Alright, my fellow fantasy-loving degenerates, gather ’round! I’ve just clawed my way through 500 pages of my first Sanderson novel—and it was worth every papercut. TikTok told me to start with Sanderson’s debut before diving into the Mistborn series (thanks, algorithm overlords), and I’ll be interested to reflect back on this several books from now. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like when an entire city gets hit by the worst magical hangover in history, then oh boy, do I have a story for you!

Plot Summary

Elantris, a city once glittering brighter than a teenage girl’s Instagram feed after landing her first Coachella tickets, is now a festering sore of magic gone kaput. Thanks to the Shaod—a transformation that’s as exciting as getting bit by a radioactive librarian—people go from being shiny, happy, magic-wielding demigods to living necrotic action figures. Our plucky hero, Prince Raoden, ends up in this magical black hole when he gets Shaod-ed (that’s a word, fight me) and is promptly chucked into Elantris by the friendly neighborhood monarchy.

Enter Princess Sarene, Raoden’s betrothed, who’s got enough political savvy to give both Macbeth and Machiavelli sweat-induced heartburn. She’s a diplomatic whirlwind who lands in Elantris’ equivalent of a medieval SoHo, and she’s not here to sip tea.

And then there’s Hrathen, a zealot trying to convert everybody to his religion faster than you can say “end-of-the-world cult leader.” He’s more than a cardboard villain, but less interesting than your average Bond nemesis. Think of him as a diet Coke version of Darth Vader—same dark ambition, only half the sugar.

Characters

Raoden: Our prince charming who decides that rot and ruin might as well come with civic improvements. Imagine if Bob the Builder fell into a vat of HGH and decided to rebuild a ghost town—only with more eww factor and less catchy theme music.

Sarene: The Jane Austen of inner politics. She’s whip-smart, can outwit any duke, baron, or eligible bastard in town, and still has spare time to stir up rebellions. Sounds like my kind of Saturday night, minus the rebellions. For now.

Hrathen: This guy is having a perpetual bad hair day with a side of religious indoctrination. He’s complex enough to keep you guessing (is he bad? Is he worse?), but just predictable enough that you know he’d totally fall for the “free puppy in the van” trick if the puppy peddler promised eternal salvation.

World-Building

Sanderson does not skimp on details. Elantris is painted so vividly that you can practically smell the rot and feel the despair, kind of like my last date. If you’re big on immersive settings, Elantris is the decaying, magic-less cesspool for you. I liked to think of Elantris as “Detroit meets Hogwarts….but after a nuclear fallout.” Cue more skin rotting imagery.

Final Verdict

“Elantris” is Sanderson’s debut novel, and diving into it felt like stumbling upon a hidden speakeasy—unexpected, a bit rough around the edges, but full of delightful surprises. It’s ambitious, sprawling, and you can tell Sanderson is having a ball weaving this tapestry of magic, politics, and necrotic fun. The writing has its ups and downs, but hey, first times can be a bit awkward, right?

Overall, this experience was sometimes dizzying, sometimes thrilling, and occasionally made me question my life choices.