Warbreaker

Written by Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by James Yaegashi

An author whose previous, wildly successful novels have earned him a reputation as fantasy’s master of magic, Brandon Sanderson continues to dazzle audiences with this tale of princesses and gods. In this extraordinary world, those who attain glory return as gods. And those who can master the essence known as breath can perform the most wondrous miracles—or unleash the most devastating havoc.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440760457

Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author, who writes for both adults and younger readers. Amongst others, he's known for his Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series, the latter including The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. He's also completed the final books in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, based on Jordan's notes and material. Sanderson teaches writing at Brigham Young University and lives in Utah.

Reviews for Warbreaker

[comfypants · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A 2009 novel, book 5 in the Cosmere universe.Two princesses try to avoid war with a country ruled by gods.B (Good).Of the three Cosmere series I've read so far, this one is easily set in the least interestingly developed world. There's a lot about it that isn't explained, or that doesn't end up mattering. The "Awakening" powers - the magic that main characters use - could have been left out without significantly changing the plot. Meanwhile, the story is focused on court intrigue, with relatively little action/adventure. It's still a good book, though. It's a page-turner, with plenty of fun bits to keep me entertained. I just have high expectations for Sanderson.(Dec. 2022)

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lovely world to live in for awhile, where color is the source of power. I enjoyed this read, at the end I was wishing for more.

[bbbart-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really nice and interesting fantasy novel. Indeed quite different from other books in the same genre.

The magic system is quite intricate, yet easy to understand and *very* nicely explained throughout the book without hindering the flow of the story. The set of characters is not too large, but diverse enough to allow for recognition and likeability of their personalities.

About 80% into the story, the plot starts to twist and turn and take extraordinary directions which kept me from putting it down. The finale is amazing.

Great book for fantasy lovers, well written and easy to follow, yet interesting plot with wonderfully evolving characters.

If Warbreaker turns out to become a series, I'll certainly go for it.

[merlucito · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my first Sanderson book. I started with this one because is a standalone just in case I didn't like his writing style or something... but... I love it. I mean, I was already a fan of Sanderson because of his YouTube channel (I watched all his classes about writing and that stuff) and so I'm really glad that his work fulfill my expectations.What I can say about this book? I'll try to write something coherent lolFirst off: the magic system.I was hooked from the very beginning! I knew that it was based on colors, but I wasn't expecting this wonderful system. All the rules and limitations, the exploration of those and all the different perspectives and prejudices about it... just my cup of tea.**SPOILERS**The characters:I loved Siri and Susebron, Lghtsong, Vasher and Denth. I didn't care much about Vivena, specially in the first half but then in the end I kind of liked her. Not as much as the rest tho. Lightsong is my spirit animal, there's no other way of expressing it. In the moment he appeared I was like "yes, this is me". I even send a screenshot of one of his lines to my boyfriend and his immediate response was "that's you". He's my favorite character, for sure.I was really sad when his dead came, but also kind of happy because he finally realized what he was suppose to do with his life, the meaning of it and of himself, that realization, that moment of clarity, the vision of his *first* death and the understanding of his own self just make me love his character even more. And obviously the fact that he gave his life to help Susebron was just perfect.The plot: I was intrigued from the beginning. I didn't know where we were going but when it clicked and was even more hooked.I was totally fooled by Denth and could't believe his betrayal. I honestly thought that Vivena was hallucinating when it happened lol He was my second favorite character after all. Still was even after that betrayal. I would want to know more about his backstory thought.The plot with Susebron's priests was really fascinating, I love that kind of stuff. Everything about the God Kings was actually fascinating and I love the fact that Siri was just in the middle of it investigating and using her resources the best she could. Their romance was so cute and cool, too! I loved her character growth.I kind of called the ending, with Lightsong giving his life to heal Susebron and Vasher being both Peacegeaver and Kalad but that didn't make less epic. I looooooved that last two/three chapters.**END OF SPOILERS**SO, basically... I LOVED THIS BOOK.That's it.

[jennifer7089 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 /5 stars. Favorite character is Lightsong. He is a funny God lol.

[pdcread · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about two kingdoms, Idris and Hallandren. They have been passive enemies for hundreds of years, and tensions are rising once again as preparations are made for war. As a offering to make stronger ties Idris have bethrothed one of their princesses to the God King of Hallandren. Vivenna was the girl originally chosen and spies from Idris have learnt all they could about her prior to her marriage. At the last minute the King decides to send another daughter, Siri to unsettle the Hallandrens.

Hallandren has the returned, people who have come back to life after performing a heroic deed. They act as gods in their own right, being ageless, and having their own priests and followers. They sit in the court listening to petitions and indulge themselves.

The magic of this world that Sanderson has created, is BioChromatic. It draws colour from one person to another, and is made from an ethereal substance called breath. The Idrian shun this and wear olin tones, whereas the Hallandren Awakeners use the magic to bring objects an even the recently deceased to life.

After Sirs is sent to be married, Vivenna follows secretly to see if she can free her. As they both come to terms with their new city they both start to see that war plans there are well advanced. Vivenna joins in trying to disrupt them, and Siri is learning that all is not what it seems in the royal court.

As the plotting and story unfolds, both the sisters lives are threatened by parties seeking power, influence and revenge.

Generally i enjoyed this. I thought that the magic system was great, well though through and cohesive and very original. I though a little less of he plot though, there are not many twists to it, and those that are there are not the type that make you stop and go 'Oh, wasn't expecting that.' It is touch too YA for my liking as well, but that said I thought it was worth reading.

[mattries37315 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Princesses, an atheistic god, two near immortals who have history, a zombie army, and an interesting magic system that involves color can only result in something very interesting happening. Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker follows two princesses in a strange land, a grumpy near immortal, and a god that doesn’t believe in himself as politics, religion, and personal conflicts swirl together to either bring peace or war.Idrian princess Vivenna has been prepared her entire life to marry the God King but at the last moment her father sends her unprepared and carefree youngest sister Siri instead. Vivenna follows hoping of save her sister and meets with Lemex, her father spy in the city, and a team of mercenaries in his employ led by Denth. However, Lemex dies shortly thereafter, though not before bequeathing his large sum of BioChromatic Breath to her. Vivenna and Denth’s team begin making guerilla attacks against Hallandren's supply depots and convoys that will hopefully give the Idrians an advantage in the seemingly inevitable war all the time watched by one Vasher, a mysterious man who can use his Breath to Awaken objects and wielder of a sentient sword called Nightblood. Siri, after spending many terrified nights waiting for the God King to consummate the marriage, finds that he is not actually the feared entity that she thought, but has actually had his tongue cut out by his priests, making him nothing more than a figurehead. They bond as Siri teaches the God King to communicate, however she comes believes that the priests are secretly plotting to kill her and the God King if she produces an heir, and fears that Hallandren will soon launch a war against Idris. Siri finds potential allies in the unorthodox god Lightsong, who is plagued by nightmares of war and is struggling to discover his purpose, and the Pahn Kahl servants headed by Bluefingers. After being temporarily kidnapped by Vasher, Vivenna discovers that Denth is not working for her but against her, having been hired by an unknown third party to instigate the war with Idris, and she barely escapes their custody with her life. Vasher finds her after weeks hiding and living destitute in the Idrian slums of Hallandren. Together, Vivenna and Vasher work to undo the damage done by Denth and avert the war before Vivenna convinces Vasher to try and save her sister. However, Vasher is captured and tortured by Denth, who is revealed to have been working for the God King's Pahn Kahl servants, who are trying to incite war between the Idrians and Hallendren so that they can take gain their freedom. The servants capture Siri, kill many of the God King's priests, and throw the God King in the dungeon along with several gods including Lightsong. The Pahn Kahl, having gained the Commands to control the city's undead Lifeless army, send them to attack the Idrians and start the war. Lightsong sacrifices himself by giving the God King his Breath, which heals the king, giving him his tongue back and allowing him access to his godly cache of BioChromatic power and save Siri from being murdered. During this Vivenna uses her own budding powers to break into the God King's palace and free Vasher, who kills Denth. Vasher reveals that he is actually one of the Five Scholars, ancient beings who originally discovered the Commands for using BioChromatic Breath, and bestows upon the God King the code to awaken the city's secret army of nearly indestructible D'denir Lifeless soldiers that sent to destroy the Lifeless army before it can reach Idris. While Siri and the God King begin a new rule and life together, Vivenna joins Vasher as he sets out on another quest to a distant land.The narrative of the story is divided between point-of-views of Siri, Vivenna, Lightsong, and Vasher thus giving a wide swath of the two distinct cultures and religions that have vast misunderstandings not only with one another but within themselves. Sanderson’s creation of such a unique magic system is by itself a reason to read the book because of just how innovative it is and how it’s still not completely understood by those who use it even a long-lived individual like Vasher who helped shaped what is already known. Sanderson’s princess swap at the beginning of the story caused instant character reexamination and growth that helps drive the narrative while at the same time Lightsong’s quest to figure himself out while the populous believes him to be a god was another unique perspective that helped pushed the narrative forward in many locations. There is so much that was good, that it’s hard to find something to criticize.Warbreaker is a unique standalone book within Brandon Sanderson’s larger Cosmere that blends fascinating characters and cultures with a stunning magical system to create an amazing narrative. If you’re interested in reading a Sanderson book and don’t want to be stucked into a series, this is the book you should read.

[malexmave · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is probably the definition of a 4-Star book for me. All in all, I liked the book. It had interesting characters, a new magic system that was pretty interesting, and some twists I did not see coming until a few pages before they happened (And some not even then).

I really enjoyed the character development that Lightsong (One of the Gods) did undergo, and I loved his way of talking to everyone. He was by far my favourite character.

So, why no 5 stars? I feel like some chances have been wasted in this book. I can't go into detail without spoilers, so I can't really give my reasons for this, but I was a bit disappointed about some of these.

Other than that: The book has a pretty open ending, but, as far as I know, no follow-up books are planned. I mean, come on, you can't change from the final encounter to the epilogue and then only give a halfway proper ending to two of the main characters and leave the others without even a hint of what their future might be. Again, I can't give too much details for spoilers, but the ending just felt cheap.

And then there is the general feeling of the book. Almost all the books I rated as 5 stars gripped me and refused to let go of me before I finished reading them (With mostly bad consequences for my studying habits). I had no problem putting down this book, and I did not feel all too immersed in it. I know that not every book can totally grip you, but that's one of the reasons not every book can get 5 stars.

I would recommend the book to fans of Brandon Sanderson and people who are interested in new magic systems, and not so much in good endings and a heavily gripping plot.

[mlleehreen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You know, a good fantasy series is a gift that keeps on giving. You read it, you enjoy it, you get to look forward to more and feel reasonably sure that you'll enjoy it too. I was a little leery of picking up a single-volume all-in-one fantasy, because I'm so used to searching around for the next great series. But actually, this was perfect. It was really nice to get a whole story in one book.

The world building is excellent - I could picture everything perfectly. Sanderson managed to set the scene in a way that kept me immersed in the sights, sounds, feel and taste of an alien world without ever detouring into lengthy, hyper-detailed descriptions. He created a magic system that was unique, interesting, and easy to understand. I tend to judge a magic system by how well the author works out checks and balances - what is the cost of magic, what are its limitations? Sanderson's idea of Breath, and of the Returned, is one of the most elegant and poignant examples I have ever run across.

I liked the characters - the sisters, Siri and Vivenna, made an excellent contrast to one another and I rooted for them both. Lightsong was hilarious, and the comic relief welcome. Nobody seemed flat.

There wasn't anything in Warbreaker that bugged or annoyed me. No flaw that I had to overlook. That may not sound like much but really it's a miracle. I'm a nitpicker and I had no nits to pick. OK, I take that back...there's a particular plot device here that Sanderson uses one time too many, and that bugged me. So one nit.

I'd happily recommend it to anyone who's jonesing for a good fantasy story. The book didn't blow me away, make me jump for joy, but it was absolutely satisfying.

[mzieg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Certainly not on the same level as Mistborn or Elantris, but engaging enough in its own childlike way. Clearly less dark, and with less tension, than either of those previous worlds, yet continuing Sanderson's ever-fascinating obsession with exploring the nature of religion from multiple perspectives. The one character I found really memorable was the god Lightsong, the divine cynic with a positively Zelaznian worldview.

(To be clear, I read version 4.0 up through the first half, at which point it became clear that the HTML versions were missing large chunks of the final story, at which point I upleveled to the 6.1 PDF :-)

[jeremypreacher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Brandon Sanderson does one-shot fantasies very well - he comes up with interesting magic systems and plays with the implications in a very readable fashion. Warbreaker was up to his usual standard.

[helgagrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Warbreaker is the latest effort by Brandon Sanderson, otherwise known as the Man Who is Taking Over for Robert Jordan and finishing the Wheel of Time series. Sanderson, however, is by now a pretty well-established fantasy author in his own right, beginning his career with the one-shot Elantris and winning my attention with the intriguing Mistborn trilogy. Sanderson's greatest strength is undoubtedly his ability to build fascinating and remarkably complete worlds and magic systems, and his latest is no different. Warbreaker is a hefty volume in which magic wielders use color-based BioChromatic Breath to animate objects, and one of the countries is ruled by "Returned" (those who come back to life with godlike levels of Breath, the most powerful of whom is the God King). While this may sound a little confusing based on my lame explanation, it's introduced and used in such a way that the magic system becomes completely believable, though it is never fully explained.



The book's setting is the capital city of Hallandren, a country that is, by all indications, preparing to wage war on neighboring Idris. It focuses on five characters: two royal Idrian sisters, one of whom is promised in marriage to the mysterious and threatening God King; her rebellious younger sister; the unwilling god Lightsong, who feels that indolence is his highest calling; the aforementioned God King; and the mysterious Vasher, who could be on either side of the looming conflict. Sanderson balances the viewpoints carefully, weaving a sophisticated plot between these genuinely enjoyable protagonists as he also allows their characters to mature. Warbreaker is deeply concerned with questions of faith and ethics: What does it mean to believe in a religion where you can see the gods, versus one where you can't? What if someone viewed as a god had a difficult time believing his own divinity? How far would you compromise your beliefs to save something important to you? As usual with a Sanderson book, there were things that I didn't see coming (masterful plotting is another of his strengths), and I have to give this book the highest form of praise I can: I finished it yesterday, but was still thinking about it today. I am a little reluctant to take it back to the library . . . but, on the negative side, there were a few editorial choices that bothered me, including the decision to have the chaste, pure Idrian princesses speak so openly and casually about sex. It just didn't seem to fit with their characters as introduced to the reader. Still: highly recommended. I'm sure it's going to take several years for a sequel, but I'll read it on the day it comes out.



Warbreaker is available for free online, in its entirety, thanks to the generosity of the author. The most recent version is the same as the edition recently published in hardcover--really. It's just a PDF of the proof.

[chriskrycho · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first of Sanderson's books I read, and I read it for free (as he makes it available for free on his website). I was skeptical of the man chosen to finish The Wheel of Time - and came out so enthused I promptly bought the book.

[stefferoo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's official. I've been thoroughly spoiled by The Way of Kings and the newer novellas that Sanderson has written in the last couple of years.Anyway, let's first start with what this book is about. As with most of his works, explanation of the world lore and magic system in Warbreaker will take at least a few paragraphs alone, so here we go. This is a story of two kingdoms on the verge of war. Idris and Hallandren have been at odds for centuries, due to irreconcilable differences in their culture, religion and beliefs.The magic in their world is BioChromatic, one based on drawing power from color while being fueled by an essence called "Breath". Breath is considered almost like a soul to the people of Idris; without a Breath you are called a "Drab". Indeed, the Idrians wear grey-scale colors and shun the practice by Hallandren Awakeners who use Breath to bring objects to life and even reanimate the dead for their Lifeless army.Sometimes, the dead also come back to life if they die in glory, and in Hallandren these people are known as the Returned and are worshiped as gods. One of the main characters in this novel, Lightsong the Bold is one such individual. However, he and the other gods require taking in at least one Breath a week to remain alive. Luckily in this world, Breath can be sold, bartered and collected like any other trade good. With his or her Breath, a Returned god can heal or do other amazing things, but the catch is, he or she cannot give their Breath away with dying.Events kick off when Siri, princess of Idris, is sent to Hallandren to marry their God King in accordance to a treaty to try to stave off the war, taking the place of her older sister Vivenna at the last minute. Vivenna, feeling snubbed and robbed of the duty she has been preparing for her whole life, secretly makes her way to Hallandren as well in an attempt to rescue her little sister. But despite their best efforts to avert the conflict, war might be inevitable anyway.I've said it before and I'll say it again; I don't think Sanderson is capable of writing a bad book in my eyes, but I just like some of them better than others. There are several things about Warbreaker that kept it from being one of my favorites, the main reason being the BioChromatic magic system. Out of all the worlds and systems that Sanderson has ever created, I don't think this was one of his strongest ones.Admittedly, it could be a personal preference and my own difficulty in imagining a magic system based around color. As an artist, colors in all their glorious hues and tones play a huge part in my life, and sometimes it's hard to picture in my head the characters' manipulations of it in fantasy. I remember having a tough time wrapping my head around the chromaturgy magic system in Brent Weeks' The Black Prism as well, that being another book with its magic based around color.Also, for the first time, a Sanderson character managed to annoy me. Lightsong wasn't an unlikeable character or badly written by any means, but he grated on my nerves. I understood that he was meant to come off as a clownish buffoon, but some of his jokes were so outrageously lame and tacky that I couldn't help but cringe in my seat. In contrast, I very much enjoyed the characterization and development of the two sisters though; both Siri and Vivenna grow in ways throughout the course of this novel that are believable and endear the reader to them.

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Finally checked out Sanderson on the enthusiastic recommendation of a friend. Solid fantasy with interesting magic system. It was an e-book freebie and had a few annoying typos, but it was overall enjoyable.

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What happens when you take two princesses from a foreign kingdom, a god who doesn't believe in his own religion, a pacifist warrior with a sentient sword, an all powerful king that's little more than a figurehead and some philosophizing mercenaries, put them in a tropical city and give it all a shake? If you're Brandon Sanderson you get Warbreaker.Princess Vivenna of Idris has prepared all her life for the fate that awaits her: to become the bride of the God King of Halladren and, by marrying him, help her kingdom avoid war. Much to everyone's surprise the King of Idris decides instead to send his youngest, and unprepared, daughter Siri to be the God King's bride in Vivenna's place. Feeling robbed of the only purpose of her life, Vivenna follows her sister to Hallendren in hopes of rescuing Siri from her fate and hoping to somehow stop the war that everyone knows is inevitable. What neither of them expects are the webs of intrigue they both stumbled into - Siri in the Court of Gods and Vivenna in the city's underworld.The story alternates between four different points of view: Siri, Vivenna, Vasher (pacifist warrior) and Lightsong (atheist god). The story is complex with many layers of intrigue that take their time being revealed. Almost nothing is as it seems. Both princesses are interesting, opposites yet similar in many ways, and go on significant character arcs. Vivenna, thinking she's worldy, learns just how little she knows about basically everything while Siri, terrified yet resilient, tries to remember some of her lessons as to how a princess is supposed to act. Vasher, introduced at the outset, has the biggest mystery around his character that lasts to the very end. Lightsong ended up being my favorite with his irreverent attitude, proclaiming himself lazy and useless, his quirky sense of humor and yet he's the only one asking the right questions when the time comes. They are supported by a secondary cast that's just as interesting and fleshed out as the main characters. I especially loved Lightsong's much suffering head priest Scoot and was surprised at how I came to care for Susebron.We're introduced to yet another fascinating magic system based on colors and Breath. Breath is similar to life force, yet not exactly, and the more Breaths you have, the more powerful you are and various abilities manifest once you reach a certain amount of Breaths. It's a difficult system to explain and the book takes it time to reveal the concept slowly. The book is slow a slow burn. Just as it starts to pick up it bogs down again in the middle and has a habit of repeating itself, especially around Vivenna's observations of Hallendren city. She is very opinionated! Things pick up again and then it's off to an amazing climax. While this is a self contained story, I was left with a lot of questions. I'd especially love a prequel to learn the history of this world and its magic.

[drachenbraut23 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“I try to avoid having thoughts. They lead to other thoughts, and—if you're not careful—those lead to actions. Actions make you tired. I have this on rather good authority from someone who once read it in a book.” “Unknowing ignorance is preferable to informed stupidity.” “It was strange, how easily and quickly protection could cause destruction. Sometimes, Vasher wondered if the two weren't really the same thing. Protect a flower, destroy pests who wanted to feed on it. Protect a building, destroy the plants that could have grown in the soil. Protect a man. Live with the destruction he creates.” And again Brandon Sanderson was able to convince through absolutely stunning and vivid storytelling. The story is full of political intrigue, again he managed to present us with wonderful and fascinating magic, characters to care about and a good portion of laughter. In this standalone novel (I mean seriously, there is actually still room for a follow up) we meet two very different sisters, Vivenna and Siri. Two princesses who come from a small and rustic highland kingdom. Vivenna the older of the siblings was raised to become the wife of the god king of the neighbouring kingdom, in order to prevent war between the two rival kingdoms. She is composed, knowledgeable and very much aware about her duties to her kingdom. Siri, on the other hand, as the youngest child was allowed to run wild, with a scetchy education and a very emotional temper. When the day of the arranged wedding arrives, Vivenna's father decides that he loves her too much to sacrifice her to the god king and sends his wild daughter Siri in her stead. Vivenna, being trained all her life for this role feels bereft, deceived by her father and purposeless, then decides to follow her sister and rescue her from her unknown fate. Thus both sister end up in this vast city under very different circumstances and different pathways ahead. Whilst Vivenna's inital aim was to rescue her sister from the clutches of the despised god king, she very quickly finds herself at the outskirsts of the city, trying to raise a rebellion against the Hallondren's in order to prevent the looming war. Well, and Siri finds out that the god king and the court of god's isn't at all that what she was made to believe.

[kassilem · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s been about a year since I have read this book but I clearly remember it. That should say something about the effect it had on me. This was the first book of Sanderson’s that I read and it was a good introduction to a fantastic writer. His idea of the magic system in this book was also completely original to me as I had never seen it before in any other book. It and the plot line drew me in hook-line-and-sinker within the first few chapters. I loved most of the characters, was heavily invested in them and twists/turns kept the interest high. I don’t remember exactly how long it took me to read the book but it was wasn’t very long for how big the book is. I anticipate rereading this book in the near future and look forward to reading more by Sanderson. Highly recommended to any fantasy fans. Read it before the year is out.

[revslick_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sanderson is now officially king of fantasy magical systems. With Warbreaker, he introduces a system of magic in which a person's internal breathe can be used to animate objects dead or alive. In addition to a unique magical system, he has created a delightful book exploring role reversals. It reminded me of a classic folktale for adults. The ending felt slightly rushed but otherwise a fun ride.

[seekingflight · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of two sisters, princesses from the kingdom of Idris. One is the dutiful eldest daughter, Viviena, who's been promised in marriage to the God-King of the rival kingdom of Hallendren and has been preparing for this for pretty much as long as she can remember. The other is the youngest, more rebellious daughter, Siri, who's sent in Viviena's place by a father who can't bear to let his beloved Viviena go, as tensions build between Idris and Hallendren. Viviena follows her sister in the hopes of rescuing her, as the prospect of war starts seeming more and more likely. In Idris, we meet Lightsong, a God who finds himself questioning his own divinity, and the mysterious God-King Susebron.I didn't know where this story was going, enjoyed the characters and the ways in which they grew through the events of the story, and found myself completely engrossed.

[andrlik · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Warbreaker, but not as much as I had hoped to. Sanderson sets a high standard for his work with the Mistborn trilogy, which this novel does not quite reach.

However, the world he has built here is compelling, with a mythos and history of conflict that one cannot help but get caught up in. As one expects with Sanderson, the characters are vividly drawn and fully realized, although oddly it is Vasher, the title character of the piece, that is perhaps the least fleshed out in the prose. Then again, the mystery of Vasher is an essential element to the story, and thus a limited knowledge of his nature is most likely a necessary evil.

Also problematic is that the magical system he has created for this world feels a bit too formulaic to me. Sanderson is known for his belief that magic systems must have rules, but unlike the Allomancy in his Mistborn series, the magical system in this book feels just a little too much like character statistics, although I wouldn't go so far as to say that you can hear dice rolling in the background. This is a fully realized magical system, but at times gets a little heavy on the exposition in order to make it clear to the reader how the magic works. However, it does not occupy so much of the story that this is a huge detraction, just a bit of a disappointment after how skillfully he handled these issues in the Mistborn trilogy.

I do want to be clear that this is an enjoyable novel, and I look forward to reading the sequel. I'm also intrigued to read in some of his interviews that the worlds of the Mistborn trilogy, Elantris (which I have yet to read), Warbreaker, and The Way of Kings (forthcoming) are all part of the same metaverse that he has created, but he does not indicate if there is going to be any interaction between them beyond that, with the possible exception of a common character in two of the books.

I am looking forward to reading more of Sanderson's works, but this particular novel really only merits a 3.5 (rounded down) for the reasons described above.

[conalo-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting listen and a book that held up very well throughout most of the story. I was not really enamored with the finish which the author was apparently undecided in whether this was the whole story or that there were going to be a series with further books.

Recommended for Sanderson fans.

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this one a lot. Interesting world and magic system and leaves some mystery to it. Likeable main characters. I would happily read the hinted at sequel.

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm really surprised how many people own and have reviewed this book here on library thing. I thought it was good, but not that exceptional. A couple of months after reading it and I can barely remember what it was about. In yet another world in Sanderson's Cosmere, there is yet another magic system - and this one may be the worst yet. Every person has 1 level of 'breath', almost like their spirit, which can be given to another person but not forcefully taken. The more 'breaths' you have, the more powerful magic you can do and the better you can see colors(?). To make it even more unwieldy, there are levels of strength that have strict requirements, 50 to get to the 2nd level of power, 200 the third, not 190, not a gradual increase. There are immortal 'gods', who for a totally unexplained reason, after they die come back to life and will live for ever - if someone gives them 1 breath a week, every week. Those gods are then supposed to expend the breaths doing just 1 miracle, then die again. The most common use by people with more than 1 breath is to invest inanimate objects and give them commands, which can be overridden if someone figures out the security phrase. Really, that's how it works. When a young lady from a nearby rebel kingdom is pledged to marry the super god king of the kingdom, a race starts to see if that will prevent a war, or not. The plot isn't bad, I just don't care for this somewhat malicious and strange magic system.

[kinwolf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This should have been a novella, it would have fixed the two negative things I have to say of this book:1- It is 300 pages too long for what it is. You could easily strip 300 pages and not change the tone and story of the book. 2- There is no point to this story. It feels like it only really starts around page 370, when Hoid appear as a storyteller, and then it ends in a non-ending that feels more like a mid-book chapter.2.5- Not a huge gripe, as I know how it is central to this story, but there are ALOT of description of clothes and items and buildings in this book. I understand why(all part of the magic system) but it still annoy me. But there are many positives too:The quality of the storytelling is top-notch as always. The characters all have a distinctive voice and are really fleshed out.(still amazed how Brandon Sanderson can write so many characters and still make them all unique)The magic system is complicated, but integral to the story. Loved it even though trying to understand it gave me a headache.(but, can I really get headaches?)But, still, this should have been a novella.

[joseph_scifres-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Here's what I love about this book: Epic in scope, yet confined tightly and neatly to a single volume. A masterful story told, characters developed and plot with twists, all in a single book. As much as I love epic fantasy's tendency to compose tome after tome of content, a standalone work like this is an absolute breath of fresh air. Highly recommend.

[renbedell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great fantasy novel set in an interesting world and a creative magic system. The story is very captivating and I really enjoyed the intrigue of the gods, priests, and the relationship between nations. If you take away the magic, I still think this would still be a great book. The worldbuilidng is great, dialogue is well-written, and the characters are interesting. It is truly an all around well-written book that will have the pages turning constantly.

[dlmorrese · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At first glance, this is just another heroic fantasy, a sword and sorcery swashbuckler. But it is exceptionally well written, full of political intrigue, interesting characters, clever dialogue, and it has a novel magic system.

My only gripes about the TOR edition I read have nothing to do with the story. It's the cover. The expression on the young woman's face makes her look like a tipsy (or possibly unconscious) lounge singer. The cover also proclaims this to be "A Sci Fi Essential Book". It's not Sci-Fi--not remotely. When I first began reading it, I kept wondering how the fantasy was going to be explained in scientific terms. It never was. This is a traditional fantasy story from beginning to end, but it's a good one.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting idea using colour and breath as a basis for magic, just felt a little too much like concept over story.In a world where some people return as better forms of themselves to be able to grant one healing, many use this second chance, where they are treated as gods to indulge themselves, until one day, almost like a compulsion they use this power. Above them is the God King, who is to marry, Vivienna from another kingdom is promised to him , she has been groomed for this from birth. Her father sends the unprepared Siri, this will change the world.Somewhat predictable, entertaining though. I just felt like there was a better story lurking under more thought.

[foggidawn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Man, I wish I could write like Brandon Sanderson! As I've come to expect from him, this is a complex and well-developed fantasy with great characters, a massively complicated magic system that still manages to make perfect sense, and a fast-paced plot with lots of twists and turns. He managed more strong female characters in this one than in some of his other books (I love the Mistborn series, but it is almost Tolkien-esque in how male-dominated it is), though there's still some room for improvement on that front. Still, that's my one nit-picky complaint -- all in all, I loved this and have no idea why I waited so long to read it.