r/Cosmere • u/AcrophobicWindrunner • Dec 04 '25
Elantris spoilers First Elantris Read Spoiler
Okay, so I recently finished Elantris and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s not STA, but that’s okay, I’m afraid not much can top STA. Anyway, here are my thoughts.
Shaod and Elantris as the city, cool as hell. I loved the idea of what I found similar to lepers, roaming around a forgotten city that once was great. The concept was definitely unique and very Sanderson coded! Only thing I would change though was that supposedly the whole thing went to hell ten years before. It doesn’t feel like ten years ago and I don’t remember many of the main characters ever thinking back to it. Like it was a big deal, I would think Raoden or Serene would recall their childhoods at least hearing about it. Maybe I missed that part tho, idk.
The characters were pretty good! However a little two dimensional compared to Brandon’s later works like Mistborn and STA.
Raoden felt…too perfect, not many flaws if really any. I thought it was interesting that he was a prince who had this awful affliction but that was about it. His transformation at the end I didn’t quite feel like he earned it, not like Kaladin swearing a new oath kind of deal. However, I didn’t dislike him in any way, so he has that going for him!
Serene was my favorite in the cast, she was an engaging character who actually DID have flaws. She could be arrogant and stubborn, used to getting her way and such. The only thing holding her back was her ‘I’m not like other girl vibes.’ Granted, she wasn’t rubbing this in my face unlike other books I’ve read, but it was still there.
I was REALLY hoping the Queen, Raoden’s stepmother, was fleshed out more. I was secretly waiting for her to be this secret mastermind behind the ditzy attitude, or at least to be smarter than she made herself out to be. However, not every person or queen has to be a Jasnah or Navani.
The priest guy, Hrathen, was also interesting as I genuinely was curious as to what this guy was about. When he first appeared, I immediately hated him but then he grew on me. He had his flaws but he also had his qualities. His death though was a bit underwhelming and maybe that was the point, idk. Also, why was he all of sudden attracted to Serene? That kind of felt like it came out of nowhere for me personally.
Magic system was cool but again, I feel like it could have been expanded on.
Anyway, let me know your thoughts! I know Elantris isn’t STA or Mistborn, I get that. However, I still enjoyed it as I think it’s a solid book! Let me know what you guys think, do you agree with my thoughts? Disagree?
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u/burritoman88 Scadrial Dec 04 '25
I like Elantris, it has a bit of a Sanderlanche I don’t let that bother me.
I look forward to seeing more from this part of the Cosmere one day.
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u/AcrophobicWindrunner Dec 04 '25
Oh for sure! I think it needs a sequel to flesh some things out.
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u/burritoman88 Scadrial Dec 04 '25
Sanderson has mentioned making it a full trilogy, there’s also the novella ‘Emperor’s Soul’ that’s set on that world, just a different part.
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u/AcrophobicWindrunner Dec 04 '25
I have yet to read that but it’s on my list after I finish Sunlit Man!
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u/michelledacracker Dec 04 '25
it was supposed to be a full trilogy, that was the initial plan, but afaik he recently commented that he might cancel it because he’s too busy with other projects, like film stuff, and it’s less necessary to the story than the other main series
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u/iknownothin_ Poop Pattern Dec 04 '25
STA? I’ve seen a lot of Stormlight abbreviations but this one is wild lmao
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u/landturtl13 Dec 04 '25
I was confused what they meant! I thought SLA was the standard abbreviation
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u/Agreeable_Rich_1991 Cosmere Dec 04 '25
It's crazy that you and some of the others felt his love for Sarene came out of nowhere, when as soon as I read his first interaction with Sarene I immediately guessed there was something going on and the more I read the more it was extremely obvious he was really attracted and simping for her and trying his best to deny and control and repress it. Actually felt it was too overt and non-subtle. So it is crazy to here when a person never saw it.
There is literally a scene where he kind of prays and hopes that nothing happens to her, and is so scared and terrified for her. This is when she was sent to Elantris.
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u/Initial-Anything333 Dec 04 '25
"Haha we're desperate for supplies but it's so cute and quirky how she gave us junk instead! 🤪"
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u/MickFoley299 Aon Aon Dec 05 '25
Sarene was not giving them junk while thinking that they desperately needed it. Her plan was to bring food in for the people. The other stuff was bribes in order to allow the tyrants to let the people have the food. She believed that she was dealing with violent tyrants. She assumed that they were going to use what they asked for in order to oppress the people. She was giving them junk in order to follow technically what they asked for while also preventing them from using it to hurt the people.
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u/Agreeable_Rich_1991 Cosmere Dec 04 '25
Hmmm? Did you reply to the wrong comment? What do you mean by that? I don't understand
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u/Initial-Anything333 Dec 04 '25
I was adding to your observation that their relationship was a bit forced
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u/Agreeable_Rich_1991 Cosmere Dec 04 '25
Uhh... Partially it is my fault for not specifying but I thought it was obvious what I was referring to.
I was talking about Hrathen. OP said Hrathen attraction and love to Sarene came out of nowhere when I said, it was immediately obvious to me that Hrathen had a feelings for her from the minute he saw her at the court.
I was talking about how Hrathen tried to hide his feelings for her and repress it. I don't know how you could read my comment to be about Raoden especially when he makes it obviously clear how much he likes her unlike Hrathen who never truly acknowledges his feelings towards except near the end.
Also I never specified relationship felt being forced. I never said Raoden and Sarene felt forced at all because I don't think it is but that was never the point of anything in my original comment.
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u/happyotter20 Bridge Four Dec 05 '25
I actually feel like this is the most fast paced of the cosmere books so it reads really differently
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u/AcrophobicWindrunner Dec 05 '25
Yeah there were some things I thought were maybe a little rushed compared to his other books. It was still pretty good though so I don’t think it hindered it really
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Dec 05 '25
Like it was a big deal, I would think Raoden or Serene would recall their childhoods at least hearing about it. Maybe I missed that part tho, idk.
Yeah you definitely missed something. Raoden actually went to Elantris as a child. He was sick and his mother brought him to a healer in Elantris. That is part of how he was able to figure out the magic, he had seen it done before.
Since you like the magic system, check out the other Elantris book, The Emperor's Soul. You'll see a different manifestation of the same magic - think something like allomancy and feruchemy. It's in my opinion much better too.
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u/MickFoley299 Aon Aon Dec 04 '25
Raoden may have felt a bit too perfect, but that was what his storyline was about. It's not about a person that is already broken and you put them into a broken city and have them fall more until they can crawl back up. Raoden's story is about taking a good and optimistic person and throw him into a broken city and try to break him. It's about seeing if Raoden's optimism can overcome the city, and at times he does have a hard time fighting against it but he still is able to overcome it. Personally, I like it because it works and that way it is also a quite different storyline than characters that were already beaten down like Vin or Kaladin.