Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

 

Series: The Stormlight Archive (#4), The Cosmere

Format: 1230 pages, Paperback

Published: November 17, 2020 by Gollancz

Fantasy

Own

I just can't---1200 pages!!! How do I even review that?! Seriously?!

Ok, so the beginning was tough, I did give up once. I read the last book 3 years ago, I could not remember anything. But then I braved it again and dove in (cos no, I am not re'reading every book every 3rd year.) And sure, there were things I was not sure of but it was still a thrilling ride.

Then I read the review of book 3, ha, there too I had the same questions. Like why are Shallan 3 people? How does the magic work? But he is just so damn good so it all works.

This was also the book of depression and ptsd.

Adolin is a right sweetheart.

Omg Kaladin, my heart.

These books are great, but yeah, maybe wait until they are all out cos else you will wait years in between books and forget it all. But then again then you will have to wait like 30 years

After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage.

Now, as new technological discoveries begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

At the same time that Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his changing role within the Knights Radiant, his Windrunners face their own problem: As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants. Adolin and Shallan must lead the coalition’s envoy to the honorspren stronghold of Lasting Integrity and either convince the spren to join the cause against the evil god Odium, or personally face the storm of failure

TMST

 

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10/26/2021 What is your real-life superpower?

Speed reading? Speed listening?

I got nothing

11/2/2021 Sci-Fi Stories: do you read them? Futuristic? Machine? Space Opera? Sci-Fi Romances?

11/9/2021 Do you use reading subscriptions (e.g., Kindle Unlimited, Scribd, etc)? Why/why not?

11/16/2021 Do authors/narrators actions, political beliefs, etc impact your view of their work?

11/23/2021vGratitude. What books/authors/narrators/bloggers are you most thankful for this year?

11/30/2021 Book cover love: Share some book covers that you loved in 2021

Carole's Monday: When the skies cry

Author: Steve N. Lee 

Title: When The Skies Cry

(Books for Dog Lovers)

Genre: Fiction, Animals

Format: ebook

Published: October 22nd 2021

Where I Got It: My shelf (given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Summary: 

Harley loses everything when his master dies — his home, his best friend, his reason for living. Day after day, he trudges the streets, trembling from the biting cold, whimpering from the gnawing hunger.

Across town, Rachel has an alimony hearing looming and a make-or-break deadline hurtling toward her, yet they aren’t her biggest worries — her autistic son has withdrawn so far into his own private world, he barely acknowledges she even exists.

Luckily, the magic of life is in the surprises no one ever sees coming…

Review:

This is my second book by this author. I absolutely loved the other one so I was excited to read this one next!

We follow Harley who loses everything when his beloved owner dies. He finds himself on the streets and alone with an empty tummy. Across town, we also follow Rachel who has an alimony hearing looming and a make-or-break deadline for work heading her way. On top of that, she is trying to take care of her autistic son who has severely withdrawn since his father left. Luckily, life is full of surprises that no one ever sees coming. 

Oh man. The author has done it again.

All the feels are here friends. Joy, happiness, sadness, glee, tears.....all of them. It was a roller coaster of emotion. It was so heart-warming and you won't put it down. I finished it within a day (dang work slowing me down). I just HAD to know what was going to happen especially after a couple of events. Can't say. No spoilers here!!! It would ruin the tale for sure. 

The author really knows how to bring all characters to life. Not just the people, but our fuzzy characters as well. Fabulous. Fantastic. 

This is for sure a big contender for book of the year (I've gotten a couple already there - so there will be some stiff competition in December when I have to pick!). This had everything and you can't help but root for this little family. 

That ending.....oh that ending. If you feel nothing at the end....you are heartless. It was so good. Did NOT see any of that happening. 

Overall, fantastic read. I highly recommend this. It's technically book 2, but there is no order, but you should read both this and the first one. I see a 3rd book is coming out....can't wait!! Read it. It'll give you all the feels. 5 stars of course. 

Audio. Everything within and in between by Nikki Barthelmess

Narrated by: Frankie Corzo

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Release date: 10-05-21

Publisher: HarperAudio

YA Fiction

To review

Maria, Ri, lives with her grandmother. Study hard, get into Yale or something, and live a better life than they did. She is also white passing and her grandmother thinks this is another great thing that will help her in life. They never spoke Spanish around her either and Ri knows nothing about her Mexican roots.

Ri did have this blind faith to her at times. Sure her grandmother was hard, but she genuinely wanted  a better life for her grandkid. Not having to work from dusk to dawn, not having people look at you like you might snatch their purse. But she also neglects that Ri might want other things and go make her own choices.

Which brings us to her choices. People tell her that this one guy might not want what she wants. But she thinks they are idiots. Sure, you are a teen, and sometimes they think with their lower parts. Then she tries something, and does not understand why her friends thinks that is a bad idea. I can't say I liked how she made everything into something else. Oh and last her mum, blind faith in the mom she has not seen for dunno, 12 years? If your mum loved you she would have come back, maybe listen to bitchy grandma for once.

So a bit too many bad choices, I can take some, but I had to agree with grandma, and dang that made me feel old. Can't blame it all on being a teen, I would not have tried cocaine is all I am saying.

But it is a journey book, you have to make some damn stupid mistakes to see what truly matters, good friends, family and love.

It also deals with some hard subjects when she is trying to find out who she is.

But I enjoyed it. It was a fast listen. A good read

Good narration. This was my first time listening to this narrator, and I would listen to her again. She did a great job with different voices and had the right feel of things

For Ri Fernández’s entire life, she’s been told, “We live in America and we speak English.” Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has never been allowed to learn Spanish.

What’s more, her grandma has pulled Ri away from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up trying to fit in among her best friend’s world of mansions and country clubs in an attempt try to live out her grandmother’s version of the “American Dream”.

In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try to turn her into someone she’s never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: her heritage and her mom.

But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn’t who Ri imagined she would be, and finding her doesn’t make Ri’s struggle to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is - not even Ri herself.