Difference between revisions of "Warbreaker"
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== Summary == |
== Summary == |
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{{for|/Summary|a complete chapter by chapter summary}} |
{{for|/Summary|a complete chapter by chapter summary}} |
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| − | Warbreaker tells the story of two sister princesses, [[Vivenna]] |
+ | Warbreaker tells the story of two sister princesses, [[Vivenna]] and [[Siri]], of the country of [[Idris]]. Vivenna had been raised her entire life to marry the God-King of rival nation [[Hallandren]], in the hopes that this marriage will forestall Hallendren from taking over Idris, as they have done with many other neighboring countries. For reasons of political expediency, as well as the personal preferences of the king of Idris, Siri is sent, unprepared, in Vivenna's stead. Vivenna, feeling her life to be devoid of purpose with her sister married in her place, follows to Hallendren in hopes of saving Siri from her fate. Both sisters become involved in intrigues relating to an imminent war between their home nation of Idris and Hallendren, and attempt to divert the war from happening in their own ways: Siri from the inside of the government and Vivenna by cooperation with the underground. |
| − | At the same time, the novel tells the story of one of the [[Returned]] members of the royal court, [[Lightsong]] and his search for the truth behind the Hallandren religion |
+ | At the same time, the novel tells the story of one of the [[Returned]] members of the royal court, [[Lightsong]] and his search for the truth behind the Hallandren religion, as well as his own identity, and the story of [[Vasher]], a mysterious character with a talking sword named [[Nightblood]] and a large number of BioChromatic Breaths.. |
The book is set in the [[Cosmere]] on the world of [[Nalthis]], home to the [[Shard]] [[Endowment]]. It is told from Vasher, Siri, Vivenna, and Lightsong's points of view. |
The book is set in the [[Cosmere]] on the world of [[Nalthis]], home to the [[Shard]] [[Endowment]]. It is told from Vasher, Siri, Vivenna, and Lightsong's points of view. |
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Revision as of 17:00, 7 December 2014
| Warbreaker | |
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| Released | June 9, 2009 |
| Publisher | Tor |
| ISBN | 0-7653-1177-1 |
Warbreaker is a stand-alone fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, which is available for purchase in bookstores or for free download from his website.[1]
Summary
Warbreaker tells the story of two sister princesses, Vivenna and Siri, of the country of Idris. Vivenna had been raised her entire life to marry the God-King of rival nation Hallandren, in the hopes that this marriage will forestall Hallendren from taking over Idris, as they have done with many other neighboring countries. For reasons of political expediency, as well as the personal preferences of the king of Idris, Siri is sent, unprepared, in Vivenna's stead. Vivenna, feeling her life to be devoid of purpose with her sister married in her place, follows to Hallendren in hopes of saving Siri from her fate. Both sisters become involved in intrigues relating to an imminent war between their home nation of Idris and Hallendren, and attempt to divert the war from happening in their own ways: Siri from the inside of the government and Vivenna by cooperation with the underground.
At the same time, the novel tells the story of one of the Returned members of the royal court, Lightsong and his search for the truth behind the Hallandren religion, as well as his own identity, and the story of Vasher, a mysterious character with a talking sword named Nightblood and a large number of BioChromatic Breaths..
The book is set in the Cosmere on the world of Nalthis, home to the Shard Endowment. It is told from Vasher, Siri, Vivenna, and Lightsong's points of view.
Magic System
The book uses a system of magic which is heavily reliant on art. Magic users are known as Awakeners and their power comes from the number of BioChromatic Breaths they have stored. A Breath can be thought of as a soul, or as the manifestation of the 'sixth sense'. Once robbed of the breath, a person is called a Drab. Drabs find it difficult to perceive color and do not experience the 'sixth sense' or the odd sensation resulting from someone watching you unobserved. The more Breaths a person obtains, the more dramatic their abilities become. There are ten levels or 'Heightenings' of this magic.
Any amount of Breath allows Awakening: the ability to, through specific commands, call inanimate objects to life by investing Breath in them and draining the color from another object (Awakeners usually carry a few pieces of cloth for this purpose). The closer the object's resemblance to a human (anthropomorphic shape), the easier it is to awaken. Objects of a greater size require more Breath, as do objects directed to carry out complicated commands. Breath can be regained from objects by the person who invested them with the command "Your Breath to mine."
The following is mostly from the Ars Arcanum of Warbreaker:
- First - 50 Breaths - Aura Recognition (The ability to determine how many breaths another person has)
- Second - 200 Breaths - Perfect Pitch (The ability to determine musical notes)
- Third - 600 Breaths - Perfect Color Recognition (Similar to Perfect Pitch, but with the ability to determine the hues of colors)
- Fourth - 1,000 Breaths - Perfect Life Sense
- Fifth - 2,000 Breaths - Agelessness (Also, immunity to toxins and most physical ailments though death is still possible from physical violence)
- Sixth - 3,500 Breaths - Instinctive Awakening (Ability to use basic awakening commands without training or practice. Difficult commands become easier to practice and discover)
- Seventh - 5,000 Breaths - Breath Recognition (Similar to Aura recognition, but for objects that have been invested with breath)
- Eighth - 10,000 Breaths - Command Breaking (Ability to override commands of another awakener's awakened object)
- Ninth - 20,000 Breaths - Greater Awakening (Ability to Awaken stone and steel, though it takes large amounts of breath and specialized commands)
- Tenth - 50,000 Breaths - Audible Command (Ability to awaken objects the awakener is not physically touching) , Color Distortion (Creates colors from a white object by bending the light around it), Perfect Invocation (Awakener is able to draw more color when awakening leaving objects white rather than grey)
Specialized forms of this magic that are pertinent to Warbreaker include the Lifeless and the Returned. The Lifeless are reanimated human bodies that require only one Breath to Awaken. They are sustained with a specialized liquid called ichor alcohol. Lifeless feel little or no pain and are able to follow simple commands.
The Returned are the gods of the Halladren religion. They are people who are said to have died in such a heroic manner as to be given the chance to return to this world from the afterlife. They lose their memories during the return trip but are guided by their own inherent prophetic powers. The Returned must consume one Breath every two weeks or else they die. They each contain a single powerful Breath that alone allows them to reach Fifth Heightening; granting them, among other things, agelessness. The Returned also may spend this one Breath once in their lives to perform a miracle and upon doing so, they die.
Publication
- WARBREAKER (Tor, Summer 2009)
- Audio rights (unabridged) to Recorded Books
- Audio rights (dramatic abridgment) to Graphic Audio
- Chinese rights (complex, Taiwan) to Gaea
- Czech rights to Talpress
- German rights to Heyne
- Italian rights to Fanucci
- Polish rights to MAG
- Spanish rights to Ediciones B
- UK rights to Gollancz
- French rights to Calmann-Levy
- Bulgarian rights to Bard[2]
Awards
- Chosen by Library Journal as one of the 5 best SF&F novels of 2009
- Chosen by Barnes & Noble as one of the 5 best SF&F novels of 2009
- Chosen by The Onion A.V. Club as a Best of 2009
- Nominated for the 2010 David Gemmell Legend Award
- Nominated for 2009 Romantic Times Award, Best Epic Fantasy
- An ALA Top Five Fantasy of 2009
- 24 on NY Times hardcover list[2]
Notes
- ↑ Broken reference - Missing date declaration: Warbreaker Portal
— Brandon's website - {{{date}}}# - ↑ a b Awful Agent page