The Elantris of the title was once a glorious city full of luminous beings with astounding powers that drew devotees and dependents alike. But the prologue tells us that Elantris abruptly fell, its power vanishing and its residents transforming from near gods to withered and powerless outcasts. The book picks up ten years after this disaster. The ensuing political upheaval and civil war has settled into a precarious peace and wobbly feudal system. The Shaod, the blight that struck Elantris, still occasionally and suddenly afflicts […]
Across the universe
Yes, I’m one of those; I was going to reread A Wrinkle in Time because the movie is coming out, even before the book club announcement. I mean, I’m going to see it anyway (whenever my country gets it) because I trust Ava DuVernay, but I wanted to familiarize myself with the original again in advance. I first picked up the book in fourth grade, and I confess I did not appreciate at the time the opening line of “It was a dark and stormy […]
Crying, waiting, hoping
The world is ending, as worlds in novels are wont to do. Which is fair; that’s pretty good motivation to get the action rolling. But what has consistently struck me about the Stormlight Archives series setting is that it feels like a world, meticulously crafted with distinct regions, cultures, and creatures. In the first two books, Sanderson has used a handful of individuals to lay out a fantastical setting with warring factions, lost histories, well-defined magic, and personal entanglements. Oathbringer picks up right where Words […]