Author Topic: Warbreaker Title Question  (Read 5945 times)

EUOL

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Warbreaker Title Question
« on: August 30, 2007, 10:05:05 PM »
My editor is curious what people think of the title of this one.  We're not really thinking of changing it, but we want as much information as possible.  So, weigh in!  Let me know if you've read the book or not, and what your impressions of the title are! 

Also of note, if you didn't see it on my website, the cover artist has been chosen.  Check out Dan Dos Santos' website to see the kinds of things he does.

http://www.dandossantos.com/mock.html
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2007, 11:16:04 PM »
I like it. It will look good at the top (or bottom) of the cover and on the spine.

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2007, 11:27:38 PM »
I think you'll do just fine sticking with Warbreaker

I like Dan Dos Santos's work.
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CtrlZed

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2007, 01:14:41 AM »
I love Dos Santos' work.  His covers have often drawn my eye to books on the bookshelf.  I think you're right when you say that his use of vibrant colors will add a lot in illustrating the Warbreaker world.

I haven't read Warbreaker yet, so I don't know what I'm supposed to think when I hear the title.  What it says to me is this:  Somebody is going to stop a war from happening.

fanak

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2007, 03:49:14 AM »
I actually liked it. I thought a single word title like that seemed part mythological, part epic, and all self confident (not overly though).

Errent

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Dangit.
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2007, 08:25:36 AM »
I wrote a HUGE reply . . . only to have it all get lost. It was a work of ART. Geeze. Okay, here goes nothing.

Firstly, Dos Santos is fabulous. I've admired his work for a while now. Great choice, and congrats. I'm eager to see what he cooks up.

Secondly, I've got quite a bit to say about the title. It really prompted a lot of thought for me; not only when I first encountered it, but also as I read the story, and as I pondered it afterward. I'll try to be brief, however (Mostly because I just might kill myself if my reply gets lost AGAIN.)

     My overall opinion is much along the lines of Ookla and farak. It'll look great on spine and cover, and it fits the tone and feel of the story perfectly. Farak said it so well that I just have to quote it, "part mythological, part epic, and all self confident." Perfect way to put it.
     The title is brief and bold, and sparks curiousity . . . a curiousity that the story simply doesn't satisfy until near the finale. By blending it with the titles of the Returned, it loses a bit of the cliche normally associated with titles . . . this title matters, but is part of culture and not merely a plot device.
     This is one thing which made me wary when first encountering the book; it's a little ambiguous. Well of course a warbreaker "breaks wars" but what exactly does that entail? Is this something unique conceptually to the story? Is it a common thing? Will I follow the story of this individual? Is this story a heroic, regency, or epic? This latter question is primarily what made me wary . . . I didn't want to experience another story about some "long prophecied individual of the land of <insert world name here>, the savior <insert mythic title here>!!"
     As mentioned before however, this cliche is beautifully laid to rest by cleverly prolonging the readers encounter with the revelation of the identity of the Warbreaker until they've both: A) already identified him, or B) forgotten that the title is of importance. The pieces are up to the reader to put together, and not repeated endlessly on every other page. (I actually wish that a countless number of unexperienced fantasy readers will purchase Warbreaker because of its resemblance to countless other epic fantasy titles so they will learn to appreciate the brilliance of a well concieved twist of genre)
    Another problem beset me while reading Warbreaker relating to the heroic end of the spectrum: doesn't there have to be a war in order for a warbreaker to break it? Where is the war? I realized that it does arrive (and splendidly, with Brandon's usual everything-goes-to-hell-at-the-end style,) but I found the characters all removed from the gritty effects of war itself up until that last moment. Even Vivenna is really only dealing with civil unrest for most of the story. The characters, however, are engaging and the war seems so distant because I found myself drawn to the characters struggles . . . this naturally makes the war a bit more of a surprise as well. So there is a bit of a trade off there.

In general, my opinion about the title is the same as my opinion about most of Brandon's work: it leads readers in with promises of traditional fantasy, slightly modified . . . and then turns the tables on them, leaving them to wonder which promises were kept, which promises were broken, and which promises they'll trust any author (other than Brandon) to make, ever again.

I'm glad you're not considering changing it . . . I feel that any potential misunderstandings or expectations it might cause will only make the reading more enjoyable.
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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2007, 02:11:05 PM »
Haven't read the book (and haven't read any of the comments to this thread yet, either). Not crazy about the title. I'd expect something about military campaigns, probably with someone who goes around inserting himself in them and fixing them? Not sure--that's part of the reason I'm not crazy about it. Or maybe it's about a sword called Warbreaker? In any case, I'm getting military vibes. Maybe I'm way off--now I'll read what other people said.

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2007, 05:40:01 PM »
I like the title of the book, I don't think it needs any changing at all. I like the way that we learn what warbreaker means halfway through the book. I think I made a post about it. Something like - and thus, the orgin of the title is revealed!

If I didn't, then I imagined it, I suppose. Anywho, I like the title and the cover artist. His works don't seem as intense as the mistborn covers, which fit Warbreaker well. You're right, the color is really nice on the sample you gave us. However, I am art deficit - but I can make pretty darn cute stick people (well, clylindrical people actually).
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Shi

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2007, 11:49:25 PM »
Well, I've only gotten to read the first chapter of Warbreaker so far, but I'll tell you my original thought on the title. It set a certain mood, and too me it said, a little dark, epic-ish, and crude a bit, too(though not in the bad way, does that made sense?). From the first chapter I read it seemed to fit, but that's all I've gotten too so I really can't tell you more.

Ah, Dan Dos Santos, he's an awesome artist! I think his style will do the cover justice.

EUOL

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2007, 09:03:55 AM »
This is all very useful.  I've directed my editor to this thread, so thanks so much for your comments.  (Particularly your big explanation post, Errent.  Useful stuff for me to know.)
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dreamking47

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2007, 12:21:31 AM »
As someone who did read the story, I liked the title.  It becomes clear pretty quickly -- right from the start of the first chapter -- that "warbreaker" will refer to putting a stop to the looming war.  The fun then is trying to figure out who the "war breaker" will be: I think I had pegged three or four different characters before finally getting it right.  The title works because it not only gives a general sense of what the plot will be, but it also defines and perpetuates the book's central mystery.

Part of why it might not work -- how serious it sounds for a book that you said was meant to be lighter in tone -- will, it looks like, be alleviated by the choice of cover artist.  The slightly larger-than-life coloring of Dan Dos Santos's work is perfect for conveying the right mood, in addition to the tie-in with saturated colors and Breath. The other potential negative to the title I can see is that (spoilers)...

...the character to whom the title refers, the character on whom the critical decision rests, has the least "screen time" and is the least developed of any of the major characters.  I suppose that ideally, either the title wouldn't exclude the other characters who feature more centrally, or (probably ideal from my sense of story) we'd know a bit more about the warbreaker character by the end of the book, why they waited to do what they did and what caused them to eventually relent, which would make the title fit even better.

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davidgolding

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Re: Warbreaker Title Question
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2007, 01:36:07 AM »
The book was excellent. Given the conclusion and the plot itself, I think Warbreaker is a suitable and catchy title. From a marketing perspective, the title must be memorable like the chorus of a popular song on the radio, not tripped out like some fantasy titles are (like Terry Brooks' novels, for example with all the unique names he devised). Also, if there's going to be more than one book in the series, which it appears will be the case for Warbreaker, then I think one-word titles do it best, and then the title for each volume can be a little more elaborate. What you did for Mistborn follows this perfectly, with a title that is accessible for readers when they want to recommend the series, but also volume titles that have the reader guessing what will happen in the story (I'm totally perplexed, for one, with how Mistborn will conclude with a title like "Hero of Ages"). So, anyway, I guess I'm hoping you stick with Warbreaker as a series title and have some catchy titles for each volume. My $0.02.