Author- Brandon Sanderson
Description- This fantasy/Adventure book about a city called Elantris that used to be full of magic and the people were gods in the eyes of the people. Elantrians were able to heal and turn garbage into food at just a wave of the hand. Then the “Reod” hit and the inhabitants were “cursed” and the city was sealed off. Anyone affected by the “Shaod” (a person turning into an Elantrian) would be thrown into Elantris to stay for all eternity.
Review- Elantris, the old capital of Arelon, was literally radiant, filled with people 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 leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris is now a dark, filthy, and crumbling city.
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 Shaod 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.
My take on it- Both my husband and I loved this book! We found ourselves dropping other things so we could listen to the book. It was also a book that we were not sure where it would lead. I loved how long the book was, and I looked forward to finish reading it. I haven’t had that feeling about a book for a while. I was also so sad when the book was over and had to rethink of what to do with my life. haha. I loved the description of the environment and the character development was amazing. The uniqueness of the story was also spot on. I feel like there isn’t a story out there that is like this one. My husband enjoyed the way that magic was presented in the book and how Raoden was able to discover how it worked. We both talked about how we loved that an Antagonist was able to redeem himself.
Awards- Elantris-Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award, Best Epic Fantasy Novel Award
Recommended Grade Level- older teen to adult
Reviewed by- Kristen Gedeborg, Avid reader and stay at home mom, 3/12/16
