Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 5.5 review

18th Jun 201918th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• Lightsong is sitting with Llarimar on his patio to watch the queen arrive at the God King’s palace. Siri will be the first queen of Hallandren in thirty years.

• Suddenly, Lightsong remembers his previous dream more vividly. Fire, death, killing, and battle. The sea had been red as it reflected the city of T’telir, engulfed in flames. The ship he had seen had been burning too.

• As a returned, Lightsong’s body is immune to all toxins. This also means that he can’t get drunk.

• Lightsong strongly dislikes politics and war.

Personal Chapter Analysis

Lightsong likes to amuses himself with his own judgement…

• Lightsong has an un-godlike personality. He contradicts himself sometimes, but in a way that gives us a strong sense of his character. For example, he mentions that he would like to travel and see the world a bit in his previous appearance in the book, yet he enjoys his simple lifestyle. “Well, this has been a pleasant day. A few cups of wine… …and he was beginning to feel more like his usual self.”

• I think Lightsong likes to amuses himself with his own judgement, and it is hard to know if he truely means what he say’s sometimes. He takes his title lightly and enjoys witty, yet childish, humour. “Actually, yes I can imagine it, and the dress looks painfully inelegant on you. Make a note to have my imagination flogged for its insolence in showing me that particular sight.”

Lightsong doesn’t like people to be right about him…

• I think that Lightsong takes pride in being unpredictable. When Llarimar asks him: “You’re that happy to have a queen?” Lightsong replies: “I’m that happy to have avoided petitions for the day thanks to her arrival.” I do not think he is a character that can simply say yes to a question.

• Maybe Lightsong doesn’t like people to be right about him, and perhaps this has something to do with the boredom of living a routeinial lifestyle. His quick follow up question of: “What do we know about her?” proves that he is, in fact, interested in the queen’s arrival.

I get a sense that although he acts indifferent to Lightsong’s attitude, deep down he enjoys it…

• I can tell Llarimar has spent a lot of time with Lightsong. He bounces off of his humorous attitude with equally witty responses, yet in a dry fashion. “I’ll put it in line right behind your sense of decorum, Your Grace.” I get a sense that although he acts indifferent to Lightsong’s attitude, deep down he enjoys it. Perhaps it is his duty which refrains him from admitting this.

Favourite Sentence

“Make a note to have my imagination flogged for its insolence in showing me that particular sight.”

Characters

• Lightsong

• Llarimar

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 5

12th Jun 201912th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• Vasher is standing on a wall that enclosed the Court of Gods. He speaks to his sword, Nightblood, who mentions that Vasher has plans. Nightblood can communicate with Vasher through their thoughts.

• Vasher is there to see the new queen – Siri – with his own eyes. He did not believe that the Idrians would actually send Royal Blood to T’telir.

• Vasher Awakens an object. Awakenings always try to take the form of a human. The people of T’telir are interested, but not awed in seeing the Awakening. T’telir is a home to the gods themselves, therefore, Awakeners are uncommon, but not unheard of.

• T’telir is filled with enough oddities, from Lifeless soldiers to Awakened objects serving everyday functions, for Vasher to not stand out too much. This does not account for Nightblood, his sword.

• T’telir has lots of restaurants. The city is large enough, and rich enough, to provide dedicated food providers. Vasher sits down to eat and his sword, Nightblood, gets stolen. Although, Vasher does not care.

• Vasher’s BioCromat Breath gives him the Life Sense to notice that someone is watching him, and then that someone is approaching. The priest, Bebid, of the First Heightening, sits down opposite him. He is the priest of Brightvision the True.

• The First Heightening is where most people who can afford to buy breath stop. The First Heightening is enough to extend lifespan by a decade and provide a better Life Sense. It is also enough to distinguish other Awakeners and to Awaken themselves.

• Vasher wants Bebid to provide him with information. He tells Vasher that a fraction of the court is pushing to attack Idris. Vasher knows this is because the Royals, now deemed to be rebels, are the true Hallandren royal family. They are a threat to the Court of Gods as they have a right to the throne. Vasher seems to take no side, not for Hallandren, nor for the Idrian’s.

• Vasher wishes to contact the factions who are pushing for this attack.

• Vasher is still not happy with the information that Bebid has given him. Bebid suggests for Vasher to get information from other people. This including Bluefinger, the High Place Steward, head of the scribes.

• Vasher leaves. He feels a darkness to his right, and follows it down an alley. He finds his sword, Nightblood, sticking from the chest of the theif who stole it.

Favourite Sentence

“Looking closely at the twisting and undulations of the fabric, Vasher could see outlines of muscles and even veins.”

Characters

• Vasher

• Bedid

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 4 Review

7th Jun 201918th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• T’Telir is the capitol of Hallandren. It is built up against the shore of the Bright Sea. Forty thousand soldiers await Siri as she arrives.

• The soldiers are Lifeless. You can tell this by the drained colour in their hair, skin, and eyes. Lifeless are men who have died and have been brought back to life as mindless soldiers. Besides from their colour, stiff expressions, and motionlessness, they can not be distinguished from normal men.

• Treledees is the high priest of His Immortal Majesty, Susebron the Grand, Returned God, and King of Hallandren. Treledees calls Siri ‘Vessel’ because he sees her as nothing more than a tool for their kingdom.

• Siri is escorted towards the Court of Gods. Each of the Returned has their own, distinctly coloured, mansion. The God King lives in a black pyramidal building, it stands out in against the city which is full of colour.

• Siri discovers that she is already married to the God King. He does not need ceremonial justification, and she became his wife the moment he desired it.

Personal Chapter Analysis

It is blended admist an intense paragraph of internal epiphany, and so we hardly notice…

• Brandon blends information into the book from outside the character’s perspective. “The field of forty thousand soldiers, dressed in brilliant blue and gold…” How does Siri know that there are forty thousand Lifeless? This is out of character information used to paint a picture in our minds. However, as it is blended admist an intense paragraph of internal epiphany, we hardly notice.

The place does not exist just for the sake of the story. It simply exists…

• “It is built up against the shore of the Bright sea.” as this line adds no impact to the development of the story, it only works to express Brandon’s thorough planning of this book. He has probably taken many notes and drawn lots of maps before writing it. This extra information makes the world feel more real to us. Hallandren does not exist just for the sake of the story. It simply exists.

Siri is reminding herself as opposed to the author reminding us…

• “And . . . I’m going to marry one of these things? Siri thought. But no, Returned were different from Lifeless, and both were different from Drabs, which were people who had lost their Breath.” This thought is used to re-establish what we were taught in an earlier chapter. It is done in a way that does not patronise us, because Siri is the thinker. Siri is reminding herself as opposed to the author reminding us.

• Siri is back-thinking to inform the reader and support information in the previous chapter. Another example of this is: “She could vaguely remember a time when someone back in her village had Returned… He’d died again a week later.”

Favourite Sentence

“It was enormous, sprawling like a tired beast curled around and over hills.”

Characters

• Siri

• Treledees

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 3 Review

3rd Jun 201918th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• Lightsong the Bold is one of the Returned. One does not return unless one died in a way that exemplifies the great virtues of human existence. That is why the Iridescent Tones sends the Returned back. They act as examples to the people who still live. Lightsong is treated with respect and lives a life of luxury.

• Lightsong is very tall and has a muscular physique. He feels exhausted and dizzy. Lightsong is one of the younger divinities, having Returned just five years ago. There is about two dozen deities in the Court of God’s. Susebron, the God King, resigns above them all.

• The Returned are considered to be god’s. Each god represents something that relates to how they died. Lightsong died with bravery. He remembers nothing of his life before he became a Returned. The Returned are not allowed to know anything about his past life.

• Lightsong holds a huge amount of BioChromatic breath. However, he is not an Awakener so can not use it. If he gives his Breath away he dies. Only a person of the Third Heightening can distinguish a ‘true colour’. The Returned are of the Fifth Heightening.

• Lightsong does not need human food. It is is mere indulgence, and will not replenish his strength.

• Llarimar is Lightsong’s high priest. Lightsong must recall his dream for Llarimar, as his dreams may perceive visions of the future.

• In order to survive, Lightsong must acquire one Breath a week. These are sacrificed to him by the people of Hallandren, and their families are are paid for the donation. People also become Returned outside of Hallandren, but they usually die withing eight days without the access to Breath. Hallandren offers their gods these Breaths to protect them.

• Next Lightsong has to judge various pieces of art. They are sent to him for his inspection. His judgment is considered a judgment on the artists fortune in the near future. The art is then burnt, as they are intended for the gods inspection only. These inspections are called Offerings.

• Hallandren wrighting is written with dots of colour. Each coloured dot represents a different sound.

• Lightsong’s next, and last, duty is the Petitions. Except today their are no petitions as the new queen, Siri, is arriving today. She will marry the God King as soon as she arrives. The God King is the only Returned who is permitted to marry or have children.

• Lightsong holds the Command phase that allows access to controlling a Lifeless army. He gives Llarimar a core Command that can only be used to control the Lifeless in non-combat situations. The phase will expire a day after its first use. Lightsong is one of the four gods to hold a Command for the Lifeless armies.

• Only the gods can walk around the palace freely. Servers must use hallways attached to the outside of the rooms.

• Those who loose their Breath are known as a Drag. Or a Dull. Or a Faded One.

Personal Chapter Analysis

Lightsong’s title alone would be more than enough to give most people an ego…

• Again we have an interesting character. Much like Siri, who is the daughter of a king, Lightsong has a large reputation. Much like Siri, he is a bit careless and outside the status quo of what is expected of him.

• Lightsong is a god, and yet he finds divinity to be foolish. “It was just that . . . well, he was probably the world’s only god who didn’t believe in his own religion.” This creates an interesting contradiction.

• We tend to dislike potentious people. His name is Lightsong the Brave, and yet, by the way that he speaks, he is a very humble open-minded character. Lightsong’s title alone would be more than enough to give most people an ego. Yet Lightsong questions this.

Lightsong has aspiration, yet does not consider acting upon it. He only desires…

• I think if this character and Siri ever meet, they would get on very well with eachother. The difference is, it is not so obvious how Lightsong will progress throughout the book as it is with Siri. Maybe he will end up believing in his own religion, or maybe he will prove that he is right.

• Most likely, as I feel like he is a pampered character, an inability to turn his thoughts into actions could be his flaw. “Makes me think of the outside. I wish I could visit.” Lightsong has aspiration, yet does not consider acting upon it. He only desires.

Characters

• Lightsong

• Llarimar

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 2 Review

2nd Jun 201918th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• It’s two days later and Siri is leaving for Hallandren, south of Iris. The border between the two nations is vague, which is not surprising considering they had been one nation before the Manywar. Hallandren is based in the Lowlands, a place of tropical forests and colourful animals.

• Siri is scared and angry. Although she is mesmerised by the amount of flowers she sees on her journey. Siri realises that the guards escorting her might have to stay in Hallandren too, and she decides to send them home when she arrives.

• Vivenna tries to change Dedelin’s mind. She is frustrated that she had to go through twenty-two years of training for her father to think that Siri is suitable with just her womb. It was Vivenna’s duty for her people. Vivenna thinks she could have maybe influenced the God King’s decision making, even though everyone knew the God King himself was distant when it came to the politics of his nation. Vivenna is also worried for Siri’s well-being.

• Vivenna is speaking with Fafen. She had chosen to be a monk before her tenth birthday. Every noble or rich family is traditionally obligated to provide one person to the monasteries. It is against the Five Visions to be selfish, even with one’s own blood. They are gathering berries which Fafen will later distribute to those in need.

• They discuss that Vivenna will probably inherit the throne instead of Ridger. Vivenna is frustrated that pre-prepared plans have been distributed. Vivenna concludes that she is no longer needed in Iris and she begins to form an idea. One that is drastic and inproper.

• The God King’s name is Susebron, and he is not Lifeless, but a Returned.

Personal Chapter Analysis

Siri is living at the foundation of her character development in the stasis of the book…

• We can almost perceive the development of the hero’s journey before it has even begun. “Did he really think she’d do a good job? That gave her pause. Then she considered how ridiculous it was.” Siri is living at the foundation of her character development in the stasis of the book.

• Siri is unimportant, careless, childish and irresponsible. Siri has room for improvement, and i’m sure we will see this character overcome her flaws when she faces this dangerous, important task which sits way beyond her comfort zone. This would errupt pride within the reader; a very powerful emotion to achieve in a book.

The story and the world building have been cleverly blurred into one…

• Too much explanation can dull a book and waste it’s storyline. The story and the world building have been cleverly blurred into one. We know we will learn more about this universe through the actions of our protagonist. This makes for an exciting read, hitting many angles simultaneously. It keeps the story rolling. It gives, what would over wise be an uneventful chapter, a strong impact.

• The turning point arrives very early in this book. Not much happens before we are taken off on an adventure, and yet, the pace feels comfortable. Brandon describes the world in a way that makes us feel like it has always been their, even though it’s structure is foreign to us readers.

It aids us in feeling the impact of a drastic change whist tying it up nicely with the start of the book…

• Vivenna is now the unimportant one. The tables have turned, and I find this to be a very clever use of writing skill. Chapter one is all about how Siri feels unimportant and redundant. She has no specific purpose, unlike her siblings. She owes no duty to the Iris people. Then everything comes crashing down.

• Siri switches roles with her oldest sister, who has been preparing for her duty for twenty-two years. This leaves Vivenna in Siri’s place. Unimportant and redundant. “She was redundant now. Useless.Unimportant.” This is ironic. It aids us in feeling the impact of a drastic change whist tying it up nicely with the start of the book.

The characters may develope in opposite directions in conquest for the middle ground…

• The chapter leaves us on a cliffhanger. Vivenna has made a drastic choice, but we do not ye know what it is. “An idea began to form in Vivenna’s head. One that was not, by any stretch of the imagination, proper.” Knowing Vivenna’s character, she is not one to do things the wrong way. She is the ideal Irian in every way. For what might seem anticlimactic for another character, goes against everything Vivenna stands for. This leaves us wanting to read on and discover.

• As we can picture the development of Siri’s character, we can perceive Vivenna’s in contradiction. Siri is careless and irresponsible, so her development aims towards become more of an adult and respecting her duty. This clashes nicely with Vivenna because she already is the ideal Irian woman.

• The cliffhanger leaves us to believe that Vivenna’s development may head towards her becoming more carefree, emotionally expressive, and a little more reckless. This is very interesting as the characters may develope in opposite directions in conquest for the middle ground.

Favourite Sentence

‘Tiny flowers grew in great blanketing swaths on the ground.’

Characters

• Siri

• Vivenna

• Dedelin

• Fafen

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Brandon Sanderson – Book list!

2nd Jun 201918th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

Steelheart

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Warbreaker

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 1.5 Review

1st Jun 201913th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• Dedelin, Siri’s father, is the King of Idris. He is also able to change the colour of his hair as he is of royal blood. They fear war. Idris holds valuable passes to the north, and Hallandren considers them to be rebels.

• Dedelin has kept Hallandren at bay through politics. A treaty has been created to keep the peace. One that demands Dedelin to send his own daughter away to marry the God King.

• Dedelin is reading a letter from Hallandren. It indicates that it is Vivenna’s twenty second birthday, and the terms of the treaty can no longer wait.

• Dedelin and his general, Yarda, know that this treaty will be broken eventually. There were Vendis raids last fall, and the Idris troops have still not recovered. They can not afford a defensive war in the summer, and their best defense would be snow.

• Dedelin hopes that the rebel leader Vahr and his Pahn Kahl dissidents would draw away the attention, but he has been captured and his army dispersed. The peace will not last. Their only hope is to delay the inevitable attack a few months to prepare, and to do this Dedelin must comply with the demands of the treaty.

• Furthermore, Yarda is sure that with more time, he can bring the Tedradel to their cause. Tedradel has hated Hallandren since the Manywar. He also thinks he could provoke Vahr’s broken rebel faction in Hallandren itself. At the very least, they could build, gather supplies, and live for another year. If they don’t send the princess to Hallandren the war will be seen as their fault.

• The Hallandren court needs a daughter of the royal blood to reintroduce the traditional bloodline into their monarchy. It is the only specific clause in the treaty that has kept Idris safe for the last twenty years. The Hallandren army includes fourty thousand Lifeless.

• The treaty was the first act of Dedelin’s reign, negotiated furiously following his father’s assassination. Dedelin knows that if he sends his daughter to marry, he will be sending her to death. He knows, that when war strikes, his daughter will be used against him.

• Vivenna is the perfect image of an Idris woman. She is composed, simple, hard, and capable. She has always made her father proud, and has earned the love and respect of her people. Dedelin imagines that she would make a great queen. She has been preparing to be the God King’s wife her entire life and she feels like she is ready.

• Dedelin decides to send Siri in her place for the treaty is unspecific, and states only that he must send his daughter on Vivenna’s twenty-second birthday. Not which daughter. Dedelin knows that this would makes them angry. Although, he also knows that they would not attack until a royal-blooded heir was born. That gives them at least nine months. Dedelin sends his youngest daughter – Siri – to marry, and conceive a baby with the God King.

Favourite Sentence

‘The paper was a bright pink, and the garnish colour stood out on his desk like a drop of blood in the snow.’

Characters

• Dedelin

• Yarda

• Vivenna

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Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson – Chapter 1 Review

31st May 201918th Jun 2019 ~ Chapter Capture Reviews ~ Leave a comment

What have we learnt?

• Siri is 17 years old and is the daughter to a King. She is the youngest of four siblings. Fafen, the daughter just older than Siri, has done the family duty of becoming a monk. Ridger, the eldest son, will inherit the throne. And then there is Vivenna, the firstborn. She is beautiful and betrothed to a god. Siri feels unimportant, and feels she can get away with things that the others can’t. She considers this a blessing.

• Siri lives in Bevalis, the capitol of Idris. Although, it is hardly a village compared to metropolises in other nations. It is quieter compared to these other cities, which include, Xaka, Hudres, and Hallandren.

• Idris children are trained to to avoid outbursts of emotion. Austrin teaching say that drawing attention to one’s emotions is wrong. Austre is their religious creater. Other than the colour of eyes and skin, there is no colour in Bevalis. Stones are whitewashed and clothing is bleached grey or tan. For without colour, there can be no Awakeners.

• Mab is the kitchen mistress, and Siri enjoys spending time in the kitchen. It is a bad time for some reason. Idris has a treaty with Hallandren, but Hallanden has better armies, more steel, more food, and something else… They hope that Hallandren will leave them alone.

• Siri’s father is in a conference with Yarda, and they usually last for hours.

• Siri’s hair changes colour with emotion, but she is not very good at controlling it. Unlike her sister, Vivenna, who is good at controlling it. Some of those hair colours include white with anxiety, blond with joy and excitement, and a deep blond when she is thrilled.

Personal Chapter Analysis

The character’s existed in the story before we opened the book…

• Again, Brandon locks the reader inside the mind of his Character. Instead of just stating that Siri is unimportant, he writes, ‘there were great advantages to being unimportant’, before continuing to explore this concept through Siri’s feeling against the world around her. Brandon does this so we can experience the world through the mind of this character as opposed to describing us a narrative. This makes us feel like we are a part of the story.

• Another example is: ‘Still, she thought, looking down at her utilitarian grey dress, I’ll bet those cities have more colours. That’s something I might like to see.’ Instead of simply telling us that Siri lives in a city without much colour, he shows us through the eyes of the character. By making her look down at her dress, we are locked in this first person point of view. Not only that, but he does this in a way that makes us feel like Siri has had these thought before. That the character’s existed in the story before we opened the book.

Siri feels unimportant, and yet she values her own reputation with ignorance…

• Brandon provides internal conflict – or a contradiction of thoughts – right from the start of this characters introduction. Siri is unimportant, yet she is the daughter of a king. She is the youngest child and feels the most redundant, yet see’s the bright side of this by being able to excape from the world and get away with things. Siri can disappear, even though she draws inevitable stares.

‘Being a princess—even an unimportant one—did have its perks.’ Siri feels unimportant, and yet she values her own reputation with ignorance. I feel that Brandon has done this to reflect her age. She is still working out where she stands in this world.

The contrast between her love for flowers and careless attitude for society makes Siri and interesting character…

• Although Siri is just a seventeen year old girl, Brandon does well to make her appear special. She is different. She considers her unimportance to be a blessing – something not many seventeen year olds would think. An interesting character is necessary in capturing a readers interest.

• “I like words. And I always learn a few new ones when Father gets angry. I shouldn’t neglect my education, now should I?” She defies her own father and is fearless to the consequences. She is a dark horse in the form of a sweet seventeen year old girl..

• Siri is an irresponsible princess who enjoys being by herself. She has a strong opinion of the world around her. She is a bit of a rebel, not afraid to seek joy in a place that frowns upon open emotion. She takes fancy to colour in a place where colour has been forbidden. The contrast between her love for flowers and careless attitude for society makes Siri and interesting character that stands against stereotype.

They simply exist and we have entered at a later point in their lives...

• This chapter is almost fairytale in comparison to the last. From a dirty prisoner who is used to the sight of blood, to a ditsy teenage girl who likes flowers and pretty colours. This shows off Brandon’s skills in his variations of character and his ability to make each feel true to the reader.

• Furthermore, we really feel like each character has a background. A place they have come from. Experiences they have encountered. With many references to past influences and occurences, mixed in with simple everyday tasks such as cutting vegetables, we really feel like these characters are just living in this world that they were born into.They have lives that have not been implanted into the book just for the sake of the story. They simply exist and we have entered at a later point in their lives.