Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Blurb:
From the author of the connected universe of the Cosmere comes the standalone novel from which spring characters who later play roles in the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive.
In the world of Warbreaker, each person is born endowed with the power of one Breath―which can be sold and collected by others, then used to Awaken objects and even corpses to do their bidding. A few individuals who die in glory return as gods, with the power of thousands of Breath, but no memory of their mortal lives―and are enthroned in the Court of Gods in Hallandren’s capital. To Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris, the abuse of Breath and the claim of the Returned to be gods are repugnant blasphemy. But with one princess wed to the God King of their nation’s enemies in a bid for peace, the other finds she must rely on Breath-using mercenaries to try to rescue her sister from her monstrous husband.
Lightsong the Bold, a lesser god who doubts his own religion, starts investigating mysterious murders in the Court of Gods and uncovers haunting clues to his own forgotten past. He is one of four gods who controls the army of Awakened Lifeless soldiers, and one faction is inciting an invasion of Idris despite the marriage treaty. Vasher―wielder of the sapient sword Nightblood―works behind the scenes against the declaration of war, but Lightsong’s visions of bloodshed prophesy its inevitability. Can the new queen, unaware of her sister’s imminent rescue attempt, persuade Lightsong and also somehow get through to the aloof God King―who she has been forbidden to speak to or even look in the eyes―before her homeland is destroyed?
Review:
I’ve finally managed to experience the “Sanderlanche”! Yep, this is my first-ever Brando Sando read, and I’m not even a tad surprised to see why this dude is considered one of the modern greats. Not only that, he has unlocked the secret formula of getting books published at a faster rate than actually selling them lol. Nah, but in all seriousness, Warbreaker was a WONDERFUL DELIGHT of a novel. I was quite literally blown away by it, and immediately wanted more. Not to mention it being constantly on my mind well after I had read the last page. WOW, is all I can say.
And before I move on, a massive thanks is due to my fellow SFF Insiders Kristen and Josh for hosting the readalong on the SFFI Discord. I’m so glad I could join-in and start my Cosmere journey with you awesome folks!
What’s it about?
How do I even begin…!?
OK, I think this might do:
There were great advantages to being unimportant.
…
Unimportance. To another, it might have been offensive. To Siri it was a blessing.
The opening line, followed by a statement that defines the FMC for what’s to come…
Meet Siri – defiant, emotional, and soon to be married off to the God King of her people’s enemy nation Hallandren. Her older sister Vivenna is the complete opposite – controlled, and a woman who will do anything to free her sister from her nightmarish fate. But for both the sibling princesses of Idris, Hallandren was a place of contradictions, contrary to their own faiths and beliefs, and setting foot on the insane, overcrowded, and over-coloured capital city of T’Telir, the sisters get tangled in a plot much complex than their wildest of dreams…
But the same vast, great, and disorganized city labelled as “an orgy of color and motion”, isn’t bereft of secrets and mysteries of its own. A vagrant-looking “awakener” wielding an aptly named sword, Nightblood, is terrorizing the streets. A trio of mercenaries hired and led by Vivenna are set out to do the seemingly impossible task of rescuing Siri. Meanwhile Lightsong the Bold, a Returned God, is caught up in a web of a potential conspiracy that will shatter the already fragile peace between the two neighboring nations, nearing an all-out war…
Trust me, you ain’t ready for what’s about to unfold…
The good:
First off, the prologue was just great, especially the unique magic system that draws you in.
The start was a bit slow-paced, taking its time to set-up, but never felt boring or dragged whatsoever.
The plot was… mesmerizing! Action, drama, thrill, romance, emotions – you name it!
Now, the writing was just class on its own. No wonder about the universal love pouring in! There is undeniably something truly magical about the way it’s written. Can’t praise it enough.
The characters were incredibly penned. You will not only love them instantly, but they will be imprinted on your mind way beyond the last page. There’s a certain amount of depth and maturity about a few that I really liked, while others grow into their own as we go along.
The world/setting is on another level lol. Cosmere!? I want more of that please! The city of T’Telir literally feels alive on every page! Absolutely loved its depiction, and it has already cemented a place on my fav places in the fantasy tier list.
The magic is a touch of genius, like seriously. A “breath” of fresh air indeed (lol!). And the way it’s written and presented, you’ll be able to both see and feel all the colours! It’s so very well explained and simplified to get the reader acquainted with it.
And no doubt, the humor was simply hilarious, haha! The mystery element was a surprise and a delight in itself. And the multi-POVs were a joy to read. The Sanderlanche is real, folks! Multiple perspectives with quick moving plotlines towards the end… too much going on; fast-paced stuff, and with twists aplenty! It was so much fun!
And that ending left me wanting for more… give it to me NOW!!!
The “not so” good:
I honestly can’t dare to say anything bad about this MASTERPIECE of a book! It was a BRILLIANT read by every sense of the word!
Highlights:
“World’s a confusing place,” Denth said. “That’s what makes it fun.”
“A team of three high-priced, specialist mercenaries isn't exactly the type of thing you keep around to serve your tea." "Unless you want the tea rammed up someplace uncomfortable," Tonk Fah noted.
Mercenary humor/banter on point lol.
Other info.
LOVED the awesome b/w, 2-paged map of T’Telir at the start.
The ‘Ars Arcanum’ (by definition, “A series of in-universe appendices in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books that detail the magical systems.”) at the end was a cherry on top of the cake.
Final thoughts:
I mean, what do I say other than IT WAS A MASTERPIECE OF A READ!? It simply and truly was just that. My first-ever Brando Sando/Sanderlanche experience was one of sheer fun, thrill, and pure excitement. Every aspect of it was so well done that words can’t do justice to how much I loved pretty much everything – writing, plot, characters, worldbuilding, magic… need I say more!? Let me conclude by stating this – do yourself a favor, and read it RIGHT NOW! I seriously can’t wait to dive back into the Cosmere. The hype is very, very real indeed! EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
