Elantris - BookWyrm

638 pages

English language

Published July 16, 2006 by Tor Fantasy.

ISBN:: 978-0-7653-5037-4
OCLC Number:: 70050272
ASIN:: 0765350378

(2 reviews)

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 …

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.

A rare epic fantasy that doesn't recycle the classics and that is a complete and satisfying story in one volume, Elantris is fleet and fun, full of surprises and characters to care about. It's also the wonderful debut of a welcome new star in the constellation of fantasy.

29 editions

Peripatos reviewed Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (Elantris, #1)

A good book with a few huge flaws

3 stars

You get why this is Sanderson's debut. It's more of a raw gem than a fully fleshed out epic story.

The characters are a little flat, the solutions to problems a little too deus ex machina. Especially the politics are rather dull and the characters who should be the Machiavellian schemers are more politic lightweights. A few scenes are way too long and obnoxious and if you're listening to the book rather than reading, oh boy and girl, you gonna have a bad time. There are dozens upon dozens of fantasy names, pretty unrecognizable, too, because they sound alike.

Sounds rather bad, but in the end I match it against the first three Mistborns which are way better in presenting the characters, pacing, action and worldbuilding.

Religion on the other hand is represented alright and it's still Sanderson's forte. The magic system is nice and I miss that we don't …

You get why this is Sanderson's debut. It's more of a raw gem than a fully fleshed out epic story.

The characters are a little flat, the solutions to problems a little too deus ex machina. Especially the politics are rather dull and the characters who should be the Machiavellian schemers are more politic lightweights. A few scenes are way too long and obnoxious and if you're listening to the book rather than reading, oh boy and girl, you gonna have a bad time. There are dozens upon dozens of fantasy names, pretty unrecognizable, too, because they sound alike.

Sounds rather bad, but in the end I match it against the first three Mistborns which are way better in presenting the characters, pacing, action and worldbuilding.

Religion on the other hand is represented alright and it's still Sanderson's forte. The magic system is nice and I miss that we don't had more time with it. And the world has still a huge potential. My time spent with the books wasn't wasted but just slightly above average.

Lars SGS reviewed Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Absolutt en debutbok

3 stars

Elantris er en fin historie, en tydelig førstebok fra en forfatter med mer på hjertet. Boken er splittet mellom forsøk på brudd med sjangeren og åpenbare klisjeer.

Den Sterke Kvinnerollen, en av bokens tre hovedpersoner, er velment, men oser Mary Sue-energi – hun er høy, hun er sterk, hun er frittalende, hun er ikke bundet av samfunnets normer for hva en kvinne skal være (og stolt av det!), men hun er også dypt usikker i hvilken funksjon hun egentlig har uten en mann. Aldri glem at du også er en kvinne.

Sant nok, boka fyller 20 år neste år, både mitt og tidsåndens syn på hva en god, kvinnelig figur er har endret seg, og Sarene er ikke en dårlig figur, hun er bare veldig åpenbar.

På samme måte som at bokens andre (eller første, han har bokens første kapittel, og alt dreier seg jo egentlig om ham) rett og …

Elantris er en fin historie, en tydelig førstebok fra en forfatter med mer på hjertet. Boken er splittet mellom forsøk på brudd med sjangeren og åpenbare klisjeer.

Den Sterke Kvinnerollen, en av bokens tre hovedpersoner, er velment, men oser Mary Sue-energi – hun er høy, hun er sterk, hun er frittalende, hun er ikke bundet av samfunnets normer for hva en kvinne skal være (og stolt av det!), men hun er også dypt usikker i hvilken funksjon hun egentlig har uten en mann. Aldri glem at du også er en kvinne.

Sant nok, boka fyller 20 år neste år, både mitt og tidsåndens syn på hva en god, kvinnelig figur er har endret seg, og Sarene er ikke en dårlig figur, hun er bare veldig åpenbar.

På samme måte som at bokens andre (eller første, han har bokens første kapittel, og alt dreier seg jo egentlig om ham) rett og slett er Verdens Flinkeste™, helt fra start. Han er smart, kjekk (med en plottsensitiv asterisk), snill, dyktig, et godt menneske, alt det der. Gary Stu Sanderson.

Igjen, debutbok. Ikke dårlig, jeg er nysgjerrig på Sandersons forfatterskap videre, og den har noen ideer som jeg virkelig viber med. Når jeg skriver dette, klarer jeg ikke å ikke tenke på Steven Kings The Gunslinger, som også er en uerfaren førstebok. Vi får se om resten av Sandersons verk setter like dype spor i meg som The Dark Tower gjorde.