After devouring countless romantasy books, I discovered I was hungry for fantasy stories with meaty, intricate plots. Turns out, I’m not alone. There are so many others on a similar reading journey. So, I consulted the internet and found that Brandon Sanderson is the current golden standard of modern fantasy.
I’ve started making my way through the Cosmere. First up was the original Mistborn trilogy, and I was absolutely blown away. Then I jumped into Elantris, which follows Raoden, Sarene, and Hrathen in the mystical kingdom of Arelon and its cursed capital, Elantris.
While Elantris starts off slow, once it gets past the initial worldbuilding, it turns into a tale of power games, magical mystery, and characters you can’t help but root for, even the supposed villain.
If you’re looking for a standalone fantasy with brains, heart, and a bit of divine decay, keep reading my Elantris review below.
Elantris
Description
In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on the market. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Tor is reissuing Elantris in a special edition, a fresh chance to introduce it to the myriad readers who have since become Sanderson fans.
This new edition begins with a preface by author Dan Wells, the first person to read the completed novel, and a new afterword by Sanderson explaining how he came to write the book and its place in the Cosmere, the unified universe of all his Tor novels.
Also included is an expanded version of the “Ars Arcanum” appendix, with more of the technical details of the book’s magic that fans can never get enough of.
Elantris was truly a milestone both for Sanderson and for the genre of epic fantasy. It deserves this special treatment, something Tor has done only once before, with Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Sanderson fans old and new will be excited to discover it.
Synopsis
Normally, I cover a synopsis for those of you who want a refresher, or have absolutely no self-control and just need to know how it ends (yeah, I see you).
But Elantris has been out for literally 20 years, and when it comes to Cosmere lore, the Coppermind Wiki is the gold standard. If you’re looking for a full recap, head over to Coppermind’s Elantris summary.
Review
Overall Impressions ✨
I loved Elantris.
Don’t let the haters convince you this book is boring. Yes, you can tell it’s Sanderson’s first published novel. It’s a bit chattier than his later work, and yes, that’s saying something considering the glorious brick that is The Way of Kings. Some of the descriptions are a little odd. I, too, wished he’d stop calling women “homely.”
But once you get past the initial worldbuilding, which is even slower than Mistborn’s, you’re rewarded with three intersecting stories all unfolding on the same timeline. They slowly build toward a collision course that totally delivers.
I had to force myself through the early chapters. I can only do Sanderson on audio; otherwise, his books won’t hold my attention, and a few of those hour-long chapters nearly put me to sleep.
But around the Chapter 16-ish mark, the threads start to come together, and the plot finally sinks its teeth in. From there, it builds into a third act that feels like one long crescendo, delivering that end-of-book frenzy euphoria that makes you immediately want to pick up the sequel (spoiler: it doesn’t exist 😩).
Characters👥
One of the reasons Throne of Glass is my favorite series is the shifting points of view and how each “main” character has their own cast of side characters to bounce off. Elantris scratches a similar itch, and I was hooked. I can see where Sarah J. Maas gets her inspiration from.
Raoden was a dreamy male lead. His hope for a better world was infectious, and his integrity practically seeped off the page. It was pretty obvious where his journey would lead, but honestly, the destination didn’t matter. His relentless optimism and kindness made the journey feel meaningful. I couldn’t stop rooting for him. He’s a textbook knight in shining armor, and that sincerity really shines in this book.
Sarene is a phenomenal female lead. Her quick wit and strategic mind let her manipulate every situation she lands in. I loved how she lived an unconventional life in a medieval society and kept asserting her presence at every turn. Watching her work the court with a smirk and a plan was a delight. I do love me a court drama.
Hrathen was the most intriguing character in the book. He’s a high-ranking priest working for a colonizing empire, and his actions are driven more by logic than passion. I loved watching him go toe to toe with Sarene. Their intellectual chess match got more intense with each chapter. I won’t spoil anything, but Hrathen is an antihero you won’t be able to stop rooting for. If you like powerful men with messy, conflicting motivations, this one’s for you.
None of the side characters feel wasted either. Each of the leads has a cast around them that reveals different sides of the world. These perspectives make the city of Elantris, the court of Arelon, and the Derethi empire all feel layered and alive. Every subplot brought something to the table, and I didn’t feel tempted to skim once.
Plot📈
The story starts slow. Not in a “every fantasy book needs to worldbuild” kind of way, but more like you spend an hour reading about a dinner party and an uncle’s travel tales kind of slow. There are a few B-plots that felt skippable to me, the fencing subplot, for example, didn’t add much. But once the main story gets going, you stop noticing the detours and just get swept up in it.
The twists weren’t super shocking, but they were timed well and satisfying to follow. I love picking up breadcrumbs in fantasy, and this book lays the groundwork for its big reveals right from the first chapter. Some plot turns were easy to catch early on like the chasm causing the Shaod and not the other way around . Others completely took me by surprise, like Dilaf being the real villain . Then there were a few twists that felt a little shoehorned in, such as Hrathen falling for Sarene , it didn’t really help or hurt the plot, just kind of existed.
As I mentioned, the beginning is a slog, but once it picks up, it’s off to the races.
I’d describe the plot progression as almost an exponential curve. In the final chapters, the POVs expand dramatically. Suddenly, you’re seeing familiar characters through rapid-fire, one-to-three paragraph bursts that hit with literary whiplash in the best way possible. It’s one of my favorite storytelling devices, and Sanderson wields it expertly.
The ending is predictable but satisfying. Again, that’s the theme here, the journey is the real reward, and this one is damn good. If we really are getting a second Elantris book (and I think I saw a whisper of that somewhere), this is the perfect setup. But even if we aren’t, I’m so excited to see how these characters connect to the wider Cosmere.
Writing Style✍️
I have yet to see a fantasy or romantasy book that doesn’t make me want to DNF it in the first few chapters. The worldbuilding is always a slow, painful endeavor, and I usually have to force myself to like a book because I’ve just left a world I probably loved. Elantris is no different.
The worldbuilding here is long and slow, which is consistent with the genre. But here’s the truth. It kind of has to read like a history textbook in parts if we’re going to be onboarded into a massive universe that doesn’t exist yet. And for what it is, Brandon Sanderson handles it articulately and explicitly.
There are a lot of new terms tossed at us, Shaod, AonDor, Dakhor, etc. but they’re fairly easy to follow once you have a solid foundation. The magic systems and lore are introduced with clear logic and structure, and while it may be dense at first, it’s not overwhelming.
A few of the phrases and word choices do feel outdated or tone-deaf, and when you consider when this was written, it makes more sense. Still, some parts could have aged better, especially around how female characters are described.
Even though this isn’t a romance book, the courtship between the leads builds quietly in the background. It gives the story a heartbeat. At times, it’s genuinely heartfelt, and Sanderson lets those emotions peek through without overshadowing the plot. One of my favorite lines?
“At first Raoden stayed away from the library, because it reminded him of her.
Then he found himself drawn back to it—because it reminded him of her.”Brandon Sanderson, Elantris
It’s a small moment, but it hits just right.
Closing Thoughts🧃
Elantris is a story about holding on to hope while transforming into who you’re meant to be.
It has a slow start, but hang in there and the story will reward you with some amazing plot and depth that you won’t be able to stop reading. If you enjoyed the likes of Shadow and Bone or Throne of Glass in romantasy and are trying to move into more fantasy, Elantris is a great way to get introduced to the genre. I think my recommendation would still be to start with Mistborn, but if you’re unsure and don’t want to commit to a full series and are a fan of multi POV, grimy cities, and large empires, Elantris is a must-read.
Divine decay awaits! 🪩
I took a break from the Cosmere after being absolutely shattered by Mistborn’s ending, and with finishing Elantris, we’re so back. I’m wrapping up the Arcanum Unbounded short stories about Elantris, and will be continuing my Cosmere journey either with Mistborn Era II or starting my Stormlight Archive adventure with The Way of Kings soon.
If you’ve finished the Cosmere, I’d love to know your takes on where I should go next!
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