Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: N/A
Genre: Fantasy

Brandon Sanderson was selected by Robert Jordan and his wife/editor Harriett to take over the Wheel of Time series after Jordan’s death in 2007. That decision was made based on Harriett’s appraisal of his work on the Mistborn series, but Sanderson got his start with Elantris, the story of a land of fallen gods.

The most interesting thing about Elantris is the way Sanderson skirts genre conventions without actually diving into them until near the end of the story in the service of an excellent climax. With its political intrigue, well-drawn characters, and a plot that shifts often enough to keep you on your toes without growing overly exhaustive, the actual fantasy elements in Elantris would seem almost an afterthought if they weren’t woven so deftly into the main plot.

And when I say plot, I mean plot. Everything that happens in Elantris is there for a reason. Sanderson is definitely a firm believer in Chekov’s Gun and the Law of Conservation of Narrative. There were moments when it felt as though the plot was spinning out of control, but those moments ultimately proved to be nothing more than a master storyteller weaving a new thread that subtly complemented the rousing finale.

That gift for dangling a thread and then resolving it in a timely manner has me hopeful both for Sanderson’s future in the fantasy genre and for the Wheel of Time. All too often fantasy authors fall into the trap of thinking that more is more with the end result being series that spiral out of control by the fourth or fifth entry and never look back as they overstay their welcome by a good five to ten books. And brilliant as he was, Robert Jordan was the patron saint of fantasy authors run amok. If Sanderson can bring some of the narrative conservatism on display in Elantris to the Wheel of Time then the latter will benefit greatly.

If you’re a fan of the fantasy genre then Elantris is well worth the investment. I can see why Sanderson is bein hailed as one of the rising stars of the fantasy genre. If everything he does from here on out is even half as good as Elantris then fantasy genre buffs are in for years of excellent reading.