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cutenanya's review against another edition
5.0
While Calamity does not have the epic conclusion I'm hoping for, rather ironic as this book is really about epics, I find Calamity a very satisfying conclusion to a brilliant series. Granted, the ending is simple, a bit anticlimatic even as the action sequence is not saved till the last, yet, I think it is most fitting because words sometimes speak louder than action.
What I like about Calamity:
1) Character growth:
I always love Brandon Sanderson's heroes despite the fact that they pretty much follow the same formula. David is no exception. Although I loved the David in Steelheart best, I also enjoyed seeing how David progressed from an inexperienced amateur fighter with nothing but passion for revenge to the ultimate leader who brought about change to his world, from a man fighting for revenge to a man fighting for dreams. Through interactions with Prof, Megan, and the rest of the crew, he succeeded not only in reaching his goal but also instigating change amongst the Reckoners. I liked how David graduated from a soldier to a commander, taking the place of Prof and holding the team together.
Then there is Megan, she also developed from a lost, conflicted soul to a girl who is clearly in control. David maybe amazing but he will never succeed without Megan. These two are two sides of a coin, without either side, the coin has no value.
In contrast to David and Megan, we see Prof gradually spiraling downward from the leader to the antihero. I feel sorry for Prof in Calamity but antiheroes are just as important as heroes in any novel.
2) The argument whether power corrupts the human soul.
Here on, spoilers so please be warned!
In Calamity, perhaps the biggest question is whether power in itself can corrupt human soul. Obviously, Calamity thinks humans are inherently evil and by granting them powers, Calamity is able to bring out the evil in mankind and further proves his theory that mankind is evil. What David has done is to show Calamity that his hypothesis is just one of many possibilities. Power can corrupt some people but people can remain good and kind despite having powers. That possibility is what gives Calamity and drives him to leave humans to their own devises. Without Calamity, humans will be humans - some good, some evil and some neither.
IMO, this is a good question but a paradoxical one because good and evil are concepts created by men to maintain order in society. Without a society, there will be neither good nor evil. Imagine a baby stranded in the wild all by himself and raised by animals (a.k.a. Tarzan), do you think he will be able to distinguish between good and evil?
To conclude, I think Calamity is a deeper and more philosophical book than Steelheart. I prefer Steelheart because the plot is more straightforward and focused, nonetheless, I think Calamity is a brilliant novel and a fitting conclusion to one of my favorite series of all times.
What I like about Calamity:
1) Character growth:
I always love Brandon Sanderson's heroes despite the fact that they pretty much follow the same formula. David is no exception. Although I loved the David in Steelheart best, I also enjoyed seeing how David progressed from an inexperienced amateur fighter with nothing but passion for revenge to the ultimate leader who brought about change to his world, from a man fighting for revenge to a man fighting for dreams. Through interactions with Prof, Megan, and the rest of the crew, he succeeded not only in reaching his goal but also instigating change amongst the Reckoners. I liked how David graduated from a soldier to a commander, taking the place of Prof and holding the team together.
Then there is Megan, she also developed from a lost, conflicted soul to a girl who is clearly in control. David maybe amazing but he will never succeed without Megan. These two are two sides of a coin, without either side, the coin has no value.
In contrast to David and Megan, we see Prof gradually spiraling downward from the leader to the antihero. I feel sorry for Prof in Calamity but antiheroes are just as important as heroes in any novel.
2) The argument whether power corrupts the human soul.
Here on, spoilers so please be warned!
In Calamity, perhaps the biggest question is whether power in itself can corrupt human soul. Obviously, Calamity thinks humans are inherently evil and by granting them powers, Calamity is able to bring out the evil in mankind and further proves his theory that mankind is evil. What David has done is to show Calamity that his hypothesis is just one of many possibilities. Power can corrupt some people but people can remain good and kind despite having powers. That possibility is what gives Calamity and drives him to leave humans to their own devises. Without Calamity, humans will be humans - some good, some evil and some neither.
IMO, this is a good question but a paradoxical one because good and evil are concepts created by men to maintain order in society. Without a society, there will be neither good nor evil. Imagine a baby stranded in the wild all by himself and raised by animals (a.k.a. Tarzan), do you think he will be able to distinguish between good and evil?
To conclude, I think Calamity is a deeper and more philosophical book than Steelheart. I prefer Steelheart because the plot is more straightforward and focused, nonetheless, I think Calamity is a brilliant novel and a fitting conclusion to one of my favorite series of all times.
bluejaybooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was the series that introduced me to Brandon Sanderson’s work, and I am very grateful for that. All the same, I think the second book in this series was the best. The pacing at the end of this book felt very rushed though as a whole this was still a good, fun read.
pleyadestrange's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
peterkeep's review against another edition
3.0
It was a fine ending to a pretty good trilogy, but I think my enjoyment of the series declined as it went on. Maybe I was able to enjoy Steelheart more because of the timing of me reading it, or some other external circumstance, but it has been way more memorable and enjoyable than the next two books.
That's not to say I didn't like the book or the series. I enjoyed it for what it was: a pretty good foray into the YA genre from one of my favorite authors. I would have liked some more of the typical Sanderson avalanche at the end, and I thought there were some definite overly-cheesy scenes/dialogue, but that's fine.
The action scenes were good, if a little scattered feeling, and it didn't feel like the story dragged on much. The couple of twists weren't extremely satisfying for whatever reason, but that might be a personal preference thing as opposed to an execution thing.
Anyways, it's not a big deal....I'll wait for the new Stormlight book or another Mistborn book. They're a lot more my style.
That's not to say I didn't like the book or the series. I enjoyed it for what it was: a pretty good foray into the YA genre from one of my favorite authors. I would have liked some more of the typical Sanderson avalanche at the end, and I thought there were some definite overly-cheesy scenes/dialogue, but that's fine.
The action scenes were good, if a little scattered feeling, and it didn't feel like the story dragged on much. The couple of twists weren't extremely satisfying for whatever reason, but that might be a personal preference thing as opposed to an execution thing.
Anyways, it's not a big deal....I'll wait for the new Stormlight book or another Mistborn book. They're a lot more my style.
apmoctezuma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
wouterk's review against another edition
4.0
I truly enjoyed this last part of the Reckoners series. While generally, I felt I was only partly the target audience of the series, especially the second half of this book took a turn for the best. Of course Sanderson is famous for his Sanderlanches and this book is no exception and it even hit me in the feels big time. So the series pays off!
I think Sanderson really succeeds well in presenting an interesting world with supervillains and heroes. and in this particular book we face both prof and calamity (yes the big red star/sun-thing that is the cause of all the Epics and is ever present).
The series is action packed, somewhat superficial in terms of characters as an exchange to high pacing and interesting world building. I think that is the part that resonated less with me. But like I said, I loved the ending. A good palate cleanser!
I think Sanderson really succeeds well in presenting an interesting world with supervillains and heroes. and in this particular book we face both prof and calamity (yes the big red star/sun-thing that is the cause of all the Epics and is ever present).
The series is action packed, somewhat superficial in terms of characters as an exchange to high pacing and interesting world building. I think that is the part that resonated less with me. But like I said, I loved the ending. A good palate cleanser!
novatrigger's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
measishouldbebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It took me a while to get into this one. It was a lot of build-up, but it definitely paid off in the end. The last 30% was action-packed and fun.