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Brandon Sanderson: Elantris (2006, Tor Fantasy) 4 stars

In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on …

Review of 'Elantris' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I can see why this book is unfavourably compared to some of the other early cosmere books, but that has more to do with how brilliant they are than anything else. By itself, this is an excellent fantasy novel with an interesting structure and lots to say about the intersection of faith, religion, politics and power.
It is a little frustrating just how few of the larger mysteries of this setting are resolved by the end, and there is some plotting that I'd expect Sanderson to handle with more subtlety these days. While there are plenty of women with potentially interesting characters, all are outshone by the female protagonist in a way that didn't quite seem to occur for the men, which is reminiscent of Vin in The Final Empire but he seems to have improved with age in this regard. There's also a lack of class perspective, and given that the mechanism of Elantris allows for anyone to be promoted into a position of interest, this feels like a missed opportunity.
However, it's still a good story, told well, with plenty of action and intrigue and a mostly sufferable romance to boot.