Rhythm of War: Book Four of the Stormlight Archive: 4 Paperback – 26 Oct. 2021

If you are into Fantasy books, by default, you should read anything Brandon Sanderson writes. He is by far the most productive fantasy book author I’ve ever known so far and easily the best for me.There is a lot that I can tell you about this book as it is heavy in volume and rich in developments & revelations but let me tell you this; it is another solid addition to the flagship series of Sanderson's with a lot more revelation to the magical powers and elements, and how they work in this world.The logic and the dynamics of powers becoming quite interesting and complex, so much so that I had difficulty following on occasions and had to re-read some sections. Author establishes a connection between the powers in this world and the art, mainly rhythms. As I said, it is very interesting, but I do think it is getting a bit complex.The book answers many unanswered questions related to what might have happened in the past. I found Venli's story line especially very revealing, and it tells you all about how the night of the king Gavilar Kholin’s murder came about. In addition, the history of what happened previously in Roshar and a lot more to some of the mysterious characters and the world itself are revealed.The world building was full on in this book, maybe more so than some of the previous books which was good because it really captivates you more when you realize that there is a lot more to discover after three brick heavy books which are more like two books each themselves. There are little nuggets of knowledge as to Roshar being only one of the planets within the Cosmere where author's all other books and series spreads.I think story lines that happened within the tower were more interesting and captivating compared to the others but overall, I enjoyed every aspect of the book very much. I would still put the first and second books ahead of this one, but it is definitely more enjoyable than the third book.There is a huge emphasis on the mental health of the characters, so much so that I thought author must have either studied the subject deeply or he has some sort of training or consultation. Perhaps he or someone close to him were going through similar life struggles at the time, and it had an impact on him. If you had any mental problems in the past, sadness or trauma, then you can be sure that what some of these characters going through (mainly Shallan and Kaladin over completely separate and unrelated story lines) will resonate with you. To be honest, I found it educating and it might really help you if you can connect with the struggles characters having, especially Kaladin.As always, the book has many twists and turns, some really surprising. Typically, as usual with Sanderson’s books, the tempo of the book increases to the end and there are much more happening through the end after all the plot building in the first 60-70% of the book.I don't know what to feel about the big turn that happened in the book through the end which involved Taravangian but I guess we will see in the book 5!I really liked what happened with the one character we all thought died 😊 It was a really good send off. I love all books Sanderson writes and this was no exception.I think Stormlight Archives series becoming so good that it is on a similar level as Wheel of time (where Sanderson also had written the last 3 books) and I would not be surprised if it surpasses it.Knock! Knock! Amazon, maybe you will do a TV series for this one too!!

I have been a fan of Sanderson for over ten years and during that time, I have seen his writing prowess flourish to the point that I have not found another author that compares to this masterpiece.Sanderson does an excellent job in his world building and his characterization is incredible.Since he started writing, though more so shown in Stormlight, it is clear Sanderson has done heavy research into various forms of mental health, sexual identification, race, disabilities and more so that he can create characters that feel more real than ever before.However, it is with that point in mind that I labelled this book/series as heavy. For some, reading into Kaladins severe depression and PTSD, Shallons dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities), Dalinar's alcohol abuse, Teft's drug addiction - to name just a few - might be too much but Sanderson has done a fantastic job so showing how people who live with these ailments go about their lives.Admittedly, I don't think book 4 is the strongest book in the series but that is just my opinion among thousands, I know many other people who have said it is the best one yet, so pinch of salt and all that. The reason for that, I think, almost whole heartedly lies with who the POV's are throughout the book. For me, part 3 was a bit of a chore with Navani and Venli, it was VERY lore/information based and felt it slowed the whole book down though everything you learn during part 3 is important for the grand story and some of the characters I care a little less for had more of the limelight. Not a fault on anyone involved, just the way it was for me.As the running joke stands in his fandom, the Sanderlanche at the end of the book was amazing, awful (in a good way) and killed me. I, as a 26 year old man, cried at the end - the first and only time I've cried at a book (came close with Mistborn era 1 ending though). The build up and pay off had me basically, crying and clapping and I can not wait for the next book.Strongly, strongly recommend reading this series if you are a fan of sci/fi, great characters, interesting worlds or someone who would like to learn how others live their lives in a more detached from real life way.

I'm not sure that I can add anything to the extensive reviews that have been written about this book. I just wanted to add my 5 stars to the many that have already been awarded and am delighted to say that the fourth book matches the excellence of the first three.I first discovered Brandon Sanderson when he finished off the Wheel of Time series following the untimely death of Robert Jordan. His writing then really impressed me and I have followed him keenly ever since. One extra bonus, not to be underestimated for avid fantasy readers, is the quantity of his output as well as the quality. It is no mean feat to produce approximately two books a year for the last 20 years especially when may of them are more than a thousand pages long!Highly recommended and he remains one of the best writers in the genre.