Steelheart

When I started reading this I didn't realize this was YA. At my age I find I just can't enjoy YA series anymore. The premise is interesting. Imagine a future when some kind of catastrophic event, in this case the arrival of some kind of space object called Calamity, causes people to get superhero powers, and every single superhero, or Epic as they're called here, is a villain.

The name-giving Steelheart is one of those Epics, and he's taken control of Chicago, turning most of it into steel, turning it into Newcago, where he suppresses the population with the help of lesser Epics. The first person protagonist is 19-year old David who witnessed Steelheart taking control of Chicago as a child. Steelheart murdered his father, and David wants revenge. He joins the Reckoners, a group of rebels who fight to take down as many Epics as they can. David convinces them to target Steelheart, even though they do not know his vulnerability...

It was just alright for me. The ending was kinda interesting, not because of the big showdown with Steelheart but with stuff about Firefight, Steelheart's lieutenant. Not interesting enough for me to pick up the book. If you enjoy well-written YA about superheroes, might be for you.

A different and exciting book, with an ending that I couldn't guess. I'm definitely interested in the next book of the series.

SpoilerI thought that the concept of the Epics was pretty interesting. The name "Newcago" was pretty funny. I kept guessing about Steelheart's weakness but I was surprised. I did think it would be something about David's father himself that did it, and perhaps David could do it too. It was that David's father didn't fear Steelheart, so it was something about the man, but not what I expected.

I was somewhat surprised that Prof turned out to be an epic. I was kind of expecting, near the end of the battle with Steelheart, for someone to say "Ha! He wasn't an epic at all. He was just a regular man." So that was a little disappointing, but it made sense when it was explained that he gifted his power to keep himself from being corrupted by it. I liked the backstory that everyone thought he was a scientist that worked in some kind of high-end lab, but really he had just been a fifth grade science teacher. I do wonder, though, if he was the one that destroyed his school.

Comflux was interesting. Perhaps since the nature of his power is to give it away when he powers things, that keeps him from being corrupted?

I was very interested that Megan was Firefight, the epic illusionist. I guess she's the subject of the next book!

I finished this on Thursday, sitting in the metro station, letting the metros go past. The book was more important.

It is now Saturday night and I have not been able to bring myself to start another book. I don't want this to fade in my memory yet. I know, it sounds melodramatic - but it's rare that I won't just dive into another book.

Read it. You won't regret it.

This is Sanderson, superbly distilled for younger or less rapacious readers. A fast plot and a wonderful take on the superhero genre, a little late to the antihero party of course, but a brilliant interpretation from a master all the same and most wonderfully written. I'd buy the next in a moment.