Narrator is fantastic and story is amazing!

Loved listening to this book. Story wise, I can see why people dub this as Sanderson's weaker novel. There just wasn't enough world exploration that made it feel very small. I loved the character development though, even if only for the main ones.

The narrator was really good, I can clearly tell apart the different characters by the voices he used. I plan to listen to more of his narrated books.

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Not first book I read in the Cosmere but damn was this a good one!

Wasn’t a fan of it at first but wow this book really stood out! Highly recommend it

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New favourite.

This has become my favourite Sanderson book. I love it. I fell in love with all the characters and cared about their struggles.

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Sweet treat to eat

A delight to listen to. Elusive magic systems and great character direction. Some surprising twists too. But most of all I find the magic in this magical epic fantasy comes from the characters, their interactions and developments. so far this is my favourite story in the cosmere (and I've just about read them all)

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Totally Engaging!

I'd read reviews of this book saying that because it's Sanderson's earliest published book, his narrative style hadn't yet developed and it wasn't as enjoyable. I read all the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive books before Elantris, and yet I still found it totally engaging - couldn't stop listening! The Cosmere connections may not be quite as defined, but they're there. The magical system might be a little more obscure, but it's fascinating and awesome.

I love how Brandon Sanderson can write books that eschew fantasy conventions; it's spellbinding to be introduced to new fantasy concepts that you couldn't even imagine. At the same time, he does a great job of building worlds and developing characters.

Whether you're a seasoned Sanderson veteran or a first-timer, I'd recommend this book.

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Love it but slow going

A super awesome listen. However, the first 2/3rds of the book are rather slow going and slow. But the last 1/3 of the book makes it worth it. I haven't read any of the authors other works, but I think I will after listening to this one.

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Fond Memories

Elantris was the first Brandon Sanderson book I’ve ever read. When I decided to read it for a second time, I picked up this Tenth Anniversary edition. The characters in this book are so memorable. I love the way the narrative shifts between the three point of view characters. The story does not have a major battle scene, and it doesn’t need it. Sanderson’s story telling is focused on three individuals, a recently cursed prince, his would be bride, and a religious leader from a distant country. Their perspectives were so unique. I could still clearly remember them from my first reading over 10 years ago, and I loved revisiting them on this re-read. The setting was also fantastic, it occurs in and around Elantris, a city where the citizens once had god like power, but are now reduced to wretches.

The bonus material was fun to listen to, it was interesting to learn about the editing process Elantris went through and to meet a new character (Raoden’s brother) who had been axed from the story before it was originally published.

Jack Garrett, while not my favourite narrator, did an admirable job with this novel. I did find that he spoke a little slowly. I rarely increase the narration speed but did for this listen.

If you’re a Sanderson fan I think you’ll really enjoy this audiobook. However, if you’re looking for a story driven by action and great characters, you should consider one of his other novels, like Mistborn.

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A wonderfully executed story

I loved listening to this book. I found that the conservation of plot elements was complementary to the flow of the story. I also found it to almost be the inverse of Mr. Sanderson's later work the Way of Kings in density of world building, although I do not consider this a negative for this book.

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The first book in a huge universe

I started with the StormlightArchive and was blown away, then read the Mistborn books and was also blown away by era 1. Therefore it's only natural to finally get to the this first book within this shared universe.

This book dives into the characters and their growth. A good man facing a horrible situation, a woman who fights to cast off the shackles of how society perceives her, and a priest who is in conflict with his faith (doing what he knows to be right compared to what he is taught to be right). This book is different from the others I mentioned above, however, it just as much magical.

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only slow if you let it be

a lot of reviews called the first half of this book slow, and while I was initially opposed to that, I began to agree at the 1/4 to 1/3rd mark. However, the final chapters proved me wrong. nearly every single detail in the first half of the book foreshadowed something very important in the second half, and spending the effort to speculate ahead will pay massive dividends in your enjoyment.

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