3 min to read
Rhythm of War
- Title
- Rhythm of War
- Author
- Brandon Sanderson
- Published date
- 17/11/2020
- Pages
- 1230
- Publisher
- Gollancz
“Rhythm of War” is the fourth book in the most epic fantasy saga “The Stormlight Archive” by Brandon Sanderson. Thanks to Gollancz I’m the part of the UK Blog Tour, celebrating the release of this long-awaited book. I will share my impressions with you after reading the first part of the novel (there are five parts in total, around 1200 pages, so brace yourselves!).
I was waiting for “Rhythm of War” since I finished reading “Oathbringer” back in 2017, so I was beyond excited when the book finally landed in my hands! Like all the other books in the series, the prologue is showing us a retrospection of the night king Gavilar was murdered, but this time from Navani’s perspective. What is striking from the very start, was that it showed us the late king in a completely different light than it was done so far. We will also learn more about Navani’s burdens and regrets, what creates more depth for her character.
For the past year, the newly found coalition of human monarchs was stuck in an exhausting war with the Singers, but still, neither side got any significant advantage. But things are about to change very soon, as humans started advancing with technology, that is far beyond even what the ancient Fused have seen. The best example of that is the first flying ship designed by Navani. There is a neat explanation of how it’s working, including different fabrials and their properties, but I think my brain is far too small to comprehend the complexity of it all.
After that, we are thrown right in the middle of the action. Kaladin and his Windrunners are caught in a spectacular air battle with the Fused called Heavenly Ones, providing us with a fast ride without any breaks. There is also new kind of Fused appearing, making sure Kaladin is terribly busy. Thanks to that, the reader is swept back to this mesmerising world right from the first chapters.
When I started reading this book, I realised how much I missed all the characters, and their banters. I absolutely adore Syl and all her jokes, remarks, and constant bullying of Kaladin. I laughed manically with each new observation of the world. All of them were ridiculous, but also have indisputable logic to them, what made them hilarious. I noticed there are chapters from Syl’s perspective in the Interludes, and I just can’t wait to get to them!
In the first part we also have a little treat for all those hardcore Cosmere fans, who adore finding connections between different parts of the universe, so get excited!
I think that this first part of the book is balanced perfectly. We’ve got a little bit of introduction regarding what was happening since the end of “Oathbringer”. Then, there are also seeds of new intrigues and discoveries that are waiting ahead of us. I, as a faithful fan, am delighted with this beginning. As always, it’s effortless to read and get pulled right into the magical world of Roshar. I can’t wait for more, so I’ll get back to reading and will let you know my thoughts once again when I finish the whole book.
If you are fans of “The Stormlight Archive” or Brandon Sanderson, I don’t think I have to say anything to encourage you to read this book. If you didn’t have a chance to get to know this author and you like epic fantasy – oh boy, I’m almost jealous that all these fantastic stories are still ahead of you! Go and read it right now, you’ll thank me later!
