Rhythm of War
Rhythm of War is an epic fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson and the fourth book in The Stormlight Archive series. It was published by Tor Books on November 17, 2020.[1] Rhythm of War consists of one prologue, 117 chapters, 12 interludes and an epilogue.[2] It is preceded by Oathbringer.
 First edition book cover | |
| Author | Brandon Sanderson |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Stormlight Archive |
| Genre | Epic fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
Publication date | November 17, 2020 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book |
| Pages | 1232 |
| ISBN | 978-0765326386 (hardcover) |
| Preceded by | Oathbringer |
As with Kaladin in The Way of Kings, Shallan in Words of Radiance, and Dalinar in Oathbringer, Rhythm of War has a sequence of flashback chapters, this time for characters Eshonai and Venli.[3]
The book features illustrations of four Heralds, as well as illustrations of all the True Spren who form Nahel Bonds save for the Bondsmith spren.[4] As with its Stormlight Archive predecessors, the unabridged audiobook is read by narration team Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.[5]
Development
The writing process for the book started in January 2019, with a publication date planned for 2020. Before deciding the title would be Rhythm of War, the working title for the novel was The Song of Changes, which Brandon stated was never meant to be the final title.[1] Later it was announced that the book would be released on November 17, 2020.[6]
Originally the book was to feature flashbacks from the point of view of Eshonai, with Venli taking center stage in the present-day timeline. Eventually Sanderson decided on mixed flashbacks, with part set from Eshonai's perspective, while the other part set from Venli's.
Sanderson has stated that the Wit epilogue of Rhythm of War is something he has been particularly looking forward to for a long time. He also stated there would be a time-jump between book three and four. While the title suggests greater focus on characters from the so-called 'singer culture', the remaining protagonists, including Kaladin Stormblessed, Shallan Davar, Dalinar Kholin and Szeth, also feature prominently.
The American cover was officially revealed on August 17, 2020.[7]
Plot
The prologue is from Navani's perspective, in which she recalls Gavilar's death.
The book begins with Kaladin traveling to his hometown of Hearthstone, to rescue the citizens and pick up a famous general, The Mink. Navani, Dalinar, and many Radiants arrive on a flying machine to assist Kaladin in evacuating the city. While the evacuation begins, the Radiants get into a battle with the Fused, which ends with no conclusive winner. Meanwhile, Kaladin is baited into a fight with his former friend Moash, who somehow induces Kaladin to have visions of traumatic experiences. Kaladin escapes to the flying machine and they fly away with the townspeople on board.
While returning, Navani is contacted by a mysterious stranger, who tells her that creating magic devices called fabrials is unethical and wrong. Fabrials are created by imprisoning a spren in a gemstone.
Readings and previews
Sanderson shared multiple fragments of Rhythm of War before publication. On July 23, Tor started the publication of preview chapters on their website.[8] Previews include:
- Two versions of a Lirin point-of-view section
- A recorded reading of a Venli POV section
- A fragment of the Navani prologue
- A very early version of an Eshonai flashback scene
- A Lift interlude
- A Syl interlude released in the July 2020 newsletter
Audiobook
The audiobook version of the book was released on the same day as the hardcover version,[5] and is read by narrator team Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, who also read The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer and several other books written by Sanderson.[9]
Publication
The book was published by Tor on November 17, 2020.
On July 12, 2020 Sanderson announced on his official Twitter account that he had finished the book and turned the manuscript in.[10] At roughly 460,000 words, Rhythm of War is slightly longer than its predecessor, Oathbringer, including a prologue, epilogue, 117 chapters and multiple interludes.[2]
References
- "Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive Book 4 is Now Officially: Rhythm of War". Tor.com. February 10, 2020.
- "Brandon Sanderson". www.facebook.com.
- "General Reddit 2019". wob.coppermind.net. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- "Tel Aviv Signing". wob.coppermind.net.
- Rhythm of War Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
- "Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive Book 4 Arrives on November 17, 2020". Tor.com. December 10, 2019.
- "Behold the Cover to Rhythm of War, the Fourth Book in Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive". Tor.com. August 17, 2020.
- Luther, Lyndsey; Arneson, Alice (July 23, 2020). "Rhythm of War Read-Along Discussion: Prologue and Chapter One". Tor.com.
- Brandon Sanderson; Michael Kramer; Kate Reading. Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive, The). Amazon.com. ISBN 9781427233073. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- "Tweet". twitter.com. Retrieved 2020-09-09.