Well, it was no contest--I had to choose Elantris, because it's bothered me for a long time that I hadn't yet read Brandon Sanderson's first published book!
Synopsis:
Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.
Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.
But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.My rating: 4 out of 5
You thought that was a long synopsis? Try reading the actual book. I listened to the audiobook, and it took me almost three weeks, since I only got the chance to listen to it during my 40 minute train rides.
But I did it! And ultimately, I wasn't disappointed. People were warning me that since this was Sanderson's first book, it was his worst. I was expecting it to be really bad. Maybe I just had low expectations, but I thought that even Sanderson's "worst" was excellent.
I mean, it's a story about (essentially) a zombie prison city!! And as usual, Sanderson is amazing at world building, character development, and storytelling. As with his other books, his magic system is very grounded and simple to understand (making the conclusion that much more satisfying). It was really, really good. I've heard that he's working on a sequel, and I would love that.
I think the only thing I was actually disappointed about was how similar I found this book to some of his others. I know that all of his books take place in the same Cosmere, but they all have such a unique flavor. Elantris, on the other hand, felt like a derivation of The Stormlight Archive. (Except Elantris came first... so then The Stormlight Archive feels like an expansion of Elantris?)
For example (mild spoilers), the male and female main characters were very similar to the main characters of The Stormlight Archive. Sarene (Elantris) and Shallan (TSA) were both nobles from other lands. They both travel by sea to the country where the main events take place. Both have happily-arranged marriages to main character princes. Both have little supernatural creatures that follow them around and help them out. Both tend to get involved where they shouldn't. And both are described as "not like the other girls."
Raoden (Elantris) was a lot like Kaladin (TSA). Both were thrown from a lofty position of power to the lowest possible state in their respective countries. Both have indomitable spirits and make the most of their crappy situations. Both take a group of hopeless outcasts and turn them into valuable members of their own little pseudo-society. And both eventually regain positions of great prestige.
On top of that, a lot of the names sounded similar to both The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn. I mean, his world-building and language creation is outstanding, don't get me wrong. But things in Elantris just sounded so familiar to me after having read so many of his other books, and I guess I was hoping for something totally unique.
I need to find something of his that doesn't involve an ambiguously evil godlike emperor, a powerful nation about to be overthrown, and a group of ragtag rebels who save the day.
Also, my friend was right when she said that the author had yet to learn how to control his "Sanderson Avalanche" when he wrote Elantris. The "Sanderson Avalanche" is an actual thing (look it up online)--it's Sanderson's trademark. After creating dozens of characters and side plots and Chekhov's Guns, he ends his books with this huge outpouring of shocking reveals, brilliant solutions to the characters' problems, and wrap-ups of loose ends. He has indeed gotten really good at handling the avalanche of information in his other books, but in Elantris, it all kind of happened at once. It still wasn't as bad as I expected, but it left me feeling like no one brilliant thing stood out, because he threw out all his brilliant conclusions at once.
Anyways, as I said before, this was still better than many books I've read, and Sanderson will forever remain one of my top 5 favorite authors. So if you're looking for a good fantasy book, this is a good choice.
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