The Alloy of Law vs Warbreaker: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Imaginary places, Magic, Fantasy, Fiction
The Alloy of Law
Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the…
vs
Warbreaker
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…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Alloy of Law is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 10 for Warbreaker.
- The Alloy of Law has the widest readership — 311081 ratings behind its score.
- The Alloy of Law runs the darker storyline; Warbreaker stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Alloy of Law
≈ 6h vs 10h for Warbreaker
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Alloy of Law
311081 ratings vs 2092 for Warbreaker
In the mood for something dark?
The Alloy of Law
a darker storyline than Warbreaker
Want something lighter?
Warbreaker
an easier tone than The Alloy of Law
Scores by source
| The Alloy of Law | Warbreaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (311081) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (2105) | 4.2 (2092) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (11) | 5.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1949) | 4.5 (1672) |
Reception
| The Alloy of Law | Warbreaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 311081 | 2092 |
| Editions | 24 | 18 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 156282 | — |
| Reading it now | 9332 | — |
| Written reviews | 21029 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 4986 | 8197 |
| Pages | 360 | 580 |