[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

I just finished Elantris and enjoyed it immensely. Even more so than Mistborn, I think. Sanderson's characterization is great. Unlike many multi-character fantasy novels, it's fairly easy to keep from getting confused about who's who. My only critique is that his pacing always seems rushed at the end (i.e. too much info dump in the 3rd act, as compared to the rest of the book.) I shouldn't say "always." I've only read the two books so far, but this issue stuck out like a sore thumb both times. And either I'm missing the foreshadowing, or there's not enough of it there. Still, one of my new favorites, definitely.

[QuickTidal]

The ELANTRIS sequel is ALMOST higher on my excitement list than STORMLIGHT #2 is...almost.

I adored ELANTIRS!

[Eddie Dean]

One great thing about Sanderson is that he is a writing machine. He Tweeted today that he is done with Memory of Light. Now he will be able to concentrate on his own works and hopefully start busting all these sequels for us. I liked Elantris and Warbreaker, but could really care less for a sequel. I thought they were fine in their own right.

[Obdigore]

That means Stormlight 2 is next. AWESOME!!!!!

[Brujah]

I have to admit that I really didn't care too much for Elantris. I mean it was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I just felt that I was let down after we learn that this grand cities entire magic system broke down because of the lack of a single line failed to be added to the glyphs. I hate to disagree with everyone, I was just not satisfied once it was over.

I will say, however, that Way of Kings is AWESOME. It's beyond awesome. I haven't enjoyed a non malazan book that much in quite a while. I also think the Wheel of Time books that Sanderson wrote in Jordans place are REALLY good. I was hesitant to think that another author could step in and finish the series well, but I was extremely satisfied with Sandersons writing, and his own take on the main characters.

I didn't care for Warbreaker that much either, but I'd rate it above Elantris. I never read Mistborn series based on my lack of liking Elantris or Warbreaker well enough .

[Eddie Dean]

Brujah, on 27 August 2012 - 04:20 PM, said:

I didn't care for Warbreaker that much either, but I'd rate it above Elantris. I never read Mistborn series based on my lack of liking Elantris or Warbreaker well enough .

Mistborn is his second-best work just below Way of Kings. The first book is one of my favorites whereas the following two are just decent.

[Slow Ben]

Eddie Dean, on 27 August 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

Brujah, on 27 August 2012 - 04:20 PM, said:

I didn't care for Warbreaker that much either, but I'd rate it above Elantris. I never read Mistborn series based on my lack of liking Elantris or Warbreaker well enough .

Mistborn is his second-best work just below Way of Kings. The first book is one of my favorites whereas the following two are just decent.

Yep.

IMO, Mistborn and WoK are waaay above his other works. Which i also liked.


In conclusion, read Mistborn. Kelsier is a certified badass.

[End of Disc One]

I still think the first Mistborn book is Brandon's best novel to date, including his Wheel of Time books.

[Brujah]

Yeah, I'll more than likely read Mistborn eventually, now that I'm done with Malazan. Right now I'm going to finish Dresden series and Black Company series, then I definitely want to read Rothfuss and Abercrombie. After that I might toss Mistborn in line, and the final WoT book when it finally hits, and of course, the next Stormlight Archive.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

I'm glad to hear Way of Kings is so epic. I'm chomping at the bit to read this one, but it's still about 10 books down in my TBR pile.

[Orlion]

Well, just finished this book and felt it was a solid read. Sanderson seems to have a talent of making entertaining stories (I read this after right after Hero of Ages).

It's also nice to see Sanderson drop a hint of what the next Elantris book will be about

[Andorion]

Elantris is a really good book, but its not great. I had some problems.

Note: SPOILERS for Elantris


I agree with Pat upthread that the dialogue reminded me of Eddings.

I agree with Abyss that the Chasm and the magic not working thing was quite easy to figure out.

I have a problem with the plot. When someone is struck down by the mysterious illness and are sent to Elantris, any bonded Seons lose all purpose and sanity. Towards the end when Sarene is tricked into being sent to Elantris by Hrathen, in one scene when she is talking with Raoden, her Seon Ashe drops in and they talk, get news etc. How did not the two most intelligent characters understand immediately that it was all a trick? Her Seon should have been catatonic!

I find that whole "brew a potion toi imitate the Raod" plot device very implausible. While the consmetic effects can be done, the Reod is essentially the body caught in stasis at a crucial point of metamorhposis. Neurological, metabolic and ciruclatory systems all malfunction. How do you imitate a stopped heart? If Hrathens contact could do that with a potion he would be extremely powerful, though the book makes him out to be some sort of furtive underworld guy.

When Raoden leaves Elantis in disguise and he duels Sarene, how does Sarene cut him? The Fencing swords were supposed to be blunted with a metal bead.

Side note: Who is Steph Swainston? Got this upthread.

This post has been edited by Andorion: 07 February 2015 - 11:22 AM

[Brujah]

Brujah, on 28 August 2012 - 12:08 AM, said:

Yeah, I'll more than likely read Mistborn eventually, now that I'm done with Malazan. Right now I'm going to finish Dresden series and Black Company series, then I definitely want to read Rothfuss and Abercrombie. After that I might toss Mistborn in line, and the final WoT book when it finally hits, and of course, the next Stormlight Archive.

Posted this about a year and a half ago, so I felt like updating the things I was able to put off accomplish.

I never got around to reading Mistborn. I never found it worth the time, really.

I did finish the Dresden series, as it's light-years ahead of most everything else out there.

The Black Company Is spectacular, yet I'm still no closer to finishing.

I read the first Rothfuss book, The Name of the Wind. It's a very well written book, but I still don't like it. The writing is brilliant at times, but a plot with stone-like spiders and giant lizards fails to capture my thoughts for any amount of time.

Abercrombie's [I]First Law - The Blade Itself[/] is my favorite of three mentioned books. I approve. I very approve.

[QuickTidal]

Threadsurrection.

So Sanderson revealed that there is a big cosmere revelation/Easter egg in ELANTRIS about how Hoid worldhops through Shadesmar...and he thought it was too obvious when he put it in, but no one has figured it out yet.

That said, worldhoppers make use of big shard points to get into Shadesmar...usually in pools of liquid....so now of course I want to skim through ELANTRIS to see if I can find it, perhaps in a throwaway section of ELANTRIS that seems innocuous.

And I probably will...skim that is.

[Abyss]

I look forward to the revelation on a fansite. I AM curious what groundwork he was setting that far back, but not enough to revisit that book.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 07 August 2020 - 05:04 PM, said:

I look forward to the revelation on a fansite. I AM curious what groundwork he was setting that far back, but not enough to revisit that book.

Since I read ELANTRIS like the week it came out, I had no idea there even WAS a cosmere when I last read it, so it's probably worth checking it out again. It's not a long book.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 07 August 2020 - 05:09 PM, said:

Abyss, on 07 August 2020 - 05:04 PM, said:

I look forward to the revelation on a fansite. I AM curious what groundwork he was setting that far back, but not enough to revisit that book.

Since I read ELANTRIS like the week it came out, I had no idea there even WAS a cosmere when I last read it, so it's probably worth checking it out again. It's not a long book.

Yeah, unfortunately imnsho, it's not a good book either. I love Sanderson's work, but that early one not so much.

[End of Disc One]

Elantris definitely had that pool that an Elantrian went into which was a known point of perpendicularity. But I'm sure that's not what Brandon's talking about if he said there's something that no one's figured out yet.

[QuickTidal]

Damn, I guess I'm re-reading ELANTRIS next...LOL