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greenfantasy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.75
marwareadss's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.25/5
“When you speak of this man, let it be known that he
died in our defense. Let it be said that after all else, Hrathen, gyorn of Shu-
Dereth, was not our enemy. He was our savior.”
What a ride! I have to admit I was a bit nervous going into this because I always heard that ‘Elantris’ is one of Sanderson's (very few) "not excellent" books. I didn't want it to ruin my experience especially since from the books I've read so far, Sanderson is for sure one of my all-time favorite authors. Despite what I thought, this book definitely surprised me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the various POVs it had. Hrathen absolutely stole the show for me, I think his redemption arc was done beautifully and I very much enjoyed the way his character was developed throughout the book. More people should give this book a chance, it did not disappoint!
“When you speak of this man, let it be known that he
died in our defense. Let it be said that after all else, Hrathen, gyorn of Shu-
Dereth, was not our enemy. He was our savior.”
What a ride! I have to admit I was a bit nervous going into this because I always heard that ‘Elantris’ is one of Sanderson's (very few) "not excellent" books. I didn't want it to ruin my experience especially since from the books I've read so far, Sanderson is for sure one of my all-time favorite authors. Despite what I thought, this book definitely surprised me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the various POVs it had. Hrathen absolutely stole the show for me, I think his redemption arc was done beautifully and I very much enjoyed the way his character was developed throughout the book. More people should give this book a chance, it did not disappoint!
johnnyjk's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jenni_elyse's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Elantris. I thought Brandon Sanderson did a great job of not giving away too much too early. I was constantly guessing and trying to figure out what was going to happen.
For most of the book, the point-of-view switches between three characters–Raoden, Sarene, and Hrathen. I thought the change in point-of-view between these characters made the story very interesting. I liked being able to see all aspects of the story, and at the same time still trying to put all the pieces together while the story unfolded.
From the very first page, I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to know why Elantris, once the city of the gods, was now the city of the damned. I wanted to know how Raoden’s, Sarene’s, and Hrathen’s stories would come together. I also love that Elantris is a stand-alone book, but with enough left unsaid for a possible sequel.
For most of the book, the point-of-view switches between three characters–Raoden, Sarene, and Hrathen. I thought the change in point-of-view between these characters made the story very interesting. I liked being able to see all aspects of the story, and at the same time still trying to put all the pieces together while the story unfolded.
From the very first page, I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted to know why Elantris, once the city of the gods, was now the city of the damned. I wanted to know how Raoden’s, Sarene’s, and Hrathen’s stories would come together. I also love that Elantris is a stand-alone book, but with enough left unsaid for a possible sequel.
sunonsea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
t_whit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Although this did feel a bit slow at times I never found myself bored. I loved the politics, and the world Brandon was able to build here. I can’t wait for more!
keberwick's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
albymej's review against another edition
5.0
Ok, I should start by saying I dnf-ed mistborn. Loved warbreaker though, and haven't read the stormlight archive. But elantris. Simply beautiful! So here's some gushing:
1. The world. I loooved it. The world of the elantrians, their downfall, the current political climate, the religion wars. All of it! Engaging and well presented.
2. The pacing. Not fast, not slow, just flowing. There were moments we spent watching the characters do menial tasks (and how hard it was for some of them!). Moments where they sat and discussed political matters, evaluating every posibility before coming to a consensus, making it feel very real. There were horror moments, that also felt very real, and just painful moments (the toes man...)
3. Characters. Also real. Loved. Them. All. Just all of them, I don't even have a favorite. And again, they felt very real!
4. The story. Good versus evil (but you're not sure who's who all the time) the characters would act a certain way, but their motivations were clearly laid out, so you could be fair witness to all sides.
5. The ending. I know some people take issue with the resolution of all matters, maybe a little neatly, but to me it felt earned and it was the ending I wanted so sue me.
Overall, i highly highly recommend!
1. The world. I loooved it. The world of the elantrians, their downfall, the current political climate, the religion wars. All of it! Engaging and well presented.
2. The pacing. Not fast, not slow, just flowing. There were moments we spent watching the characters do menial tasks (and how hard it was for some of them!). Moments where they sat and discussed political matters, evaluating every posibility before coming to a consensus, making it feel very real. There were horror moments, that also felt very real, and just painful moments (the toes man...)
3. Characters. Also real. Loved. Them. All. Just all of them, I don't even have a favorite. And again, they felt very real!
4. The story. Good versus evil (but you're not sure who's who all the time) the characters would act a certain way, but their motivations were clearly laid out, so you could be fair witness to all sides.
5. The ending. I know some people take issue with the resolution of all matters, maybe a little neatly, but to me it felt earned and it was the ending I wanted so sue me.
Overall, i highly highly recommend!
crustypatriot's review against another edition
4.0
Going into this book, I was warned that this was Brandon Sanderson’s “worst book” since it was his first published. After reading the first 4 Mistborn books and loving every one of them, I was hesitant to pick this one up because I didn’t want to disappoint myself. Very quickly I realized that Brandon’s “worst book” is higher than a lot of authors best book.
I loved this book! I was so surprised at how much I loved it. Especially considering how low everyone else rated it compared to other books by Sanderson. While slow and tedious at times, it had great character development and a great mystery in the city of Elantris. The ending was pure perfection in my opinion. Everything came together perfectly in normal Brandon Sanderson fashion. The magic system in this book was also very fascinating to read and is fairly well flushed out.
The only cons I have about this book are how tedious it is at times and how much it leans into politics and the mystery of Elantris. It got dry sometimes but overall not that big of a deal. Another “con” is the character names. A little thing that maybe it’s just me but I didn’t like alot of character names. I thought it was too much and out there at times but that is a MINOR issue.
Overall, if you are worried that you won’t like this book because everyone warned you about it, PICK IT UP ANYWAY. If you love Brandon Sanderson, you will ultimately enjoy this book. While very different from books like Mistborn, this one focuses more on politics and the mystery of Elantris. I am so glad I picked this up despite the warnings. 4.1 out of 5 stars (rounded down to 4)
I loved this book! I was so surprised at how much I loved it. Especially considering how low everyone else rated it compared to other books by Sanderson. While slow and tedious at times, it had great character development and a great mystery in the city of Elantris. The ending was pure perfection in my opinion. Everything came together perfectly in normal Brandon Sanderson fashion. The magic system in this book was also very fascinating to read and is fairly well flushed out.
The only cons I have about this book are how tedious it is at times and how much it leans into politics and the mystery of Elantris. It got dry sometimes but overall not that big of a deal. Another “con” is the character names. A little thing that maybe it’s just me but I didn’t like alot of character names. I thought it was too much and out there at times but that is a MINOR issue.
Overall, if you are worried that you won’t like this book because everyone warned you about it, PICK IT UP ANYWAY. If you love Brandon Sanderson, you will ultimately enjoy this book. While very different from books like Mistborn, this one focuses more on politics and the mystery of Elantris. I am so glad I picked this up despite the warnings. 4.1 out of 5 stars (rounded down to 4)