From the bestselling author of the Mistborn series and Words of Radiance comes Calamity, the final book in the New York Times bestselling Reckoners series. What started in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Steelheart and continued in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Firefight now concludes in Calamity.
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been … 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 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:
“The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive.”–James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner 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
[STAR] “Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high-intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance . . . leaves [readers] panting for the sequel.” —Booklist, Starred
”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
”An absolute page-turner.””–Publishers Weekly
“A straight-up Marvel Comics-style action drama.”–Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.
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I want to know how Brandon makes terrible metaphors on purpose. He drums them up for David Charleston and still somehow turns these cringe-worthy metaphors into completely and oddly applicable beautiful sentiments. The Reckoners wrap up with a bang in this finale, and if you haven’t discovered these books before now, I suggest fixing that. All three books are available in print and e-format. They’re beyond easy to binge-read (trust me). Brandon is a world renowned writer of NY Times best-selling fantasy, so putting him in YA is like throwing Andre the Giant into a kiddie pool – none of the other swimmers could compete in making bigger waves.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
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 his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.
David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when the Reckoners’ leader struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. 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.
MY TAKE
Epic (pun intended) conclusion to the series. Thoroughly satisfying end. I loved the character growth and discovery about themselves that happened. There was a sense of balance to the ending. One “reveal” I’d figured out. The other I didn’t.
This is one series I’ll look forward to reading again. And I just did!
The conclusion to the Reckoners series which wraps up the series in very satisfying ways. If you like superhero stories, especially ones where the people with powers aren’t always good you will love this series.
This young adult sci-fi novel by Brandon Sanderson is the third book in the Reckoners series. This book continues after the events from the second book Firelight where the Reckoners continue to fight to humanity. I really enjoyed reading this great novel I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
I didn’t want it to end.
Overview:
4.5 stars.
A solid ending to the Reckoners series. While this book didn’t thrill me as much as Firefight, Sanderson delivered his usual quick, descriptive, engaging writing. He also kept enough options open to keep me guessing until the end. If you like superhero stories and great twists, this is a series you won’t want to miss. That said, if you haven’t read the previous two books, you may not want to read my review of book 3 until you do.
Characters & Voice:
As in the previous two books, the main protagonist and narrator of the story is David, who offers dry wit and bad metaphors (which are actually similes) throughout. David is supported by what remains of his team of Reckoners after the fallout from book 2, as well as the addition of one eccentric, paraplegic scientist. The biggest difference in this book is that Prof, who had been an alley in the previous two books, is now the main antagonist. This gives readers a unique perspective, since we got to know Prof very well already and have a pretty good idea how he ticks. David and Megan continue their romantic arc, and while it’s not entirely smooth sailing, their relationship doesn’t add quite so much conflict as in the previous two books. Obliteration shows up again, and we get introduced to several new epics–most notably Larcener, Emperor of Atlanta.
World-building:
While the world of the Reckoners has already been established by the first two books, Sanderson doesn’t take that excuse to be lazy in his world-building. Each of the Reckoner books takes place in a unique area of the Reckoner world. The majority of Calamity is set in the city of Atlanta, which is made entirely of salt. The city itself moves across the land, dissolving from the back and growing new crystalline structures at the front.
Language & Mechanics:
There’s not much I can say about Sanderson’s writing I haven’t said before. He tends toward tight writing that moves the story along at a fast pace and makes it easy to keep turning page after page well into the night. The book is well-edited with minimal typos or mistakes, making for a smooth, uninterrupted read. There’s enough description to convey the beautiful details of Sanderson’s unique world without bogging the reader down in facts.
Though Firefight is my favorite of the series, this one definitely had me galloping along for the ride. In the final volume of The Reckoners, David must face his mentor, leader and father-figure, Prof, in the final battle for post-Calamity Earth.
The way that Sanderson wrapped everything up in the end was the highlight of this book. In this volume, we’re introduced to new powers. We continue the intriguing character arcs of Megan and David. We learn more and more about epic powers. And the new gestalt of the Reckoners under David’s fledgling leadership is highly entertaining, but I mostly found myself wanting to know how it was all going to end.
And, as Sanderson always does, he delivered. In a fast-paced collision of revelations, we uncover how the epics came to be, why they turn evil, and what must be done to put humanity back on course.
But will David, Megan and the Reckoners be able to do it?
For that, you’re going to have to read the book. 🙂 Which you should certainly do.
On a final note, I was thoroughly amused by David’s series-long character quirk: making horrible analogies. I felt like this was Sanderson giving a secret hat-tip to every other writer out there who has come up with an analogy they loved (for some hare-brained logic that only made sense to them), but that actually sucked. In the first book, David’s horrible analogies annoyed me, but once I got into the swing of them, I realized just how brilliant the idea was. Sanderson took bad writing and actually made it a brilliant device. THAT is not easy to do. I was laughing at the inside joke every time.
Thanks for the satisfying read, Mr. Sanderson. You haven’t let me down yet. I’m a full-blooded fan now.
Brandon Sanderson has become one of my favorite authors. Check him out!