Review: Calamity
Friday, March 8, 2019

Calamity (The Reckoners, #3)Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Overview:
A solid ending to the Reckoners series. While this book didn't thrill me as much as Firefight, Sanderson delivered his usual quick, descriptive, engaging writing. He also kept enough options open to keep me guessing until the end. If you like superhero stories and great twists, this is a series you won't want to miss. That said, if you haven't read the previous two books, you may not want to read my review of book 3 until you do.

Characters & Voice:
As in the previous two books, the main protagonist and narrator of the story is David, who offers dry wit and bad metaphors (which are actually similes) throughout. David is supported by what remains of his team of Reckoners after the fallout from book 2, as well as the addition of one eccentric, paraplegic scientist. The biggest difference in this book is that Prof, who had been an alley in the previous two books, is now the main antagonist. This gives readers a unique perspective, since we got to know Prof very well already and have a pretty good idea how he ticks. David and Megan continue their romantic arc, and while it's not entirely smooth sailing, their relationship doesn't add quite so much conflict as in the previous two books. Obliteration shows up again, and we get introduced to several new epics--most notably Larcener, Emperor of Atlanta.

World-building:
While the world of the Reckoners has already been established by the first two books, Sanderson doesn't take that excuse to be lazy in his world-building. Each of the Reckoner books takes place in a unique area of the Reckoner world. The majority of Calamity is set in the city of Atlanta, which is made entirely of salt. The city itself moves across the land, dissolving from the back and growing new crystalline structures at the front.

Language & Mechanics:
There's not much I can say about Sanderson's writing I haven't said before. He tends toward tight writing that moves the story along at a fast pace and makes it easy to keep turning page after page well into the night. The book is well-edited with minimal typos or mistakes, making for a smooth, uninterrupted read. There's enough description to convey the beautiful details of Sanderson's unique world without bogging the reader down in facts.

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