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fizzfio's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mudder17's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars! This book is definitely going on my favorites list!
This is my first adult fiction book written by the author (I previous read his Alcatraz series) but it's also his first work as an author. And guess what? I loved it! There were a few places where he got a bit bogged down in the details as he explained the system of magic, but overall, I thought it was excellently planned out and executed and I had a hard time forcing myself to stop in places so I could get some sleep! I'm kind of a book nerd, so the magic system of using runes of a sort was pretty cool. This book has a heroine (Serene), a hero (Raodan), and an antihero (Hrathen), all of whom you get to know slowly over the course of the book. Hrathen may have ended up being one of my favorite characters just because of the challenges he went through. Even though there was a lot of information in this book and it could have felt like an information dump, I thought Sanderson did an excellent job letting everything unfold in their own time. This WAS a slow burn, so if you need more action in your books, this may not be the Sanderson book to begin with. But I was captivated from the beginning and never felt bored. I listened to the audio recording and I thought the narrator, Jack Garrett, did an excellent job. The only snag was that for some reason I kept getting Hrathen and Raodon mixed up. Every time the narrator said one of their names, I had to take a moment to remember which one was which. Maybe because both of their names are pronounced with an R sound and are essentially 2 syllables? But that is a totally minor detail and it did not take away my enjoyment of the book. I have had this book in my library and on my TBR pile for a long time, in part because I was intimidated by the length, but I didn't feel like the story was "too long" at all, and in fact, by the end, I was kind of sad to say goodbye to the characters. I know there are two related short stories, so I'm looking forward to digging into those (I believe they're both in the Arcanum Unbounded collection). Although you can begin Sanderson by starting at any of the Cosmere Universe subseries, I think this is a great place to get a sense of Sanderson's writing while enjoying a good story. It's rare these days to find standalone books with this level of complexity, so I enjoyed it for that reason as well. But if this book is any indication of what is to come, I am looking forward to reading more books in the Cosmere Universe!
This is my first adult fiction book written by the author (I previous read his Alcatraz series) but it's also his first work as an author. And guess what? I loved it! There were a few places where he got a bit bogged down in the details as he explained the system of magic, but overall, I thought it was excellently planned out and executed and I had a hard time forcing myself to stop in places so I could get some sleep! I'm kind of a book nerd, so the magic system of using runes of a sort was pretty cool. This book has a heroine (Serene), a hero (Raodan), and an antihero (Hrathen), all of whom you get to know slowly over the course of the book. Hrathen may have ended up being one of my favorite characters just because of the challenges he went through. Even though there was a lot of information in this book and it could have felt like an information dump, I thought Sanderson did an excellent job letting everything unfold in their own time. This WAS a slow burn, so if you need more action in your books, this may not be the Sanderson book to begin with. But I was captivated from the beginning and never felt bored. I listened to the audio recording and I thought the narrator, Jack Garrett, did an excellent job. The only snag was that for some reason I kept getting Hrathen and Raodon mixed up. Every time the narrator said one of their names, I had to take a moment to remember which one was which. Maybe because both of their names are pronounced with an R sound and are essentially 2 syllables? But that is a totally minor detail and it did not take away my enjoyment of the book. I have had this book in my library and on my TBR pile for a long time, in part because I was intimidated by the length, but I didn't feel like the story was "too long" at all, and in fact, by the end, I was kind of sad to say goodbye to the characters. I know there are two related short stories, so I'm looking forward to digging into those (I believe they're both in the Arcanum Unbounded collection). Although you can begin Sanderson by starting at any of the Cosmere Universe subseries, I think this is a great place to get a sense of Sanderson's writing while enjoying a good story. It's rare these days to find standalone books with this level of complexity, so I enjoyed it for that reason as well. But if this book is any indication of what is to come, I am looking forward to reading more books in the Cosmere Universe!
charcelline's review against another edition
5.0
One of my all-time favorites, I still cry at the ending every time.
righteousgames55's review against another edition
4.0
Elantris is one of those books that, at first, I didn't expect to enjoy. However as the book continued (especially around the middle point of the story) I ended up loving my time in Elantris. Overall, it has an extremely slow start with a fun end.
agathe_athena's review against another edition
4.0
Holds up a second time through and improves as one already knows all the characters and places so able to focus on details more.
snukes's review against another edition
4.0
Mmm, my boyfriend's first novel. Reading this felt like reading a practice exercise in which Sanderson was developing his style and a large number of the characters and plot strategies he would use in future books. I did enjoy it on its own merits, and will be intrigued to see what happens if he ever writes a next installment.
boogi29's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In what seems to be a controversial opinion for fans of Sanderson’s work, I sincerely enjoyed Elantris. It may be his first book, but all of his charm and his unparalleled world-building still shine within the cover. The characters are written wonderfully, and I absolutely love the “curse” of the Elantrins. It’s just some really captivating writing. In addition, Hrathen is an incredible character, and may be one of my favorite Sanderson characters I’ve read so far.
I do see and understand the criticism that it isn’t as “adventurous” as his other books, but if you come in expecting a huge sprawling adventure you will be disappointed. Expect a political thriller, however, and you’ll enjoy the time you have.
I do see and understand the criticism that it isn’t as “adventurous” as his other books, but if you come in expecting a huge sprawling adventure you will be disappointed. Expect a political thriller, however, and you’ll enjoy the time you have.
snydnae11's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75