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.

Eagerly Anticipating the Next Installment

This book hit all the right notes for me.

1. The world has rules that are internally consistent, easy to understand, and has a level of depth that makes surprises possible.

2. The tone of the book is wonderful. It has the right amount of humor and drama mixed in at the right times. There are dark moments and light moments but these moments are intermixed and are not exclusive. There is a cynical humor or sober hope that spoke to directly to my particular tastes as a reader/listener.

3. The pacing is on the money. It is not a constant thrill ride of excitement that never gives you time to breath and enjoy the characters, setting, and tone. But it is also not a plodding mystery with miserly reveals. It struck just the right balance for me. That's a largely subjective metric, but it worked for me.

4. The highest praise I think you can give a series is continued patronage. And I will make sure to pre-order or purchase on opening day the next in this series.

Amazing...........................................

First off I would like to say that I am a big fan of Mr. Sanderson. Other than the horrible final book of the Wheel of Time series he can do no wrong in my book. With that said...This book was AWESOME!! A bargain at twice the price! I am sure that we will be seeing a movie deal in the near future..it was that good.

They may be super but they sure aren't heroes!

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

Dark, Vengeful, sad.

What other book might you compare Steelheart to and why?

No real comparison as it is a small niche in the genre and none approach it from this angle.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first scene in the bank. It sets the tone for the entire novel.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It kind of made me upset becuase it probably isn't too far off from what could actually happen if people suddenly started developing powers.

Any additional comments?

Great book. Great Author. Great narrarator.

Sanderson Does It Again!

The thing I love about all of Sanderson's works is that they are all character driven. I could go on and on about the world that Sanderson has built, or the plot of this book and how the mystery was a complete and total "WHAAAAAA?!?!" moment for me when it was revealed, but Brandon Sanderson's greatest strength in writing is his character driven stories. Real, believable people doing what they can in the world they are in. This book may be the first in a series, but it is just another addition to the many masterful works he has done. It is very much worth your time to read or listen to this book. Especially if you are a fan of fantasy or the superhero genres. Enjoy!

Great new series, fast pace!

I became a fan of Sanderson when he took up the Wheel of Time series, and have loved his stories ever since. This one is no exception. Fast paced, original, nitty gritty. I found myself actually weeping at one point. I am excited to see where this goes.

Great twist on an old concept!

What made the experience of listening to Steelheart the most enjoyable?

The main character is really lovable. And very easy to get invested in the outcome.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Steelheart?

When fortitude gets checkmated of course!

What about Macleod Andrews’s performance did you like?

Voice and reactions are perfect.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely, started when I got to work at 5 a.m. and didn't want to go to sleep later that night.

URBAN FANTASY FOR ALL AGES!

This was my first Brandon Sanderson novel and very soon I'll be listening to my second B.S. novel. I'm still fairly new to the literary scene but I think I can spot talent when I hear it and let me tell ya, this dude's got talent to spare! It's very impressive when you come across a writer who can go from "fantasy" to "urban fantasy" and make it work the way B.S. does. Yes, it's the same genre but the story lines are very different. Like I said, this is my first book by this writer but from the reviews I've read of his other novels he's very successful at "doing something different" and that's a solid indication of just how talented a writer is or can be. As far as this book goes I think he "hit it out of the park", I mean he nailed it with very likeable characters and a story arc that pulled me in from the get-go. Macleod Andrews performance was stellar! (I think that's the first time I've ever used the word "stellar" and I think it'll be the last). Anyway the narration was excellent!


You guys, technically this is a "YA" book but trust me, this book is so well written that people of all ages will enjoy it.

Fun and Intelligent Page-Turner

Any additional comments?

A great, fast-paced dystopian fantasy with all the usual hallmarks of Sanderson’s excellent writing (strong characters, an original and well-developed magic system, an all-powerful yet fascinating villain) packed with satisfying plot twists and intriguing mysteries that pulled me along. I really hope this is the start of a new series (and I’m pretty sure it is given the number of major questions left unresolved). If you liked Larry Correia’s Grimnoir Series or Peter Cline’s Ex-Heroes series, you will enjoy this. Great listen.

He does it again...

What made the experience of listening to Steelheart the most enjoyable?

It was very well performed.

What other book might you compare Steelheart to and why?

Has a feel like his Mistborn series, band of fighters coming together to over throw the corrupt "Establishment". Powers discover strong bonds made.

Any additional comments?

Overall another great story from Brandon. I've read or listen to most of his work. His world building ability is amazing. Concepts on magics/powers how they are used is always creative and different then any done before. I can't wait for his next.

Surprisingly good.

What did you love best about Steelheart?

A very good book. Very interesting twist at the end that makes you jones for the next book... expect there isn't one.

This isn't 5 stars because no book that ends when you are just feeling like you are getting into it can ever be 5 stars. That doesn't mean I want 15 hours of filler. Just give me 15 hours a good story and i'll love you. 12 hours is not enough for a book. Its a short story.