Elantris by Brandon Sanderson review

Elantris is the first book Brandon Sanderson ever got published. He has since written a ludicrous amount. It is a great book to read early on if you want to get into the Cosmere.

I am still fairly early in my Sanderson journey, but I am already a huge fan. He has a way of hooking you in and spins a damned good yarn. There are a number of reading guides and suggestions for a Cosmere reading order, and a surprising number recommend reading Elantris a bit later.

I started with the first Mistborn trilogy and absolutely loved them. Check out book one – The Final Empire – and see what you think. I then moved on to Elantris.

The main reason for this approach is that new Sanderson readers might find Elantris slow, so they should start with Mistborn just to see what he is like. I disagree. The pacing isn’t quite as perfected in Elantris, but I loved the book and recommend it wholeheartedly. But read The Final Empire if it worries you. Do what you want; I’m not your mum.

What is Elantris about, and how does it tie into the Cosmere?

Elantris is a city that was once brimming with magic. Anyone in the country of Arelon had the potential to one day wake up and become an immortal Elantrian. But 10 years before the start of the story, the place is cursed. Now, people wake up, and instead of being glowing, powerful beings, they are pallid and generally disgusting. If someone is ‘cursed’ like this, they are immediately banished to the now decaying city.

The story follows three protagonists. The first is Prince Raoden, who is cursed on page one and secretly chucked into Elantris. The next is Princess Sarene, who was betrothed to Raoden and has spectacularly bad timing. She arrives in Arelon to find she is now technically a Princess of the country, but her fiancee has gone. Finally, there is Hrathen, who is a Gyorn – a kind of warrior priest who was sent to Arelon to convert everyone to his religion and Empire.

All three main characters are great. In fact, all characters are good. There is a bit of initial setup, but the world is so enthralling it never slows. The plot continues to build, and the end is tremendously exciting.

Elantris is kind of a stand-alone book. I think it is good to read early on, but it is not part of a trilogy or epic series like Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive. There is a short story and a novelette set in the same world. You can find both in a collection called Arcanum Unbounded (read them after). They aren’t really essential, but they are really good.

I highly recommend Elantris. If you are going to get into the Cosmere, I think it’s pretty essential reading. It’s also a great book.

Check out Elantris here and enjoy.

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