This review will mostly just be me praising Sanderson writings. I really enjoy his works and Warbreaker is no exception. It’s a great book in the Cosmere universe and provides insight on a character and weapon present in other books. It’s currently a standalone story, but Sandersons does plan on a sequel at some point. Honestly I’ll read anything he writes and I think you should too. Anyway, let’s get into it.

The story revolves around an impending war between two factions, the Idrians and the Hallandren. They used to be one nation, but a war of ideals way back when caused them to split into two nations. A treaty had been signed to end it, and it requires the Idrian king to provide the Hallandren king with one of his daughters for marriage. Vivenna is the king’s eldest daughter and has been preparing for this her entire life. She is willing to make the sacrifice to keep the peace between their nations. The only issue is that the Hallandren king is a god. The nation itself is run by a court of gods and the God King presides over them all. It is expected that the Idrian princess is offered to the God King to provide an heir to the throne; after that, who knows. In the eleventh hour however, the king decides to send his youngest daughter (Siri) instead. From this point the story bounces back and forth between Vivenna and Siri and a couple other characters before reaching its conclusion. Siri deals with being the wife of the most powerful person in the world and discovers the true nature of the Hallandren government. Vivenna copes with her purpose being stripped away from her and having to find a new one. Both of their journeys involve so much growth and development that they are both completely different by the end. I really enjoyed seeing them change and work to save both kingdoms from complete destruction. Were they able to stop the war? You’ll have to read to find out.

Other than Vivenna and Siri, there are a couple characters of note. Lightsong, the god of bravery, takes a large role in the story. In his chapters, we see him struggle with being a god and feeling like he doesn’t deserve praise. The gods of the court are called The Returned. This is because they were once humans who died and then came back to life. Because of this resurrection, they are worshipped by the Hallandren. The gods are not allowed to know of their past lives or it could influence their decision-making. Lightsong doesn’t believe in his own divinity and treats most of his duties as a chore. His lackadaisical attitude wars with the other gods’. Blushweaver is the goddess of relationships and she takes a liking to him. The two’s banter is honestly really funny. I enjoyed their back and forth because it really broke up the pace. The book has a serious tone for the most part, despite Siri’s brashness, so Lightsong and Blushweaver’s interactions were always welcome. The two debate on the necessity of war and Lightsong goes on an adventure that he may not otherwise have gone on because of her spurring. He is a really well done character and his arc was one of the best in the book (next to Vivenna). Denth is a mercenary with a history. He does what he’s paid to do, no questions asked. There are some reveals made about his past that provide context to his actions and these insights served to build his character quite well. I wasn’t sure about him and his crew at first, but near the end I felt that I understood him well. The other character I want to mention (without getting too spoilery) is Vasher. Vasher carries an evil-slaying, sentient sword called Nightblood. His motivations are unclear at first and while his methods are hardcore, you can’t help but be interested in his mission. His character doesn’t change much, but his actions and story play a large part in the conclusion of the work. I enjoyed getting to know him, and you will too!

Now I want to give you a little bit of information on how the power system works here. Breath is the source of power. Returned have their own divine Breath that they received when they resurrected. Everyone has one Breath at birth, but this Breath is not powerful on its own. Once a person has multiple Breaths they can use it to possess inanimate objects to do their bidding. They can then re-absorb the Breath from the object. Some people utilize their Breaths to create Lifeless, which are essentially zombified corpses that they command to do their bidding. It does take a lot of Breaths to make one, so not many common folk have them. (The gods however do have an army, just fyi.) There are levels of power based on how much Breath a person holds, but it’s not really necessary to know each level (or heightening). The Returned live off of Breath, which is given to them by their worshippers. Breath is believed to be the soul of a person, but people can live without it. Those without Breath are called Drabs and are generally looked down upon. (Using Breath drains color from something nearby as another source of power. It’s mostly just a side effect, but I figured I’d mention it.) The amount of Breaths not only influences your power, but your societal standing as those with a multitude of Breaths can witness the court of the gods and their debates. Otherwise, the gods are not accessible to the general public except through petitions where they ask the gods for their aid. I think that about wraps up the power system, politically and magically, so let’s get to the wrap-up.

I don’t really have any problems with this book. My only nitpick could be the development of a certain relationship felt a little rushed, but the story does jump a few weeks at a time, so it may not have been that quick overall. Every character was so deep and their actions felt so realistic, that I felt for each and every one of them. The plot was full of so many moving pieces, but it all came together in the end. I loved the progression of the story and it never felt like anything was insignificant. I love Sanderson novels because he knows how to craft a fantastical world and put such human characters in it. I really encourage you or anyone who likes fantasy, to read any one of his novels. I could talk about this book forever, but I don’t want to spoil anything as the revelations here made me yell in my bedroom at three in the morning. Do yourself a favor and jump into the Cosmere so I can chat with you about these works!