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The Reckoners #3
Calamity
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)Order the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Firefight today!
From the bestselling author of the Mistborn series and Words of Radiance comes Calamity, the final book in the New York Times bestselling Reckoners series. What started in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Steelheart and continued in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Firefight now concludes in Calamity.
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.
David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . .
But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.
Praise for the Reckoners
"The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive."—James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series
“Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind
[STAR] “Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high-intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance . . . leaves [readers] panting for the sequel.” —Booklist, Starred
"Action-packed."—EW.com
“Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store.” —The A.V. Club
“An absolute page-turner."”—Publishers Weekly
"A straight-up Marvel Comics-style action drama."—Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.
From the bestselling author of the Mistborn series and Words of Radiance comes Calamity, the final book in the New York Times bestselling Reckoners series. What started in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Steelheart and continued in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Firefight now concludes in Calamity.
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.
David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . .
But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.
Praise for the Reckoners
"The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive."—James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series
“Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind
[STAR] “Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high-intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance . . . leaves [readers] panting for the sequel.” —Booklist, Starred
"Action-packed."—EW.com
“Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store.” —The A.V. Club
“An absolute page-turner."”—Publishers Weekly
"A straight-up Marvel Comics-style action drama."—Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2016
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
387 books246k followersI’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,078 reviews
February 22, 2016
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I had some MAJOR issues with this book, MAJOR ones!
What happened Mr Sanderson? Where did your story go? Where did the intensity wonder off to? Where did the snappy writing go, and the energetic action? What happened to everything that made this series great?
It vanished.
Pffft.
Gone.
This was a hollow shell of what came before it. I’m shocked, completely shocked. I had high expectations for this; the first two books were brilliant. I couldn’t wait to read the conclusion. It was just so very disappointing. The whole situation felt vague, the whole idea of saving the Epics seemed vague. It really wasn’t a lot for the characters to go on. It felt a little desperate, and almost forced into the plot. It was just a little odd a completely incongruous with everything else that has been happening.
I’m…I’m just so shocked. What the hell happened? This was hardly an ending.
All the dramatic elements went too. David felt undeniably invincible. Part of the wonder of the series was the team working together against impossible odds. They would pull of a tactful mission against an incredibly powerful foe. It was all thought out and planned. The enemies were dangerous; they could kill with such ease; thus, the Reckoners approached the situation carefully. In this there was none of that. They just seemed to rush in ridiculously and somehow survive. Normally they’re out matched. It didn’t feel consistent with the other books in which if a character made one wrong move, they would end up dead. Where was the danger? Where was the carefulness? Where was the intensity? Not in this book, that’s for sure.
Then there was the whole alternate reality thing. I say thing because that’s exactly what it was. It was a thing barely explained and barely concluded. There is no suggestion to the limitations of these realities or what happened to the characters that were dragged out of them. I’m a little confused in all honesty. I’m not sure why this became such a major part of this book. It hasn’t really been an issue previously. Sure, we all knew about Firefight’s powers and how Megan unleased them, but that was just one person. Now we have whole realms full of people with different versions of the characters according to differing events. Why an author would try to put in such a complex idea, into the last book of an already short series, is beyond me. It was just too big an element to add so late.
The ending was so disappointing. That’s what I’ve been waiting for? No. This was not good enough. This was not a fitting end to this series at all. Perhaps Brandon Sanderson is juggling too many series’ at once. This felt rushed. We have this overly complex idea shoved in, which is barely finalised. It didn’t work at all. This series was about the action, about the excitement, layered over a plot full of vengeance and justice. I really don’t know what happened to it. Where did it go? There seemed to be no emotion over the fact that the Reckoners were hunting their former leader either. There was no sentiment. David felt cold and detached to the whole thing. He didn’t feel like David. And the team didn’t feel like the Reckoners.
Plot holes -There’s going to be major spoilers in my blocked out spoiler section, so I’m doubly warning you if you’ve not read the book yet: LOOK AWAY! They directly discuss the concept of Calamity.
The Epilogue- Now this was just cheap; it was quite possibly the worse ending possible for David. I’m not going to hint at it, I would give it away. But, for me, it took away a major part of why his character worked so well. The way Sanderson delivered it was nothing short of appalling. I’m, again, completely shocked. I think lame, clichéd and obvious are the words I’m looking for.
This is the worse ending I’ve read to series that I have really enjoyed reading previously. It’s a disaster. I never thought I’d have it in me to give a Sanderson book such a low rating. I can’t believe I’m doing it, but this book deserves it. It’s going to take me a while to get over this disappointment.
The Reckoners
1. Steelheart- A vengeful 4 stars
1.5 Mitosis- A time wasting 2 stars
2. Firefight- A heart jerking 4.5 stars
3. Calamity- A terrible one star
I had some MAJOR issues with this book, MAJOR ones!
What happened Mr Sanderson? Where did your story go? Where did the intensity wonder off to? Where did the snappy writing go, and the energetic action? What happened to everything that made this series great?
It vanished.
Pffft.
Gone.
This was a hollow shell of what came before it. I’m shocked, completely shocked. I had high expectations for this; the first two books were brilliant. I couldn’t wait to read the conclusion. It was just so very disappointing. The whole situation felt vague, the whole idea of saving the Epics seemed vague. It really wasn’t a lot for the characters to go on. It felt a little desperate, and almost forced into the plot. It was just a little odd a completely incongruous with everything else that has been happening.
I’m…I’m just so shocked. What the hell happened? This was hardly an ending.
All the dramatic elements went too. David felt undeniably invincible. Part of the wonder of the series was the team working together against impossible odds. They would pull of a tactful mission against an incredibly powerful foe. It was all thought out and planned. The enemies were dangerous; they could kill with such ease; thus, the Reckoners approached the situation carefully. In this there was none of that. They just seemed to rush in ridiculously and somehow survive. Normally they’re out matched. It didn’t feel consistent with the other books in which if a character made one wrong move, they would end up dead. Where was the danger? Where was the carefulness? Where was the intensity? Not in this book, that’s for sure.
Then there was the whole alternate reality thing. I say thing because that’s exactly what it was. It was a thing barely explained and barely concluded. There is no suggestion to the limitations of these realities or what happened to the characters that were dragged out of them. I’m a little confused in all honesty. I’m not sure why this became such a major part of this book. It hasn’t really been an issue previously. Sure, we all knew about Firefight’s powers and how Megan unleased them, but that was just one person. Now we have whole realms full of people with different versions of the characters according to differing events. Why an author would try to put in such a complex idea, into the last book of an already short series, is beyond me. It was just too big an element to add so late.
The ending was so disappointing. That’s what I’ve been waiting for? No. This was not good enough. This was not a fitting end to this series at all. Perhaps Brandon Sanderson is juggling too many series’ at once. This felt rushed. We have this overly complex idea shoved in, which is barely finalised. It didn’t work at all. This series was about the action, about the excitement, layered over a plot full of vengeance and justice. I really don’t know what happened to it. Where did it go? There seemed to be no emotion over the fact that the Reckoners were hunting their former leader either. There was no sentiment. David felt cold and detached to the whole thing. He didn’t feel like David. And the team didn’t feel like the Reckoners.
Plot holes -There’s going to be major spoilers in my blocked out spoiler section, so I’m doubly warning you if you’ve not read the book yet: LOOK AWAY! They directly discuss the concept of Calamity.
The Epilogue- Now this was just cheap; it was quite possibly the worse ending possible for David. I’m not going to hint at it, I would give it away. But, for me, it took away a major part of why his character worked so well. The way Sanderson delivered it was nothing short of appalling. I’m, again, completely shocked. I think lame, clichéd and obvious are the words I’m looking for.
This is the worse ending I’ve read to series that I have really enjoyed reading previously. It’s a disaster. I never thought I’d have it in me to give a Sanderson book such a low rating. I can’t believe I’m doing it, but this book deserves it. It’s going to take me a while to get over this disappointment.
The Reckoners
1. Steelheart- A vengeful 4 stars
1.5 Mitosis- A time wasting 2 stars
2. Firefight- A heart jerking 4.5 stars
3. Calamity- A terrible one star
March 11, 2018
My name is David Charleston.
I clicked the button.
And I kill Epics.
The bomb detonated.
I loved this book so much! It was perfect for me! ❤
Damn, if I didn't cry =( It was a good cry though! ❤
David and the group are out trying to stop one of the other people in their group from being bad. Things happened in the last book and now they are trying to make it right.
A new character that I fell in love with was Knighthawk. He's freaking awesome and funny and you just have to read about it. He's got his shite together and you won't even believe the issues he has.
David is still a nerd doing nerd things and getting into situations but he always does things for the good.
When I found out more about Calamity I was stunned. I knew something from the second book but it's so much more in this last book.
And then there are some things about David and his father that just made me almost ugly cry. A lot of people didn't like this book as much but I thought it was damn amazing!
Epics are not always bad . . . .
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
September 27, 2017
Sooooo . . .
This one . . . I had issues. LOTS of issues. Like a MULTITUDE of unanswered questions. Like the chaotic mess of the last 20%, followed by the way too easy (inevitable) demise of Bad Guy(s)--seriously, during one of them, Sanderson actually said, "just like that."
JUST LIKE THAT.
Do you guys want to hear that a HEP big Bad Guy was thwarted/overthrown/vanquished/etc. "just like that"?
B/c I do NOT.
BUT.
Sanderson. So many, many good things as well.
Full RTC.
My other reviews for this series:
Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1)
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)
Firefight (The Reckoners, #2)
This one . . . I had issues. LOTS of issues. Like a MULTITUDE of unanswered questions. Like the chaotic mess of the last 20%, followed by the way too easy (inevitable) demise of Bad Guy(s)--seriously, during one of them, Sanderson actually said, "just like that."
JUST LIKE THAT.
Do you guys want to hear that a HEP big Bad Guy was thwarted/overthrown/vanquished/etc. "just like that"?
B/c I do NOT.
BUT.
Sanderson. So many, many good things as well.
Full RTC.
My other reviews for this series:
Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1)
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)
Firefight (The Reckoners, #2)
July 29, 2024
Sometimes you really look forward to a book so much that your expectations are sky high, unfortunately more often than not the book misses the mark, this book hit it the target like a bullet to the brain. I love this book. This book is fast-paced, and every time I finish a chapter, I want to read the next one straight away. Hell, I just finished it, and I am already wishing for another book. Actually, the only bad thing I can say about this book is it finished. 400+ pages just flew by.
David hated Epics with a passion. He spent 10 year learning everything about them, their powers, abilities, and their weaknesses. Now, things have gotten more complicated. It turns out both his mentor and the woman he loves are two of the most powerful Epics in the world. Now, what happens? Not that one of them has gone bad.
Nobody ever accused David of thinking small. He not only intends to stop the monster he himself has a hand in creating, but he intends to redeem him as well. How does the mysterious Calamity fit into all this. This book has it all. This is an action-packed adventure, as much as the super battles, the tactics, but for me, the main thing that holds this book together are the characters. David, for all his intelligence and deadly accuracy with a gun, still shows his naivety when it comes to girl or hip language. Both the women he loves and his friend call him on every time. I like Megan's character. She is a true warrior and every bit a perfect match for David she more worldly and a planner to David's "improvisations." Their relationship of her always calls him on facts that was raised in a factory learning about guns before he could read or write. Comic book fans might also catch the not so subtle references to a certain other character with an S for hope on his chest. If you like sci-fi, comics, or superheroes, then this is the book (in fact, the series) for you.
David hated Epics with a passion. He spent 10 year learning everything about them, their powers, abilities, and their weaknesses. Now, things have gotten more complicated. It turns out both his mentor and the woman he loves are two of the most powerful Epics in the world. Now, what happens? Not that one of them has gone bad.
Nobody ever accused David of thinking small. He not only intends to stop the monster he himself has a hand in creating, but he intends to redeem him as well. How does the mysterious Calamity fit into all this. This book has it all. This is an action-packed adventure, as much as the super battles, the tactics, but for me, the main thing that holds this book together are the characters. David, for all his intelligence and deadly accuracy with a gun, still shows his naivety when it comes to girl or hip language. Both the women he loves and his friend call him on every time. I like Megan's character. She is a true warrior and every bit a perfect match for David she more worldly and a planner to David's "improvisations." Their relationship of her always calls him on facts that was raised in a factory learning about guns before he could read or write. Comic book fans might also catch the not so subtle references to a certain other character with an S for hope on his chest. If you like sci-fi, comics, or superheroes, then this is the book (in fact, the series) for you.
November 1, 2018
ON SALE!!!! Kindle deal for a limited time for $1.99 01Nov18 at Amazon
3.14159265359 I have no idea how to rate this, so Pi it is Stars
Buddy Reading with my fellow Sandersontitus sufferers at - you guys were a blast to read this with.
I think this is the first Brandon Sanderson book that when I was done I just wasn’t sure what or even how to rate it. “I feel, like a barrel of green ducks at a Fourth of July parade.”
Why you ask am I having so much trouble deciding? Well I’ll tell you….it wasn’t like the ending to The Hero Of Ages the only other completed trilogy by him that I have to compare it too.
But, you’re probably thinking that isn’t fair, this is a completely different trilogy. And I agree with you there. This is a completely different and new trilogy and it is good that he hasn’t fallen into predictable patterns. But I expected more answers, more closure and maybe a more defined ending. For specifically David’s story there are most of those things but for some of the other aspects I ended up having even more questions than I started with. Especially regarding Calamity the history of his coming, the purpose, why I WANTED TO KNOW ALL THE THINGS and I still don’t.
I really loved about 85% of this book. It was everything I expected from the Reckoners series. There was a lot of action, bad metaphors and similes, funny characters, emotional moments, a moving city and bad kissing….
I was really happy that the original crew was back together for the most part. I really missed Cody and Abraham in Firelight, but add those two and Mizzy all together and it was hilarious. Sure they are trying to save the world and being hunted by Prof but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t funny times galore throughout the entire book.
Cody and his plethora of stories, most of which we all know are totally untrue
Mizzy and her exuberance mixed with some snark and sarcasm sometimes.
Abraham with his mysterious past….That is one of those things I really wanted a little more info on. And then there is David and Megan to round out the crew with David in a new position of leadership. It looks good on him and I like the new relationship dynamic between Megan and David, they totally work well together and finish each other’s metaphors. They also get just a few tender moments that made me feel all warm and squishy inside.
There is the addition of one reluctant team member that I was pretty excited for and that is Nighthawk….because the guy that makes all those gadgets the Reckoners have been using has a pretty interesting story and I did like his addition into the story. He added some history with Prof, a great personal history and some very cool and wonderful new toys to play with.
There is a ton of action throughout and some very cool ideas including a new city. Really worldbuiling is something that Sanderson is masterful at and I’m never disappointed with the new ideas that he comes up with. A city that moves for instance….but it doesn’t fly if that is what you are thinking and the way it moves is brilliant and original in itself. BRAVO on that for sure.
Also Megan and what she is really capable of was another thing that completely WOWed me in this and it was incredibly cool. She has one of the absolutely coolest powers imaginable and I was so glad that we got to explore that in this. I wonder what she will become capable of doing over time. Like could she perhaps put an entire person in another reality permanently??? Because there is one person I would like to give a chance in that other reality.
Now to why I’m so Torn. As I mention about lack of closure on a few story points that I thought were pretty important. I didn’t leave this feeling like everything in this world was done. I was left feeling like there are more stories to be told here. While David’s story is definitely done Sanderson has said that he may revisit this world down the road but it will be awhile because he has a lot of other writing plans at the moment.
I loved the Fringe factor of the various realities via Megan but I’m going to say that I really didn’t enjoy the Calamity of it all. As a character/villain he wasn’t as fleshed out as some of the others that I’ve seen in Sanderson’s work and that is why I was disappointed. He was a whiney spoiled scared child who lashed out at others and watched the destruction. I wanted to know so much more about his motivations and all the questions I asked in the above section spoiler. I’m not entirely sure what I expected but he definitely wasn’t it and while a good twist overall I think I might have actually hated it. *Ducks for cover against flying tomotos*
To End On A High Note - I adored the epilogue and I’m going to say I was really surprised by what we found in the alternate reality. I didn’t see that coming for a second and MY JAW DROPPED TO THE GROUND….I might have even gotten a bit teary eyed although I swore to those around me it was just allergies. It was a perfect and wonderful way to end David’s story.
Audio Note: MacLeod Andrews does a perfect performance of this and made David especially come to life but was also great with the entire cast of characters.
3.14159265359 I have no idea how to rate this, so Pi it is Stars
Buddy Reading with my fellow Sandersontitus sufferers at - you guys were a blast to read this with.
I think this is the first Brandon Sanderson book that when I was done I just wasn’t sure what or even how to rate it. “I feel, like a barrel of green ducks at a Fourth of July parade.”
Why you ask am I having so much trouble deciding? Well I’ll tell you….it wasn’t like the ending to The Hero Of Ages the only other completed trilogy by him that I have to compare it too.
But, you’re probably thinking that isn’t fair, this is a completely different trilogy. And I agree with you there. This is a completely different and new trilogy and it is good that he hasn’t fallen into predictable patterns. But I expected more answers, more closure and maybe a more defined ending. For specifically David’s story there are most of those things but for some of the other aspects I ended up having even more questions than I started with. Especially regarding Calamity the history of his coming, the purpose, why I WANTED TO KNOW ALL THE THINGS and I still don’t.
I really loved about 85% of this book. It was everything I expected from the Reckoners series. There was a lot of action, bad metaphors and similes, funny characters, emotional moments, a moving city and bad kissing….
“Yet—in all of infinity—I don’t think I’ve ever found a dimension where you can kiss worth a hill of beans.”
“That’s unfair,” I said. “You didn’t complain last night.”
“You stuck your tongue in my ear, David.”
“That’s way romantic. Saw it in a movie once. It’s like…a passionate wet willie.”
I was really happy that the original crew was back together for the most part. I really missed Cody and Abraham in Firelight, but add those two and Mizzy all together and it was hilarious. Sure they are trying to save the world and being hunted by Prof but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t funny times galore throughout the entire book.
Cody and his plethora of stories, most of which we all know are totally untrue
“Coming up with plans has never been my strong point.”
“Why not? Seems like you’re pretty good at making things up.”
He pointed at me. “I’ve punched men for wisecracks like that.” He paused. “Of course, most were Scots.”
“Your own kind?” I asked. “Why would you fight other Scots?”
“Lad, you don’t know much about us, do you?”
“Only what you’ve told me.”
“Well, I guess you know a heap of things then. Just none of them useful.”
Mizzy and her exuberance mixed with some snark and sarcasm sometimes.
Who would have thought that love and hate would be so similar, you know?”
“Who?” Mizzy said. “Like, basically every philosopher to ever live.”
“What, really?”
“Yeaaah. Bunch of rock songs too.”
“Wow.”
“You know, the fact that you were educated in a gun factory kinda shows sometimes, David.”
Abraham with his mysterious past….That is one of those things I really wanted a little more info on. And then there is David and Megan to round out the crew with David in a new position of leadership. It looks good on him and I like the new relationship dynamic between Megan and David, they totally work well together and finish each other’s metaphors. They also get just a few tender moments that made me feel all warm and squishy inside.
There is the addition of one reluctant team member that I was pretty excited for and that is Nighthawk….because the guy that makes all those gadgets the Reckoners have been using has a pretty interesting story and I did like his addition into the story. He added some history with Prof, a great personal history and some very cool and wonderful new toys to play with.
There is a ton of action throughout and some very cool ideas including a new city. Really worldbuiling is something that Sanderson is masterful at and I’m never disappointed with the new ideas that he comes up with. A city that moves for instance….but it doesn’t fly if that is what you are thinking and the way it moves is brilliant and original in itself. BRAVO on that for sure.
Also Megan and what she is really capable of was another thing that completely WOWed me in this and it was incredibly cool. She has one of the absolutely coolest powers imaginable and I was so glad that we got to explore that in this. I wonder what she will become capable of doing over time. Like could she perhaps put an entire person in another reality permanently??? Because there is one person I would like to give a chance in that other reality.
Now to why I’m so Torn. As I mention about lack of closure on a few story points that I thought were pretty important. I didn’t leave this feeling like everything in this world was done. I was left feeling like there are more stories to be told here. While David’s story is definitely done Sanderson has said that he may revisit this world down the road but it will be awhile because he has a lot of other writing plans at the moment.
I loved the Fringe factor of the various realities via Megan but I’m going to say that I really didn’t enjoy the Calamity of it all. As a character/villain he wasn’t as fleshed out as some of the others that I’ve seen in Sanderson’s work and that is why I was disappointed. He was a whiney spoiled scared child who lashed out at others and watched the destruction. I wanted to know so much more about his motivations and all the questions I asked in the above section spoiler. I’m not entirely sure what I expected but he definitely wasn’t it and while a good twist overall I think I might have actually hated it. *Ducks for cover against flying tomotos*
To End On A High Note - I adored the epilogue and I’m going to say I was really surprised by what we found in the alternate reality. I didn’t see that coming for a second and MY JAW DROPPED TO THE GROUND….I might have even gotten a bit teary eyed although I swore to those around me it was just allergies. It was a perfect and wonderful way to end David’s story.
Audio Note: MacLeod Andrews does a perfect performance of this and made David especially come to life but was also great with the entire cast of characters.
February 18, 2016
[4.5 Stars]
I must say, I very much enjoyed this book, but this is the first time I've read a Sanderson novel where I don't think everything made sense.
I must say, I very much enjoyed this book, but this is the first time I've read a Sanderson novel where I don't think everything made sense.
May 3, 2016
An Epic finale!
This is the third and final novel in the book series “The Reckoners”.
AN EVEN LARGER WORLD
Epics are strange, wonderful, and terrible all at once. Don’t let yourself get drawn in by that. It can lead you to… difficult places.
In the two previous novels (along with Mitosis, a short story after the first book), Steelheart and Firefight, you get to know striking looking places such as Newcago (I still laugh about that name… it’s a Spanish-speaking thing) and Babilar, but still was kinda small world that in this final novel, Calamity, became a larger world, even larger than you can think.
Calamity gives you scenarios such as The Knighthawk Foudry and Ildithia, but also you will be taken to totally unexpected settings overwhelming (in a good way) your mind.
To know that the Reckoners saga would be a short one with only three novels (plus the short story) was a bittersweet sensation. You know, I like short sagas since you don’t need to invest much time to cover it, but at same time, I think that Reckoners have a tremendous potential of expansion and evolution to produce a lot more of books.
And I was kinda right about it, since while this is indeed the final book giving a proper closure to the saga, it leaves a clear open door to make more books about it, in the future, continuing the main saga and/or generating some spin-off, if Brandon Sanderson, the author, would decide it to do it.
HARD TO COPE SURPRISES
You want to fight a god? You’d better to have one on your side too.
Calamity is a rollercoaster of surprises, where it’s hard to cope in the most of cases, since while the novel is astonishing developed, I am still unsure if I really aprove some of the twists that you find in the book.
I don’t know. I can’t deny that they are outstanding moments improving the experience of the adventure, but I can’t avoid to feel that some of those surprises were risky bets that at the end, they work, but I think that I felt unnecesary or kinda contradictory (to the soul of the story) some decisions in the development of key characters in certain moments of the story, in this finale to the trilogy.
I guess that never is easy the final book in a saga.
Knowing that there won’t be anything else after it (at least of the known at this moment) and even, since you get big changes in how the story is developed here, I am uncertain if a following to this saga would give me a path that I’d like to walk.
But don’t get me wrong, at the end, the story is an enjoyable reading, blowing your mind with impossible situations, and bringing solid characters.
This is the third and final novel in the book series “The Reckoners”.
AN EVEN LARGER WORLD
Epics are strange, wonderful, and terrible all at once. Don’t let yourself get drawn in by that. It can lead you to… difficult places.
In the two previous novels (along with Mitosis, a short story after the first book), Steelheart and Firefight, you get to know striking looking places such as Newcago (I still laugh about that name… it’s a Spanish-speaking thing) and Babilar, but still was kinda small world that in this final novel, Calamity, became a larger world, even larger than you can think.
Calamity gives you scenarios such as The Knighthawk Foudry and Ildithia, but also you will be taken to totally unexpected settings overwhelming (in a good way) your mind.
To know that the Reckoners saga would be a short one with only three novels (plus the short story) was a bittersweet sensation. You know, I like short sagas since you don’t need to invest much time to cover it, but at same time, I think that Reckoners have a tremendous potential of expansion and evolution to produce a lot more of books.
And I was kinda right about it, since while this is indeed the final book giving a proper closure to the saga, it leaves a clear open door to make more books about it, in the future, continuing the main saga and/or generating some spin-off, if Brandon Sanderson, the author, would decide it to do it.
HARD TO COPE SURPRISES
You want to fight a god? You’d better to have one on your side too.
Calamity is a rollercoaster of surprises, where it’s hard to cope in the most of cases, since while the novel is astonishing developed, I am still unsure if I really aprove some of the twists that you find in the book.
I don’t know. I can’t deny that they are outstanding moments improving the experience of the adventure, but I can’t avoid to feel that some of those surprises were risky bets that at the end, they work, but I think that I felt unnecesary or kinda contradictory (to the soul of the story) some decisions in the development of key characters in certain moments of the story, in this finale to the trilogy.
I guess that never is easy the final book in a saga.
Knowing that there won’t be anything else after it (at least of the known at this moment) and even, since you get big changes in how the story is developed here, I am uncertain if a following to this saga would give me a path that I’d like to walk.
But don’t get me wrong, at the end, the story is an enjoyable reading, blowing your mind with impossible situations, and bringing solid characters.
June 14, 2017
So I've finally taken the leap & finished a Young Adult series by one of my favorite Adult Fantasy writers, and I must say I'm very pleased with the outcome of that risk.
I've come to expect great things from Brandon Sanderson & once again I think he's delivered a gem of the genre.
Some things you might be wondering:
Is the series perfect? No, it isn't perfect. But it's a hell of a ride with some fun characters, an engaging, fast-paced story, and witty, realistic writing.
How does this series compare to Sanderson's Adult High Fantasy works? The premise is so different that it almost becomes difficult to compare the two. I think it would be unwise to go into this series expecting to come away with the same deep investment that may be inspired by huge series like Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive.
That's not to say this series isn't awesome in it's own right, but given the nature of Young Adult Fantasy, it's typically going to be less intricate & less sweeping. Which could be a good thing for those who struggled with the slow-paced, detailed storytelling of Sanderson's Adult works.
Sanderson's forte may be Adult Fantasy, but at the core he is a skilled writer capable of creating great stories across genres. What I'm saying is, those who loved & those who hated his Adult Fantasy books may be able to find common ground with this series!
I've seen a lot of people say they feel that Calamity was a weak ending to this series, but personally I enjoyed this one more than Firefight. I found the focus more interesting & revelations more entertaining. It felt like a return to the theme Steelheart began.
I do believe there was a bit too much happening at the end, and a couple oddities that did not receive an appropriate sense of closure. I was not incredibly impressed with the villain of this installment, and I would've liked a a bit more time for the final climax to unfold so that it felt less Deus Ex Machina.
But at the end of the day, and as a person who generally does not usually enjoy superhero vs. supervillian plots, I really liked this series a lot & would definitely recommend it.
I've come to expect great things from Brandon Sanderson & once again I think he's delivered a gem of the genre.
Some things you might be wondering:
Is the series perfect? No, it isn't perfect. But it's a hell of a ride with some fun characters, an engaging, fast-paced story, and witty, realistic writing.
How does this series compare to Sanderson's Adult High Fantasy works? The premise is so different that it almost becomes difficult to compare the two. I think it would be unwise to go into this series expecting to come away with the same deep investment that may be inspired by huge series like Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive.
That's not to say this series isn't awesome in it's own right, but given the nature of Young Adult Fantasy, it's typically going to be less intricate & less sweeping. Which could be a good thing for those who struggled with the slow-paced, detailed storytelling of Sanderson's Adult works.
Sanderson's forte may be Adult Fantasy, but at the core he is a skilled writer capable of creating great stories across genres. What I'm saying is, those who loved & those who hated his Adult Fantasy books may be able to find common ground with this series!
I've seen a lot of people say they feel that Calamity was a weak ending to this series, but personally I enjoyed this one more than Firefight. I found the focus more interesting & revelations more entertaining. It felt like a return to the theme Steelheart began.
I do believe there was a bit too much happening at the end, and a couple oddities that did not receive an appropriate sense of closure. I was not incredibly impressed with the villain of this installment, and I would've liked a a bit more time for the final climax to unfold so that it felt less Deus Ex Machina.
But at the end of the day, and as a person who generally does not usually enjoy superhero vs. supervillian plots, I really liked this series a lot & would definitely recommend it.
July 18, 2020
Damn, what a finale. This trilogy still, to this day, remains to be one of my favorites. I had a blast re-reading it.
_________________________
There will be heroes. Just wait.
I get why some people dislike this book. But... how can anyone dislike this book?
Before I started reading Calamity I read a lot of reviews written by people who were disappointed by this book. So I got into it expecting I was not going to like it. And I'm glad I did, because this book surprised the hell out of me. I'm even going to say that it is my favorite book from The Reckoners series.
Calamity picks us where Firefight left off. David and The Reckoners are still fighting against Epics, trying to bring peace to this world. And just like Firefight had a completely different setting than Steelheart, so did Calamity. And I loved the city in which this book took place. Even though I loved Newcago and Babilar, I loved Ildithia even more. The concept of having a salt city move and rebuilt itself over and over again was just so cool. And when it comes to action and fighting, Sanderson took both of those things in this book to another level. I loved all the fighting scenes, and I loved that we saw just how badass some characters were.
But even though I loved all those things, I've got to say that, just like in the previous two books, my favorite part about this book were the characters. I'm so glad that Abraham and Cody came back in this book, because I still wish that they were present in Firefight. David, Megan, and Cody remained to be my favorite characters, but I also loved some of the new characters we were introduced to (especially Knighthawk).
And when it comes to the ending (which a lot of people disliked), I have to say that I bloody loved it. The revelation about everything surprised the hell out of me. All the important questions were answered, and yeah, there are still some unanswered questions, but since Sanderson is writing another series set in this world, I'm sure we'll get all the answers then. And heck, even Heroes of Ages didn't answer every question at the end, and that's why we now have Wax and Wayne series to answer them. So I have no worries that everything, that isn't quite clear now, will be cleared out in the next series.
And in the end, I'm just going to add that this truly is one of my all-time favorite series, and I'm so sad that it's over (at least for now). But knowing Sanderson I know that we'll see all these characters again (at least that is what I like to think).
_________________________
There will be heroes. Just wait.
I get why some people dislike this book. But... how can anyone dislike this book?
Before I started reading Calamity I read a lot of reviews written by people who were disappointed by this book. So I got into it expecting I was not going to like it. And I'm glad I did, because this book surprised the hell out of me. I'm even going to say that it is my favorite book from The Reckoners series.
Calamity picks us where Firefight left off. David and The Reckoners are still fighting against Epics, trying to bring peace to this world. And just like Firefight had a completely different setting than Steelheart, so did Calamity. And I loved the city in which this book took place. Even though I loved Newcago and Babilar, I loved Ildithia even more. The concept of having a salt city move and rebuilt itself over and over again was just so cool. And when it comes to action and fighting, Sanderson took both of those things in this book to another level. I loved all the fighting scenes, and I loved that we saw just how badass some characters were.
But even though I loved all those things, I've got to say that, just like in the previous two books, my favorite part about this book were the characters. I'm so glad that Abraham and Cody came back in this book, because I still wish that they were present in Firefight. David, Megan, and Cody remained to be my favorite characters, but I also loved some of the new characters we were introduced to (especially Knighthawk).
And when it comes to the ending (which a lot of people disliked), I have to say that I bloody loved it. The revelation about everything surprised the hell out of me. All the important questions were answered, and yeah, there are still some unanswered questions, but since Sanderson is writing another series set in this world, I'm sure we'll get all the answers then. And heck, even Heroes of Ages didn't answer every question at the end, and that's why we now have Wax and Wayne series to answer them. So I have no worries that everything, that isn't quite clear now, will be cleared out in the next series.
And in the end, I'm just going to add that this truly is one of my all-time favorite series, and I'm so sad that it's over (at least for now). But knowing Sanderson I know that we'll see all these characters again (at least that is what I like to think).
February 17, 2016
Epic.
Okay. Too easy. I mean, some low hanging fruit can be knocked off the tree by Tom Thumb, but Come On, can't you see that was too EASY?
Seriously. I can't remember when I've had so much plain simple evil superhero FUN.
Are all my expectations met? You betcha.
Did sit excitedly through the entire tale, piecing together all the things that came before to make this come to a great end? Yes. Was I truly satisfied? Yes. Yes I was.
It's an easy tale that rides all our superhero expectations and toys with us in interesting ways, but most importantly, it always thinks through the ramifications of powers and weaknesses in such a nicely thorough way that it still pops this series ahead, at least in my head, from any other similar piece.
Yes. I'm including Vicious, ppl.
Antiheroes are overrated. We've got tons of baddies here. What I really wanted was a severely underpowered HERO. :) Woot Woot!
I love all the slow character changes most. They're all as clear and impressive as day, and the whole story is logical and writ large. This is the definition of popcorn fiction. :)
What a beautiful scene at the end. :)
Okay. Too easy. I mean, some low hanging fruit can be knocked off the tree by Tom Thumb, but Come On, can't you see that was too EASY?
Seriously. I can't remember when I've had so much plain simple evil superhero FUN.
Are all my expectations met? You betcha.
Did sit excitedly through the entire tale, piecing together all the things that came before to make this come to a great end? Yes. Was I truly satisfied? Yes. Yes I was.
It's an easy tale that rides all our superhero expectations and toys with us in interesting ways, but most importantly, it always thinks through the ramifications of powers and weaknesses in such a nicely thorough way that it still pops this series ahead, at least in my head, from any other similar piece.
Yes. I'm including Vicious, ppl.
Antiheroes are overrated. We've got tons of baddies here. What I really wanted was a severely underpowered HERO. :) Woot Woot!
I love all the slow character changes most. They're all as clear and impressive as day, and the whole story is logical and writ large. This is the definition of popcorn fiction. :)
What a beautiful scene at the end. :)
February 23, 2016
There will be heroes. Just wait.
I think this is one of those reviews where I’m going to make it quick: This series, these characters, this author are epic. Truly. I have loved every single minute of this series from beginning to end…
Where we're from, there's no sun,
Our hometown's in the dark,
Where we're from, we're no one,
Our hometown's in the dark,
Our hometown's in the dark
Twenty-one pilots song PERFECT for this series! :P
and I’m not going to tarnish something I’ve always enjoyed with lots of complaints and rambling about where things went wrong. Because as much as I’ve enjoyed this series, this finale fell completely short….in more ways than one.
Everyone took a turn driving except me. Which was completely unfair. Just because of that one time. Well, and that other time. And the one with the mailbox, but seriously, who remembered that anymore?
Book one and book two were shocking to me in a way that captured me from the bottom of my heart. David was a character that made me laugh, smile, and root for every little thing he did. I thrived on his horrible metaphors/similes
To a drone I’d have a tiny heat signature, like a squirrel or something. A secretly very, very deadly squirrel.
and his primal need to be a part of something that shaped his soul from the moment Steelheart stole his childhood. He’s nerdy, sweet, kind, and loyal in ways that are hard to find in YA fantasy (I mean, he’s the first adorable nerd I’ve found). And his resolute belief that Epics can’t be good was something that shaped him into the adorkable boy we met today-until he met Megan.
"You,” I said, tipping her chin up to look her in the eye, “are a sunrise.”
She cocked her head. “A…sunrise?”
“Yup.”
“Not a potato?”
“Not right now.”
“Not a hippo?”
“No, and…wait, when did I call you a hippo?”
“Last week. You were drowsy.”
Sparks. Didn’t remember that one.
That plot twist in book one was beyond words amazing, making me drop my jaw and gasp into the dark bedroom I was reading in. I mean…I couldn’t believe it. Sanderson is someone that never ceases to amaze me with his writing, his creativity and originality, and utter lack of disregard for those of us who can’t stand to lose our favorite characters. That being said, Megan became a not-so-villain I adored. The way she continually protected David..I can’t even. Don’t get me started on the fangirling! But, as I said above, all this stuff I loved, cherished, lived for and looked forward to?? It was just…it was virtually nonexistent.
I met her eyes and shrugged. “I’m glad you’re not the same Megan. I don’t want you to be the same. My Megan is a sunrise, always changing, but beautiful the entire time.”
David and Megan?? They were great. Honestly-the reason my heart still beat out of my chest for the entirety of the novel. David himself?? Please, I will NEVER forget my boy. The story I’ve come to obsess and fangirl over?? Gone. I’m sorry, but what was this supposed to be? It was good still, I mean, I wouldn’t have rated a four if it didn’t make me happy-but a four in an epic fantasy series by Sanderson? That might as well be a two.
"Well,” Mizzy said, “if only we had access to someone with a freakishly large repository of knowledge about Epics, and who can’t help but tell us about them. Like, all the time.”
“Well, it is my thang.”
“What did I tell you about that word, David?”
It lacked passion, direction, and, most of all, reason. This, to me, felt like a watered down version of what Sanderson can do. I haven’t read all his books, no, but I have read the Mistborn series and it owns a piece of my soul, just like this one does-But in totally different ways. So, my reasoning for disappointment has a fairly simple answer: Sanderson backed out. He was holding something back. That is literally the only thing I can think of. I have to wonder if, in some weird sick way, Sanderson felt like he couldn’t do what needed to be done, in this genre, to make this story unforgettable.
My world was only sounds. Each one horrible, an assault, a scream. I curled up before the barrage, but then the lights attacked. Garish, terrible. Violent. I hated them, though that did nothing. I wept, but this too terrified me; my own body betraying me with an assault from within, to pair with all those from without.
That’s not to say he didn’t do what he wanted. I have no clue…I mean, who am I to say? But I have to wonder why he didn’t make this more perilous, more jaw-dropping, more….just more. You don’t have to kill people off to make a story amazing, you know. He could have put David through the ringer-he and Megan both-but instead made it fairly easy. I don’t know. It just wasn’t what I was picturing while waiting a year for this final installment. And no, for once, this isn’t my fault. I didn’t build it up-I just know how Sanderson writes, and this felt like a completely different style, in the end.
"David…I’m warning you. I can’t control this, even with the secret of the weaknesses.”
“Well,” I said, “we’ll merely have to do the best we can.”
“But-"
“Megan,” I said, lifting her head to look her in the eyes. “I’d rather die than be without you.”
I will always adore this series, especially books one and two, but I will always remember how the third left me needing and wanting an ending that just didn’t exist. I didn’t want my boy to die, at all, but I did want things to be more difficult for him. I mean, his whole life led up to this…wouldn’t you expect a bigger bang to finish the evilest of evil off, once and for all? Well…I certainly did.
I stared into the burning red star known as Calamity, and knew-with no uncertainty-that something inside me had changed.
The depths had claimed me as one of their own. And though I’ve pushed them back, I still bear their hidden scar.
They insist that they will have me again.
Well written and without a doubt still one of my favorite series and authors for life, this story still had it’s moments of beauty that will stay with me forever. The descriptions and world-building still amazed me in ways I could only expect from Sanderson, giving me a few days of fun that boosted my mood from dull to shining bright. I just wish that my smile would have lasted until the epilogue when, inevitably, my dear Anna’s French frown found it’s way onto my face.
My name is David Charleston.
I clicked the button.
And I kill Epics.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
**************
Where we're from, there's no sun,
Our hometown's in the dark,
Where we're from, we're no one,
Our hometown's in the dark,
Our hometown's in the dark
So...I adore this series. I adore the action and the humor and this author. I am OBSESSED with David. But...I'd be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed with this conclusion. Quite frankly? I needed just a little more. I just thought such an epic (haha) series deserved an epic conclusion.
RTC
OMG. It's fucking gorgeous. I LOVE it. I love it I love it I love it.
Read the first two chapters HERE
DAVID!!! I need more of your horrible metaphors NOW. Ugh.
November 17, 2018
Mhm. I don't know how I feel about that ending.🤔
April 22, 2016
Well, David Charleston, it seems you got off easy in this final installment. I feel like it was harder to defeat Steelheart.Hello Beautiful Book Blog
The demands I made before reading Calamity:
♥ Backgrounds for Prof, Tia and Mizzy --- Eh.
♥ More explanation of "Calamity" --- Mostly.
♥ More similes, of course --- Check!
♥ Megan and David in love --- ♥♥♥ I'm happy.
♥ All my favorite characters live (don't wanna spoil)
I guess about 75% was fulfilled. We got very little backgrounds for everyone. We got a little more for Cody and Abraham's past, but really nothing more for the people I really needed it from. We had a few new characters show up, one I loved in particular, Knighthawk. I loved the comic relief and his witty personality. We also had a couple characters that sort of flipped the script from the beginning, we have Megan who is villain turned hero and now we have freaking Prof who is now the villain. I wanted and needed more on Prof, just with everything. I'm not going into specifics as to not spoil, but good God I need answers. Speaking of answers, Calamity. We got the most basic answer, but the one I really wanted was why? Megan and David's relationship is just adorable, so there's that.
I met her eyes and shrugged. “I’m glad you’re not the same Megan. I don’t want you to be the same. My Megan is a sunrise, always changing, but beautiful the entire time.”I really really loved Steelheart. We were taken on a journey to take down the terrible Epic Steelheart. We got to know the completely adorable nerd, David who let us in on some awfully hilarious metaphors. We see this awesome team taking down Epics with precision. We get an amazing twist that will throw you on a complete 360. Like seriously, jaw on the floor.
I sighed. “You were talking about how obsessed I am. And that’s not it. I’m like… well, I’m like a room-sized, steam-powered, robotic toenail-clipping machine.”
She cocked an eyebrow.
“I can basically do only one thing,” I explained, “but damn it, I’m going to do that one thing really, really well.”
Megan smiled. A beautiful sight. She kissed me then, for some reason. “I love you, David Charleston.”
I really liked Firefight. Firefight we get more adventure, metaphors/similies, but it's a little more familiar so it's expected. There is a lot of plotting and not a lot of action. It's more just trying to figure things out that played on the mystery. We find out more about Epic powers and more about Calamity which drives the plot.
I liked Calamity. I'm basically just okay with that ending. We finally figure out what Calamity is... sort of. Of course, more crazy metaphors/similes, they aren't as special by book 3, but I still enjoyed them. I just wanted more epicness, more struggle, more plot, just MORE. It feels like another episode and then the story can kind of keep going on, so I can take comfort in that.
I am in no way bashing this series, because it really is awesome. I love all the characters and will never forget them.
March 9, 2016
I thought Calamity was a satisfying conclusion to the Reckoners series. This series is no Cosmere, but it is still a ton of fun. Then again, Sanderson+Superheroes was always going to be a win for me!
This third book actually had a slightly sluggish start, but luckily the pace and intensity picked up as the story progressed. David and the Reckoners were on the move again, this time to the mobile city of salt Illithia. I liked the new setting. It was cool and an equal to the likes of NewCago and Babilar.
The story itself was fun as David and the Reckoners had to find a way to deal with Calamity and the darkness that all the epics suffer from while using their powers, while at the same time dealing with the high epic of the new city plus some familiar faces like Obliteration and the shock new villain from the end of Firefight.
My favourite parts of Calamity were the bits that focused on exploring Megan's awesome superpowers. I'm also a fan of her romance with David and their interactions with each other.
I found the ending quite satisfying. We got answers to most of the big questions regarding Calamity and the nature of the superpowers and got a few new mysteries that make the impending new spin-off series The Apocalypse Guard all the more intriguing.
Rating: 4 stars.
This third book actually had a slightly sluggish start, but luckily the pace and intensity picked up as the story progressed. David and the Reckoners were on the move again, this time to the mobile city of salt Illithia. I liked the new setting. It was cool and an equal to the likes of NewCago and Babilar.
The story itself was fun as David and the Reckoners had to find a way to deal with Calamity and the darkness that all the epics suffer from while using their powers, while at the same time dealing with the high epic of the new city plus some familiar faces like Obliteration and the shock new villain from the end of Firefight.
My favourite parts of Calamity were the bits that focused on exploring Megan's awesome superpowers. I'm also a fan of her romance with David and their interactions with each other.
I found the ending quite satisfying. We got answers to most of the big questions regarding Calamity and the nature of the superpowers and got a few new mysteries that make the impending new spin-off series The Apocalypse Guard all the more intriguing.
Rating: 4 stars.
February 17, 2016
*Fistpumping* Still, hours after this read. I love you Brandon Sanderson.
Freaking Gold...Gold I Say!!
RTC
April 17, 2018
Thank God .. I couldn't take another series finale going horribly array , I'm glad Mr Sanderson delivered, i feared the worst diving in especially after reading some comments, to each his own of course , I'm just glad i liked it , i enjoyed the events as they unfolded and when it got very exciting and action packed, David's metaphors as always were mental , the novel had a hyper feeling about it the tension raising exponentially ,,, I'm very glad i read this series ... waiting for legion ;0
April 26, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/03/05/a...
Calamity is the concluding novel of The Reckoners series and it was nothing like I expected, but I have yet to decide whether I feel positively or negatively about that. In truth, I feel torn because even though I enjoyed this book overall, for the first time in a long while I ended a Brandon Sanderson novel without feeling completely satisfied. Here came the long awaited answers to the questions that have been with us since the beginning, but I’m not sure that they really resolved all that much for me.
It probably goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning anyway: This will be a spoiler-free review for Calamity, but if you haven’t read Steelheart and Firefight yet, keep in mind I may reference events from those preceding volumes. Following the devastating events of the last book, David and the Reckoners have left Babilar for Ildithia, tracking down the whereabouts of Jonathan “Prof” Phaedrus. The former Reckoners leader had ultimately succumbed to the darkness of his High Epic powers, but rather than attempting to kill Prof outright, David believes that his friend can still be saved. To do that, he’ll have to uncover Prof’s weakness, the thing that an Epic fears the most, and force the older man to turn back from the evil consuming him.
From the beginning to about three-quarters of the way through, Calamity was set to be my favorite book in the trilogy. I loved that we got to visit a new city that was once again fantastic beyond belief. After Newcago and Babilar, I wondered what Sanderson would have up his sleeve this time, and it turned out to be…salt. Formerly Atlanta, Ildithia was infused with Epic power and is now entirely made up of the stuff. By crumbling at one end while reforming at another, the city replaces itself completely about once every week or so, and gives the illusion that the whole of Ildithia is slowly “moving” across the landscape of the southern Fractured States. That’s some mind blowing world-building.
David was also once again slaying me with his sense of humor, bringing back his signature metaphors that are so bad they’re good. At certain points of the book, especially the first time the Reckoners encounter Prof in Ildithia, the tension was so thick that I was practically frozen in anticipation, simply hanging on to every word in the audiobook. Later on in the story, there’s even an exciting heist scene, and we all know how much I love those. The stakes were much higher in this book, and the greater intensity of the action scenes definitely reflected that.
So needless to say, I was confused when the first reviews of Calamity started surfacing and many of the ratings were mixed. But once I got to the final stretch of the book, I began to understand.
The ending was…interesting. After finishing Calamity I turned to a friend and tried to articulate my thoughts on how I felt about the finale, and found that I couldn’t. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. Still, I just can’t seem to shake the sense that Brandon Sanderson hit a wall when it came to figuring out how to wrap up this trilogy, and in the end decided on a very random, out-of-left-field conclusion—which is not like the author at all. That is why I am so torn. On the one hand, there’s an unmistakable sense of closure, so I’m happy that we got a real ending. But on the other, there are still many important points left open that I feel needed to be resolved. For lack of a better word, it felt messy.
On a happier note though, I’m pleased to say that the audiobook edition has exceeded my expectations—but I already knew it was going to be excellent after my experience with the audio of Firefight. MacLeod Andrews is a talented narrator, and out of all the titles I’ve listened to him read, his performance on this series is by far my favorite. I think it’s because these books are a good match for his energy and enthusiasm. After all, Brandon Sanderson writes the best protagonists, some of whom are among the most vivid and unique characters I’ve ever encountered. David of the Reckoners series is no exception, though his jokes can sometimes become tedious and get in the way of his charm, but Andrews has this way of moderating that goofiness, making the character feel very sincere and likeable.
All told, I think Calamity might be my least favorite installment, but I also can’t say I’m all that disappointed. There were plenty of great moments in here, and while the ending may have dragged down my overall opinion of the book, it hasn’t really affected my love for the entire series. I adore The Reckoners, and I would still readily recommend it to anyone looking to read a fun spin on superheroes.
Calamity is the concluding novel of The Reckoners series and it was nothing like I expected, but I have yet to decide whether I feel positively or negatively about that. In truth, I feel torn because even though I enjoyed this book overall, for the first time in a long while I ended a Brandon Sanderson novel without feeling completely satisfied. Here came the long awaited answers to the questions that have been with us since the beginning, but I’m not sure that they really resolved all that much for me.
It probably goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning anyway: This will be a spoiler-free review for Calamity, but if you haven’t read Steelheart and Firefight yet, keep in mind I may reference events from those preceding volumes. Following the devastating events of the last book, David and the Reckoners have left Babilar for Ildithia, tracking down the whereabouts of Jonathan “Prof” Phaedrus. The former Reckoners leader had ultimately succumbed to the darkness of his High Epic powers, but rather than attempting to kill Prof outright, David believes that his friend can still be saved. To do that, he’ll have to uncover Prof’s weakness, the thing that an Epic fears the most, and force the older man to turn back from the evil consuming him.
From the beginning to about three-quarters of the way through, Calamity was set to be my favorite book in the trilogy. I loved that we got to visit a new city that was once again fantastic beyond belief. After Newcago and Babilar, I wondered what Sanderson would have up his sleeve this time, and it turned out to be…salt. Formerly Atlanta, Ildithia was infused with Epic power and is now entirely made up of the stuff. By crumbling at one end while reforming at another, the city replaces itself completely about once every week or so, and gives the illusion that the whole of Ildithia is slowly “moving” across the landscape of the southern Fractured States. That’s some mind blowing world-building.
David was also once again slaying me with his sense of humor, bringing back his signature metaphors that are so bad they’re good. At certain points of the book, especially the first time the Reckoners encounter Prof in Ildithia, the tension was so thick that I was practically frozen in anticipation, simply hanging on to every word in the audiobook. Later on in the story, there’s even an exciting heist scene, and we all know how much I love those. The stakes were much higher in this book, and the greater intensity of the action scenes definitely reflected that.
So needless to say, I was confused when the first reviews of Calamity started surfacing and many of the ratings were mixed. But once I got to the final stretch of the book, I began to understand.
The ending was…interesting. After finishing Calamity I turned to a friend and tried to articulate my thoughts on how I felt about the finale, and found that I couldn’t. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. Still, I just can’t seem to shake the sense that Brandon Sanderson hit a wall when it came to figuring out how to wrap up this trilogy, and in the end decided on a very random, out-of-left-field conclusion—which is not like the author at all. That is why I am so torn. On the one hand, there’s an unmistakable sense of closure, so I’m happy that we got a real ending. But on the other, there are still many important points left open that I feel needed to be resolved. For lack of a better word, it felt messy.
On a happier note though, I’m pleased to say that the audiobook edition has exceeded my expectations—but I already knew it was going to be excellent after my experience with the audio of Firefight. MacLeod Andrews is a talented narrator, and out of all the titles I’ve listened to him read, his performance on this series is by far my favorite. I think it’s because these books are a good match for his energy and enthusiasm. After all, Brandon Sanderson writes the best protagonists, some of whom are among the most vivid and unique characters I’ve ever encountered. David of the Reckoners series is no exception, though his jokes can sometimes become tedious and get in the way of his charm, but Andrews has this way of moderating that goofiness, making the character feel very sincere and likeable.
All told, I think Calamity might be my least favorite installment, but I also can’t say I’m all that disappointed. There were plenty of great moments in here, and while the ending may have dragged down my overall opinion of the book, it hasn’t really affected my love for the entire series. I adore The Reckoners, and I would still readily recommend it to anyone looking to read a fun spin on superheroes.
January 6, 2017
3.5
"You want to fight a god? You'd better have one on your side too."
•I love this series, and that's a fact. I love most of all the world building and David Charleston, and that's another fact. But his off-the wall metaphors are not enough to make up for an ultimately wanting villain and this is the fact that kind of clashes with all the rest and the reason why even though I wanted to rate this book 4 stars so badly, I still found I couldn't really do it.
•The thing is, Calamity was used like some kind of a reverse deus ex machina, needed to introduce the initial disruption. What I found unsatisfying was not that , because I think that doing that would have only led to a great deal of confusion and explanations that had actually nothing to do with our story. But Calamity himself... he felt insignificant. He was not the supreme villain I expected him to be. I wanted to know what exactly was going on in his head.
Generally speaking, the whole book successfully builds up to a climax that is sadly unsuccessful.
•I'm not sure how I feel about David and . He was special because he wasn't special, and you see why this may have turned the tables. Just a little.
•Also ? I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was cheesy, because it wasn't, but it's precisely one of those things that in real life would make you say "it only happens in movies". I don't like when that's the case but, nonetheless, colour me super happy for David, because he deserved it. My hero.
•Speaking of whom, the crew is everything. I adore every single one of them and their characterization (though it would have been nice to take another peek at Abraham's past) and I vehemently ship Mizzy/Abraham (maybe there's a big age difference between the two of them? Not sure and don't care). Mizzam? Abrazzy?
I think I'd better shut up now.
•The plot was still great, but not as good as Firefight's, if you ask me.
•Prof! I needed some closure for Prof. His character development was one of the cores of the series and of this book especially, and I felt he deserved more attention in the conclusion.
➽ The Reckoners is a strongly recommended series I'll carry with me for a long, long time. The world-building is everything (it's Sanderson, folks. What did you expect?) and the characters too. And the action, and the banter, and the world building again...
Yes, definitely recommended.
"You want to fight a god? You'd better have one on your side too."
•I love this series, and that's a fact. I love most of all the world building and David Charleston, and that's another fact. But his off-the wall metaphors are not enough to make up for an ultimately wanting villain and this is the fact that kind of clashes with all the rest and the reason why even though I wanted to rate this book 4 stars so badly, I still found I couldn't really do it.
•The thing is, Calamity was used like some kind of a reverse deus ex machina, needed to introduce the initial disruption. What I found unsatisfying was not that , because I think that doing that would have only led to a great deal of confusion and explanations that had actually nothing to do with our story. But Calamity himself... he felt insignificant. He was not the supreme villain I expected him to be. I wanted to know what exactly was going on in his head.
Generally speaking, the whole book successfully builds up to a climax that is sadly unsuccessful.
•I'm not sure how I feel about David and . He was special because he wasn't special, and you see why this may have turned the tables. Just a little.
•Also ? I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was cheesy, because it wasn't, but it's precisely one of those things that in real life would make you say "it only happens in movies". I don't like when that's the case but, nonetheless, colour me super happy for David, because he deserved it. My hero.
•Speaking of whom, the crew is everything. I adore every single one of them and their characterization (though it would have been nice to take another peek at Abraham's past) and I vehemently ship Mizzy/Abraham (maybe there's a big age difference between the two of them? Not sure and don't care). Mizzam? Abrazzy?
I think I'd better shut up now.
•The plot was still great, but not as good as Firefight's, if you ask me.
•Prof! I needed some closure for Prof. His character development was one of the cores of the series and of this book especially, and I felt he deserved more attention in the conclusion.
➽ The Reckoners is a strongly recommended series I'll carry with me for a long, long time. The world-building is everything (it's Sanderson, folks. What did you expect?) and the characters too. And the action, and the banter, and the world building again...
Yes, definitely recommended.
March 23, 2016
I liked Steelheart. I loved Firefight. But while Sanderson will still be my favorite author, Calamity was NOT my favorite book.
Why?
I felt like nothing really happened in the first ~70% percent. And then the whole, imo not sufficiently elaborated alternate reality thing just seemed to bring an effortless convenient solution to a myriad of problems?
Too many questions were left unanswered, taking into consideration that this was (should have been) the conclusion to a trilogy.
There were plot holes.
The book as a whole felt a bit rushed to me.
I missed the incredible ingenuity and amazing creativity of Sanderson's other stories in "Calamity", or maybe I am already totally pampered by series like "Mistborn" and "Stormlight Archives".
The villain was a spoiled, lazy brat more than a villain, and his ulterior motivations remained hidden.
There were things I enjoyed, though - a special mention to the epic fight scene. To Obliteration. I LOVED Obliteration as a character. And the epilogue was beautiful.
Why?
I felt like nothing really happened in the first ~70% percent. And then the whole, imo not sufficiently elaborated alternate reality thing just seemed to bring an effortless convenient solution to a myriad of problems?
Too many questions were left unanswered, taking into consideration that this was (should have been) the conclusion to a trilogy.
There were plot holes.
The book as a whole felt a bit rushed to me.
I missed the incredible ingenuity and amazing creativity of Sanderson's other stories in "Calamity", or maybe I am already totally pampered by series like "Mistborn" and "Stormlight Archives".
The villain was a spoiled, lazy brat more than a villain, and his ulterior motivations remained hidden.
There were things I enjoyed, though - a special mention to the epic fight scene. To Obliteration. I LOVED Obliteration as a character. And the epilogue was beautiful.
February 10, 2017
Well sparks...that wasn't quite what I expected!
It's always bittersweet to end a series that you've been with since nearly day one, especially with an author as talented as Sanderson. His characters are vibrant, multifaceted, and always interesting and engaging. As this series ends, I do feel like I'm saying goodbye to some good friends.
And yeah, I know there are mixed feelings on this one, leading to some negative reviews and more criticism than Sanderson books usually receive. I get it, naysayers. I really do. There are some definite issues with Calamity that kept it from getting a 5 star rating from me. And I'll certainly get to those issues here in a bit. But just because it wasn't a home run doesn't mean it's the train wreck some people would have you believe.
Look, no matter how you slice it, it must be said that at the end of the day, Sanderson is nothing if not a master storyteller. His worlds are richly drawn and consistently unique...full of detail, wonder, and memorable characters. There are also certain Sanderson-isms you can expect from his any of his books, regardless of the genre. Witty banter, unique powers/abilities, and plenty of twists and turns that catch you off guard. All of those are in full force here, and the story moves along a rollicking pace. Calamity begins with an action packed heist, and then rarely lets up from there. We even get, later on, another heist that is reminiscent of Oceans Eleven, only with superpowers thrown into the mix. Action has always been at the forefront of The Reckoners tales, and that hasn't changed in book 3 in the slightest.
The settings our characters find themselves in, especially the ever-shifting city of Ildithia (formerly Atlanta), are always unique and different. In fact, they sometimes remind me of video game levels, since each one is always so drastically different from the one before. Each city has its own unique flair, design style, and visual themes. Newcago was mostly steel (for good reason) and always gloomy, Babilar was a sunny, water filled wonderland, and now Ildithia, a city of salt that moves across the land. Ironically enough, this city was the least enjoyable for me as a reader. It just seemed so...silly. And honestly, a pain in the ass. Of all the options for a power, and a city based on that power, just seemed an odd choice and didn't really add much to the story.
Our band of heroes from Firefight return, much more desperate after the events that ended the second novel in the series. But we know what to expect from these characters at this point. David is still our only POV character, and he's still the same hopeless slontze that he's always been. His quirky analogies are still in full effect, but he's definitely matured a bit, even if he is still a somewhat lost cause. Megan is still independent, and still working on controlling her powers. Their romance is sweet, plausible, and never heavy-handed or forced. They truly make a good pair, and it's easy to see what they see in each other. As for the rest of the team, Cody, Abraham, and Mizzy...well, they are who they are. There is a slight attempt to learn one supporting character's backstory, but it fizzles out and doesn't happen again. Sadly, since this is David's show, his development and growth are mostly all we see. We do get some growth out of Megan as well, as she tests her powers even further, but these are really the only characters with any kind of significant arc. The rest of the team, while effective as Reckoners, just don't get as much time to shine. But, that's essentially to be expected, as this was always David's show anyways.
As for the antagonists; Limelight is, essentially, the ultimate villain for David & Co. to face. He's cunning & careful, patient & observant, and knows how the Reckoners operate. And initially, he looms large over the events, with the Reckoners doing their best to avoid his attention. Sadly, for as powerful as he is, and for as effective a planner as he is, he didn't seem as dangerous as he should as the tale wore on. The final showdown is appropriately epic, but not as tense or perilous as we typically expect from a Sanderson villain.
As per usual, the other Epics that flit through the story are varied, with crazy & amazing powers, and the crazy & occasionally sketchy "superhero" names to match. But, aside from one specific Epic, they tend not to hang around much.
And...yeah, here's where I start to get nitpicky. There is one Epic, Stormwind, who has powers that are vital to the economy of Ildithia and beyond. When that economy is no longer supported...well, we get a brief snippet from David about "hey, we may have a problem here". And then that's it. Hunky-dory. It's just kind of forgotten about.
And if that were my only complaint, then I'd be a happy man. But alas, there's more...
Other reviewers have mentioned it, and I totally get where they are coming from when they say that the ending felt rushed. Because it totally did. There were some halfhearted explanations for things going on, including Epic powers and the way that the Reckoner's technology works (which is unusual for Sanderson, as usually his explanations make all sorts of sense), and then a finale that felt...underwhelming. Calamity himself...well...yeah. Missed opportunity I think. There was so much buildup for this, essentially, God Epic who meted out powers and abilities at his discretion. The explanation as to who he was, where he came from, and why he was doing what he was doing was very vague. His rationalizations were pedantic and simplistic. The plot that he was involved in was convoluted and, to put it bluntly, inefficient. It reminded me very heavily of Dr. Evil's discussion with his son Scott regarding eliminating Austin Powers;
Dr. Evil: "Close the tank!"
Scott Evil: "Wait, aren't you even going to watch them? They could get away!"
Dr. Evil: "No no no, I'm going to leave them alone and not actually witness them dying, I'm just gonna assume it all went to plan. What?"
Scott Evil: "I have a gun, in my room, you give me five seconds, I'll get it, I'll come back down here, BOOM, I'll blow their brains out!"
Dr. Evil: "Scott, you just don't get it, do ya?"
This is kind of how Calamity felt to me. His big plan could have been handled so many better ways, and I was mostly left wondering what the point of him was after all. Honestly it felt lazy. And I've NEVER felt that in a Sanderson book before.
Also, at one point in the novel, Megan begins using her powers in desperation, and she manages to pull someone from an alternate dimension, someone who could significantly alter the playing field. Someone who could have been a totally rad counterpoint to the story. And...we never see this person again. Or even HEAR this person mentioned again, once the dust settles. It was frustrating as hell. You don't introduce cool characters like that and then just forget about them. Supposedly there will be a spin-off series based on the alternate realities that Megan's powers pull from, in which case we could see this character return. But ugh...don't be such a damn tease Sanderson!
And finally, the ending. Oh the ending. Apparently some people are up in arms about it. I suppose I can see their point, but for me it worked. It might have been a little TOO easy, but it worked. It gives David that catharsis he's been needing throughout the entire series, which gives us readers a good sense of closure. Ultimately this was a tale about a boy learning to be the man his father would have wanted him to be, and seeing that revenge isn't the way to truly change things.
So yeah. The Reckoners series didn't quite end on the high point I was hoping for, but it was still a damn good journey, and Calamity is a worthwhile investment for those who have been following the series so far. And if the quality took a bit of a hit because Sanderson has too many irons in the fire...well, that sucks, and it's a shame, but I can tell you one thing. Even a rushed, slightly convoluted Sanderson novel is still better than a good chunk of what's out there to read. His stories are always entertaining, if nothing else. And I read to be entertained. So, yeah, it's still a win in my book.
It's always bittersweet to end a series that you've been with since nearly day one, especially with an author as talented as Sanderson. His characters are vibrant, multifaceted, and always interesting and engaging. As this series ends, I do feel like I'm saying goodbye to some good friends.
And yeah, I know there are mixed feelings on this one, leading to some negative reviews and more criticism than Sanderson books usually receive. I get it, naysayers. I really do. There are some definite issues with Calamity that kept it from getting a 5 star rating from me. And I'll certainly get to those issues here in a bit. But just because it wasn't a home run doesn't mean it's the train wreck some people would have you believe.
Look, no matter how you slice it, it must be said that at the end of the day, Sanderson is nothing if not a master storyteller. His worlds are richly drawn and consistently unique...full of detail, wonder, and memorable characters. There are also certain Sanderson-isms you can expect from his any of his books, regardless of the genre. Witty banter, unique powers/abilities, and plenty of twists and turns that catch you off guard. All of those are in full force here, and the story moves along a rollicking pace. Calamity begins with an action packed heist, and then rarely lets up from there. We even get, later on, another heist that is reminiscent of Oceans Eleven, only with superpowers thrown into the mix. Action has always been at the forefront of The Reckoners tales, and that hasn't changed in book 3 in the slightest.
The settings our characters find themselves in, especially the ever-shifting city of Ildithia (formerly Atlanta), are always unique and different. In fact, they sometimes remind me of video game levels, since each one is always so drastically different from the one before. Each city has its own unique flair, design style, and visual themes. Newcago was mostly steel (for good reason) and always gloomy, Babilar was a sunny, water filled wonderland, and now Ildithia, a city of salt that moves across the land. Ironically enough, this city was the least enjoyable for me as a reader. It just seemed so...silly. And honestly, a pain in the ass. Of all the options for a power, and a city based on that power, just seemed an odd choice and didn't really add much to the story.
Our band of heroes from Firefight return, much more desperate after the events that ended the second novel in the series. But we know what to expect from these characters at this point. David is still our only POV character, and he's still the same hopeless slontze that he's always been. His quirky analogies are still in full effect, but he's definitely matured a bit, even if he is still a somewhat lost cause. Megan is still independent, and still working on controlling her powers. Their romance is sweet, plausible, and never heavy-handed or forced. They truly make a good pair, and it's easy to see what they see in each other. As for the rest of the team, Cody, Abraham, and Mizzy...well, they are who they are. There is a slight attempt to learn one supporting character's backstory, but it fizzles out and doesn't happen again. Sadly, since this is David's show, his development and growth are mostly all we see. We do get some growth out of Megan as well, as she tests her powers even further, but these are really the only characters with any kind of significant arc. The rest of the team, while effective as Reckoners, just don't get as much time to shine. But, that's essentially to be expected, as this was always David's show anyways.
As for the antagonists; Limelight is, essentially, the ultimate villain for David & Co. to face. He's cunning & careful, patient & observant, and knows how the Reckoners operate. And initially, he looms large over the events, with the Reckoners doing their best to avoid his attention. Sadly, for as powerful as he is, and for as effective a planner as he is, he didn't seem as dangerous as he should as the tale wore on. The final showdown is appropriately epic, but not as tense or perilous as we typically expect from a Sanderson villain.
As per usual, the other Epics that flit through the story are varied, with crazy & amazing powers, and the crazy & occasionally sketchy "superhero" names to match. But, aside from one specific Epic, they tend not to hang around much.
And...yeah, here's where I start to get nitpicky. There is one Epic, Stormwind, who has powers that are vital to the economy of Ildithia and beyond. When that economy is no longer supported...well, we get a brief snippet from David about "hey, we may have a problem here". And then that's it. Hunky-dory. It's just kind of forgotten about.
And if that were my only complaint, then I'd be a happy man. But alas, there's more...
Other reviewers have mentioned it, and I totally get where they are coming from when they say that the ending felt rushed. Because it totally did. There were some halfhearted explanations for things going on, including Epic powers and the way that the Reckoner's technology works (which is unusual for Sanderson, as usually his explanations make all sorts of sense), and then a finale that felt...underwhelming. Calamity himself...well...yeah. Missed opportunity I think. There was so much buildup for this, essentially, God Epic who meted out powers and abilities at his discretion. The explanation as to who he was, where he came from, and why he was doing what he was doing was very vague. His rationalizations were pedantic and simplistic. The plot that he was involved in was convoluted and, to put it bluntly, inefficient. It reminded me very heavily of Dr. Evil's discussion with his son Scott regarding eliminating Austin Powers;
Dr. Evil: "Close the tank!"
Scott Evil: "Wait, aren't you even going to watch them? They could get away!"
Dr. Evil: "No no no, I'm going to leave them alone and not actually witness them dying, I'm just gonna assume it all went to plan. What?"
Scott Evil: "I have a gun, in my room, you give me five seconds, I'll get it, I'll come back down here, BOOM, I'll blow their brains out!"
Dr. Evil: "Scott, you just don't get it, do ya?"
This is kind of how Calamity felt to me. His big plan could have been handled so many better ways, and I was mostly left wondering what the point of him was after all. Honestly it felt lazy. And I've NEVER felt that in a Sanderson book before.
Also, at one point in the novel, Megan begins using her powers in desperation, and she manages to pull someone from an alternate dimension, someone who could significantly alter the playing field. Someone who could have been a totally rad counterpoint to the story. And...we never see this person again. Or even HEAR this person mentioned again, once the dust settles. It was frustrating as hell. You don't introduce cool characters like that and then just forget about them. Supposedly there will be a spin-off series based on the alternate realities that Megan's powers pull from, in which case we could see this character return. But ugh...don't be such a damn tease Sanderson!
And finally, the ending. Oh the ending. Apparently some people are up in arms about it. I suppose I can see their point, but for me it worked. It might have been a little TOO easy, but it worked. It gives David that catharsis he's been needing throughout the entire series, which gives us readers a good sense of closure. Ultimately this was a tale about a boy learning to be the man his father would have wanted him to be, and seeing that revenge isn't the way to truly change things.
So yeah. The Reckoners series didn't quite end on the high point I was hoping for, but it was still a damn good journey, and Calamity is a worthwhile investment for those who have been following the series so far. And if the quality took a bit of a hit because Sanderson has too many irons in the fire...well, that sucks, and it's a shame, but I can tell you one thing. Even a rushed, slightly convoluted Sanderson novel is still better than a good chunk of what's out there to read. His stories are always entertaining, if nothing else. And I read to be entertained. So, yeah, it's still a win in my book.
February 28, 2016
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
This has been an amazing trilogy. This is a set of books that I am certain I will read again at some point which is pretty high praise from me. I always try to write spoiler free reviews but this review may have some spoilers for the earlier books in the series because I simply don't know how to avoid that. Honestly, if you haven't read the prior books in this series you will want to stop read my review at this point and start reading Steelheart instead because it is really that good. This was my least favorite book in the trilogy but it was still an incredibly solid ending to the story.
At the start of this book, things aren't looking to great for David and the rest of the Reckoners. The events that ended the previous book have left them at a bit of a disadvantage. Prof is gone as is Tia which leaves David in charge of the group. David is trying and he has a plan that he hopes can save Prof and change everything. The need a few gadgets and during the groups quest to get their hands on a few they meet Knighthawk who ends up being a wonderful addition to the group.
The group that I have grown to know and love are all featured in this book. David and Megan's romance was adorable. David's use of metaphors is still something to behold and Megan has learned a lot about controlling her power. Abraham may have been my favorite in this book. He has always been a bit mysterious but I felt like we really got to know him a little bit in this book. Cody didn't have the same charm for me in this book that he had in the first book in the series. His stories that were fun at the beginning of the series have started to grow a bit stale for me at this point. Mizzy added humor at the right moments in the book but I actually think that Knighthawk's sense of humor was the most enjoyable.
This book has a lot of action and the setting was very interesting. I am still trying to envision a city made of salt in constant change. It sounds odd but it actually worked for me. There was a lot of planning and coming up with ideas in this book for the Reckoners. There was action but most of it seemed to be crammed into the last part of the book. I would have liked to see a little more action spread out in the story. The story took a few twists that I predicted and a few that I didn't. All in all, I found it to be a nice ending to the series but not quite as good as I had hoped it would be.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for something a little different. If the idea of a world where individuals with powers are not the heroes but the villains sounds even remotely interesting, I would suggest that you give Steelheart a try. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by Brandon Sanderson up to this point but I still have some catching up to do. I plan to read a lot more Sanderson in the future.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this one. I thought that this was a nice ending to the trilogy. I am feeling pretty satisfied by how everything actually ended. I loved David, Megan, Mizzy, Abraham, and Cody just as much in this book as in the previous installments. The city of salt was incredibly interesting. Highly entertaining!
Before reading
How awesome is it that I woke up to this ebook checked out to me and ready to read from my local library?!?! I love my library!!!
This has been an amazing trilogy. This is a set of books that I am certain I will read again at some point which is pretty high praise from me. I always try to write spoiler free reviews but this review may have some spoilers for the earlier books in the series because I simply don't know how to avoid that. Honestly, if you haven't read the prior books in this series you will want to stop read my review at this point and start reading Steelheart instead because it is really that good. This was my least favorite book in the trilogy but it was still an incredibly solid ending to the story.
At the start of this book, things aren't looking to great for David and the rest of the Reckoners. The events that ended the previous book have left them at a bit of a disadvantage. Prof is gone as is Tia which leaves David in charge of the group. David is trying and he has a plan that he hopes can save Prof and change everything. The need a few gadgets and during the groups quest to get their hands on a few they meet Knighthawk who ends up being a wonderful addition to the group.
The group that I have grown to know and love are all featured in this book. David and Megan's romance was adorable. David's use of metaphors is still something to behold and Megan has learned a lot about controlling her power. Abraham may have been my favorite in this book. He has always been a bit mysterious but I felt like we really got to know him a little bit in this book. Cody didn't have the same charm for me in this book that he had in the first book in the series. His stories that were fun at the beginning of the series have started to grow a bit stale for me at this point. Mizzy added humor at the right moments in the book but I actually think that Knighthawk's sense of humor was the most enjoyable.
This book has a lot of action and the setting was very interesting. I am still trying to envision a city made of salt in constant change. It sounds odd but it actually worked for me. There was a lot of planning and coming up with ideas in this book for the Reckoners. There was action but most of it seemed to be crammed into the last part of the book. I would have liked to see a little more action spread out in the story. The story took a few twists that I predicted and a few that I didn't. All in all, I found it to be a nice ending to the series but not quite as good as I had hoped it would be.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for something a little different. If the idea of a world where individuals with powers are not the heroes but the villains sounds even remotely interesting, I would suggest that you give Steelheart a try. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by Brandon Sanderson up to this point but I still have some catching up to do. I plan to read a lot more Sanderson in the future.
Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this one. I thought that this was a nice ending to the trilogy. I am feeling pretty satisfied by how everything actually ended. I loved David, Megan, Mizzy, Abraham, and Cody just as much in this book as in the previous installments. The city of salt was incredibly interesting. Highly entertaining!
Before reading
How awesome is it that I woke up to this ebook checked out to me and ready to read from my local library?!?! I love my library!!!
April 22, 2019
I finished the Calamity a few weeks ago but was a bit reluctant to write my thoughts down, I just didn't really care to be honest.
Calamity has a quite promising start, what set my hopes high again, and I was glad some characters from book 1 are back (yay) and that a few boring characters from book 2 are gone (good riddance). But unfortunately the book drops in quality pretty quickly, it felt like someone else is behind the story rather than one of best authors in the genre. My interest peaked a bit in the middle and the ending, but that was not suffice.
The trilogy starts with a fantastic book, continues with a pretty good book, but ends with disappointment. Calamity is not only the weakest of the trilogy, but also the weakest from all of his works that I've read so far.
3.5/5.
Calamity has a quite promising start, what set my hopes high again, and I was glad some characters from book 1 are back (yay) and that a few boring characters from book 2 are gone (good riddance). But unfortunately the book drops in quality pretty quickly, it felt like someone else is behind the story rather than one of best authors in the genre. My interest peaked a bit in the middle and the ending, but that was not suffice.
The trilogy starts with a fantastic book, continues with a pretty good book, but ends with disappointment. Calamity is not only the weakest of the trilogy, but also the weakest from all of his works that I've read so far.
3.5/5.
February 16, 2017
3,5 / 5
En este episodio final veremos como David y el resto del equipo tendrá que hacer frente al más poderoso de todos los Épicos tras los sucesos finales de Firefight, el volumen anterior de la saga. Una entrega final que trata de dar respuesta a gran parte de las cuestiones planteadas en los dos anteriores libros de la saga al habitual ritmo de acción, humor, giros reveladores y ese aire de optimismo final que tanto caracteriza al autor de Nebraska.
Una prosa directa en tercera persona desde un David más adulto nos va llevando por toda la trama, de forma quizás más directa que en las anteriores entregas, pero con el mismo ritmo sin descanso. Sanderson repite el esquema de la trama donde el equipo debe matar a un gran Épico, conseguir los medios para ello, visitar una nueva ciudad y elaborar un gran plan para destruirlo. Esto que pudiera parecer repetitivo no es algo para nada molesto, el autor consigue dar con la tecla para sorprendernos igualmente. Para ello Sanderson saca a relucir su chistera de genio de construcción de mundos, y se saca una nueva localización como es Ildithia, nuevos e interesantes Épicos surjen de la nada, sabe plantar los suficientes misterios como para hacernos seguir leyendo, y nos regala un trio protagonista por el que interesarnos cada vez más.
Pero no todo es de color de rosas. Este último volumen adolece de uno de los males más conocidos del autor, el de los cierres apresuraros. Las últimas 50 páginas se dedican a darnos una profusión de respuestas a ritmo acelerado que pierden la sensación de buen cierre. Algunos interrogantes quedan al aire y aunque el final concluye el arco argumental iniciado en Steelheart, da pie a una continuación. Como mala noticia, Sanderson ya ha dicho que no volverá a estos Reckoners, pero como buena, sabemos que la novella Snapshot y la futura trilogía The Apocalypse Guard transcurrirán en el universo de estos.
Reseña larga en: http://boywithletters.blogspot.com.es...
En este episodio final veremos como David y el resto del equipo tendrá que hacer frente al más poderoso de todos los Épicos tras los sucesos finales de Firefight, el volumen anterior de la saga. Una entrega final que trata de dar respuesta a gran parte de las cuestiones planteadas en los dos anteriores libros de la saga al habitual ritmo de acción, humor, giros reveladores y ese aire de optimismo final que tanto caracteriza al autor de Nebraska.
Una prosa directa en tercera persona desde un David más adulto nos va llevando por toda la trama, de forma quizás más directa que en las anteriores entregas, pero con el mismo ritmo sin descanso. Sanderson repite el esquema de la trama donde el equipo debe matar a un gran Épico, conseguir los medios para ello, visitar una nueva ciudad y elaborar un gran plan para destruirlo. Esto que pudiera parecer repetitivo no es algo para nada molesto, el autor consigue dar con la tecla para sorprendernos igualmente. Para ello Sanderson saca a relucir su chistera de genio de construcción de mundos, y se saca una nueva localización como es Ildithia, nuevos e interesantes Épicos surjen de la nada, sabe plantar los suficientes misterios como para hacernos seguir leyendo, y nos regala un trio protagonista por el que interesarnos cada vez más.
Pero no todo es de color de rosas. Este último volumen adolece de uno de los males más conocidos del autor, el de los cierres apresuraros. Las últimas 50 páginas se dedican a darnos una profusión de respuestas a ritmo acelerado que pierden la sensación de buen cierre. Algunos interrogantes quedan al aire y aunque el final concluye el arco argumental iniciado en Steelheart, da pie a una continuación. Como mala noticia, Sanderson ya ha dicho que no volverá a estos Reckoners, pero como buena, sabemos que la novella Snapshot y la futura trilogía The Apocalypse Guard transcurrirán en el universo de estos.
Reseña larga en: http://boywithletters.blogspot.com.es...
February 22, 2018
3.5 stars.
This isn't bad but it didn't live up the previous books, things were just rushed throughout the book.
There were lots of battle scenes,David and more of his crazy metaphors, the dialogues were great but few, I miss the whole former plotting of the team, this one is just rushed, if this was the first or second book it would have been acceptable but its the last book in the series and I expected so much from it. Even my ship that finally sailed was so rare in the book, not to mention that final battle scene, it was well written and all but I just could not connect with it.
This book is set in Idiltia, Atlanta reborn, the whole city is made out of salt by an epic, it grows and move, its actually amazing, trust BS to depict a perfect world.
The characters are as cool as ever, but like I mentioned earlier too much time was put in the plot than characters and am more into character driven books. Abraham and Cody made a reappearance and we still have David, Megan and Mizzy and a new character that I love so much Larcener, and Knighthawk which had a mention in the previous books
This isn't bad but it didn't live up the previous books, things were just rushed throughout the book.
There were lots of battle scenes,David and more of his crazy metaphors, the dialogues were great but few, I miss the whole former plotting of the team, this one is just rushed, if this was the first or second book it would have been acceptable but its the last book in the series and I expected so much from it. Even my ship that finally sailed was so rare in the book, not to mention that final battle scene, it was well written and all but I just could not connect with it.
This book is set in Idiltia, Atlanta reborn, the whole city is made out of salt by an epic, it grows and move, its actually amazing, trust BS to depict a perfect world.
The characters are as cool as ever, but like I mentioned earlier too much time was put in the plot than characters and am more into character driven books. Abraham and Cody made a reappearance and we still have David, Megan and Mizzy and a new character that I love so much Larcener, and Knighthawk which had a mention in the previous books
July 6, 2016
Update - July 2016
It's been almost six months since I read this and I've finally decided to do what I should have done the day I finished this: take off a star off the rating. I loved this series and I'd read the hell out of anything else Sanderson writes in this universe, but I didn't really love this one.
Now back to the old review:
Did you watch Interstellar?
Did you like it?
If the answer is yes, then you’re probably going to love this.
If the answer is no… Well, if you’re reading this you’ve probably invested a lot of time in reading the first two books so who are we kidding? You’re probably going to read this anyway.
So, for the last installment in the series we get a completely new city! And sadly I didn’t like Illithia as much as the other two cities (Babylar being my all-time favorite.)
The reckoners are together and trying their best to survive. David is still the same old adorkable character we love, and his relationship with Megan is just so damn cute.
I was happy to have Cody and Abraham back but the plot was so fast paced that there was not much space for actually spending time with them. Even Mizzy was relegated to a few sarcastic comments here and there.
Overall, I think this was the most plot based of the three books. SO MUCH STUFF happens, and some of it, particularly the bits related to Megan’s powers are completely mind blowing.
But most of the plot is centered on saving Prof! Fighting Calamity (which is what we were expecting from this book) is relegated to the last 20%, and I have to say it:
It was underwhelming.
From here on there will be spoilers!
It's been almost six months since I read this and I've finally decided to do what I should have done the day I finished this: take off a star off the rating. I loved this series and I'd read the hell out of anything else Sanderson writes in this universe, but I didn't really love this one.
Now back to the old review:
Did you watch Interstellar?
Did you like it?
If the answer is yes, then you’re probably going to love this.
If the answer is no… Well, if you’re reading this you’ve probably invested a lot of time in reading the first two books so who are we kidding? You’re probably going to read this anyway.
So, for the last installment in the series we get a completely new city! And sadly I didn’t like Illithia as much as the other two cities (Babylar being my all-time favorite.)
The reckoners are together and trying their best to survive. David is still the same old adorkable character we love, and his relationship with Megan is just so damn cute.
"You,” I said, tipping her chin up to look her in the eye, “are a sunrise.”
She cocked her head. “A… sunrise?”
“Yup.”
“Not a potato?”
“Not right now.”
“Not a hippo?”
“No, and… wait, when did I call you a hippo?”
“Last week. You were drowsy.”
I was happy to have Cody and Abraham back but the plot was so fast paced that there was not much space for actually spending time with them. Even Mizzy was relegated to a few sarcastic comments here and there.
“Mizzy,” I whispered, “this place is super creepy. Think I’m safe to turn on a light in here?”
“Oh, that’d be waaaay smart. The people with a hyperadvanced bunker and flying attack drones aren’t going to have security cameras in their labs. Nope. Not a chance.”
Overall, I think this was the most plot based of the three books. SO MUCH STUFF happens, and some of it, particularly the bits related to Megan’s powers are completely mind blowing.
But most of the plot is centered on saving Prof! Fighting Calamity (which is what we were expecting from this book) is relegated to the last 20%, and I have to say it:
It was underwhelming.
From here on there will be spoilers!
February 18, 2016
Teniendo en cuenta los dos anteriores de la saga, no esperaba mucho más de este tomo. Y así fue. Básicamente sigue la misma línea de Firefight, hasta el último 10 %, que es donde en teoría íbamos a tener todas las respuestas, cosa que no pasó. Eso me extraña de Sanderson, un autor que suele esmerarse por explicar los enigmas con sumo detalle. En Calamity se responden muchísimas preguntas que se fueron sembrando a lo largo de la serie, pero otras quedan sin el profundo esclarecimiento al que nos tiene acostumbrados.
Quitando esa falta de respuestas (aunque varias se pueden deducir hasta cierto punto), lo demás estuvo a la altura de un final de saga. Mucha acción, un ritmo rápido, una trama más desarrollada que los dos anteriores y unas últimas páginas que —a pesar de algunas quejas (bastante graves) que tengo— me volaron la cabeza. Fueron espectaculares y muy emotivas. Los finales sentimentalistas son mi debilidad; es imposible que no me gusten. Cuando se trata de cierres que te dejan en una completa parálisis mental, Sanderson es quien manda.
Quitando esa falta de respuestas (aunque varias se pueden deducir hasta cierto punto), lo demás estuvo a la altura de un final de saga. Mucha acción, un ritmo rápido, una trama más desarrollada que los dos anteriores y unas últimas páginas que —a pesar de algunas quejas (bastante graves) que tengo— me volaron la cabeza. Fueron espectaculares y muy emotivas. Los finales sentimentalistas son mi debilidad; es imposible que no me gusten. Cuando se trata de cierres que te dejan en una completa parálisis mental, Sanderson es quien manda.
June 14, 2017
All three books 4*'s.
A lot of people didn't seem to like this one as much as the first two but I thought they were pretty consistent.
It's an enjoyable series from start to finish. As a YA series it's pretty basic and easy to read but sometimes that also what you need especially coming off much more challenging reads. It's also nice to enjoy some urban fantasy which I sometimes struggle with. Having everything coming at you in a straightforward manner and not having to worry about symbolism and plots that will have great import down the road is a good change once in a while.
A lot of people didn't seem to like this one as much as the first two but I thought they were pretty consistent.
It's an enjoyable series from start to finish. As a YA series it's pretty basic and easy to read but sometimes that also what you need especially coming off much more challenging reads. It's also nice to enjoy some urban fantasy which I sometimes struggle with. Having everything coming at you in a straightforward manner and not having to worry about symbolism and plots that will have great import down the road is a good change once in a while.
January 31, 2023
Y con Calamity... Damos fin a la trilogía de Los Reckoners de el tan aclamado Brandon Sanderson
Habiendo leído tantos libros del autor he de decir que estos no son los mejores, sin embargo se disfrutan y al tener tanta acción la lectura se hace muy rápida.
Con este libro en puntual tuve altibajos, al comienzo me estaba pareciendo el peor de los tres. Por el simple hecho que se hace muy repetitiva la lucha con los distintos villanos. Terminan siendo todas iguales: este villano parece invencible, busco su punto débil, trabajo en equipo y PUM, lo vencemos y aparece uno nuevo.
Sin embargo hubo una escena que me encantó, la re viví y sentía que yo estaba ahí con los personajes. Además de que para este libro ya les tomé cariño a varios y me gustaba verlos en acción.
Si quieren algo distopico, fácil de leer, atrapante, con mucha acción y un grupo de personajes que intentan destruir a quienes tienen poderes, les recomiendo la Trilogía!
En mi caso no me marcó demasiado, pero disfruté de leerla. 😊
Yo leyendo Calamity: 😎🧐😌😅🤩
Habiendo leído tantos libros del autor he de decir que estos no son los mejores, sin embargo se disfrutan y al tener tanta acción la lectura se hace muy rápida.
Con este libro en puntual tuve altibajos, al comienzo me estaba pareciendo el peor de los tres. Por el simple hecho que se hace muy repetitiva la lucha con los distintos villanos. Terminan siendo todas iguales: este villano parece invencible, busco su punto débil, trabajo en equipo y PUM, lo vencemos y aparece uno nuevo.
Sin embargo hubo una escena que me encantó, la re viví y sentía que yo estaba ahí con los personajes. Además de que para este libro ya les tomé cariño a varios y me gustaba verlos en acción.
Si quieren algo distopico, fácil de leer, atrapante, con mucha acción y un grupo de personajes que intentan destruir a quienes tienen poderes, les recomiendo la Trilogía!
En mi caso no me marcó demasiado, pero disfruté de leerla. 😊
Yo leyendo Calamity: 😎🧐😌😅🤩
February 17, 2016
Calamity! The final installment in the Reckoners series has finally arrived. It was funny and action packed and as mysterious as… well I guess you will have to ask David ;)
The question is... did Brandon Sanderson deliver?
As my friend Sevro would say - Cacatne ursus in silvis?
PS: On a more detailed note I loved pretty much most of the book. It was a continuation of everything I came to love in the first two books and was most assuredly on its way to five stars, but the whole part However, after that was resolved the story righted itself and I was back to loving the final few pages. So yeah. Not something I have experienced in a Sanderson book before, but still a fantastic read. So thus the four stars.
The question is... did Brandon Sanderson deliver?
As my friend Sevro would say - Cacatne ursus in silvis?
PS: On a more detailed note I loved pretty much most of the book. It was a continuation of everything I came to love in the first two books and was most assuredly on its way to five stars, but the whole part However, after that was resolved the story righted itself and I was back to loving the final few pages. So yeah. Not something I have experienced in a Sanderson book before, but still a fantastic read. So thus the four stars.
March 10, 2016
David--still obsessed with Epics (superpowered humans) and still using the worst similes ever--is now the de facto leader of the Reckoners, trying to figure out how to save humanity from the evil that clouds people's minds when they gain superpowers. Killing them off one by one is a losing battle.
A lot of readers didn't care for this book as much as the two prior ones, but I actually found Sanderson's handling of the story line quite satisfying. I will admit that the ending raises as many questions as it answers, but it still worked for me, and hopefully answering those new questions is somewhere in Brandon Sanderson's plans for the future, right after he finishes taking over the world.
Full review to come, after I steal the book back from my kid who stole it as soon as I was finished.
A lot of readers didn't care for this book as much as the two prior ones, but I actually found Sanderson's handling of the story line quite satisfying. I will admit that the ending raises as many questions as it answers, but it still worked for me, and hopefully answering those new questions is somewhere in Brandon Sanderson's plans for the future, right after he finishes taking over the world.
Full review to come, after I steal the book back from my kid who stole it as soon as I was finished.
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