A review by modsult
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

My rating for the book is 3.75/5, just because of the ending.

1- Magic System:

Brandon Sanderson never fails to amaze me with his magic systems. The magic system in this book was imaginative, intriguing, and not easy to grasp (I had to think about it for a while to understand how it worked). The concept of Breaths and colors was beautiful.

2- Worldbuilding:

The world has many cities, but we didn’t actually see them. For example, Idris, which plays a major part in the story, only appeared at the beginning of the book.

On the other hand, Hallandren was beautifully depicted, making it easy to immerse yourself in its colorful buildings and numerous statues. Overall, the world would have been better if we had explored more of its cities, but I expect (or at least hope) that we will see them in future books.

3- Characters:

For me, Lightsong carried the book from start to finish. His philosophical thoughts, internal conflicts, and struggle to understand himself and the world around him made him a fascinating character. The rest of the characters, however, were very average and some even felt childish to the point of being annoying.

Also, I really wish Sanderson would stop trying to write comedic lines because, honestly, he’s not good at it.

4- Pacing & Plot:

The book is somewhat slow. A lot of things are happening, yet at the same time, it feels like the story isn’t really moving forward. This issue persists until about halfway through the book, after which the pacing becomes more acceptable and the story starts gaining momentum.

5- Ending:

The Sanderlanche in this book was amazing! Sanderson tied all the events together beautifully, resolving many of the mysteries while still leaving some elements unexplained for future books. He truly excels at wrapping up stories.

For me, the ending is what made me give the book a decent rating. Otherwise it would have been the worst Cosmere book I’ve read so far.

The book is enjoyable, but overhyped. 🤷‍♂️