Elantris

This was incredible!
If this is supposed to be Sanderson worst book I don't know what to expect from the rest.

The story is told through 3 POV: the cursed Prince Raoden, the smart and slightly misfit princess Sarene and the high priest Hrathen. At first I preferred some POV over the others, but with the story evolution they became equally strong (I'm still leaning a bit towards Raoden who completely stole my heart).

What to love:
- Good and immersive writting with intriguing politics and religion, amazing world building and interesting magic system.
- The characters are completely different and they never sound the same.
- How everything wraps up in the end. I don't mind reading book series, and is conforting to know there is more to read of the stories and characters we love. However, I'm somewhat tired of cliffhangers and of waiting for book series to finish (GOT, Kingkiller chronicles, etc).
I've found Sanderson's ability to create something so different and complete, while being able to do it on a standalone, very refreshing.

This is a February read and will probably be my favorite book of 2022.

And so, after a little over a year, my journey through the (current) Cosmere has ended, and now my watch begins.

I ended with Elantris because it was his first novel and everyone told me it was subpar or clunky. Then people told me I should have started with it because going backwards is a let down.

I have never read Brandon Sanderson before. So this was my first book that I read, and as a beginner, I searched on how to read the cosemer series and his work in general. Many people, Brandon included, recommended to start with Elantris.

But also some said that this was his first novel and it's the weakest. So I was kind of afraid to start it and no liking it and not liking his work.

But ...




WHAT THE ACTUAL FREAK. This was SO GREAT I LOVED IT MORE THEN I EXCPECTED. If this was his weakest work, then how is his strongest work?!




Well done

It shows that this is Sanderson's first book. Not necessarily a bad thing, and I think this book would have been a 4.5 if I didn't know it was Sanderson. But the plot, the pace and the writing is not what you would expect having read his other works.

It is great, catching and exciting. You fall in love with the characters, it really is his strong suit. But the pacing and the elements that bring the story forwards feels a bit forced, and possibly at times a bit juvenile.

That said, I love the setting of the book, and especially that the main characters are not teenagers. They feel a lot more mature in the way they think and talk, which I think is a conscious choice by Sanderson. While I enjoy a good coming of age story, I have read quite a few of them by now. It was refreshing to have an adult point of view from the beginning.

I really hope Elantris will have a sequel, as I feel we've barely scratched the surface of what this world has to offer.

From now on, I won't listen to the masses when it comes to Sanderson. I've waited too long to read Brandon's first published novel and now I'm hitting myself in the face for taking my time. Elantris matches up there with Warbreaker as one of my all time favorite books.

I see now why most people say this is the weakest of Sanderson novels, for its magic system is at a minimal stage, as that's one of his biggest factors as an author. Although, my biggest concern for any genre fiction novel is the characters, and holy Domi, Elantris has some of best around. This book isn't about the magic, for its magical without it. This type of success is what aspiring authors should aiming for when submitting to agents and editors.

Elantris will always ring in my head when I think of creativity.

Super slow burn on this book but probably one of my favorites from Brandon Sanderson. This is a very character focused and philosophical book that was a bit of a drag at the beginning but as I got deeper and more engaged with the characters, thoroughly enjoyed reading each characters' inner monologue about the events unfolding.

There isn't a lot of action in the book but when it hits at the end, it really hits. Well done Brandon. Warbreaker is still probably a better entry point to the Cosmere but Elantris is a great read.

While this is Brando Sando's first published novel (it does show in a couple of spots). Overall, it is very good. Great character study--you get a feel for even the minor characters and their goals and aspirations. A nice mix of religion, politics, and a dash of magic thrown--and the begininngs of the cosmere as well. Took awhile to read, because I did the audio book, so was only doing 20 minutes or so at a time on the way to and from work. The pace of the book was good, and he tied up the story's multiple threads at the end very well.

4 Stars.

A highly intriguing fantasy tale hampered by its writing style and story structure, both of which are forgiveable seeing as it was Sanderson's first published novel. The short prologue sets up the central mystery at the heart of the novel - what happened to the once great magical system and city of Elantris? Sanderson then quickly introduces the three rotating perspectives of ‘dead' Prince Raoden, widowed Princess Sarene and red-cloaked Gyorn Hrathen. This unfortunately immediately burdens the plot, as we're introduced to separate casts and multiple ideas with varying interest within the town of Kae, whilst also realising this ‘last stronghold' is key for larger forces at work throughout the land. There were a few repeated ideas such as nobles, balls, deities and religions, and I only became attached to the characters around 40-50% through, when the story and pacing picked up. Whilst I'd say to most keen readers this novel is unnecessary when wanting to read the Cosmere, it was still a fun read introducing a lot of ideas and then having Sanderson's trademark payoffs at the end. In fact, the ending opens more story possibilities in the future, which hopefully we'll see after Stormlight 5?

Spoiler-free review
Characters: Interesting personalities with distinguishable voices. A lot of meaningful internal struggle that makes them relatable and inclines you to consider what you would do in a similar situation. They were also smart (for the most part).
Plot: The story focuses on the mystery surrounding Elantris - the events from the past that led to its current state and what caused those events. All this unravels while we follow the POV of multiple characters, who struggle to deal with the situation they've been thrown in; loss, pain and desperation.
What I liked: The plot of the book was truly intriguing. It kept me on my toes and made me anxious to turn to the next page and find out what happens next. The main characters were complex but ultimately good people, which is more and more rare these days.
What I didn't like: Maybe a bit more time could've been spent on the ending. The female main character's personality was a bit frustrating to read from.

Would I recommend> Absolutely. I am happy I read the book and would be happy to read an eventual sequel.

I wish I'd read this earlier!
This book was perfect!! Don't get me wrong, I understand that Sanderson's writing is not at its best but WHAT A BOOK! I loved everything about it! It has a very interesting magic system, it had very loveable characters, it had characters I despised with all my heart and had an overall great plot line. And coming to political intrigue, yes yes yes!! If Sanderson were to rewrite Elantris at this point, I think it'd be one of the best fantasy novels in existence. Right up there with Stormlight.
Loved!!

Cómo agarró tanto vuelo

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and the way they interacted with eachother. The magic system was very interesting too.

Will definitely be one I reread in the future.

7/10

This was a lot of fun - I found the characters really likeable, and the central plot/mystery of Elantris was really engaging.

Great book with lots to like. Political intrigue, former glory, hidden arcane knowledge, female empowerment in a patriarchal society, fighting, romance.

However, it falls a little flat in some areas. The characters lack some depth and feel sort of one dimensional. The ending sentence is beautiful though.

It has some mistborny elements and I feel like they share too many similarities. So for those two reasons, minus a star.

Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite authors and Elantris is his first published work. This is less polished than his more recent works - he was still very much learning his craft whilst writing this and you can tell - but it still has that easy reading feel that Sanderson always seems to bring. Elantris is part of the his greater ‘Cosmere' universe and is the first introduction to this overarching universe, but at this stage it is effectively a standalone (although plans exist for sequels in this sub-arch of the Cosmere).

Elantris follows three characters - these are all kind of typical fantasy archetypes in a prince who has gone into a form of hiding, a princess who is thrown into a new court when the prince she was meant to marry disappears, and an evil priest of some vicious religion that seeks wipe out all other religions - so far so tropey. Where Sanderson rises above is in his attention to detail and the dynamics between the different characters, his world building and his internal logic within his worlds.

The titular Elantris was once the central city of this world, ruled over by a god like group of powerful magic users, who are randomly raised from the general populace of the country (they suddenly become an Elantrian). However, ten years ago some catastrophe caused this power to decay and disappear. The Elantrians are turned into shadows of what they once were. They retain the immortality they used to have, but are unable to heal any injuries so are gradually driven mad by the pain. The dynamics this creates are a central part of the plot - essentially this story is about trying to understand what caused the fall of Elantris.

On the side of this, a religious cult has developed in other parts of the world and now seeks to extend its influence to the kingdom containing Elantris. Previously the Elantrians had prevented them from gaining a foothold (who needs other gods when you have living ones walking amongst you?) but they see the fall as an opportunity. The political machinations of this religious order provide the other main arch of the story.

This was an impressive debut and it is easy to see how Sanderson's style has developed from here. His later works are certainly more polished as his writing has developed, but there is plenty of merit here. It will be interesting to see if he does return to this world and continue with the Elantris story as he has planned. This is a must read for Sanderson fans. There are probably slightly better places to start for a Sanderson novice (this is a little rough around the edges) but it is a worthy story that is enjoyable to read

3.5 stars. Too much religion, not enough socialism.

World, plot, and the mystery/suspense plotlines brought up in this book were all enjoyable, and the character work was not as bad.

While I think this is Sanderson's weakest novel, that doesn't really mean that it wasn't enjoyable for my (and for my tastes).

“Sono estremamente orgoglioso di questo libro. Nel corso degli anni, la mia prosa è migliorata e la mia voce narrante è maturata, ma trovo essenziale ricordare che una vibrante, appassionata storia che coinvolga i personaggi sia più importante rispetto ai sistemi magici nuovi o alle sequenze d'azione epiche. I personaggi e le emozioni sono la vera magia. Il sussurro di Elantris è un avvertimento per me di non dimenticarlo mai.”
-Brandon Sanderson

3,75

Elantris è il romanzo d'esordio di Brandon Sanderson, e si nota quasi subito. Non solo troviamo la classica formula che l'autore ripropone nei suoi libri successivi, ma anche lo stesso stile (anche se ancora più povero) oltre a qualche difetto ed ingenuità, frutto dell'inesperienza oserei dire. Infatti, Sanderson con questo romanzo stabilisce i suoi topoi o elementi ricorrenti presenti in altri suoi romanzi, come una giovane strong female character, la forte impronta divina/teologica, piccoli servitori fedeli, senza parlare di giovani uomini carismatici (qualcuno ha detto Kelsier, Kaladin o Raoden, non mi stupirei che siano effettivamente degli avatar della stessa persona).

Non posso sicuramente dire che non mi sia piaciuto, ma nemmeno che mi abbia fatto impazzire, nel senso che mi ha coinvolto specialmente nell'ultima parte, ma non è stata una lettura stimolante. L'inizio è lento, l'autore si prende del tempo per sviluppare personaggi, l'ambientazione e ci fornisce un po' tutte le informazioni che abbiamo bisogno per affrontare la storia, anche scadendo nella ripetitività a volte.
L'andamento della storia generale poi è prevedibile, alcune soluzioni di trama le ho trovate troppo banali e altre troppo sbrigative. Tuttavia non mancano i colpi di scena, soprattutto nella seconda parte in cui i capitoli al contrario dell'inizio, sono estremamente dinamici, corti e pieni d'azione. Ma ho avuto quasi la sensazione che a volte cercasse quasi forzatamente di cercare di stupirmi prima di arrivare alla fine, che ad un certo punto si rivela scontata.

Nonostante ciò è un romanzo con un suo equilibrio secondo me, ed è stata una lettura appassionante al di là dei difetti. Sanderson ha dimostrato che non è uno scrittore prolisso, quasi tutto scritto trova spazio nella narrazione generale, ed è una qualità che apprezzo. Lo stile “acerbo” di Sanderson è ancora più asettico e piatto, preciso ma a me non stimola né emozioni né l'immaginazione. Scorre bene e velocemente ma ancora una volta, ho come la sensazione che per l'autore (nella traduzione di Gabriele Giorgi) la scrittura sia solo un mezzo (che deve essere il più semplice e scorrevole possibile) per veicolare i drammi, gli intrighi e la storia che Brandon partorisce.

I personaggi sono interessanti, quasi tutti distinti e con note peculiari. Certo, pochissimi sono stati sviluppati approfonditamente. Giusto i protagonisti e pochi altri, ma ci si affeziona presto tra alti e bassi.

Non aspettatevi quindi una lettura completamente inedita se avete letto altri libri di Sanderson, non aspettatevi un sistema magico complesso, non aspettatevi una prosa emozionante, preparatevi piuttosto a tanti intrighi, azione e colpi di scena a non finire.

Read it right after finishing Fitz And Fool, and the contrast is incredible.
This is a great book, but it does not allow itself to ever become really scary.
I never really worried about any of the characters, because Sanderson never let them become hurt of anything. Events that would have scarred people for life are brushed off as no more than inconvenience.
This book is a great example of what makes Sanderson so good: the hard magic system, and his amazing ability to always leave me surprised although I already had all of the knowledge to solve the problem myself.
But it is also an example of his shortcomings. The book is easy and fun and interesting which means that nothing actually has any emotional weight.

i'll miss Elantris...

Sarene is so cool, also Roaden is a sweetheart. The brandon Sanderson Ending ?????? and last part of the book ?????? was Great. Was up till 1 finishing this, for good reason.

Technically DNF @ 75%

I get that its probably considered sacrilege to actively dislike a Brando Sando book, but I can't lie about this one. Elantris is failed by such a strong reliance on the “I'm not like other girls” brand of feminism and unrealistic main characters.

We have two main characters: Sarene, the Princess of a neighbouring country who is betrothed to the Raoden, the Prince of Kae. Sarene travels from her home to marry the Prince who sadly is struck by the Shaod and must be sent into the city of Elantris where all the others cursed by Shaod magic have to live. Raoden immediately upon learning the new rules of life in Elantris decides to pick the city up by its bootstraps and turn this curse into a positive. He is relentlessly positive after being told he's essentially a zombie with no hope for a future. Also, every person he recruits to his cause to make Elantris great again seems to magically have the skills he needs. The one of those scenes goes:

Raoden: Hey, wanna join us?
Recruits: Yes, sounds good. What can we do for you?
Raoden: Well if only I had someone skilled enough to build a roof.......

Two stars based on the goodreads system, which perhaps looks worse than it is.

I hate to pile on about this being Sanderson's first published book, but to me it does feel full of story elements that he has virtually perfected in later novels. The main mysteries in the book weren't fully satisfyingly resolved, and a bunch of minor revelations came and went seemingly out of nowhere. All the characters seemed to be hyper-distilled archetypes, and most of their feelings or emotions were told by exposition instead of feeling genuine.

That said, it's still creative and original, and there was plenty to enjoy. I listened to the audiobook which had a narrator nowhere near as good as Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, which may have spoiled my review too.

Oddly enough I liked Elantris more than Mistborn?! I found Sarene and Raoden more likeable and felt they had actually arcs compared to Vin and Keslier. I bonded with them more. Hrathen was a really interesting character too. The pacing was done pretty well but there were def moments where I was like: “why don't you just TELL them!?!?”

If I could give half stars I think I'd give Mistborn a 3.5 so that I can give Elantris 4 stars without guilt, lol.