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Elantris
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Product Description
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.
A rare epic fantasy that doesn't recycle the classics and that is a complete and satisfying story in one volume, Elantris is fleet and fun, full of surprises and characters to care about. It's also the wonderful debut of a welcome new star in the constellation of fantasy.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #5670 in Books
- Published on: 2006-05-30
- Released on: 2006-05-30
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Mass Market Paperback
- 656 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Sanderson's outstanding fantasy debut, refreshingly complete unto itself and free of the usual genre clichés, offers something for everyone: mystery, magic, romance, political wrangling, religious conflict, fights for equality, sharp writing and wonderful, robust characters. The godlike inhabitants of Elantris, once the capital of the land of Arelon, have degenerated into powerless, tortured souls, unable to die, after the city's magic inexplicably broke 10 years earlier. When the same curse strikes Prince Raoden of Arelon and he's imprisoned in Elantris, he refuses to surrender to his grim fate and instead strives to create a society out of the fallen and to unlock the secret that will restore the city's glory. Meanwhile, Princess Sarene of Kae (Arelon's new capital), who was betrothed to Raoden sight unseen, believes her intended has died. Officially declared his widow, she must use her political savvy and wit to protect Kae from malevolent forces without and within the city, chiefly Hrathen, a leader of the creepy Shu-Dereth faith, who aims to either convert Kae or destroy it within three months. The intrigue and excitement grow steadily in this smoothly written, perfectly balanced narrative; by the end readers won't want to put it down. As the blurb from Orson Scott Card suggests, Sanderson is a writer to watch.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Until 10 years ago, Elantris was the capital of Arelon, inhabited by ordinary humans transformed into magic-using demigods by the Shaod. But the magic failed, Elantris started to rot, and its inhabitants turned into powerless wrecks. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives in Kae, the new capital, close enough to Elantris to constantly remind of faded glory, prepared for a marriage to ally Teod and Arelon against the religious imperialists of Fjordell. But, she is told, her fiance, Prince Raoden, is dead. She and a recently arrived high priest of Fjordell, Hrathen, clash. Sarene tries to retain the freedom of Teod and Arelon, Hrathen tries to incite the populace to convert so that Fjordell can take over. Neither suspects the truth about Raoden. Taken by the Shaod, he struggles to unite the crippled Elantrians and discover why the magic failed. The unrest comes to a head as governments topple, the Elantrians' secrets are revealed, and Fjordell's forces arrive. A surprisingly satisfying, single-volume epic fantasy that invokes a complex, vibrant world. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Elantris is the finest novel of fantasy to be written in many years. Brandon Sanderson has created a truly original world of magic and intrigue, and with the rigor of the best science fiction writers he has made it real at every level.”—Orson Scott Card
“Elantris . . . is marked by vivid and strongly drawn characters and ingenious plot twists that will keep the reader turning pages. Don’t miss it!”—Katherine Kurtz, New York Times bestselling author of the Deryni series
“Outstanding fantasy debut . . . . The intrigue and excitement grow steadily in this smoothly written, perfectly balanced narrative; by the end readers won’t want to put it down.” –Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“A completely unique world that enfolds the reader in mystery and wonder right through till the last page.”–Romantic Times BookClub Magazine "Brandon Sanderson is the real thing--an exciting storyteller with a unique and powerful vision. Elantris is one of the finest debuts I've seen in years."--David Farland
"Elantris is a new Ben Hur for the fantasy genre, with a sweeping, epic storyline and well-drawn and sympathetic characters."--Kevin J. Anderson
"While every new fantasy author is hailed as unique, new, and different, Brandon Sanderson's Elantris does indeed provide an absorbing adventure in a unique, different, and well-thought-out fantasy world, with a few nifty twists as well."-L. E. Modesitt, Jr. “Sanderson’s fantasy debut offers a vibrant cast of characters and a story of faith and determination set against a vividly portrayed world . . . filled with surprising twists and turns and a conclusion both satisfying and original.” –Library Journal, Starred Review
Orson Scott Card : "Elantris is the finest novel of fantasy to be written in many years. . . . a truly original world."
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) : "Outstanding fantasy debut . . . . by the end readers won't want to put it down."
David Farland : "Brandon Sanderson is the real thing--Elantris is one of the finest debuts I've seen in years."
Library Journal, Starred Review : "Filled with surprising twists and turns and a conclusion both satisfying and original."
Katherine Kurtz : "Vivid and strongly drawn characters and ingenious plot twists that will keep the reader turning pages. Don't miss it!"
Kevin J. Anderson : "Elantris is a new Ben Hur for the fantasy genre, with a sweeping, epic storyline and well-drawn and sympathetic characters."
Romantic Time Bookclub Magazine : "A completely unique world that enfolds the reader in mystery and wonder right through till the last page."
L.E. Modesitt, Jr. : "A unique, different, and well-thought-out fantasy world, with a few nifty twists as well."
Customer Reviews
Nice Read
For a stand alone novel, you can't ask for a better read and satisfaction when you finally put it down. The book reads fast, the characters have good time to develop, and you get the feeling the author did his hardest to tie every loose end into a nice little package at the end.
This book was my first Sanderson read, and I liked his quick and deep style. I will now move on to his series.
Plot is Excellent and Complex
I was in a graduate folklore class with Brandon, which is why I decided to read this book. We didn't know each other, but I was curious about his writing abilities. I was very pleasantly surprised. The plot of this book, though it takes 30 or so pages to get going, is complex and fascinating. I read it in just over 24 hours, and that's while taking care of my 1-year-old! I highly recommend it.
Also, before I read Elantris, I had doubts about Brandon's ability to complete the Wheel of Time series (which he was chosen to do after Robert Jordan's death). The Wheel of Time books are my all time favorite fantasy books and I have been reading them for almost 15 years. However, I have no doubt now that Brandon will do an excellent job and may even bring some life back to the series, which seemed to flounder a little in the last two books.
It's Okay...not so memorable for me.
I think Elantris is okay. I fall in the group who, with expectations amped, anticipated an organic fantasy similar to George Martin's. My main complaint: three main characters, two of them are so perfect that their POVs become exponentially predictable (agreeing with another reviewer, there was no inner growth). Otherwise, Elantris will not waste your time! It's a solid fantasy, absent of unanimously-glaring flaws. It's okay...just not so memorable for me.
