Warbreaker

Sanderson, Brandon. Warbreaker. Tor Fantasy (2009). ISBN 978-0-7653-2030-8

Plot Summary

                Siri and Vivenna are sisters who couldn’t be more opposite.  Siri is fun, free spirited and isn’t afraid to break the rules.  Vivenna is the older, wiser sister who has prepared her whole life to marry the God King in T'Telir, a far off land neither sister has ever been to.  However, seeing how much trouble Siri causes, her father decides to send her instead.  Vivenna follows Siri into the city and the most amazing, frightening, nearly deadly experience of their lives ensues. 

                In the city, Siri meets the Returned (meaning returned from the dead, not a semi-God) Lightsong who doesn’t take his position very seriously.  Vivenna meets mysterious Vasher who is very strong in the magic system, which includes taking “Breath” into oneself and having it do your bidding.  Siri is initially afraid of the God King but soon she, and Vivenna, realize that someone else entirely wants the kingdom for themselves.  Siri and Vivenna, always separately – never together, must find a way to stay alive, even when they have no idea who to trust (and that number is quite small in this book).

Critical Evaluation

Siri and Vivenna are awesome, I love their hair, which changes color according to their mood. Lightsong is witty and hilarious, yet complex at the same time.  He is dealing with some extreme inner emotions for most of the book.  One never knows exactly where he stands. Vasher and his sword (which has a consciousness) share an amusing, if somewhat disturbing, relationship which is thoroughly enjoyable.

The magic system does take a while to understand.  It is quite complex but really ingenious once it all makes sense.  So many characters end up being the complete opposite of what they are when we first meet them.  Sanderson has the rare ability to be able to write several different plot lines during the entire book and them somehow bring them all together in the end.  He also has a policy of “anyone can die” which makes his books, Warbreaker, in particular, very exciting reads as they are next to impossible to predict. 

Reader’s Annotation

This is the story of what happens when a girl is sent to fulfill a twenty year old treaty in the biggest city of the country, where the dead return and become Gods and Breath is so much more than oxygen.

Author’s Information

Brandon Sanderson is a sci-fi/fantasy writer who has written many books, including the last few books of the Wheel of Time series after the original author’s, Robert Jordan, death.  Brandon took a job as a night desk clerk at a hotel in college because they allowed him to write while at work.  To check out his other books, and lots of other fun things, click here: http://brandonsanderson.com/.

Genre

Adult Crossover

Book Talking Ideas

I would feel comfortable recommending this book to any sci-fi/fantasy fan.  It is a standalone novel, for now, that may be appealing to those turned off by fantasy because of the 12 book series that are quite common.  The magic system is complex, however, not too complex that it can’t be understood pretty early on in the book.  Almost no one can be trusted in this book, which makes for some really interesting story lines. 

Reading Level/Interest

15/15+

Challenge Issues

I couldn’t see too many reasons why parents wouldn’t want their children reading this book.  There are a few scenes where Siri gets totally nude in anticipation of making a child with the God King, but nothing ever happens and she eventually stops doing it.  Nothing graphic is discussed.  There is some very mild language, but overall, it’s a clean read.

Why Include This Title?

When thinking about adult books that would work well with a YA audience, this book immediately comes to mind.  Brandon Sanderson is a fairly clean writer and his style of writing is fast paced and exciting – two things teenagers love.  Plus, he does have a series of YA/Juvenile books out that maybe some readers have heard of and are now looking to find other, similarly good material.