Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

I've known about Brandon Sanderson for a few years now. But, I've never read him. I had heard he wrote the end of Robert Jordan's epic series, The Wheel of Time—and my dad (who loves the series) said he did a good job. So, with that in mind, I decided to try out one of his novels. I know that Mistborn series is super popular these days, but I settled for Warbreaker since that's what the library had in stock. Enough of that though, it's time for the nitty gritty!

The Good

There is a reason Sanderson was chosen to complete the writing of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. The "new guy on the block" (as I think of him) is good. His writing definitely isn't like the dense, deep work of other fiction giants like Tolkien or Frank Herbert. That said, though, Sanderson has gotten down the important part: a flow that keeps the reader hooked. I should know, because I read the second half of the book in one six-hour sitting. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to all the deliciously interesting plot lines!

The characters were lovable and enduring—seriously. I couldn't help but really begin to like the ever-witty Lightsong, or the heartfelt, brash Siri. You know the story is good if it makes you mourn or celebrate with the characters. 

I read somewhere that Sanderson says he is known for the magic systems he thinks up for his novels. I can see why! In this novel, not only is the idea of breathing magic cool, but the outplay of it is, as well! 

The Bad

I am a skeptic. Specifically of new and hip movements that lots of people love. One of the movements I naturally distrust is the contemporary fantasy fiction genre of literature. But wait! Not because I dislike fantasy - au contraire mon frére - the fantasy genre is one of my favorites, but I like my reading to contain a little thing called meaning. Meaning is like the little toy inside a box of cracker jacks: You can eat the lot of 'em, taste the savory flavors and crunchy caramel-covered popcorn, but if you get to the bottom of the box and it's empty—no toy—you feel cheated. Outraged, even! What is this world coming to? Now, you have nothing solid or meaningful to take away from your enjoyable experience. You just munch away until you're done, you experience one moment of disgust, and then you throw the box away and forget about the whole thing. THAT is what reading a book without meaning is like.

Unfortunately for Warbreaker, that is how I felt after reading it. I enjoyed the story very much, but could sense something missing: an aura of gravitas—something of greater import than just the story itself. 

The Ugly (a.k.a. straight talk, According to Wilson)

My cerebral humor delighted in reading Lightsong's dialogue. I laughed a lot! His self-deprecating banter and his zippy quips had me guffawing louder than a hillbilly watching a city-slicker trying to catch a greased hog. Bravo, Sanderson. You win this round. Even despite the lack of a greater takeaway from the novel than just a good experience, I would still pick up another of his novels and read it, knowing I would love the whole thing. Yes, I'd be wanting more, but for meaning in the fantasy genre, I guess I can always go back to the classic forefathers: Tolkien and Lewis.