Elantris: A Haunting Tale of Magic and Mystery

Hello everyone!

I'll be honest, I'd never read a book by Brandon Sanderson before picking up Elantris. But I'm glad I did, because it's definitely got me hooked on his writing.

Blurb:

Elantris, the magnificent city of the gods, was a place of breathtaking beauty, where magic and wisdom flowed like a never-ending river. Anyone who was touched by the Shaod, a mysterious transformation that granted its recipients incredible powers, could become an Elantrian, a being of unparalleled beauty and strength. But that was ten years ago. The city has fallen, and the blessing of the Shaod has become a curse. The new capital of Arelon, the small city of Kaí, lives in the shadow of Elantris's black walls, trying to ignore the city that's become a prison for those who are still taken by the Shaod. But Raoden, the heir to the throne of Arelon, is about to become the latest victim...

The story takes place in the kingdom of Arelon, with its capital city of Kaí, and the mysterious city of Elantris, surrounded by walls.

Ten years ago, Elantris was a magnificent city, home to people with glowing skin and snow-white hair, who were revered by the people and worshipped as gods. The Elantrians possessed magic that could bring great good, heal the sick, and create breathtaking works of art. But that was in the past...

The story begins ten years after Elantris fell.

Now, Elantris is a shadow of its former self. The city is in a state of constant destruction, its streets covered in a strange, dirty slime. The Elantrians themselves have become nothing more than walking corpses, with grey skin and black spots on their bodies.

Anyone who undergoes the Shaod becomes an Elantrian. This transformation used to be a blessing, but now it's a curse. People who are taken by the Shaod are sent to Elantris and never allowed to leave. It's a fate worse than death.

The story begins with Raoden, the heir to the throne of Arelon, experiencing the Shaod for himself.

The king decides to keep this a secret from the people and sends Raoden to Elantris, while telling them that the prince has died.

And so, Raoden finds himself in the midst of the Elantrians, learning the harsh realities of their existence.

I've got to say, the story also dives into the backstory of another key character - Princess Sarin from the country of Teod.

Sarin was engaged to Raoden, but she'd never actually met her fiancé in person. The whole point of the marriage was to form an alliance between the countries of Arelon and Teod.

When Sarin arrives in Arelon to meet her future husband and get married, she finds out that Raoden's dead. But here's the thing - according to the terms of their engagement contract, if one of the engaged parties dies, the marriage is still considered valid. So, Sarin goes from being a bride to a widow overnight, and to make matters worse, she's not allowed to remarry and has to remain loyal to her dead husband.

As a result, Sarin becomes the princess of Arelon without ever having gotten married. She gets caught up in the intrigue of the palace and starts to question whether Raoden is really dead or not. I have to say, the story is super engaging and full of mysteries. I loved watching Raoden and Sarin's story unfold, and the politics and religions of this world add an extra layer of complexity to the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book - the story is interesting, and the ending didn't disappoint.