Katerina's Reviews > Rhythm of War

Rhythm of War is the epitome of high fantasy, emphasis on high; lush descriptions, wonderfully fleshed-out characters, richly-woven world-building, it’s a story that ensnares you body and soul and pulls you in heart-pounding battles and moments of courage that make you humbly acknowledge the author’s insurmountable talent. So, I won’t talk about them. Many reviews have been written that shed light on its magnitude, and my love for this series is no secret. Instead, I’ll talk about my personal experience with this book, and why it meant so much to me.

Rhythm of War was the first book I read after my father passed away last September.
It was a milestone I didn’t think I’d cross back then, because I had developed an unprecedented aversion to reading; I couldn’t look at books, I couldn’t touch or smell them, and even the mere thought of reading made me nauseous. I always believed that books are the perfect remedy for sadness and all ailments of the heart and the soul, however, during those critical times, they failed me. Perhaps this mindset was rooted in the part of me that believed that I could no longer find joy or solace in things I did Before; that I didn’t deserve to be happy or find comfort or forget, even for a few minutes, that he is gone and I won’t see him again. However, another part of me wanted to reclaim this piece of Katerina that was ripped off by his death, the book girl who lived and breathed words, but, in order to do so, I had to get past the nausea, the distaste and persist. And I knew, I simply knew that the only person who would and could accompany me in this difficult journey was Brandon Sanderson.

And I was right.

Kaladin’s battle with depression, his struggle to get up and do things and claim his place in the world, his constant descent to a bottomless darkness and his wish to stop suffering, one way or another, resonated with me in a primal level. Shallan’s refusal to acknowledge her past and accept reality and her continuous fabrications aiming at its avoidance or alteration, even though they occasionally bugged me, they showed me that no one is perfect, and you can’t escape from the hurt that haunts you if you don’t look it in the eye. Adolin’s support and persistence showed me that despite the ugly things in your mind and your heart, there are still people out there to hold you and care for you, when you can’t do it yourself. Navani’s ability to work and even enjoy things under severe stress and pressure, and Dalinar’s strength and resolve, were deeply inspiring. And those precious moments I spent being anxious for a world that it’s not my own, that dulled the pain even to a minimum degree, were my victory towards that voice in my head that still whispers that I should just sit down, wallow in despair and embrace the pain because pain is all there is.

Reading didn’t come easily after Rhythm of War. I experienced another long slump, until a couple of months ago, when I suddenly realized that I needed the distraction, as the days leading to the first anniversary of that day pass by and I relive all the horrible moments of last summer, and nowadays I’m swallowing books, trying to outrun the memories of the last time my family was whole.

Don’t worry, my other reviews won’t be this maudlin and gloomy.
I just wanted to thank Brandon Sanderson for throwing me a buoy when I was drowning.