My husband’s been trying to get me to read this book for, like, five years because he said I’d like it … and he was so right.
But shhh, don’t tell him. His head’s big enough without further inflating his ego. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure he’s officially become my wingman on finding good high fantasy, so I think I can still count this as a win for me? Boo-yah!
Warbreaker has pretty much everything you’ve come to expect from a Brandon Sanderson book: deep and delightful world-building, a complex and intriguing plot, and a cast of fabulously gray characters that you can’t help but want to hang out with.
Yes, even if that means forfeiting your life. Probably. I mean, there’s the tiniest offchance that you might survive, and isn’t that worth it?
Plus, there’s a talking sword. Did I mention that? For some reason, I have a thing about those. If you tell me a book has a talking sword in it, I’m totally there, 100%. Maybe I was a talking sword in a past life. Who knows?!
This is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city. A world transformed by a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous as breath can only be collected one unit at a time.
❧ Siri is a delight. I mean, who doesn’t love a bad-ass female lead?
I mean, you’ve got to give her credit. She tries awfully hard to be the frail, innocent damsel in distress. It’s not her fault that she’s incredibly bad at it. In fact, the only thing she’s been really good at her whole life is being insignificant, because being the youngest of four children (three girls and a boy), that makes her dispensable. Which is a great position to be in because yay, freedom! Until, suddenly, she’s not.
Siri is thrown into an impossible situation, at just 17: stop the war, save her people … preferably don’t die?
The last one was sort of optional. She’s not magical. She’s not particularly special. In fact, the only thing she’s got going for her is that she’s smart and outspoken … which is actually seen as a detriment in her society. Oops? But it made her so much more relatable, and I loved her for it.
“I like words,” Siri said. “And I always learn a few new ones when Father gets angry. I shouldn’t neglect my education, now should I?”
❧ Remember that talking sword I mentioned? Yeah, well, his name is Nightblood, and I totally want one.
It seems like every talking sword I read/see is snarky in some way. Is that a prerequisite? Maybe there’s something in the process of a making a talking sword that automatically snaps their emotional lever off at delicious sarcasm. Either way, I’m all for it!
We learn more about Nightblood as the story continues, and his backstory/origin is hinted at, but I thought his personality was brilliant.
And he does have a personality. In fact, his whole purpose is to destroy evil, which is a worthy purpose, is it not? I mean, if you ignore the teensy, tiny fact that he doesn’t actually know what evil is and kind of just guesses and assumes? He does a pretty good job of it, so I’m not complaining.
I don’t suppose you’d want to go destroy some evil, would you? the voice said. I’m not really sure what that means, to be honest. I’ll just trust you to decide.
❧ ASSASSINS! Oh, wait, that doesn’t tell you anything, does it? AWESOME ASSASSINS!
The best part about Denth and Tonk Fah is they’re enlightened assassins. They realize what a short straw their profession has drawn. Why is it that no one believes them? Or trusts them? Or always suspects them of being lying, murdering swindlers with no morals but money? GOSH. I agree with their plight. You kill one or two *mumbles*dozen*mumbles* people and suddenly you’re no longer treated like an equal. Psh.
All I’m saying is that when I take over the world, I’ll have a whole group of mercenaries like them.
Okay, maybe not 100% like them, but their banter is hilarious. I couldn’t wait for them to pop up again, just to see what they’d have to say again. Their dark humor and sarcasm is delicious, and they were easily my favorite characters in this book just for that. I couldn’t stop laughing.
❧ I’m fairly certain Lightsong the Brave is my spirit animal … and I’m not sure if that’s more of an insult to him or me?
Let’s count the ways:
✔ Being a deity is a downright hassle.
✔ Talking to people is too much work.
✔ Can’t understand why the heck anyone would take him seriously.
✔ Probably the sanest person in the book.
✔ Might die if sarcasm doesn’t come out of his mouth every two minutes.
✔ Might not, but … eh, why chance it?
✔ Is basically living one big existential crisis.
✔ Likes to play mind games with people because why the frig not?
✔ If they’re too stupid to keep up, that’s their fault.
✔ Is ridiculously extra in the most wonderful ways.
BUT WAIT! There’s more to the deity than there appears.
I actually think his character arc is the best, and his story was the one I was most eager to read. See, the Returned are considered Gods, because they’ve died once and come back. No one really questions this. Eventually, they’ll die again when they give their breaths to save someone else.
Problem. Lightsong doesn’t want to be a God. Nor does he want to sacrifice himself for someone else. That would be silly. His arc was a wild ride, but by the time I got to the end, I was so excited for how it culminated. It was perfect!
“That’s some very solid reasoning, Your Grace.”
“I know,” Lightsong said. “I feel positively unlike myself. Perhaps I need to go get drunk.”
“You can’t get drunk.”
“Ah, but I certainly enjoy trying.”
❧ Sanderson isn’t a romance writer, but his romances are often my favorites, and this is no exception.
You know why I love them so much? Because they’re healthy, even when they’re between two pretty messed up characters. And they don’t come easy. They’re earned, like all the best relationships.
The relationships in this book (and of course there are some) are slow burns between two strong characters who complement each other.
They don’t need each other. No, they chose each other. Well, for the most part. Sometimes. I’m a really big fan of those sorts of relationships, where the characters are equally strong on their own, yet they bring out new and different strengths in each other. It awakens the fangirl in me, and trust me, that’s a dangerous thing. She’s kind of rabid. And probably not up-to-date on her shots.
❧ The world-building’s fabulous, the plots are intricate and well woven together, trust no one, yada, yada, yada, Sanderson.
If you’ve read one Sanderson book, you should know pretty well what to expect by now. And if you haven’t … what’s wrong with you? No, off with you. Go to your room, and don’t come out until you’ve finished one.
All the things that make Sanderson’s works great are present in this book … except for a sequel.
AND WHAT THE FRIG IS UP WITH THAT? It was promised foreverrrrr ago. And there’s still technically a “yeah, I plan to do this eventually, but don’t hold your breath.” But it’s obviously meant to be the first in a series. I’d settle even for a short series. The second one even has a name—Nightblood. As in the freaking sword I love and would totally be willing to sacrifice 1,000 people to create, if only it were that simple.
I read the Mistborn trilogy earlier this year, and while I enjoyed it and plan to reread it so I can appreciate more all the plot twists and such, I felt there was something missing, something that kept me from completely falling in love with it. One of the things is the lack of diversity in some aspects (like sexuality, gender identity, etc) and after reading Warbreaker, I realized another things was that I need my high fantasy to have either a good romance or a good dose of humor to temper all the… heaviness of the plot/worldbuilding. So I enjoyed Warbreaker a lot, I hope he does write the sequel!
I actually haven’t read the Mistborn trilogy yet (it’s on my list), much to my husband’s disappointment. XD I started it, but had a hard time getting into it, so I ended up putting it aside for a while. I definitely get where you’re coming from, though. I usually need something else, too, to counterbalance all the dark, whether it’s humor or the promise of a good romance or whatever, as you said. I’m glad you liked Warbreaker, too. 🙂