Elantris (May '08)

First let me tell you WHY I read this book ... then I'll get to my review.

If you've read the section in my sidebar about The Wheel of Time (or if you are a fan of it) than you already know this, so please bear with me. One of my all-time favorite authors, Robert Jordan, died back in September before finishing the final book in his massive Wheel of Time fantasy epic. Without spending too much time on this, suffice it to say that Robert Jordan was an incredibly talented author. I've been reading this series since the mid-1990s and I can't imagine it going unfinished. I was thrilled when I heard that someone would be completing it for him. The author chosen for this monumental task is Brandon Sanderson. I'd never heard of him so I immediately started looking for his books. The first one I got my hands on was Elantris.

And now on to the review ...

I was very excited to read this book (for all the reasons above). I fully expected it to be excellent. However I had a hard time getting into it. I read about a third of the way in and decided that I really didn't like it all that much, but that I'd force myself to read the rest of it and try not to be too disappointed. I thought that I'd hyped it up so much in my mind that I'd set myself up for the disappointment.

But THEN things changed! Let me clarify: the story did not change or get more exciting or anything. What happened is that I finally GOT it. The political and cultural context of the book is very complex and Sanderson does not do lots of background explanations. But once I started putting the events and characters in context I began to really enjoy this book.

The world Sanderson creates is fascinating. It is unlike anything I've read in other Fantasy books. What at first turned me off began to make more sense as I immersed myself in his world. By the end of the book, I couldn't decide if I wanted to read quickly to find out what happens or put it down so I could make it last a few days more!

I wish this was part of a series. The magic in the book was unique and different, and the ending - although satisfying from a plot standpoint - left a lot of loose ends that could easily be developed into more stories.

All in all, I highly recommend this book. But I would suggest patience at the beginning. Allow yourself to get into it, and I know you'll enjoy it. Plus there's lots of cool stuff on the Elantris home page ... deleted scenes, author commentary, a language guide, and lots more. That kind of stuff always enhances a book for me!

Have you read this book? I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you have a review posted, please put a link in the comments and I'll add it to the main post later.