Rhythm Of War By Brandon Sanderson

Llegó sin un rasguño, cinco días antes de lo que Amazon me decía
Es mucho más grande que la versión de bolsillo
Libro muy bonito con imágenes a color en las contraportadas

On occasion, there comes a piece of art into the world that comes to refine and redefine its genre. Just as ‘Star Wars’ came to be emblematic of the space opera and summer blockbuster, and ‘Scream’ reinvigorated the slasher film, I firmly believe ‘Rhythm of War’–and more broadly, the Stormlight Archive as a whole–to be a landmark novel in the genre of modern fantasy, and a novel which everyone should read. At its heart, what sets ‘Rhythm of War’ apart from other modern fantasy is its relevance, its originality, and its optimism. Not coincidentally, these are three reasons why the novel should be read.

In terms of relevance, we live in a world of contention and chaos. Mental health problems are continually on the rise, there is political and cultural turmoil around the globe, and we as a race have yet to deal with the awful specters of racism, poverty, and sexism. While many modern fantasy novels deal with such themes, there is a tendency towards the fantastical–to brush aside reality in favor escapism. Not so with the Stormlight Archive! Amidst the fantasy of epic battles and arcane mysteries of the novels, we are treated to characters who battle realistically with depression, who struggle to reconcile differences of belief and ideals, and who struggle with both external and internal racism and sexism. In ‘Rhythm of War’, Sanderson is able to effectively create a compelling fantasy narrative that is nonetheless nested in the personal struggles common to all humanity.

And what a narrative it is! I will freely admit that Sanderson has certain flaws as a writer, such as an over-reliance on a few favorite ‘pet tropes.’ Yet, despite his weaknesses, this man EXCELS at crafting unique narratives and settings. Foreshadowing seems to come second nature to the man, but he does it with all the subtlety of a master painter. His world-building is unparalleled amongst his contemporaries, in part because of how well thought out it is. To give you a sense of what this man is capable of, he’s invented a set of laws that dictate exactly how all magic in his written universe work. You heard me right–Sanderson invented a set of magical physics for the specific purpose of ensuring his world-building is consistent.

Finally, while Sanderson’s writing is both relevant and creative, there is something more than this that sets apart ‘Rhythm of War’ and the Stormlight Archive as a whole. We see in modern fantasy a trend towards the dark and the gritty, evident in series like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Witcher.’ While these shows and novels are not necessarily bad, they create the unfortunate connotation that ‘real art’ must be dark, fetid, Machiavellian, needlessly violent, and filled with gratuitous sex–in a word, cynical. Furthermore, these series treat the problems of their world as a given, in a way ‘giving-in’ to their cynicism, admitting that it is a part of life and reality. This is where Sanderson truly shines apart, and why ‘Rhythm of War’ is so essential for the modern reader. It doesn’t shy away from violence, nor from showing that people have great potential for cruelty and villainy. However, despite all of the terrible things that happen in the novel, Sanderon’s characters consistently show that just because our world is bad, doesn’t mean it cannot become better. Where other novels choose cynicism as a means of coping with the realities of an imperfect world, ‘Rhythm of War’ opts instead for optimism, and in doing so gives the modern reader a reminder that there is always hope for a better world, provided we are willing to sacrifice for it.

In the interest of time, I’m cutting my review here short. In summation: if you are looking for a creative book, that is truly engaging and original, read this! If you are looking for a fantasy novel that is nonetheless relevant to modern life, read this! And finally, if you are sick and tired of seeing pessimism and cynicism dominate the literary landscape, and want something hopeful instead, read this!

One final note: yes, the book is long. Over 1000 pages, to be semi-exact. For some, this is a deterrent. Don’t sweat it! It reads quite easily, and the series flows very smoothly. May I also point out that you just read this entire review, and I promise you–it’s a lot more fun than my writing!

With this fourth installment, the Stormlight Archive provides the reader with a different level of emotional intensity. The plot keeps on unfolding and leading us to new frontiers, but at the very core of “The Rhythm of War” we find the journey of the characters.

Brandon Sanderson will definitely go down in history as the master of contemporary fantasy for changing the tropes a part of this tradition. Not only for flipping standards, but also for introducing and normalizing certain topics such as mental health. I daresay this is the main theme of the book and the author shines in presenting it to us in such a delicate and intense way.

I don’t want to make this review any longer as my words wouldn’t do justice to this series. JUST READ IT!

Taking Tolkien out of the equation, as someone who read all of wheel of time and all of the current 5 game of thrones( my with a clash of kings in game of thrones ranking as my favorite), I understand this to be a bold claim.

This book is a payout on the investment of the prior 3 books and reveals that no detail no character in the first 3 books was wasted. All of the characters, the events are leading up to something-an epic world, with a story worth re-reading.

Warning, this book starts off slow. It took 300 to 400 pages for it to get going. When I arrived at the thought ” the pacing is too slow in this one”, the narrative takes off and doesn’t slow till the end.

Brandon Sanderson does such a great job of writing characters as humans, addressing depression, trauma, and dementia in his characters in a human and compassionate way. He ties up almost every lose end in this book whole still keeping the reader invested in what happens next. This book made me consider rereading the first 3 because it points to how the events in the first book continues to have echoes in this expansive rich universe Brandon Sanderson has created.

In fantasy, its a book that made me feel all of the emotions, exuberance, despair, sadness, and hope. There’s a scene in the book that made me tear up, something I never expected a book would make me do. He treats the characters with amazing tenderness and provides closure to many character arches..

If you want action, complex characters, fantasy, and rich story telling, this book has it and this series is for you.