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A review by emilynied
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
mysterious
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
Cosmere Universe: Book 1 / 27
My first Brandon Sanderson book!! Brandon Sanderson was on my TBR this year and I did SO MUCH research into the Cosmere Universe and the world and where to start. Based on watching like a million videos and reading a bunch of blog posts, I decided to start with Elantris. Despite the fact that it's widely regarded as Sanderson's "weakest" book (as it's his first published work) I wanted to start with a standalone to finish off the year and I'm fine with starting with the worst (and let me tell you, if this is the "worst" book, I just know the other books are going to be great). The setting is really interesting and I loved the idea of the "fallen" great city, Elantris. The three POVs really jumped well from each other and I really, really liked the story!
Sarene was a strong, female character with a fierce disposition, a strong will and action-oriented decision making. Hrathen was a literal religious missionary but his character development was so so interesting. I disliked him right away cause like booo forced religious conversion but it was really interesting to hear his inner thoughts and how he actually thought what he was doing was the right thing. And finally, Prince Raoden, who is displaced and thought to be dead, dumped in the lost city of Elantris. He was the most level-headed and reading about him finding authority in that "society" was really fun to read about.
Based on this first read, I am so excited to jump into this universe and all the interconnected stories. Yay!
My first Brandon Sanderson book!! Brandon Sanderson was on my TBR this year and I did SO MUCH research into the Cosmere Universe and the world and where to start. Based on watching like a million videos and reading a bunch of blog posts, I decided to start with Elantris. Despite the fact that it's widely regarded as Sanderson's "weakest" book (as it's his first published work) I wanted to start with a standalone to finish off the year and I'm fine with starting with the worst (and let me tell you, if this is the "worst" book, I just know the other books are going to be great). The setting is really interesting and I loved the idea of the "fallen" great city, Elantris. The three POVs really jumped well from each other and I really, really liked the story!
Sarene was a strong, female character with a fierce disposition, a strong will and action-oriented decision making. Hrathen was a literal religious missionary but his character development was so so interesting. I disliked him right away cause like booo forced religious conversion but it was really interesting to hear his inner thoughts and how he actually thought what he was doing was the right thing. And finally, Prince Raoden, who is displaced and thought to be dead, dumped in the lost city of Elantris. He was the most level-headed and reading about him finding authority in that "society" was really fun to read about.
Based on this first read, I am so excited to jump into this universe and all the interconnected stories. Yay!