Hmm. What to say about this book. Well. It's one of those epic novels, and the first in its trilogy, so there's something. The general plot follows a rebellion: the nobles are subjugating (as they do) people called skaa, who are not really different from the nobles but hey, someone needs subjugating, yes? And there are some skaa who don't like the life they have and who want better. And there are some crazy skaa who decide to rebel. But not just like, "Hey, let's rebel!" but like, "Hey, let's rebel in like a year and spend that time making this rebellion AWESOME." So they do. But things, of course, go right and wrong on a whim, and then there is epic fighting. Sweet!
So that was good.
Now, the fantastical conceit in this novel irked me for about the first three or four hundred pages. It is this: certain noble people who have some good genes can use magic. And even certain-er noble people with excellent genes can use lots of magic. But the magic comes from, um, swallowing metals. And then "burning" them. So, like, you can "burn" iron to pull on something made of metal, like a coin or a piece of armor. And you can burn tin to enhance your senses. And you can burn bronze to see if other people are using magic metal flakes. Not so irksome, you say? But, see, I know these things because Sanderson KEPT TELLING ME EVERY TIME SOMEONE USED A STUPID METAL. "Oh, this guy used pewter and got awesome strong!" "Falling was okay, because her pewter-enhanced muscles were awesome strong!" "If only she had some pewter, so she could become awesome strong!" Oh. My. Gosh.
But then at the end it seems Sanderson decided to trust the reader, and of course then I got confused about whether a metal was being used or not. -sigh-
Whatever. The end of the book was totally worth it, and it was great that his main protagonist was a girl, and I definitely want to know what happens to all these cool characters in the next book. But I swear, if I get babied about again, I'm going to swallow some pewter and then throw the book in the general direction of Brandon Sanderson.
Rating: 7/10
(Chunkster Challenge, Support Your Local Library Challenge)
Showing posts with label author: brandon sanderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author: brandon sanderson. Show all posts
12 February 2009
Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson (9 February — 11 February)
This book was awesome. The end.
Okay, okay. But really! Awesome! I was drawn in from the first line of the first chapter (not counting the prologue, because that was whatever): "Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he had been damned for all eternity."
Indeed. Raoden has been taken by the Shaod, which used to turn random people of Arelon into the supposed gods of Elantris, but which stopped doing that ten years previous and now turns its victims into perpetually decaying (but never dying) hulks of flesh. Raoden finds himself thrown into Elantris, now little more than a prison where gangs fight over the ritual food newcomers bring (everyone is very hungry, though they don't technically have to eat) and every injury, no matter how slight, lasts forever. Instead of becoming crazy like many Elantrians, however, Raoden chooses to make a better life for those inside ans see if he can't find out what caused the death of Elantris in the first place.
Meanwhile, Raoden's betrothed, Sarene, arrives in Arelon a week before her wedding, but only just in time for the prince's funeral. Oops. Sarene, whose political marriage is still valid due to a fancy clause in the contract, decides she's still going to do what she set out to do, which is keep Arelon and her home of Teod protected from those who would destroy them.
Also meanwhile, those who would destroy Arelon and Teod send out a priest called Hrathen to pave the way for the conquerors — those of the religion of Shu-Dereth. Hrathen is to convert the Arelenes within three months or the people will face death. His carefully laid plans start to unravel, though, with the influence of Sarene, Raoden, and a religious zealot called Dilaf who is out to destroy Elantris.
So there's a lot of story here. But it's all really well told and all of the pieces Sanderson gets you curious about tie together at the end quite spectacularly. There were a few things I found extraneous and rather deus ex, but I will forgive those because everything else was so, well, awesome.
Rating: 9.5/10
(Chunkster Challenge, Support Your Local Library Challenge)
Okay, okay. But really! Awesome! I was drawn in from the first line of the first chapter (not counting the prologue, because that was whatever): "Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he had been damned for all eternity."
Indeed. Raoden has been taken by the Shaod, which used to turn random people of Arelon into the supposed gods of Elantris, but which stopped doing that ten years previous and now turns its victims into perpetually decaying (but never dying) hulks of flesh. Raoden finds himself thrown into Elantris, now little more than a prison where gangs fight over the ritual food newcomers bring (everyone is very hungry, though they don't technically have to eat) and every injury, no matter how slight, lasts forever. Instead of becoming crazy like many Elantrians, however, Raoden chooses to make a better life for those inside ans see if he can't find out what caused the death of Elantris in the first place.
Meanwhile, Raoden's betrothed, Sarene, arrives in Arelon a week before her wedding, but only just in time for the prince's funeral. Oops. Sarene, whose political marriage is still valid due to a fancy clause in the contract, decides she's still going to do what she set out to do, which is keep Arelon and her home of Teod protected from those who would destroy them.
Also meanwhile, those who would destroy Arelon and Teod send out a priest called Hrathen to pave the way for the conquerors — those of the religion of Shu-Dereth. Hrathen is to convert the Arelenes within three months or the people will face death. His carefully laid plans start to unravel, though, with the influence of Sarene, Raoden, and a religious zealot called Dilaf who is out to destroy Elantris.
So there's a lot of story here. But it's all really well told and all of the pieces Sanderson gets you curious about tie together at the end quite spectacularly. There were a few things I found extraneous and rather deus ex, but I will forgive those because everything else was so, well, awesome.
Rating: 9.5/10
(Chunkster Challenge, Support Your Local Library Challenge)
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