Firefight

It used to be called New York City. Now they call it Babylon Restored or Babilar for short. Regalia, an Epic with powers tied to water, has flooded the city and made herself its ruler. She has been sending minor Epics to Newcago as a way to lure The Reckoners to her domain. But why? What is Regalia's goal? It's obviously a trap and what better way to find out what's going on than to deliberately spring it.

Firefight is the second book in The Reckoners trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The story begins a few months afterSteelheart. We are dropped straight into the action as the team is in the middle of a mission to take out an Epic named Sourcefield. It turns out that Sourcefield was sent by another Epic as a sort of gauntlet thrown down in show more challenge. Naturally the Reckoners accept the challenge to find out what's going on. And, of course, to kill some Epics while they're at it.

With the change in location comes a slight change in story. With David's quest for revenge over, he has to decide what's next for him. How do you find a new purpose in life to fill in the hole that's left behind? The story becomes a lot more introspective as David ponders these questions along with what is the true nature of Epics. Where do their powers come from? How are their weaknesses determined? Maybe things are not so random after all. Through it all David remains highly likeable and he still can't get the hang of how to create a good metaphor. Here's one of my favorite examples:

I needed to say something. Something romantic! Something to sweep her off her feet.

"You're like a potato!" I shouted after her. "In a minefield."

She froze in place. Then she spun on me, her face lit by a half-grown fruit. "A potato," she said flatly. "That’s the best you can do? Seriously?"

"It makes sense," I said. "Listen. You’re strolling through a minefield, worried about getting blown up. And then you step on something, and you think, 'I'm dead.' But it’s just a potato. And you’re so relieved to find something so wonderful when you expected something so awful. That's what you are. To me."

"A potato."

"Sure. French fries? Mashed potatoes? Who doesn't like potatoes?"

"Plenty of people. Why can't I be something sweet, like a cake?"

"Because cake wouldn’t grow in a minefield. Obviously."

Yep, that is David trying to be romantic. Speaking of, yes there is a romantic plot in this one. No, it's not like your typical YA romance, see quote above, and I found it endearing.

We're also introduced to some new characters. Only 3 members of the original team travel to the next city and we're introduced to a second Reckoners cell. It's interesting at just how small and specialized these teams are. The team in Babilar seemed to be primarily about recon before David and crew show up for the action.

The story is fast paced and action packed. In true Sanderson style there are a couple more plot twists, a great reveal or two and an even deeper mystery to solve. I can't wait to see how it all wraps up in the final book. show less

Firefight was stupendous.

With Steelheart dead, NewCago is under the Reckoners control but lately there have been a few Epics who have come with one thing in mind: kill the person who took down Steelheart. Why are so many coming and for what reason??

They soon learn the reason and travel to Babylon Restored in search of the High Epic, Regalia. Things aren't as they seem, of course, as there are a lot of Epics in the city and Regalia has invited Obliteration there to, well, obliterate Babylon Restored. Enough about the plot; anything more would be spoilers.

This book is amazing, epic, phenomenal and anything else that comes to mind along those lines.

David is one of the best heroes I've read in a long time. He is brave and selfless, but show more also reckless and impulsive. David has grown immensely from the boy who wanted nothing but revenge to a young man who wants to help people, no matter who they are! He has had many close calls with Epics since joining the Reckoners, but Regalia and her posse take him to the brink.

Sanderson also introduces a few more characters, including Val, Excel, and Missy. Missy is another awesome character with her upbeat attitude. Then we have the High Epics of Babylon Restored: Regalia, the self appointed Queen of Bablyon Restored; Obliteration, who has already destroyed Houston, San Diego and Albuquerque; and Dawnslight, the mysterious Epic that the local people seem to pray to.

Sanderson continues to throw twists and turns at every opportunity. We learn a little more about Calamity, and we also learn more about Prof and Firefight. Sanderson's propensity for weaving a tale that you can immediately dive into is phenomenal!

Firefight was an action-packed, intense and emotional read. One of the things that captured me were the moral arguments being presented. The Reckoners were hunting Epics simply because they were Epics, without a thought of the person being hunted. This presents a conundrum for David and Prof, who debate and argue throughout the book.

I listened to the audio and again MacLeod Andrews did an amazing job. He portrays each character perfectly, pulling the listener into the story.

Looking forward to the next book in the series, Calamity! show less

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I admit I usually go into his books with higher than average expectations. Still, I rarely find myself disappointed. There’s just something about his style of writing and storytelling that really appeals to me, and the truth is, the man is a font of utterly amazing and creative ideas.

In 2013 Sanderson brought us Steelheart, the first book in The Reckoners series about superheroes gone bad, and I loved every moment of it. So you can imagine my excitement when I received the Firefight audiobook for review! This book is the highly anticipated sequel, and I couldn’t wait to get back to David Charleston and his fellow freedom fighters, joining them on their continuing show more mission to neutralize Epics and end their oppression. After destroying Steelheart and freeing the city of Newcago from his reign of terror, the Reckoners are headed to Babylon Restored, formerly New York City, to seek out more High Epics to defeat.

Their latest target is Regalia, a High Epic with water-based abilities who rules Babylar. Sanderson once again proves he is the master of world-building the instant we enter the city by way of a boat, because most of what used to be Manhattan is submerged. If I had any reservations at all about the story and characters leaving Newcago for another setting, they were dashed as soon as I encountered Babylar’s watery landscape – er, seascape. Regalia has crafted hills and valleys out of the surrounding ocean using her Epic abilities, and what’s more, there’s a mysterious power in Babylar causing strange things to happen, like graffiti to glow and luminescent fruit to grow in abundance in what’s left of the skyscrapers visible above water. The result is this mind-boggling tableau of a post-apocalyptic city with an otherworldly, almost magical quality to its appearance.

In departing Newcago for Babylar, we’re also leaving a couple of characters behind, namely Cody and Abraham. However, the story makes up for that by introducing us to several new faces as Prof, Tia and David team up with the members of the Reckoners cell in Babylar. Val, Exel and Mizzy are all fascinating additions to the book, but I have a feeling it is the latter who will steal the hearts of many readers, due to her perkiness and loveable personality.

Obviously, a big part of this book also involves David’s conflicted feelings about Megan AKA Firefight, the girl who infiltrated the Reckoners and stole their secrets along with David’s heart. What I really thought was great is that David’s soft spot for Megan is more than just a typical vapid “forbidden love” side plot; besides causing friction with Prof and his new Babylar teammates, David’s relationship with Firefight also serves as the catalyst for huge things to come at the end of the novel.

When it comes to our main man, David is his entertaining, goofy yet charming self. I know some readers have expressed annoyance at these books so far because of the horrible metaphors David makes or the absurdity of some of the Epics’ weaknesses, claiming that these factors weaken the series by making it seem ridiculous. It’s a fair point, though on some level I think you have to see them as the running gags they’re meant to be. David’s attempts at metaphors may be cringe-worthy and pathetic, but they add some much needed humor to this otherwise very bleak world where Epics who by all rights should be humanity’s heroes turn out instead to be our worst nightmare.

This is probably also a good time to mention how much I enjoyed Firefight in audio format. Initially, I had qualms about tackling the audiobook – after all, a bad narrator can ruin the whole experience. This was absolutely not the case here, however. I believe I actually have narrator-extraordinaire MacLeod Andrews to thank for feeling a lot more connected to David’s character in this sequel than I did in Steelheart.

Andrews has narrated a lot of books and I’ve had experience with his work before, but I don’t remember being as blown away as I was with his performance here. You can tell with some audiobooks when the narrator is really enjoying themselves; they add their own inflections and other nuances as they’re reading, becoming the character. This is definitely one of those situations. For me, Andrews became David. Reading the character’s silly jokes on paper might fall flat for some readers, but the lines come to life when delivered by MacLeod Andrews. David is no doubt meant to be a little awkward, and somehow Andrews is able to convey that while still managing to sound very natural and real at the same time.

All told, I would say Firefight is another winner from Brandon Sanderson. New setting also means new heroes and new villains, and I’m glad things like that are keeping the series fresh. Arguably, there are even more twists and turns here than in Steelheart, with Regalia and her Epic minions like the wily Newton and utterly psychotic Obliteration mercilessly playing cat-and-mouse with the Reckoners. I loved the unpredictability of the plot, since it’s so rare that a Young Adult novel can capture my attention and keep me in suspense from beginning to end. The YA categorization is debatable though, as these books can most certainly be enjoyed by a much wider audience. I for one would recommend this to young adult and adult readers alike. Seriously worth your time. show less

“This time, when she’d pointed it at me, she’d flicked the safety on. If that wasn’t true love, I don’t know what was.”

This is one of those series where I read it too slowly - I feel like I'm behind the mark half the time in starting the original, now the second book, and I'm dragging my feet on the third. Why, I have no idea, it's just one of those weird procrastinating things that doesn't do me any good because these well-written books bring fun times to my reading life.

Plus, with all of it's strengths, it's fun because it's so funny. There's a rabid battle going on and life-and-death struggles, but David continues to tickle my reading bone every chapter. It's humor that works easily and made me actually laugh aloud and show more few times.

David is still determined to make his mark known in the war that Reckoners wage against the Epics. They've made such well-marked progress since the fight against Steelheart that they are now moving ranks for another purpose - trying to take a bigger bite out of the battle by tracking down answers in 'Babylon Restored.' There David meets some new allies, but his ties with existing ones are shaken.

The author concentrates heavily on the romantic element that bled through the first book, focusing on Firefight and whether she can or cannot be trusted. Clearly David thinks taking a gamble is worth a risk, but convincing other characters about this monopolizes a lot of the book. Sometimes it almost grew aggravating, but it also made interesting tension amongst the team.

It's easy to picture this Dystopian world clearly - I can see the battled cities that have been worn down and decayed, evolving based on the powers in control. The new Epic introduced is creative and frightening - it wasn't possible for me to guess her angle and I was surprised at the ending twist. There was a big game changer in the end that was tragic-sad - it leads to an exciting opening for the next book, but it's still bittersweet.

Since we know what's happening now, we don't get the thrill of seeing David experience an epic's betrayal for the first time and struggle to make the team accept him, but we do get to see dissension in the ranks and how the team keeps evolving - good and bad. Coming to a new city and facing a new foe keeps things fresh and intense.

It seems there's a little bit more downtime since so much focuses on David's inner thoughts and struggles concerning team balance or his interesting in Firefight, but when action is there, it's well-paced and written in a captivating way.

In some ways I preferred the first book because of the exciting battle and the unknown element, but in other ways I like the second better because it seems to have a smoother flow and less frustration since the characters are already in an established team. show less

Summary: After killing Steelheart, David and the Reckoners try to rebuild the city of Newcago, but David's whole life has been fueled by a quest for vengeance… and now that he's achieved it, he's not sure what to do with himself. Soon Prof decides it's time to leave, and they head off to Babylon Restored - a flooded city formerly known as the island of Manhattan - to help the Reckoner cell there. Babilar is controlled by Regalia, a High Epic that can control water. The Reckoners don't know her weakness, however, so they're not sure how to kill her… and to make matters worse, she has other Epics running around in the city - Obliteration, who can absorb and then release stored energy, repeatedly turning himself into a human bomb, and show more Firefight - or Megan, as David still thinks of her, when he's planning how to save her from her powers and from the other Reckoners. They're going to need all their skills to bring down Regalia, but every time they draw on Prof's powers, he edges closer and closer to the dark side.

Review: I really enjoyed this one (which is as I expected, but always nice to be right). It's got all of the things that Sanderson does well: a quick-moving plot, awesome fight scenes, and creative worldbuilding where everything works together seamlessly. I found it maybe a little slow to start with - part of that was getting my head back into the world of the Epics, for sure - but then I got caught in the Sanderson avalanche and could barely put it down. The fight scenes were great, easy to visualize and exciting, particularly those in which David's using the spyril water-jetpack. I thought the setting was very cool - I'm a Chicago girl at heart, so of course I loved the first one, but I could picture Babilar much better than I could Newcago, but Sanderson paints the scene so well that I could absolutely see the flooded city with the phosphorescent glowing graffiti. And as good as the worldbuilding was, the magic system was even better (or the superhero powers system, whatever.) I don't want to give too much away, but in this book, David starts to understand more about how the powers and weaknesses fit together, and starts to piece together some of the explanations - although there's certainly a lot of explanations left for the third book… I can't wait! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This will make basically no sense if you haven't read the first book, but if you like superhero stories or Sanderson's other books, the series is pretty great. show less

This is a shining example of why you shouldn't judge a Sanderson book until you hit the final pages. While I did like this book from the get-go, I had one huge quibble. I didn't like how far Sanderson leaned into the disappointing idea that an Epic's powers themselves drive them to cruelty. That they were simply under the power of a corrupting influence, unable to control themselves or to really be held accountable for their actions. It was something that was hinted at at the end of Steelheart, and I hated it then, although I'd hoped it would be swept aside as a red herring. I saw it as a cop-out. A way for Sanderson, optimist and Mormon, to avoid tackling the darker nature of humanity. A way to put the blame on something other than our show more inherent evils.

This quibble lasted through most of the book, as David struggled with his new, complicated, view of Epics and their behavior. He felt guilt for killing them, knowing how the powers corrupt their thoughts. He struggled to decide which Epics to trust (Megan, Prof, etc.). I won't go into details, but by the end you will know how an Epic's weakness is derived, and you will get an updated theory as to why they become corrupt. It's far more nuanced than I believed it would be, and it does place the blame squarely on the individual, if in a more roundabout way than I initially wanted. In many ways it is a more intelligent approach than saying all people are evil, because who really believes that? There is good, and evil, in everyone. It's a matter of circumstance, base personality, upbringing, insecurity, need, and greed that determine the rest. I thought I had outsmarted Sanderson. That my imaginary version of this series, where Epics are really just people acting evil like people do, would be a better story. I was so wrong that I just want to slap myself. Touche, Sanderson. Touche.

In addition to that, you will get a huge revelation about what Calamity, the celestial event that created the Epics, actually is. It makes the title of the next book seem so appropriate, and gives me chills. The end of this series is going to be a wild ride. show less

Firefight is a an excellent followup to Steelheart, taking everything I liked about the first book--the variety of the Epics' powers and the ruined world they've left behind--and making it better while at the same point smoothing out my one real complaint--the 'bad analogies'. They're still there, but he doesn't mention them every page or two, so they actually feel funny this time around, rather than so forced.

On the upside, the new setting is just as crazy and cool this time around. Last time--Chicago turned to steel. This time, New York City flooded to the point only the tops of skyscrapers stick out of the water, where fruit trees grow freely in buildings and spray paint glows in the night. It's a beautiful image and an interesting show more contrast to the relentlessly gritty steel of Newcago.

Finally, plotwise, I'm really starting to feel like there are some interesting parallels to the web serial [b:Worm|18713259|Worm|Wildbow|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388586402s/18713259.jpg|26574170]. Superheroes driven evil by their powers? Powers potentially granted from... elsewhere? Parallel realities? We'll have to see where Sanderson goes with Calimity. I'd be interested to know if either author has ever read the other's work (Steelheart was released after Worm, but I'm not sure when Sanderson started writing it).

Overall, a very strong sequel. I look forward to the conclusion. show less