Steelheart
Brandon Sanderson

David has been hunting Epics his whole life. Well, not all of them. But enough of them that he can classify them, and knows how to take them down. But there’s only one he wants to take down. And that’s Steelheart, who killed his father. Somewhere in David’s mind is the clue to take him down. He can’t do it on his own though…

Metaphors in a world gone mad. I think that setting up difficult ones is just as hard as setting up good ones! I can’t decide whether it’s overkill, or just adding depth to David’s character. I guess it shows his out-of-contact social skills from living alone for too many years.

Sanderson always picks an interesting idea, and moves away from it in an odd direction. Take a concept that you think you understand, then turn it upside down. Too many times are there heroes and villains as super-people. Sometimes the balance is out. And what happens when they’re always mad and grumpy? Normal humans don’t have a chance.

I would have liked to see a bit more variety in the perspectives offered. David offers a pretty narrow world view to see the whole novel through. But it would have ruined some of the surprises because each person has their own secrets that the hold that are both their own and for others.

Something I love so much about this novel, and others, is that the person you might empathise with the most might turn out to be someone different or die on you! His twists and deaths are real deaths – people stay dead. Not like some series I can mention… *Game of Thrones* cough cough.

Oh Sanderson. You’ve done it again. I felt so shattered by the ending, and it wasn’t what I expected at all, so it was totally awesome. I can’t possibly recommend this novel enough. I’ve loved his work since much earlier, since borrowing novels while I was overseas on vacation (I now own them, not that they are out of their pristine plastic wrap).

I forgot to say thank you to my amazing girlfriend for surprising me with this novel! I have the bestest girlfriend ever.