Elandris is his first novel and includes some elements that are ripened, deepened, improved in Mistborn Trilogy. You read Mistborn Trilogy, I would have given it a 5 star without hesitation. Having read it before, I see it as a little less good, a little less successful. This is normal, it was his first novel. But this is a great fantasy novel.
BS describes quickly and efficiently original world. Here it is a city, Elandris inhabited for centuries by men in gray and luminous skin with magical powers, considered gods by normal men. But ten years before the start of the action, a curse seems to fall. The inhabitants of Elandris, overnight, lose their powers and become a kind of zombies. Their skin is cadaverous, their heart no longer beats, their wounds do heal more completely, and they suffer constantly hungry, always hungry ... Elandris, the most beautiful city in the world, is quarantined and becomes a kind of filthy concentration camp.
The action begins with a bang: Raoden, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of the closest Elandris wakes up one morning ... with cadaver skin characteristic of an inhabitant of Elandris. Following the custom, when a person is detected and it is thrown forcibly to Elandris and his family consider him dead. No chance for Sarene, large jitter over 1.80m, princess still unmarried at 25, and who was destined to become his wife. When she arrives at the kingdom of his promise, he was told he died, while in "the bullpen" next door, incognito ...
The pace of the novel is panting. We quickly takes a liking to Salene who must deal with a new situation and seeks to save at any cost the kingdom (of his king, customs of another age, a forced conversion to another religion, an invasion ...). One shudders with Roaden who finds himself in a city in decay where even the concept of hope is gone. Equity is indignant at two threatening priests, one by his great intelligence, the other by his fanaticism.
But it's not as entertainment. BS took the opportunity to talk about the social conditions of women's emancipation, the legitimacy of a sovereign, religion, love, and I forget again. And each time, we realize that nothing is black or white.
I vibrated throughout the novel, but I found too short in some ways. The author could have done at least two volumes, certain actions are looped in a few pages, sometimes a little fast for my understanding and above all my pleasure. I also inevitably compared with Elandris Mistborn Trilogy, and many elements are similar:
- The hero meets a band of disparate elements to revive Elandris, as in MISTBORN. But even more than in Misborn, different characters are too vites too well included in the band and for decisive action. I understand that given the conditions of survival, everything is multiplied by ten, but anyway, here goes a little faster.
- Elandris became a city garbage, a ghost town. The living conditions are atrocious. A bit like MISTBORN with ashes falling continually in the air.
- In Elandris nobles did not hesitate to throw money out the windows to organize large balls even if the economic and political situation is critical. This was also reflected in Misborn.
I could go on with other elements yet, but I think you understand, Elantris is an excellent first novel (excellent tout court if there were not crushing Mistborn Trilogy next). There are magic, the power struggles, family stories, betrayals, debates on religion, some fighting (but not too much for the faint hearted), love (BS is a great romantic as did another commentator noted, it is never nunuche) ...
Note: the novel was translated into French in two volumes ... again! First is a lack of respect compared to what was initially directed by the author, and especially what is excruciatingly expensive for French readers! If you have the correct level in English, please take the original version, the language level is available.
