Rhythm of War

Rhythm of War is the fourth book of what Sanderson has promised will be a five-book series. The series is called The Stormlight Archive, and it is set in the world Roshar. The world building is incredibly complex. The novels come with glossaries, indexes, and histories for easy reference and comprehension; each novel describes the magic system of the world in the “Ars Arcanum” appendix section, and readers can also reference the fan-created Coppermind, a wiki providing descriptions of plots, characters, magic, histories, and more.

Every novel in the series features multiple narrative perspectives, with connecting storylines describing characters’ adventures from the points of view of many different factions and approaches to the world.

Sanderson’s work is distinguished by its highly detailed and minutely complex world building. His worlds feature well-worked-out geopolitics, which rely both on macro trends and cultures and on the micro effects of rulers’ personalities and beliefs. For example, in Rhythm of War, the invasion of Elum is driven both by the need to get the god Odium to set terms for the battle of champions and by fact that the allied monarchs underestimate Taravangian.

Unlike generic fantasy literature, which typically contains undefined magic that relies on readers’ preconceived notions of spells and potions (such as the magic in the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Wheel of Time series), Sanderson’s magic systems are different from one another and actually systematized. For example, while in the Mistborn series, people “burn” metals inside their bodies to gain powers, Radiants in The Stormlight Archive breathe in Stormlight or Voidlight to gain powers from bonded spren. These magic systems often follow “hard rules” akin to the physical limitations of the real world.

The Stormlight Archive features a distinctive magic system tied to its cosmology. The planet of Roshar is the product of two god-like Shards—Honor and Cultivation—small fractions of which have developed sentience and sometimes sapience as beings called spren. Spren primarily live in the Cognitive Realm, or Shadesmar; however, they can also appear in the Physical Realm, where they sometimes bond with humans and endow them with supernatural abilities. The wielders of these abilities are called Radiants; their access to magic depends not only on their spren bond but also on their ability to correctly speak the Words necessary for each Ideal, or level of power. Humanity has also learned to use spren trapped in gemstones to fuel fabrials—pseudo-scientific inventions fueled by magic used to do things like communicate across long distances, heat rooms, and more. In Rhythm of War, the airship used for the rescue at Hearthstone is a fabrial designed by Navani.

Unlike traditional fantasy literature focusing on conquest and heroics exclusively, The Stormlight Archive is also interested in the effects of warrior culture on the psyche. In Rhythm of War, the powerful knight Kaladin steps away from his order because of battle shock—a version of PTSD that forces him to confront his mental health challenges. Similarly, the gifted magic user Shallan develops a version of dissociative identity disorder to cope with the abuse she suffered in childhood and the murder of her parents.

The series also considers the fallout of invasion and occupation. The people of Roshar learn that humans are not native to Roshar, despite their long-time habitation of the planet. Instead, the original inhabitants are the singers, whom the Alethi call Parshendi and who are vilified by the humans who fight against them. The discovery of humanity’s origin is a shock, leading to questions about their human society, beliefs, and the nature of colonization.