Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Very disappointing. Read the Mistborn Trilogy and loved the first book so much. This book has the same plot as The Final Empire with new characters and new powers, but it isn't as good. There's an invincible tyrant that our heroes must defeat. This is a fine plot base, and it's used in a lot of books that I love. But there are more similarities than just than that. The rebel group-protagonist dynamic is the same. I'm not saying that David and Vin are the same character. They're not. They just have the same function in the two stories. There are so many identical plot points and devices, it's ridiculous. (I won't list any specific examples here in the interest of keeping this free of spoilers.) It's almost as if Sanderson wrote this book to see if anyone would notice that he'd already written it. That's the only reason I can think of for his writing it. Or maybe he thought of a really cool world to write about, but he couldn't think of a new plot. Maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't already read Mistborn.
Wait, I have one more thing to whine about. The narrator David wasn't great with metaphors, and this became a running joke throughout the book. There were pages of David trying to perfect his shitty metaphors. I didn't think this was funny. I was so annoyed.
Woops, I just thought of another similarity between Steelheart and Mistborn. I was excited for Brandon Sanderson to become one of my favorite authors, but I honestly don't know if I'll ever even read another one of his books.
Wait, I have one more thing to whine about. The narrator David wasn't great with metaphors, and this became a running joke throughout the book. There were pages of David trying to perfect his shitty metaphors. I didn't think this was funny. I was so annoyed.
Woops, I just thought of another similarity between Steelheart and Mistborn. I was excited for Brandon Sanderson to become one of my favorite authors, but I honestly don't know if I'll ever even read another one of his books.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
3.5 stars. Interesting premise with several action scenes. I didn't really connect with the characters (especially the too perfect protagonist) but was intrigued enough by the mystery of discovering Steelheart's weakness and wondering if he could be defeated. Excellent world building. First time reading Sanderson and will probably give his other books a try.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
This is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars... The first half had me rolling my eyes pretty hard (Newcago, really?), but the second half and the ending were actually worth it. If you're into YA lit or superheroes/comic books it's a fun read.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Yes yes yes and YES!!!! I loved the book and the concept from the very beginning, but Heavens ABOVE the ending was unlike any other! It blew my mind but made complete sense at the same time! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
A good story. It kept our family dinner conversations full of theories of how the pieces might fit together and where the breadcrumbs might lead. Good work on world creation as well as character development. I loved David's self assessments - they add a nice touch of levity to what might otherwise be too heavy of a story