Review: Elantris
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having been introduced to the brilliant mind of Brandon Sanderson with the Mistborn Trilogy, which I just couldn't get enough of, I approached Elantris with high expectations. This book more than compensated for the disappointment I felt after reading The Sunlit Man, and showed me how brilliant Sanderson is in a way that was truly absorbing.
Imagine a place where gods once lived—a city filled with life, magic, and power, only for all of that to fall apart overnight. That’s the setting, and it’s as intriguing as it sounds. Elantris, this once-glorious city, is now a shadow of its former self, a decaying place where the cursed are abandoned. Elantris is like stepping into a magnificently interwoven tapestry of history and magic.
Sanderson's world building is nothing short of phenomenal! It was as if I could almost feel the residue of magic that once surged through its streets, every corner of Elantris seeming alive and pulsing. He has this amazing knack for balancing lore with the struggles of the characters, and Sanderson did a great job of making the settings feel just as much a part of the story as the characters themselves were.
Characters are the soul of this story, and Sanderson is quite effective in developing them in this novel. The leading protagonists, Raoden and Serene, are very deep and down-to-earth characters, each carrying his or her problems and growth in the course of the novel. Ingeniously, their journey is interwoven in such a way that left me open-mouthed at times, with layer upon layer of their personalities exposed with the development of the plot. I found myself invested in their fates and wanting them to succeed. Their resiliency in the face of adversity really overwhelmed me, and I loved how each figured out the obstacles thrown their way.
But what truly makes this volume shine is how skilfully Sanderson weaves strands of hope, betrayal, and redemption throughout the narrative. The intrigues leading to the fall of Elantris and her people had me turning page after page, attempting to unravel each new plot shift and revelation. The pacing in the book is masterfully made; Sanderson knew just when to ramp up tension and when to give us a moment of intensity. It is in this balance that his writing can be so engaging and immersive.
That includes the supporting characters, who are just as deep and complex in their own particular ways as Raoden and Serene. Each adds to the depth of the story, allowing the world development to become even more layered and real. The fact that Sanderson can create a cast that lives and breathes even within a fantasy world is nothing short of amazing. The richness of their motivations and conflicts further deepens the story, and it builds up tension.
What really surprised me was how the book plays with expectations. Most fantasy novels rely on magic as a kind of ultimate solution, but here, the magic has become more of a problem. That change felt refreshing, and it gave the story a unique edge that I haven’t seen much in other fantasy books.
Honestly, there wasn't really an aspect of this book that I didn't find impressive. It utterly charmed me from the first line until the very last, and I was so enriched and satisfied upon finishing.
Elantris isn’t just your typical epic fantasy. It’s got all the grandeur, but it’s also a personal, emotional story about people finding strength when everything else has failed. It is a debut (yes, imagine writing such a masterpiece as your first book) that shows brilliance to be expected in Brandon Sanderson's world building and characterization. That makes it a rich tapestry of magic, politics, and human emotion.
Such a great read for anyone who loves the Mistborn Trilogy, but it is also an excellent entrance for those wanting to get into Sanderson's work. If you are looking for a world to disappear into, this surely is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic - Violence, Death, Body horror
Moderate - Religious bigotry, Genocide, Sexism
Minor - Suicide, Death of parent, Slavery
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