Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

This war we’re fighting—it isn’t about guns, or even about swords.” “What is it about, then? Sand?” “Information,” Grandpa Smedry said. “That’s the real power in this world. That man who held a gun on us earlier—he had power over you. Why?” “Because he was going to shoot me,” I said. “Because you thought he could shoot you,” Grandpa Smedry said, raising a finger. “But he had no power over me, because I knew that he couldn’t hurt me. And when he realized that…” “He ran away,” I said slowly. “Information. The Librarians control the information in this city—in this whole country. They control what gets read, what gets seen, and what gets learned. Because of that, they have power. Well, we’re going to break that power, you and I. But first we need those sands.”