Customer Reviews

Elantris (Part 1)

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(77)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"Elantris" is the debut novel from Brandon Sanderson. Blurbs on the cover from Orson Scott Card and David Farland say this book is "the finest novel of fantasy to be written in many years" and "one of the finest debuts I've seen in years." When I read a novel I generally do not pay attention to when it was written and I know that I haven't read all of the debut fantasy novels which have come out in the past several years. I do know when I've read a very good book, however, and "Elantris" is certainly that.

The prologue to the novel was all of five paragraphs but it gave all of the information needed to understand the background of what the story would be. It tells of a beautiful city named Elantris which glowed like magic and where amazing magics were possible and commonplace. Elantris was populated by godlike beings who could wield these powers as I might use a pen. But these beings were once regular humans, soldiers and serfs, princes and beggers and merchants. When something called the Shaod came upon them they were transformed into Elantrians and into a newer, greater existence. But ten years ago something happened.

That something is that the blessing turned into a curse and Elantris and its population started to rot away. The city now abandoned except for the poor souls still called by the Shaod is covered in slime and muck and the Elantrians are the cursed, neither dead nor truly alive.

This was a beautiful set up and pulled me right in from the start. Sanderson introduces Raoden, a prince and heir to the throne of Arelon. The city of Kae lies in the shadow of Elantris and the glory of Arelon has fallen with Elantris. Raoden is a man who gives his people hope, but when he is called by the Shaod he is doomed. His father, the king, does not reveal what happened to Raoden, but rather holds a funeral for his not beloved son. Meanwhile, Sarene, a princess from another country has arrived to marry Raoden not knowing what has happened. Her marriage contract considers her married upon the betrothal and even continues after Raoden's death, so she remains in Kae. But Raoden must find a way to survive, such as it is, in Elantris. Sarene is the only one who sees the coming doom from the religion of Darethi and an invasion from Fjordell.

Brandon Sanderson has done something remarkable here. He has created an incredibly original work and unlike so many other works of fantasy this novel is complete in itself. It is not, as I understand it, the first volume of a trilogy or larger series. It is an epic work of fantasy in one self contained novel. It's one of the better fantasies that I have read. Sanderson does a good job in making all of the primary characters understandable, and sympathetic...even the "bad guys". The motivations are explained well and the characters are well developed and revealed. Simply put, with one novel Sanderson has made a fan of me. I was surprised by just how good this book was. If Sanderson writes another, I will definitely read it.

-Joe Sherry

I think I may rate books differently than other readers. For me, a book starts out as a 3. That means solid writing, no major plot holes or characterization issues, and an overall satisfying experience: the basics we should expect from a published fiction. A lack of any of those facets means the book is a 2 or a 1; additions like social relevance, emotional resonance, memorable writing, or intellectual stimulation can drive the rating up to a 4 or (for those few books that have all or most of these) a 5. There are very few books I'd rate as a 5, which I think is as it should be.

Elantris on my scale is a 3. The writing is clear but rarely poetic. The main characters are well-defined but two of the three are a little too perfect to relate to and don't experience any inner growth, while the secondary characters almost universally seem to exist in order to provide some sort of surprise loop-back later in the book. The system of magic was interesting but the answer to the central question -- why it had stopped working -- turned out to be something I had a hard time believing wasn't commonly known and understood. The city of Elantris was a well-described setting, a character in itself, but other countries and races seemed rather stereotypical portrayals of Earthly analogues. Overall, while reading the book I never stopped in boredom but also I never paused in wonder, and when finished I was satisfied but it's not a book that I feel any great desire to re-read.

That being said, the author is someone that I plan to keep an eye on and hope to read more from in the future. It's my understanding that Elantris was written some 7 years ago, and much of the above is understandable as "young author/first publication" issues. Despite what I wrote above, the author clearly has a lot going for him: the novel was smartly structured; the inter-relationships between names, glyphs and magic, as well as the setting and basic plot, were all well imagined; genders and religions were dealt with even-handedly; and it was simply refreshing to read a fantasy that was not a multi-volume rehashing of the "orphan boy undertakes journey from one side of the map to the other with party of companions to save the princess/retrieve the object/kill the bad guy" story. I look forward to seeing what the author's intelligence and imagination can do when combined with the further refinement of his craft that only experience can bring. And by all means, pick up a copy of Elantris if the story sounds interesting to you, just don't expect it to be more than it is.

I was most impressed by this novel's combination of religion, politics, social strata and economics. These elements combine to create a more complex world than the typical good-versus-evil we see in so many other works of fiction. It's pleasing that this work relies on these complex systems and their products, rather than simply setting characters on some physical quest and exposing them to new lands and beings as the source of entertainment. Equally important is the concept of magic, called AonDor, in this novel. The idea is well-rooted in a spiritual construct, rather than simply granted as a source of power and wonder. Furthermore, there are secrets to using it that can only be discovered by study and practice. This is a well-thought out perception of how a magical force might work. There is a well-outfitted cast of characters, and it's satisfying to see that they each have combinations of faults as well as virtues. This makes the characters more engaging, since the protagonists are at-times flawed and make mistakes and the antagonists can still stir sympathy and understanding in the reader. The only detractions I found in this novel were some phrases and expressions that seemed overused by the author, perhaps in his zeal to remind you of the world and characters he created. Things like the princess tapping her cheek, or the Dula character who says "Kolo" in as many as a quarter of his phrases eventually become a distraction and almost come across as overly insistent attempts to make you perceive the characters as the author imagines them. This, however, is a minor distraction when the great value of the other elements are taken into account. All in all, the story is engaging and there are several unexpected events which take the story down paths not anticipated, yet are rewarding. Fantastic work, and I look forward to reading more from Brandon Sanderson.

Elantris juggles so many balls in the air that I am deeply amazed by newcomer Brandon Sanderson's skill. The characters are simultaneously forced to confront magic, religious controversy, politics, and economic policies. Not only all they all dealt with completely and competently, but it is a fascinating read. The three main characters are Raoden, a fallen prince of Arelon, Sarene, his fiance and a politically savvy strongwilled woman, and Hrathen, a Derethi gyorn (high priestish) trying to conquer a nation to save it from a worse fate. Each of these characters is superbly handled, they become almost real people and grow as the novel progresses. The supporting cast is also wonderfully done; I can't think of one two-dimensional character. It would be excellent if Mr. Sanderson did someday return to Elantris, but this book really leaves no threads unfinished. Elantris is a worthy read for characterization, depth of plot, world-building, and because it is interesting. My advice, don't wait for a possible paperback reissue, go for the hardback.

I had heard about Elantris from my brother who told me that he thought it was an excellent book. After reading what Orson Scott Card and David Farland had to say about it i decided to give Brandon Sanderson a chance and so I bought the book. I found the beginning chapters to be very captivating and provoking. The author set up a world that was nothing like any other world i had ever read about. He doesn't bog down the reader with lenghty descriptions but allows you to gain an image of the world over time and throughout the entire book.
I was immediatly drawn in by the plot and literally could not put the book down. I started reading about 10 am and read until 3 am. I will admit that the second quarter of the book felt a little slow but not to slow to get my to stop reading.
I loved the complex problems that Sanderson created in the book and seeing the intrigue and plotting that was going on in the book. It came to a point when i began to fear that Sanderson had created to big of a problem for him to solve. I have read far too many books where the author cannot create an interesting and plausible ending for his book. However, Sanderson did it. This book pulls it off, just when i thought everything had lots controlled, Sanderson showed that he knew exactly what was going on and how he was going to solve his problem.

I loved this book and felt satisified upon reading it.
If you are looking for a fun book to read that at the same time will introduce some interesting ideas choose this book.
Elantris is by far the best book i have read in years.

The premise for this novel is breathtaking. I must admit, that on reading the blurb on the back I thought to myself, 'there is no way this book can measur o up to this premise'. I was pleasantly surprised as Sanderson proved me wrong.

The plotting is intricate and unpredictable (on at least three occasions I gasped with the melodramatic panache of a cartoon character). The pacing is also impeccable.

One slight deficiency is that for the first half of the book, the Hrathen sub plot is not as interesting as the Raoden and Sarene sub plots. This imbalance is shortlived and in the second half, Hrathen's arc becomes as fascinating as the other two characters.

The system of magic and the world are interesting and original. A novel approach to the fantastic.

The end is satisfying but has weaknesses. it hurtles by at such a rapid pace that some of the built momentum segues into anticlimax rather than climax. Also, there are way too many 'surprise' revelations that happen too quickly, creating a soap operaesque situation in the final 50 pages. Amid these revalations, the given explanation for Elantris' fall is somewhat disappointing.

Even so, this book is way ahead of competitors in the fantasy field. It is an astonishing first novel and I eagerly await to see where Sanderson's career leads.

I liked this book. The fact that it's a stand alone, but with room for sequels was a bonus.
The writing is well-done with very strong characterizations. The characters are all for the most part likeable people, even the priest who isn't what I expected. That was a wonderful change since most such characters in fantasy are frothing at the mouth fanatics.
The prince was sometimes tough for me to believe because what happens to him (and to all who go to Elantris) is quite a fall. And yet, despite this huge and terrible change in his station, he remains essentially unchanged. I had hoped to see some darkness within himself that he had to overcome, but while he overcomes external obstacles, he doesn't have to face many internal demons. However, I liked him so much that I could easily forgive the author for this. In fact, I wanted more of the story focused on his actions, but instead it is the princess to whom most of the book is devoted.
The politics of the world seemed simplistic, at least in comparison to Martin or Scott Bakker, and the world building isn't as strong as those two (but who's is?). But, that's ok because the focus of the book isn't on world-building. While the politics may be simple, it serves its purpose which is this: What happened to this once glorious city of Elantris and how do the people of this country deal with its demise. In that, the book read almost like a mystery.
Overall, I liked it a lot, and for some reason, I thought of Sean Russell and Greg Keyes when I read this. Maybe that's just me because no one else has pointed that out.

Several factors shape any nation, fictional or otherwise, but three are especially important: religion, politics, and economy. Mr. Sanderson has used all three to set up a world that not only fascinates, but also convinces.

And this world is populated with equally believable people. Main characters - including the antagonists! - are many-faceted and complex; secondary characters are well-rounded and distinctive. And never does the illusion shatter. All the people stay in character, with thoughts, words, and actions true to themselves.

Part of the experience of reading a fantasy novel is suspending disbelief and entering another world. ELANTRIS makes that easy.

I resisted started this novel for a very long time. There was something about it that just seemed to tell me it wasn't going to be all that good. Then I read that the widow of Robert Jordan had selected Brandon Sanderson to complete the final volume in The Wheel of Time series and that made me take notice. Elantris is a good place to start if you're new to Mr. Sanderson's work, as I was, since his second effort was a multi-part series, which I just didn't want to get that involved with until I knew I'd be satisfied with this novel. Having just finished Elantris I'm feeling very good about Sanderson's chances of writing a great final volume for Robert Jordan's magnum opus.

Elantris is a rarity in the fantasy field, a single volume fantasy; that in of itself is quite an accomplishment for any author. Sanderson does a great job of setting up his world and developing it as the story moves along. In addition, he's created a magicl system that is wholly new and interesting from what we normally get in fantasy. The unfortuant part is that the magic isn't really seen until the end of the novel, but it still works. The majority of the novel is taken up with the politcal and religious machinations going on in the country of Arelon. At the center of all that is the most intrigiuing character of the entire novel, Princess Sarene. I have to give Sanderson more credit for giving us something that is so often lacking in fantasy novels these days: a fully-realized female lead who is the match of any man around her. While Sanderson does an excellent job of developing Sarene it's at the cost of really devloping the other major character, Sarene's presumed dead husband Prince Raoden, but that's doesn't detract too much from the overall story.

If I have one quibble with Elantris it's that Sanderson get's bogged down in minutiae, which makes the story drag in several places. Of course, even the greats like Martin and Jordan suffer from this, as well. Overall, this was a very good, very interesting novel and it makes me look forward to what Mr. Sanderson can do for The Wheel of Time.

As a long-time lover of fantasy (including Farland, Douglass, Eddings, Goodkind, Marillier, Rawn, Wurts, Tad Williams, etc.), I have to say that this is the most original fantasy novel I have read in years. I've been in the book business since '93 and was quite impressed by this novel...especially as a breakout work by a new, young author. I read the first line (which I would quote here if it wouldn't break copyright laws) and was immediately hooked. Sanderson does an impressive job of relating the story, characters & world in which they live in a single, richly comprehensive volume. Truly a must-read for every fantasy afficiando.