Review: Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson

(Amazon UK) (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.

My Review of Steelheart:

Steelheart is a superhero tale of ‘epic’ proportions with a set of complex and intriguing characters who live in a twisted and oppressed world. This tale of antiheroes, power struggles and rebellion really did surprise me as I turned each page in anticipation and excitement. It is evident from the prologue that there are no heroes and no saviours in this story, only sadistic tyrants and monstrous individuals corrupted by power, greed and desire.

Calamity, a burst in the sky has bestowed great and terrible powers on a number of ordinary humans on earth therefore turning them into powerful Epics. As a lover of superhero stories I loved how Sanderson portrayed all of the Epics as antiheroes, using their extraordinary powers to do terrible and monstrous things; oppress and enslave humanity, murder, torture etc. It is emphasised over and over again that there are no heroes to save the day just monsters and tyrants – and it made the story that more nail bitingly tense and dramatic. David is eager to see Steelheart, the Epic who murdered his father when he was a child, bleed again like he did on that fateful day and he joins the Reckoners to ensure his demise. I really enjoyed the dynamics within the group of the Reckoners, a band of rebels who hunt Epics to kill. Each character had their own unique personality that I grew fond of. Their passion for killing Epics and freeing the city of Steelheart’s tyranny was both inspiring and infectious as I turned each page cheering them on and eager to see them complete their goal. I enjoyed how the story dealt with the morality of their choices and learning that things may get worse before they get better. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold through David’s eyes. He added a little comic relief to the story sometimes with his crush on Megan and attempts to converse with her and impress her. He also gave the story that little bit of fire by igniting the fight against Steelheart in his desire to revenge the death of his father and continuously aiming that little bit higher to achieve his goal. He is determined, intelligent and full of hope that he will one day see Steelheart bleed.

The plot in this book really did have me on the edge of my seat as I journeyed with David and the Reckoners through labyrinthine steel streets and dark, twisted underground passages. It is fast paced, thrilling and full to the brim with unexpected plots twists; suprises lay in wait at every corner. It kept me on my toes constantly guessing what direction the story would take next with its cliff hanger chapters and killer surprises. It’s full of action, fighting, explosives, chases etc; an exciting and dramatic read. The prologue threw me head first into the story and was a thrilling and captivating opening to the novel. Its traumatic and spine chilling scenes really were sickening and emphasised just how monstrous and devoid of compassion and humanity Epics such as Steelheart really are. The world building in this story was also superb. I loved how the city is turned to steel, signifying the tyrannical rule of Steelheart and how the city is in constant night full of danger and oppression adding suspense and tension.

All in all, Steelheart was a roller coaster experience with its amazing world building, intriguing characters and thrilling plot!