Thursday, March 12, 2009

Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson (a review)

Elantris Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Daniel's review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

The city of Elantris is peopled by beings of wondrous powers, god-like in their beauty, power, and magic. Their touch could heal, turn dirt to gold, and turn stone into bread. That was ten years ago.

Now, the city is fallen and in decay, it's inhabitants are decrepit outcasts. The world is threatened by a powerful enemy, the last allies are gathering, but with each failed effort, the threat seems to grow greater. As bad as it seems, however, the threat is hidden and closer than it appears.

A stand alone fantasy, Elantris takes a while to build. In Sanderson's style, however, and he takes the time to create depth, develop characters, and introduce the roots of a conflict that will not be resolved until the last pages of the book. Resolution in Sanderson's style the revelation of a mystery behind the conflict, and Sanderson hints at the mystery through out the story. Because of the mystery, the plot is more satisfying, the story more enjoyable. More than just enjoying a story, the reader guesses at the clues along with the protagonists.

In addition to a clever and well developed plot, Sanderson creates characters that are interesting and believable, not to mention colorful and diverse. His plots and characters live in a world of struggling religions, and though the names and doctrines are not the same, the conflicts between them are not unlike those in ours. All together, the world has a depth that brings it out of the flat pages of a book and give it depth and texture.

One last thought: one thing I liked most about this is that the characters were not black and white. Not all the characters were good and not all were evil, but even those who seemed on the antagonistic end of things was redeemable in the end. In our real world, people are rarely black and white, and I appreciated that Sanderson gives his characters the same depth.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy read.

View all of Daniel's reviews.
at 11:49 PM

2 comments:

BBB said...

I don't know if I could stick with it with the slow start. Heck, look how long it takes me to read books like Savvy and The Graveyard Book. I'd be reading it til Christmas. :) Love You.

March 13, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Tasha said...

I'm so excited - he is going to be talking in my class and at our local library TOMORROW!!!

March 16, 2009 at 1:04 PM

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Meet Daniel and Brittany

The challenge that began with "Have a nice life, Daniel Burton" is progressing with favorable results. Surviving and thriving on lively discussions about books, Abby, or the post-grad school world, the Burtons show signs of excellent health and familial success.

Dan and Britt met on a hot July 4th in 2005. Shortly after inviting her to join him for a panoramic view of the Independence Day fireworks, and not long after her denial, Daniel and Britt agreed to break the ice over ice cream. They soon realized that they were both book geeks, decided a permanent union was worth evaluating, and were married just over a year later on another beautiful July day.

After graduating with a law degree from both he and Brittany's alma mater's rival, Daniel is corporate counsel at the Woodbury Corporation, a commercial real estate management and development company in Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, and far more interestingly, Brittany is raising a new generation of Burtons as full-time mother and family creative director. Abby is two and a half, and #2 is on the way, with arrival expected in late June of 2011. The Burtons look forward to many years of exploring canyons, creeks, and mountain tops, swapping novels, notes, and ideas, and enjoying great discussions about people, politics, and their family.

Daniel and Brittany are both graduates of the 2002 class of Brigham Young University. Abby is gunning to graduate from diapers, sooner than later.