Books
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

see page history

Description edit see section history

After bursting onto the fantasy scene with his acclaimed debut novel, Elantris, and following up with his blockbuster Mistborn trilogy, Brandon Sanderson proves again that he is today’s leading master of what Tolkien called “secondary creation,” the invention of whole worlds, complete with... read more

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Characters edit see section history

  • Siri: The youngest princess of Idrian, sent to marry the Hallandren God King in her sister's place. She is rebellious and irreverant.
  • Vahr: a leader of the peasant's rebellion , the rebellion failed before even starting
  • Parlin: Trusted friend and companion to Vivenna. He is an outdoorsman and feels disquieted whenever indoors. Had a special fondness for Vivenna while growing up and would often bring her gifts.. dead aminals he hunted himself.
  • Peaceyearning: A returned God(ess).
  • Giftbeacon: A returned God(ess).
  • Mirthgiver: The returned God of laughter. A surprisingly boring person.
  • Allmother: A returned Goddess. She holds 10,000 lifeless commands. Goddess of family and maternity.
  • Ridger: Crowned Prince of Idris. Brother of Vivenne and Siri.
  • Mab: The kitchen mistress at the Royal home in Idris.
  • Peacegiver: Peacegiver the Blessed (a Returned) – Defeated Kalad ending the Manywars. Saved Hallandren from being destroyed by using politics. Created The Light of Peace – gathered thousands of Breaths during Manywars. Passed The Light of Peace to the 1st God King. Died to give his Breath to successor.
  • Truthcall: A returned God. His duty is to vote over trade with kingdoms. Colors: Maroon & White.
  • Vivenna: The eldest Idrian princess, meant to be married to the Hallandren God King. A proper young woman who goes to Hallandren to rescue her sister.
  • Susebron: The God King of Hallandren. A child-like person with an interest for stories.
  • Lightsong: the Returned God of bravery who has command of 10,000 lifeless soldiers.Colors: Red & GoldHigh Priest: Llarimar. He is a jokester who doesn't believe in his own divinity.
  • Vasher Interact: A Mysterious Awakener, owner of the deadly sword Nightblood.
  • General Yarda: Top General and main advisor to the King of Idris.
  • Denth: A Mercenary hired by Lemex.
  • Tonk Fah: A Mercenary hired by Lemex. Part of Denth's team
  • Clod: Jewel's Lifeless, Later is commanded by Vivenne.
  • Dedelin: King of Idris. Father to Vivenne and Siri.
  • Nightblood: A sentient sword with a black hilt. Belongs to Vasher. Was Commanded to "destroy evil".
  • Bluefingers: Steward to the God King and an insurgent spy.
  • Llarimar: High Priest to Lightsong who nicknamed him Scoot. Knew Lightsong before he returned
  • Blushweaver: Blushwever the beautiful, the Returned Goddess of honesty, communication and interpersonal relationships. Colors: Green & Silver. High Priestess: Inhanna. She is a friend and partner of Lightsong's.
  • Lemex Breaths: An Idrian spy, who was a good friend to the King of Idris. Living in T'Tlier.
  • Jewels: A Mercenary hired by Lemex. Part of Denth's team. A Breathless female.
  • Fafen: Princess of Idris, the third child. who became a Monk. Sister to Vivenne and Siri.
  • Treledees: High Priest to the God King
  • Hopefinder: Hopefinder the just, the returned God of Innocence & Beauty. Holds 10,000 lifeless commands. Colors: Lavender & Silver. Returned when he was 2 yrs old.
  • Mercystar: The Returned Goddess of Kindness who has command of 10,000 lifeless soldiers. Colors: Yellow & Gold (pg 238 Orange & Gold)
  • Brightvision: Brightvision the true a Returned Goddess. Colors: White & Green
  • Lifeblesser: A returned God. Colors: Blue & Silver
  • Weatherlove: Returned God of Storms. Colors: Green & Gold
  • Stillmark: A returned God. Color: Blue & Gold. High Priest: Nanrovah
  • Tonk Fah: A mercenary who keeps pets.
  • Thame: an Idrian patriot
  • Ashu: Add a description of this character.
  • Arsteel: An awesome duelist.
  • Austre: The god of the Iridis peoples, and once Hallandren's god as well.
  • Susebron the God King: A mysterious man of mighty power. No one is allowed to speak to him except his priests.
  • Shashara: A woman Vasher and Deneth once knew.
  • Huth
  • Taff
  • Bebid
  • Grable
  • Lolan: A random guard.
  • Calmseer: Once of the most godly gods in the modern times of Hallandren. She actually cared for the people, and gave up her life for one of them. Lightsong respected her.
  • Kalad: Kalad had fearsome phantoms during the Manywar.
  • Nanrovah: A priest of Mercystar.
  • Hoid: A storyteller employed by Lightsong. He tells Vivenna the history of Hallandren.
  • Rira
  • Paxen
  • Moshe Feder
  • Robert Jordan
  • Aaron Yeoman
  • Elantris
  • Yesteel: One of the Five Scholars.
  • Joshua Bilmes
  • Mythwalker
  • Emily Sanderson
  • Scott Franson
  • Tonks: A nickname for Tonk Fa, given to him by Deneth.
  • Seb
Show all 63 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “"I try to avoid having thoughts. They lead to other thoughts, and - if you're not careful - those lead to actions. Actions make you tired. I have this on rather good authority from someone who once read it in a book."Blushweaver sighed. "You avoid thinking, you avoid me, you avoid effort...is there anything you don't avoid?""Breakfast."”
    Lightsong, Blushweaver
  • “Unknowing ignorance is preferable to informed stupidity.”
    Lightsong
  • “Our names and titles are assigned randomly by a small monkey who has been fed an exceedingly large amount of gin.”
    Lightsong
  • “I like words, and I always learn a few new ones when Father gets angry. I shouldn't neglect my education, now should I?”
    Siri
  • “"What I’m trying to say is that you don’t understand a man until you understand what makes him do what he does. Every man is a hero in his own story, Princess.Murderers don’t believe that they’re to blame for what they do. Thieves, they think they deserve the money they take. Dictators, they believe they have the right--for the safety of their peopleand the good of the nation--to do whatever they wish.”He stared off, shaking his head. “I think even Vasher sees himself as a hero. The truthis, most people who do what you’d call ‘wrong’ do it for what they call ‘right’ reasons. Onlymercenaries make any sense. We do what we’re paid to do. That’s it. Perhaps that’s whypeople look down on us so. We’re the only ones who don’t pretend to higher motives.””
    Denth
  • “A person knows when they’re in darkness, even when they can’t see.”
    Nightblood
  • “My dear, did you just try to prove the existence of God through the use of your cleavage?”
    Lightsong

Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • Bevalis: Capital of Idris
  • Idris: Home of the exiled royal family of Hallandren. Located near the mountains
  • T'Telir: Capital of Hallandren located on the Sea
  • Hallandren

First Sentence edit see section history

It's funny, Vasher thought, how many things begin with my getting thrown in prison.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Map

Acknowlegdments

Prologue

Warbreaker

Epilogue

Ars Arcanum
1. Table of the Heightenings
2. Heightening Powers

Glossary edit see section history

  • Royal Locks: Hair that can change its color or grow upon command. Changes in color are caused by simply willing them or strong emotions. The hair can only be grown by will.
  • Drab: A person who has no breath, known to be more irritable and slightly pale or gray.
  • Lifeless: A dead person who was given breath to become animated again. They do no think on their own, they follow orders of those who command them.
  • Austere: God of Colors, the God to the Idrians.
  • Breath: The life-force present in each person, that powers the magic in this world. Each person is born with one Breath, but since it can be passed to someone else, some people end up with hundreds or more.
  • Awakening: The peculiar form of magic in this world, powered by Breaths (the more the better) and color.
  • Heightening: A state of enhanced consciousness, brought on by the accumulation of Breaths. The scale is non-linear, with 50 Breaths inducing the First Heightening. Ordinary people can hope to reach perhaps the fifth, with the tenth being the highest known.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Brandon Sanderson (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Daniel Dos Santos (Cover Artist)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Tor Books
Country: United States
Publication Date: 2009-06-09
ISBN: 9780765320308
Page Count: 592

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3619.A533 W37 2009
  • Dewey: 813.6 22

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history


We’re hiding the errata, awards, movie connections, books with additional background information, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.