So I saw this on a different blog (Imagic Reflections), where the blogger puts up a review of books when she reads them. While the genre of books I read is much different, I figured I could review the books I read and let others know what I am reading.
This past weekend I finished Reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.
I picked up the book, because I started getting interested in the author that was chosen to finish Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series after he passed away. I have to admit I was quite impressed by his first book.
Elantris is a city that died 10 years ago. It was a city of gods. The Elantrains were taken by the Shaod a transformation that made their skin silvery and their hair white, and they were a people who glowed. But now it has been cursed by the Shaod. Now when the Shaod takes people, their skin turns grey, and has black splotchy spots. They loose their hair, and they die. Not like you or I die, but their hearts stop beating, their bodies don’t repair when injured, and they don’t need to eat, although they are always hungry.
Our story starts with Raoden, the Crown Prince of Kae, being taken by the Shaod, and being thrown into Elantris. The people of Kae are told that their beloved prince has died.
The next person we really meet in the story is Sarene. A princess of Teod. She arrives in Kae to find out that the she is now not only married but a widdow due to the passing of Prince Raoden. The marriage contract is binding that if one party passes away before the cerimony, that the other is legally bound in marriage, and can not remarry.
The third person we meet is Hrathen, a high preast of the Fjordell. He has been given 3 months to convert the people of Kae, to the Shu-Dereth religion from the Shu-Korath religion, before the King of the Fjordell (also the profet of Jaddeth (God to the Shu-Dereth religion)) sends his armies to destroy them. Hrathen sees himself as the savior of Kae.
The book follows these three people, through aproximately 2-3 month period. There are unususal twists and turns in the book. Their meetings, and their battles with eachother.
I won’t ruin the book for those who wish to read it, but I recommend Elantris to anyone who enjoys Fantasy works.
