Elantris by Brandon
Sanderson. Tom Doherty Associates, 2005. 638p. (9780765359374)
I read this book for the book cover bingo game I'm participating in on Goodreads and I'm glad I could read this one for crown/tiara (she has a circlet! which counts). What an
interesting story! Especially since it took me over 100 pages in to figure out
who I should be rooting for. I only had a friend’s recommendation (from a year
ago) and the back of the book to shape my expectations. It was interesting
reading a book without having any idea of what it was going to be about.
Which is
probably why it took me a while to figure out if I was supposed to cheer for
the princess or the priest. The summary on Goodreads and probably elsewhere is
very long gives a much better idea of all the characters and the story and plot
details, but you’ll have to go look that up yourself. I’m only going to give
you what the back of the book says. Makes for a more curious reading
experience.
Part of Back
of Book Summary:
Elantris was
the city of the gods. What power could have cursed it?
Raoden,
prince of Arelon, was loved by all, including the preincess he’d never met.
Where has he gone?
Hrathen,
high priest of Fjordell, will convert the people of Arelon or kill them. How
will he decide?
Sarene,
princess of Teod, was a widow before she was ever married. Who can stand
against her?
…Elantris delightfully proves that a
great complete fantasy story can still be told in a single volume of action,
intrigue, wonder and countless surprises.
My Review:
I really
enjoyed this book and didn’t even realize until writing the above that it was
over 600 pages. The story started a tad slow, but only because I wasn’t sure if
the author was being tricky or if I really could root for the person I wanted
to root for. Well and also since there were a lot of people, cultures,
relationships and history to introduce.
All of which
means that it’s a rich tale and you know that the author put a lot of thought
into not just the story we read but the history of the places and characters. I
especially liked how it’s more than just a fantasy story with magic, and good
and evil battling it out. Those things are in there but the author also looks
at human emotion and motivation, politics, and religion. The religious aspect
is especially interesting.
The story is
told from three perspectives: Raoden, Hrathen and Sarene’s. Which can be
frustrating at times, but I liked having a bigger picture and getting to know
those three. There were plenty of other characters too and several were quite
entertaining and added a lot to the story.
A number of
reviewers on Goodreads gave this book low ratings and a few lowered theirs
after rereading the book. Which makes sense since one of the strong points of
this book is the mystery of how it will all turn out and the question of what
will happen next.
If you enjoy
fantasy, opinionated female characters, magical forces, and political/religious
drama than you should pick this book up.
Disclosure:
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not
required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.
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