REVIEW: RHYTHM OF WAR (THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE #4)

The rhythms of Roshar...


In anticipation of the fifth STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE book releasing towards the end of this year, I have continued catching up on this series and it has continued to be such an enjoyable ride. 

HOW I RATED IT 
4/5 Even though I didn't love this entry into the series quite as much as the last two, there were still a ton of incredibly memorable moments, some tantalizing looks into both the secrets of Roshar and those of the grander Cosmere, as well as some interesting character developments for many members of the cast. 

Please note: While I will not be mentioning any major spoilers for RYTHM OF WAR, I may mention characters, places, and events in ways that could be considered spoilers for previous books in the STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE.

CHARACTERS
Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar all return to lead the core narrative threads of the broader story. Interestingly enough, Venli is the featured flashback character this time as she takes a much larger role in the events of the present and essentially becomes another primary point of view character. Even with the setup for her character in the previous book, I was still rather surprised with how important she became and found myself enjoying the development she got. Dalinar, by contrast, gets quite a bit less page time than before, but every single one of his scenes were packed with important character moments and/or plot developments. I'm also extremely intrigued to see where things go for him in the fifth book. Kaladin finds himself facing the personal consequences of the life he has lived and the losses he has suffered. I've heard mixed opinions on where Sanderson took his character and I think I can easily understand why that is. Personally, I think I appreciated how he dealt with the trauma that Kaladin has endured, how that affects those around him, and how he struggles to move forward with his life in spite of his circumstances (and in spite of himself). I was a little less pleased with Shallan's personal struggles at first. I had kind of thought her magically-induced personality split had been resolved by the end of the prior book, but that source of internal conflict actually played an even larger role this time around. For what it's worth, I did end up appreciating the direction that side story went and where Shallan ends up as a character felt satisfying. In both cases, I felt their sources of personal conflict were a little circular to things they've struggled with before, but I suppose that's rather reminiscent of what real life can be like and I liked where they both ended up. 

Adolin really shined in this one for me, both in terms of his relationship with Shallan and in regard to his role in the story. He's frankly never been my favorite character and I've typically only liked him when he's interacting with Shallan, though he had some good moments in the prior book too. I was hoping Renarin would have more of a role to play, but I think Sanderson might be saving him a bit for the next book. Rlain on the other hand, finally gets his time to flourish and I really appreciated his expanded presence within the story. Wit's role in the plot is much larger than it has been in prior novels too and I enjoyed getting a better understanding of him and his true intentions. Taravangion is nearly impossible to discuss without getting into spoilers, but, wow, he really came into his own here as well. Even Lift was a little less annoying this time, though I'm still not a huge fan of hers. Sanderson doesn't necessarily write the most emotionally complex or nuanced characters, but he somehow manages to craft such an iconic cast of distinct personalities with compelling arcs and I just enjoy spending time with them. I will say though that the size of the cast has become unwieldy, making it difficult for me to care about all the side characters equally.

SETTING/WORLD
As the campaign against Odium's forces rages, we get to see both more of Roshar and the civilizations within Shadesmar. A large portion of the story is still set within Uritheru, but this location is seen through a fresh lens thanks to the more mystical elements of it which are slowly revealed. The home of the Honor Spren is finally explored in detail and it felt appropriately surreal. Dalinar also travels to some interesting spots as he and Jasnah go on the offensive. The real treat of this book though isn't so much the places that the story goes, but rather in how it explores the underlying lore of Roshar, Shadesmar, and even The Cosemere itself. The history of the fabled Heralds is explored in slightly more depth as they become figures of greater import to the events of the present. As a group of characters, they honestly don't do all that much for me, but I am at least interested to see what role they have to play in the next book. The world and lore of the Spren was a particular highlight for me this time around. We've been slowly learning more and more through the individual Spren that have bonded with the various main characters, but now we finally get better insights into the Spren societies as a whole and get to learn more about what makes the particular ones we've come to know so different from their compatriots. We also get to learn a lot more about the "Unmade" as well as the "Deadeyes." Another element explored in much more depth is the various sources of magic that exist in this world (as well as some that come from beyond it). The secrets of fabrials and Soulcasting are finally unlocked through Navani's experiments and interactions with an ancient enemy. New aspects of Surgebinding are also delved into thanks to the efforts of Dalinar, Kaladin, and Venli, not to mention some interesting twists related to Taravangian and Renarin that come up toward the novel's final act. In terms of the broader Cosmere, it's hard to say much without getting into spoilers. There isn't any Avengers-level of crossover in this so much as a series of smaller acknowledgements of other planetary systems as well as clues regarding the connection points in between. I was also surprised to find that one very minor character who's been around since the beginning of the series turned out to not be quite what they seemed. 

PLOT/TONE
There is an objectively overwhelming amount of stuff packed into this book. Between deeply personal character narratives, exploration of the various magic systems, historical revelations, themes of identity and personal darkness, expanded worldbuilding, and some peeks into Sanderson's grander universe, I'm frankly amazed that the actual plot of the story wasn't completely lost. As with prior entries in the series, the overarching narrative is built from a series of smaller branches. The various main characters all have different objectives they are working toward, but the central conflict remains consistent across all of these threads. Odium and his army of Fused still present a dire threat to the existence of the entire human race and those stakes are front and center at all times. I felt like this installment, more so than any others, had a much more militaristic feel to it. Battles are waged in different ways as the heroes desperately try to fend off their enemies while searching for a means to end the war. While I'd expected much of this coming out of the prior book, I was surprised by how much to the enemy's side we got exposure to. The goals and motivations of the Fused turned out to be anything but straightforward or even unanimous and I really enjoyed how distinctly human that made them. Sources of interpersonal conflict also turned out to be compelling, particularly when it came to Jasnah and Dalinar, as well as Shallan and Pattern. I still feel as though these books are longer than they really need to be. I think various sections could have been tightened up slightly and I continue to remain unimpressed by 50-60% of the Interlude chapters. I also feel as though the novellas in this series have little to no impact on the mainline novels which makes them seem like a bit of a waste. This could all change by the fifth book, but that remains to be seen. One thing I'm glad the book doesn't skimp out on though are some high-energy action scenes, both in large scale battles and more personal duels. It's always so satisfying to see the magic systems come alive as various characters and forces clash with one another.

While I wouldn't consider any of Sanderson's work to be the peak of fantasy literature, there's just something about it that is so enjoyable and fun, flaws and all. My trip through the Cosmere has been akin to the experience of the MCU's Infinity Stone Saga and I feel like Sanderson is building up to an explosive endgame of his own. I very much look forward to seeing how that all plays out and appreciate the many hours of adventure this series has provided me so far. 

THE EBOOK/AUDIOBOOK
Kramer and Reading return for another solid rendition. There's probably not all that much more that needs to be said than that. Love them or hate them, the level of consistency that they have brought to these massive books is truly impressive. They do this adventure the appropriate amount of justice and I think it played to their strengths in many ways. I particularly liked the way Reading handled scenes between Navani and Raboniel. I also continue to enjoy the PDF companion documents which contain illustrations and maps. 

CONCLUSION
Personally, I kind of felt like this was a sort of a setup book similar to how THE WAY OF KINGS laid the groundwork for WORDS OF RADIANCE. It didn't "wow" me quite as much as the second or third book in the series, but there are some fascinating developments, some tantalizing peeks into the grander Cosmere, and lots of important character moments and fun action sequences along the way which made this another fun ride.

UPDATE
(+) All the moving pieces of this story are balanced quite well in regard to the plot's pacing
(+) There are some really intense battles both at a larger scale and in more intimate duels 
(+) Some enjoyable character moments and standout arcs for Adolin, Venli, and Rlain. 
(+) The continued exploration of this worlds more mystical elements was quite enjoyable
(+) The magic system continues to evolve in a deeply satisfying ways
(+) Some intriguing connections to the larger Cosmere that pull a little bit of the curtain back on everything Sanderson has been building here
(+) There is a ton to look forward to in the fifth book that this one sets up brilliantly
(+) Another high quality narration
(-) I continue to feel that these books don't need to be as long as they are and this one in particular could have used a little trimming down in certain spots.
(-) The cast has become too large for me to feasibly be able to care about all the side characters, especially when it comes to The Heralds
(-) Kaladin and Shallan's personal arcs felt a little circular to struggles we've already seen them face

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