Rhythm of War is a strange book to review. It sits in the unusual position of still being a five-star read while also being my least favorite Stormlight Archive entry so far. I know this isn’t an uncommon opinion among readers, but as someone who actually prefers Oathbringer to Words of Radiance, I had high hopes that my love for the series would continue to increase with every book. Instead, Rhythm of War at times feels like a side story with a very different focus from its immediate predecessor.
Many of my absolute favorite elements from Oathbringer take a backseat here: Dalinar, political alliances, Dalinar, epic battles and feats of magic, Dalinar, Adolin, Renarin, and Jasnah, a massive, sweeping climax, and did I mention Dalinar?
Whereas the first three books continually escalated the world, characters, and emotional stakes, Rhythm of War is more intellectual and introspective. Many of the Radiants are depowered and sidelined for much of the story, and Sanderson devotes a lot of page time to dissecting the intricacies of fabrial magic, Stormlight, and Voidlight. Most of this comes through Navani, who becomes by far the most important Kholin character in this book. Her journey and discoveries surrounding Urithiru and the Sibling are fantastic, and her uneasy, back-and-forth relationship with Raboniel is one of the novel’s highlights, even if it comes at the cost of sidelining some of my favorites. Venli also receives a greatly increased presence; while she isn’t a top-tier character for me, I enjoyed her arc and flashbacks more than expected, and they add meaningful depth to Listener culture.
Whether through its deep dive into fabrials or the expanded Listener and Fused perspectives, Sanderson seems committed to making Rhythm of War a Stormlight book defined by worldbuilding above all. The big exception, much to my disappointment, was Shadesmar. The cover art and illustrations had me excited to see more exploration of the Cognitive Realm, but little new ground is covered that wasn’t already established in Oathbringer. The lack of forward motion for Shallan and Adolin’s storyline there for large portions of the book was especially disappointing.
At the risk of sounding too negative, I want to be clear: Rhythm of War is still an excellent book with a lot going for it. Without spoilers, here are a few highlights: the Dog and the Dragon; Taravangian’s arc and the twist ending; the Sibling; Adolin’s trial; Kaladin’s vision with the Stormfather; Navani and Raboniel’s rivalry; and Teft, Dabbid, and Rlain.
After Rhythm of War, it feels like the many, many pieces of this story are finally in place for an explosive finale to the first arc of The Stormlight Archive. Onward to Wind and Truth.
The Once and Future Lit 