Steelheart (Reckoners, #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

[kimbacaffeinate]

Sanderson introduces us to a fascinating array of characters beginning with David our protagonist. David has spent his youth gathering information on the Epics, taking careful notes and plotting his revenge against Steelheart. Steelheart is the epic who forever changed David’s life and who rules the city with fear and tyranny. David is bright, and fearless, but he is also a young and I found him endearing. His actions, conversations and metaphors, will have you giggling. He has feelings for a kick-ass Reckoner, and it was adorable, awkward and made my heart flip. I really connected with him, and loved the nickname the Reckoners gave him. The Reckoners themselves are a diverse group of individuals, and each brings a dynamic skill and mind-set to this motley team. The Epics while not fleshed out, were terrifying and unique. Their abilities sprang to life as Sanderson introduced each one. Each has a unique set of abilities from illusions to fire, but all have a weakness much like the Superheroes we all know and love. Sanderson brought the Epics and Reckoners to life keeping me completely captivated.

Steelheart was action-packed, with twists and turns that even I didn’t see coming. Sanderson provided a panoramic view of the city, and its residences . The world building was wonderfully done, without a lot of info dumps, and while I still have oodles of questions I felt confident as I read. One of the things I enjoy when reading a book in this genre is when an author makes the impossible seem probable , and I so believed from the Epics to the kick-ass Reckoners. The super abilities to the amazing gadgets the Reckoners possessed made me drool. Sanderson has a wicked imagination, and I thoroughly enjoyed the benefits. It’s a simple tale of good verse evil, man overcoming oppression and adversity. How can one not fall in love with the underdogs and root them to victory? The twists and reveals blew me away, and made me freakishly giddy as subtle clues suddenly clicked into place, and I yelled, “OMG, of course!” This was hands down one of the most intense and fascinating reads I have read this year. It’s one of those books you cannot set down, where you travel so deeply into the tale and its characters that the outside world disappears. I imagined myself sitting at the window of a war torn and abandon high tower building high above the city as I watched this tale unfold.

Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and​ full review​ originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer