Elantris

The best standalone fantasy I've ever read

I'm not a writer, so there's nothing I can say about Sanderson's writing that others haven't already said with more skill and understanding. I can say that this is one of those books that you wish you could forget so that you could relive the experience anew with every re-read. This book has everything- magic, romance, politics, war- there's even an entire story arch related to women's empowerment. This story isn't as shrouded in details as some of Sanderson's other books, but the back and forth between the three main characters coupled with the myriad minor characters, gives enough complexity to satisfy even the most die-hard fantasy readers. In short, this is the best stand alone fantasy book I've ever read, and if you're looking to jump into Sanderson's Cosmere books, this is a great place to start.

With regards to the performance, Jack Garrett is for the most part very good. The reason I only gave the performance 3 stars is because he used the same voice for one of the main characters, Serene, as he did for the voice of the narrator in the story. Most listeners probably wont be bothered, or may not even notice, but for some reason it got to me. I suppose I'm spoiled by Kramer/Reading and Tim Gerard Reynolds.

17 people found this helpful

What if your body could never heal?

Elantris is Brandon Sanderson’s first widely distributed book and is named after the ruined city of Elantris, which is the focus of the story. It is an excellent book and a complete story, despite the fact that Brandon does plan to eventually write a sequel.

Within Arelon an affliction known as the Shaod transforms certain individuals into an undead state where one’s body no longer repairs itself. Arelon society treats anyone afflicted with the Shaod as dead and sends them into the ruined city of Elantris for the remainder of their existence.

Elantrians feel pain and it is a pain that will never go away or diminish as they have no ability to heal. Over time, an Elantrian will accumulate injuries, each time adding to the level of constant pain they feel. Eventually, many go mad from their suffering. Within the walls of Elantris, a desperate, broken society has formed where the strong prey on the weak and the existing inhabitants take advantage of the newcomers sent to join them.

Raoden, the Prince of Arelon, is taken by the Shaod and thrust into the living hell that is Elantris; however, he refuses to abandon his humanity and seeks to improve the state of affairs within Elantris. Brandon’s concept for this book, while basic in nature, is told within a setting that contains interesting magics and complex politics. Jack Garrett does a fine job as narrator and felt like a good fit for the material.

This book is certainly not as polished as Sanderson’s later works, but I enjoyed the story just the same. It is a worthy listen and certainly left me wanting more. I look forward to the day that the decade long wait for a sequel comes to an end. :)

171 people found this helpful

Not Sanderson's Finest

For a little perspective, let me start by saying that Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. According to Goodreads, I've read 18 of his novels or novellas, and I'm actually reading the hardcover edition of Calamity right now.

That said, I thought Elantris was, frankly, just bad. I had been warned that, as Sanderson's first published novel, it was little rough around the edges, but that was an understatement. Unfortunately, I discovered that Elantris was full of flat characters, unrealistic dialog, and tons of fantasy tropes. Sadly, Sanderson's amazing ability to write fast-paced novels with good characters and great magic systems must have manifested AFTER writing Elantris because none of those qualities were present here and it was quite a let down.

What really surprised me the most was just how boring the novel was. There's almost no action until the last hour or two of the recording and there's no sense of suspense at all. The characters, plot, and worldbuilding just didn't push the story along like they should have. It's not even clear until near the very end of the book why the "bad guys" are even bad at all.

However, I do have to wonder if this was one of those rare cases where the narrator actually made the book worse. Jack Garrett was just not a great choice for a fantasy novel. Everything just came off a little too upbeat and his reading style was really slow. This is the first time I felt compelled to use my Audible app's increased speed feature, first going up to 1.25x and then later to 1.5x when I just couldn't wait to be done.

Now, for whatever reason, this novel gets pretty amazing reviews, well, everywhere. I don't really understand why that is, but it may be that Elantris simply wasn't a good fit for me or perhaps it was a case of the wrong novel at the wrong time, so if you really love Brandon Sanderson and you still haven't read Elantris, perhaps you'll still like it, but just beware that the reasons that you love Sanderson may be the same reasons why you won't like Elantris. And do yourself a favor and pick up a print copy.

22 people found this helpful

Don't miss this one!

I very much enjoyed this book. Even though it was long, it didn't feel like it. There were times I found myself laughing out loud and others where I almost wanted to stand up and cheer (or cry). I think this is intended to be the first in a series of books, but it ends in a way that you'll be OK until the next one is released (if there even is a next one). I see where/how a sequel could take off, but this is a very stand-alone book. Again, listening to the audio version saved me from having to try to come up with pronunciations for all the unique language/names in the text. The narrator did a fabulous job!

While there is a certain amount of magic and "fantasy" in this fantasy novel, it features deep and complex characters and relationships, as well as a well developed plot that is entertaining, often unpredictable, and always leaves you wanting more. Sure, you'll find a few things as progress through the story that make you say "I totally saw that coming!" But, those instances will be come lost amongst the many twists and turns you never expected, but which all add up to make this a very rich and satisfying entertainment experience!

88 people found this helpful

Well written and interesting to read

If I owned the actual book and not the audiobook I would classify this as a real page turner.

This is one of the most original pieces of fantasy literature that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. The magic system, religions and cultures, while not totally unique, have enough of a twist on them to keep the story interesting. The book is not as complex as some other books in the fantasy genre but its simplicity is, in a sense, refreshing. Brandon does a superb job of helping the reader feel like they are part of the story.

Once I started listening I just couldn't stop... I found myself looking forward to driving to and from work so I could listen to the book... once I arrived at my destination I found myself sitting in the car for those few extra minutes just to hear what was going to happen next.

Since listening I have purchased it as a gift for my two brothers and will be buying it for my nephew this Christmas.

72 people found this helpful

Original storyline. Good listen.

I didn't know this was the author's first novel until after I'd purchased it and started listening. For his first run he's done an impressive job. Yes, the ending is fairly predictable but how it gets there is not. He does a great job of keeping the story moving and I found myself actually hoping for more traffic on the way to/from work so I could listen a bit longer. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of 5 is the narrator. He speaks very VERY slowly. I've purchased several books on audio and this is the only one I've had to speed up to "fast" on my iPod. Other than that I would highly recommend this book. I'll definitely be adding the Mistborn trilogy to my library shortly.

36 people found this helpful

A book for lovers of good books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the ideas refreshing and the world the book encompasses to be masterfully crafted. I felt the narrator did a wonderful job and his tone matches the tone of the story nicely. While this novel is written with an adult audience in mind it is appropriate for teens and well enough told that they will be able to follow it. I've been an audible member for 2 years and listened to audio books for close to 15 years. This is one of only a very small number of books that have impressed me enough to write a review. Regardless of your favorite genre this book is a great listen. I definitely found it "credit worthy". Give it a listen.

36 people found this helpful

Excellent Story, Sub-par Narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. It is another interesting world from the mind of Brandon Sanderson. His magic systems are always so well developed and his cultures are intriguing. I would recommend reading it instead of listening to it.

What other book might you compare Elantris to and why?

The plot was not my standard fare, so I am not sure I have a good comparison.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Jack Garrett?

James Marsters, Michael Kramer, and Kate Reading always do phenomenal jobs with their books. I really don't know how they can vary their voices in so many ways for the different characters.

Any additional comments?

The narration just about killed the entire book for me. I almost quite listening before I made it through the first few chapters. I stuck it out because it was by Brandon Sanderson and the plot eventually pulled me in more than the narration pushed me away. I felt there were irritatingly long pauses at weird points in the sentences. The book could probably have been read in 3/4 of the time it took him.

24 people found this helpful

Fantastic!

I really enjoyed this book. I normally listen to audiobooks for about an hour and a half a day, during my commute to and from work. About 2/3 through Elantris, I started carrying my mp3 player with me and couldn't stop until I'd finished it. I would highly recommend this book.

23 people found this helpful

Great Depth of Character and Complexity of Story

A great book with good character development. I really liked the combination of the main storyline mystery, set within the environment of the political conflicts. It lead to a good complex story overall. I also really liked the reader, he was very easy to listen to. I mostly listen to more modern science fiction but I may be turned by this book! I will likely try another Sanderson novel.

11 people found this helpful