Review: Warbreaker (Warbreaker #1)

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, what a ride!

“Every man is a hero of his own story.”

Warbreaker is a fantasy novel about two opposing countries on the brink of war. It is told from the perspectives of four different characters: Siri, Lightsong, Vivenna, and Vasher. Siri, a princess of Idris, is married off to the God King of Hallandren as required by the two countries' treaty. Lightsong is one of the many gods in Hallandren's court, but he is the only one who doesn't believe in his own religion. Vivenna is the eldest princess of Idris who was originally supposed to be the daughter sent to marry the God King, until her father changed his mind at the last minute, robbing her of all the expectations she had made of her future. And finally, Vasher is a mysterious, brooding man with undisclosed intentions who carries with him a suspicious, dark sword.

Typical of Sanderson's work, this novel has a unique magic system that is based on colors, of all things. Supposedly, this idea was prompted by his editor, who told Sanderson that his previous novels were a little dark. I listened to the audiobook, and was very impressed with Alyssa Bresnahan's narration. I usually knew immediately when the book switched perspectives because she has a distinct way of speaking for each character, which was so neat!

I loved the unique magic system, the character development, and the element of mystery in this book. Be prepared for some unexpected plot twists! I'm still reeling from some of the later revelations made. My favorite character by far is Lightsong, who had me cracking up in almost every one of his scenes. Even my husband would stop and listen for his parts in the story when I was playing it because he also appreciated Lightsong's irreverent, flippant manner. So many of the characters are just so loveable, this is another great example of Sanderson's work. I was so close to giving it five stars, but I only gave it four because it didn't consitently have that hard-to-put-down quality that I look for in my five star ranked books.

Mature content: mild profanity, sexual innuendo, kidnapping, death, torture, harm to animals.

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