4.01 AVERAGE


SUCH A FUN BOOK!

I have heard people praise Sanderson for months and months and months. Since I generally find myself disappointed by hyped books and authors, you can understand my skepticism. I went into this expecting something good and I got something amazing. So amazing that I immediately read [b:Mitosis|18966322|Mitosis (Reckoners, #1.5)|Brandon Sanderson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385570447s/18966322.jpg|26984416] and moved right into [b:Firefight|15704459|Firefight (Reckoners, #2)|Brandon Sanderson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413220816s/15704459.jpg|21979689]!

The thing I loved most about this book was the surprise factor. Sanderson definitely has a knack for the unexpected twist. All of the Epics have at least one weakness that negates their powers, and a good chunk of this book is spent researching what Steelheart's might be. I was certain I knew what it was going to be, and I was so wrong. I had also spoiled something for myself when reading the blurbs for the other books in the series (Why do I insist on doing that?! Don't do it, seriously.), but I was still NOT expecting the reveal. Very well crafted, I must admit. And now that I know what happens, I'm seeing all the pieces come together. I might put this on my to read again some day list, just to watch all the threads weave together.

I was amazed by the world Sanderson created. He turned the superhero idea into something new and interesting, I'm looking forward to learning more about what Calamity is and how the Epics really did come into their powers. I also think we'll be delving more into the morality of these powers and how what rights and responsibilities come with them as we get into future books, which should be interesting.

The cast of characters is engaging, well-crafted and many layered. There was never a dull moment, no matter what characters were involved in a scene.

While the book is targeted at a young adult audience, the young adult aspects of it are very tame. There is a little bit of teenage angst in the form of David not being sure how he fits into his new world, and also a bit of his overactive hormones. But it was plausible and fit well with his character, it wasn't exaggerated and it didn't overwhelm the story.

I'm going to stop gushing over this book now and go read me some more Firefight!

Read my review at Gator Book Chomp.

God! Sanderson kicks ass.

This man has the imagination and talent of only a handful of authors.

I'm still in shock of this plot, world and characters.

I first bumped into Sanderson on a whim, I was coming down from a high, Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, and wasn't really expecting much after that doozy. Could I have been more wrong.

There are so many aspects to this that I am just a gaping fan girl right now and hate it but love it at the same time.

We're set in an apocalyptic era. Just newly born, Epics, unnaturally strong and powerful humans who have...evolutionized? I'm not sure exactly the transformation, and the characters in the book tend to debate it as well. I am fully anticipating to be mind blown in the next book, as I am sure their secrets will be pealed away.

The book starts out with our young David and his father at a bank. Epics are still new to the world at this point in time. During this outing, David, his father and the patrons of the bank are confronted by a new-to-town Epic who is more or less demanding their allegiance. In this demand he means to display his powers and starts eliminating random people.
When people lose hope of surviving this monster, a more powerful Epic intervenes and everyone breathes a sigh of relief, a savior perhaps?...Until he announces that he will be controlling the people here and asks the former Epics loyalty. In the end, we're left with a devastating scene, as you well can imagine and a heartbreaking mission from our young hero.

David grows up in a world taken over by Epics with one mission in mind. Kill the Epic that destroyed his life. By what means does this mere mortal mean to kill an Epic of such great power? A group called the Reckoners. HOLLER. This is a pretty bad ass group, that David has followed since he set out on his mission. They kill Epics for a living, they eat, sleep and breathe plans to kill these monsters that have taken over the world. When they arrive in his town, David is determined to enter into their ranks.

And so begins our glorious, wonderfully well written story.

Enjoy!
adventurous lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

3.5 in actuality. Sanderson again shows he’s a master at world building. This is definitely a YA novel and the first person narration isn’t my thing, but still worth a read. It explores interesting themes about unchecked powers and what people do with opportunity and no accountability. There are a couple of little twists at the end, but nothing too unpredictable. It definitely gives an air of graphic novels but in book form which is super cool.

Primer lectura de este 2023!
Male se comprometió a leer todo lo escrito por Brandon Sanderson y está cumpliendo

Loved this, a great read that grips you from the very beginning, can't wait for the next one!

second read review: 2021

I liked this so much more the second time around. Still had some of the same issues (pacing, mainly) but I plan to actually finish the series this time around.

Damn, I’m such a hoe for dark superhero stories.

first read review: 2015

"Never throw the first punch. If you have to throw the second, try to make sure they don't get up for a third."

I went to a retreat directly after finishing this book, and sadly, haven't had time to write this review until now.

This book started out meh for me. In theory, the characters were fine, the prose great, and the plot fantastic. But something just wasn't clicking. I can't explain it, but I didn't feel a connection with the book.

But about a hundred pages in or so, the plot and prose began to lure me in and most of the characters (I couldn't connect with Megan at all no matter how hard I tried) dragged me in mercilessly.

One thing Brandon Sanderson is amazing at is those "oh dang where'd that come from" moments. His experience and expertise really shine through in those moments. This is my first book by him, but I can say I will definitely be reading the rest of this series and possibly some of his other works.

Perfect for fans of superpowers, heroes and villains, dystopias, and the fine line between good and evil.

There’s been a lot of hype around Brandon Sanderson’s books lately. One booktuber talked about him and the rest of the community followed in a nanosecond. I wanted to see what the fuss was about and since I read a lot of popular books, I couldn’t miss out on this one.

Most of Brandon Sanderson’s books are in the adult genre. Steelheart is more of a YA-style book. The protagonist is 18 years old aka a young adult. That doesn’t mean an adult wouldn’t enjoy this book. I thought the concept of superheroes (or more like anti heroes) that have taken over the world was very unique. These ‘heroes’ don’t exactly use their powers to do good, they all have different powers and they all have a weakness. This way these characters immediately had depth and a back-story. You can almost tell what kind of person these heroes are just by looking at their powers and their weaknesses.

The protagonist wasn’t spectacular. He didn’t stand out. As a kid he saw how a ton of people got killed, including his father and therefore he wants revenge. We also learn about his education and his knowledge of weapons and Epics. There wasn’t anything that made me really like him, appreciate him or surprise me in any way. The other characters were interesting in many ways, probably because some of them had pretty big secrets.

What I loved about this book is the plot. I love plot twists and Steelheart sure has a few. I kind of had my theories on how this book would end but it ended completely differently. I don’t have any theories on what will happen in the next books though. I’m kind of expecting it’ll go the same way every other dystopian goes… I guess I’ve read too many dystopians in my life.

I’ll be checking out other books by this author, especially because they are high fantasy books.

I thought this book had an interesting premise and was pretty enjoyable. I think my 6th grader will love it.