Warbreaker (Sci Fi Essential Books) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Epic fantasy heavyweight Sanderson (the Mistborn series) pens a powerful stand-alone tale of unpredictable loyalties, dark intrigue and dangerous magic. To keep a treaty made long ago, the king of Idris must send his daughter to marry Susebron, the God King of Hallandren. Loath to part with his eldest daughter, Vivenna, King Dedelin instead sends his youngest daughter, tomboyish 17-year-old Siri, who struggles to make sense of the schemers and spies in Susebron's court. Hoping to rescue her sister, Vivenna joins a group of Idrian operatives with questionable motives. As Vivenna comes to terms with her magical abilities, resurrected hero Lightsong questions the role of the undead Returned Gods, who command Hallandren's mighty army of zombie soldiers. Sanderson melds complex, believable characters, a marvelous world and thoughtful, ironic humor into an extraordinary and highly entertaining story. (June)
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Review

”Not only has Sanderson drawn a freshly imagined world and its society, he has also given us a plot full of unexpected twists and turns. . . . Anyone looking for a different and refreshing fantasy novel will be delighted by this exceptional tale of magic, mystery and the politics of divinity. Warbreaker might even take your breath away.”—Michael Moorcock

“Epic fantasy heavyweight Sanderson pens a powerful stand-alone tale of unpredictable loyalties, dark intrigue and dangerous magic. . . . Sanderson melds complex, believable characters, a marvelous world and thoughtful, ironic humor into an extraordinary and highly entertaining story.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Warbreaker

“Sanderson again demonstrates his capacity for handling large and complex themes while creating believable characters.”—Library Journal (starred review) on Warbreaker

“Hilarious dialogue, descriptive action sequences, and genuinely sweet romance. . . . Sanderson knows how to wrap things up cleanly. He spins a world that’s easily complex and mysterious enough to warrant sequels, but prefers to end it climactically, answering many of his biggest questions, while leaving others to the imagination.”—The Onion on Warbreaker

“Sanderson is clearly a master of large-scale stories, splendidly depicting worlds as well as strong female characters. . . . May the author write long and prosper.”—Booklist on Warbreaker

“A highly readable and compelling stand-alone volume from the acclaimed author of the Mistborn trilogy. . . . Highly recommended to fans of epic fantasy.”—The Romantic Times BOOKreviews 4 ½ Stars TOP PICK!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765320304
• ISBN-13: 978-0765320308
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sanderson's best yet., April 2, 2009

By	A. Richards (Mosul, Iraq) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Brandon Sanderson is hardly a rookie author. Having read Elantris and all of Mistborn, I came to the table expecting an enjoyable read out of Warbreaker. Still, I was blown away. Though a little apprehensive about reading it all on a computer screen, I was board while traveling for work, so I downloaded it. I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning because the book was so engaging. The story was excellently told, and the comic relief was spot on. Warbreaker is much better than Elantris and Mistborn in every way (except, perhaps, the magic system; alomancy is too cool). While I appreciate Sanderson's motives in writing stand alone epic fantasy, I hope that he reneges. I would be thrilled to see another novel set in the Warbreaker world. If Sanderson keeps improving at this rate, he will become the benchmark over and beyond Tolkien, Jordan or any other author you care to mention. Though I already read the free downloadable version off of Sanderson's website, I will definitely order a hardback for my personal library.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books I've Read, May 2, 2009

By	David A. Lessnau (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

Simply put, Brandon Sanderson's "Warbreaker" is one of the best books I've read. When I ordered it, I was a bit apprehensive over the official write-up and the "SciFi Essential Book" logo on the front page. Essentially, I was worried that the book might read like a comic book or a screenplay. Thankfully, that worry was unfounded. Within just a few pages, I was totally absorbed in the story. Why is the book so good? Well:

- Premise: this is one of those books where you wonder where the author comes up with even the basic premise. As stated in the official write-up: "By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished." Once I saw what the author did with that, I was amazed.
- Authorship: the technical aspects of the writing and the internal consistency of the world and characters are excellent. In many books, people and things don't necessarily behave as they should in all instances. In "Warbreaker," I never noticed any such deficiency.
- Points of View: one of the really clever things that Sanderson does is to constantly compare the main characters' points-of-view to the *expectations* of the other main characters' points-of-view. He does an excellent job of this and it leads to some interesting twists as he follows each character's development. And, finally,
- Plot Twists: there are a lot of plot twists in the book and they're done well. Usually, when I read a book, I can figure out what's going to happen right from the beginning. In this case, Sanderson has a few of those "obvious" twists present. But, there are others which spring up entirely unexpectedly. That's a rare and precious thing in an author and something to be treasured.

So, all-in-all, I loved the book and rate it an Excellent 5 stars out of 5. I highly recommend it to everyone (and I'll be reading Sanderson's other books shortly).

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars, not bad at all, May 8, 2009

By	Justin Gaines "Corporate Rocker" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

Warbreaker is the latest fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. It's a stand-alone story that has the makings of a larger series. I've heard great things about Sanderson's previous work, I jumped at the chance to try out his latest series. The story is set in a divided kingdom with two major factions on the brink of war. Magic, specifically a kind of magic called BioChromatic Breath, is the major power in the land, and is key to power and even divinity in some circles. The main players are a pair of Princesses who enter enemy lands for very different reasons, a mysterious swordsman who is more than he seems, and a frivolous god who has no belief in his own divinity.

Sanderson has presented a vibrant new world in Warbreaker, and it's obvious he has given some serious thought to how BioChromatic Breath works. That's both good and bad. It's nice to know there's a rationale behind the workings of this magic, but at the same time he spends a bit too much time explaining it. His characters seemed a little too one-dimensional and predictable, at least at first, but Sanderson definitely believes in character development. I enjoyed the fight scenes and political maneuvering, but felt that the dialogue was a bit too glib and modern. Of course, I just finished rereading George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels, so just about anything is going to pale in comparison.

I'm on the fence with this one. It dragged at times, and about midway through I decided I hated all of the characters, but the final chapters were so action-packed and unexpected I came away relatively satisfied. It also helps that, while leaving open the possibility of a sequel, Warbreaker is a single-volume story. You don't have to be invested in a massive series and can enjoy the story for what it is.