I just finished reading Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson. I was mainly interested in the central mystery – why did the magic fail? I found it difficult to develop interest in Serene and Hrathen during the exposition phase because they were not exploring this mystery. However, I did eventually get rolling so that all three viewpoints were enjoyable.

Spoiler – the answer to the mystery is, essentially, that the entire magic system hinges on drawing an accurate-though-abstract birds-eye-view map of the country as the basis for each spell, and spells previously cast were reliant on the contours of the land remaining unchanged. This is a believable flaw, as people don’t have infinite foresight, but I am not entirely sold on the concept of drawing a little map to cast spells.

The rise and fall and rise and fall of Hrathen was a tad too much, but Sanderson maintained a steady thread of his guilt and troubled belief that made his final sacrifice believable and satisfying. The priest he sent away coming back to assassinate him was a bit convenient, although it provided an oddly timed laugh.

In the end, this book was exactly what it appeared – a generic fantasy novel. It was adequately engaging, but ultimately forgettable.