I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Series: Reckoners #1
Published by Orion Books on September 26, 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 386
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
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Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.
Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
So I have to admit I have never read a book by Brandon Sanderson and yes I am hanging my head in shame. Why did I not read some of his books earlier? Because, to be honest, Steelheart was a joy to read. It was a gripping and thrilling ride from start to finish, with a superb twist on what/who is a superhero.
Written from the perspective of eighteen year old David, who has ambitions to join the Reckoners and have his revenge on Steelheart. Afterall he has seen him bleed…
Underneath all the good vs. bad, the Superheros vs. the Reckoners, there are complex moral and philological dilemmas that cannot be easily solved. The world is not black and white, it is not crystal clear. There are infinite amounts of grey areas – kind of how I imagine Steelheart’s city looks like. The main theme that plays out is that ‘power corupts’. None of the Epic use their power for good, only to rule. And this idea plays out more towards the end of the book.
Steelheart shows what it really takes to be a hero. This is a brilliant page-turner and I cannot wait to see what is install in the next book!
[…] In Steelheart everything was much simpler, kill Steelheart, avenge father, save city, end off. But nothing is ever that simple and now David knows more about the Epics he is conflicted. Nothing is as simple as it seems and how do you know if you are making the right choice? […]
[…] was a brilliant action-packed short story! It had everything packed into it that made Steelheart such a great […]
[…] adored Steelheart and Firefight and this series is a lot ‘lighter’ than some of his other works. The […]
[…] was the first book that I ever read by Brandon Sanderson and was one of the first books that I reviewed on this blog. It is slightly crazy to think that the first time I read this book was over six years […]