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The Reckoners #1
Steelheart
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2013)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 will.
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.
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.
386 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2013
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
364 books239k followersI’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 15,728 reviews
March 2, 2013
I got a chance to read an early version of this a little while ago. Needless to say, I jumped at it.
The reason for this is that so far, I haven't read a book by Brandon Sanderson that I haven't loved. That means it's quite likely that I'll get a chance to read another good book, which is always welcome.
OR I'll finally read something of Sanderson's I *don't* like. Which would thrill me, honestly.
Why? Well, because Brandon writes so much faster than me. It only seems fair that some of his stuff should be crap. It just doesn't seem fair that he's brilliant AND fast....
Unfortunately for my ego, Steelheart is another win for Sanderson, proving that he's not a brilliant writer of epic fantasy, he's simply a brilliant writer. Period.
Simply said. Great book. Tight writing. Nice take on superheroes. Nice world creation. Absolutely worth your time.
The reason for this is that so far, I haven't read a book by Brandon Sanderson that I haven't loved. That means it's quite likely that I'll get a chance to read another good book, which is always welcome.
OR I'll finally read something of Sanderson's I *don't* like. Which would thrill me, honestly.
Why? Well, because Brandon writes so much faster than me. It only seems fair that some of his stuff should be crap. It just doesn't seem fair that he's brilliant AND fast....
Unfortunately for my ego, Steelheart is another win for Sanderson, proving that he's not a brilliant writer of epic fantasy, he's simply a brilliant writer. Period.
Simply said. Great book. Tight writing. Nice take on superheroes. Nice world creation. Absolutely worth your time.
April 5, 2014
Well... that was disappointing.
I've heard such great things about all of Brandon Sanderson's books and he's an author I've been meaning to read for what seems like forever. So I decided to pick up his recent young adult work instead of committing to a series with several releases already... well, all I can say is that I hope this isn't representative of all his books because Steelheart really disappointed me. In my opinion, there is nothing you can get from this book that you can't get from better books about superheroes and supervillains like Vicious and Gone. Unless, of course, you are specifically looking for cliched characters, predictable twists and tiresome descriptions of weaponry.
It was just very meh.
Sanderson seems to be a competent writer and he starts by setting the opening scene very well. It's dramatic, people die, we get a feel for why David wants vengeance - all good. The story isn't a new idea, it's about certain people (called "Epics") developing superpowers and using those powers to terrorize others and build empires based on fear. Then, among all of this, a group of rebels form to try and take down the Epics one by one and reclaim the world they once knew (these people are called the Reckoners). David seeks to join the Reckoners because he has valuable knowledge that could be the key to bringing down Steelheart - and that is what David wants most of all.
I personally feel like this is a book written by a man for other men. Or boys. Whatever. I've been lectured for calling various novels "boy books" in the past - I tend to get female readers angrily pounding their chests and asking how dare I suggest that women don't want to read about cars and guns and whatnot. And, let me be clear, they were completely right. They had every right to be annoyed that I'd used the term so carelessly - and offensively - without fully explaining what I mean. Because I do see myself as a feminist and don't feel like men and women have to read certain types of books that suit their gender. I feel lucky to have a brother who read Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (and liked it) because I recommended it ^_^
But...
There are books like this that feel specifically catered towards straight male readers. Which I guess may not be a bad thing if you are a straight male reader, but as I am not, I struggled to like it. For one thing, there are hardly any women in this book. Almost all of the big Epics with the snazziest powers are male. There is one central female character called Megan (two if you count Tia, but I don't) and her characterization consists entirely of what a fine piece of ass David thinks she is.
Of course, many women will still enjoy (and have enjoyed) this book, just as many women enjoy the old James Bond films. But there's something about cardboard cutouts of male wish fulfillment - a hero who is so damn perfect, intelligent, and has all the best toys; hot ladies; and cartoon-y Good vs Evil type characters - that just never appeals to me. You can get superheroes, science and fast-paced action scenes in books like Gone by Michael Grant, but with more detailed, complex characters that don't feel like stereotypes. You can get a far more sophisticated exploration of Good vs Evil in Vicious by Victoria Schwab. I would recommend either of those over this.
*sigh* Maybe Mr Sanderson just isn't for me.
I've heard such great things about all of Brandon Sanderson's books and he's an author I've been meaning to read for what seems like forever. So I decided to pick up his recent young adult work instead of committing to a series with several releases already... well, all I can say is that I hope this isn't representative of all his books because Steelheart really disappointed me. In my opinion, there is nothing you can get from this book that you can't get from better books about superheroes and supervillains like Vicious and Gone. Unless, of course, you are specifically looking for cliched characters, predictable twists and tiresome descriptions of weaponry.
It was just very meh.
Sanderson seems to be a competent writer and he starts by setting the opening scene very well. It's dramatic, people die, we get a feel for why David wants vengeance - all good. The story isn't a new idea, it's about certain people (called "Epics") developing superpowers and using those powers to terrorize others and build empires based on fear. Then, among all of this, a group of rebels form to try and take down the Epics one by one and reclaim the world they once knew (these people are called the Reckoners). David seeks to join the Reckoners because he has valuable knowledge that could be the key to bringing down Steelheart - and that is what David wants most of all.
I personally feel like this is a book written by a man for other men. Or boys. Whatever. I've been lectured for calling various novels "boy books" in the past - I tend to get female readers angrily pounding their chests and asking how dare I suggest that women don't want to read about cars and guns and whatnot. And, let me be clear, they were completely right. They had every right to be annoyed that I'd used the term so carelessly - and offensively - without fully explaining what I mean. Because I do see myself as a feminist and don't feel like men and women have to read certain types of books that suit their gender. I feel lucky to have a brother who read Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (and liked it) because I recommended it ^_^
But...
There are books like this that feel specifically catered towards straight male readers. Which I guess may not be a bad thing if you are a straight male reader, but as I am not, I struggled to like it. For one thing, there are hardly any women in this book. Almost all of the big Epics with the snazziest powers are male. There is one central female character called Megan (two if you count Tia, but I don't) and her characterization consists entirely of what a fine piece of ass David thinks she is.
Of course, many women will still enjoy (and have enjoyed) this book, just as many women enjoy the old James Bond films. But there's something about cardboard cutouts of male wish fulfillment - a hero who is so damn perfect, intelligent, and has all the best toys; hot ladies; and cartoon-y Good vs Evil type characters - that just never appeals to me. You can get superheroes, science and fast-paced action scenes in books like Gone by Michael Grant, but with more detailed, complex characters that don't feel like stereotypes. You can get a far more sophisticated exploration of Good vs Evil in Vicious by Victoria Schwab. I would recommend either of those over this.
*sigh* Maybe Mr Sanderson just isn't for me.
September 27, 2017
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
4.5 stars
I'm probably going to make Sandersonite heads everywhere explode when I say this, but STEELHEART might be my new favorite Sanderson book. *does NOT duck* *does NOT run*
Is it the most beautifully complicated of his works?
No.
Is it the plot-twistiest?
Nope.
Is it the most direct and concise, sans anything that could be construed as meandering?
YAS.
I love Sanderson. Unabashedly. But as someone who's spent a cumulative ten years with my husband, I can state with authority that 'love' does not mean 'blind to flaws.' #sorrynotsorry
And this was just FUN. Which was exactly what I needed after my last several books (I'm looking at you, Morning Star ).
Meet David.
David is an orphan who's father was killed in front of him by an Epic (humans who began to manifest superhero-like powers after Calamity appeared in the sky--no, we don't know what Calamity is, but it might be my new favorite curse word) named Steelheart when he was a child. *squints* Okay, so it wasn't 100% flowers and rainbows, but beyond the sad backgrounds of several of our characters, it was frequently hilarious.
David and his terrible metaphors are the source of most of the hilarity:
Ninja alligators. *giggle snorts*
But David isn't a one man show, there's also the rest of the team:
Then there's the genius that is Sanderson. Part of the reason I loved STEELHEART was how much easier it was to backtrack the groundwork of his LIES.
See, Sanderson doesn't limit himself to unobtrusively weaving hints about future reveals. No, no . . . He deliberately leads you astray. Sometimes in numerous ways.
Sometimes he paints a clear picture in the very beginning, but then so skillfully undermines the idea that YOU LAUGH AT YOURSELF for having such silly thoughts.
In 1000+ pages of these machinations, it's impossible to look back and see where you went wrong. The best you can hope for is to find some of your missteps, while you throw heavy objects b/c you know, YOU KNOW, it said something about such-and-such-somewhere (<------does NOT make for good document searches), but you'll NEVER find it.
In less than 400 pages? Easy peasy.
I am learning the darks paths of your mind, Sanderson. I will not remain your puppet forever.
SO. Do you like supervillains? Do you like adorkable manboys who will not stand back and let evil triumph? Do you like NEVER being able to guess ALL THE THINGS an author has in store for you? Then you, friend, should give STEELHEART by Brandon Sanderson a try. It is fantastic. Highly recommended.
Pre-review, part, the second:
WELL . . . That was equal parts spectacular and exhausting (b/c FEELS). I was a bit worried, b/c I thought MISTBORN #2 was OTT teen-angsty, and it wasn't even YA, so what would deliberate YA from Sanderson look like?
Perfection, that's what. Near perfection, anyway.
And I'm not just saying that b/c I . . . GUESSED THE MAIN PLOT TWIST!!
My other reviews for this series:
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)
Firefight (The Reckoners, #2)
Calamity (The Reckoners, #3)
4.5 stars
I'm probably going to make Sandersonite heads everywhere explode when I say this, but STEELHEART might be my new favorite Sanderson book. *does NOT duck* *does NOT run*
Is it the most beautifully complicated of his works?
No.
Is it the plot-twistiest?
Nope.
Is it the most direct and concise, sans anything that could be construed as meandering?
YAS.
I love Sanderson. Unabashedly. But as someone who's spent a cumulative ten years with my husband, I can state with authority that 'love' does not mean 'blind to flaws.' #sorrynotsorry
And this was just FUN. Which was exactly what I needed after my last several books (I'm looking at you, Morning Star ).
Meet David.
David is an orphan who's father was killed in front of him by an Epic (humans who began to manifest superhero-like powers after Calamity appeared in the sky--no, we don't know what Calamity is, but it might be my new favorite curse word) named Steelheart when he was a child. *squints* Okay, so it wasn't 100% flowers and rainbows, but beyond the sad backgrounds of several of our characters, it was frequently hilarious.
David and his terrible metaphors are the source of most of the hilarity:
I stopped as I noticed something different. Motorcycles.
There were three of them in a row near the far side of the hallway. I hadn’t seen them at first, as I’d been focused on the guns. They were sleek, their bodies a deep green with black patterns running up their sides. They made me want to hunch over and crouch down to make myself have less wind resistance. I could imagine shooting through the streets on one of these. They looked so dangerous, like alligators. Really fast alligators wearing black. Ninja alligators.
Ninja alligators. *giggle snorts*
But David isn't a one man show, there's also the rest of the team:
“Don’t you ever pay attention?” Tia asked. “We’ve talked about this.”
“He was cleaning his guns,” Abraham said.
“I’m an artist,” Cody said.
Abraham nodded. “He’s an artist.”
“And cleanliness is next to deadliness,” Cody added.
Then there's the genius that is Sanderson. Part of the reason I loved STEELHEART was how much easier it was to backtrack the groundwork of his LIES.
See, Sanderson doesn't limit himself to unobtrusively weaving hints about future reveals. No, no . . . He deliberately leads you astray. Sometimes in numerous ways.
Sometimes he paints a clear picture in the very beginning, but then so skillfully undermines the idea that YOU LAUGH AT YOURSELF for having such silly thoughts.
In 1000+ pages of these machinations, it's impossible to look back and see where you went wrong. The best you can hope for is to find some of your missteps, while you throw heavy objects b/c you know, YOU KNOW, it said something about such-and-such-somewhere (<------does NOT make for good document searches), but you'll NEVER find it.
In less than 400 pages? Easy peasy.
I am learning the darks paths of your mind, Sanderson. I will not remain your puppet forever.
SO. Do you like supervillains? Do you like adorkable manboys who will not stand back and let evil triumph? Do you like NEVER being able to guess ALL THE THINGS an author has in store for you? Then you, friend, should give STEELHEART by Brandon Sanderson a try. It is fantastic. Highly recommended.
Pre-review, part, the second:
WELL . . . That was equal parts spectacular and exhausting (b/c FEELS). I was a bit worried, b/c I thought MISTBORN #2 was OTT teen-angsty, and it wasn't even YA, so what would deliberate YA from Sanderson look like?
Perfection, that's what. Near perfection, anyway.
And I'm not just saying that b/c I . . . GUESSED THE MAIN PLOT TWIST!!
My other reviews for this series:
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)
Firefight (The Reckoners, #2)
Calamity (The Reckoners, #3)
August 9, 2024
This is the first of Brendon Sanderson's books I have read. I really enjoyed it. From what I read on the synopsis of this and his other books, his style tends to be post-apocalyptic world. This one looks like a Superman gone bad theme. This interested me in reading this from a fantasy writer's point of view rather than a comic writing point of view. The way Steelheart is described to look exactly like Superman does in the comics and cartoons, except with a black cloke instead of the Red one.
An event called the "Calamity" happened, casing normal people to gain superpowers. These people are called Epics. As with the old adage of power, it is corrupting. The Epics quickly establish themselves above normal people. The more powerful the Epic's ability, the higher they are in the pecking order. Steelheart is arguably the most powerful epic of his time. He does not exactly have Superman's powers but is very close. Superhuman strength, invulnerability, flight seemingly through gravity manipulation, turn non-living matter into steel and energy projections (blasts) from his hands. He is not really Superman gone bad; it is more if Superman was never good.
The story starts with 8 year old David with his father in a bank trying to get a mortgage. With the appearance of the Epics and property damage from their battles for supremacy, the banks are even more dubious about lending money than they are today. Then, an Epic enters to rob the bank and prove his dominance over the people of the city. Unfortunately for him the city already has an Epic who has claimed it. Steelheart. Quickly schooling the "little Epic" about his place in the pecking order of thing Steelheart is attacked by the military questioning his rule. The Epic see this opportunity to attack Steelheart. David's father shoots the Epic but, in the process, injures the seemingly invulnerable Steelheart. Enraged and wanting no wittiness to this event, Steelheart kills David's father, everyone in the bank, destroys the bank itself and even the rescue workers. Only David escapes.
10 years later, Epics have established themselves as the rulers. Governments have been destroyed, and there is no police or military that is not under Epic control. The only resistance left is a group called the reckoners. Burning from his vengeance, David has spent the last 10 years studying the Epics, their history, their powers, and their weakness. David is this worlds Batman, driven, intelligent, methodical, and tactically gifted. For 10 years, he has been planning analysing and cataloguing data in ultimately killing Steelheart. Knowing he will need resources to put his plan into motion, he need to join the Reckoners, predicting their next hit. He now has to convince them to first take him in and then convince them to take on his quest to take down the most powerful Epic there is.
It is a great book, good story, great character development/revelations, and extremely fast-paced. Despite the pace, I really enjoyed the way David analysed situations and "improvise" when he has to. The book is written from David's point of view, and you get revelations at the same time he does. Really enjoyed this book looking forward to the next part.
An event called the "Calamity" happened, casing normal people to gain superpowers. These people are called Epics. As with the old adage of power, it is corrupting. The Epics quickly establish themselves above normal people. The more powerful the Epic's ability, the higher they are in the pecking order. Steelheart is arguably the most powerful epic of his time. He does not exactly have Superman's powers but is very close. Superhuman strength, invulnerability, flight seemingly through gravity manipulation, turn non-living matter into steel and energy projections (blasts) from his hands. He is not really Superman gone bad; it is more if Superman was never good.
The story starts with 8 year old David with his father in a bank trying to get a mortgage. With the appearance of the Epics and property damage from their battles for supremacy, the banks are even more dubious about lending money than they are today. Then, an Epic enters to rob the bank and prove his dominance over the people of the city. Unfortunately for him the city already has an Epic who has claimed it. Steelheart. Quickly schooling the "little Epic" about his place in the pecking order of thing Steelheart is attacked by the military questioning his rule. The Epic see this opportunity to attack Steelheart. David's father shoots the Epic but, in the process, injures the seemingly invulnerable Steelheart. Enraged and wanting no wittiness to this event, Steelheart kills David's father, everyone in the bank, destroys the bank itself and even the rescue workers. Only David escapes.
10 years later, Epics have established themselves as the rulers. Governments have been destroyed, and there is no police or military that is not under Epic control. The only resistance left is a group called the reckoners. Burning from his vengeance, David has spent the last 10 years studying the Epics, their history, their powers, and their weakness. David is this worlds Batman, driven, intelligent, methodical, and tactically gifted. For 10 years, he has been planning analysing and cataloguing data in ultimately killing Steelheart. Knowing he will need resources to put his plan into motion, he need to join the Reckoners, predicting their next hit. He now has to convince them to first take him in and then convince them to take on his quest to take down the most powerful Epic there is.
It is a great book, good story, great character development/revelations, and extremely fast-paced. Despite the pace, I really enjoyed the way David analysed situations and "improvise" when he has to. The book is written from David's point of view, and you get revelations at the same time he does. Really enjoyed this book looking forward to the next part.
March 11, 2018
This book is so good! ❤
I cried in this book because of something sad and then it wasn't sad because of reasons but I'm not sure because of . . .
I cried because of the REVELATIONS, REVELATIONS, REVELATIONS! They were so freaking awesome that I can't evennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
I've seen Steelheart bleed.
And I will see him bleed again.
Yes, we all know that line. Those that have read the book. This is what David thinks when 10 years ago his father was killed by Steelheart. Now David is 18 and he's looking to join The Reckoners.
I loved everyone one of those Reckoners too. They are just ordinary people that won't stand for how the Epics have taken over the world. They are evil beings that have damn near destroyed everything and the Reckoners are here to take them out!
A lot of the world has been totally destroyed by some Epics but Steelheart has his town running smoothly. Some think this is okay because they have more than most, and others, not so much.
When David helps the Reckoners on a hit, he finally gets to meet them and gets his chance to prove to them he's smart, he's done research for 10 years on these Epics, and he means business. They let him in after some stuff and it's awesome. He's awesome. They are all awesome!
Prof
Cody
Abraham
Megan
Tia
David
I love each of them for their own abilities and personalities!
This book is action packed with a lot of shootings, bombings, spy stuff, some creepy Epics, some weird Epics and one nice Epic. They have to find weaknesses to all the Epics because they are almost impossible to kill. ALMOST . . .
I had a blast reading this book. And the ending, it was so EPIC <--- =) that I can hardly stand it. Why did I even have a little niggle of a doubt that I might not like this trilogy? Stupidity reigns supreme I guess =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
June 8, 2017
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
So I'm going to start out by saying the only reason I docked half a star is because I felt the pacing of this story was a little uneven. It was not detrimental, but the most interesting portion of the plot unfolded quickly right at the end of the book & it was just a little off balance from the rest of the story.
Otherwise, this is one hell of a book!
After the world is visited by Calamity, average humans are randomly gifted supernatural powers. These humans are called Epics, and they are not the heroes everyone hoped they would be.
Following a tragic incident, the last ten years of David's life has revolved around researching the strengths & weaknesses of these extraordinary people. When he discovers an opportunity to join an anti-Epic rebel group, David sees his chance for revenge is closer than he thought possible.
This is how Young Adult stories should be written.
David is capable & talented in a realistic way. He's smarter than average teenager, but has a tendency to shoot from the hip & fixates on small scale goals instead of seeing the bigger picture.
David does not suffer from Gary Stu-syndrome. Which is refreshing to say the least. His abilities & dialogue are reflective of his age without feeling too juvenile.
Steelheart presents the reader with a classic good vs. evil story on its surface, but as layers of the plot are revealed it becomes much more than that.
It's fast-paced & full of exciting action! This book invites the reader to speculate along with the characters about how to solve the problems the Epics present.
The technology & world Sanderson creates here is unique & satisfying to read about. There were twists I guessed & twists & didn't so it's safe to say I had fun the entire time.
I always enjoy when books rely heavily on logical reasoning instead of drawing out the characters into unrealistic & often contrived situations just to create drama. You'll find none of that nonsense here.
Sanderson is a master storyteller & it really becomes apparent in how consistently well he writes across many genres. I am shamelessly in love with just about everything he writes. If an action-packed, Science Fiction superhero story turned on its head sounds up your alley, I would not hesitate to give this book a try!
So I'm going to start out by saying the only reason I docked half a star is because I felt the pacing of this story was a little uneven. It was not detrimental, but the most interesting portion of the plot unfolded quickly right at the end of the book & it was just a little off balance from the rest of the story.
Otherwise, this is one hell of a book!
After the world is visited by Calamity, average humans are randomly gifted supernatural powers. These humans are called Epics, and they are not the heroes everyone hoped they would be.
Following a tragic incident, the last ten years of David's life has revolved around researching the strengths & weaknesses of these extraordinary people. When he discovers an opportunity to join an anti-Epic rebel group, David sees his chance for revenge is closer than he thought possible.
This is how Young Adult stories should be written.
David is capable & talented in a realistic way. He's smarter than average teenager, but has a tendency to shoot from the hip & fixates on small scale goals instead of seeing the bigger picture.
David does not suffer from Gary Stu-syndrome. Which is refreshing to say the least. His abilities & dialogue are reflective of his age without feeling too juvenile.
Steelheart presents the reader with a classic good vs. evil story on its surface, but as layers of the plot are revealed it becomes much more than that.
It's fast-paced & full of exciting action! This book invites the reader to speculate along with the characters about how to solve the problems the Epics present.
The technology & world Sanderson creates here is unique & satisfying to read about. There were twists I guessed & twists & didn't so it's safe to say I had fun the entire time.
I always enjoy when books rely heavily on logical reasoning instead of drawing out the characters into unrealistic & often contrived situations just to create drama. You'll find none of that nonsense here.
Sanderson is a master storyteller & it really becomes apparent in how consistently well he writes across many genres. I am shamelessly in love with just about everything he writes. If an action-packed, Science Fiction superhero story turned on its head sounds up your alley, I would not hesitate to give this book a try!
April 11, 2020
Kindle deal for a limited time for $1.99 11Apr20 at Amazon
3rd Read with by favorite buddy reading group Buddies Books & Baubles
Why should you read this series in a nut shell:
❶ - David is the most Adorkable yes it is a real word character I've ever read.
❷ - There are EVIL superheroes. EVIL SUPERHEROES!!!
❸ - Lots of different kinds of action happening. Motorcycle chases, car crashes, one on on fighting...etc
❹ - A really good twist (actually about 3 but they were all awesome) and I only semi guessed a smidgen of one of them.
❺ - BAD METAPHORS.....look they are so bad they are good. Like great or at least super funny.
2nd read:
Buddy Read/Reread TODAY Dec 8 2014 with my fellow Sandersonitus Sufferers Athena (Shardbearer), Armina, Gavin, Kat Stark, Evengy, Desinka, Alexa, Shandra, Annette, Nicholas, Carole, Ashley, Eon, Kristen, Danae and we also hijacked oOSarahOo Last Minute.
On the Reckoners Group Read Thread
Original Review October 2013:
Imagine a world where there are no good X-Men. What would happen if there are only villains with great powers and no heroes? What becomes of the cities, government, people in general? That is what Steelheart is about.
David learned that at a young age the first time he saw Steelheart, the day his father died. Since then he has lived his life with one goal and one goal only. To kill the Epic that killed his father.
This is my very first Brandon Sanderson novel and I loved it. Sometimes it is difficult for me to read UF from a male perspective it ends up being all about big boobs and girls in skin tight clothing and high heeled boots but that couldn’t be farther from the truth here. Brandon created a very intricate dystopian world in the wreckage of Chicago now referred to as Newcago. He has painstakingly thought out a class system for all of the Epics and the powers they use. He has also built a believable resistance of renegade humans that try to fight against them. I was definitely impressed with the sheer volume of thought that went into those two items of the story.
I was interested in this world from the beginning. David is a very likeable character he is a slight know it all but has the hardest time putting a metaphor together which kind of made him endearing to me. Once he meets up with the Renegades you can tell he really has been alone for most of his life and protector that I am I just wants him to win. Of course there is an older man to look up to has a substitute father figure that helps guide our young David out of his blind hate and need for revenge.
There are some really nice philosophical questions posed that can make this more than just a story of revenge. You have the choice to delve in and think of this world on a deeper level or just move on with the story. No agenda is forced on you which I appreciate as a reader.
There is a cute little crush romance that isn’t quite insta love but is heartwarming all the same and some very interesting developments that I really didn’t see coming. The story twisted just enough at the end that I really was surprised. I seriously had a moment of woe is that real.
Actionwise sometimes it is over the top for me (I’m a girl but my stepson disagrees with my assessment whole heartedly). It is an action book for sure and there are a lot of scenes with fighting and motorcycle chases and a final battle that goes on for multiple chapters.
All in all good storlyline, nice pacing, solid world building for a first book of a series and great start to the layering that I see will come out in future books in the series. All of the characters definitely have a backstory worth developing a little more.
I will definitely have to check out some of Mr. Sanderson’s other works if they compare to or are better than this one.
3rd Read with by favorite buddy reading group Buddies Books & Baubles
Why should you read this series in a nut shell:
❶ - David is the most Adorkable yes it is a real word character I've ever read.
❷ - There are EVIL superheroes. EVIL SUPERHEROES!!!
❸ - Lots of different kinds of action happening. Motorcycle chases, car crashes, one on on fighting...etc
❹ - A really good twist (actually about 3 but they were all awesome) and I only semi guessed a smidgen of one of them.
❺ - BAD METAPHORS.....look they are so bad they are good. Like great or at least super funny.
2nd read:
Buddy Read/Reread TODAY Dec 8 2014 with my fellow Sandersonitus Sufferers Athena (Shardbearer), Armina, Gavin, Kat Stark, Evengy, Desinka, Alexa, Shandra, Annette, Nicholas, Carole, Ashley, Eon, Kristen, Danae and we also hijacked oOSarahOo Last Minute.
On the Reckoners Group Read Thread
Original Review October 2013:
Imagine a world where there are no good X-Men. What would happen if there are only villains with great powers and no heroes? What becomes of the cities, government, people in general? That is what Steelheart is about.
I know, better than anyone else, that there are no heroes coming to save us. There are no good Epics. None of them protect us. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
David learned that at a young age the first time he saw Steelheart, the day his father died. Since then he has lived his life with one goal and one goal only. To kill the Epic that killed his father.
This is my very first Brandon Sanderson novel and I loved it. Sometimes it is difficult for me to read UF from a male perspective it ends up being all about big boobs and girls in skin tight clothing and high heeled boots but that couldn’t be farther from the truth here. Brandon created a very intricate dystopian world in the wreckage of Chicago now referred to as Newcago. He has painstakingly thought out a class system for all of the Epics and the powers they use. He has also built a believable resistance of renegade humans that try to fight against them. I was definitely impressed with the sheer volume of thought that went into those two items of the story.
I was interested in this world from the beginning. David is a very likeable character he is a slight know it all but has the hardest time putting a metaphor together which kind of made him endearing to me. Once he meets up with the Renegades you can tell he really has been alone for most of his life and protector that I am I just wants him to win. Of course there is an older man to look up to has a substitute father figure that helps guide our young David out of his blind hate and need for revenge.
“It’s good for you to think of this, son. Ponder. Worry. Stay up nights, frightened for the casualties of your ideology. It will do you good to realize the price of fighting”
There are some really nice philosophical questions posed that can make this more than just a story of revenge. You have the choice to delve in and think of this world on a deeper level or just move on with the story. No agenda is forced on you which I appreciate as a reader.
There is a cute little crush romance that isn’t quite insta love but is heartwarming all the same and some very interesting developments that I really didn’t see coming. The story twisted just enough at the end that I really was surprised. I seriously had a moment of woe is that real.
Actionwise sometimes it is over the top for me (I’m a girl but my stepson disagrees with my assessment whole heartedly). It is an action book for sure and there are a lot of scenes with fighting and motorcycle chases and a final battle that goes on for multiple chapters.
All in all good storlyline, nice pacing, solid world building for a first book of a series and great start to the layering that I see will come out in future books in the series. All of the characters definitely have a backstory worth developing a little more.
I will definitely have to check out some of Mr. Sanderson’s other works if they compare to or are better than this one.
October 14, 2019
What if Superman was evil?
In fact, what if all superpowered beings were evil? <--and that's the premise of this book.
So. If (for unknown reasons) there were suddenly people granted superpowers, and (for unknown reasons) they all turned into bad guys, and they all (for unknown reasons) had secret strange weaknesses that made no sense - then who would fight them?
Enter the Reckoners!
A bunch of humans who ferret out the weakness and then kill the Epic. <--Epic is what these powered people are referred to as, btw.
Basically, these Reckoners are just the Great Value version of Batman.
Alright, so society has been destroyed by the Epics, and there's no point (and in most cases, no way) for the puny humans to fight back.
David lives in this city (used to be Chicago) that's run by one of the most powerful Epics out there, Steelheart, and he dreams of bringing him down because Steelheart killed his father.
AND ON THAT DAY, DAVID SAW HIM BLEED! <--this is important
As in, the whole book is about David joining the Reckoners and convincing them that somewhere in his memory is the key to Steelheart's secret weakness.
So they can finally...
Take. Him. Down.
Amidst the plotting, hiding, and fighting there's an awkward love story thrown in with this girl named Megan.
Why did he even like her? She was an asssssshole. I get it, she was a hot asshole. But still! I wasn't exactly a fan.
Ok, this was a pretty easy-breezy read so I don't want anyone to think I hated it, I just don't think I read the same book everyone else did. I simply didn't find David or his problems making metaphors endearing, I didn't care for the romance, and I didn't find the twists very twisty.
BUT.
I was able to scarf it down quickly and didn't find it some chore to slog through. I don't think I'll continue with the series, though.
In fact, what if all superpowered beings were evil? <--and that's the premise of this book.
So. If (for unknown reasons) there were suddenly people granted superpowers, and (for unknown reasons) they all turned into bad guys, and they all (for unknown reasons) had secret strange weaknesses that made no sense - then who would fight them?
Enter the Reckoners!
A bunch of humans who ferret out the weakness and then kill the Epic. <--Epic is what these powered people are referred to as, btw.
Basically, these Reckoners are just the Great Value version of Batman.
Alright, so society has been destroyed by the Epics, and there's no point (and in most cases, no way) for the puny humans to fight back.
David lives in this city (used to be Chicago) that's run by one of the most powerful Epics out there, Steelheart, and he dreams of bringing him down because Steelheart killed his father.
AND ON THAT DAY, DAVID SAW HIM BLEED! <--this is important
As in, the whole book is about David joining the Reckoners and convincing them that somewhere in his memory is the key to Steelheart's secret weakness.
So they can finally...
Take. Him. Down.
Amidst the plotting, hiding, and fighting there's an awkward love story thrown in with this girl named Megan.
Why did he even like her? She was an asssssshole. I get it, she was a hot asshole. But still! I wasn't exactly a fan.
Ok, this was a pretty easy-breezy read so I don't want anyone to think I hated it, I just don't think I read the same book everyone else did. I simply didn't find David or his problems making metaphors endearing, I didn't care for the romance, and I didn't find the twists very twisty.
BUT.
I was able to scarf it down quickly and didn't find it some chore to slog through. I don't think I'll continue with the series, though.
February 7, 2016
I've seen Steelheart bleed.
I always love when a book begins with a solid first sentence. And this novel was a good example of that.
PUSHED TO THE NEXT STEP OF EVOLUTION
This is my first book by Brandon Sanderson and now I realize why he is so popular and well rated by a lot of readers and reviewers. Certainly he has a great style and entertaining style that you aren't never bored of what is happening. I am aware that this novel is from a genre kinda new to him since this is a "super-hero" book while he has been writing more in the genres of epic fantasy. However, I wanted to try this author on this particular novel since I am huge fan of super-heroes and since this was a prose novel in that genre, well, I supposed that it was a good way to know if I'd like this author. Well, the test was successful, I loved the book and I am a fan of him already.
Where there are villains, there will be heroes.
It's quite awesome the setting of this book series, where an astronomic phenomenon known as "Calamity" appeared on the orbit of planet Earth and due unexplicable reasons, several people at random got super-powers, and all of them became evil!!! They are known as "Epics" and now they ruled the world with iron fist, controlling cities and making havok.
Sometimes...you have to help the heroes along.
A kid loses his father in the cruel hands of an Epic and he chooses to dedicate his life to find a way to kill that Epic, and now a young adult, his plans need to get associated to an underground secret group known as "The Reckoners" formed by normal humans risking their lives to kill as many Epics as possible to free humanity from this villanious menace.
The way the world was these days, you did what you had to in order to survive.
The United States Federal Government collapsed due the Epics' attacks and now those lands are known as the "Fractured States", where very little cities are functional yet, and one of those is Chicago that later that an Epic known as "Steelheart" got control over the city, now it's known as Newcago (that honestly, when this book would be translated to Spanish, I don't know how smart would be to keep that name since "cago" is the Spanish for "to shit" sort of, that in Chicago, I supposed that one is used to the name and didn't make the association but in Newcago, well, whenever I read the name of the city, I can't avoid to smile a bit.
POWER CORRUPTS...
I sometimes wonder if they came along because we thought we could explain everything.
These Epics have amazing powers whom defy physics such as one epic able to fire a gun and never being out of bullets. So, anything is possible. However, the key thing here is that each epic has a weakness. So, finding out his/her weakness is the key to be able to beat them and kill them. However, in the same way that the powers aren't limited to the realm of physics, the weakenesses can be anything, and many times finding out can be an almost impossible task.
You've got passion to kill, but you need to find passion to live.
The idea of evil super-humans isn't new, since on the process of the creation of "Superman", the first super-hero in literature, he was conceived first as a super-villain, but since his creators got trouble to get somebody to publish their work, during the struggles of keep looking for a publishing house, they came out with the twist of making "Superman" as a hero... a super-hero!
What is it to be King if you have nobody to follow you?
The young man who wishes to kill Steelheart is named David, David Charleston, and I think that it was a great idea to name him like that since he is a "David" trying to kill "Goliaths" with super-powers. And Steelheart is one of the most powerful ones ever existed, with super-strenght, flight, energy bolts, steel-converting fields and invulnerability and no respect for any human being. Along with his fantastic collection of powers, he is supported by a select team of Epics, and also an Enforcement army of soldiers ruling the city of Newcago.
Adding a new team member always upends the dynamic.
David will join The Reckoners with a bold plan... to kill Steelheart. David seen Steelheart bleed once, so, he knows that it's possible to kill Steelheart, but knowing the concept and finding out what the heck is the real weakness of Steelheart is another thing. David is the new member of The Reckoners and he is changing the dynamic of the team, however, is that is a good thing is too soon to be certain.
Don't act because you can, act because it's the right thing to do.
Even there will be many doubts about killing Steelheart or not. He is evil sure, however, Newcago is one of the very few cities able to hold people with basic needs like electricity, water, food, jobs. Don't be mistaken, Steelheart demands blind obedience to any citizen in Newcago, but definitely that's quite better to the situation in other cities where other Epics just destroyed the towns. So, even if they would be in the position to kill Steelheart... is it the wise movement to do in this very risky chessgame where the humanity is now trapped. How far The Reckoners can go without becoming terrorists instead of freedom fighters?
What terrorist didn't think he or she was the good guy?
Steelheart is just the first novel and I have no doubt that this book series will getting better and better!
I always love when a book begins with a solid first sentence. And this novel was a good example of that.
PUSHED TO THE NEXT STEP OF EVOLUTION
This is my first book by Brandon Sanderson and now I realize why he is so popular and well rated by a lot of readers and reviewers. Certainly he has a great style and entertaining style that you aren't never bored of what is happening. I am aware that this novel is from a genre kinda new to him since this is a "super-hero" book while he has been writing more in the genres of epic fantasy. However, I wanted to try this author on this particular novel since I am huge fan of super-heroes and since this was a prose novel in that genre, well, I supposed that it was a good way to know if I'd like this author. Well, the test was successful, I loved the book and I am a fan of him already.
Where there are villains, there will be heroes.
It's quite awesome the setting of this book series, where an astronomic phenomenon known as "Calamity" appeared on the orbit of planet Earth and due unexplicable reasons, several people at random got super-powers, and all of them became evil!!! They are known as "Epics" and now they ruled the world with iron fist, controlling cities and making havok.
Sometimes...you have to help the heroes along.
A kid loses his father in the cruel hands of an Epic and he chooses to dedicate his life to find a way to kill that Epic, and now a young adult, his plans need to get associated to an underground secret group known as "The Reckoners" formed by normal humans risking their lives to kill as many Epics as possible to free humanity from this villanious menace.
The way the world was these days, you did what you had to in order to survive.
The United States Federal Government collapsed due the Epics' attacks and now those lands are known as the "Fractured States", where very little cities are functional yet, and one of those is Chicago that later that an Epic known as "Steelheart" got control over the city, now it's known as Newcago (that honestly, when this book would be translated to Spanish, I don't know how smart would be to keep that name since "cago" is the Spanish for "to shit" sort of, that in Chicago, I supposed that one is used to the name and didn't make the association but in Newcago, well, whenever I read the name of the city, I can't avoid to smile a bit.
POWER CORRUPTS...
I sometimes wonder if they came along because we thought we could explain everything.
These Epics have amazing powers whom defy physics such as one epic able to fire a gun and never being out of bullets. So, anything is possible. However, the key thing here is that each epic has a weakness. So, finding out his/her weakness is the key to be able to beat them and kill them. However, in the same way that the powers aren't limited to the realm of physics, the weakenesses can be anything, and many times finding out can be an almost impossible task.
You've got passion to kill, but you need to find passion to live.
The idea of evil super-humans isn't new, since on the process of the creation of "Superman", the first super-hero in literature, he was conceived first as a super-villain, but since his creators got trouble to get somebody to publish their work, during the struggles of keep looking for a publishing house, they came out with the twist of making "Superman" as a hero... a super-hero!
What is it to be King if you have nobody to follow you?
The young man who wishes to kill Steelheart is named David, David Charleston, and I think that it was a great idea to name him like that since he is a "David" trying to kill "Goliaths" with super-powers. And Steelheart is one of the most powerful ones ever existed, with super-strenght, flight, energy bolts, steel-converting fields and invulnerability and no respect for any human being. Along with his fantastic collection of powers, he is supported by a select team of Epics, and also an Enforcement army of soldiers ruling the city of Newcago.
Adding a new team member always upends the dynamic.
David will join The Reckoners with a bold plan... to kill Steelheart. David seen Steelheart bleed once, so, he knows that it's possible to kill Steelheart, but knowing the concept and finding out what the heck is the real weakness of Steelheart is another thing. David is the new member of The Reckoners and he is changing the dynamic of the team, however, is that is a good thing is too soon to be certain.
Don't act because you can, act because it's the right thing to do.
Even there will be many doubts about killing Steelheart or not. He is evil sure, however, Newcago is one of the very few cities able to hold people with basic needs like electricity, water, food, jobs. Don't be mistaken, Steelheart demands blind obedience to any citizen in Newcago, but definitely that's quite better to the situation in other cities where other Epics just destroyed the towns. So, even if they would be in the position to kill Steelheart... is it the wise movement to do in this very risky chessgame where the humanity is now trapped. How far The Reckoners can go without becoming terrorists instead of freedom fighters?
What terrorist didn't think he or she was the good guy?
Steelheart is just the first novel and I have no doubt that this book series will getting better and better!
August 6, 2012
I got to read this early. No spoilers, but it's FANTASTIC.
September 2, 2013
This book = insanity!
This will prove my living under a rock, but I had not heard of this author before I went to Book Expo and got told all about his awesome status, and let me tell you, the praise is not unwarranted! Steelheart does not hold back; it's an edge-of-your-seat read with an intensity that requires you to put the book down regularly just so you can take a breather!
There are book beginnings... then there are Sanderson beginnings; the prologue is all it took to make me fall in love with this book. Already, my heart was pounding, I was left gasping, and my knuckles were white from clutching the book. Sanderson's writing brought me thoroughly and completely in David's world - a very dark, merciless world - and in it I stayed until the last page was turned! My advice to you: buckle up, because it's a wild, turbulent ride!
In David's world, the Epics - humans with extraordinary powers - have taken over. You must abide by their rules to survive and then hope you go unnoticed. This may not sound like anything new - your average comic book premise, even - but the creativity is in the details. The world building does not falter; with every turn of a page the world comes alive with devastatingly grim, yet strangely picturesque, details. Sanderson paints this cinematic picture of a world corrupted by power. Each new Epic introduced is more fascinating than the last, not to mention terrifying. The various powers that range from death by command, to illusionists, to controlling daylight, coupled with the concept of weaknesses, are imaginative and utterly compelling. Much like Calamity which remains the enigma behind it all, yet to be explored but full of promise. This all results in an unpredictable plot with no limits or hesitations. Not once did I know what was coming next, though I learned quickly to not let myself relax for even a second.
Now let's meet the characters. We have a protagonist who's dedicated his life to learning about the Epics, his knowledge on the matter turns him into a capable and intelligent character. His awkwardness around a certain girl and his terrible analogies offer some comic relief to the story's borderline unbearable tension while carving him into a flawed, easily relatable character. He soon teams up with the Reckoners, a group who is fighting back against the Epics. Each member of this team brings forth a memorable personality, and a few have an air of mystery that will make you constantly question everything about their character. The powerhouse in this book, however, is none other than Steelheart himself. He makes his presence known during the first few pages, paralyzing us with his sheer power, ruthlessness, and invincibility. Most of the plot - especially its mystery - is spent on figuring out what exactly could lead to his defeat, but finding this weakness feels like an insurmountable challenge. My imagination was running rampant with infinite theories and possibilities that made it all the more riveting. Even though I was on the right track, I found myself reveling in the brilliance that was this ending! Besides, this book is so wildly action packed with wicked fight scenes that are so vicious and intense, that you won't care to spend much time predicting anything at all, let alone achieve success with idle guesses.
Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of this book! Steelheart is a spectacular read that's impossible to put down; sit comfortably, take a (deep) breath, now get ready to be up all night!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
This will prove my living under a rock, but I had not heard of this author before I went to Book Expo and got told all about his awesome status, and let me tell you, the praise is not unwarranted! Steelheart does not hold back; it's an edge-of-your-seat read with an intensity that requires you to put the book down regularly just so you can take a breather!
There are book beginnings... then there are Sanderson beginnings; the prologue is all it took to make me fall in love with this book. Already, my heart was pounding, I was left gasping, and my knuckles were white from clutching the book. Sanderson's writing brought me thoroughly and completely in David's world - a very dark, merciless world - and in it I stayed until the last page was turned! My advice to you: buckle up, because it's a wild, turbulent ride!
In David's world, the Epics - humans with extraordinary powers - have taken over. You must abide by their rules to survive and then hope you go unnoticed. This may not sound like anything new - your average comic book premise, even - but the creativity is in the details. The world building does not falter; with every turn of a page the world comes alive with devastatingly grim, yet strangely picturesque, details. Sanderson paints this cinematic picture of a world corrupted by power. Each new Epic introduced is more fascinating than the last, not to mention terrifying. The various powers that range from death by command, to illusionists, to controlling daylight, coupled with the concept of weaknesses, are imaginative and utterly compelling. Much like Calamity which remains the enigma behind it all, yet to be explored but full of promise. This all results in an unpredictable plot with no limits or hesitations. Not once did I know what was coming next, though I learned quickly to not let myself relax for even a second.
Now let's meet the characters. We have a protagonist who's dedicated his life to learning about the Epics, his knowledge on the matter turns him into a capable and intelligent character. His awkwardness around a certain girl and his terrible analogies offer some comic relief to the story's borderline unbearable tension while carving him into a flawed, easily relatable character. He soon teams up with the Reckoners, a group who is fighting back against the Epics. Each member of this team brings forth a memorable personality, and a few have an air of mystery that will make you constantly question everything about their character. The powerhouse in this book, however, is none other than Steelheart himself. He makes his presence known during the first few pages, paralyzing us with his sheer power, ruthlessness, and invincibility. Most of the plot - especially its mystery - is spent on figuring out what exactly could lead to his defeat, but finding this weakness feels like an insurmountable challenge. My imagination was running rampant with infinite theories and possibilities that made it all the more riveting. Even though I was on the right track, I found myself reveling in the brilliance that was this ending! Besides, this book is so wildly action packed with wicked fight scenes that are so vicious and intense, that you won't care to spend much time predicting anything at all, let alone achieve success with idle guesses.
Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of this book! Steelheart is a spectacular read that's impossible to put down; sit comfortably, take a (deep) breath, now get ready to be up all night!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
July 12, 2021
My relationship with The Reckoners series is like a relationship with someone you love deeply, despite the fact that they’re chewing out loudly. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite authors and I so wish he treated this story like he treated The Mistborn series. But when you’re fed up with “the greater good” and “great power comes with great responsibility”, a story about superpowered people who are using their powers for their own benefit comes like a breath of fresh air.
However, compared to, let’s say Vin (Mistborn), the characters were kinda plain :( I would have loved a more adult take, but that's just me.
Still, 5 stars.
However, compared to, let’s say Vin (Mistborn), the characters were kinda plain :( I would have loved a more adult take, but that's just me.
Still, 5 stars.
June 11, 2024
This was a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of superpowered beings (Epics) ruling over this new version of society and the rag-tag group (Reckoners) working underground, attempting to defeat them. I didn't necessarily love any of the characters, but they each brought something unique to the table. I also felt that the dialogue ran long at times, while neglecting some of the more desired details of the environment and hierarchy of Epics at large, but that all may just be my personal preference. The story is solid, the writing is great, and I am making sequels a priority. Bravo!
October 30, 2013
Actual rating: 3.5
This book was a lot of fun to read. I'm not a fan of comic books, I enjoy superhero movies, but I've never been a fan of comics themselves because I'm not a visual person. I don't like pictures. I prefer words. For me, this book was the lengthy equivalent of a comic book, and that's just fine with me. That is not to say that I take this book and its themes lightly in any way; comic books can be quite complex, and this book certainly was. It addresses some complex moral and philosophical dilemmas, and as with most of Sanderson's works, there is a considerable amount of depth underneath the standard plot.
The book excels in world building, in action sequences, in the writing. For me, it falls short when it comes to characterization and in consistent execution of a compelling story throughout the book. The middle half was rather boring to me, because I felt it was bogged down by some really, really boring strategizing. It is very much a comic book in written form; the narrator is an 18-year old boy, and a very convincing one. I appreciate the fact that he acts according to his age, with youthful aspirations combined with silliness. I appreciate the fact that while he's got his head on straight most of the time, his common sense is sometimes overruled by his dick, in the silliest of circumstances. I don't like the fact that he is rather too perfect to be true.
Obviously, not all superheroes are good. We've known that before, from countless comic books. Bad guys have superpowers, too, but we didn't call them superheroes then, because in your conventional comic book, they're just the villains. In Steelheart, the superheroes are called Epics, and they're all despicable. An event called the Calamity has occurred, leaving humans with superpowers in its wake. Instead of using their powers for good, these newly created Epics wreak havoc upon humanity. There is no question about it. Every single Epic is corrupted.
David watched as an extremely powerful Epic named Steelheart murdered his father before his eyes when he was eight years old. Naturally, he wants revenge, and he spends the next 10 years of his life planning and preparing for it. It's an impossible task, but David thinks he can do it. He knows Steelheart is not invincible. He's witnessed it himself.
He joins up with a group of vigilante Epic hunters, who call themselves the Reckoners. Together, they embark on a seemingly impossible mission: to reclaim their world from the hands of the Epics. It's a tough job, but they all have to make personal sacrifices for what they believe in, for the promise of a better future.
The Characters: Once again, we have a ragtag group of vigilantes, some with rather interesting quirks, and some clearly there to provide comic relief. The leader of the group is the Prof, which immediately brings to mind Professor X of X-Men fame, but far less gentle, far less understanding, far less compassionate, because there is no time for that shit here. The Reckoners have a mission to fulfil, and there's no room for fucking about.
Our narrator is David. You know those kids who memorize the players and their respective stats for their favorite sports teams? David is a similar type of geek, only his hoard of information is related to the Epics themselves. That is his strength, and his major contribution to the team. In his quest for vengeance, he has devoted his time to collecting every single bit of information he possibly can, and despite the Reckoners' reluctance to admit him onto their team, his trove of information proves to be invaluable to them; thanks to his "resume," he becomes a Reckoner. He is a rather amusing narrator. He stumbles with his words around a pretty girl, he makes horrible, horrible metaphors.
What I don't like about David is his perfection. Despite his bumbling, despite his awkwardness, he succeeds far too often. He defuses tight, dangerous situation through his quick-wittedness, and really, I don't think there is a standard for his abilities. David is a newbie, yet he stands on par, and holds his own against the very experienced team of Reckoners. It's not like he has had a lot of experience with this situation before; in order to succeed at fighting, you have to put in the time, the practice, and until very recently, he has worked in a Factory producing weaponry. He collects information, and collected it well, but there is a definite line between being a geek and being an amazing fighter. It takes a lot of practice, it takes a considerable amount of skills, and I don't feel like David has the experience necessary to justify his brilliance in battle and in dangerous situations.
The Romance: I did not mind the light romance in this book. It was insta-love, but while David finds himself thinking of Megan more often than he should, he realizes the absurdity of the situation, and snaps out of it. I liked Megan, I liked her single-mindedness, I like her absolute focus on the mission, and I liked the fact that she wasn't some silly girl with her head in the clouds. She is strong, she is determined, she is too harsh, at times, but hey, nobody's perfect. There is a distinctly Jean Gray feel about Megan.
If you have been a Sanderson fan before, you will likely love this book. I have read Mistborn, and I will say that I prefer the pacing of this book to that series. This is a lot easier to read, the world building is less confusing; it is Mistborn for those with a short attention span. (Like me!)
This book was a lot of fun to read. I'm not a fan of comic books, I enjoy superhero movies, but I've never been a fan of comics themselves because I'm not a visual person. I don't like pictures. I prefer words. For me, this book was the lengthy equivalent of a comic book, and that's just fine with me. That is not to say that I take this book and its themes lightly in any way; comic books can be quite complex, and this book certainly was. It addresses some complex moral and philosophical dilemmas, and as with most of Sanderson's works, there is a considerable amount of depth underneath the standard plot.
The book excels in world building, in action sequences, in the writing. For me, it falls short when it comes to characterization and in consistent execution of a compelling story throughout the book. The middle half was rather boring to me, because I felt it was bogged down by some really, really boring strategizing. It is very much a comic book in written form; the narrator is an 18-year old boy, and a very convincing one. I appreciate the fact that he acts according to his age, with youthful aspirations combined with silliness. I appreciate the fact that while he's got his head on straight most of the time, his common sense is sometimes overruled by his dick, in the silliest of circumstances. I don't like the fact that he is rather too perfect to be true.
Obviously, not all superheroes are good. We've known that before, from countless comic books. Bad guys have superpowers, too, but we didn't call them superheroes then, because in your conventional comic book, they're just the villains. In Steelheart, the superheroes are called Epics, and they're all despicable. An event called the Calamity has occurred, leaving humans with superpowers in its wake. Instead of using their powers for good, these newly created Epics wreak havoc upon humanity. There is no question about it. Every single Epic is corrupted.
Epics had a distinct, even incredible, lack of morals or conscience. That bothered some people, on a philosophical level. Theorists, scholars. They wondered at the sheer inhumanity many Epics manifested. Did the Epics kill because Calamity chose—for whatever reason—only terrible people to gain powers? Or did they kill because such amazing power twisted a person, made them irresponsible?They steal. They murder. They take over the world.
David watched as an extremely powerful Epic named Steelheart murdered his father before his eyes when he was eight years old. Naturally, he wants revenge, and he spends the next 10 years of his life planning and preparing for it. It's an impossible task, but David thinks he can do it. He knows Steelheart is not invincible. He's witnessed it himself.
Something about the bank, the situation, the gun, or my father himself was able to counteract Steelheart’s invulnerability. Many of you probably know about that scar on Steelheart’s cheek. Well, as far as I can determine, I’m the only living person who knows how he got it.And that makes David dangerous.
I’ve seen Steelheart bleed.
And I will see him bleed again.
He joins up with a group of vigilante Epic hunters, who call themselves the Reckoners. Together, they embark on a seemingly impossible mission: to reclaim their world from the hands of the Epics. It's a tough job, but they all have to make personal sacrifices for what they believe in, for the promise of a better future.
“The work we do,” Prof said, “is not about living. Our job is killing. We’ll leave the regular people to live their lives, to find joy in them, to enjoy the sunrises and the snowfalls. Our job is to get them there.”The Setting: Excellent. Newcago is Chicago, gone to pieces. It is dark, it is bleak, people die on a daily basis, they get murdered haphazardly whenever an Epic feel particularly trigger-happy on that particular day, but it is still better off under Steelheart's rule than in most other cities, because at least its citizens have sufficient food, due to Steelheart's odd brand of benevolence. The city and the setting itself is brilliantly depicted. I can feel the darkness, the despair, the hopelessness. Steelheart has transmuted the entire city into solid steel, the soil, the buildings, everything from above to deep underground. It is literally a city shrouded in darkness.
It’s always dark in Newcago. Because of Nightwielder there are no sunrises, and no moon to speak of, just pure darkness in the sky. All the time, every day.The setting and the world were impeccably described, and I love the descriptions of the various Epics and their powers. The world building is one of my favorite features about this book.
The Characters: Once again, we have a ragtag group of vigilantes, some with rather interesting quirks, and some clearly there to provide comic relief. The leader of the group is the Prof, which immediately brings to mind Professor X of X-Men fame, but far less gentle, far less understanding, far less compassionate, because there is no time for that shit here. The Reckoners have a mission to fulfil, and there's no room for fucking about.
Our narrator is David. You know those kids who memorize the players and their respective stats for their favorite sports teams? David is a similar type of geek, only his hoard of information is related to the Epics themselves. That is his strength, and his major contribution to the team. In his quest for vengeance, he has devoted his time to collecting every single bit of information he possibly can, and despite the Reckoners' reluctance to admit him onto their team, his trove of information proves to be invaluable to them; thanks to his "resume," he becomes a Reckoner. He is a rather amusing narrator. He stumbles with his words around a pretty girl, he makes horrible, horrible metaphors.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I feel like a brick made of porridge.”Trust me, we are subjected to a fair number of terrible metaphors within this book, but they are completely intentional. It's not the writing at all. I find them very amusing.
“No, no,” I said. “It makes sense! Listen. A brick is supposed to be strong, right? But if one were secretly made of porridge, and all of the other bricks didn’t know, he’d sit around worrying that he’d be weak when the rest of them were strong. He’d get smooshed when he was placed in the wall, you see, maybe get some of his porridge mixed with that stuff they stick between bricks.”
What I don't like about David is his perfection. Despite his bumbling, despite his awkwardness, he succeeds far too often. He defuses tight, dangerous situation through his quick-wittedness, and really, I don't think there is a standard for his abilities. David is a newbie, yet he stands on par, and holds his own against the very experienced team of Reckoners. It's not like he has had a lot of experience with this situation before; in order to succeed at fighting, you have to put in the time, the practice, and until very recently, he has worked in a Factory producing weaponry. He collects information, and collected it well, but there is a definite line between being a geek and being an amazing fighter. It takes a lot of practice, it takes a considerable amount of skills, and I don't feel like David has the experience necessary to justify his brilliance in battle and in dangerous situations.
The Romance: I did not mind the light romance in this book. It was insta-love, but while David finds himself thinking of Megan more often than he should, he realizes the absurdity of the situation, and snaps out of it. I liked Megan, I liked her single-mindedness, I like her absolute focus on the mission, and I liked the fact that she wasn't some silly girl with her head in the clouds. She is strong, she is determined, she is too harsh, at times, but hey, nobody's perfect. There is a distinctly Jean Gray feel about Megan.
The clock ticked down. We didn’t speak. I mentally sounded out a few ways to start conversation, but each one died on my lips as I opened my mouth. Each time I was confronted by Megan’s glassy stare. She didn’t want to chat. She wanted to do the job.The book had a very fast pace initially, but the middle half was very slow for me. There was a lot of planning, a lot of discussion, and while it was necessary to have that in the book leading up to the final confrontation, I find myself just plain bored. There was a lot of action, but I wished there were more characterization in its place.
If you have been a Sanderson fan before, you will likely love this book. I have read Mistborn, and I will say that I prefer the pacing of this book to that series. This is a lot easier to read, the world building is less confusing; it is Mistborn for those with a short attention span. (Like me!)
December 5, 2017
“I’ve seen Steelheart bleed. And I will see him bleed again.”
Epics are humans with super powers. These powers corrupt their souls, turning them into tyrannical murderers that think themselves divine.
Steelheart is one of these and he has the ability to turn anything he touches into steel, including his own skin which renders him completely impervious to harm. He murdered David’s father, but not before he managed to shoot him in the face leaving a scar on the supposedly invincible Epic’s cheek. David is the only person to ever see him bleed, and has spent the rest of his life planning to make him do it again. A task easier said than done it seems.
David, now eighteen, wants to join the Reckoners: a select group of Epic hunters. They’re highly skilled and kitted out with marvellous technology. The technology was invented by their founder, Prof, and grants them shielding and disintegration abilities. David believes with their help he can kill his nemesis. The only problem is they’re surviving by using covert ops, so finding them is a little bit tricky. And getting them to trust you is even harder.
The Reckoners are quite an eccentric group of characters. Prof’s everyday clothing is a lab coat dyed black. The using of his own tech changes his mood so much that his personality is altered entirely. At least, that’s how David sees it in the beginning. The revelation on why this happens is quite a shocker. The rest of the group are quite an eclectic cast as well. In the midst of them David even finds a love interest, though she doesn’t seem to like him back. He doesn’t quite understand why, until the very end when Sanderson throws yet another shocker at us.
A revenge mission layered with lots of action and blood
Every Epic has a weakness, each one is more random and bizarre than the last. Steelheart’s weakness has only manifested itself once, when David’s father shot him, and it’s almost impossible to tell what that weakness was: it could have been anything in the room at the time. It could have been a simple thought or even an emotion. David is determined to discover what it is. However, Steelheart has proclaimed himself Emperor of Newcago and consequently has a host of lesser Epics at his disposal. Nightwielder is incorporeal and can shape shadows into spears. Firefight is a wielder of flame and Conflux is literally a human battery. Each one is a servant to Steelheart’s evil rule. Getting to him won't be easy.
David and the Reckoners have a lot to go through if they wish to bring down Steelheart. And the author has crammed it all into four-hundred pages of fast writing that opens up this series in a great way.
Epics are humans with super powers. These powers corrupt their souls, turning them into tyrannical murderers that think themselves divine.
Steelheart is one of these and he has the ability to turn anything he touches into steel, including his own skin which renders him completely impervious to harm. He murdered David’s father, but not before he managed to shoot him in the face leaving a scar on the supposedly invincible Epic’s cheek. David is the only person to ever see him bleed, and has spent the rest of his life planning to make him do it again. A task easier said than done it seems.
David, now eighteen, wants to join the Reckoners: a select group of Epic hunters. They’re highly skilled and kitted out with marvellous technology. The technology was invented by their founder, Prof, and grants them shielding and disintegration abilities. David believes with their help he can kill his nemesis. The only problem is they’re surviving by using covert ops, so finding them is a little bit tricky. And getting them to trust you is even harder.
The Reckoners are quite an eccentric group of characters. Prof’s everyday clothing is a lab coat dyed black. The using of his own tech changes his mood so much that his personality is altered entirely. At least, that’s how David sees it in the beginning. The revelation on why this happens is quite a shocker. The rest of the group are quite an eclectic cast as well. In the midst of them David even finds a love interest, though she doesn’t seem to like him back. He doesn’t quite understand why, until the very end when Sanderson throws yet another shocker at us.
A revenge mission layered with lots of action and blood
Every Epic has a weakness, each one is more random and bizarre than the last. Steelheart’s weakness has only manifested itself once, when David’s father shot him, and it’s almost impossible to tell what that weakness was: it could have been anything in the room at the time. It could have been a simple thought or even an emotion. David is determined to discover what it is. However, Steelheart has proclaimed himself Emperor of Newcago and consequently has a host of lesser Epics at his disposal. Nightwielder is incorporeal and can shape shadows into spears. Firefight is a wielder of flame and Conflux is literally a human battery. Each one is a servant to Steelheart’s evil rule. Getting to him won't be easy.
David and the Reckoners have a lot to go through if they wish to bring down Steelheart. And the author has crammed it all into four-hundred pages of fast writing that opens up this series in a great way.
January 14, 2018
I have had a few days off work this week and I must admit that I have found this book very difficult to put down during that time.
I was sceptical about approaching this book and have had it on my bookshelf for a while. I have read some of the Mistborn books and A Stormlight Archive and loved it and thought this book would disappoint me and just be a bit .. geeky compared to the complex magic mechanics and exceptional world building of the above mentioned.
It was geeky - yet in a great way and I am not at all disappointed by the 384 pages that I raced through.
We follow, in the first person an everyday dude called David in a slightly futuristic world that is populated by certain 'super-beings' who were created following a burst in the sky - named Calamity. These are the Epics who have superpowers ranging from flying, illusion, controlling darkness/ shadow and blasting of destruction abilities (not sure of the technical term). You may have noticed I didn't use the word 'super-heroes' - and the reason would be that these guys and gals tend to be really mean. Flaunting their powers and leaving the normal people to live pretty shitty lives. None more so that Steelheart. He is the strongest, most powerful Epic, who rules Newcargo, no one knows his weakness (all Epic's have one see) - and David has a vendetta against him! So the story commences.
So many great moments come to mind in this book. The opening scene in the bank blows the metaphorical storybook doors off the hinges straightaway. The confrontation between David and an Epic in a gun store, the high-speed motorcycle chase and just how everything reaches the crescendo of a satisfying finale that would blow Hollywood's socks off. Included in this sequence are a couple of super unpredictable gems/ moments of suprise that make me want to start reading the next book straight away.
I like the companionship and loyalty of the Reckoners. The underground group that doesn't have any time for the Epic's and do what they can to keep the city as safe as possible. This starts by killing minor Epic's but when David's nerdiness is placed in the mix (he has been studying how to kill these bastards for about 10 years!!!)- they aim for a higher scale against the High Epic's such as Nightweilder, Firefly, Conflux and of course - Steelheart. Where the victories here might really mean something to the world. The mysticism and majesty surrounding these Epic's is, well epic. Lot's of here-say, guessing, analysis for the normal folks and the Reckoners trying to figure them out and they are just very mysterious and super powerful- that is for certain.
To finish - David is a geek. And that is okay. This book is filled with a lot of bad, fruity, colourful metaphors when he tries to describe the insane scenarios he gets himself into. It is very tongue in cheek and he will sometimes have debates in his head about 'why did I say that out loud?'. Also - everyone else in the world appears to be amazing descriptive metaphor wordsmiths without trying. It is a cute juxtaposition that annoyed David here and there.
Highly enjoyable. Only got 4 stars because I wasn't amazingly engrossed by the characterisation - but story 100% wins here. Peace. x
Ps. I also like the dude who loves Scotland so damned much. Especially his description about how they make bagpipes.
www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
I was sceptical about approaching this book and have had it on my bookshelf for a while. I have read some of the Mistborn books and A Stormlight Archive and loved it and thought this book would disappoint me and just be a bit .. geeky compared to the complex magic mechanics and exceptional world building of the above mentioned.
It was geeky - yet in a great way and I am not at all disappointed by the 384 pages that I raced through.
We follow, in the first person an everyday dude called David in a slightly futuristic world that is populated by certain 'super-beings' who were created following a burst in the sky - named Calamity. These are the Epics who have superpowers ranging from flying, illusion, controlling darkness/ shadow and blasting of destruction abilities (not sure of the technical term). You may have noticed I didn't use the word 'super-heroes' - and the reason would be that these guys and gals tend to be really mean. Flaunting their powers and leaving the normal people to live pretty shitty lives. None more so that Steelheart. He is the strongest, most powerful Epic, who rules Newcargo, no one knows his weakness (all Epic's have one see) - and David has a vendetta against him! So the story commences.
So many great moments come to mind in this book. The opening scene in the bank blows the metaphorical storybook doors off the hinges straightaway. The confrontation between David and an Epic in a gun store, the high-speed motorcycle chase and just how everything reaches the crescendo of a satisfying finale that would blow Hollywood's socks off. Included in this sequence are a couple of super unpredictable gems/ moments of suprise that make me want to start reading the next book straight away.
I like the companionship and loyalty of the Reckoners. The underground group that doesn't have any time for the Epic's and do what they can to keep the city as safe as possible. This starts by killing minor Epic's but when David's nerdiness is placed in the mix (he has been studying how to kill these bastards for about 10 years!!!)- they aim for a higher scale against the High Epic's such as Nightweilder, Firefly, Conflux and of course - Steelheart. Where the victories here might really mean something to the world. The mysticism and majesty surrounding these Epic's is, well epic. Lot's of here-say, guessing, analysis for the normal folks and the Reckoners trying to figure them out and they are just very mysterious and super powerful- that is for certain.
To finish - David is a geek. And that is okay. This book is filled with a lot of bad, fruity, colourful metaphors when he tries to describe the insane scenarios he gets himself into. It is very tongue in cheek and he will sometimes have debates in his head about 'why did I say that out loud?'. Also - everyone else in the world appears to be amazing descriptive metaphor wordsmiths without trying. It is a cute juxtaposition that annoyed David here and there.
Highly enjoyable. Only got 4 stars because I wasn't amazingly engrossed by the characterisation - but story 100% wins here. Peace. x
Ps. I also like the dude who loves Scotland so damned much. Especially his description about how they make bagpipes.
www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
March 17, 2014
The world kinda ends with an event called Calamity. Ordinary people get superpowers? Kinda sounds cool huh?
Well they don't use their powers for good. They use those suckers to rule the world!
The Reckoners are the group trying to fight against them. At times I got bored with them. They did spend too much time discussing plans. I didn't care. I just wanted shit blew up.
I did get entranced when the action started. That was intense and very well done.
This kinda reads similar to Xmen gone bad. I like Xmen. I like bad guys. I like shit getting destroyed. Equals 4 stars. I took away one because of the boring stuff.
Well they don't use their powers for good. They use those suckers to rule the world!
The Reckoners are the group trying to fight against them. At times I got bored with them. They did spend too much time discussing plans. I didn't care. I just wanted shit blew up.
I did get entranced when the action started. That was intense and very well done.
This kinda reads similar to Xmen gone bad. I like Xmen. I like bad guys. I like shit getting destroyed. Equals 4 stars. I took away one because of the boring stuff.
October 7, 2017
I was very excited to read this YA fantasy series - super powers? post apocalyptic-ish? Brandon Sanderson? Yes!!
I liked it but oh my, I cannot deal with the fake swear words (Calamity, Slontze, Sparks... like really?!)
I was about to lower my rating by 0.5 just because of this but the ending was good... Sanderson always writes good endings.
Will continue the series.
I liked it but oh my, I cannot deal with the fake swear words (Calamity, Slontze, Sparks... like really?!)
I was about to lower my rating by 0.5 just because of this but the ending was good... Sanderson always writes good endings.
Will continue the series.
December 7, 2017
4.5 Steelhearted stars! from my 14-year-old reluctant reader and me!🌟
My 14-year-old son just recently began listening to audiobooks with me for about an hour every night, we started with some ghost stories and now we have moved on to fantasy.... and this was a fantastic choice! I’ve had this book on audio sitting on my phone forever, But fantasy and I don’t always get along, so I’ve been a bit hesitant.... what I learned with this is that fantasy is perfect for me an hour a day... so all those fantasy books sitting on my phone will now be listened to by my son and I over the course of this year....
What I really appreciated about this book was that it was not confusing.... it did not get bogged down with world building or info dumping, it was all pretty straightforward, thank you!
What I loved about this book was the characters.... David was such a likable character, something about him was so innocent you just wanted everything to go his way.... The rest of the Reckoners had quite the personalities especially Abraham and Cody.... Cody I need to speak Australian with a Scottish accent LOL! That Cody made me laugh quite a few times....
The plot of this was definitely action-packed..... in a nutshell the Reckoners we’re trying to bring down the EpiCs the anti-superheroes of this book..... something I really thought of while listening to this was that all the tents action is so much more enjoyable in a book, it is drawn out so much longer than in a movie.... I think listening with my son really brought this home to me.....I brought this up to him, as I was explaining why books are better than movies, and he agreed with me! (I’ve trained him well)
Definitely recommend especially if you have a 14-year-old in your life!
My 14-year-old son just recently began listening to audiobooks with me for about an hour every night, we started with some ghost stories and now we have moved on to fantasy.... and this was a fantastic choice! I’ve had this book on audio sitting on my phone forever, But fantasy and I don’t always get along, so I’ve been a bit hesitant.... what I learned with this is that fantasy is perfect for me an hour a day... so all those fantasy books sitting on my phone will now be listened to by my son and I over the course of this year....
What I really appreciated about this book was that it was not confusing.... it did not get bogged down with world building or info dumping, it was all pretty straightforward, thank you!
What I loved about this book was the characters.... David was such a likable character, something about him was so innocent you just wanted everything to go his way.... The rest of the Reckoners had quite the personalities especially Abraham and Cody.... Cody I need to speak Australian with a Scottish accent LOL! That Cody made me laugh quite a few times....
The plot of this was definitely action-packed..... in a nutshell the Reckoners we’re trying to bring down the EpiCs the anti-superheroes of this book..... something I really thought of while listening to this was that all the tents action is so much more enjoyable in a book, it is drawn out so much longer than in a movie.... I think listening with my son really brought this home to me.....I brought this up to him, as I was explaining why books are better than movies, and he agreed with me! (I’ve trained him well)
Definitely recommend especially if you have a 14-year-old in your life!
August 27, 2020
Steelheart (Reckoners #1), Brandon Sanderson
The United States, and other parts of the world, were changed forever when a glowing red light in the sky known as Calamity gave normal people superhuman powers and abilities. These people came to be known to humanity as Epics.
The story is told through the perspective of David, an orphaned teenager living in Newcago (formerly known as Chicago). Newcago is ruled by the extremely powerful Epic named Steelheart, who has created a society run by other powerful Epics, with normal people living with normal jobs.
Steelheart is apparently invulnerable, is able to fly, can hurl blasts of energy, and can turn inanimate matter to steel; he has turned all of Chicago to steel for kilometers around and into the ground. Newcago is also shrouded in darkness by Steelheart's lieutenant, Nightwielder.
Compared to other places in what was the United States, war torn, lawless and ravaged by warring Epics, Newcago is well run, with normal people generally having access to food, water, electricity, jobs, etc.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ما ژوئن سال 2019 میلادی
عنوان: پولاددل؛ نویسنده: براندون سندرسون؛ مترجم: راحله زمانی؛ تهران: انتشارات بهنام، 1397؛ در 485ص؛ شابک 9786007132593؛ جلد اول سری سه گانه ناجیان؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
نقل از متن: «دث دوباره انگشتش را به سوی او گرفت، عصبانی به نظر میرسید؛ سوراخ دیگری روی لباس هارت ایجاد شد؛ او به سرعت به سمت دث رفت، که نسبت به او جثه کوچکتری داشت، و مانند برجی بلند، بر فراز سرش ایستاد؛ در آن لحظه میدانستم این همان چیزی است که پدرم انتظارش را میکشید؛ او همان قهرمانی بود که همه امیدوار به آمدنش بودند، کسی که در مقابل اپیک و شیوه ی شیطانی اش بایستد؛ آن مرد اینجا بود تا ما را نجات دهد؛ هارت خود را به دث رساند، و درست لحظه ای که سعی داشت فرار کند، او را گرفت؛ دث با چالاکی هرچه تمام تر خواست خود را برهاند که عینکش روی زمین پرت شد، و نفسش به شماره افتاد؛ او به سختی نفس میکشید؛ هارت با صدایی رعدآسا گفت: «میخوام یه سئوال ازت بپرسم.» آنگاه چرخی زد و دث نیز برگشت و نگاهش را به چشمهای او دوخت، هارت پرسید: «اینجا چه کار میکنی؟» دث که خودش را جمع کرده بود و به نظر میرسید ترسیده است، گفت: «من... من...»؛ هارت دست دیگرش را بالا آورد؛ با انگشت سبابه اش، به دث اشاره کرد، و گفت: «این شهر مال منه، اپیک کوچولو، مال من.»؛ پس از مکثی کوتاه، ادامه داد: «و این حق منه که بر مردم شهر تسلط داشته باشم و آنها باید تحت امر و فرمان من باشن، نه تو.»؛ دث سرش را کج کرد.؛ با خود فکر کردم این چه معنایی میتواند داشته باشد.؛ هارت نگاهی به استخوانهای پخش شده در گوشه گوشه سالن بانک انداخت و گفت: «اپیک کوچولو، مثل اینکه خیلی قدرتمندی.؛ برای تملق گویی و چاپلوسی میپذیرمت.؛ یا سوگند وفاداری بخور یا باید بمیری.»؛ نمیتوانستم حرفهای هارت را باور کنم.؛ کلام او دقیقا مانند آدمکشی دث، مرا گیج میکرد.؛ عبارت «یا در خدمت من باش یا بمیر»، اساس و پایه ی اصول و قوانین او بود؛ نگاهی به اطراف سالن انداخت و با صدایی مهیب شروع به سخن گفتن کرد: «حالا من امپراتور این شهر هستم. شما باید از من اطاعت کنین. من مالک این شهر و مالک این ساختمونها هستم. وقتی شما مالیات پرداخت میکنین، مالیاتها به دست من میرسه. اگه نافرمانی کنین، میمیرین.»؛
با خودم فکر میکردم غیرممکن است، او اینگونه نیست.؛ نمیتوانستم باور کنم این موجود افسانه ای هم دقیقا مثل بقیه آنها باشد.؛ من تنها نبودم که اینطور فکر میکردم، رفتار او مورد قبول پدرم هم نبود.؛ هارت برگشت، ظاهرا از شنیدن صداهایی که از یکی از اتاقها میآمد تعجب کرده بود، صدای ناله یک دختربچه بود.؛ پدرم جلو رفت، سلاح، کنارش روی زمین بود، گفت: «نه، تو مثل بقیه نیستی.؛ میتونم اینرو بفهمم؛ تو از بقیه بهتری.»؛ پدرم جلوتر رفت، به چند قدمی آن دو رسید، و گفت: «تو اینجایی برای اینکه ما رو نجات بدی.»؛
سکوت بر همه جا حکمفرما بود، جایی امن برای گریه ی آن زن که هنوز بر استخوانهای کودک مرده اش چنگ میزد.؛ او دیوانه وار و عبث تلاش میکرد تا استخوانها را جمع کند، و حتی یکی از استخوانهای کوچک ستون فقرات فرزندش روی زمین نماند.؛ لباسش در میان خاکسترها محو شده بود.؛ پیش از آنکه آن دو بتوانند پاسخ پدرم را بدهند، درهای کناری با چنان شتاب، و صدای مهیبی باز شد، که گویی انفجاری رخ داده است.؛ مردهایی که زره سیاه بر تن داشتند، هر یک با پشته ای اسلحه، وارد بانک شده و شلیک کردند.؛ پس دولت هنوز تسلیم نشده بود، و همچنان تلاش میکرد، با اپیکها بجنگد، و آنها را وادار کند، تا از قوانین مملکت پیروی کنند.؛ از ابتدا مشخص بود وقتی پای اپیکها به میان بیاید، دیگر جایی برای تردید و مذاکره وجود نخواهد داشت.؛ بلکه با سلاحهایی آتشبار به سراغشان میروند، و امیدوارند وقتی با اپیکها روبرو میشوند، بتوانند آنها را با گلوله های معمولی بکشند.؛
پدرم جستی زد، غریزه دیرینه ی مبارزه، او را به حرکت وامیداشت، پشتش را به ستونی چسباند، که به قسمت جلویی بانک نزدیکتر بود.؛ هارت برگشت، چهره اش گنگ و گیج بود، چرا که موج�� از گلوله بر سر و رویش میبارید.؛ گلوله ها پوست او را میساییدند، و لباسش را پاره میکردند، اما هیچ صدمه ای به او نمیرسید.؛ اپیکهایی همانند او، ایالات متحده را مجبور میسازند، تا قانون کاپیتولاسیون را نادیده گرفته، و برای تمام اپیکها مصونیت قانونی قائل شود، و آنها را از تابعیت قانون معاف بداند.؛ گلوله نمیتواند آسیبی به هارت برساند، موشکها، تانکها و پیشرفته ترین سلاحهای بشر، نمیتواند حتی خراشی بر او وارد کند.؛ حتی اگر میتوانستند او را دستگیر و زندانی کنند، نمیتوانستند او را نگه دارند.؛ دولت در نهایت اعلام کرد، افرادی مانند هارت، نیروهای طبیعی مانند توفان و زلزله هستند؛ تلاش برای آنکه به هارت گفته شود، نمیتواند هرچه میخواهد به دست آورد، و نمیتواند هر کاری که میخواهد، انجام دهد، به همان اندازه عبث و بیهوده است، که یک لایحه صادر شود تا به باد بگوید حق ندارد بوزد؛
آنروز من در بانک، با چشمهای خود دیدم، که چرا اکثر آدمها نمیخواهند مبارزه کنند؛ هارت یک دستش را بالا آورد، نیرویی به رنگ زرد کمرنگ، در اطراف او شروع به تجمع کرد؛ دث پشت او پنهان شده و پناه گرفته بود، تا مبادا گلوله ای به او برخورد کند؛ به نظر میرسید برعکس هارت، او از اینکه هدف گلوله ای قرار بگیرد، میترسد.؛ همه ی اپیکها در مقابل گلوله نفوذناپذیر نیستند، این قانون فقط در مورد آنهایی صدق میکند که از بقیه قویترند؛ از دست هارت، موجی از انرژی به رنگ زرد و سفید رها شد که گروهی از سربازان را تبخیر کرد؛ هرج و مرج ادامه یافت؛ سربازان در هر سوراخی پنهان شده، و پناه میگرفتند؛ دود و تراشه های سنگ مرمر هوا را پر کرده بود؛ یکی از سربازان، موشکی از سلاحش شلیک کرد، موشک از هارت که همچنان به منفجر کردن دشمنانش ادامه میداد، گذشت و به انتهای سالن بانک برخورد کرد، و سقف را شکافت؛
شعله های آتش، به سمت بیرون منفجر شد، و زبانه میکشید؛ سکه ها در هوا پخش شد، و سپس بر زمین باریدند؛ فقط شلیک بود و فریاد و جنون؛ خیلی زود سربازان کشته شدند؛ من همانطور روی صندلی ام مانده بودم، و دستهایم را روی گوشهایم فشار میدادم؛ صداها مهیب و گوشخراش بود؛ دث همچنان پشت هارت پنهان شده بود؛ داشتم نگاهش میکردم، لبخندی زد و دستش را بلند کرد.؛ میخواست گردن هارت را بگیرد.؛ نمیدانم چه نقشه ای داشت.؛ شاید قدرت دومی داشت.؛ بیشتر اپیکهایی به قدرتمندی او، بیش از یک قدرت دارند.؛ شاید او برای کشتن هارت به انداره کافی قدرتمند بود.؛ تردید دارم، در هر صورت هرگز معلوم نشد.؛ صدای یک پرتاب تنها در هوا طنین انداز شد؛ صدای انفجار آنقدر بلند بود که گوشهایم کر شد به طوری که به زحمت آن صدا را، مانند صدای شلیک یک سلاح شنیدم؛ وقتی دود حاصل از انفجار محو شد، توانستم پدرم را ببینم؛ او با فاصله کمی در مقابل هارت ایستاده بود، در حالیکه دستهایش را بالا برده، و پشتش را به ستون چسبانده بود؛ در چهره اش عزمی راسخ نمایان بود؛ او سلاح را به سمت هارت نشانه رفته بود؛ نه، هارت نه، دث را نشانه گرفته بود، که پشت او قرار داشت؛ دث با جراحت گلوله ای که بر پیشانی اش نشسته بود، بر زمین افتاد؛ مرده بودغ هارت با شتاب برگشت، و به آن اپیک کوچکتر نگاه کرد؛ سپس به طرف پدرم چرخید و یک دستش را بالا آورده و بر صورتش گذاشت؛ روی گونه هارت درست زیر چشمش، خطی از خون جاری بود؛ اول فکر کردم باید خون دث باشد، اما وقتی هارت خون را پاک کرد باز هم از همان نقطه خون جاری شد؛ پدرم به دث شلیک کرده بود، اما گلوله، اول به هارت برخورد کرده، و صورت او را خراشیده بود؛ آن گلوله، هارت را مجروح کرد در حالیکه گلوله های سربازان هیچ اثری بر او نداشت؛
پدرم با صدای مضطربی گفت: «متاسفم؛ او میخواست شما را بگیرد، من...»؛ چشمهای هارت از حدقه بیرون آمده بود، دستش را در مقابلش گرفت، و به خونی که روی آن بود، نگاه کرد؛ کاملاً شگفت زده به نظر میرسید.؛ نگاهی به سقف پشت سرش انداخت، سپس به پدرم نگاه کرد؛ در مه ای از دود و غبار، آن دو در برابر یکدیگر ایستاده بودند، یکی اپیکی غول پیکر و شاهوار، دیگری مردی ریزجثه و بی خانمان با تی شرتی احمقانه و شلوار جین کهنه؛ هارت با سرعتی خیره کننده، جستی زد و با دست ضربه محکمی بر سینه پدرم کوفت، کمر پدرم به ستون سنگی سفید برخورد کرد و له شد، استخوانهایش نیز خرد شد و خون از دهانش بیرون زد.؛
من فریاد زدم: «نه!» صدایم در گوش خودم عجیب میآمد، مثل اینکه زیر آب بودم؛ میخواستم به سوی پدرم بدوم اما خیلی ترسیده بودم؛ هنوز هم به بزدلی ام در آن روز میاندیشم، تا حدی که بیمارم میکند. هارت کناری ایستاد و سلاحی را که از دست پدرم افتاده بود، برداشت؛ آتش خشم در چشمهایش شعله میکشید، او مستقیما سلاح را به سوی سینه پدرم نشانه رفت و سرانجام یک گلوله به سینه او که لحظاتی پیش بر زمین افتاده بود، شلیک کرد؛ او این کار را انجام داد.؛ هارت دوست دارد مردم را با سلاح خودشان بکشد؛ این یکی از ویژگیهای خاص اوست؛ او قدرتی باورنکردنی دارد و میتواند به شکل انفجاری، از دستهایش شلیک کند؛ اما زمانی که میخواهد شخصی را که توجه ویژه ای به او دارد، بکشد و تصور میکند ارزشش را دارد، ترجیح میدهد آن شخص را با سلاح خودش به قتل برساند.؛
هارت پدرم را که کنار ستون افتاده بود، رها کرد و سلاح را نیز کنار پایش انداخت و رفت؛ سپس شروع به شلیک انرژی از دستهایش به همه طرف کرد صندلیها، دیوارها، پیشخوانها و همه چراغ ها.؛ یکی از شلیکها با فاصله کمی، از کنار من رد شد و من از روی صندلی سقوط کرده، روی زمین غلتیدم؛ انفجارها سالن را به لرزه درآورده، تراشه های چوب و خرده شیشه به هوا پرتاب میشد؛ ظرف فقط چند دقیقه، هارت به اندازه کافی ویرانی و خرابی به بار آورد تا قاتل دث را که قانون شکنی کرده بود، سر جایش بنشاند؛
هارت چیزی از بانک باقی نگذاشت و آن را کاملاً ویران کرد، ستونها فروریخت و همه آنهایی را که میتوانستم ببینم، کشته شده بودند؛ نمیدانم من چطور نجات پیدا کردم، روی آن همه شیشه خرده و تراشه های چوب غلتیدم، تکه های گچ و خاک در اطرافم میبارید؛ هارت فریادی از خشم و عصبانیت سر داد؛ صدای خرد شدن شیشه پنجره هایی را که سالم مانده بودند، میشنیدم و به روشنی میتوانستم حس کنم دیوارها میلرزند؛ ناگهان چیزی از بدن او خارج شد، موجی از انرژی و رنگ، زمین اطراف او تغییر کرد و به فولاد تبدیل شد؛ این تغییر عجیب و غیرقابل باور، به سرعت سراسر سالن را فراگرفت؛ زمین زیر من، دیوارهای کنارم، خرده های شیشه که روی زمین ریخته بود، همه و همه به فولاد تبدیل شد؛ حالا آنچه متوجه شدم این بود که عصبانیت و خشم هارت همه ی اشیای اطراف او را به فولاد تبدیل میکند، اگرچه این تغییر، شامل حال موجودات زنده و هر آنچه که خیلی به آنها نزدیک بود، نمیشد؛ تا زمانیکه صدای هارت محو شود بیشتر قسمتهای داخلی بانک کاملاً به فولاد تبدیل شد؛ البته بخش بزرگی از سقف، همچنان از چوب و گچ بود مثل اینکه قسمتی از یک دیوار باشد؛ ناگهان هارت به پرواز درآمد و نقطه ای از سقف را شکافت، از چندین طبقه گذشت و به سوی آسمان اوج برداشت؛ من تلوتلوخوران به طرف پدرم رفتم، امید داشتم بتواند کاری انجام دهد تا آن حال جنون و دیوانگی من متوقف شود؛ وقتی به او رسیدم، تمام بدنش منقبض بود، خون صورتش را پوشانده و از جای زخم گلوله، بر سینه اش خون جاری بود؛ وحشتزده دستش را گرفتم؛ در کمال ناباوری با من حرف زد، اما نمیتوانسم بشنوم چه میگوید.»؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The United States, and other parts of the world, were changed forever when a glowing red light in the sky known as Calamity gave normal people superhuman powers and abilities. These people came to be known to humanity as Epics.
The story is told through the perspective of David, an orphaned teenager living in Newcago (formerly known as Chicago). Newcago is ruled by the extremely powerful Epic named Steelheart, who has created a society run by other powerful Epics, with normal people living with normal jobs.
Steelheart is apparently invulnerable, is able to fly, can hurl blasts of energy, and can turn inanimate matter to steel; he has turned all of Chicago to steel for kilometers around and into the ground. Newcago is also shrouded in darkness by Steelheart's lieutenant, Nightwielder.
Compared to other places in what was the United States, war torn, lawless and ravaged by warring Epics, Newcago is well run, with normal people generally having access to food, water, electricity, jobs, etc.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ما ژوئن سال 2019 میلادی
عنوان: پولاددل؛ نویسنده: براندون سندرسون؛ مترجم: راحله زمانی؛ تهران: انتشارات بهنام، 1397؛ در 485ص؛ شابک 9786007132593؛ جلد اول سری سه گانه ناجیان؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
نقل از متن: «دث دوباره انگشتش را به سوی او گرفت، عصبانی به نظر میرسید؛ سوراخ دیگری روی لباس هارت ایجاد شد؛ او به سرعت به سمت دث رفت، که نسبت به او جثه کوچکتری داشت، و مانند برجی بلند، بر فراز سرش ایستاد؛ در آن لحظه میدانستم این همان چیزی است که پدرم انتظارش را میکشید؛ او همان قهرمانی بود که همه امیدوار به آمدنش بودند، کسی که در مقابل اپیک و شیوه ی شیطانی اش بایستد؛ آن مرد اینجا بود تا ما را نجات دهد؛ هارت خود را به دث رساند، و درست لحظه ای که سعی داشت فرار کند، او را گرفت؛ دث با چالاکی هرچه تمام تر خواست خود را برهاند که عینکش روی زمین پرت شد، و نفسش به شماره افتاد؛ او به سختی نفس میکشید؛ هارت با صدایی رعدآسا گفت: «میخوام یه سئوال ازت بپرسم.» آنگاه چرخی زد و دث نیز برگشت و نگاهش را به چشمهای او دوخت، هارت پرسید: «اینجا چه کار میکنی؟» دث که خودش را جمع کرده بود و به نظر میرسید ترسیده است، گفت: «من... من...»؛ هارت دست دیگرش را بالا آورد؛ با انگشت سبابه اش، به دث اشاره کرد، و گفت: «این شهر مال منه، اپیک کوچولو، مال من.»؛ پس از مکثی کوتاه، ادامه داد: «و این حق منه که بر مردم شهر تسلط داشته باشم و آنها باید تحت امر و فرمان من باشن، نه تو.»؛ دث سرش را کج کرد.؛ با خود فکر کردم این چه معنایی میتواند داشته باشد.؛ هارت نگاهی به استخوانهای پخش شده در گوشه گوشه سالن بانک انداخت و گفت: «اپیک کوچولو، مثل اینکه خیلی قدرتمندی.؛ برای تملق گویی و چاپلوسی میپذیرمت.؛ یا سوگند وفاداری بخور یا باید بمیری.»؛ نمیتوانستم حرفهای هارت را باور کنم.؛ کلام او دقیقا مانند آدمکشی دث، مرا گیج میکرد.؛ عبارت «یا در خدمت من باش یا بمیر»، اساس و پایه ی اصول و قوانین او بود؛ نگاهی به اطراف سالن انداخت و با صدایی مهیب شروع به سخن گفتن کرد: «حالا من امپراتور این شهر هستم. شما باید از من اطاعت کنین. من مالک این شهر و مالک این ساختمونها هستم. وقتی شما مالیات پرداخت میکنین، مالیاتها به دست من میرسه. اگه نافرمانی کنین، میمیرین.»؛
با خودم فکر میکردم غیرممکن است، او اینگونه نیست.؛ نمیتوانستم باور کنم این موجود افسانه ای هم دقیقا مثل بقیه آنها باشد.؛ من تنها نبودم که اینطور فکر میکردم، رفتار او مورد قبول پدرم هم نبود.؛ هارت برگشت، ظاهرا از شنیدن صداهایی که از یکی از اتاقها میآمد تعجب کرده بود، صدای ناله یک دختربچه بود.؛ پدرم جلو رفت، سلاح، کنارش روی زمین بود، گفت: «نه، تو مثل بقیه نیستی.؛ میتونم اینرو بفهمم؛ تو از بقیه بهتری.»؛ پدرم جلوتر رفت، به چند قدمی آن دو رسید، و گفت: «تو اینجایی برای اینکه ما رو نجات بدی.»؛
سکوت بر همه جا حکمفرما بود، جایی امن برای گریه ی آن زن که هنوز بر استخوانهای کودک مرده اش چنگ میزد.؛ او دیوانه وار و عبث تلاش میکرد تا استخوانها را جمع کند، و حتی یکی از استخوانهای کوچک ستون فقرات فرزندش روی زمین نماند.؛ لباسش در میان خاکسترها محو شده بود.؛ پیش از آنکه آن دو بتوانند پاسخ پدرم را بدهند، درهای کناری با چنان شتاب، و صدای مهیبی باز شد، که گویی انفجاری رخ داده است.؛ مردهایی که زره سیاه بر تن داشتند، هر یک با پشته ای اسلحه، وارد بانک شده و شلیک کردند.؛ پس دولت هنوز تسلیم نشده بود، و همچنان تلاش میکرد، با اپیکها بجنگد، و آنها را وادار کند، تا از قوانین مملکت پیروی کنند.؛ از ابتدا مشخص بود وقتی پای اپیکها به میان بیاید، دیگر جایی برای تردید و مذاکره وجود نخواهد داشت.؛ بلکه با سلاحهایی آتشبار به سراغشان میروند، و امیدوارند وقتی با اپیکها روبرو میشوند، بتوانند آنها را با گلوله های معمولی بکشند.؛
پدرم جستی زد، غریزه دیرینه ی مبارزه، او را به حرکت وامیداشت، پشتش را به ستونی چسباند، که به قسمت جلویی بانک نزدیکتر بود.؛ هارت برگشت، چهره اش گنگ و گیج بود، چرا که موج�� از گلوله بر سر و رویش میبارید.؛ گلوله ها پوست او را میساییدند، و لباسش را پاره میکردند، اما هیچ صدمه ای به او نمیرسید.؛ اپیکهایی همانند او، ایالات متحده را مجبور میسازند، تا قانون کاپیتولاسیون را نادیده گرفته، و برای تمام اپیکها مصونیت قانونی قائل شود، و آنها را از تابعیت قانون معاف بداند.؛ گلوله نمیتواند آسیبی به هارت برساند، موشکها، تانکها و پیشرفته ترین سلاحهای بشر، نمیتواند حتی خراشی بر او وارد کند.؛ حتی اگر میتوانستند او را دستگیر و زندانی کنند، نمیتوانستند او را نگه دارند.؛ دولت در نهایت اعلام کرد، افرادی مانند هارت، نیروهای طبیعی مانند توفان و زلزله هستند؛ تلاش برای آنکه به هارت گفته شود، نمیتواند هرچه میخواهد به دست آورد، و نمیتواند هر کاری که میخواهد، انجام دهد، به همان اندازه عبث و بیهوده است، که یک لایحه صادر شود تا به باد بگوید حق ندارد بوزد؛
آنروز من در بانک، با چشمهای خود دیدم، که چرا اکثر آدمها نمیخواهند مبارزه کنند؛ هارت یک دستش را بالا آورد، نیرویی به رنگ زرد کمرنگ، در اطراف او شروع به تجمع کرد؛ دث پشت او پنهان شده و پناه گرفته بود، تا مبادا گلوله ای به او برخورد کند؛ به نظر میرسید برعکس هارت، او از اینکه هدف گلوله ای قرار بگیرد، میترسد.؛ همه ی اپیکها در مقابل گلوله نفوذناپذیر نیستند، این قانون فقط در مورد آنهایی صدق میکند که از بقیه قویترند؛ از دست هارت، موجی از انرژی به رنگ زرد و سفید رها شد که گروهی از سربازان را تبخیر کرد؛ هرج و مرج ادامه یافت؛ سربازان در هر سوراخی پنهان شده، و پناه میگرفتند؛ دود و تراشه های سنگ مرمر هوا را پر کرده بود؛ یکی از سربازان، موشکی از سلاحش شلیک کرد، موشک از هارت که همچنان به منفجر کردن دشمنانش ادامه میداد، گذشت و به انتهای سالن بانک برخورد کرد، و سقف را شکافت؛
شعله های آتش، به سمت بیرون منفجر شد، و زبانه میکشید؛ سکه ها در هوا پخش شد، و سپس بر زمین باریدند؛ فقط شلیک بود و فریاد و جنون؛ خیلی زود سربازان کشته شدند؛ من همانطور روی صندلی ام مانده بودم، و دستهایم را روی گوشهایم فشار میدادم؛ صداها مهیب و گوشخراش بود؛ دث همچنان پشت هارت پنهان شده بود؛ داشتم نگاهش میکردم، لبخندی زد و دستش را بلند کرد.؛ میخواست گردن هارت را بگیرد.؛ نمیدانم چه نقشه ای داشت.؛ شاید قدرت دومی داشت.؛ بیشتر اپیکهایی به قدرتمندی او، بیش از یک قدرت دارند.؛ شاید او برای کشتن هارت به انداره کافی قدرتمند بود.؛ تردید دارم، در هر صورت هرگز معلوم نشد.؛ صدای یک پرتاب تنها در هوا طنین انداز شد؛ صدای انفجار آنقدر بلند بود که گوشهایم کر شد به طوری که به زحمت آن صدا را، مانند صدای شلیک یک سلاح شنیدم؛ وقتی دود حاصل از انفجار محو شد، توانستم پدرم را ببینم؛ او با فاصله کمی در مقابل هارت ایستاده بود، در حالیکه دستهایش را بالا برده، و پشتش را به ستون چسبانده بود؛ در چهره اش عزمی راسخ نمایان بود؛ او سلاح را به سمت هارت نشانه رفته بود؛ نه، هارت نه، دث را نشانه گرفته بود، که پشت او قرار داشت؛ دث با جراحت گلوله ای که بر پیشانی اش نشسته بود، بر زمین افتاد؛ مرده بودغ هارت با شتاب برگشت، و به آن اپیک کوچکتر نگاه کرد؛ سپس به طرف پدرم چرخید و یک دستش را بالا آورده و بر صورتش گذاشت؛ روی گونه هارت درست زیر چشمش، خطی از خون جاری بود؛ اول فکر کردم باید خون دث باشد، اما وقتی هارت خون را پاک کرد باز هم از همان نقطه خون جاری شد؛ پدرم به دث شلیک کرده بود، اما گلوله، اول به هارت برخورد کرده، و صورت او را خراشیده بود؛ آن گلوله، هارت را مجروح کرد در حالیکه گلوله های سربازان هیچ اثری بر او نداشت؛
پدرم با صدای مضطربی گفت: «متاسفم؛ او میخواست شما را بگیرد، من...»؛ چشمهای هارت از حدقه بیرون آمده بود، دستش را در مقابلش گرفت، و به خونی که روی آن بود، نگاه کرد؛ کاملاً شگفت زده به نظر میرسید.؛ نگاهی به سقف پشت سرش انداخت، سپس به پدرم نگاه کرد؛ در مه ای از دود و غبار، آن دو در برابر یکدیگر ایستاده بودند، یکی اپیکی غول پیکر و شاهوار، دیگری مردی ریزجثه و بی خانمان با تی شرتی احمقانه و شلوار جین کهنه؛ هارت با سرعتی خیره کننده، جستی زد و با دست ضربه محکمی بر سینه پدرم کوفت، کمر پدرم به ستون سنگی سفید برخورد کرد و له شد، استخوانهایش نیز خرد شد و خون از دهانش بیرون زد.؛
من فریاد زدم: «نه!» صدایم در گوش خودم عجیب میآمد، مثل اینکه زیر آب بودم؛ میخواستم به سوی پدرم بدوم اما خیلی ترسیده بودم؛ هنوز هم به بزدلی ام در آن روز میاندیشم، تا حدی که بیمارم میکند. هارت کناری ایستاد و سلاحی را که از دست پدرم افتاده بود، برداشت؛ آتش خشم در چشمهایش شعله میکشید، او مستقیما سلاح را به سوی سینه پدرم نشانه رفت و سرانجام یک گلوله به سینه او که لحظاتی پیش بر زمین افتاده بود، شلیک کرد؛ او این کار را انجام داد.؛ هارت دوست دارد مردم را با سلاح خودشان بکشد؛ این یکی از ویژگیهای خاص اوست؛ او قدرتی باورنکردنی دارد و میتواند به شکل انفجاری، از دستهایش شلیک کند؛ اما زمانی که میخواهد شخصی را که توجه ویژه ای به او دارد، بکشد و تصور میکند ارزشش را دارد، ترجیح میدهد آن شخص را با سلاح خودش به قتل برساند.؛
هارت پدرم را که کنار ستون افتاده بود، رها کرد و سلاح را نیز کنار پایش انداخت و رفت؛ سپس شروع به شلیک انرژی از دستهایش به همه طرف کرد صندلیها، دیوارها، پیشخوانها و همه چراغ ها.؛ یکی از شلیکها با فاصله کمی، از کنار من رد شد و من از روی صندلی سقوط کرده، روی زمین غلتیدم؛ انفجارها سالن را به لرزه درآورده، تراشه های چوب و خرده شیشه به هوا پرتاب میشد؛ ظرف فقط چند دقیقه، هارت به اندازه کافی ویرانی و خرابی به بار آورد تا قاتل دث را که قانون شکنی کرده بود، سر جایش بنشاند؛
هارت چیزی از بانک باقی نگذاشت و آن را کاملاً ویران کرد، ستونها فروریخت و همه آنهایی را که میتوانستم ببینم، کشته شده بودند؛ نمیدانم من چطور نجات پیدا کردم، روی آن همه شیشه خرده و تراشه های چوب غلتیدم، تکه های گچ و خاک در اطرافم میبارید؛ هارت فریادی از خشم و عصبانیت سر داد؛ صدای خرد شدن شیشه پنجره هایی را که سالم مانده بودند، میشنیدم و به روشنی میتوانستم حس کنم دیوارها میلرزند؛ ناگهان چیزی از بدن او خارج شد، موجی از انرژی و رنگ، زمین اطراف او تغییر کرد و به فولاد تبدیل شد؛ این تغییر عجیب و غیرقابل باور، به سرعت سراسر سالن را فراگرفت؛ زمین زیر من، دیوارهای کنارم، خرده های شیشه که روی زمین ریخته بود، همه و همه به فولاد تبدیل شد؛ حالا آنچه متوجه شدم این بود که عصبانیت و خشم هارت همه ی اشیای اطراف او را به فولاد تبدیل میکند، اگرچه این تغییر، شامل حال موجودات زنده و هر آنچه که خیلی به آنها نزدیک بود، نمیشد؛ تا زمانیکه صدای هارت محو شود بیشتر قسمتهای داخلی بانک کاملاً به فولاد تبدیل شد؛ البته بخش بزرگی از سقف، همچنان از چوب و گچ بود مثل اینکه قسمتی از یک دیوار باشد؛ ناگهان هارت به پرواز درآمد و نقطه ای از سقف را شکافت، از چندین طبقه گذشت و به سوی آسمان اوج برداشت؛ من تلوتلوخوران به طرف پدرم رفتم، امید داشتم بتواند کاری انجام دهد تا آن حال جنون و دیوانگی من متوقف شود؛ وقتی به او رسیدم، تمام بدنش منقبض بود، خون صورتش را پوشانده و از جای زخم گلوله، بر سینه اش خون جاری بود؛ وحشتزده دستش را گرفتم؛ در کمال ناباوری با من حرف زد، اما نمیتوانسم بشنوم چه میگوید.»؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
October 2, 2015
Meet Steelheart.
(I don’t know why my mind conjures Loki’s image whenever Steelheart is described.^^)
He is an “Epic” (could be a superhuman, an alien, a result of a science experiment, I’m not really sure) with supernatural abilities and strength and is the ruler of a city called Newcago. Wait…did I just say Newcago? OMG, I just have to…let me just…
Okay, I’m calm. Newcago, jeez. That’s ridiculous. [*wipes off a tear while still laughing]. To continue, Steelheart is one of the most powerful Epics. He is undefeatable and his weakness has yet to be discovered. But here’s the catch. Steelheart and the rest of the Epics aren’t your superheroes. In fact, they (or almost all of them) are your super villains and this, my friends is what gives this story all the difference!^^
Meet David. (just imagine a younger version.^^)
A normal 18 year old dude who as a kid believed in heroes until the hero he expected to save him murders his father in front of his face. He has no supernatural strength, but he is very sufficiently cute and adorable. He is also a super geek even though he tries so hard to deny it. Lol.^^
“I didn’t mention that part of the reason I had to study so hard was because I needed to know the answer to each and every question perfectly. Only then could I ensure that I would get the exact number of questions wrong to remain in the middle of the pact.”
He also has an exceptional talent and knack for creating these out of the world, hilarious metaphors that make you crack up and keep you entertained throughout the story.
"They looked so dangerous, like alligators. Really fast alligators wearing black. Ninja alligators."
The complication of the story obviously begins with David’s resolve to avenge the unjust death of his father which is a very effective focal point that sprouted action filled events, dynamic and fascinating characters (the Reckoners), giving the entire story a superhero movie/comic book appeal. The thrilling plot has unexpected bends and turns unfolding complex character changes and development that will grip your attention.
One of the strongest points of this novel is the author’s light and humorous take on the story which is rare for dystopian kinds of writing which often dwell on the grim and the bleak. This author’s technique paves way for a very refreshing reading experience especially for dystopian fans like me.
The deduction of half a star is attributed to a few absurdities I found throughout the story. If I were a more critical reader, I would have considered these as demerits, but since the entertainment value was more overpowering, I most often just brushed these things off.
So, if you need a distraction from whatever, this book is the perfect choice.^^
June 9, 2023
That was an awesome read! Full of action, super interesting story! I cannot wait until the next book! I love anti hero stories..
November 4, 2018
Mr S"Anderson" didn't fail me so far, so why start now ?
It was a cool read: tight and smooth , a terrific world with new rules and a reality where people with superpowers are unavoidably villains with a god complex and a thirst for dominion, enter the Reckoners : Defenders of the fellow man and banes to the oppressors ...
Suffice to say it's a must read.
It was a cool read: tight and smooth , a terrific world with new rules and a reality where people with superpowers are unavoidably villains with a god complex and a thirst for dominion, enter the Reckoners : Defenders of the fellow man and banes to the oppressors ...
Suffice to say it's a must read.
December 11, 2014
4.5 stars.
This was another great book by the ever dependable Brandon Sanderson. I knew there was a reason this guy was such a favorite of mine. It had everything you would expect from one of his books. Good world building, an interesting plot, likable and interesting characters, action, humor, romance, and even some surprise twists and turns along the way.
This was the tale of superheroes gone bad!. Ten years ago a mysterious new star, called Calamity, appeared in the sky and people started to develop superpowers. Unfortunately this taste of power corrupted the "Epics" who developed the superpowers and they now rule the world as they see fit and treat the ordinary humans as little more than slaves.
The Reckoners are humanity's only resistance against these Epics. Our main character David is intent on joining the Reckoners in order to seek vengeance against the the Epic who killed his father. Unfortunately for him this Epic is the titular Steelheart, an almost invulnerable Superman-like hero with little in the way of morals!.
This was not Sanderson's best book, but it was still a very enjoyable read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Audio Note: Macleod Andrews did an excellent job with the audiobook. He has a pleasant voice and wide array of distinct accents and character voices.
11/12/14: This was just as much fun the second time around. I had almost forgotten how great the Epics were!
This was another great book by the ever dependable Brandon Sanderson. I knew there was a reason this guy was such a favorite of mine. It had everything you would expect from one of his books. Good world building, an interesting plot, likable and interesting characters, action, humor, romance, and even some surprise twists and turns along the way.
This was the tale of superheroes gone bad!. Ten years ago a mysterious new star, called Calamity, appeared in the sky and people started to develop superpowers. Unfortunately this taste of power corrupted the "Epics" who developed the superpowers and they now rule the world as they see fit and treat the ordinary humans as little more than slaves.
The Reckoners are humanity's only resistance against these Epics. Our main character David is intent on joining the Reckoners in order to seek vengeance against the the Epic who killed his father. Unfortunately for him this Epic is the titular Steelheart, an almost invulnerable Superman-like hero with little in the way of morals!.
This was not Sanderson's best book, but it was still a very enjoyable read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Audio Note: Macleod Andrews did an excellent job with the audiobook. He has a pleasant voice and wide array of distinct accents and character voices.
11/12/14: This was just as much fun the second time around. I had almost forgotten how great the Epics were!
October 1, 2018
$1.99 Kindle sale, Oct. 1, 2018, for this YA SF novel by Brandon Sanderson, first in a trilogy.
What if there was a worldwide cataclysmic event that caused a minority of people to develop superpowers ... but instead of turning into friendly neighborhood crime fighters they all turned into mafia thugs and murderers? When you think about it, it's a more natural reaction for a person who is suddenly gifted with (often murderous) powers to use those powers for his or her own personal gain, rather than altruism.
When David is eight years old, he sees his father murdered by Steelheart, one of these superpowered thugs, called Epics. David narrowly escapes with his life, since Steelheart--previously thought to have skin that's impervious to any weapon--was wounded and bled from a gunshot by David's father, and Steelheart is doing his best to make sure there are no witnesses left alive to spread the news that he isn't invincible. Ten years later, it's a dystopian world, where Epics and their gangs rule over different cities and terrorize the ordinary humans. Steelheart and his gang are firmly in charge of Chicago (which is called Newcago or something like that . . . I can't check the book to make sure, because a certain 12 year old boy has taken it to bed with him). David, now 18, seeks to find and join the Reckoners, an underground rebellion that assassinates Epics who murder ordinary people.
This book had a cool premise and several good twists that I didn't see coming (I've already been outdone here by my 12 y/o son, who caught one of the twists from a clue that I totally misread. *hangs head in shame*). There were a bunch of questions that were niggling at me for most of the book () and the last part of the book actually answered most of my questions (except the first one) and had an epic (<---hah!) showdown. I liked how the various threads wove together at the end. I was absolutely convinced that I'd figured out Steelheart's weakness and it floored me--in a good way--when it turned out that I (along with David) was wrong, but the final answer made a lot of sense, and David's solution was brilliant.
This is definitely YA, with a teenage protagonist, a YAish love interest--though that subplot isn't handled in an entirely typical manner--and a sometimes superficial plot, but it's pretty darn good YA. My 12 year old is very enthusiastic about it, and if I can get my 18 y/o son to read it instead of just playing video games this Christmas season, I think he'll love it as well.
ETA: my 12 y/o has finished this book and gives it a solid 5 stars. The subject matter of this book is quite violent, though, so know your young teens or pre-teens before you hand this book to them.
What if there was a worldwide cataclysmic event that caused a minority of people to develop superpowers ... but instead of turning into friendly neighborhood crime fighters they all turned into mafia thugs and murderers? When you think about it, it's a more natural reaction for a person who is suddenly gifted with (often murderous) powers to use those powers for his or her own personal gain, rather than altruism.
When David is eight years old, he sees his father murdered by Steelheart, one of these superpowered thugs, called Epics. David narrowly escapes with his life, since Steelheart--previously thought to have skin that's impervious to any weapon--was wounded and bled from a gunshot by David's father, and Steelheart is doing his best to make sure there are no witnesses left alive to spread the news that he isn't invincible. Ten years later, it's a dystopian world, where Epics and their gangs rule over different cities and terrorize the ordinary humans. Steelheart and his gang are firmly in charge of Chicago (which is called Newcago or something like that . . . I can't check the book to make sure, because a certain 12 year old boy has taken it to bed with him). David, now 18, seeks to find and join the Reckoners, an underground rebellion that assassinates Epics who murder ordinary people.
This book had a cool premise and several good twists that I didn't see coming (I've already been outdone here by my 12 y/o son, who caught one of the twists from a clue that I totally misread. *hangs head in shame*). There were a bunch of questions that were niggling at me for most of the book () and the last part of the book actually answered most of my questions (except the first one) and had an epic (<---hah!) showdown. I liked how the various threads wove together at the end. I was absolutely convinced that I'd figured out Steelheart's weakness and it floored me--in a good way--when it turned out that I (along with David) was wrong, but the final answer made a lot of sense, and David's solution was brilliant.
This is definitely YA, with a teenage protagonist, a YAish love interest--though that subplot isn't handled in an entirely typical manner--and a sometimes superficial plot, but it's pretty darn good YA. My 12 year old is very enthusiastic about it, and if I can get my 18 y/o son to read it instead of just playing video games this Christmas season, I think he'll love it as well.
ETA: my 12 y/o has finished this book and gives it a solid 5 stars. The subject matter of this book is quite violent, though, so know your young teens or pre-teens before you hand this book to them.
March 29, 2019
5/5 stars
*audio book review*
Read Steelheart they said. It will be fun they said. Sure it was fun. So much fun! But it was also very, very heart wrenching.
This was an absolutely phenomenal novel to audio book. Until the time I was listening to it while driving to pick up some Indian food for dinner and crying uncontrollably because of things that were happening. I must have looked very distressed to passerby's.
“We were like deaf people trying to dance to a beat we couldn't hear, long after the music actually stopped.”
The opening of the book was in the best fashion of Sanderson - straight into the action, straight into the story. And boy, that worked. I was invested from the get go. I was aghast from the get go. I loved it right away. And I am not a person who is very much into super heroes. I'd much rather epic fantasy and magic systems, not super powers. But this resonated.
And the reason for that I think is because our main characters aren't heroes. They don't have any super powers. they are just people. People ridden by doubts and guilt of what they are doing, of how their doings are affecting other people. And I loved that. Many times in stories main characters don't pay any heed to the "little people", aka people who are just background of stories. So it felt nice to see characters wrestle with the "power" they were given to change things.
“It’s good for you to think of this, son. Ponder. Worry. Stay up nights, frightened for the casualties of your ideology. It will do you good to realize the price of fighting.”
Steelheart was promised to be a funny and action packed book. And it was action packed. But funny? It wasn't just funny - it was absolutely hilarious. Yes, there were sad moments, and moments that made my cry. But I don't think I've ever laughed as hard reading a book as I did listening to this one.
“But even a ninety-year-old blind priest would stop and stare at this woman. If he weren’t blind, that is. Dumb metaphor, I thought. I’ll have to work on that one. I have trouble with metaphors.”
David is charming, sure. In a boyish kind of way, with his metaphors that don't work. But Cody? Cody is a hoot. My absolute favorite side character, probably ever. I liked all of the side characters, except really, one. I won't say which one because I don't want to impose bias, and even though there was a good reason for that character's behavior - the hopes of connection were lost to me.
As I listened to the audio book I feel the need to mention McLeod Andrews. He's phenomenal. Genius. Sure, the book was good on its own. Good. But he made it great. All of the accents, the reenactments, the emotions portrayed - each of them spot on and straight to the listeners heart. An amazing experience.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
*audio book review*
Read Steelheart they said. It will be fun they said. Sure it was fun. So much fun! But it was also very, very heart wrenching.
This was an absolutely phenomenal novel to audio book. Until the time I was listening to it while driving to pick up some Indian food for dinner and crying uncontrollably because of things that were happening. I must have looked very distressed to passerby's.
“We were like deaf people trying to dance to a beat we couldn't hear, long after the music actually stopped.”
The opening of the book was in the best fashion of Sanderson - straight into the action, straight into the story. And boy, that worked. I was invested from the get go. I was aghast from the get go. I loved it right away. And I am not a person who is very much into super heroes. I'd much rather epic fantasy and magic systems, not super powers. But this resonated.
And the reason for that I think is because our main characters aren't heroes. They don't have any super powers. they are just people. People ridden by doubts and guilt of what they are doing, of how their doings are affecting other people. And I loved that. Many times in stories main characters don't pay any heed to the "little people", aka people who are just background of stories. So it felt nice to see characters wrestle with the "power" they were given to change things.
“It’s good for you to think of this, son. Ponder. Worry. Stay up nights, frightened for the casualties of your ideology. It will do you good to realize the price of fighting.”
Steelheart was promised to be a funny and action packed book. And it was action packed. But funny? It wasn't just funny - it was absolutely hilarious. Yes, there were sad moments, and moments that made my cry. But I don't think I've ever laughed as hard reading a book as I did listening to this one.
“But even a ninety-year-old blind priest would stop and stare at this woman. If he weren’t blind, that is. Dumb metaphor, I thought. I’ll have to work on that one. I have trouble with metaphors.”
David is charming, sure. In a boyish kind of way, with his metaphors that don't work. But Cody? Cody is a hoot. My absolute favorite side character, probably ever. I liked all of the side characters, except really, one. I won't say which one because I don't want to impose bias, and even though there was a good reason for that character's behavior - the hopes of connection were lost to me.
As I listened to the audio book I feel the need to mention McLeod Andrews. He's phenomenal. Genius. Sure, the book was good on its own. Good. But he made it great. All of the accents, the reenactments, the emotions portrayed - each of them spot on and straight to the listeners heart. An amazing experience.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
June 13, 2020
I loved it as much as the first time around.
____________________________
It's hard to form words at this moment, so I'm not sure if this review will make any sense.
Brandon fucking Sanderson, you've done it again! I can't believe that I actually had doubts about this one, thinking that after reading Mistborn, I will be disappointed. Well, I admit. I was an idiot. Sanderson, I promise, I will never doubt your writing again.
The whole book was just EPIC (I know, I hate to use that word too). I was afraid of having too many similarities with Mistborn, and at the beginning it kind of did, but after about 50 pages, I felt like reading a completely different novel, that in some ways is as good as Mistborn.
This book had it all: brilliant characters with amazing character development, world-building that only Sanderson can write and magic system that will blow your socks off (not sure if superpowers count as magic, but I'll go with it).
If you haven't read this book, do yourself a favor and go read it. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
Now, I can't wait to see where the story will go (because I literally have no freaking clue), but knowing Sanderson, one thing I'm sure: it can only get better.
____________________________
It's hard to form words at this moment, so I'm not sure if this review will make any sense.
Brandon fucking Sanderson, you've done it again! I can't believe that I actually had doubts about this one, thinking that after reading Mistborn, I will be disappointed. Well, I admit. I was an idiot. Sanderson, I promise, I will never doubt your writing again.
The whole book was just EPIC (I know, I hate to use that word too). I was afraid of having too many similarities with Mistborn, and at the beginning it kind of did, but after about 50 pages, I felt like reading a completely different novel, that in some ways is as good as Mistborn.
This book had it all: brilliant characters with amazing character development, world-building that only Sanderson can write and magic system that will blow your socks off (not sure if superpowers count as magic, but I'll go with it).
If you haven't read this book, do yourself a favor and go read it. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
Now, I can't wait to see where the story will go (because I literally have no freaking clue), but knowing Sanderson, one thing I'm sure: it can only get better.
February 19, 2016
Steelheart was awesome! Super fun and action packed with humor attached! Epic!Review: Hello Beautiful Book Blog
I loved David's awkwardness and stupid metaphors. The twist I did not see coming. It's hard to fool me!
David grew up in Newcago, a city in the future where the Epic, Steelheart rules. The book starts out with David trying to prove to the Reckoners that he will be an asset to them. He meets Prof, Megan, Tia, Cody and Abraham of the Newcago Reckoners. Once he is partly accepted he starts to shake up their way of thinking and starts in on a plan that could change Newcago forever.
I would not be doing this review justice if I didn't give a little preview of the hilarity that is David and also his bad metaphors.
“Nice work.”
“Yeah, well, you know, I’ve been practicing a lot. Hitting the old wall-vaporizing gym.”
“The what?” She frowned as she pulled over the ladder we’d brought with us.
“Never mind,” I said.
“It’s okay,” I said.
“I feel like a brick made of porridge.” She looked at me, brow scrunching up. The van’s cab fell silent. Then Megan started to laugh.
“No, no,” I said. “It makes sense!" Listen.
But since then you’ve acted like I was a gorilla at your buffet.” “A … what?”
I felt the story was fast paced and had characters that I could connect with. David wasn't just another solider hellbent on revenge. He is a big softy, he's awkward and so funny! He really carries the story when it starts to move a little slower. I think you will find this a fun read with great world building you can immerse yourself in.
I fought because of his dreams.
--Thank you Chelsea ♥Peril Please♥ for letting me frantically message you about the book! haha ;)
Follow me on Twitter @hbbookblog
August 24, 2016
UN MAGNIFICO 4/5 PARA ESTE SORPRENDENTE LIBRO.
Primero que todo les tengo que decir que Steelheart es el primer libro que leo de Brandon Sanderson, y me alegro mucho de haber elegido este para comenzar a adentrarme en las historias y escrituras de este grandioso autor.
Cuando leí la sinopsis de este libro quede flipando porque me gusto y mucho, siempre he leído libros donde las personas que tienen “habilidades” son buenos y siempre buscan proteger a las demás personas, y este libro fue la excepción ya que aquí estas personas con habilidades llamados “EPICOS” son todo lo contrario, son personas malvadas, despiadadas sin corazón, que buscan conquistar ya sea a costa de matar y destruir todo lo que está a su alrededor, y es aquí donde tenemos al más cruel y despiadado de todos STEELHEART.
Los personajes de este libro me gustaron mucho, definitivamente Brandon Sanderson sabe cómo darle vida a un personaje, como desarrollar una historia en la cual todos tus personajes encajen a la perfección, David es mi personaje favorito del libro (aunque al principio me caia un poco mal), pero me gusto ver el desarrollo de este personaje en el libro, ver como estuvo decidido a unirse a los Reckoners un grupo destinado a matar a tantos épicos como sea posible, verlo con tantas ganas de vengar la muerte de su padre me gusto, sin importarle que algo le pasara siempre estuvo decidido a darlo todo, dejando sus miedos atrás y decidido a luchar hasta la muerte, Megan es otro personaje que va a dar mucho de qué hablar la verdad este personaje me cayó mal desde el primer momento en que apareció, pero luego comenzó a caerme un poco mejor. , los otros personajes miembros de los Reckoners como Abraham, Tia, Cody me cayeron muy bien, y son personajes que a lo largo del libro te van cayendo muy bien por sus personalidades , que no temen a nada y luchan hasta el final, y el PROFESOR el líder de este grupo fue mi 2 personaje favorito, me encanto la participación de este personaje y definitivamente quiero saber más de él en los siguientes libros.
EL FINAL DE ESTE LIBRO ES DEMASIADO ÉPICO, OSEA ESTABA COMIÉNDOME LAS UÑAS MIENTRAS LO LEÍA, ESTABA DEMASIADO ANGUSTIADA Y NERVIOSA CON LO IBA A PASAR, FUERON DEMASIADOS GIROS EN LA TRAMA QUE UNOS YA LOS VEÍA VENIR, PERO OTROS QUE ME DEJARON LITERAL CON LA BOCA ABIERTA, DEFINITIVAMENTE HA SIDO UNO DE LOS MEJORES FINALES EN MI OPINIÓN QUE HE LEÍDO, BRANDON SANDERSON SABE COMO DARNOS UN FINAL ABRUMADOR, EMOCIONANTE, SABE COMO HACER QUE COMIENCES A LEER SU LIBRO Y NO PUEDAS PARAR DE LEERLO, SABE COMO DESARROLLAR UNA TRAMA ESPECTACULAR CON UNOS DIÁLOGOS Y UNA NARRATIVA QUE NO TE VA A ABURRIR EN NINGÚN SEGUNDO, Y SIEMPRE TE VA A MANTENER PEGADA A SUS PAGINAS , Y QUE EN UN ABRIR Y CERRAR DE OJOS YA ESTAS EN SUS ULTIMAS PAGINAS, DE VERDAD LES RECOMIENDO ESTE LIBRO, NO SE VAN A ARREPENTIR.
Primero que todo les tengo que decir que Steelheart es el primer libro que leo de Brandon Sanderson, y me alegro mucho de haber elegido este para comenzar a adentrarme en las historias y escrituras de este grandioso autor.
Cuando leí la sinopsis de este libro quede flipando porque me gusto y mucho, siempre he leído libros donde las personas que tienen “habilidades” son buenos y siempre buscan proteger a las demás personas, y este libro fue la excepción ya que aquí estas personas con habilidades llamados “EPICOS” son todo lo contrario, son personas malvadas, despiadadas sin corazón, que buscan conquistar ya sea a costa de matar y destruir todo lo que está a su alrededor, y es aquí donde tenemos al más cruel y despiadado de todos STEELHEART.
Los personajes de este libro me gustaron mucho, definitivamente Brandon Sanderson sabe cómo darle vida a un personaje, como desarrollar una historia en la cual todos tus personajes encajen a la perfección, David es mi personaje favorito del libro (aunque al principio me caia un poco mal), pero me gusto ver el desarrollo de este personaje en el libro, ver como estuvo decidido a unirse a los Reckoners un grupo destinado a matar a tantos épicos como sea posible, verlo con tantas ganas de vengar la muerte de su padre me gusto, sin importarle que algo le pasara siempre estuvo decidido a darlo todo, dejando sus miedos atrás y decidido a luchar hasta la muerte, Megan es otro personaje que va a dar mucho de qué hablar la verdad este personaje me cayó mal desde el primer momento en que apareció, pero luego comenzó a caerme un poco mejor. , los otros personajes miembros de los Reckoners como Abraham, Tia, Cody me cayeron muy bien, y son personajes que a lo largo del libro te van cayendo muy bien por sus personalidades , que no temen a nada y luchan hasta el final, y el PROFESOR el líder de este grupo fue mi 2 personaje favorito, me encanto la participación de este personaje y definitivamente quiero saber más de él en los siguientes libros.
EL FINAL DE ESTE LIBRO ES DEMASIADO ÉPICO, OSEA ESTABA COMIÉNDOME LAS UÑAS MIENTRAS LO LEÍA, ESTABA DEMASIADO ANGUSTIADA Y NERVIOSA CON LO IBA A PASAR, FUERON DEMASIADOS GIROS EN LA TRAMA QUE UNOS YA LOS VEÍA VENIR, PERO OTROS QUE ME DEJARON LITERAL CON LA BOCA ABIERTA, DEFINITIVAMENTE HA SIDO UNO DE LOS MEJORES FINALES EN MI OPINIÓN QUE HE LEÍDO, BRANDON SANDERSON SABE COMO DARNOS UN FINAL ABRUMADOR, EMOCIONANTE, SABE COMO HACER QUE COMIENCES A LEER SU LIBRO Y NO PUEDAS PARAR DE LEERLO, SABE COMO DESARROLLAR UNA TRAMA ESPECTACULAR CON UNOS DIÁLOGOS Y UNA NARRATIVA QUE NO TE VA A ABURRIR EN NINGÚN SEGUNDO, Y SIEMPRE TE VA A MANTENER PEGADA A SUS PAGINAS , Y QUE EN UN ABRIR Y CERRAR DE OJOS YA ESTAS EN SUS ULTIMAS PAGINAS, DE VERDAD LES RECOMIENDO ESTE LIBRO, NO SE VAN A ARREPENTIR.
October 3, 2017
I don't know whether its because this is YA, Sci-fi just branching into the genre,or the fact that its written in the first person POV that is hindering me from giving this book a 5 star. It was a great read and I really enjoyed reading this. The writing is okayI know I should not compare but can't help it, Mistborn's writing is way better. I love the world building, the depictions of scientific futuristic terms was done perfectly. I really like the way it ended, it was not a cliffhanger but they are lots of questions that need answers.
"You can’t be so frightened of what might happen that you are unwilling to act.”
The characters are fun to read, their banter got me turning the pages. I love that they all have different unique personalities, David the MC is a nerd, and the reckoners are like a band of misfits, Cody and his crazy Scottish facts that are half lies, that is if there is an ounce of truth in them.
Cody looked wistful. “Aye, and a beauteous melody that is, lass.”
“So, wait,” I said, holding up a finger. “These bagpipes. To make them, you … what was it you said? ‘Y’all need to kill yourself a wee dragon, which are totally real and not at all mythological—they live in dragon, which are totally real and not at all mythological—they live in the Scottish Highlands to this day.’ ”
“Aye,” Cody said. “It’s important y’all pick a wee one. The big ones are too dangerous, you see, and their bladders don’t make good pipes. But you have to kill it yourself, you see. A piper needs to have slain his own dragon. It’s part of the code.”
“After that,” I said, “you need to cut out the bladder, and attach … what was it?”
“Carved unicorn horns to make the pipes,” Cody said. “I mean, you could use something less rare, like ivory. But if you’re going to be a purist, it has to be unicorn horns.
Plot
In a world where people with super powers called Epics becomes villains and oppressors instead of heroes, David an 18 year old who watched his father got murdered ten years ago by one of the epics called Steelheart who is now the ruler of Newcagoformer Chicago vowed to avenge his father.
He joined a group of rebels call The Reckoners who are the only ones fighting back. Together they planned to kill one of the most powerful epics ever, with almost no idea what his weakness is, but they know he can bleed because David has seen him bleed which means he can be killed.
"You can’t be so frightened of what might happen that you are unwilling to act.”
The characters are fun to read, their banter got me turning the pages. I love that they all have different unique personalities, David the MC is a nerd, and the reckoners are like a band of misfits, Cody and his crazy Scottish facts that are half lies, that is if there is an ounce of truth in them.
Cody looked wistful. “Aye, and a beauteous melody that is, lass.”
“So, wait,” I said, holding up a finger. “These bagpipes. To make them, you … what was it you said? ‘Y’all need to kill yourself a wee dragon, which are totally real and not at all mythological—they live in dragon, which are totally real and not at all mythological—they live in the Scottish Highlands to this day.’ ”
“Aye,” Cody said. “It’s important y’all pick a wee one. The big ones are too dangerous, you see, and their bladders don’t make good pipes. But you have to kill it yourself, you see. A piper needs to have slain his own dragon. It’s part of the code.”
“After that,” I said, “you need to cut out the bladder, and attach … what was it?”
“Carved unicorn horns to make the pipes,” Cody said. “I mean, you could use something less rare, like ivory. But if you’re going to be a purist, it has to be unicorn horns.
Plot
In a world where people with super powers called Epics becomes villains and oppressors instead of heroes, David an 18 year old who watched his father got murdered ten years ago by one of the epics called Steelheart who is now the ruler of Newcago
He joined a group of rebels call The Reckoners who are the only ones fighting back. Together they planned to kill one of the most powerful epics ever, with almost no idea what his weakness is, but they know he can bleed because David has seen him bleed which means he can be killed.
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