Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

Calamity (Reckoners, #3)

by Brandon Sanderson

Read the final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Reckoners series by worldwide bestselling author Brandon Sanderson!
    When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned Prof, his closest ally, into a dangerous enemy.
    David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . .
   But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.
 
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

3 of 5 stars

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Caffeinated Aspects:

  • After the devastating events that occurred in Babilar, we find David and the Reckoners in  a new city, Ildithia. David and the team are looking for Prof (Jonathan Phaedrus). Prof was the leader of the Reckoners until he gave into the darkness of his Epic powers. David believes there is still a way to save Prof before battling Calamity.

  • I love the cities that Sanderson vividly describes in this series and Ildithia the former city of Atlanta is made entirely of salt. Sanderson is a master at world-building and his creative talent blows my mind. The city Ildithia appears to move. Since it is composed entirely of salt thanks to an epic power, it crumbles but it is constantly being rebuilt giving the illusion of movement. Listening was fantastic as Sanderson conveyed in vivid detail the wonders of this world.

  • The characters and their interactions are one the highlights of this series. This motley crew is hilarious and I loved every moment with them from the action, wisecracks, tender moments and seriously bad metaphors. David is now leader, but he is still totally David and the role of leader suits him. Can I just say that the romance between David and Megan is adorkable?


"You,” I said, tipping her chin up to look her in the eye, “are a sunrise.”
She cocked her head. “A… sunrise?”
“Yup.”
“Not a potato?”
“Not right now.”
“Not a hippo?”
“No, and… wait, when did I call you a hippo?”
“Last week. You were drowsy.”


  • Intense action-packed scenes and freaking awesome developments with epic powers made this such a fun listen. Alternate realities, the introduction of Nighthawk, answers to questions and tidbits regarding this world’s history were all fascinating.

  • MacLeod Andrews narrated and it is always a pleasure listening to him. He nails the tone and characters perfectly added an additional element to this trilogy that makes listening a must.


Decaffeinated Aspects

  • Calamity the villain disappointed me. He was juvenile, whiney and not the fearsome opponent I expected.  I will give Sanderson credit for tricking me; I never saw it coming when we learned who he was.

  • I could not wait for the final battle with Calamity and it was such a disappointment. For a minute, I actually believed I had missed a bit on my audio. I hit rewind and Nope. Poof. Done. I am not sure whether this happen because most of  Calamity focuses on Prof or if Sanderson struggled with how to wrap this up.

  • The twists, revelations and wrapping up of the trilogy felt rushed robbing me of satisfaction I typically feel. Yes, we got answers but I was left with questions. I wanted an expanded version regarding Calamity. Why it happened and who ordered him.


While Calamity did not deliver the knockout punch I expected I enjoyed listening and was delighted with the overall Reckoners series. I would recommend grabbing your earbuds for this trilogy. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 March, 2016: Finished reading
  • 9 March, 2016: Reviewed