- Fiction
- Fantasy
- Magic
Warbreaker – Brandon Sanderson
After reading the Mistborn series, I decided to dive into Brandon Sanderson’s entire Cosmere collection—the whole concept really intrigues me.
Warbreaker is another female-led novel, following a young woman named Siri, who is sent by her father to marry a tyrannical God King to maintain peace between two nations. Siri was never supposed to be the one to marry him—that was always meant to be her elder sister. However, after a reckless childhood, their father chose to remove her from the family, essentially as a punishment. But Siri’s life is turned upside down when she discovers shocking secrets about her new husband and her sister (who was originally meant to marry the God King) arrives in the city to ‘save’ her—only to find herself caught in her own web of trouble.
At first, I was really interested in the story and the world Sanderson built—I was hooked straight away. But as I read on, I found myself losing interest and I actually struggled to finish the book. To be fair, I was ill for a while and had trouble reading in general, so at first, I thought that might be the reason. But after talking it over with others, I realised I share the same opinion as a lot of readers: this book just isn’t as strong as some of Sanderson’s others.
I fully respect the characters and the world he created, but the story dragged quite a bit in the middle, with repetitive events that weren’t as engaging. That said, I really enjoyed Siri and her sister Vivenna’s character development. I loved how they essentially swapped roles—Vivenna, the strict, duty-bound royal, became less rigid and more free-spirited, while Siri, the carefree younger sister, matured into a more regal and composed figure. And as always, I appreciate that Sanderson writes strong female characters—something not a lot of male writers do.
I love Sanderson’s writing style; he balances engaging storytelling with just the right amount of detail to build his worlds without bogging them down. But for me, this story just isn’t as strong as some of his newer books—though, to be fair, this is one of his earlier works.
I’d recommend Warbreaker to Sanderson fans or readers who enjoy this type of fantasy, but I wouldn’t suggest it as an introduction to his writing. If you’re new to Sanderson, I’d start with Mistborn. However, if you’re like me and determined to read the entire Cosmere, then this one can’t be skipped!
Leave a Reply