Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

Firefight (Reckoners, #2)

by Brandon Sanderson

The #1 New York Times bestseller and sequel to Steelheart from Brandon Sanderson, the author of Oathbringer, coauthor of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn trilogy, presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight. And don’t miss Calamity, the exciting conclusion to the Reckoners series!
   Newcago is free.
   They told David it was impossible, that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.
   Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life simpler. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And no one in Newcago can give him answers.
   Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as the borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is flooded and miserable, but David is sure it's the path that will lead him to what he needs to find. Entering a city oppressed by a High Epic despot is risky, but David's willing to take the gamble. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And now he will go on a quest darker and even more dangerous than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

Praise for the Reckoners Series:

#1 New York Times Bestselling Series

Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind
 
Action-packed.” —EW.com
 
Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store.” —The A.V. Club

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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In Firefight, the Reckoners team travels to Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan. Here an Epic named Regalia rules. Regalia may be a tougher opponent than Steelheart with her clever cunning and mischievous schemes. David, Tia and Prof are busy trying to fight Epics and locate Regalia. David has ulterior motives for coming to the city though. Firefight is here and he believes he can help her. Prof and David do not see eye-to-eye causing friendships and the team to be tested.

David is a strong hero with this huge heart. He is passionate but this also causes him to be impulsive and naive. His outlook and willingness to risk for others makes him a hero you can truly root for. Prof is struggling, and despite bull-bullheadedness, he and David make a great team. Tia is just crazy, but I adore the girl.

I loved Sanderson’s rendition of Manhattan. Babylon Restored was a huge underwater city where folks live on the rooftops. Through imagery, he brought the city to life. Here we battle Epics, but also learn more about them and Calamity. The overall arc development shared things that only increased my curiosity. Sanderson does a wonderful job with character growth particularly David’s.

Sanderson knows how to weave a tale and begins with a hook, then slows down to fill in the details and slowly builds to a frenzy. He weaves in twists and turns keeping the reader fully engaged. I enjoyed the unpredictability of the story. The geek in me loves the unique abilities and freaky gadgets. Sanderson’s ability to give the book equal measure ensures he delivers four and five cup rating. He weaves in humor, action, growth, cool characters and geeky goodness creating that perfectly blended tale.

MacLeod Andrews was a brilliant choice for this series and one of the reasons I switched formats. His audio rendition showed David’s frustration, fear, hope and exasperation. It was brilliant and I loved how he captured the snark, banter and quick wit of the characters. Each character had a distinct voice, and I felt he brought them to life. I would have liked a female narrator brought in for the female roles, but MacLeod held his own and did better than most when portraying the opposite sex. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 January, 2015: Finished reading
  • 11 January, 2015: Reviewed