Rhythm of War (9781429952040)
“Rhythm of War” is the fourth installment in Brandon Sanderson’s epic fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive. Set on the planet Roshar, the novel continues the conflict between Dalinar Kholin’s coalition of Knights Radiant and the forces of Odium, a malevolent god seeking dominion. The story delves deeper into the psychological and emotional struggles of key characters, including Kaladin, Shallan, and Navani, as they grapple with war, trauma, and the mysteries of ancient magics. Themes of resilience, identity, and the cost of power are explored amidst intricate world-building and high-stakes battles. The book expands the Cosmere universe, revealing new layers of lore and setting the stage for future confrontations.
22. No Use Talking
bySanderson, Brandon
Adolin and his soldiers prepare to enter Shadesmar, a surreal realm with a black, starless sky and a distant, frail sun. The control room they expected is replaced by two towering spren—one marble white, the other onyx—who serve as gatekeepers. Adolin thanks them, and the marble spren explains they now obey the Stormfather after the death of their parent, the Sibling. This shift in allegiance allows the group to enter, as the Sibling had previously forbidden passage. The scene sets the stage for the strange and otherworldly nature of Shadesmar.
The platform they stand on is one of ten, each atop tall pillars resembling the Oathgates of Urithiru. Below lies a vast bead ocean, while above looms a shimmering, radiant tower of light and color, swarming with emotion spren. These spren, drawn by human emotions, appear more organic and beast-like here. Despite their potential danger, the tower’s nature offers protection, leaving them calmer. The group takes a moment to absorb the breathtaking vista, a blend of beauty and mystery unique to Shadesmar.
Adolin surveys the Radiants and their personal spren, each with distinct forms and personalities. Pattern, Shallan’s spren, stands out among the Cryptics with his lively demeanor. Zu’s spren, Ua’pam, resembles a molten mountain, while Godeke’s cultivationspren is composed of delicate vines. The most enigmatic is Arshqqam’s mistspren, a feminine figure made of fog with a porcelain mask for a face. Her playful yet probing questions unsettle Adolin, highlighting the spren’s curiosity about human perceptions.
The chapter underscores the complexities of the Radiants’ bond with their spren and the ever-shifting dynamics of Shadesmar. Adolin’s awe and uncertainty reflect the realm’s unpredictable nature, where ancient orders clash with new allegiances. The vivid descriptions of the tower, the spren, and the gatekeepers immerse readers in a world where light, emotion, and mystery intertwine. This journey into Shadesmar promises both wonder and peril as the group navigates its enigmatic landscape.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of the two enormous spren that greet Adolin’s group in Shadesmar, and what does their presence reveal about the current state of Urithiru?
Answer:
The two towering spren—one marble white and the other onyx—are sentries of the gateway to Shadesmar, previously commanded by the Sibling, a mysterious spren tied to Urithiru. Their dialogue reveals the Sibling is either dead or dormant, leaving the gatekeepers without clear guidance. However, some now obey the Stormfather’s authority, indicating a shift in power dynamics among spren hierarchies. This highlights Urithiru’s compromised state, as the Sibling’s absence has disrupted ancient systems. The sentries’ compliance with Dalinar and the Stormfather also underscores the latter’s growing influence in the absence of other Bondsmiths (pp. 321–322).2. How does the depiction of Shadesmar in this chapter contrast with the physical realm of Roshar, and what thematic role does this setting play?
Answer:
Shadesmar is described as having a black, starless sky and a distant, frail sun that illuminates the landscape but not the heavens—a stark contrast to Roshar’s vibrant storms and daylight. The tower of Urithiru appears as a shimmering, crystalline mountain of light, swarming with emotion spren that behave more organically and aggressively than in the physical realm. This surreal environment emphasizes the “cognitive” nature of Shadesmar, where perceptions and ideas manifest physically. The setting underscores themes of duality and hidden truths, as characters confront the metaphysical underpinnings of their world (pp. 321–323).3. Analyze Adolin’s interactions with the Radiant spren in this chapter. What do these encounters reveal about human-spren relationships and cultural misunderstandings?
Answer:
Adolin’s curiosity about the spren—such as Pattern’s distinct mannerisms, Ua’pam’s rocky form, and the mistspren’s provocative questions—highlights the complexity of human-spren bonds. The mistspren’s teasing (“Do you think me pretty or a monster?”) exposes cultural friction: humans anthropomorphize spren, while spren challenge these assumptions. Ua’pam’s protective interjection further shows how spren mediate relationships among themselves. These interactions reveal that mutual understanding is still evolving, with spren asserting their autonomy and humans grappling with their non-human nature (pp. 322–323).4. Why is the ability to transport groups into Shadesmar via the Oathgates significant, and what limitations do Radiants like Shallan and Jasnah face in this regard?
Answer:
The Oathgates’ functionality is crucial for large-scale travel to Shadesmar, as individual Radiants have severe limitations. Shallan can enter Shadesmar alone but cannot bring others or return without assistance, while Jasnah—despite her advanced abilities—struggles with self-transportation. This makes the sentries’ cooperation vital for group missions, as seen with Adolin’s soldiers and horses. The logistical challenges emphasize the strategic importance of the Oathgates and the fragility of human access to Shadesmar, tying survival to fragile alliances with spren (pp. 321–322).5. How does the chapter use sensory descriptions to convey the awe and disorientation of entering Shadesmar? Provide specific examples.
Answer:
The text immerses readers in Shadesmar’s uncanny atmosphere through vivid sensory details: the “black as midnight” sky lacking stars, the tower’s “mother-of-pearl radiance,” and the emotion spren that “soared, crawled, and climbed” like a hive. Auditory cues include the sentries’ “booming” voices and the mistspren’s “tinkling like cracking glass” speech. These descriptions evoke both wonder and unease, mirroring the characters’ mixed reactions—Adolin’s stunned silence, Zu’s exhilarated hug of her spren—and grounding the surreal experience in tangible details (pp. 321–323).
Quotes
1. “Our parent, the Sibling, has died. We will obey him instead.”
This quote from the marble sentry spren reveals a pivotal shift in Shadesmar’s power dynamics, highlighting the consequences of the Sibling’s death and the Stormfather’s emerging authority over the gatekeepers. It introduces a key conflict about legacy, obedience, and changing hierarchies in the spren world.
2. “The tower was the same color the sky turned in Shadesmar when a highstorm was passing over Roshar. And the place was positively swarming with emotion spren on this side.”
This vivid description captures the awe-inspiring beauty and strangeness of Shadesmar’s landscape, emphasizing the deep connection between human emotions and the spren realm. It showcases Brandon Sanderson’s signature worldbuilding by blending visual grandeur with cosmological significance.
3. “Do you like staring at me, human? We mistspren can choose our forms, you know… Do you think me pretty, or do you think me a monster?”
The mistspren’s provocative questioning represents the chapter’s exploration of perception and identity across realms. This exchange humorously highlights the cultural gaps between humans and spren while touching on deeper themes of otherness and subjective reality.
4. “It wasn’t until coming here that Adolin had realized just how many spren the humans of Urithiru attracted.”
This insight reveals the hidden symbiotic relationship between humans and spren, suggesting that human activities have far-reaching consequences in the cognitive realm. It underscores one of the book’s central themes about interconnectedness across dimensions.