A review by spootilious
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

*** REREAD UPDATE AT THE END OF THE POST ***


Listen, I’m no stranger to Brandon Sanderson. The Wheel of Time is a masterpiece that couldn’t have been completed with out him. Stormlight is fantastic and Mistborn is definitely notable. However, there is one thing I can not wrap my head around: How is it when people recommend Sanderson to me they don’t start with THIS book?! What are you doing people?!!!! This is his best work by far! (from the ones I have read of course) 

Sanderson never fails to deliver when it comes to world building. His magic systems are always unique but this one… he has out done himself with this one. I don’t know where he gets these ideas, but they are stunning. 

His sentence structures and cadence are always a treat and Warbreaker is no different. The characters have depth, and the world is well rounded (pun intended). While Mistborn had a lot of religious tones throughout the work Warbreaker feels more authentic, lacing inconsistencies and translation conflicts throughout the two main religions (which as someone who has studied religion and mythology in college I greatly appreciate) making it even more intriguing. (That isn’t to say that Mistborn didn’t, but Mistborn was focused more on political religion while, though it had a political religion, Warbreaker seemed to focus more on the belief than the politics behind it.) 

 There is very little I can complain about in this book. Its almost perfect in my opinion. The only things I had to mark off on was, 1. The jumps in setting can be a bit disorienting, and 2. The ending felt a bit… unnatural. I feel like with just a few more chapters (just one more chapter) Sanderson could have had the perfect ending. I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say I wished it was a bit more action packed, allowing the reader to see the conflict that the ending hints at. 

That being said, the characters are wonderful (even vivenna who I didn’t car much for), settings are breath taking, plot twists are thrilling, and worldbuilding is stunning. 

I can honestly say I have not read a book this good in a very very long time and it has definitely earned its place as one of my favorites. 
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Read: November 21, 2023
 Title: Warbreaker 

Author: Brandon Sanderson 

Genre: Adult Fantasy
 Rating: 4 / 5
 Review: 

The second reading of this novel is obviously not as fine as the first. However I still love this story. In fact, it’s a bit difficult to find too many faults with it even still. 

I will say that it drags a bit. Sanderson is known for his endings and this one doesn’t quite have his usual flare but is still solid. Everything else though was a bit of a slog. 

Having read a lot more of Sanderson’s recent works I would like to retract my statement about this being the best book. It is still one of my favorites but it cannot hold a candle to Stormlight. I stand by my comments on religious tone and politics and appreciate it even more with this reread. 

Reading the book a second time allowed me to really appreciate the nuances and parallels between characters. I particularly love the parallels between LightSong and Siri. It also made me appreciate Sanderson’s skill in creating these intricate tapestries of  deception that fools even the reader so that his twists are all the more surprising at the end. 

I still love this book and highly recommend it. But am lowering my rating. 


  Quotes: 
 “Unknowing ignorance is preferable to informed stupidity.” 

“You see, the great thing about madness is that it's all in your head.” 

“It seems to me that the person you are when you're about to die isn't as important as the person you are during the rest of your life. Why should a few moments matter more than an entire lifetime?” 

“They all want to be involved, but nobody wants to be responsible.” 

“But he’d found that imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.” 

“The value in something relates to how it is treated, Your Grace. If you see these items as junk, then they are, regardless of what someone else would pay for them.” 

“The truth is, most people who do what you'd call "wrong" do it for what they call "right" reasons.” 

“But he’d found that imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.”