Book Review: 'Elantris' by Brandon Sanderson

I'm a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, through his 'Mistborn' trilogies, 'The Stormlight Archives' series, and his 'Cosmere' short stories, but I'd not read where it all began, his first published work 'Elantris'. I aimed to put that right before his latest opus, 'Oathbringer', arrived.

I'd heard really good things about his debut, and after finishing it, I can only concur, it's a unique and wonderful read.

Elantris; capital of Arelon, a city with a population of God like citizens, with magical abilities helping all those around them. Ten years ago a catastrophic event happened, the Reod, and the magic disappeared. Elantris is now cursed, an asylum to the fallen, a city of the dead.

Prince Raoden of Arelon, wakes up with the Shaod, a transformation that once signalled the transition in becoming one of the demi-gods of Elantris, but now only viewed as a curse. It couldn't have come at worse time, as his betrothed, Princess Sarene of Teod is travelling to Kae, the new capital of Arelon, for their state marriage, and a Fjordell priest, Hrathen, has arrived to convert Arelon for his emperor and God.

Its a slow burn of a book, as we're introduced to the three main characters, each with their own pov throughout the book. Raoden, the fallen prince, still full of positivity despite his circumstances. Sarene, the feisty and determined princess, looking to do right (I liked both of these characters). And Hrathen, the fanatical priest. It's a book more of political intrigue and religious conflicts than of action normally seen in fantasy stories. But that's not to say it's boring. Not at all. It all drives the story, and is much better for it as you become invested in the world of Arelon and the characters along the way until the intense climax!

Although written as a standalone book at the time, you can see the beginnings of his 'Cosmere' universe here. Sanderson is known for the intricate magic systems in his books, and 'Elantris' is no different. Here we have Aons, the art of writing symbols in the air that perform magical duties, like healing. We're introduced to them as Raoden discovers them, so we're not treated to an overload in exposition or expected to know everything straight away. They may be complicated, with all their different strokes and abilities, but they're also still understandable.

The setting and world building is pretty good, filled with strong determined characters, that we see variations of in his later books.

A strong and engaging debut read from an author that only gets better with each book! If you like fantasy but after something a bit more unique, then I'd definitely recommend 'Elantris'. And if you're a fan Sanderson's other works, I'd recommend picking this up, just to see where the seeds of his 'Cosmere' universe were planted first.