Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publication: Delacorte Press (September 24, 2013)
Description: 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 Thoughts: STEELHEART was an action-packed science fiction adventure that pitted ordinary humans against the Epics who were in control of the city and government. David was eight years old when he watched Steelheart murder his father and huge numbers of other people too. For ten years he lived for revenge collecting information on the Epics and especially studying Steelheart who controlled the city of Newcago.
The Reckoners are a group of humans who study the Epics and assassinate them. When the group comes to Newcago, David is determined to join. It takes a while before the group is willing to let him in. The group consists of the Prof who plans the assassinations and leads the group, Tia who does the research and computer hacking, Cody who adds some humor with his outrageous stories of his Scottish heritage, Abraham who believes that not all Epics are bad, and Megan who doesn't want to go after Steelheart and who is object of David's crush. Once he is in the group, he learns that they are just human and not the heroes he had imagined. He also learns that all choices have costs and sometimes the cost is greater than expected.
David convinces the group to go after Steelheart but, before they have any chance of victory, they have to figure out what Steelheart's weakness is. If they can't find it, they can't win.
I liked David's single mindedness and I liked his self-deprecating humor. I could understand why he chose to live his life the way he did. I liked the way he fit into the group of Reckoners.
This was an exciting story that will appeal to readers who like fast-paced action and science fiction. I look forward to reading FIREFIGHT in 2014 when the action continues.
The Reckoners are a group of humans who study the Epics and assassinate them. When the group comes to Newcago, David is determined to join. It takes a while before the group is willing to let him in. The group consists of the Prof who plans the assassinations and leads the group, Tia who does the research and computer hacking, Cody who adds some humor with his outrageous stories of his Scottish heritage, Abraham who believes that not all Epics are bad, and Megan who doesn't want to go after Steelheart and who is object of David's crush. Once he is in the group, he learns that they are just human and not the heroes he had imagined. He also learns that all choices have costs and sometimes the cost is greater than expected.
David convinces the group to go after Steelheart but, before they have any chance of victory, they have to figure out what Steelheart's weakness is. If they can't find it, they can't win.
I liked David's single mindedness and I liked his self-deprecating humor. I could understand why he chose to live his life the way he did. I liked the way he fit into the group of Reckoners.
This was an exciting story that will appeal to readers who like fast-paced action and science fiction. I look forward to reading FIREFIGHT in 2014 when the action continues.
Favorite Quote:
Sparks, I was liking her more and more. And though she hadn't been particularly affectionate toward me lately, she wasn't openly hostile and cold any longer. That left me room to work some seductive magic. I wished I knew some.
I'm so looking forward to reading this one. I'd be jealous that you got to read it early, but it's going to arrive this week, so I guess I can survive the envy. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Johanna @ Challenging Reads
I just read and reviewed this one as well. Can't wait to get it in my library, I think it will be big with my middle school readers!
ReplyDelete