Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Firefight
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: Reckoners #2
Publisher: Delacorte Press/Audible Studios
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Source: Audiobook provided by Audible Studios in exchange for an honest review (thanks Audible!!)

Summary from Goodreads:

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 more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. 

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. 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 he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

Review

One of the greatest things about this series is its premise, which is EPIC (no pun intended). After a cataclysmic event, certain humans developed powers, but the powers are corruptive and so they are all evil. The world is now in chaos with humans living in fear of the Epics who are waging turf wars and killing people for play. David has dedicated his life to killing Epics. They all have a weakness and David makes a point of finding out what it is and exploiting it. In the first book, David teamed up with the Reckoners - a secret group with a mission the same as his - and took down Steelheart, who was previously thought invincible. Now they have their sights set on Regalia - a High Epic that can control water, who rules the sunken city that used to be Manhattan. But she isn't playing fair and has rallied other Epics to her side.

I love all of the action that comes with The Reckoners facing off with the Epics. Every Epic show down is an adventure in and of itself and I can't get enough. They are unpredictable and that makes this book so much fun to read. The action did lag a little in the middle, but lots of other developments were happening to fill the pages. First is David's research into Epic weaknesses. He is starting to develop a theory - linking weaknesses with an event in an Epic's past - and is on the verge of a revelation. This puzzle really ignited the nerd in me and I was giddy with each new discovery. Then there is David's complicated relationship with Firefight which is leading him to question his previous assumptions about Epics. I really like Firefight so I am completely on board with the direction Sanderson is taking this. And then there was the mission at hand - taking down Regalia. But her actions had David questioning what she was up to and it was fun trying to figure out her true plan.  There was so much going on in this book, I'm not even doing it justice.

I just love David as a character. He can be so awkward, especially when it comes to girls, and he is such a nerd and I just find it so endearing. But by far one of the best things about him is his habit for using terrible metaphors. They are SO BAD it's great. He showed a lot of growth in this installment.

And the ending was just plain AWESOME. I cannot wait for the next book. The twist at the end... I jut can't even.

I shouldn't even have to tell you to read this series because Brandon Sanderson's reputation proceeds himself. But if you do need a little nudge, I am really loving it and highly recommend it.

Audiobook

This audiobook was better than most. Macleod Andrews did such a good job narrating as David and really made his quirky personality come through. And he even acted out some of the action scenes (shortness of breath and that sort of thing). I'm glad I listened to this one. 

ARC REVIEW #171: Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart
Series: Reckoners #1

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Delacorte

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Pages: 384, Hardcover
Source: ARC obtained at BEA

Summary from Goodreads:

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Dang, Brandon Sanderson can write some serious fantasy! 

So there are these crazy Epics who are pretty much just evil superheroes. They have a variety of powers, usually more than one, and very few weaknesses. Since they are pretty impossible to beat, they have claimed territories and rule as tyrants. Ordinary humans have more or less surrendered to them, most serve them. And they all live in fear because the Epics tend to kill at random. (Sounds fun, right?)

Steelheart is the leader of Newcago, and not without earning his right to be at the top. He is one of the most powerful Epics and has no known weaknesses. He has friends in high places too. Nightwielder keeps the city in constant dark, Conflux provides the power for Enforcement, and Firelight - well...you'll see. There are many more but these are the big players. 

Then there are the Reckoners. The Reckoners are the ones who fight back. And David has dedicated his life to learning about the Reckoners and Epics both so that he can become one and defeat the other. He's got big plans for Steelheart, and won't stop until Steelheart is dead, or he is. This story is more or less about his fight. 

This book was nonstop action. It starts off on a high note and really doesn't slow down. It's just one battle/obstacle/challenge/surprise/mission after another. If this is your kind of thing, than this is the book for you. And it is not without surprises. One big one in particular at the end will drop jaws for sure. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

This is in fact a plot driven book. The characters are interesting enough but I haven't really formed strong connections with any of them. I didn't find myself bothered by this all that much, but it's why I took away half a star. As much as I enjoyed this book, it didn't cause me to run around the house screaming with feels like other books have. 

It's really not surprising that I loved this book. For those of you that know me fairly well by now, I am a total sucker for a good fantasy. This one had me fired up and I was definitely rooting for David and the rest of the Reckoners. 

I without reservation recommend this book to fantasy lovers. For readers who typically don't read fantasy, I would still recommend this book if you are looking to test the waters. There aren't many better alternatives in the genre for YA!

Sidenote - if you've read Brandon Sanderson's other YA let me know how they are/compare! I am definitely looking to read his other books after enjoying this one so much.