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Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
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Elantris (original 2005; edition 2006)

by Brandon Sanderson (Author)

Series: Cosmere (1), Sel (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
6,4912571,469 (4.02)4 / 467
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:

In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on the market. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Tor is reissuing Elantris in a special edition, a fresh chance to introduce it to the myriad readers who have since become Sanderson fans. This new edition begins with a preface by author Dan Wells, the first person to read the completed novel, and a new afterword by Sanderson explaining how he came to write the book and its place in the Cosmere, the unified universe of all his Tor novels. Also included is the first book appearance of the short story "The Hope of Elantris," revealing interesting action referred to late in the novel, and an expanded version of the "Ars Arcanum" appendix, with more of the technical details of the book's magic that fans can never get enough of. Elantris was truly a milestone both for Sanderson and for the genre of epic fantasy. It deserves this special treatment, something Tor has done only once before, with Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Sanderson fans old and new will be excited to discover it.

.… (more)
Member:cayman
Title:Elantris
Authors:Brandon Sanderson (Author)
Info:Tor Fantasy (2006), Edition: Reissue, 638 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (2005)

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» See also 467 mentions

English (242)  Dutch (5)  Spanish (3)  German (1)  Hungarian (1)  All languages (252)
Showing 1-5 of 242 (next | show all)
Should have been a 3.5 star rating but I do know this Sanderson’s first novel (or one of) and the writing is not as great as his later works. What pushed it to a 4 was how the story wrapped up and the world building. The pace was a little slow and all of the political lost me here and there. Overall, I’m happy I finally read it. ( )
  mybookloveobsession | Mar 12, 2024 |
I had to go back and read it because of Arcanum Unbounded. Still as good as ever. The audiobook doesn't disappoint either. ( )
  jazzbird61 | Feb 29, 2024 |
Enjoyable and a unique world. The characters were not all entirely likable or original, yet I raced through this exciting novel quickly and looked forward to each spare moment I could steal away to read. I would certainly recommend it and look for more by this author. ( )
  mslibrarynerd | Jan 13, 2024 |
“love is independent of time”
Sanderson strikes again, and I’m constantly amazed. I will admit that it took me quite a while to get into this book, but the effort was worth it. This story will stick with me for quite a while. There’s something about the way Sanderson’s worlds and characters are so easy to believe are real that is almost unfair. ( )
  lindywilson | Jan 3, 2024 |
Where do I begin? I think since I read the Mistborn books before this (his fantasy debut) it gives me a bit of an edge. I can see some of the theories and ideas that he formed in Elantris taking fuller life in the Mistborn books (especially in regards to religious ideals and political upheavel). Though Elantris has nothing to do with Mistborn beyond its the same genre and author, at their core I think they dealt with the same things. How religious fervor can blind followers, how unstable a government is with a weak King (or ruler), how even seemingly evil men can be shielding a far worse menace.

There are some troublesome spots, or at least character motivations that weren't fully developed. Dilaf, a Derethi priest, for instance gets an eleventh hour change of status that is plausible (given the overall nature of the Fjordell government), but his blind hatred of Elantris is only given a cursory glancing. The reason is mentioned earlier in the book offhandedly by Raoden, but the connection to Dilaf isn't made until very close to the end of the book. There is also the matter of Adien, one of Sarene's cousins, who gets a brief 'This is why he was like this all this time' and then 'Now he's better'. The question of the Aons is also left dangling--where do they come from, how are they made?

Throughout we 'see' events from three different third person viewpoints. Raoden, stuck in Elantris after he is struck down by the mysterious Shaod. Sarene, after she arrives in Arelon to find herself a widow before a bride. And lastly Hrathen, a High Priest of Derethi who is determined to convert the populace of Arelon quickly to avoid the bloodshed that could follow otherwise. This gives us a rounded view of events occuring throughout all of Arelon, but also offers insights when paths intersect (or collide in some cases). Where Sarene sees the game of matching wits with Hrathen as a game necessary to save others, Hrathen sees her as an opponent who challenges him and makes him think. He respects her even as he curses her interference. Where Sarene thinks giving food to the Elantrian citizens is a helpful offering, Raoden bemoans the bad timing of the charity.

In the end I enjoyed the book immensely and can fully appreciate everything that Sanderson took from this and expanded upon in the Mistborn books. ( )
  lexilewords | Dec 28, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 242 (next | show all)
The author's skill at turning conventional fantasy on its head produces a tale filled with surprising twists and turns and a conclusion both satisfying and original.
added by Katya0133 | editLibrary Journal, Jackie Cassada (May 15, 2005)
 
A cut above the same-old, but hardly a classic.
added by Katya0133 | editKirkus (May 1, 2005)
 
A surprisingly satisfying, single-volume epic fantasy that invokes a complex, vibrant world.
added by Katya0133 | editBooklist, Regina Schroeder (May 1, 2005)
 
The intrigue and excitement grow steadily in this smoothly written, perfectly balanced narrative; by the end readers won't want to put it down.
added by Katya0133 | editPublishers Weekly (Apr 8, 2005)
 
This a book that if you haven't read already, it should be high up on your list of books to read next. While the steep learning curve and the slow pacing can be a little frustrating at times, the compelling characters and the intriguing mysteries make it so hard to put this book down.
 

» Add other authors (17 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Brandon Sandersonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Creer, JeffreyMapssecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
de las Heras, StephanIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Garrett, JackNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Green, SamCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Martiniere, StephanCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

Belongs to Series

Sel (1)
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Epigraph
Dedication
Dedicated to my mother,

Who wanted a doctor,

Ended up with a writer,

But loved him enough not to complain

(Very much).
First words
Elantris was beautiful, once.
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Disambiguation notice
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Wikipedia in English (2)

Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:

In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on the market. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Tor is reissuing Elantris in a special edition, a fresh chance to introduce it to the myriad readers who have since become Sanderson fans. This new edition begins with a preface by author Dan Wells, the first person to read the completed novel, and a new afterword by Sanderson explaining how he came to write the book and its place in the Cosmere, the unified universe of all his Tor novels. Also included is the first book appearance of the short story "The Hope of Elantris," revealing interesting action referred to late in the novel, and an expanded version of the "Ars Arcanum" appendix, with more of the technical details of the book's magic that fans can never get enough of. Elantris was truly a milestone both for Sanderson and for the genre of epic fantasy. It deserves this special treatment, something Tor has done only once before, with Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Sanderson fans old and new will be excited to discover it.

.

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Book description
Haiku summary
Elantris, fabled
city of old. Then: Sheod,
doom. Magic restores.
(passion4reading)

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