Steelheart

4.5 stars with a bonus .5 for consistent pacing. I hate when books take forever to get to the action, then wrap it up in a few pages. This story had consistent action throughout, with a satisfying ending.

My one issue with this is that I had a really hard time picturing David as the 18 year-old he

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was. I kept thinking of him as a 15/16 year-old, which was making a difference for me in the developing romance situation.

This is a great read for those who like a lot of action and superpowers, but it was also a good story about dealing with grief and recoginizing the need to live for more than revenge. I loved the twists with the different characters, and I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.

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Everyone I know has been saying such great things about this book, so I'm afraid I can do little more than to add to the praise that's already out there. In the interest of full disclosure though, I'm a big fan of Brandon Sanderson and he's one of the handful of writers whose books I will insta-buy

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without a second thought. On the other hand, it's also true that I often approach my favorite authors' work with higher-than-average expectations.

Admittedly, this also somewhat affected the way I looked at Steelheart, in that I went into it perceiving it as not so much a Young Adult novel, but rather as any other Sanderson novel. As a result, I confess that my expectations for this were at through-the-roof levels even before I started, and yet what's amazing to me is that even those were met and in some cases exceeded. It also makes me feel more confident in reporting that despite its YA designation, Steelheart can probably be enjoyed and appreciated by a much wider audience.

So even if you have an interest in this book but don't think you're a "YA person", please don't let that be the only thing stopping you from checking it out! Because while Steelheart has many of the elements common in YA fantasy, Sanderson also brings his own brand of storytelling and amazing ideas to this superhero novel, making it special and stand out. And perhaps, it would actually be more accurate to call this one a "super-villain" novel, given how the people who manifest special powers in Steelheart -- the book refers to them as Epics -- turn out to be evil.

As such, there are no heroes in David's world. Ten years ago, his father along with thousands of others died when the Epics took over, with the most powerful one of all who calls himself Steelheart declaring himself Emperor. Now Epics rule regular humans and kill them with impunity, but no one fights back. No one CAN fight back. Steelheart is near-invincible, and nobody can touch him unless his weakness is discovered somehow. David, however, seeks to do just that with the help of an underground group of rebels called the Reckoners. Together, they are determined to see the Epics' reign end.

Once again, I'm reminded that Brandon Sanderson is a master-builder of worlds for a reason. One of the first things I noticed about the setting of Steelheart is how "complete" it feels. As someone who reads quite a lot of YA, I notice that while books in this genre often present great ideas and highly imaginative worlds, many also tend to ignore or gloss over the infrastructure of their post-apocalyptic or dystopian societies. And in extreme cases, there is hardly an adult presence at all, which might make a lot of sense for a novel targeted at young adults, but this also makes a story much less realistic. Sanderson on the other hand seems to realize that even in a messed-up world where Epics have taken over, what's left of civilization needs a system and a workforce in place to function. He's included a lot of groundwork for his world that makes it more detailed and conceivable.

What's more, it's the same for the characters, who are all distinctive and have memorable personalities. I'm not so used to reading Sanderson books narrated in the first person, so it's quite the new experience to be right in the head of his main protagonist. And David is certainly...interesting. I like him, though I can't say the same about his hopeless metaphors! His potential romantic interest Megan also gives me pause. I suppose if there's one tiny itty-bitty thing I didn't like too much about this book is how David falls for her. Though, it's important to note that protagonists being attracted to love interests who treat them like crap is a long-held pet peeve of mine, and not even Sanderson could budge that.

Still, overall I loved Steelheart! I honestly cannot identify any "slow parts" in this novel, as it kept me interested the whole way through with its foreshadowing. The level of suspense is kept at a constant high with the Reckoners racing against time to unravel the mystery of Steelheart's weakness so that they can assassinate him. The action scenes are also phenomenal, and the many twists and surprises in the plot will definitely keep you guessing. This is the most fun I've had in ages!

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As an all-time-favorite-i-would-read-a-fishing-manual-if-he-wrote-it Brandon Sanderson fan, reading his books for me is always a karmic experience. I expected no less from Steelheart. So let’s see what did I hope this book will have?

1) Original idea and world building. Although superheroes are

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not something new and are currently even a little bit overused in media, Sanderson still manages to make this topic fresh and it’s not just by renaming superheroes to Epics. They are not orphans from other planets or multi-billionaires or bitten by genetically modified spiders – Epics are ordinary people like you and me. Which leads us to…

2) Moral dilemma or social experiment. Sanderson’s settings are always there to make us wonder about some interesting questions. What would you do if you got superpowers? Use them for greater good or for your benefit? I stopped dreaming about having superpowers long time ago, but those dreams usually involved invisibility so I can sneak in and eat as much candy as I want or flying. Not very humanitarian.
"I know, better than anyone else, that there are no heroes coming to save us. There are no good Epics. None of them protect us. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

3) Strong main character. David saw an Epic kill his father when he was little and is bent on revenge ever since. As always, Sanderson’s hero is not perfect – he has flaws, makes mistakes but in the end him (and us) learn a valuable lesson and make a right choice. Sadly, David never really won my heart. He always seemed too shallow either with his blind focus on revenge or with insta-love attraction to only hot girl he had prolonged contact with since… ever.

4) Complex secondary characters. There is nothing typical or lacking in support roles, when Sanderson writes them and Steelheart is no exception. Each character is unique, has hidden depths and we learn more about them and get to love them (or hate them) as the plot unravels.

5) Humor. Dark times need some kind of comic relief and Sanderson usually delivers it without a hitch. Steelheart has them in form of David’s bad metaphors and gang-member Cody who exaggerates his Scottish roots. For a reader to whom Steelheart is first book written by Sanderson, this might be good enough, but I have seen what he can do and this is a poor attempt of humor by his standards.

6) Big twist. Every book by Sanderson I have read so far always had some big revelation near the end that changes your whole perspective of the world and characters. Some are instant, some are slow but they are always there. That is, until Steelheart. There are some surprise but not as earth-shattering as I am used to. Yes, I am spoiled.

IN THE END…
Steelheart might not have turned out to be all I have hoped for, but for a young adult science fiction or dystopian fan it will be a great intro to the awesomeness of Sanderson’s writing. I can bet that original world building and addictive, intense plot is going to blow them away and turn them into adoring worshipers of Brandon Sanderson. If you are wondering what to read next – go with Mistborn Trilogy - you won’t regret it!
As for fans of adult fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson, they might find Steelheart lacking in some areas, but who are we are kidding, they are going to read Steelheart no matter what. Just like I am going to read the sequel Firefight, if nothing else I am intrigued to learn more about the origin of Epics.

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I can be in the minority here. That's fine. But in true-to-me fashion, I plan to explain why I hated this book. You might feel differently, and that's okay. I don't need to hear from fanboys and girls about how I suck all the Sparks and should die in Calamity, or how I'm the biggest Slontze since

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Deathtaco failed to kill Ubermelon.

Steelheart is to superhero novels what Ang Lee's Hulk is to superhero movies. Much talk. All the exposition. Huge climax that feels like too little too late; mainly because of all that came before it. Let's discuss this, shall we?

First, we have the author's choice of curse words. Slontze, Calamity, Sparks are the ones I caught, yet he chose to keep Damn. Why? Because Damn doesn't offend people like Asshole, God, and Shit. But what is a curse word? Is it the word itself, or the intent. I've always felt it was the intent. You can tell someone to "Suck your dick", and eyebrows raise. You can also tell someone to "Slob on your knob" and get the same reaction. Yet "knob" isn't a naughty word. One last example would be this: the next time you're in an argument with a grown man, try calling him Beatrice. See how well that goes over. You hold no moral high ground by replacing "foul language" with gibberish. This isn't the far future where language has changed drastically. Only ten years has passed since Calamity turned humans into Epics. There's no reason for these people to have changed their curse words after a decade. And if the author was trying to substitute foul language for less offensive material, all I have to say is, check your intent, dude.

Secondly, Sanderson commits an unforgivable crime with his exposition. He steals all the thunder from his villains by explaining them in vast, mind-numbingly exact detail leagues before you ever see these fuckers in action. I love that moment in all superhero movies and comics and books where you see what the hero or the villain is capable of. I like jaw-dropping shit like that. Sanderson ruined Nightwielder, Firefight, the sniper lady (sorry, I can't be bothered to remember the name of this forgettable epic), and Conflux for me because I was beaten over the head with exposition in both dialogue and narrative. By the time we actually see these folks in action (if we ever do see them in action, that is) there's no awe, no jaw-dropping; only a sense that you already knew what was coming. I get that Sanderson nerded out over his creations, that he wanted us to know them in all their glory, but he ruined the ride for me. I see no reason why we couldn't have seen these guys in action first before talking about them.

Thirdly, there is 90 pages of action in a 386 page book about supervillains who have taken over the world. Everything else is talking. Dialogue. Let that sink in. I fully admit that these 90 pages are boner-inducingly awesome. The action sequence featuring the bike with the gravitronics and the helicopter and shit exploding and all that was the best part of the book. That damn scene went on for 50 pages. Rock on! Then they go back to talking. There's a lot of planning in this book. And it became obvious early on that it was all for naught because their plans never go as planned. Ever. To the point where the leader finally says "Fuck it, let's just go at them with all we've got and hope for the best." Well, he doesn't say "Fuck it," as I'm sure it was replaced with some kid-friendly word that, when you think about it, isn't really kid friendly at all.


Fourthly (yes, I'm still going), certain things are given away early because of the author's inability to offend his readers. You know a certain someone isn't dead because the author doesn't have the stones to kill a major character. This happens twice. And guess what? They come back to life (or don't die in the first place... whatever). When you don't take risks, your work becomes predictable and boring. Of course they weren't going to die. And how could it be that they don't die? You guessed it. Because they're Epics. Twist ruined.


In summation: I enjoyed 90 pages out of 386. I hated everything else. Fucking loathed everything else actually. Remember, it's not the word, it's the intent. But, like I said at the beginning, I'm in the minority. People love this book. You might, too.

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I listened to this book on CD - most of it on a family vacation to Arizona and back. I thought that it was pretty entertaining, although it has a great deal of similarity to other Sanderson novels, especially Mistborn. I thought that the reader was quite good and engaging - it is weird to have male

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readers do female voices (and vice versa). The reader is MacLeod Andrews.

The story is a super hero story with a twist, which I found enjoyable. The family was pretty engrossed with the book.

A bit of meta commentary - three stars may seem a bit harsh, but three stars indicates that I liked the book, which is exactly how I felt about it. Star inflation for ratings seems to be something that can quickly get out of control.

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Summary: Ten years ago, Calamity appeared in the sky. What exactly it is, no one knows, but it granted certain people incredible powers. These powers only fueled the desire for more power, and so the strongest of the Epics, as they are known, seized control of the human world, and now live as they

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please. Most people either seek to curry favor with the Epics, or else stay out of their way - only a small secretive group known as the Reckoners are fighting back. Chicago has been taken over - and turned to metal - by an Epic named Steelheart, and even the Reckoners don't dare face him without knowing his weakness. But a young man named David thinks he might have the clue. He was there on the day that Steelheart took over the city, on the day that he watched Steelheart kill his father, he also saw something impossible: he saw Steelheart bleed. And he's spent the past ten years tracking the Epics, learning their weaknesses, and planning how to bring down Steelheart... if the Reckoners will even let him join.

Review: Sanderson hits it out of the park. Again. (In what I believe is his first foray into sci-fi rather than fantasy... although I'm not sure exactly where Legion should count.) Actually, a lot of superhero sci-fi kind of falls on the border of fantasy anyways depending on what the source of the superpowers is - and in this case, we don't know what that is yet, so it's hard to say. But most of the time superheroes = sci-fi, so that's what I'm going with... and it's certainly not as overtly magical as his fantasy books. (Although if we're being technical - which of course we are - this isn't a superheroes book so much as a supervillains book. Obviously none of the Epics had an Uncle Ben to dole out the "With great power comes great responsibility" speech.)

Aaaanyways. Steelheart is very good, very entertaining, and very, very readable. Sanderson's so good with worldbuilding, which is in full force here (and set in my hometown, which is always a plus!). Since it's the first book in a series, there are quite a few unanswered questions, but it's clear that the answers will be coming eventually, and there are enough details and answers and tantalizing clues to make this installment satisfying on its own (not to mention the fact that it also has a cohesive plot). I did have a few moments of pause, particularly early on in the book, with how similar this book was in premise to the Wild Cards stories I've read (except in the Wild Cards universe, some of the newly super-empowered become heroes, and only some become bad guys.) But that's probably unavoidable in writing a superhero book - those super powers have to come from somewhere.

Sanderson is also stellar at writing action sequences. He can do interesting characters, and tightly woven plots, but a large part of this book's entertainment value comes from its quick pace and its exciting, cinematically-described fight scenes. Pretty spectacular. Is this the deepest, most emotionally resonant book I've ever read? Probably not. But it was a fun read and a hell of a ride, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sanderson takes this world next. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Recommended for people who like superheroes, or supervillains and the non-super-heroes who fight them, or basically for anyone who wants the equivalent of the better Marvel movies in book form. Somebody get me some popcorn!

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This book was like a snack of a book. Not very satisfying. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't particularly filling. It felt so.... average. And I've come to expect more from Brandon Sanderson.

The premise was only so-so. Superpowers have been done over and over again in TV shows and books. Sanderson

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didn't really add much to the concept of superpowers appearing in society. There are superpowers, there are different types, there are weakness. Very standard. It reminded me of the TV series Heroes with more villains. So all of that isn't bad, but in my mind I was thinking nooooooo~ Sanderson is supposed be the one who creates something dramatically different and change my whole perception of how magic could work! That's my main disappointment in the book.

As for the characters of the book, I thought Sanderson never really got to develop them to the point of "realness". Bad metaphors do not make a person. Corny allusions about one's ancestry doesn't make a character. Being beautiful and loving guns also doesn't make a realistic character. The Reckoners all had fun quirks, but none of them felt real because all they consisted of was their one quirk. No one felt like they had layers of emotions. It was too flat, too expected, too caricature. So the book relied on the plot and action to carry the reader along, not love for the characters. Because I definitely didn't care about anybody. Neither the main character nor Megan or any of the group.

Sanderson doesn't write too often in first person. And it's not like he did horribly with it. But usually I think of first person writing as a way for us to really love the character. To think like the person, to watch everything through his or her eyes, to feel the same emotions running through our main character's heart. And none of that happened. I don't believe David's infatuation with Megan - it's very stupid insta-love and too youthful idiocy for me to root for their "love". I didn't even care for David. Like I said before, bad metaphors aren't enough to endear you to me. I need a full-rounded character with more than just bad jokes. Where's the depth? Where's the extent of thought process to make me really believe in the character as someone to trust with the fate of the book? It might as well have been written in third person. So when Sanderson doesn't utilize the strengths of the mechanism of writing he's using, it just feels a little flat.

So since characters aren't strong, we are looking to the action to be strong and powerful and engaging enough to keep our interest. I say average, again. It was interesting to see what would happen and how the plans would go, but none of it felt inventive. It's was all old hat. There's a bad guy, a resistance gang, a surreptitious climb up an elevator, a high speed motorcycle chase, bad-ass weapons, a betrayal, and a blow struck for humanity and all of the little people!
Sigh.
I've seen all of these scenes somewhere before. Was any of it engaging? Meh, enough for me to read without problems. Average, is my verdict. It's fun read, but not particularly innovative. It falls into a lot of cliches.

I'm not sure if Sanderson intended for the readers to be surprised because all of the "twists" were a little too obvious. I did have a grand time trying to figure out Steelheart's weakness, but the rest (Prof as an Epic, Megan not dying, Megan as an illusionist and Firefight) were just a little too obvious. Dialogue, and blatant textual hints gave it away. I wish those moments were hidden a little better so I could have been more surprised.

Also, who really believes it when a main character dies in the middle of the story? Uh.. and the author isn't named George R. Martin. But since this is a Brandon Sanderson book, it was pretty darn clear what happened instead of a dramatic, tearful death for Megan.

I guess I just wasn't impressed with the book. I go to Sanderson for a new magic system, a crazy new world. I don't expect beautiful diction, deep character development, mind-blowing twists from him. Oh, certainly I've seen him deliver on those things, but his main strength seems to be the world. The magic system. And in this book, it was only average. Which is disappointing because I have such high expectations from him in this area. And none of the other parts of the books really made an impact.

I know there's a sequel. But I'm not really anticipating it. If I read it or don't read it, I don't particularly care. I probably will, but it's not a burning desire.

Two and half stars, rounded down. I expected a little more, to be honest.
Recommended for those who like a little action and superpowers in their scifi. If you're a Sanderson fan, be prepared for a not-as-great book.

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Another page-turner novel by Sanderson. The structure of the book was somewhat reminescent to Mistborn with the team approach to accomplishing a very tough mission. Again with many interesting, even if sometimes, but not always, predictable twist and turns. Really looking forward to the next one in

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the series.

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Not bad but there were times I didn't really care about what was happening with the characters. I was curious but not really engaged with them.

David saw his dad die and nearly died himself in the aftermath by the hand of a superpowered man called Steelheart. A burst in the sky created superheroes,

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or Epics as they are called, out of many people and with that power came megalomania. America is now fiefs controled by these Epics and David lives in one and obsessively studies them. He wants Steelheart to die, to pay for all the deaths he has caused and he joins the Reckoners, a group of ordinary people fighting the Epics, to do this. What happens is an interesting discussion of power and what it can do to people.

It's an interesting look at a more realistic view of what would happen if you had people with a lot of power and not a lot of morals but it didn't quite work as well as I expected. Not a bad read but somehow I felt that it could be better.

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This was just a random read for me. I was using the app Overdrive, and I had downloaded this book as a test for using the app. I didn't actually plan on reading it anytime soon (I had three weeks to get it read, and hey, 300 pages is easy). But then one day I was at school, and I didn't want to

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read the book that I brought with me (Eat, Brains, Love), and so I pulled my phone out. And it took a lot of restraint to not open the Nook app and read Shiver or The Darkest Minds, because those were some titles that I'd been wanting to read for a while. But no, instead of opening those, I opened Overdrive, and I had a moment of weakness where I opened up this book and read it.

Hell, that was one of my best weakest moments ever. This book was great, and I definitely didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Yes, there are cliffhangers. Yes, there are twists. And yes, there are bamf'ing girls and guys in this book. There was only one thing that I could've guessed by the end of the book, and that was a certain somebody's actual identity. Other than that one thing, I couldn't have guessed any of the other stuff at all.

Brandon Sanderson definitely knows how to write a great superhero-esque novel that knocked my socks off (figuratively). I saw on Goodreads that he has another fantasy series. I'm definitely going to be getting that book so I can buy it and enjoy it.

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I've been reading quite a lot lately and giving everything from 2 stars to 4 stars for the books that have crossed my path. It's very hard for me to give out 5 stars because there's always something that is a deal breaker for me when I'm reading. I did not have that problem with Steelheart.

I want

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to point out before I get going on my review that this is a YA novel. I noticed that when I saw other reviews that many were complaining about the style of writing. Sanderson's style is consistent and similar to other YA writers and stories. I just wanted to throw that out there so that other potential readers understand this.

It was the super powered human angle that hooked me. I love comic books and superheroes. This story made me think of X-men and how you have mutants that either want to get along with humanity and use their powers for good or you have mutants who believe they are superior and don't mind running over and destroying humanity to achieve that dominance.

Now imagine that the latter type of mutant suddenly appeared on the scene. They are arrogant, powerful and have a decided lack of interest in getting along with anyone. What will you, a mere human be able to do?

The main character, David, is faced with that choice after watching one of those super powered beings (called Epics) kill someone he loves. David's obsession (I wouldn't call it tenacity because that's too tame a word to describe this young man's drive) with killing that Epic and getting revenge is the major plot driving the story.

The reader is also introduced to a group called The Reckoners who fight to liberate humanity from the Epics.

There is lots of action, adventure and a small romance. The dialogue in this novel is rather, unique, but not a deal breaker for me. I've known many a fellow nerd who was so socially awkward that every time we open our mouths to be witty or try to fit in, we insert our foot or don't make sense to the world at large.

Just saying.

I would recommend this book for guys and girls. It was a page turner til the end and I would reread it in a heartbeat.

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This was a wonderful effort on the part of Mr Sanderson. A lovely turning-of-the-superhero concept on its ear. I just thoroughly enjoyed how the book built up, tied together, and finished leaving you wanting that little bit more....

I copy a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program for review. It was a very well done science fiction/post-apocalyptic/dystopia/superhero type of read. I enjoyed it, but still enjoy Sanderson’s fantasy book quite a bit more.

Ten years ago Calamity came and gave certain men and women

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extraordinary powers. These men and women are called Epics and they didn’t use their powers for good, but to enslave and control the rest of humanity. David is an ordinary boy who lives in a city ruled by the Epic called Steelheart. Steelheart killed David’s father but right before that David’s father did the unthinkable and made Steelheart bleed. Now David wants to take Steelheart down, but in order to do that he needs to be accepted into the Reckoners. The Reckoners are a rebel group intent on killing all Epics.

This is a well done super hero/post-apocalyptic/dystopia book. The whole classification of Epic powers is very Sanderson, it is very detailed and somewhat complex. Also with the Epics there is one rule, every Epic has a weakness. The problem is finding out that weakness.

The book is very fast-paced and there is a lot of action and fighting. David works right from the beginning to become part of the Reckoners. After he meets up with the Reckoners it is one mission after another to take down certain Epics. All of this is leading to the big showdown between the Reckoners and Steelheart.

The world building is well done and very dystopia like. Basically humans are all subjects of Steelheart and make their livelihoods at his whim. Some humans live underground and off the grid. The whole city is made of Steel after Steelheart turned it that way. Also the city is eternally in darkness because of one of Steelhearts enforcers who has used his power over darkness to block out the sun.

David is a decent character but I had some trouble engaging with him. His one goal in life is to destroy Epics, particularly Steelheart. He has no goals or considerations outside of that. He is an absolute fountain of random Epic information. However, he is hard to relate to because he just hasn’t done anything except for plan to kill Epics. He does grow some as a character as the story continues and I hope in future books he becomes easier to engage with.

We meet a number of other characters among the Reckoners. They are all a bit stereotypical. You have the Professor, who plans things. A comic-relief guy and a girl who is mysterious and deadly and has secrets.

We meet a ton of Epics as well. They are somewhat interesting, but their weaknesses are all a bit random (and at times kind of corny). For example there is an Epic who can only be hurt by someone who is 37 years old.

The whole deal with this story is to try and piece together how the Reckoners are going to take down Steelheart before they do it. The whole time you are trying to guess and piece together whose weakness is what and unravel all the secrets of the Reckoners before Sanderson spells it out for you.

Overall an interesting start to a new superhero based dystopian young adult series. I honestly like Sanderson's fantasy better. I thought these characters were a bit hard to engage with, partly because we meet so many characters. The Epics were a bit corny in very super-villain like ways, but still interesting. It’s a fun read and there’s some good world-building here. The system of Epics powers is very Sanderson in the way it is explained and classified.

I would recommend to those who love reading about superheroes. At times this reminded me a bit of Peter Clines Ex-Heroes series, except everyone who has super powers is bad in this book and there aren’t any zombies. I will definitely read the next book in the series, Firefight.

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This is an action packed novel that takes place in a futuristic world made of metal. A group of beings with individual super powers (as well as an individual weakness) have taken society over and are reeking havoc and death on innocent people. A group of people known as reckoners have taken it upon

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themselves to bring these cruel overlords down. This is a fast paced novel that any teenage boy is going to be drawn into its excitement and non stop action.

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It's rare for a book to do such a good job of establishing a mythology of a world, self-consistent in the way it works and feeling real and concrete, while at the same time giving us real, relatable characters to play in that world. Rare, that is, for an author other than Brandon Sanderson. He does

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it with seeming ease.

Lots of fun, satisfying in many different ways, and full of mysteries... some of which get solved, and some which must wait for the sequel. A sequel that I'll be picking up just as soon as it's available.

My only disappointment was that, in true superhero fashion, the most emotionally wrenching scene was, in a sense, rolled back and undone. Not that it returned to the status quo, but the impact was definitely lessened. There was not enough book left after that particular revelation to fully understand if that event will have a cost or not.

Highly recommended, both for the tropes it subverts and the masterful way the story was told.

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It's Sanderson folks.

This is my summary.This is in the future where men and women suddenly have superpowers. They are called epics. David's father got killed by the epic emperor steelheart. This epic is the strongest epic in the world . when David meets up with the Reconers (a group that assassins epics) his dream

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comes true. He makes very strong friends with the Reckoners he even falls in love with the Reckoner named Megan. Him and the Reckoners devise a plot to kill steelheart at a abandoned stadium they plan to ambush him . The plan fails and David learns Steelheart's weakness and he destroys Steelheart.

This is the best book ever . This is is an awesome sci fi book. It is my favorite book of all time. It has tons of action in it so I love it so much. Other people might not like it . But I totally recommend it for action lovers. That is my review on Steelheart

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Steelheart introduces the reader to a world torn apart by Epics, people who have somehow acquired super human powers. While each of the Epics' powers are different, one thing they share is their vicious and power hungry nature. The focus is on a city called Newcago, a city turned completely to

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steel by it's new ruler, Steelheart. Each of the Epics have very specific powers, each power having it's own weakness although some weaknesses are not readily apparent. Steelheart seems to be utterly invincible, but David, the boy whose father he killed, has seen him bleed, he knows where that scar on his cheek came from. David is determined to expose that weakness and avenge his father's brutal murder. To this end, he sets out to join forces with the Reckoners, a team of vigilantes who are the only ones fighting back against the Epics. David plans to use all of the extensive research he has done on the Epics surrounding Steelheart, and the information he alone knows about Steelheart himself, to end his violent reign. But he needs the help of the Reckoners to put this plan into action.

Brandon Sanderson can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Ever since first reading his Mistborn series, I've been a fan of his writing. His intricate world building is among the best I've ever read. So when I found out that Steelheart would be available as an audiobook, I knew I had to have it before even knowing what it was about. I certainly was not disappointed. The detailed world building that I've come to expect from Sanderson was evident in this book as well as strong character development and brilliant dialog that made it easy for me to immerse myself in this story.

While Steelheart contained a ton of action and a fair amount of violence, it also had a lot of heart. Each character had a compelling back story, distinctive personality quirks, and their interaction with one another kept the story moving. I felt for David and his rage over the death of his father as well as his frustration at how almost everyone simply let the Epics do what they wanted without a fight.

Macleod Andrews did a fantastic job narrating this thrilling story. He brought an emotional depth to each of the characters, never once letting the characters blend into one another and without sounding over the top or affected. Each person was completely recognizable by tone, accent, and delivery. His performance in this narration was absolutely impeccable and added even more spirit to an already incredible story.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Steelheart, it is so far removed from what I normally read. However, being that it was written by Sanderson, I guess I can't be too surprised. I would highly recommend this audio experience to anyone who enjoys a well written story, exceptional world building, and authentic characters wrapped up in non-stop action with some completely unexpected twists and turns and an ending that you may not see coming. In other words, you should immediately grab this book because it is one of the best things I've read this year!

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Not as funny as his "Alcatraz" books but still a great read and actually filled with wisdom and advice that teens may accept.

I had never read Brandon Sanderson, and now I've read two novels in two weeks by him! I liked this novel better than Rithmatist mainly because I don't like strategy. This novel was more adventurous with the action constant. This is a sci-fi, adventure, futuristic, dystopian novel with evil,

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powerful, inhuman, villains.

David was eight years old when he and his father were at the bank and Deathpoint walks in. Deathpoint just points at someone and he/she vaporizes--dead! This unsanctioned act angers Steelheart who claims, "I am the emperor of this city now. you will obey me. I own this land. I own these buildings. When you pay taxes, they come to me. If you disobey, you will die." David is stunned. His father said that there would be Epics (normal people that suddenly gained super powers) who would save everyone from the evil Epics and Steelheart is one. Steelheart's comments belie what his father has told him. Steelheart's power is that he cannot be destroyed. When Deathpoint thinks he can kill him while Steelheart is not watching, David's dad tries to save him by shooting Deathpoint. The bullet grazes Steelheart. That's not supposed to happen. Steelheart doesn't know how this man wounds him, but he has to hide that he can be damaged. Therefore, he kills everyone starting with David's father. David accidentally ends up in the vault and survives. When the rescue workers find him, he escapes before Steelheart kills the rescue workers and buries the bank.

About ten years later David wants to join the Reckoners, who fight against the Epics. He wants revenge, which means he wants to kill Steelheart. He thinks he can convince them to take him because he's the only one who has seen Steelheart's weakness. David is smart and they quickly realize he can help them. The novel is fast-paced as David and the Reckoners plan to kill Steelheart.

This novel is not what I typically read at all. I would immediately say that it would appeal more to boys, but anyone who likes an adventure book will like this. Often main characters act stupidly and it works out. I like that David isn't stupid and he uses his brain. Even when he improvises, he isn't being stupid; he has good survival instincts that are believable. I don't think you'll be surprised by anything at the end because there are enough hints that the "surprises" are just confirmation of what you thought. Is it a stand-along novel. Of course not! There will be a foliow-up, but there is no cliff-hanger. The story with Steelheart ends with this novel; the next novel will be the next adventure.

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Highly enjoyable, fast read. An interesting spin on the idea of human gaining extraordinary powers and the corruption that can follow.

I keep hearing such good things about Sanderson, and this novel was hyped to me, so I tried it. I was OK. It seemed like a great premise, but too often the writing seemed to fall down and target very young readers. The characters seemed years younger emotionally than I would expect, and often very

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shallow, or their motivations were too trite. Right now, this doesn't make em want to read any more of his books.

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"People rarely want to kill, David," Abraham said calmly. "It's not basic to the makeup of the healthy human mind. In most situations they will go to great lengths to avoid killing. Remember that, and it will help you."

This book is hard for me to rate because I didn't hate it but I also didn't love

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it. Certain parts of the book I did hate, like the first half which I found to be slow and dull; and certain parts I loved, like the action towards the end. Ultimately this book is getting 3 stars from me because while the first half may have been slow, the second half had a faster pace and more interesting events.

From the beginning of this book I had a hard time connecting with David. I can understand his need for revenge but he could be absolutely annoying at times. The only character that I disliked more than David was Megan. Her mood swings were just too over the top. How David still managed to have his little crush on her is beyond me.

If I am able to guess major plot twists from a mile away then there is something wrong. Certain twists in this book were so obvious that I was not surprised when they were revealed nor did it help me stay interested in the story.

My favorite part of the book had to be the events and action towards the end. My interest was fully in the book during those parts and I flew right through them. In all honesty I can't see myself continuing on with this series but it was nice getting a taste of Brandon Sanderson's writing style. I hope someday to read some of his other work.

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Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

About ten years ago, Calamity appeared in the sky and certain ordinary humans gained superpowers. Now, these Epics, as they are called, rule the world The most powerful Epics control cities and territories, and the less powerful form alliances with

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the great. Normal humans are little more than serfs, trying to live out their lives without getting in the way of the Epics. In the city of Chicago, now called Newcago, an Epic named Steelheart rules. With the power to turn any nonliving substance into steel, the ability to fly, superhuman strength, and invulnerability to bullets and all other weapons, Steelheart seems almost godlike in his powers . . . but eighteen-year-old David has seen him bleed. When Steelheart first arrived on the scene, he had a showdown at a bank with a lesser Epic. David, just eight years old at the time, was at the bank with his father. In the ensuing battle, David's father was a casualty, and David was the only survivor -- the only person who can remember what happened at the bank, when a bullet grazed Steelheart's cheek and left a trail of blood. David has spent all of his spare time since the bank incident in single-minded pursuit of revenge, studying the Epics and learning their weaknesses. He has a plan to get to Steelheart, but he'll need the help of a resistance movement known as the Reckoners -- and they don't accept strangers into their group. Can David prove to the Reckoners that he belongs with them -- and even if he does, can he convince them to go after Steelheart?

This was a gripping, exciting read. Plenty of plot twists meant that I was able to predict some things, while others came as a complete surprise. I listened to the audiobook, and I thought narrator MacLeod Andrews was an excellent match for the story, and the production values were high. This is the first book in a projected trilogy; I look forward to reading the next two.

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