Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Elantris (Full Book Parts 1 - 3) by Brandon Sanderson

17 reviews

aseel_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This was another fantastic book by Sanderson. I had to clamp my hand on my mouth when all the reveals were happening. I really enjoyed all of our main characters and I am intrigued to see how AnDor as a magic system will be hinted at in the next book, since they all context together 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Slavery, Torture, Blood, and Excrement

Minor: Suicide and Death of parent

kashby's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

2.0

elantris reads very much like a debut novel from someone who is very inspired and has a lot to say. it’s slightly dense and i hate saying this but preachy with some Old Man Fantasy™️ energy but sanderson’s worst book is a lot of authors’s best. i read the first part on print and it took about a week and a half but i read the rest on graphic audio and it was easier to get through.

it’s written very different from sanderson’s other books. instead of plot twists and surprises, elantris is more constantly suspenseful, where you’re watching as plans slowly crumble and plotlines cross over at the least convenient times. i was never truly shocked reading this, which is an emotion i feel a lot while reading sanderson, unless the plot twist is something that doesn’t make sense (no spoilers but some of the plot choices are not something that i think sanderson would write today). it’s also a lot darker than his current books. oathbringer is sanderson’s book that i would say is equally as intense but oathbringer feels very hopeful while elantris is much more despondent. it’s not frighting and i wouldn’t classify it as a horror book but it’s definitely very dark.

i think this book is written slightly like a dnd campaign in the sense that when we begin a scene, sometimes the vibes are “this is this person. this is who they’re related to and a quirk about them. this is the next person and who they’re related to and a quirk about them.” which honestly made the book drag a lot. i understand trying to give the side characters different personalities but i had a hard time telling them apart because they all had the same type of speaking tone. the graphic audio helped a lot because the different side characters have different voices but the actors did a lot of heavy lifting on that front. the plot was amazing and creative and interesting but i could tell it was his first published novel. i would be very interested in a rewrite of this book with  sanderson’s current knowledge.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Medical content and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Blood, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

While a religious crusade isn't quite the backdrop for a plot that I prefer, I quite enjoyed the world building, the magic system, and some of the characters were quite charming and well developed.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition

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

Started off slow but by the time I got to the end I was invested.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Slavery and Suicide

mkaiww's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

bergha1998's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

I liked it generally, it was the pacing that tripped me up a little. There were really dry subplots and then really interesting ones. Also, there were so jumps in the book.

Like how we waited the whole book for Elantra’s / the Dor too be fixed and then the way it was fixed wasn’t explained well and came about way too easy.

. Over all I was just left a bit unsatisfied by this one. 

Multi-POV, Romance Subplots, Hidden Identity

“Pain loses its power when other things become more important.”

“Truth can never be defeated… Even if people do forget about it occasionally.”

“When you can’t find reason in life, you tend to give up on it.”

“Joy was more than just an absence of discomfort.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kassidyreads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Slavery and Death of parent

lakinglaze's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I can’t believe it, but Elantris is now kind of my favourite book by Brandon Sanderson (that I’ve read so far). I absolutely loved it. I loved the quiet struggles and political intrigue. The characters were so varied and fun. The whole mythos surrounding everything was constantly a mystery. And Sarene as a character was just kind of perfect, honestly! I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for future stories to come!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

auliarach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

imbored_soillread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Very very smooth pace for such a long book. Great way to wrap up fantasy as a genre in one singular book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Sexism, Slavery, and Religious bigotry