Steelheart

The Reckoners, Book 1

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of the Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson, comes the first book in a new, action-packed thrill ride of a series - Steelheart. 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 will.

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.

©2013 Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Good as teen read, ok for adults.

I liked it, but didn't love it. The humor felt a little forced. Not as ham-handed as his "Alcatraz" series, but not as elegant and beautifully heart breaking as his mist born series.

Wonderful unique

Brandon Sanderson is a wonderful storyteller. A great story no matter your age. Very unique twist that keeps you guessing till the end.

Can't wait for Book 2.

Usually listen to Space Military. Good change of pace. Super-power villains with some good twists. Glad I bought this one.

This should be a graphic novel

A very different take on "superheroes" and how power affects the individual and effects the world around them.

Twist on the classic super hero story

Brandon Sanderson has a fluid writing style and the story was very interesting. What if Superman was a villain and no one knew about kryptonite?

Excellent read!

What did you love best about Steelheart?

It was a great story that kept me interested throughout. I liked the characters and the bits of humor injected.

What other book might you compare Steelheart to and why?

I'm not sure I can think of a great comparison off the top of my head. It's partly a story of an underground rebellion, and partly a tale about anti-superheroes. That was a fun twist on a typical superhero story -- that the beings with the powers are bad and the regular people who try to fight them are the good guys. The only other book I can think of that I enjoyed listening to this much was 11-22-63 by Stephen King.

What about MacLeod Andrews’s performance did you like?

He narrated his character well. Andrews sounded like an 18 year old kid who worships the reckoners and crushes on the girl. The voices he creates for the other characters are also done well, and I chuckled at the southern-accented Scot.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't want to give away some major plot points, but there were several moments where the main character experienced losses and revelations that were impactful to the character's development and the story.

Any additional comments?

Overall a great listen. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't wait for the second book. I've never written a review before, so it was definitely worth my time.

Steel Heart is a great read

Great story. Very good revelations at the end of the book. Good performance. Recommend this for high school and up.

review

Very well done! A unique point of view on super hero books. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or super hero books.

I Don't Like Super Hero stories...

If you could sum up Steelheart in three words, what would they be?

great story line

Any additional comments?

I don't like super hero stories... too hard to suspend reality. However, this was a great story and I bought into the story and really enjoyed the book.

All the right twists in all the right places

I’m so use to books with a jump in perspective every chapter, so it was extremely refreshing to not only get a book with a single character but one that has practically zero time skips between chapters. However one of the most entertaining parts of this book besides the vivid attention to super powers is the metaphors. Here are some favorite;
Felt like an off kilter washing machine filled with a hundred epileptic chimpanzees
Like a Calzone full of dynamite
Your like a potato... in a minefield
The writing is in the perspective of the main character which includes all of his quirks and trails of thoughts that often tell you just as much about himself as the subject he’s describing.
Well written, well constructed, and the plot twists are just enough of a surprise that they both fit together and surprise even a detective minded person like myself.