Warbreaker
Sanderson, Brandon
Fantasy
Sanderson, Brandon
Fantasy
The saying "Never judge a book by it's cover", couldn't apply more to this book, and you would see why if you read it. I feel this is important to know, because the cover had the same effect on me as it probably does you. I thought, this book is about a ghost girl who eats ribbons, but after further insight from a friend of mine, I discovered that I was not even close. In fact, I liked it so much, I'd probably give it a 8.5/10. This is a high rating for me because I judge books very carefully. There are many things in a book that can kill my interest, one of which is long sections of story without anything exciting going on. There are a few chapters in a row in this book that are somewhat slow, but I promise, once you get past that barrier, you'll find an amazing twist of plot lines that come together smoothly at the end of the book. Along with this disclaimer, I'd also say that I didn't particularly like the lovey dovey stuff that happens throughout, even if this adds "color" to the book.
Sanderson is a master of creativity, and keeps you flipping the pages late into the night. I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning finishing this book because I couldn't put it down. A general plot summary goes as follows. In a world where color is lacking in the lives of people, and in the environment, a princess named Vivenna lives under the fate of a treaty made by her father years before she was born. After running away from the home land, a group of rebels has set up a mini empire in the hills of the land to stay secluded. In order to ensure their safety, the king has made a treaty with the God King, the god like ruler of the land they ran from, stating that as soon as his first born daughter turned 21, he would send her to the God King to marry him. But instead of Vivenna being sent to marry, little sister Siri gets sent in her place. After arriving in Hallendren, the main city of the country, she soon notices two things. One, there is color everywhere! And second, she realizes that the politics of this place is much more complicated than her simple rebel empire. It is ruled by gods, sent back to life after they die heroically in their first life, in order to rule the people and fulfill their destiny, whatever that may be. The thing that makes these God's more powerful than the regular citizens, is their ability to use their "Breath" to grant one great wish such as saving a child from a sickness, but in the process, this kills the god as well. Throughout the story, you follow Vivenna as she tries to save her sister Siri from her fate.
I think that a theme that is used throughout the book is hard to determine, because of how many possibilities there are. But, if you were to nail one down, it would be having to adapt to a new environment. After Siri is thrown into this mess of politics, she has to become more refined and poised. Vivenna on the other hand goes from being virtually perfect, to a homeless beggar for a time. I think that as these characters learn to adapt to their new homes and situations, they become better people and learn more about themselves. The only way to accurately follow this kind of plot line is to have a god like view into everyone's thoughts, intentions, and actions. This is how the narrating goes throughout the book and I think it is very effective.
I believe Sanderson intended this book to be for teens who can grasp complicated plot lines, but for adults as well. Because of the 4 different plot lines throughout the book, it becomes somewhat challenging to keep track of them all, but they all get tied together in the end very effectively, which is really satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about a world far away, which allows there to be limitless options of creativity. Just because the book follows two girl characters, does not make it a girly book. It involves a lot of action and intense chapters of treason and tyranny which really keeps you on the edge of your chair, or bed, depending on where you read. These characters appeal to many people. One review states, “Sanderson again demonstrates his capacity for handling large and complex themes while creating believable characters.”—Library Journal. Another quote complimenting the characters. “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. I agree completely with both of these opinions, and would highly recommend it to any reader.
L.j.F
Sanderson is a master of creativity, and keeps you flipping the pages late into the night. I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning finishing this book because I couldn't put it down. A general plot summary goes as follows. In a world where color is lacking in the lives of people, and in the environment, a princess named Vivenna lives under the fate of a treaty made by her father years before she was born. After running away from the home land, a group of rebels has set up a mini empire in the hills of the land to stay secluded. In order to ensure their safety, the king has made a treaty with the God King, the god like ruler of the land they ran from, stating that as soon as his first born daughter turned 21, he would send her to the God King to marry him. But instead of Vivenna being sent to marry, little sister Siri gets sent in her place. After arriving in Hallendren, the main city of the country, she soon notices two things. One, there is color everywhere! And second, she realizes that the politics of this place is much more complicated than her simple rebel empire. It is ruled by gods, sent back to life after they die heroically in their first life, in order to rule the people and fulfill their destiny, whatever that may be. The thing that makes these God's more powerful than the regular citizens, is their ability to use their "Breath" to grant one great wish such as saving a child from a sickness, but in the process, this kills the god as well. Throughout the story, you follow Vivenna as she tries to save her sister Siri from her fate.
I think that a theme that is used throughout the book is hard to determine, because of how many possibilities there are. But, if you were to nail one down, it would be having to adapt to a new environment. After Siri is thrown into this mess of politics, she has to become more refined and poised. Vivenna on the other hand goes from being virtually perfect, to a homeless beggar for a time. I think that as these characters learn to adapt to their new homes and situations, they become better people and learn more about themselves. The only way to accurately follow this kind of plot line is to have a god like view into everyone's thoughts, intentions, and actions. This is how the narrating goes throughout the book and I think it is very effective.
I believe Sanderson intended this book to be for teens who can grasp complicated plot lines, but for adults as well. Because of the 4 different plot lines throughout the book, it becomes somewhat challenging to keep track of them all, but they all get tied together in the end very effectively, which is really satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about a world far away, which allows there to be limitless options of creativity. Just because the book follows two girl characters, does not make it a girly book. It involves a lot of action and intense chapters of treason and tyranny which really keeps you on the edge of your chair, or bed, depending on where you read. These characters appeal to many people. One review states, “Sanderson again demonstrates his capacity for handling large and complex themes while creating believable characters.”—Library Journal. Another quote complimenting the characters. “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. I agree completely with both of these opinions, and would highly recommend it to any reader.
L.j.F
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