15 hidden gems SFF readers need to dig up and read

Cover to Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. Image: Tor Fantasy

Warbreaker – Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson has plenty of fantasy novels that are well loved among readers, including his Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive. With all of the popular novels he does have out, it’s easy to forget that Sanderson has plenty of earlier fantasy books that continue to fly under the radar. Warbreaker is one of them.

In Warbreaker, Sanderson tells the story of two sisters who are princesses. The older one has been preparing to marry the God King for her entire life, only for her father to change his mind last minute and send the younger one to become the God King’s wife instead. This is a dangerous journey, especially for someone as unprepared and rebellious in nature as the younger sister, Vivenna. The older girl, Siri, sets out to save her little sister from this fate.

While this is happening, readers also get narratives chronicling the political unrest within the city of Hallandren’s courts. Two of the gods who reside there, Lightsong and Vasher, have roles to play as a war looms on the horizon—and readers get both of their perspectives as the story unravels.

With fascinating characters, a unique political sphere, and a magic system centered on colors, it’s difficult not to fall into the world of Warbreaker. Sanderson knows how to craft a story that will hook readers from the beginning, and he knows how to keep the stakes high for both the characters and the world he’s built. Warbreaker is a must-read for SFF lovers, and especially for those with a fondness for Sanderson’s other stories.