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raiju01's review against another edition
4.0
The weakest of the trilogy due to the rushed final stretch, still very good though.
Loads of unanswered questions, which will hopefully be addressed in the new trilogy (Apocalypse Guard). I enjoyed this book very much, but I can understand why many people dislike it.
Loads of unanswered questions, which will hopefully be addressed in the new trilogy (Apocalypse Guard). I enjoyed this book very much, but I can understand why many people dislike it.
akazen's review against another edition
3.0
The Reckoners series is by far my least favourite of Brandon's writing. Don't get me wrong, it's a very solid book but I feel, in part, that it didn't progress much. I did enjoy parts of it though.
4* Average throughout.
4* Average throughout.
mightyjor's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a VERY slow beginning. This was my third attempt at getting through it. That being said, at a certain point the story picks up and gets really good. There’s a lot of things in it that make me scratch my head a bit and wonder if there’s an explanation that I missed somewhere, mostly near the end. Overall I love a lot of the answers given and I feel the story is reasonably resolved for my tastes. I do feel it is a good ending for the trilogy. Though I still don’t really like the main character or his love interest.
sadieros73's review against another edition
4.0
Classic Sanderson. I couldn't put it down after the midpoint. This book was action packed, but he decieved me. I thought for sure as I was looking at the percent remaining that the plots could not be tied up but he did it anyway.
kiira_lorestan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
badbadwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Murder, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, and Medical content
kaikai1618's review against another edition
5.0
[4.7] this book was amazing, but left me with some unanswered questions. Overall it had a driving plot and kept the reader on the edge of their seat, wanting to know what happens. The author makes a strong relationship between the reader and characters, making the reader feel connected to a character. This book has twists and heart wrenching scenes that also leave the reader with a view on how things aren't just black and white.
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