Rhythm of War
I finished it! I went into this book expecting something mediocre and I was not disappointed. But was surprised at how uneven it was. The first 100 pages are disorienting, the next 900 pages feel like filler (and half of that ghost written?). But the last 200 pages really go somewhere! I guess people expect this from Sanderson, I certainly did, but it leaves me wondering why it's like this.
So the good part: the story gets quite interesting at the end. A bunch of character arcs and plots are paid off and a lot of stuff happens. Clearly the grand epic plan for the 5 book series is well thought out and interesting. I just don't understand why it takes so long to get there.
#1 pet peeve: the most interesting part of the book, the overarching plot, is a bunch of Cosmere machinations that require information beyond these books to understand. Characters like Wit or Mraize are essential parts of the plot. But they're not really characters, just folks who come in from off-world every once in awhile to meddle. I guess these characters get more detail in some of Sanderson's other books, because this 6000 page epic doesn't have enough room for them? It doesn't help that they all have 3 or more names, like Wit is also Hoid but also Cephandrius. The names are used interchangeably and sometimes in a way you can follow, but not always. The Coppermind wiki is helpful in following this but then it's also full of spoilers.
This book suffered in particular by sending a whole set of the actual characters off to Shadesmar, again, where Nothing Ever Happens. I guess he had to park them elsewhere for the story. For that matter a bunch of other characters also get sent off-stage and idle. The main action is in Urithiru but that also takes forever to go anywhere. I guess that was to give more character development to the Parshmen that he's elevated to major characters? It was very slow. Meanwhile other beloved characters like Shallan, Dalinar, Jasnah get short shrift. Renarin gets no narrative action at all.
One interesting character development is where he took Kaladin. In the first book he starts off as the Big Hero, then Sanderson works to undermine that trope. And so here in the fourth book he's suffering PTSD and is broken. And finds himself in the end, in a very compelling section of the final part of the book.. That narrative worked for me.
Overall it's a giant sprawling mess. But somehow entertaining enough page to page, and the last 200 pages really does pay it off. I suppose I'm in for the 5th book, you don't get this far invested without seeing the story through. Although it's promised to actually be 10 books, but the first 5 as a grouping the stand alone.