Warbreaker: Free Ebook

[dawncawley]

I can't believe I have been away so long. Congratulations Brandon, on being chosen to do the final Wheel of Time book.

I finally downloaded the newest version of Warbreaker today, and have read the Author's Note and Prologue so far. It was a fabulous Christmas present to see my name in your notes

On that happy note, let me get to the Prologue. So far, I like the changes that were made. Still a couple of typos, but nothing that distracted me enough to pull me out of Vasher's beginning. I must admit it has been a very long time since I read the first version, but I recall some differences and the changes that have been made thus far are good ones, in my opinion. Hopefully, I will be able to find the time to read the rest of it over the holidays

 Thanks again for the opportunity to read and comment on a book  in progress, and I will be passing on the link to your website and the most current version.

[Daarian]

People's comments are so good and thorough.. I wish i could give advice like that.. yet I get to caught up in the story. Maybe when the next version comes out I can be a bit more critical.

[dawncawley]

When he first started this we had a week in between chapters to read and discuss, and read again. I like having it all at once now, but the first time through was a great way to keep us coming back

[CUBAREY]

I loved Warbreaker and only have a few comments at this point

First, the lesser gods (returned) can only use their breath in one shot. While Vasher and the King (he reanimates the stone warriors) are able to use breath in the same way as normal individuals  reanimating several different objects at several different times. If this is going to be a stand-alone novel the inconsistency should be explained. If this is the first book in a series then obviously its a point that can be dealt with later.

Second, Jewel seems to have certain feelings for her Lifeless. She seems more concerned about him then her fellow mercenaries. Did they have a relationship of some type prior to his death?

Third, and this is a more general point. The War that establishes the government of the main country and the Mountain Kingdom is only three hundred years in the past. But, all of its details and reasons are now forgotten to all except maybe the priests and a few StoryTellers. Would not many more facts, legends and artifacts have survived among the commen people, especially in the Mountain Kingdom? Should not the war be set further back in time?

Fourth, and this is a minor point, when Lightsong first discovers his detective skills he ruminates over whether he was a "policeman" in his previous life. This is nit-picky but the term "policeman" has a decided modern feel to it. It was first used in the 19th century during the middle of the Industrial Age. When I saw it used by a character in a World set in a pre-indusrial world it was a bit jarring. Like I said its a bit nit-picky but its the kind of anomaly that drives me to distraction.

Fifth, the interplay between the King and Siri gets little attention after they consummate their marriage. Their interplay is one of the most interesting parts of the book, especially as it shows the King's mental and emotional awakening. It really needs to be paid more attention to.

Lastly, the character Denth(sp) is quite interesting and his mercenary philosophy actually fascinatingly deep. However, in the last couple of chapters he comes off as just being evil.  Vasher's  assassination of his sister and the swordsman scholar gives him good reason to hate and want to kill Vasher. But his character should seem to be much more morally gray then you depict him at the end of the book. Vasher was the Usurper, started a war, created stone warriors, set-up the religion/government of the main Kingdom but he was still  still "good".  Denth, shows philosophical insight he is not a mental cripple like his side-kick.  In reality, is his becoming a mercenary all that more morally reprehensible then Vasher abandoning the main kingdom for three hundred years  after organizing a repressive theocracy ? Use Denth as the "bad" guy but give him a little more credit.  During the duel with Vasher have them dispute their philosophies. Make it clear that both are much more "gray" then either black or white.

[platypuschutney]

Great book overall! Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but I had one issue I wanted to point out:

The terms "BioChroma" and "BioChromatic" were jarring to me and knocked me a little bit out of the fantasy world that the book otherwise submerged me into. In particular, the double capitalization evokes a science fiction or clandestine military feel, which is definitely not where this book is going. Even the prefix "bio" is a little bit modern/sci-fi.

I'd at least use "biochroma" instead. If the capitalization was to keep the elements of the term clear (huh? bioc-hroma? biochro-ma?), then you could maybe use another more classical-era prefix like poly- or omni-.

[CUBAREY]

BioChroma

Bio=life, Chroma=color

Where's the problem?

[dawncawley]

I am to Chapter 24 now. So far, I like it. Some proofreading and editing problems, but that is to be expected in a rough draft.

I am reading about 10-15 chapters a day, so I hope to be done with it soon. I will probably re-read right away to get a more clear picture of what I want to say, I have a tendency to read things I want to get to the end of soon, very quickly. Doing that I miss a bit, and tend to take my time on the second read.

[Asundar]

I just finished the Warbreaker book. Excellent piece of writing, however I do agree with the poster a couple posts up in that the term "BioChroma" was a bit off kilter for the fantasy world being portrayed here. I didn't like the magic system until the very end, to be honest. The explanation of it (especially the 4 types of Biochromatic entities) could also have been introduced earlier. Manyof the "abilities" that Vasher uses (such as enhanced fingers and feet) could be expanded upon; I liked that they reminded me in a sense of an exoskeleton.

Other than that, the characters were excellent and their growth and interactions were well explained. I would suggest maybe spending more time on Vivenna's "fall from grace". The revellation at the end of Llarimar and Lightsong's relationship was spectacular. That scene made me cry.

Can't wait to get this one in hardcover. Thanks again Brandon.

[Krustmonkey]

I'm sure you get a few of these kinds of posts a week, but I'd like to take a moment to thank you for writing such a fantastic bunch of novels!   I'm a convert from RJ and was directed to your site from dragonmount.  I've just recently finished Warbreaker (which was faboo by the way!) and was so impressed a few chapters in I ran to my nearest bookshop and got a few of your other books. I wish you all the best in your future writing endeavours and hope to see this on the shelves soon!

[Jhaeli]

I'm not sure how closely you read this thread anymore, but I wanted to point out a few things that I've noticed so far!

I'm at Chapter Twenty-Nine, haven't finished the book, but I'd like to comment on my initial impression. [Spoiler Warning to those who haven't read up to this point yet!]

- I really like how you foreshadowed the God King. In fact, I think he's gotten to be one of my favourite characters. Because of him (and her!), Siri's chapters are very interesting and I always look forward to them. (More on this in a bit.)

- I love the magic system. It can be a bit confusing at first, but I got into it quickly. I did notice that we jump right into it in the prologue, which is a bit of a contrast to the way readers are eased into the magic systems in both Elantris and Mistborn.

- I like Vivenna as a character, but her chapters have been rather slow to this point. I don't mind reading about her, but I find myself wanting to get through them to read more about Siri; I personally feel the action needs to pick up in her chapters without taking away the character development in there already. Or to clarify, her chapters need something to hook the reader as strongly as Siri's at this point. At the same time, I really like the juxtaposition between Vivenna and Siri - in the start, Siri feels so out of place and Vivenna comes across as very poised and perfect. Now, partway through the book, Siri is settling in rather well while Vivenna is feeling very out of place. It also makes me think that maybe Vivenna would have been much too stiff to actually be Susebron's wife in the same way Siri has adapted to it.

- I know you wanted to do something with living Gods; I've been interested in reading about them since Elantris. However, near the beginning where you first introduce Lightsong and the Returned, there needs to be something to make the reader feel like they're actual Gods, not just overly pampered nobles with magic powers. I didn't find myself quite convinced of their Divinity, even if they are intended to be more 'human' than most Gods. One way to do so would be to add in a bit more about their foretelling ability; perhaps an example or even a small event? I almost thought it was something the Priests had convinced Lightsong he could do and he was just dreaming like anyone else; at the same time, with the hints that I've been getting in the later chapters, perhaps it's just being set up for later? Either way, that was my initial impression of the Returned. I think it might be useful to present them as Divinity, then let the character's progression through the book slowly peel that away.

I've been reading the book for enjoyment, not to analyse it, but those were some of my impressions as a reader. To sum it up, I'm really loving the book so far; I downloaded the book at work and have been reading it when I get a *cough* spare second. Then I find myself almost wanting to stay at work late just to keep reading - I think about it when I get home! So I'm completely hooked.

[elroyskimms]

- I know you wanted to do something with living Gods; I've been interested in reading about them since Elantris. However, near the beginning where you first introduce Lightsong and the Returned, there needs to be something to make the reader feel like they're actual Gods, not just overly pampered nobles with magic powers. I didn't find myself quite convinced of their Divinity, even if they are intended to be more 'human' than most Gods.

I think once you get through the entire book, you will find that the description of the "gods" as just overly pampered nobles is intentional. I had your same thoughts as I read through the book. I think one of the best lines in the book on this subject is when Lightsong's priest says, "You are a God to me." (or something like that). That particular scene, in my opinion, nicely ties up the balance between pampered noble and divine being. I think you will find what you are looking for as you finish the entire story... trust me.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent book. I was hooked early on and if it became a series, would certainly read them all. I love the magic system, I think it is very unique. I liked that it was available to anyone... but at a price. For every Breath one person gains, someone else must have given it up. The "feeding" of the gods was a great way to make that point.

[SPOILER WARNING]

I would have liked more of an explanation in the end as to the God King's glossectomy (tongue removal... yes, I Googled it). Vasher briefly acknowledges the connection between himself and the God King's "injury" but there is still questions left unanswered that seemed important to this book but would probably not matter in a sequel. What happened to the previous God Kings? Did they really die saving others? The priests appear to be vindicated and yet still twisted somehow. Since they are mostly dead now, a sequel would probably not include any of this but I thought it critical to resolve in this story arc.

Also, considering the incredible twist of Vasher's true identity, I thought the final scene/epilogue was a bit over simplified. I thought the rising action and tension as the story came to a close was fantastic but the "Bonny and Clyde riding off into the sunset" closure didn't do justice to the severity of the situation.

I would have liked an explanation on how the God King, as a  Returned, was able to use his Breath without dying... but I think that could easily be revealed in additional books. So although that is a thread that may need closing, I can understand why it wouldn't happen in this first book.

Overall, I loved it and look forward to reading more of your work. Like many noobs here, I found you after the announcement that you would complete Robert Jordan's final WOT book. Warbreaker was a great introduction for me and I will begin reading the Mistborn series in a couple of weeks.

-E

[Seraf]

The whole thing about the Returned using Breath seemed rather obvious to me: Returned may keep as many Breath in their bodies as they wish, but they MUST be given one to consume in a week. As such, if they had 100 Breath, then they wouldn't technically reach new Heightnings since they are gods, but they CAN awaken. If they have those 100 breaths, then they would need to keep at least one of these in their bodies at all times. If they never Awakened, then they would use up those 100 Breaths over 100 weeks to continue living. That's how both Vasher and Susebron do it. What confused me more was that the Scholars are supposedly all Awakened or else had enough Breath to live 300 years. So how do they hide these required Breaths without dying?

[theoriginal_liza]

I just finished reading version 3.5! i loved it and i can't wait for the final, polished version to come out.

[nahmorlah]

Hey Brandon,

I am a new fan of yours (just bought the last book you have out that I didn't have) and I just finished reading Warbreaker. Let me preface this by saying it was really awesome, I ended up spending a day reading it without stopping,  just so I'd be done. However, there seems to be at least one major inconsistency (and I don't know if anyone else has touched on it since there are...42 pages of posts on this thread). Perhaps you can clarify.

So it seems to me that Vasher and Denth have a history, due to Vasher killing Shashara. Now Denth, obviously, was not the type to let that go. From what I could gather though or from what the book seems to indicate, this happened more than a few years ago. Now, Tonk Fah and Jewels have obviously met him a few times, and they seem to have intimate knowledge of Vasher's abilities. First, they state that he had never been able to beat Denth or Arsteel, and they also mention Nightblood. The "never been able to beat either of them" line on page 244 is telling, because it seems to either indicate that Vasher had fought them multiple times or he had had dealings with them. Now, for the entire time, Denth seems more upset about Arsteel being dead, than his sister. However, at the end, we see the depth of his feeling for the murder of his sister. Now, the question I have is, why, if Vasher had lost to Arsteel AND Denth multiple times and Vasher had already killed Shashara, did Denth let him live? Vasher not having killed Shashara doesn't seem to fit in the timeline since both Tonk-fah and Jewels state that Arsteel had been killed only a few months back. This has been the biggest question I have on the book.

Thanks!

[skibocastle]

Brandon,

Thanks for making this available.  It's great to have access to a work in progress!  Again, I appreciate your accessibility to your fans.