Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archive 4) - Brandon Sanderson

⭐ 6.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

I think @Will hit the nail on the head with this one. Anticipation is always very high for these books, and this one just didn't make as much progress as I think a 1200 page book should.

That said there are some great moments, and the last 200 pages simmer like I would expect a book from Sanderson to. But oh my goodness I am so sick of 2 of the main characters. The idea that the broken people in this world are the ones who get powers is compelling, but it is frustrating that every time they level up they first have to backslide into their old issues. I have done some reading online, and the internet seems mostly happy with Sanderson's writing of depression and addiction and other disorders, but we are 4 books deep and I am sick of it.

One thing I loved about this book, and lots of Sanderson in general, is tying his magic systems into the science of his worlds. This book goes really deep on that, which I always enjoyed, and the character that is at the forefront of these discoveries is easily one of my favourites after this book.

I also love the world of Roshar he has built, but this book felt pretty claustrophobic, really only takes place in one location. This is probably intentional, but that's another thing that frustrated me. I also always love the flashbacks, seeing what led to the war we are experiencing, and I could not wait to see these flashbacks from the "bad guys". But they were super disappointing, basically giving us no new information, and only served to flesh out characters I don't care a ton about.

I still love this series, and if all of this book is setup for the mega-finale that book 5 will be, then maybe I will come around on it. But as a standalone book that was very highly anticipated, it was ultimately a let down.