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A review by eesh25
Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
4.5 Stars
I'm gonna miss this series. I really enjoyed this installment, especially in the second half. And it left us with a lot of potential for more. But I loved the ending, so I'm okay with knowing that this is probably the last book we're getting in this world. We all know Sanderson's got enough series' to juggle.
But, as much I liked this book, I'm aware that that's a bit of an unpopular opinion. And while I've no interest in trying to change the opinion of someone else or defend my own, I wanted to acknowledge that some people weren't satisfied with the conclusion.
So, at the end of Firefight, Regalia's masterplan came to fruition. Turns out, she couldn't give two shits about destroying the city or the Reckoners. She just wanted to lure Prof and turn him to the dark side. And she did. So now, the Reckoners are being (reluctantly) lead by David, who might have cracked the code on how to save Epics from their own destructive natures. And rather than taking Prof down, which is what Prof would want, they Reckoners are going to save him. This mission leads them to Ildithia.
Ildithia, let me tell you, is the coolest city yet. We've seen cool stuff before. Babilar was submerged and had glowing plants, for example. This one's made of salt and it moves. Like, the buildings at the back crumble and are rebuilt at the front, exactly the same. One city cycle per week. And no Epic is controlling it.
The Reckoners go there because it's where Prof is. They need to save him, but they also need to find out what's he's planning and stop it. And they need to find his weakness and try to stay hidden from him because Prof is really fucking powerful and he will kill them all.
It's the fight with Prof that takes center stage. Yes, they also need to somehow kill Calamity. But they need Prof to do it. If they could just get him to face his weakness and overcome it.
But, I don't wanna give anything away about what happens with Prof. Hence why most of this review has just been a synopsis. What I can tell you, is that it's all brilliant. Not just seeing Prof in action, but also getting to see more of what Megan can do. There are also the consequences of when Calamity tried to turn David into an Epic.
Speaking of David, he's amazing as always. At this point, he no longer has any desire to get vengeance from Epics. He won't hesitate to kill one if necessary, but he's realized that the best way to honour his father is to find those Epics that his father believed would come. And I think that's a great goal to have. That's the best thing about David—aside from his simile's—he's not bitter and he doesn't hold a grudge. Practical to a fault. Emphasis on the fault part, because he can be a bit too enthusiastic about Epic powers.
Megan was amazing in this book. She's come so far from the unsure girl we knew before. Cody's still making up bizarre stories about Scotts. And Abraham is the voice of reason. There are also a few new characters, one of them an important Epic. There is a big battle that knocks the others out of the park.
Overall, this has been a great series. I'll never consider it Sanderson's best. But it gave us a lighter tone, a hilarious narrative, cool world-building, and even delivered some twists, ending everything with a very satisfying conclusion. To me, at least. There are some scenes that others found underwhelming, but they made sense to me. So, if you've been reluctant to pick up this last book, I'd say go for it.
I'm gonna miss this series. I really enjoyed this installment, especially in the second half. And it left us with a lot of potential for more. But I loved the ending, so I'm okay with knowing that this is probably the last book we're getting in this world. We all know Sanderson's got enough series' to juggle.
But, as much I liked this book, I'm aware that that's a bit of an unpopular opinion. And while I've no interest in trying to change the opinion of someone else or defend my own, I wanted to acknowledge that some people weren't satisfied with the conclusion.
So, at the end of Firefight, Regalia's masterplan came to fruition. Turns out, she couldn't give two shits about destroying the city or the Reckoners. She just wanted to lure Prof and turn him to the dark side. And she did. So now, the Reckoners are being (reluctantly) lead by David, who might have cracked the code on how to save Epics from their own destructive natures. And rather than taking Prof down, which is what Prof would want, they Reckoners are going to save him. This mission leads them to Ildithia.
Ildithia, let me tell you, is the coolest city yet. We've seen cool stuff before. Babilar was submerged and had glowing plants, for example. This one's made of salt and it moves. Like, the buildings at the back crumble and are rebuilt at the front, exactly the same. One city cycle per week. And no Epic is controlling it.
The Reckoners go there because it's where Prof is. They need to save him, but they also need to find out what's he's planning and stop it. And they need to find his weakness and try to stay hidden from him because Prof is really fucking powerful and he will kill them all.
It's the fight with Prof that takes center stage. Yes, they also need to somehow kill Calamity. But they need Prof to do it. If they could just get him to face his weakness and overcome it.
But, I don't wanna give anything away about what happens with Prof. Hence why most of this review has just been a synopsis. What I can tell you, is that it's all brilliant. Not just seeing Prof in action, but also getting to see more of what Megan can do. There are also the consequences of when Calamity tried to turn David into an Epic.
Speaking of David, he's amazing as always. At this point, he no longer has any desire to get vengeance from Epics. He won't hesitate to kill one if necessary, but he's realized that the best way to honour his father is to find those Epics that his father believed would come. And I think that's a great goal to have. That's the best thing about David—aside from his simile's—he's not bitter and he doesn't hold a grudge. Practical to a fault. Emphasis on the fault part, because he can be a bit too enthusiastic about Epic powers.
Megan was amazing in this book. She's come so far from the unsure girl we knew before. Cody's still making up bizarre stories about Scotts. And Abraham is the voice of reason. There are also a few new characters, one of them an important Epic. There is a big battle that knocks the others out of the park.
Overall, this has been a great series. I'll never consider it Sanderson's best. But it gave us a lighter tone, a hilarious narrative, cool world-building, and even delivered some twists, ending everything with a very satisfying conclusion. To me, at least. There are some scenes that others found underwhelming, but they made sense to me. So, if you've been reluctant to pick up this last book, I'd say go for it.