10 Reasons I Loved Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker and It's Not Just Because It's Free on His Website

• 01

  The Fact That It Is Free On the Internet

  
  via Dan Dos Santos

  Siri

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• Why does this prolific and well known fantasy author have a free, complete novel on the internet? Well, for one, he isn’t a greedy, money-hungry grifter, and this isn’t some sort of gimmick. Sanderson lives and breathes fantasy and writing; he even teaches a class on it at Brigham Young University every year. He decided to release Warbreaker online for free to give his readers a peak at his writing process as well as to make his work available to people who otherwise wouldn't have thought to spend a dime on his work. You can still find the first few drafts of Wabreaker on his website — you can even download a file that has passages crossed out in red, annotations, and explanations for his edits.

• 02

  The Incredibly Unique Magic System

  
  via Ari Ibarra

  Vivenna

• Mistborn’s magic system often gets lauded as one of the best in fantasy. Warbreaker’s system should get major points for sheer creativity. In this world, everyone is born with a special Breath. If you accumulate more than the one you were given at birth, you are able to use that extra power to give life to inanimate objects. At first the magic in this world seems a bit nonsensical, but Brandon Sanderson slowly peels back the layers as the book progresses. If there is one thing I’ve learned from my time with Brando Sando, it’s that when it seems like there is a discrepancy or minor plot hole, it’s actually a hint at some secret knowledge that he will eventually unveil and blow your mind with in the process. 

• 03

  The Characters

  
  via David Díaz

  Susebron, Blushweaver, Siri, Lightsong, Denth, Tonk Fah, Vivenna, Vasher

• I'm not that deep in the Cosmere just yet, having only read Mistborn before this, but I'm noticing a pattern with Brandon Sanderson. He is pretty good at constructing casts of unique, memorable, and loveable characters. Some of them aren't exactly likeable or relatable at first; others you can't help but love straight away, only for them to betray you later on…

• 04

  Lightsong

  
  via Marie Seeberger

  Lightsong with Llarimar

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• Lightsong was a standout character for me. While I enjoyed every POV in this novel (yes, even Vivenna's pretentious yet self-deprecating lense), I found myself looking forward the most to Lightsong's chapters. I never tired of his sassy and witty quips towards Llarimar or his clever banter with Blushweaver, all while he battled internally over his own godhood and his place in the world. As the chapters progressed, it was increasingly difficult for him to keep up his lazy, nonchalant front and ignore his innate strong sense of morality. His character arc was beautiful to behold.

• 05

  The Worldbuilding

  
  via Miranda Meeks

  Lightsong and Blushweaver

• This story is essentially a tale about two sisters. However, the backdrop in which they reside is rich and interesting. The world is not explored as in-depth as some might like; this is a character-driven, stand alone novel, after all. However, the glimpses we see of Nalthis are unique and compelling.

• 06

  The Romance

  
  via @simat_art

  Susebron and Siri

• Brian Sanderson's books aren't exactly popular due to any sort of romance. For example, the relationships between Mistborn's Vin and Elend left much to be desired, in my opinion. However, Susebron's and Siri's relationship in Warbreaker was very sweet, honest, and believable. 

• 07

  The Twists

  
  via Howard Lyon

  Susebron and Siri at the Court Assembly

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• Brandon Sanderson loves a good plot twist; and the ones in this novel are just as good as any other. As always, the twists will have you beating yourself up on a reread for not catching any of the hints the first time around.

• 08

  The Connections to the Great Cosmere

  
  via Dan Dos Santos

  Unused Cover Art for 10th Anniversary 

• If you haven't dipped your toes into the Cosmere, then you might not realize how this stand alone novel fits into the greater universe. However, if you take the time to read Sanderson's Wabreaker annotations (which I hightly recommend), it all really comes together. 

• 09

  The Fan Art

  
  via @a.c.sanders

  Vivenna and Siri

• None of Brandon Sanderson's books have been adapted for the screen. This is, of course, a shame. Every day I beg the universe that there would be a Mistborn adaptation in the animation style of Arcane. The benefit of having little official visual artwork to draw upon, is that artists are free to interpret the text as they see fit. Some Warbreaker artwork looks like pretty generic medieval fantasy fare, but other depictions seem to draw from Mesoamerican aesthetics. Either way, Sanderson has some incredibly talented fans that really bring his words to life just as well as any Awakener could. 

• 10

  The Incoming Sequel

  
  via roitssomething

  Vasher and Vivenna

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• Sanderson has a tendency to pack the final few chapters of his books with a ton of action and plot twists; this phenomenon even has a name: the Sanderlanche (Sanderson avalanche). I felt that the Sanderlanche in this particular novel came a bit too quickly, wrapping things up a little too neatly. Furthermore, there were several questions left unanswered. Thankfully, a sequel is, in fact, in the works. 

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