Elantris Book Review

Elantris
By Brandon Sanderson
Genre: High Fantasy
Recommended For: Ages 16+, readers of high fantasy who don’t want a trilogy, those who crave unique and interesting fantasies.

Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.

Arelon’s new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping—based on their correspondence—to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.

But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.

Luna’s Top Thoughts:

Unique and interesting magic system
Thrilling standalone fantasy story of making the best of bad situations
Building tension throughout
Characters who aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands
Full of political & religious intrigue

The Review:

If you’ve heard of Brandon Sanderson, you’ve probably heard how interesting, creative, and exhilarating his stories are, especially in relation to his magic systems. While Elantris is one of his earlier high fantasies, I think it’s actually his first published book, make no mistake, it is a stunning story and a book I had a hard time putting down.

Elantris was once the city of the gods. A city of beauty and power that was both revered and feared by all. That was, until it feel 10 years ago. Now it is a derelict and dirty city slowly filling with the forsaken people who have fallen ill with the Roed, a disease that essentially kills your body but you still live. Prince Raoden is the beloved prince of the new reign formed when Elantris fell, but his life changes when he himself falls victim to the Roed. He is secretly sent into Elantris and everyone else, including the Princess of an ally kingdom who arrives for her wedding the Prince Raoden, is told he died. While the Princess tries to save this kingdom she is now a part of, Raoden is trying to survive instead the now dangerous city of Elantris.

There are so many layers to this story it’s nearly impossible to get into any description. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. It has an interesting magic system, character that are very proactive and that I fell in love with immediately, and there was so much of this story that was an inspiring account of making the best of your situation.

One thing I noticed was how quickly I was invested in the characters, both POV characters and side characters. There are three POV characters, Prince Raoden, Princess Sarene and the priest Hrathen. Each has strong motives and the personalities that get stuff done. Sarene has become a role model for me as a strong woman who uses her wit, intelligence, charm and skills to accomplish her goals. And Raoden’s optimism couple with his intelligence was inspiring. Each character had something I could latch onto and that made them interest. But there were also tiny nuances for each that made them multi-dimensional. The small cracks in Raoden’s seemingly endless hope. The doubts Sarene has about her worth to certain people. The struggles of faith from the intimidating Hrathen. There were strong characters arcs for each POV as well.

There were a lot of unique aspects of this book that made it an enticing read. The magic system stands out at both one of a kind and well constructed and thought through, though it doesn’t really show up much until the second half of the book. The city of Elantris itself was an interesting take on gods and ad structure of a kingdom. Religious systems also played a big part in the book and Sanderson does a good job of showing a range of aspects and devotions within the different religions talked about in the book. So if you are a reader who appreciates stories with a strong emphasis on religious systems and how they interact with the world, you should really enjoy Elantris.

As far as pacing goes, I admit that the first half may seem a little slow and like not much is happening, especially in Raoden’s chapters. But that didn’t bother me because I was so enveloped in the world of the city of Elantris and what Raoden was doing in it that I actually looked forward to his chapters. The start of the novel depends more on your fascination with the world than the plot to keep you going. Luckily, I thought the world building was intricate and captivating so that wasn’t a problem for me.

I was drawn in to the plight of the characters from page one. The main drive I felt to keep reading was to see what would happen to them. I was invested in their outcome and devastated by their trials. The ending was dynamic, intense and thrilling. I loved how the writing style changed slightly to be quicker scenes so it felt more urgent. the creativity and originality of this book left me breathless and I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves fantasy, especially those interested in dipping their toes in high fantasy since it’s just a standalone (though I wish it wasn’t!).