Rhythm of War – Brandon Sanderson (2020)

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, published in 2020, is the fourth installment in The Stormlight Archive, an epic fantasy series known for its vast world-building, intricate magic systems, and deeply human characters. As the penultimate book in the first five-part arc, it continues the sweeping saga of Roshar, a world ravaged by ancient powers and torn by internal and external conflicts. The story explores both the personal growth of key characters and the evolution of the war between humans and the singer nation.

Plot Summary

A storm was always coming. In Roshar, where tempests shaped the very bones of the land and light itself breathed life into stones, conflict brewed in every silence. The war between the humans and the singers pressed forward, no longer a skirmish but an unrelenting siege across physical and spiritual realms. With the Everstorm now a permanent scar in the sky, the once-fractured peoples of the world were dragged toward war’s precipice, some in chains, some by choice, and others by fate.

Kaladin Stormblessed stood on the edge of hope and despair. Once a slave, now a Windrunner and hero, he found little solace in titles. He fought, yes – soared through the skies with Syl, his radiant spren, and struck down the Fused with the grace of stormlight. But each life lost carved another hollow into his heart. Command grew heavier with every battle, until even the joy of saving lives was dulled by the grief of those he could not save. He returned to Hearthstone, his birthplace, hoping to bring protection. Instead, he found more suffering – and his past waiting in silence. When the Fused came for him, bearing death and fire, Kaladin fought not only them but the unraveling within his own mind. Depression became a storm no stormlight could dispel.

Navani Kholin, Queen of Urithiru, once stood in the shadow of others. She had been wife to a king, mother to a scholar, consort to a Bondsmith – but never simply herself. Her mind, sharp and relentless, hungered to understand the mysteries of Roshar. When the ancient tower of Urithiru fell under siege from within, its magical systems sabotaged and its power dimmed, Navani remained. Isolated from her allies, with her scholars scattered or slain, she reached across the void and began to communicate with a new kind of Fused – Raboniel, the Lady of Wishes. Raboniel was no mere monster. She was a scientist, a visionary of her people. Together, in reluctant truce, the two began to unravel the secrets of light itself – of Voidlight, Stormlight, and something newly birthed between them: Warlight.

As they worked side by side, Navani balanced on the blade of danger and discovery. Her intellect was her weapon, her heart her guide. The deeper she ventured into the secrets of spren and sound, of emotion and vibration, the closer she came to something divine. But Raboniel’s purpose was never just knowledge – it was conquest masked in cooperation. Navani’s triumph came not from overpowering her enemy, but from enduring her, learning her, and, in the moment of greatest peril, creating something that had never existed: a light of anti-investiture, powerful enough to kill even a god.

Far across the ocean of beads that was Shadesmar, Adolin Kholin stepped into the heart of the spren’s domain. Sent to negotiate with the ancient, wounded race who had once bonded with humanity to create Radiants, he carried not only his father’s mission but the weight of his own identity. Adolin was no Radiant. He had no spren-bond, no oaths that surged through his veins. But he had Maya, a dead spren – or so the world believed.

In the court of the honorspren, Adolin stood trial, not for crimes, but for the sins of his kind. Humans, they said, had broken their oaths, abandoned their bonds, and betrayed trust so completely that no reconciliation was possible. Adolin disagreed. He spoke with honor, not entitlement, defended the Radiants with humility and passion, and above all, treated Maya not as a remnant but as a person. That choice shook something long forgotten. Maya, who should have remained mute and dormant, began to speak again. Something broken stirred, and Adolin’s faith proved that oaths, even shattered, might be reforged.

On the battlefield of the soul, Shallan Davar wore many faces. Veil, the confident spy. Radiant, the solemn warrior. Shallan herself, the haunted girl. Her fractured mind protected her from truths too heavy to bear – but the past does not stay buried in stone or memory. Assigned to infiltrate the Sons of Honor, she uncovered secrets deeper than sedition. Ghostbloods hunted her, seeking knowledge she barely grasped: the identity and location of Ba-Ado-Mishram, a spren of terrible power, imprisoned long ago. As her realities twisted and the truth clawed its way forward, Shallan had to face the moment she had tried to forget – the day she had bonded a Cryptic and then killed it.

She did not flee. Instead, she embraced her brokenness, not as failure but as foundation. Her personas did not vanish. They stood beside her, fragments of the whole she had become. Her truth, painful and clear, opened the path for her to swear her next ideal. In the face of shadow, Shallan chose the light.

Venli, once betrayer of her people, now walked the path of the Willshapers. With the voice of her dead sister, Eshonai, echoing in her soul, she sought to free her people from the control of the Fused and the oppression of ancient lies. Her bond with the spren Timbre offered hope, and through her journey, she discovered that freedom was not the absence of chains, but the presence of choice. Among her people, she became the whisper of rebellion and the seed of a future not shaped by hatred.

As war crashed upon every shore and the skies above Urithiru filled with screams and stormlight, the rhythm of Roshar changed. Navani’s discovery struck a chord so deep it echoed across realms. Anti-Light, a force capable of silencing immortals, turned the battle. Yet it came with cost. Raboniel perished by her own hand, and Navani, in victory, had learned the unbearable weight of understanding one’s enemy.

Kaladin, tormented and pushed to the brink, reached his final oath not with fire or fury, but with compassion. He became not merely a fighter, but a healer. In swearing to protect even those he could not save, he defied despair itself. His bond with Syl deepened, radiant and unbreakable, and in the skies above the tower, he defeated the enemy not through killing, but by bringing peace to the mind of a maddened god.

The tower awakened. Urithiru breathed again. And though wounds remained across the land and in the hearts of its people, something had shifted. Light and void had mingled. Truth had risen from lies. The rhythm of war played on, but now, beneath it, another rhythm stirred – not of conquest, but of possibility.

Main Characters

• Kaladin Stormblessed – A Windrunner radiant tormented by past trauma and battle fatigue, Kaladin’s journey in this book centers on mental health, responsibility, and his role as a protector. He struggles to reconcile his healing abilities and leadership with the weight of lives lost under his care.

• Shallan Davar – A Lightweaver with dissociative identity disorder, Shallan continues to grapple with fragmented personas while navigating espionage, self-discovery, and relationships. Her psychological complexity is central to the narrative’s exploration of identity.

• Dalinar Kholin – The Blackthorn and Bondsmith, Dalinar is a figure of immense power and ambition, striving to unite the nations of Roshar through diplomacy and divine connection. His leadership faces pressure as the war escalates and tensions rise within the coalition.

• Navani Kholin – Dalinar’s wife and a brilliant artifabrian scholar, Navani steps into a leading role as she explores ancient technologies and rediscovers her sense of worth and intellect. Her storyline is rich with emotional depth and scientific intrigue.

• Venli – Once a traitor to her people, Venli becomes a pivotal character on the path of redemption. As a Willshaper, she embodies themes of freedom, guilt, and spiritual awakening, acting as a bridge between the humans and singers.

• Adolin Kholin – Dalinar’s son, Adolin exhibits unwavering honor and empathy, particularly in his efforts to bring justice to the spren in Shadesmar. His subplot is a study in leadership, legacy, and the struggle to uphold ideals in an imperfect world.

Theme

• Mental Health and Healing – One of the most profound themes, the novel delves into PTSD, depression, and the emotional toll of war through characters like Kaladin and Shallan. The story doesn’t shy away from the psychological scars of heroism, offering an intimate portrayal of internal battles.

• Identity and Transformation – Identity is examined through spren bonds, alter egos, and cultural rediscovery. Shallan’s personas, Venli’s dual heritage, and even Navani’s reassertion of her intellectual power underscore the fluid nature of selfhood.

• Science and the Sacred – Navani’s journey explores the relationship between scientific discovery and spirituality. Her fabrial research blurs the line between technology and magic, while her personal growth questions societal constraints on intellect and faith.

• Unity and Division – The fractures among humans, between spren and Radiants, and across cultures form a recurring motif. The book probes the cost of unity, the politics of alliances, and the spiritual consequences of division.

• Legacy and Leadership – Characters are repeatedly confronted with the shadows of those who came before them and their duty to shape the future. Gavilar’s past, Dalinar’s redemption, and Kaladin’s heroism all grapple with what it means to lead honorably.

Writing Style and Tone

Sanderson’s prose in Rhythm of War is methodical and immersive, striking a balance between intellectual precision and emotional resonance. His use of multiple POVs provides layered insight into the events and characters, while his world-building remains intricately detailed. The prose is rich with metaphors rooted in the setting – such as spren manifestations, glyphwards, and storm imagery – all contributing to the atmosphere of an ancient, yet evolving world.

The tone of the novel is both introspective and epic. Sanderson deftly shifts between solemn reflection and thrilling action, creating a rhythm that mirrors the tension between war and peace, growth and stagnation. The narrative voice is compassionate yet unsparing, giving weight to emotional trauma while allowing moments of hope and triumph to shine authentically. Despite its grim themes, the tone is ultimately one of resilience and transformation.