Catherine

I wanted a trilogy and chose this one, after much shopping, because I was curious about the nature of the people sent to Australia and what their lives were like there. Big mistake. The author spends 45 minutes describing a coach ride with 3 stinking, miserable, farting, intoxicated people, another 45 on the beauty of a particular plate used to make counterfeit bills.. and so it goes, on and on. Hours into the first book I turned it off when the writer began the describing "ratting" terriers and how weakened ones are attacked by groups of sewer rats and torn to bits..... I'm D.O.N.E.

Why oh why do scientists and medical doctors insist on narrating their own writings? Sanjay Gupta is a great doctor and the book was fairly interesting but he narrated it himself in a monotone and with bad punctuation, and said the word "quote" so many times I could barely listen. Pay an actor or professional reader! Please!

I really enjoyed this book. It takes a number of twists and turns and kept my interest throughout.
I also thought the narration was excellent.

Save your money and start with the book Sanderson wrote after "Elantris"...."The Final Empire". It, and his third book, "The Well of Ascension", are SO SO much better. Sanderson dramatically improved his writing skills after "Elantris".

Really well done, both in writing and narration. This was a great book. Dark. But great!