Author: Brandon Sanderson
Pages: 421 pages
Published: February 16th, 2016
Source: Pre-order from Amazon
Genre: Dystopian, Futuristic Thriller, YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.
David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back...
But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.
The last book in the series.
Buy it now!
**Spoiler free for all of you who've never heard or picked up this series before**
No one can say that they've actually read a fantastic book until they've picked up one of Brandon Sanderson's books. He is a gift to all of us here on earth and his writing is a blessing from the gods. Every time I open up one of his books I have to take a deep breath and tell myself that.... IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZINGLY FUCKING AWESOME.
Calamity beats every single series finale I've ever read before. That includes Winter by Marissa Meyer. Although The Lunar Chronicles finale got me tight, the ending of this trilogy got me even tighter. I was up at 2 a.m. in the morning flipping pages like wildfire and my mouth was open the entire time.
If you didn't already know The Reckoners trilogy takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting where Calamity, a burst in the sky, has caused ordinary men and women to receive super-human powers. Now what these people choose to do with these powers is entirely up to them. This book ultimately tests the true mannerisms of mankind when given immense power and what the world would look like if such a burst in the sky were to actually occur. The people with powers, renamed as Epics, have powers that are beyond belief. Some can turn you to dust with just a thought, turn things to steel, create illusions, have unlimited ammunition or always get a shot on its target no matter how sloppy it is.
I loved Brandon Sanderson's unique take on the word "superheros". Instead, his series seems to fall upon the super villains and their responsibility to shape the world back together after chaos has reigned in several different parts of the world. His story does not take on the classic superhero, DC Comics or Marvel tropes. He is extremely creative in the way he sets up his world and how he creates his villains/heroes, even though some may be slightly reminiscent of the heroes we know so well.
FUCKING SUPERB WORLD BUILDING AND MAGIC SYSTEM. My god! What's with all the obscenities? Excuse my French but this book cannot be discussed lightly. If I was a book pusher (which I'm not) I would push this book to the far ends of the earth. Sanderson has a knack for visualizing a world that's obviously not real but seems like it could exist or already is in existence. He also creates these incredibly complex magic systems that follow a set of rules. For example in this series, one rule is that ALL Epics have a weakness. It is possible to kill an Epic and there isn't one that cannot be killed or defeated. I loved how this rule was consistent throughout the entire series and played a huge role in the plot and story line.
Can we talk about character names for a second? Or more importantly, Epic names!!! When these people become Epics, they basically wanted to choose a new name for themselves. These names were not at all cheesy or lame. Some examples include but are not limited to: Steelheart, Firefight, Regalia, Calamity, Larcener, Loophole, Coppermind, Conflux, Nightweilder, Faultline, Obliteration, Mitosis. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON. Sanderson said in an interview that he didn't want his Epic names to be similar to anything ever seen before. Their names also described a little bit about their powers (i.e. Steelheart had the ability to turn things into steal and had invulnerability).
The main character, David, oh my god. Let me just tell you, I wish I had a David Charleston in my life, okay? He's a super cute nerd that loves making (bad) metaphors. Sanderson brings a YA character that is relatable and one that makes the best jokes even in the face of danger. Romance is subtle but still blush-worthy and butterflies-in-the-stomach-inducing.
I loved Brandon Sanderson's unique take on the word "superheros". Instead, his series seems to fall upon the super villains and their responsibility to shape the world back together after chaos has reigned in several different parts of the world. His story does not take on the classic superhero, DC Comics or Marvel tropes. He is extremely creative in the way he sets up his world and how he creates his villains/heroes, even though some may be slightly reminiscent of the heroes we know so well.
FUCKING SUPERB WORLD BUILDING AND MAGIC SYSTEM. My god! What's with all the obscenities? Excuse my French but this book cannot be discussed lightly. If I was a book pusher (which I'm not) I would push this book to the far ends of the earth. Sanderson has a knack for visualizing a world that's obviously not real but seems like it could exist or already is in existence. He also creates these incredibly complex magic systems that follow a set of rules. For example in this series, one rule is that ALL Epics have a weakness. It is possible to kill an Epic and there isn't one that cannot be killed or defeated. I loved how this rule was consistent throughout the entire series and played a huge role in the plot and story line.
Can we talk about character names for a second? Or more importantly, Epic names!!! When these people become Epics, they basically wanted to choose a new name for themselves. These names were not at all cheesy or lame. Some examples include but are not limited to: Steelheart, Firefight, Regalia, Calamity, Larcener, Loophole, Coppermind, Conflux, Nightweilder, Faultline, Obliteration, Mitosis. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON. Sanderson said in an interview that he didn't want his Epic names to be similar to anything ever seen before. Their names also described a little bit about their powers (i.e. Steelheart had the ability to turn things into steal and had invulnerability).
The main character, David, oh my god. Let me just tell you, I wish I had a David Charleston in my life, okay? He's a super cute nerd that loves making (bad) metaphors. Sanderson brings a YA character that is relatable and one that makes the best jokes even in the face of danger. Romance is subtle but still blush-worthy and butterflies-in-the-stomach-inducing.
Okay before this review becomes my college essay, go pick up the first book in this series, Steelheart. This series is like my favorite series of all time and Brandon Sanderson is UGHHH OHH AHHHH *fangirl*. It's my life goal to meet him in person and give him a huge damn teddy bear hug. What are you doing here still reading this post? GO GO OFF YOU GO. PICK UP THIS INSANELY GOOD SERIES! People with super-human abilities, romance, interesting settings and an ending you'll never see coming, not in a million years.
