Several weeks sitting undecidedly on my TBR pile paid off when the determination to pick up something by Brandon Sanderson had caused me to devour Steelheart for only a few days. For so long I had been meaning to try Sanderon's books seeing how much everyone on bookstagram seemed to praise his every work and needless to say I fearlessly set my expectation on a very high bar. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint. This epic first book of the Reckoners trilogy I had just finished exceeded the hype around his works.
Steelheart follows the story of Epics, people who were randomly granted different superpowers from a burst in the sky called Calamity. This phenomenon has happened for about a decade, meaning it has been ten years since David's father was killed by an Epic called Steelheart who is now infamously known as the new ruler of Newcago. Encouraged by the old wound, David determines to get revenge but in order to do that he has to make a grand plan by first joining the Reckoners, a nomadic group whose ultimate duty is to kill as many Epics as possible.
I had never thought it would be feasible for a book to operate even cooler by making use of the villain's name as its title and get away with it almost impeccably. Steelheart was undoubtedly a very catchy name and while I admired the surprise, I was so thankful that the thrill didn't end there. The rest of this book charmed me with its fast-paced plot and actions that all along I felt like I was reading a Marvel/DC movie-to-book adaptation instead.
I'm very aware that up until now Sanderson has published a lot of books and thus it's unnecessary to question how he handled the world-building and character progression in Steelheart. Everything was very well-written that I instantly understood why I saw nothing but praises for his works on my timeline. Despite hoping for more details especially about the setting, I was extremely pleased with this book as a whole. It contained almost all the aspects I'm always looking forward to in a fantasy series:
- Cool world-building—check
- Awesome gangs—check
- Anti-hero protagonist—check
- Jam-packed with actions that I almost couldn't even take a breather—check
- Riddles—check
- Unpredictable plot twists—check
Even though honestly I was a little overwhelmed by how fast the pace of the first part was. Considering the fact that the plot was delivered straightforwardly, I couldn't let go of the hope for more backstories and... it, though I did enjoy the other parts a lot. Kicking off with great action scenes, Steelheart captivated me to keep reading and that's why I settled for a 4.5 stars rating in the end—though the actions were badass, they weren't thrilling enough to keep me at the edge of my seat that in fact, I was hoping for a more nerve-racking ordeal (if it made sense).
All in all, Steelheart was a very good book. Exploring an awesome group like the Reckoners, I found it hard not to admire each of the members. Cody was my favorite, followed by David and Meghan in the second place. It was, however, still too early to comment on anything regarding their relationship, but I had a feeling they would form a unique pairing if the two were given the chance in the later installments.
I would happily recommend Steelheart to anyone who hasn't read it yet. I think you'll love the story as much as you'll love the jaw-dropping plot twists in the end, though let me give you a piece of advice beforehand: beware, the little details could be tricky so don't let anything fool you.
Actual rating: 4.5★
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