Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Review by Koen Peters
It’s rare to come across a standalone novel that’s so full of content as Warbreaker. Once again Sanderson manages to create an interesting world full of mysteries, while telling you a gripping story full of plot twists and mind games. Warbreaker tells us of two countries, Indria and Hallandren, that used to be one, but have separated on grounds of their belief. Hallandren is vastly superior to Indria however, and the king of Indria has to send his daughter to marry their God King to keep a promise he made. Having arrived in Hallandren, the princesses of Indria find that it is not what they were expecting. Prejudices run deep however, and are hard to overcome. Warbreaker tells us of the twin journeys of the sisters, who are playing games with the fate of nations at stake…
As the sisters come to understand the world around them, so will you. Trying to find the truth in this nest of politicians is a challenging task though, and events often unfold sudden and unexpected. Just when you think you know how it all fits together, your world gets turned upside down once again!
Sanderson introduces a new magical system in Warbreaker, called Awakening. Through the use of Breaths (which you are granted at birth) and colours, you can Command objects to do your bidding. This is not a very straightforward skill however, it’s bound by a lot of rules and Awakeners are very few in number. As the story progresses you come to understand this skill a little better, and will revel in its amazing uses. People who read the Mistborn Trilogy will enjoy the great contrast with its grey world and this new world that’s literally blossoming with colours.
I’ve come to expect a lot from Brandon Sanderson after reading Elantris and the Mistborn Trilogy, yet he amazed me once again with Warbreaker. The colourful world full of intrigue and mystery made a big impression, as did the shocking plot twists. I dare not spoil the delights that are awaiting any who have yet to pick up this masterwork. On a side-note, the ending of this story is closed but in the epilogue he clearly implies that he could return to this world at a later point, for which I am very, very glad.
Let people know what you think about Warbreaker. You can write your own review and award the book the rating that you think it deserves.
Fantasy Book Review Book of the Month, February 2012
A Tolkien inspired romantic fantasy that all starts with an extremely loving and well written letter... G.T. Denny's novel, Deep into the Heart of a Rose, will help usher in a new generation of love sick teens. If you love fantasy and adventure fiction then this book is for you. Well written, charmingly detailed and epic, this truly is a must read for 2012.
Read our full review of Deep into the Heart of a Rose
For more information, visit http://gtdenny.com/
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