Fantasy & Science Fiction

[#1]

Brandon Sanderson... in four short years – since the release of his stellar debut novel Elantris in 2005 – he has become one of the biggest names in fantasy. (In fact, he was recently chosen as the author to complete the final novels in the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time cycle – but we already know this.) After his critically acclaimed Mistborn trilogy (Mistborn, The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages), the publication of Warbreaker will come as a decided oddity for fantasy fans: it’s a standalone novel. In a genre inundated with shelf-bending series, Warbreaker – like Elantris – is not the first installment of a saga – it’s a one-volume epic!

Before getting into specifics – and irritating dozens of people who haven't read the book yet – I will say this: although Brandon is known to us for his
exceptional world-building prowess and labyrinthine plot lines, the thing that stood out most in Warbreaker, for me, was character development. Every major player in this novel is three-dimensional, memorable, be it the cynical god Lightsong, who questions his own divinity, or the mysterious assassin Vasher, whose five-foot long, sentient black sword Nightblood seems to kill everyone around it. The relationship between the two lead protagonists – princess sisters Siri and Vivenna – is certainly compelling but it’s the unlikely bond between Siri and the God King Susebron that powers this iridescent tale of magic, mystery, mayhem – and love.

And that's what I loved most about this book – the characters and their relationships. Bravo, Brandon. Bravo. Many questions to come but I'll wait until a few others post first...

Paul 

[#2]

I have only just started Warbreaker.  I am caught by the book already.  I am intregued by just the prologue.  So much detail on the magic system right here up front and the set up to lead into the rest of the book.  It just leaves so many questions in my mind...

  Who are you?  Which is the bad/good and why?  Why is he after him?  Why is him in prison? 

What have i gotten into?  Warebreaker has just swept me away from the first line, "It's funny, Vasher thought, how many things begin with my getting thrown into prison."

I really am looking forward to reading this book. 

[#3]

I agree with you, Meliss – and, you know, when I first started reading Warbreaker, I didn't know if I would really enjoy the whole "colors" theme... it had the potential to be, for lack of better words, too simplistic, too unrealistic... but I loved what Brandon did with it.... very cool stuff.

I now love the word "iridescent," by the way...   

Paul 

[#4]

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paulgoatallen wrote:

I agree with you, Meliss – and, you know, when I first started reading Warbreaker, I didn't know if I would really enjoy the whole "colors" theme... it had the potential to be, for lack of better words, too simplistic, too unrealistic... but I loved what Brandon did with it.... very cool stuff.

I now love the word "iridescent," by the way...   

Paul 

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I am curious to see how he handles the color theme.  I have a few questions on the color shades and movement.  That is one of the things I look forward to finding out in the book.  The way Brandon handles his magical systems are very unique and extremely well thought out.  I am very interested to read how this one works out through the book.

[#5]

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Melhay wrote:

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paulgoatallen wrote:

I agree with you, Meliss – and, you know, when I first started reading Warbreaker, I didn't know if I would really enjoy the whole "colors" theme... it had the potential to be, for lack of better words, too simplistic, too unrealistic... but I loved what Brandon did with it.... very cool stuff.

I now love the word "iridescent," by the way...   

Paul 

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I am curious to see how he handles the color theme.  I have a few questions on the color shades and movement.  That is one of the things I look forward to finding out in the book.  The way Brandon handles his magical systems are very unique and extremely well thought out.  I am very interested to read how this one works out through the book.

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Unique is an understatement - at least as far as I am concerned. His magic systems are amazing and I don't know how he thinks of them. What is more amazing is that he invents a new one for each of his books and a total and unique world to go with them. This color idea seems totally off the wall and I'm curious as to how he is going to make it work and believable to someone like me. So far he has succeeded in all his books. We are a long ways from some wizard in a pointy hat holding up his staff and muttering incantations.

Whew! Are we moving along with breakneck speed!. I just finished Elantris and now I have to dive into Warbreaker. There isn't much rest in between.

Message Edited by Nadine on 06-25-2009 06:31 PM

[#6]

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Melhay wrote:

I have only just started Warbreaker.  I am caught by the book already.  I am intregued by just the prologue.  So much detail on the magic system right here up front and the set up to lead into the rest of the book.  It just leaves so many questions in my mind...

  Who are you?  Which is the bad/good and why?  Why is he after him?  Why is him in prison? 

What have i gotten into?  Warebreaker has just swept me away from the first line, "It's funny, Vasher thought, how many things begin with my getting thrown into prison."

I really am looking forward to reading this book. 

---

I think all of Brandon's opening sentences are great and really pull you into the story. That is a mark of a good writer. And the first paragraph should set up the story. They grab you and tell you a lot with their first sentence and then give you key elements that fill out the beginning of the story with the first paragraphy. (I haven't read the Warbreaker one yet.). Take Brandon's first sentence to Elantiris as well -- "Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he had been damned for all eternity."

[#7]

This is Brandon's introduction to Warbreaker. I think I've referenced it before but it is a good transition from Elantris into Warbreaker:

----------------------------------------------------

I've always kind of wished that I could write a book that actually focused on what it was LIKE to have to live with all of the expectations of being transformed into a deity. How would that affect a person? What if they, themselves, didn't believe that their powers made them a god—yet everyone else did believe it? Could you have a god who didn't believe in his own religion?

Eventually, I couldn't leave this idea alone. I needed to explore it, perhaps for the same reasons I needed to explore the opposite idea in ELANTRIS. In many ways, this book is a companion—yet opposite book—to ELANTRIS. Though set in separate worlds with very different systems of magic, both take the same concept, then run different directions with it. I hope very much not to seem like I'm repeating myself as an author; I think by doing Mistborn and Alcatraz between these books, I've shown my versatility. Now, I want to try another book about deified men. (Coincidentally, I decided I wanted to deal with another concept I promised in ELANTRIS, but then ignored—the bride who is sent to another kingdom to marry a man she doesn't know. Once again, I wanted to take it the opposite direction. In ELANTRIS, Sarene arrives to discover her fiancé is dead and gone. In WARBREAKER, however, I wanted to show what happened if the bride didn't get to dodge this uncomfortable situation, but actually had to marry the man she'd been promised to.)

And so, we are introduced to four characters in this book. Lightsong is a God of the Hallandren people—a regular man who died in a heroic way, and was therefore brought back to life by the magic to rule as a god. (Or, at least, that's how the Hallandren people interpret it.) We have Siri, a rebellious daughter sent by her father to marry the tyrant god-king of those same Hallandren people. We have Vivenna, sister to Siri, who goes to try to rescue her sibling from her fate. And then, there's Vasher—whose motivations and goals are his own. (You can read about him in the prologue.)

The magic is one I've wanted to put into a book for a long, long time and the setting—with its vibrant color and tropical climate—is very different from the worlds of MISTBORN or ELANTRIS. This is the book I wrote when I, myself, got engaged and married, and I think it had a great influence on how I interpret the world.

[#8]

We're stopping at Chapter 15, right?

[#9]

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carmen22 wrote:
We're stopping at Chapter 15, right?

---

Okay, here goes...

I finished Warbreaker yersterday and it was very good. There were a few things that Brandon did that I am really excited about – it should be interesting to see how you guys react to it.

Any way, there were no easy "breaks" in the storyline but I chose these – and I'm trying to be a nebulous as possible as to not ruin any plot twists:  

Part 1 pages 1 - 152: This covers the introductory aspects – world-building, character development, etc. – and ends with Siri's meeting the God King for the first time.

Part 2 pages 153 – 360: This section covers lots of "rising action" and ends with Vivenna meeting Vasher, again another uber-significant meeting....

Part 3 pages 361 - 450 This section sets the stage for the concluding "action"...

Part 4 pages 451- 588 This is where the defecation hits the rotating oscillator.... 

How's that? I think this sectioning of Warbreaker will make talking about the book easier... 

Paul 

_____________

I copied over Paul's suggested breaking points.  And since Paul is the man I think we should go with his suggests.

We just haven't put a time on each one yet.  Do we want to do that and try to stay together?  I enjoy doing it that way, but it is up to you.

[#10]

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Melhay wrote:

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carmen22 wrote:
We're stopping at Chapter 15, right?

---

Okay, here goes...

I finished Warbreaker yersterday and it was very good. There were a few things that Brandon did that I am really excited about – it should be interesting to see how you guys react to it.

Any way, there were no easy "breaks" in the storyline but I chose these – and I'm trying to be a nebulous as possible as to not ruin any plot twists:  

Part 1 pages 1 - 152: This covers the introductory aspects – world-building, character development, etc. – and ends with Siri's meeting the God King for the first time.

Part 2 pages 153 – 360: This section covers lots of "rising action" and ends with Vivenna meeting Vasher, again another uber-significant meeting....

Part 3 pages 361 - 450 This section sets the stage for the concluding "action"...

Part 4 pages 451- 588 This is where the defecation hits the rotating oscillator.... 

How's that? I think this sectioning of Warbreaker will make talking about the book easier... 

Paul 

_____________

I copied over Paul's suggested breaking points.  And since Paul is the man I think we should go with his suggests.

We just haven't put a time on each one yet.  Do we want to do that and try to stay together?  I enjoy doing it that way, but it is up to you.

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Oh, yeah, definitely stay together. That's the way I like to do it as well, so we don't end up ruining any part for anyone, you know.

Krista

[#11]

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Melhay wrote:

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carmen22 wrote:
We're stopping at Chapter 15, right?

---

Okay, here goes...

I finished Warbreaker yersterday and it was very good. There were a few things that Brandon did that I am really excited about – it should be interesting to see how you guys react to it.

Any way, there were no easy "breaks" in the storyline but I chose these – and I'm trying to be a nebulous as possible as to not ruin any plot twists:  

Part 1 pages 1 - 152: This covers the introductory aspects – world-building, character development, etc. – and ends with Siri's meeting the God King for the first time.

Part 2 pages 153 – 360: This section covers lots of "rising action" and ends with Vivenna meeting Vasher, again another uber-significant meeting....

Part 3 pages 361 - 450 This section sets the stage for the concluding "action"...

Part 4 pages 451- 588 This is where the defecation hits the rotating oscillator.... 

How's that? I think this sectioning of Warbreaker will make talking about the book easier... 

Paul 

_____________

I copied over Paul's suggested breaking points.  And since Paul is the man I think we should go with his suggests.

We just haven't put a time on each one yet.  Do we want to do that and try to stay together?  I enjoy doing it that way, but it is up to you.

---

I agree, we should follow along together and with Paul's breaks. After all, he is not only the boss, but he is also the only one who has read the book and knows where the breaks might be!

For Part 1, pages 1-152 lets aim for July 1st. We do have a bit of head start on this thread. But I also think we want to get into the book as much as possible before Brandon arrives on the 10th.

Part 2 is the longest section of about 208 pages and I think we will need at least a week for us, and possibly some others, to get through this section.

In the end we might want to combine Part 3 and Part 4. None of us are going to be able to stop at the end of part 3. Part 3 is 89 pages and part 4 is 7 pages, if I have done my calculating correctly.

Error Correction: Part 3 is 89 and Part 4 is 137 pages, so we will do Part 3 and then Part 4.

Message Edited by Nadine on 06-25-2009 11:31 PM

[#12]

Hey Nadine, I think you maybe missing a few numbers on the page count for part 4.  Is it 137 pages?

[#13]

I am good to go for July 1st.  If we get there faster we can let each other know.  But sounds like a great start to get us going.

[#14]

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Melhay wrote:

Hey Nadine, I think you maybe missing a few numbers on the page count for part 4.  Is it 137 pages?

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You are right! I forgot to carry the 1.  OK, I think we will have to keep it to Part 3 and then a separate read of Part 4. We will probably finish off the ending after the chat with Brandon.

[#15]

For those who cant get Warbreaker or afford the hardback version right now, you can still read along with us. Brandon has kindly made available the final published copy in its actuall book form in a PDF file. You will even be able to follow the page references that might be made here.

Warbreaker PDF

[#16]

The nice thing about having the Warbreaker PDF online is that we don't have to do a lot of typing to quote from the book.

So far my favorite character is the sentient sword Nightblood. It has a sense of humor (page 23, the end of the Prologue):

=========================

He stepped around the pool of blood—which was seeping down the inclined
dungeon floor—and moved into the guard room. The three guards
lay dead. One of them sat in a chair. Nightblood, still mostly sheathed,
had been rammed through the man’s chest. About an inch of a dark black
blade was visible beneath the silver sheath.

Vasher carefully slid the weapon fully back into its sheath. He did up the
clasp.

I did very well today, a voice said in his mind.

Vasher didn’t respond to the sword.

I killed them all, Nightblood continued. Aren’t you proud of me?

Vasher picked up the weapon, accustomed to its unusual weight, and carried
it in one hand. He recovered his duffel and slung it over his shoulder.

I knew you’d be impressed, Nightblood said, sounding satisfied.

[#17]

Reviews of Warbreaker

These are very extensive reviews that should give you a good idea of what the book is like:

http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/543.html

http://www.bscreview.com/2009/05/book-review-warbreaker-by-brandon-sanderson/

http://fyreflybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/brandon-sanderson-warbreaker/


No doubt that this is Sanderson's best novel to date -- at least that is what all the reviewers are saying.

[#18]

Krista, do you remember where you posted that link to the animation of the painting of the cover of Warbreaker? I wanted to watch it again now that we are actually reading the book and maybe some of the newcomers would like to see it as well. Could you repost here so we can readily find it?

[#19]

Here are two different You tube videos of the Warbreaker Cover:

WarBreaker illustration With Dan Dos Santos: Dan Dos Santos Warbreaker Cover Illustration- Oil Paint... This one is a Two minute interview kind of thing With Dan Santos.

Dan Dos Santos Warbreaker Cover illustration - Oil Painting Demonstration This is just the Demonstration of the whole painting process.

I love the Warbreaker cover and it's my favorite one of Sanderson's so far, that's for sure. I think I like it even more after these videos, they're really cool!

Message Edited by carmen22 on 06-26-2009 04:45 PM

[#20]

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Nadine wrote:

The nice thing about having the Warbreaker PDF online is that we don't have to do a lot of typing to quote from the book.

So far my favorite character is the sentient sword Nightblood. It has a sense of humor (page 23, the end of the Prologue):

=========================

He stepped around the pool of blood—which was seeping down the inclined
dungeon floor—and moved into the guard room. The three guards
lay dead. One of them sat in a chair. Nightblood, still mostly sheathed,
had been rammed through the man’s chest. About an inch of a dark black
blade was visible beneath the silver sheath.

Vasher carefully slid the weapon fully back into its sheath. He did up the
clasp.

I did very well today, a voice said in his mind.

Vasher didn’t respond to the sword.

I killed them all, Nightblood continued. Aren’t you proud of me?

Vasher picked up the weapon, accustomed to its unusual weight, and carried
it in one hand. He recovered his duffel and slung it over his shoulder.

I knew you’d be impressed, Nightblood said, sounding satisfied.

---

I thought it was a little funny, too, and I really like the idea and character of Nightblood as well. I've actually been really captivated and intrigued by Warbreaker's realm, magic system, and all it's characters so far. I'm really excited to see what happens.  

Message Edited by carmen22 on 06-26-2009 09:04 PM