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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson | OpenFiction

Warbreaker

Name: Warbreaker
ISBN: 9780765320308

by Brandon Sanderson·The Cosmere

Fantasy Epic Fantasy·2009

58 chapters - View chapters and summaries

After bursting onto the fantasy scene with his acclaimed debut novel, Elantris, and following up with his blockbuster Mistborn trilogy, Brandon Sanderson proves again that he is today’s leading master of what Tolkien called "secondary creation", the invention of whole worlds, complete with magics and myths all their own. Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn’t like his job, and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. By using breath and drawing upon the colour in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.

Characters (13)

Name	Aliases	Role
Lightsong A Returned god in Hallandren's Court of Gods. Irreverent and lazy, he claims not to believe in his own divinity, yet proves to be far more heroic than he pretends.		Protagonist
Siri The youngest princess of Idris, sent to Hallandren in her sister's place to marry the God King. Naive but courageous, she adapts to her new world with surprising resilience.		Protagonist
Vasher A mysterious Awakener and one of the Five Scholars who originally studied BioChromatic Breath. Carries Nightblood, the sword he helped create.		Protagonist
Vivenna The eldest princess of Idris who was raised her entire life to marry the God King. When Siri is sent instead, Vivenna travels to Hallandren to rescue her sister.		Protagonist
Denth A mercenary and one of the Five Scholars. Charming and seemingly helpful, he manipulates Vivenna as part of a long revenge plot against Vasher.		Antagonist
Blushweaver The goddess of honesty in the Court of Gods. Politically cunning and flirtatious, she works to consolidate power among the Returned.		Supporting
Dedelin King of Idris and father to Vivenna and Siri. Sends Siri to Hallandren instead of Vivenna to protect his eldest daughter.		Supporting
Jewels A member of Denth's mercenary crew. Tough and capable, she carries a Lifeless named Clod.		Supporting
Llarimar Lightsong's high priest and the person who knew him before he Returned. Patient and devoted, he serves as Lightsong's conscience.		Supporting
Susebron The God King of Hallandren who holds thousands of Breaths. Kept isolated and silenced by the priests, he is gentle and curious despite his immense power.		Major
Tonk Fah A member of Denth's mercenary crew. Seemingly dim but dangerously violent, with a disturbing fondness for torturing small animals.		Supporting
Treledees A high priest in the Court of Gods who serves as a political power broker. Controls access to the God King.		Supporting
Old Chapps An elderly lighteyed man. Brief interlude POV in The Way of Kings.		Minor

Groups (1)

Name	Type
Court of Gods	Organisation

History

Date	Event	Details
9 June 2009	Publication	Brandon Sanderson's standalone Cosmere novel received strong reviews, with critics praising the originality of the BioChromatic Breath magic system - one of the most visually distinctive in the Cosmere - and the political complexity of the Hallandren court setting. Reviewers noted the effective use of the two sisters Siri and Vivenna as contrasting protagonists whose perspectives on the same world produced productive dramatic irony, and the character of Lightsong the Bold was widely singled out as one of Sanderson's most entertaining creations - a god who doesn't believe in his own divinity providing both comic relief and genuine emotional depth. Warbreaker was originally published as a free download on Sanderson's website before its print publication, a decision that generated considerable discussion about digital distribution models for fiction at the time. Its reputation within the Cosmere readership has grown considerably as connections to the Stormlight Archive have become apparent - Nightblood's appearance in Words of Radiance retroactively elevated the novel's significance within the wider mythology. It is now consistently recommended as an essential Cosmere read and frequently cited as one of the more accessible entry points to Sanderson's shared universe for readers intimidated by the length of the Stormlight Archive.

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Warbreaker

Characters (13)

Groups (1)

History