Warbreaker

Reviews

“Epic fantasy heavyweight Sanderson pens a powerful stand-alone tale of unpredictable loyalties, dark intrigue, and dangerous magic […] Sanderson melds complex, believable characters, a marvelous world and thoughtful, ironic humor into an extraordinary and highly entertaining story.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Sanderson again demonstrates his capacity for handling large and complex themes while creating believable characters. He also succeeds at building a unique fantasy environment. This series opener is essential reading for fantasy fans.”

Library Journal, Starred Review

“Lets Sanderson show off what he does best […] Beyond shining as a world-building exercise, WARBREAKER’s drama is peppered with excellent humor. With so much to love, it’s easy to wish for a sequel, but hard to imagine a better ending.”

The Onion/A.V. Club

“A highly readable and compelling stand-alone volume from the acclaimed author of the Mistborn trilogy. As is to be expected, the worldbuilding is superb, utilizing a thoroughly thought-out system of magic and religion. Highly recommended to fans of epic fantasy.”

RT Book Reviews, a Top Pick

“Sanderson is clearly a master of large-scale stories, splendidly depicting worlds as well as strong female characters […] The system of magic is also novel […] and demands far more of the characters’ ingenuity, which in turn demands developing them — male and female, divine and mortal — to a far higher degree than one expects of much fantasy these days. May the author write long and prosper.”

Booklist

“Sanderson is expert at spinning fantasy stories packed with memorable characters, crisply detailed settings, unique magic, and major helpings of intrigue. [WARBREAKER] is a single fantasy novel, and as it stands a quite nice one, with room for irony and sarcasm as well as brooding, foreshadowing, some lively action, and even a little romance, all wrapped up in a multi-layered story of believable characters and choices that are far from easy.”

Black Gate

“Every major character in this novel is memorable […] an iridescent tale of magic, mystery, mayhem – and love.”

BookPage

“WARBREAKER was brilliant.”

SF Crowsnest

“A first rate storyteller […] Twists and turns keep the excitement high, and the action is relentless. Sanderson has really delivered with a solid and intriguing novel full of magic and mayhem, worthy of addition to your personal library.”

BookReporter.com

“That rarest of fantasy rarities, a satisfying self-contained book that leaves the door open for more books down the line. As usual, Sanderson’s meticulous world-building sets the stage marvelously; his characters are complex and compelling, and his plot is full of unexpected twists.”

Contra Costa Times

“The stuff of great epic fantasy […] Sanderson weaves a complex and fascinating plot, with many twists and turns […] I wholeheartedly recommend the work of Brandon Sanderson after this, my first reading of his writing […] an excellent starting point for this soon-to-be-if-not-already household name.”

Grasping for the Wind

“A unique new world […] a compelling plot […] Sanderson’s prose falls into a nice rhythm that helps to move the action forward. Multifaceted characters and actions of both the mystical and sword-fighting realms bring added excitement to a complex and creative read.”

The Deseret News

“An excellent read.”

Book Loons

“Another top-notch novel from Sanderson – a novel that will likely be one of the top fantasy novels of the year.”

SFFWorld

“A book that has it all […] Sanderson will be forever mentioned as one of the finest fantasy writers of this generation.”

Fantasy Faction

“Sanderson is a deft manipulator of fantasy tropes […] this book will deliver much pleasure.”

SciFi Wire

“Sanderson’s best book yet […] highly recommended.”

Book Spot Central

“A fascinating world and plenty of scope for future novels.”

SFRevu

“Big, vibrant sword-and-sorcery fantasy […] some nifty scary moments.”

Cleveland Plain-Dealer

“Has me convinced that he will be a mainstay in the fantasy scene for years to come […] it’s readily apparent that Brandon Sanderson is an extremely talented author. The novel was a real page-turner and was filled with wonderful characters and thoughtful original ideas.”

SF Site

“A beautiful, highly recommended read. 9 out of 10.”

Walker of Worlds

“Yet another strong showing […] If the worst you can say about a book is that it wasn’t long enough, the author is clearly doing something well. In Brandon Sanderson’s case, that’s nearly everything.”

Fantasy Literature

“There was something new and exciting at every turn, and the author’s words did a magnificent job of transporting us to this unique world.”

The Infinite Curio

“The magic is fascinating, the characters are dynamic […] You know it’s a good book when there are multiple moments when you literally gasp at a new revelation […] I enjoyed this book immensely.”

Collected Warblings

“Brandon Sanderson has written an heroic fantasy depending on originality of character and plot. His heroines and heroes are outstanding – especially Vasher, the Warbreaker, whose special relationship with his sentient sword is both sardonic and sinister. The mysteries of life after death, of identity and destiny, the politics of magic, are unveiled through three-dimensional characters. Not only has Sanderson drawn a freshly imagined world and its society, he has also given us a plot full of unexpected twists and turns. In subtle prose, notable for its quiet irony, Sanderson tells the story of two sisters and the god they are doomed to marry. Anyone looking for a different and refreshing fantasy novel will be delighted by this exceptional tale of magic, mystery and the politics of divinity. It’s fair to say WARBREAKER might even take your breath away!”

Michael Moorcock