Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

I finally finished it!! This one took me months to read, and that is a forgotten experience for me. The material is heavy in many meanings of the word. I am glad that I took the time to continue forward, though. 

While they seem intimidating at almost 1,200 pages each, the "Stormlight Archive" have been some of the more rewarding books I have read. If you can get everyone on board, these could be some great book club books. Just make it more of a quarterly club. You'll have plenty of great debates.

The war between the Listeners and humans is really hitting it's stride. The occupation has thrown Navani into a role she had only dreamed of having but never confident to pursue it--scholar. But is what she's looking for best for the greater good, herself, or her enemy? I love the challenges Sanderson presents.

Speaking of challenges. Besides the typical good versus evil struggle, the "Stormlight Archive" presents very real depictions of mental health. The pressures of being Radiant really stack up for our leading characters. We see battle fatigue, depression, sociopathy, and split personality in amazing detail. But not only how people live with these, but how they adapt and cope.

Adolin's self-made challenge is probably my favorite sequence in the book. His character growth and the setting of Lasting Integrity just made me want to skip to only his chapters. Even though I predicted the results of his trial last book, I really loved the journey. After all, it is journey before destination.

Surprisingly, after all the details were dragged out and highlighted in minutiae, I was shocked at how abrupt the ending was. All the excitement and tension just kind of got swept under the rug in a way. Maybe it was the fatigue from months of reading. Let's just hope I don't forget it all by the time book five releases.