A cut above the same-old, but hardly a classic.
Debut author Sanderson serves up an epic fantasy novel that is (startlingly) not Volume One of a Neverending Sequence.
Ten years ago, the magical city of Elantris fell under a curse, and the land of Arelon it once ruled has hit hard times. The mysterious transformation known as the Shaod, which falls on Arelenes at random and used to turn them into spell-wielding Elantrians, now leaves its victims half-dead husks, exiled to live in the ruined city. Even Prince Raoden, transformed overnight, finds himself imprisoned with the others—but he’s soon rallying the downtrodden and seeking out the source of the curse. Meanwhile, his betrothed, Princess Sarene of Teod (Sanderson’s got a tin ear for names), sets about modernizing the backward Arelish court, and thwarting the schemes of the spy-priest Hrathen of Fjorden, who plots to convert Arelon to his harsh Derethi faith. Sanderson offers an unusually well-conceived system of magic, but he cuts his characters from very simple cloth: only the Derethi agent Hrathen develops any intriguing depth or complexity. Still, the pages turn agreeably, the story has some grip and it’s a tremendous relief to have fruition in a single volume. (Not that sequels won’t be coming.)
A cut above the same-old, but hardly a classic.Pub Date: May 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-765-31177-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2005
A flight of fancy in time and space which transcribes some incidents which take place on the planet of Mars, there's a literary, visionary quality here and an avoidance of the more mechanistic aspects of this medium. From the first expeditions from the earth in rocket ships, to the first settlements, this projects the war to come in which the earth is almost totally destroyed, and the return to Mars- now a wasted, lonely land, by some of its survivors. None of the complexities of concepts or formulae, this has an imaginative rather than technical ingenuity.
Pub Date: May 4, 1950
ISBN: 0380973839
Page Count: 259
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1950
Fans of A Darker Shade of Magic will love its sequel, and fantasy fans who haven’t yet read the first book in this series...
An absorbing fantasy adventure set in a world where magic can be a gift—or a weapon.
It’s been four months since Lila Bard, thief from another world, talked her way onto a ship called the Night Spire and sailed away from Red London with an enigmatic captain named Alucard Emery, in search of adventure. She’s been absorbed in learning as much as she can about the magic that’s everywhere in this new world. Meanwhile, Kell is struggling to deal with the aftermath of the battle in which he and Lila saved the world, in particular, the magical bargain he made to save his adoptive brother Rhy’s life, the bargain that links their lives and means they share each other’s pain—literally. Along with the rest of Red London, Rhy and Kell are getting ready for the upcoming magical tournament called the Essen Tasch. But there are deceptions lurking beneath the glittering surface of this festive event, and there are old enemies waiting for their chance to strike. This sequel to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic (2015) expands the world beyond Red London and deepens the appealingly unconventional people that populate it. These rich, lifelike characters draw the reader in and make this well-realized fantasy impossible to put down.
Fans of A Darker Shade of Magic will love its sequel, and fantasy fans who haven’t yet read the first book in this series should hurry to catch up.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7653-7647-3
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
