. it was really appreciated after the previous few books felt too wide in scope and had too many story arcs to keep track of - meant it was seldom that anything actually connected or left a lasting emotional impact.
so many moments in this book truly truly wrecked me and i'm thankful the story made space for them. my biggest issue with this series boils down to the fact that the story has gotten so huge and epic and i'm glad this one went back to a bit of single location intrigue filled with all the political backstabbing i've been missing since the way of kings.
3.5 stars.... Personally my least fav stormlight book so far but honestly still enjoyable - I know what ppl say when they claim it's getting way too bloated. BOOK 5 HYPE!!!