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Book Review of Elantris (Elantris, Bk 1)

Elantris (Elantris, Bk 1)
Elantris (Elantris, Bk 1)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
corar avatar reviewed on + 33 more book reviews


Elantris is a story about a land in turmoil. Once Elantrians were like gods in the country of Arelon. They had magic that allowed them to do miracles. No one was hungry, wounds could be healed with the wave of a hand, and the Elantrians literally glowed. One day the Elantrians gifts changed into a curse. Instead of magical godlike beings they became walking corpses that lived in perpetual pain. The political and religious structure of the country was destroyed. Ten years later, a king has become a tyrant and a foreign religious leader has decided the country must convert or be destroyed. The book is told from the point of view of three different characters: Raoden, prince of Arelon who woke up one day with the Elantrian curse; Hrathen, high priest of Fjordell who is given the task of converting Arelon, and Sarene, princess of neighboring Teod who comes to Arelon to marry Raoden but finds out she is a window instead of a bride. There is alot of political maneuvering in this book, which I really enjoyed. I also appreciated a fantasy novel with a strong female protagonist. The mystery of what happened to the Elantrian magic was interesting and different than what I have read in the past. I found myself cheering on the characters, even some of the "bad guys." I recommend this book to fans of fantasy, especially those that don't mind a lot of politics in their books.