Elantris

While Brandon Sanderson is probably my favorite author, Elantris is not my favorite book. Good book, especially towards the end, but not my favorite.

The city of Elantris was once a shining beacon to all the surrounding countries. The walls glowed. The people glowed. They had magnificent powers to heal, to teleport, to do anything it seemed. They were Gods! Until they weren't. Suddenly, one day, Elantris fell. It darkened and the Elantians seemed almost like zombies. Their hearts stopped beating, their hair fell out, their bodies covered with bruise-like abrasions, and they stopped glowing. The Gods fell.

Ten years later, people still enter Elantris but only those who have been touched by the Shoad. Those who would have turned into glowing Elantians now turn into bodies that have died who's minds haven't realized their dead. Prince Raoden wakes up on morning and finds that the Shoad has taken him and he is forced to go to Elantris where the dead walk. Princess Sarene travels from her home country to marry Prince Raoden only to find his funeral happening later that day with her marriage binding and complete. She is married to a dead man she's never met. (Hooray for her.) Hrathen also come to the city just outside Elantris with orders to convert all of the heathen and do so before three months or his home country will come to slaughter them all. Not happy prospects for anyone.

Between political intrigues, survival, and crazy priests the people of Kae have their hands full, whether or not they know it.

I found that buy the end of the book I really like all of the characters. Raoden was the one that got me through the slower parts toward the beginning. Hrathen was a very intriguing character because of the internal battles he ended up fighting and I did enjoy his playing with Sarene in their own verble chess matches.

This book was one where you had to jump into it and start treadding. Brandon is much better at this in Mistborn and is far more quick at it. Some people said that you can maybe skim through the first half and by the time you get to about 55% to 60% really start focusing, and I found that to be pretty much the case.

Especially toward the beginning, I was very confused to the whole bunch of characters that were thrown at me and I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be remembering. They seemed to be just names that flew past my eyes in a blur. It took a good portion of the time to get people fully impressed in my brain or even figure out who they were for the most part. Kiin was easy and Roial easier later on, but many of the others were hard.

I think Elantris, the place, is a very interesting one full of mystery. I think that is why I liked Raoden so much. The people he interacted with and the city itself drew me in very much. The Aeo's were interesting and as we went on they made far more sense, though they were still simple.

I did have some questions toward the end. It is part of the Cosmere so "There is always another secret." If you have more questions, check out coppermind.net and it should help you out a lot. Though Spoilers, you are warned.

This will be one that I'll reread again probably because I missed a lot and it took me forever to actually complete the read. (Life can suck at times.)