johnforceps

I was really quite impressed with this book. I had always been meaning to get around to reading something of Sanderson's (based on recommendations from others) but it took me reading his work with finishing the Wheel of Time series for me to finally do it. That he could pull off finishing someone else's books was impressive, but now that I have read one of his original works, I can see why he was able to do that. This is by far one of the best fantasy books I've read in a long time. I loved the fact that the book was very character centered, and that there was a nice break from the traditional fantasy form of "the quest" (not that there's anything wrong with that). Actually, each of the three main characters in the book had their own personal quest, and I think that made the book that much stronger. Elantris tells the story of the city, Elantris, which once housed a race of near god-like beings. Beings who were once human who are randomly taken up by some unknown force and transformed into apparently divine entities. However, now, those taken in this way are cursed by some unknown means, and the city has fallen into complete degredation. Elantris is now used as a means of quarantine for those damned by its power, for its inhabitants are grotesque--their bodies unable to heal, each and every pain trapped in stasis forever, their bodies eternally hungry and without sustenance. In short, they are the living dead and cannot escape their torment, even if they wanted to. The story follows three main character arcs that were each intriguing and quick paced. Raoden, a prince who wakes up only to discover that he has been cursed by Elantris. His plotline follows his quest to restore a sense of humanity to those cursed within the city as he tries to prove that the power of the human spirit is able to overcome all things. Sarene, Raoden's to-be wife who arrives only to find herself married to a dead man, for her marriage contract holds her even then. She finds herself trying to save a land who duty has bound her to, but which she hardly knows. Hrathen is an outlander priest of a competing religion who has been given the mission of converting all of the people of Raoden and Sarene's lands in only three months. He explores the workings of faith and duty and begins to question the absolute obedience which his religion hinges upon. All of the characters are interesting, complex, and fun to follow on their individual journeys. There were plenty of plot twists to keep me interested and I felt very satisfied by the end. This is also a stand alone fantasy novel (which is fairly rare) and I think Sanderson left me wanting more, but also satisfied with what I got. Excellent and recommended for anyone who loves the fantasy genre, especially for anyone who has even the slightest interest, or who is breaking into the world of fantasy novels. I will definitely be reading Sanderson's other works in the near future.

2022-11-14 18:14