The #1 New York Times bestseller and sequel to Steelheart from Brandon Sanderson, the author of Oathbringer, coauthor of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn trilogy, presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight. And don’t miss Calamity, the exciting conclusion to the Reckoners series! Newcago is free. They told David … Reckoners series!
Newcago is free.
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 simpler. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And no one in Newcago can give him answers.
Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as the borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is flooded and miserable, but David is sure it’s the path that will lead him to what he needs to find. Entering a city oppressed by a High Epic despot is risky, but David’s willing to take the gamble. 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 now he will go on a quest darker and even more dangerous than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.
Praise for the Reckoners Series:
#1 New York Times Bestselling 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
“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
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Firefight is the second book in Brandon Sanderson’s Reckoners series, and I liked it even better than the first.
Firefight takes place after both the first book, Steelheart, and the novella, Mitosis. In it, the main character, David, joins Prof and Tia on a trip to Babylon Restored, aka Manhattan. We got a new setting to explore, a new team of Reckoners, new villains with new super powers. It never ceases to amaze me how much unique detail Sanderson puts into every single one of his books.
I don’t want to go too much into the plot, because I’d hate to give anything away, but as always, Sanderson kept so many paths open it was impossible to guess exactly how the story would play out. There were several moments where I was genuinely surprised by the turn of events.
The narrator, David, continues his struggle to find a good metaphor, resulting in some truly hilarious moments. I actually laughed out loud, which rarely happens when I read. And I’m happy to say someone *finally* points out to him that none of the comparisons he makes are actually metaphors at all, but similes. That was bugging me through the whole book. Yeah, I know, I’m a nerd.
The point is, if you enjoyed Steelheart (and you should definitely read that first), you will not be disappointed with this sequel.
Not quite as good as the first one. I thought the town was amazing and whimsical, and the story continues to be original, but this one was slower and more devastating.
Somewhat boring. Sanderson should finish his Stormlight series and stop detouring on mediocre series.
I enjoyed this better than the first book. David has grown, and the stakes are higher. There were losses and victories, and more than once, I genuinely feared for the characters I’d become attached to. You will feel something reading this. 🙂 Can’t wait to read book 3!
Ya know…this was just as entertaining as the first Reckoners. Highly recommend this series. it was so entertaining that I did even look for twists. They just kind of showed up and I was like, “Oh sh…!”
Good stuff!
Okay, this was weird. I don’t usually find a sequel better than the first of a series, but sure enough, that’s the case with Firefight.
Maybe I was simply adjusting to the new world Sanderson created in Steelheart (The Reckoners, Book 1), but I felt there were a few things that didn’t quite gel, most notably the potential romance between David and Megan. In book one, it seemed hastily sketched, which is the main reason I gave Steelheart 4 stars instead of 5.
Also, the first part of Firefight was a bit slow. As the plot built, it seemed like we were covering the same ground we’d covered in book 1, and I nodded along, waiting to see if Firefight would be a disappointing sequel, or if Sanderson would kick it into high gear. If it was another author, I might have set the book aside, meaning to read more later, and probably let it lie.
I shouldn’t have worried.
It’s Sanderson, after all, and he’s brilliant at paying off his readers. So I stuck it out until our heroes got to New Babylar (New York City in this new world has been renamed and is half underwater), then the thrill ride began again.
In Steelheart, Sanderson explored the power of the human spirit against long (Very long. So very long) odds: normal, ordinary humans versus gods. In Firefight, the main character David evolves, moving past his single-minded desire to kill epics and on to a new and more complex challenge: trying to reconcile his love for an epic.
This created a thoughtful depth for the series that Steelheart didn’t QUITE manage. And, to the delight of this romantic, the story dug deeper into the relationship between David and Megan as Sanderson crafted a guns-blazing, super-powered, post-apocalyptic echo of Romeo and Juliet, all wrapped up in a satisfying twist ending.
When I finished Steelheart, I was game for book 2. After Firefight, I’m thirsty for Calamity. Bring it on.
As always, what Sanderson promises, Sanderson delivers. Thank you, sir, for another great story!
This one twisted my heart.
Firefight is the second book in The Reckoners trilogy, and I actually liked it better than the first, which I find unusual for a trilogy. The characters are well developed, each with their own personalities and issues. This book is action packed, but also a lot of fun. I am anxiously awaiting time in my life to read the third.
A different kind of read but still Sanderson at his best
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