Thursday, April 10, 2014

Book Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Whitney Finalist 2013)

Title: Steelheart (Reckoners #1)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Enjoyment Rating: ***
Source: Kindle
This book would be rated: PG-13 for violence

David is a child who has seen his world destroyed in the ten years since the Epics were created and came to power. When they killed his father before his eyes, two things happened: he saw that the Epics might not be as invulnerable as everyone, and the became determined to help fight them. David wants to join the Reckoners, and he wants revenge against Steelheart, the Epic who took his father's life.

I've said this before and since Sanderson has a finalist almost every year, I'm sure I'll say it again. When I read books by Brandon Sanderson, I recognize that they're good. His plotting is solid, his characters are strong and multi-dimensional, and his writing is clear. Many people love his work, but it doesn't move me. It feels, especially in Steelheart, to be extremely male (if writing can be male or female). This is the kind of book that my teenage son would line up to see if it were made into a movie, but if I were his chaperone at that movie, I would fall asleep almost immediately.

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