Author Topic: Warbreaker: Free Ebook  (Read 234618 times)

Pygmalion

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #810 on: June 13, 2009, 05:33:59 PM »
**SPOILER**

I have a theory....
I think that Clod used to be Arsteel!


Quote
He (Clod) moved with a fluidity she had rarely
seen, his skill matching the brief moment of dazzling speed that Denth had
displayed in the restaurant.
pg.337

Quote
Denth glanced at Clod. “They’re not all equal. Most Lifeless, they’re just
made out of what ever body happens to be around. If you pay good money,
you can get one who was very skillful in life.”
  pg 357

Quote
“It shouldn’t have happened,” Jewels said. “Arsteel was a brilliant duelist—
almost as good as Denth. Vasher’s never been able to beat either of them.”
pg 197

Quote
“Vasher didn’t use the sword,” Jewels said. “There was no blackness to
Arsteel’s wounds.”
pg 314

Since Jewels and Denth have seen Arsteel, they might have been able to pay someone money to make Arsteel a Lifeless for a bodyguard.


Oooh.... that makes so much sense. Duh...  it seems so obvious now!
"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible" - Jonathan Swift

jahmes

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #811 on: June 15, 2009, 03:47:15 AM »
and I think Clod's possesses some remaining intelligence (seems he can recognize the princess) which only shows that he is not your ordinary Lifeless

Ruthie

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #812 on: June 15, 2009, 04:19:47 PM »
Yup, I was pretty sure for most of the book that Clod was Arsteel. Also, the moment I knew that a) gods can give their Breath to heal someone and b) Susebron had no tongue, I knew that Lightsong would die to heal Susebron at the moment when everything was going wrong. I was so pleased when it turned out that way.

I also guessed Denth was evil from the moment I found out he hated Vasher. Vasher didn't seem evil, just strange. If Vasher's not evil, then Denth must be.

I still really liked it. It took longer to pick up in pace than some of his other books, but I think the ending redeemed it.

Vivenna drove me crazy for most of the book, but then, so did Jane Austen's Emma, and I like that book in retrospect. At least they both grew up (Vivenna more than Emma).

Did anyone else notice that the couples have alliterative names (well, except for Blushweaver and Lightsong)? I had to laugh at that. Was that on purpose?

Tage

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #813 on: June 16, 2009, 07:50:11 AM »
Did anyone else notice that the couples have alliterative names (well, except for Blushweaver and Lightsong)? I had to laugh at that. Was that on purpose?

Wow, I can't believe I got through the whole book and didn't notice something as simple as that.
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ryos

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #814 on: June 16, 2009, 07:22:02 PM »
Did anyone else notice that the couples have alliterative names (well, except for Blushweaver and Lightsong)? I had to laugh at that. Was that on purpose?

Wow, I can't believe I got through the whole book and didn't notice something as simple as that.

Heh, me neither! Fun.

I wouldn't really call Blushweaver and Lightsong a "couple". Llarimar and Lightsong have more couple dynamics, even if neither is gay. ;D
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Ruthie

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #815 on: June 16, 2009, 07:39:37 PM »
Okay, some questions and issues that I've thought about now a few days after reading the book:

1. If Vasher took the extreme caution of advising priests to cut out God Kings' tongues to prevent them from using their Breaths, I found it a bit out of character for him to meet Susebron once, see that his tongue was healed and thus he controlled his own power, and give him even more power in the form of the D'Delir. I mean, I know why he did it. The part I don't get is why Vasher would just walk away from Hallandren afterwards, leaving Susebron to his immense power. I mean, yeah, Susebron's a good guy. But he's extremely innocent and thus extremely malleable. Who's to say he won't become corrupted by his power or swayed by someone corrupt?

2. If Denth is the same thing Vasher is, why does he apparently have only one Breath? Did he store his extras in an object and then feed on one per week to stay alive?

3. Who the heck is on the cover? I'd guess Siri, but the BioChromatic breath issuing from her mouth makes me think it's an Awakener and thus Vivenna. And the sword doesn't look like Nightblood, so maybe it's the sword Vivenna holds briefly? But by that time, she wasn't wearing dresses anymore, and she probably never wore anything like that dress in her life.

I'm overthinking it, right? :D

Meetshield

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #816 on: June 16, 2009, 07:59:17 PM »
Well I just stumbled upon Brandon Sanderson on the VERY Day that WarBreaker was released.  I was looking for more info about TWOT...  

Anyway, I decided to buy his book because of the dedication he showed to the spirit of TWOT, in support of him.

I must say that I got the best deal of my life.  I absolutely loved it!

The Hero's of the story male and female had their weaknesses and their issues, the magic system is rather interesting, but the real trick, is to make such a long book seem like it is too short!!  It feels like a bunch of short books all bound together into one, the story arc really has a lot of meat in it.  I am not saying that the book is broken up, but on the contrary it flows very well.  The key to making it seem so short is the fact that the reader gets what the reader wants throughout the story.

The key to Fantasy is to reveal things slowely, giving the reader time to ponder the revelations, which Brandon has mastered.

What an exciting author you are Brandon!

*Spoilers for WarBreaker*

Now to the discussion - I though for sure that the Pahn Kahl were planning to turn Siri into a lifeless and use her as a horrific Lifeless puppet to taunt the Idrians into War.

I had a hard time tracking where all the breaths went, into a rope, into a shawl, out of a shawl, out of a rope, into a cloak etc.  It seemed that Vasher was more careful about his use of breath and retreaval of same, but Vivenna was spending it everywhere, and wasting it often enough.  I felt sure that there was a store of it somewhere that she should have access too if she or I could remember where we left it!!  It would be nice if they could find a command to have an awakened object hold on to the breath for a time and then release it back to them wherever they are...

The cover has to be Vivenna, because of the sword...  But although the cover is beautiful, it doesn't look like fantasy, it does a poor job selling the book.  I was looking for the book and walked right past it.




Meetshield

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #817 on: June 16, 2009, 08:13:50 PM »
1. If Vasher took the extreme caution of advising priests to cut out God Kings' tongues to prevent them from using their Breaths, I found it a bit out of character for him to meet Susebron once, see that his tongue was healed and thus he controlled his own power, and give him even more power in the form of the D'Delir. I mean, I know why he did it. The part I don't get is why Vasher would just walk away from Hallandren afterwards, leaving Susebron to his immense power. I mean, yeah, Susebron's a good guy. But he's extremely innocent and thus extremely malleable. Who's to say he won't become corrupted by his power or swayed by someone corrupt?

I hadn't really thought about it, but he didn't have much choice, and he did look to Vivenna for confirmation before giving in to her request.  He was reluctant, even wary, which I'd say is rather in character for him.  Why did he walk away?  Pandora's box.  He had just trusted the God King, no point in sticking around and trying to take it back.  He was needed elsewhere.  He did his part to redeem himself, and now it was in their hands.


2. If Denth is the same thing Vasher is, why does he apparently have only one Breath? Did he store his extras in an object and then feed on one per week to stay alive?

Yeah this one seems to be a hole in the story to me as well.  If he had enough breath stored up somewhere, and he used to be a skilled user of same, then why not at some point reveal his true power and capability?  And the rapture at receiving the 50 breath or so at the end, didn't seem that it would affect him so if he had a store of breath somewhere he was using on a consistent basis, then he should be used to receiving the breath and releasing it back into his storage object weekly.  At least someone as trained as him should be able to keep his wits enough to not be killed by the rapture.

3. Who the heck is on the cover? I'd guess Siri, but the BioChromatic breath issuing from her mouth makes me think it's an Awakener and thus Vivenna. And the sword doesn't look like Nightblood, so maybe it's the sword Vivenna holds briefly? But by that time, she wasn't wearing dresses anymore, and she probably never wore anything like that dress in her life.

The problem with the cover is that it is too dark, no scenery, so while it has quite the dramatic affect, it doesn't take place in any of our scenes in the book, and doesn't convey to the buyer the scope and depth of the books imagery.  It looks like a book about a silly girl, with a sword, in way over her head, but not a fantasy book about war and magic and politics.  I think its pretty, but needs a background.

Ruthie

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #818 on: June 17, 2009, 12:01:12 AM »
If I had seen the cover but never known anything about the book, I probably would have read it for the cover's sake alone. It's stunning and unexpected, and it makes me wonder what's going on. Why is her hair white? What's coming out of her mouth? Etc., etc. I just wish I knew, after reading the book, who it was.

little wilson

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #819 on: June 17, 2009, 12:08:33 AM »
I'm pretty sure the character's supposed to be Siri. Here's the thread where the cover was discussed (back around the time the art for it was first released).

http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?topic=5942.0

EDIT: Looking back over that thread, it IS Siri. The artist himself (Dan Dos Santos) eventually posts, and says that it's supposed to be Siri in her wedding dress.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2009, 12:25:33 AM by little_wilson »
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happyman

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #820 on: June 17, 2009, 12:39:35 AM »
Quote
1. If Vasher took the extreme caution of advising priests to cut out God Kings' tongues to prevent them from using their Breaths, I found it a bit out of character for him to meet Susebron once, see that his tongue was healed and thus he controlled his own power, and give him even more power in the form of the D'Delir. I mean, I know why he did it. The part I don't get is why Vasher would just walk away from Hallandren afterwards, leaving Susebron to his immense power. I mean, yeah, Susebron's a good guy. But he's extremely innocent and thus extremely malleable. Who's to say he won't become corrupted by his power or swayed by someone corrupt?

Did Vasher suggest that particular measure, of did he just vaguely suggest that the power shouldn't be used, and the priests ran with it from there?
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Pygmalion

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #821 on: June 18, 2009, 12:21:17 AM »
If I had seen the cover but never known anything about the book, I probably would have read it for the cover's sake alone. It's stunning and unexpected, and it makes me wonder what's going on. Why is her hair white? What's coming out of her mouth? Etc., etc. I just wish I knew, after reading the book, who it was.

I agree completely. The cover is absolutely beautiful, and I think it stands out. I know it popped for me on the shelf of the bookstore when I bought it.

Also, I think I agree with happyman that it may have been a suggestion by Vasher. But there was that one line I think where he says to Susebron "I'm the reason your tongue was cut out." Or something like that, right?
"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible" - Jonathan Swift

Adarian

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #822 on: June 20, 2009, 09:07:40 PM »
Quote
1. If Vasher took the extreme caution of advising priests to cut out God Kings' tongues to prevent them from using their Breaths, I found it a bit out of character for him to meet Susebron once, see that his tongue was healed and thus he controlled his own power, and give him even more power in the form of the D'Delir. I mean, I know why he did it. The part I don't get is why Vasher would just walk away from Hallandren afterwards, leaving Susebron to his immense power. I mean, yeah, Susebron's a good guy. But he's extremely innocent and thus extremely malleable. Who's to say he won't become corrupted by his power or swayed by someone corrupt?

Did Vasher suggest that particular measure, of did he just vaguely suggest that the power shouldn't be used, and the priests ran with it from there?


Unless I have overlooked some finer points--entirely possible since I was reading most of this half-asleep due to my inabiltiy to put it down--I think that this particular statement is being taken too literally.  I posit that what Vasher meant when he said "I am the one responsible for you having your tongue cut out," was not that he suggested or ordered it to be done; but rather, that because of the events in the past for which he was responsible, the priests saw it necessary to cut out the God-King's tongue to curb the danger of a too-powerful Awakener.

p.s.  I agree with all of you who have said that Clod might be Arsteel.  When Vasher is teaching Vivenna about BioChromatic entities, she mentions that Denth has a Lifeless.  Vasher becomes very quiet and says "Yes, I know."  Vivenna notices  "a strange look in his eyes".  You know then that Vasher knew the person who became Clod.  Who else but Arsteel?

Adolla

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #823 on: June 23, 2009, 09:06:29 PM »

Yeah this one seems to be a hole in the story to me as well.  If he had enough breath stored up somewhere, and he used to be a skilled user of same, then why not at some point reveal his true power and capability?  And the rapture at receiving the 50 breath or so at the end, didn't seem that it would affect him so if he had a store of breath somewhere he was using on a consistent basis, then he should be used to receiving the breath and releasing it back into his storage object weekly.  At least someone as trained as him should be able to keep his wits enough to not be killed by the rapture.


When Vivienna reclaimed the breaths Denth told her the long you go without the harder the more the rush gets to you when you take them back.  He was holding onto only one breath in order to blend in.  If he chose to take on more breaths he would have stood out and possible caught by Vasher before he was ready.  Also Viv would have noticed and not trusted him.  So he had been weeks without even the first heightening when Viv gave him those breaths.   It would be like a gut punch, there just isn't much recovering from it if you weren't prepared for it.

Jurisprude

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Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« Reply #824 on: June 25, 2009, 10:29:28 PM »
First off ... I became recently aware of Brandon through TWoT goings on and such; stumbled across the Warbreaker ebook, downloaded it and devoured it in 2 days time.  Really enjoyed it ... very creative, unique magic system, nice characters and character arcs, so forth and so on, effusive praise, effusive praise.  Nice job.

Now ... ****SPOILER ALERT****

I just started re-reading it and noticed in the prologue a hint as to Vasher's Returned status, right after he received the Breaths from Vahr:

"Vasher could, of course, have up to the Fifth Heightening at any time, if he wished.  That would require certain sacrifices he wasn't willing to make.  And so he forced himself to do it the old-fashioned way, by gathering Breaths from people like Vahr." [e-book v.1, pg 22]

Of course I didn't realize it the first time through, but now the reference to having up to the Fifth Heightening at any time makes sense ... Vasher could, as he did at the end of the book, revert back to Returned status with its accompanying mega-one-breath-equal-to-2,000-normal-breaths.  This raises a number a questions/presumptions.  Do all Returned have the ability to revert back to normal human proportions? (i.e., could Lightsong or Blushweaver or any of the other Hallandren gods have done the same thing?)  In this process, what happens to the uber-Breath?  Vivenna and others with Breath did not sense it ... has it been transferred to an object? or does it just become muted?

And what's up with the 2 of the 5 Scholars that we meet in the book (Vasher and Denth) both having reverted back to human form?  Of course, this question presumes that all of the 5 scholars were Returned (are we ever told that?).  So, presumably Denth, like Vasher, was also Returned and decided, like Vasher, to forego the god-like Returned status in order to ... do what? walk among normal folk and influence affairs?  Can we presume that their decision to do so was a result of the Manywar and its aftermath?  It seems like we've been given a rationale for Vasher to make this transformation (i.e., he did not like what he had become or what lengths he had to go to in order to end the Manywar), but what rationale would Denth have had for giving up god-like status?

Just some thoughts rattling around ...