Elantris is a novel that has been sat on my shelf for quite a while after being recommended Brandon Sanderson. The first thing that I liked about this book before I even began was that it was a stand alone novel. I find too many authors these days are creating lengthy series, which, whilst they can be absolutely fantastic are a lot of commitment for somebody with very little time.

So I began reading Elantris on a good foot, not to mention I was looking for a book to get me back into reading. Initially, I was not entirely drawn into the world of Elantris as the first 100 pages or so are very much setting up of characters, the world and providing lots of background. This is all very well written, but admittedly it's not the most exciting. However, I do think it's all necessary and really gives the book a good grounding for the later chapters.

The myth of Elantris and the reason for the downfall were all really interesting and exciting. Although, I definitely would have liked to have learned more about the power the Elantrians had and really how they came about. But I guess, in 600 pages you can't expect their whole history, revolution, war and a romance. That would be a little too much to ask for I think. Nevertheless, the plotline was incredibly engaging. There were moments that everything I expected panned out, and the ending I foresaw right at the start in some ways. However, I do not think that this makes Elantris a bad book. There were lots of moments I didn't expect, and new twists that I was shocked by throughout the journey. Especially towards the end of the novel. So I think despite the few instances where my expectations were met (not a bad remark against the book), I think it still has a lot of excitement to offer.

The characters were incredibly well developed, both the primary characters of Prince Raodan and the Teod Princess Sarene. She has to be one of my favourite female characters, she was sassy, strong-willed, intelligent, but also vulnerable and emotional. She was a well developed, well-rounded individual, and considering the Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson, I have to say, I think he writes female characters well. The plethora of support characters were really interesting, all offering a new dynamic and individual character that was well developed. And then the villains, well they were definitely where all the twists came in. I liked the religious element of the villains, because religion and politics are always connected and the politicalness of this novel really appealed to my interests in political history because it felt like an ancient medieval kingdom with religious conflict and vying factions. I really loved that!

Picking up Elantris definitely kicked off my reading year with a bang! I will be checking out more Brandon Sanderson books soon, and finishing off the Mistborn trilogy. If you haven't picked up one of his books yet, I definitely recommend them!

Initial Response
That was brilliant. I mean slightly expected in places. But I loved it. Maybe further thoughts later when I get over my enthusiasm for this novel. What a fantastic start to the year of reading!