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The Reckoners #2
Firefight
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015)Babylon Restored, formerly Manhattan, may give David answers. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic—Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2015
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
399 books250k followersI’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,107 reviews
March 9, 2017
BRANDON SANDERSON
David and the crew is back, although some of them take a back seat in this book because a few go to Babylon Restored.
David, Tia, Prof are the ones that go and leave Abraham and Cody behind with Edmund. I love Abraham and Cody so much. ❤
Anyhoo, the crew are going to meet with some other Reckoners to try to take out Regalia. She's another epic that wants to cause trouble since the death of you know who. She has an epic named Obliteration who is super bad and there are some other randoms.
I forgot to say our crew meets up with Val, Mizzy and Exel (the other reckoners) and there is an underwater bunker thing and it's awesome.
Regalia herself deals in water so this is a great water epic. What fun it was! Although, Obliteration is blowing everything up for her so it's like water meets fire!
And Megan (Firefight) is in the city as well and things are looking up. Yassssssssssssssss!
There are some revelations! Are there not always revelations? There are some deaths. Aren't there noalways some deaths? There were some good times and bad times. I'm not going to ask again =)
I loved this book and I was so happy to have Megan back - BUT - I really hope one of the bad things doesn't stay a bad thing in the next book. <--- I'm always sooooooo cryptic, or stupid, however you want to look at it =D
Anyway, I love Sanderson, I'm loving this trilogy and I hope all goes well in Calamity! ♥
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
January 23, 2015
My name is David Charleston. I kill people with superpowers.
AFTER GETTING YOUR GOAL... WHAT?
David Charleston’s life couldn’t be better now, in this dystopian world where insane superpowered humans keep killing and destroying anything at their reach, since after years of being studying the “Epics” (how this superpowered humans are referred), learning how their powers work, but more important what their weaknesses are, to know how to kill them all, now he is a member of the secretive organization known as The Reckoners, the only thing between the Epics and total destruction of the planet, and even better, his main goal, Steelheart, the Epic who killed his father, he was able to discover what was his weakness.
However, while David is 19 years old (just having his 19th birthday) and many people could consider him someone still too young, he is feeling like he already got his lifetime goal, and now he isn’t certain what’s next in his life.
Moreover, his vision about the Epics is now a conflictive one.
Just one year ago, it was simple, he wants to kill all Epics since all Epics were evil, however, now he met some Epics that aren’t evil, some are doing what they can to fight Epics and some of them are willing to help humanity as long they aren’t disturbed and having time to read, but even more conflictive, there are Epics that he wants to believe that they aren’t evil no matter how much evidence there is against it.
His simple world where he just needed to keep his head down to avoid getting attention to him while doing his secret investigation where all Epics were evil and deserved to die, are long gone.
Now he lives in a complicated world where even the Reckoners are getting into “terra incognita” since they used to be an underground organization where they kill low level Epics, getting in and out of any city in matter of weeks, even each cell team of Reckoners knew very little about the operations of other cells. Actually, many people were unaware of the existence of such organization or believing that they were some kind of urban legend.
However, now the population of Newcago already knew that the Reckoners were very real and even they were doing an openly public protection of the city against the invasion of any outsider Epic, but that doesn’t mean that they were looking to rule the city, they were trying their best to respect the new governing council, ironically formed by many high class normal people that they were the same in a privileged position while Steelheart was the dictator of the city. Superpowers may change but politics remain the same even in a dystopian reality.
And David Charleston is the new public sensation of Newcago. Davis is now known as the Steelslayer. A simple puny human that was able to defeat a god.
But I don’t kill them for vengeance, not anymore. This thing we do… for me, it’s like putting down a rabid dog. It’s a mercy.
A NEW SCENARIO
Welcome to Babylon Restored, David,...
...the world’s greatest enigma.
Newcago, the former Chicago, was now free again, but as this city was ruled once, by an Epic, there were other cities still under the insane ruling of other Epics.
The “lucky” cities were still under the insane ruling of Epics. Since there were many cities totally destroyed now due the even more insane actions of yet other Epics.
It was obvious that the Reckoners couldn’t do anything about the already destroyed cities, but the victory over Steelheart was demanding a game change. Instead of keeping killing low level Epics, they had to go agains the High Epics ruling major cities.
Just like Babylon Restored...
...formerly known as New York City.
Babylar or Babylon Restored is ruled by Regalia, a powerful Epic that even considering that she isn’t classified as an “High Epic”, she was able to control the entire city. Regalia also has other Epics working for her as their “field muscle”.
The Reckoners had already a cell team doing research and surveillance on Babylar, so Prof left behind in Newcago his personal cell team to keep protection of that city, but having with him the support of Tia and David, and joining the cell established in Babylar.
Every organization needs both good chefs and good morticians. The two great constants of life. Food and death.
The only city that David has ever known had been Newcago, and soon enough he will be amazed, shocked, worried and even clueless about Babylar and how different the things are managed there, mysteries at plain sight and danger all around him.
You can’t immerse yourself in something,...
...without coming to respect it.
If you think that Steelheart was awesome, your appraisement about this sequel, Firefight, will be even greater!
Firefight keeps developing this uncanny dystopian world where superpowered villains rule with iron fist the defenseless non-powered humanity, BUT with a refreshed vision where any recidivism of the status quo about the narrative of the first book is changed with new rules, new scenarios, new characters, new kind of dangers, new levels of excitement, also where even the already known characters (from the first book) won’t remain the same and taking unexpected developments!
We want what we can't have, even when we have no right to demand it.
AFTER GETTING YOUR GOAL... WHAT?
David Charleston’s life couldn’t be better now, in this dystopian world where insane superpowered humans keep killing and destroying anything at their reach, since after years of being studying the “Epics” (how this superpowered humans are referred), learning how their powers work, but more important what their weaknesses are, to know how to kill them all, now he is a member of the secretive organization known as The Reckoners, the only thing between the Epics and total destruction of the planet, and even better, his main goal, Steelheart, the Epic who killed his father, he was able to discover what was his weakness.
However, while David is 19 years old (just having his 19th birthday) and many people could consider him someone still too young, he is feeling like he already got his lifetime goal, and now he isn’t certain what’s next in his life.
Moreover, his vision about the Epics is now a conflictive one.
Just one year ago, it was simple, he wants to kill all Epics since all Epics were evil, however, now he met some Epics that aren’t evil, some are doing what they can to fight Epics and some of them are willing to help humanity as long they aren’t disturbed and having time to read, but even more conflictive, there are Epics that he wants to believe that they aren’t evil no matter how much evidence there is against it.
His simple world where he just needed to keep his head down to avoid getting attention to him while doing his secret investigation where all Epics were evil and deserved to die, are long gone.
Now he lives in a complicated world where even the Reckoners are getting into “terra incognita” since they used to be an underground organization where they kill low level Epics, getting in and out of any city in matter of weeks, even each cell team of Reckoners knew very little about the operations of other cells. Actually, many people were unaware of the existence of such organization or believing that they were some kind of urban legend.
However, now the population of Newcago already knew that the Reckoners were very real and even they were doing an openly public protection of the city against the invasion of any outsider Epic, but that doesn’t mean that they were looking to rule the city, they were trying their best to respect the new governing council, ironically formed by many high class normal people that they were the same in a privileged position while Steelheart was the dictator of the city. Superpowers may change but politics remain the same even in a dystopian reality.
And David Charleston is the new public sensation of Newcago. Davis is now known as the Steelslayer. A simple puny human that was able to defeat a god.
But I don’t kill them for vengeance, not anymore. This thing we do… for me, it’s like putting down a rabid dog. It’s a mercy.
A NEW SCENARIO
Welcome to Babylon Restored, David,...
...the world’s greatest enigma.
Newcago, the former Chicago, was now free again, but as this city was ruled once, by an Epic, there were other cities still under the insane ruling of other Epics.
The “lucky” cities were still under the insane ruling of Epics. Since there were many cities totally destroyed now due the even more insane actions of yet other Epics.
It was obvious that the Reckoners couldn’t do anything about the already destroyed cities, but the victory over Steelheart was demanding a game change. Instead of keeping killing low level Epics, they had to go agains the High Epics ruling major cities.
Just like Babylon Restored...
...formerly known as New York City.
Babylar or Babylon Restored is ruled by Regalia, a powerful Epic that even considering that she isn’t classified as an “High Epic”, she was able to control the entire city. Regalia also has other Epics working for her as their “field muscle”.
The Reckoners had already a cell team doing research and surveillance on Babylar, so Prof left behind in Newcago his personal cell team to keep protection of that city, but having with him the support of Tia and David, and joining the cell established in Babylar.
Every organization needs both good chefs and good morticians. The two great constants of life. Food and death.
The only city that David has ever known had been Newcago, and soon enough he will be amazed, shocked, worried and even clueless about Babylar and how different the things are managed there, mysteries at plain sight and danger all around him.
You can’t immerse yourself in something,...
...without coming to respect it.
If you think that Steelheart was awesome, your appraisement about this sequel, Firefight, will be even greater!
Firefight keeps developing this uncanny dystopian world where superpowered villains rule with iron fist the defenseless non-powered humanity, BUT with a refreshed vision where any recidivism of the status quo about the narrative of the first book is changed with new rules, new scenarios, new characters, new kind of dangers, new levels of excitement, also where even the already known characters (from the first book) won’t remain the same and taking unexpected developments!
We want what we can't have, even when we have no right to demand it.
September 18, 2024
Excellent book. I have to say I enjoyed this one even more than Steelheart because of the great character development. Despite being 420 pages, the book is very fast-paced, and the pages just seem to fly by. The other thing is that all the chapters are quite short. The longest is probably 12 pages, more than to be about 5- 8 pages. So as soon as I finished one, I thought another one won't take long, so another one became another three or so. I think it is a credit to Brendon that he knows exactly the right point to finish a chapter to make a reader like me want to read the next one almost immediately.
The book is written from the first person perspective of David. After doing the seemingly impossible of killing Steelheart, David (much to his chagrin) is nicknamed Steelslayer and regarded with an aura of awe and wonder. It was almost the same way Steelheart was. This book follows mitosis, which shows the hard work of rebuilding and maintaining a city. The book starts with the Reckoners battling and trapping/killing another Epic. This is the third powerful epic to attack since the fall of Steelheart. Professor notices a pattern, including a powerful epic from his past. Now David must join a new team, in a completely unfamiliar (to the point of alien) environment in both its terrain and attitude of its people. To top it all off, his beliefs might not be concrete as they once were.
I do like the character development David being seen as a mystical and political favourite, but having no people skills. Give him a gun and a mission, and he is a legendary force to be reckoned with, but force him to talk out loud or take part in social situations, and we might have a problem. His conversations with Megon crack me up (especially the first one in this book), mainly because I thought there was actually someone almost as bad with girls as I am. However, with his analytical mind, tactical and weapons expertise, and no nonsense attitude, he is deadly as they come. Still, he definitely needs some hand to hand combat training.
Great book. The only fault I could find with it was that the last quarter of the book did feel it was rushed. I would have happily read another 200 pages of this story. I can grudgingly understand why the last couple of traps/battles were not described in full as it is from David's perspective, and he was not physically there at the time. I think these might be a couple of more e-novels like Mitosis. If this is the case, I hope they are a bit longer, and they could very easily be another characters perspective. However, I liked this book and can wait for the next part (always the mark of a good book). In fact, I already pre-ordered Calamity.
The book is written from the first person perspective of David. After doing the seemingly impossible of killing Steelheart, David (much to his chagrin) is nicknamed Steelslayer and regarded with an aura of awe and wonder. It was almost the same way Steelheart was. This book follows mitosis, which shows the hard work of rebuilding and maintaining a city. The book starts with the Reckoners battling and trapping/killing another Epic. This is the third powerful epic to attack since the fall of Steelheart. Professor notices a pattern, including a powerful epic from his past. Now David must join a new team, in a completely unfamiliar (to the point of alien) environment in both its terrain and attitude of its people. To top it all off, his beliefs might not be concrete as they once were.
I do like the character development David being seen as a mystical and political favourite, but having no people skills. Give him a gun and a mission, and he is a legendary force to be reckoned with, but force him to talk out loud or take part in social situations, and we might have a problem. His conversations with Megon crack me up (especially the first one in this book), mainly because I thought there was actually someone almost as bad with girls as I am. However, with his analytical mind, tactical and weapons expertise, and no nonsense attitude, he is deadly as they come. Still, he definitely needs some hand to hand combat training.
Great book. The only fault I could find with it was that the last quarter of the book did feel it was rushed. I would have happily read another 200 pages of this story. I can grudgingly understand why the last couple of traps/battles were not described in full as it is from David's perspective, and he was not physically there at the time. I think these might be a couple of more e-novels like Mitosis. If this is the case, I hope they are a bit longer, and they could very easily be another characters perspective. However, I liked this book and can wait for the next part (always the mark of a good book). In fact, I already pre-ordered Calamity.
November 1, 2018
ON SALE!!!! Kindle deal for a limited time for $1.99 01Nov18 at Amazon
ReREAD before Calamity!!! with my fellow Reckoners at Buddies Books & Baubles
Loved it just as much the second time and my favorite new metaphor was.....
It was also theorized that if David made a list the romantic level of vegetables is as follows:
Beet > Carrot > Turnip > Parsnip > Potato > Radish > Broccoli > Cauliflower > Lettuce > Brussel Sprout
David should have said beet.
4.25 Sparks that Hurt Stars
Brandon Sanderson (BS from here on) is the master of both the Prologue and the Wrap Up. Every story I’ve read by him has strong and interesting beginnings and some of the most heart-pounding-what-the-heck-is-happening endings. I can’t say that I have read one story where he didn’t just turn things around and surprise me somewhere and ‘sparks’ Firelight is no different.
There were times in this that:
I was shocked
I held my breath
I laughed out loud
I had theories disproved
I feared for characters and sharks
I hit my head wondering where that came from
I needed a buddy to hold my hand thank you Athena
And I was amazed by the shear creativity and Calamity of it all
It took me on the ride that I’ve come to expect from any BS book. We go to a new city filled with brand new challenges and Epics.
David has new challenges to face in a in this new peculiar city and new people to tell his incredibly awful metaphors to including things like:
I’m just going to say it…David is geeky adorable and I love it. He is slightly infectious and I really like his rose glasses idea of what the world could be as naïve as it is at times.
I wasn’t expecting so many revelations to be made about the Epics, where the powers came from, the random weaknesses, what really drives Epics and Megan. I’m going to admit right now that I thought she was okay in Steelheart but I didn’t love her. After spending a little more time with her in this she is totally growing on me, it could just be that her power is freaking Awesome and I love the whole concept of it or something else entirely. I always like her I’m ready to kill you attitude though and I’m not always sure what side she is playing for.
And the action…It is all over the place with great fight scenes, chasing bad guys, water ballet...etc. All the new Epics all have interesting powers and personalities. Dawnslight is one of the most interesting Epic/Hero ideas I’ve read. I spent most of the book trying to figure that Epic out and it ended up being so much cooler than I thought. Regina is a great bad guy who I was never sure what she really wanted. She is manipulative and Lex Lutharesk in her evil genius plot. Newton (aptly named) and Obliteration rounded out the crew for evil very well. Nothing like a bad guy spewing religious dooms day scripture to lighten the mood.
I was slightly sad that we didn’t spend a lot of time with Cody and Abraham from Steelheart I missed them terribly until I didn’t .
Mizzy is my favorite new character. *hands Mizzy a cookie*. That girl is a bundle of fun and she really brought some good humor and bounce into her scenes. I like that David finally has a friend his own age to interact with. She is just a little younger and growing up in a different city it was cool to see how other normal people coped with having Epics around and how the culture of each city could be so different.
Firefight has a little bit of everything. There are moral quandaries, romance, friendships, betrayals, huge reveals and a great OMG a great ending. CALAMITY I can’t wait to see how it all finishes.
Audio Note: As always the Audio of all Brandon Sanderson books have been awesome and MacLeod Andrews is no exception he is phenominal.
ReREAD before Calamity!!! with my fellow Reckoners at Buddies Books & Baubles
Loved it just as much the second time and my favorite new metaphor was.....
The sun sank down like a giant golden pat of butter melting onto the corn of New Jersey. Or … wait. That abandoned city was kind of more like spinach than corn. So the sun sank down into the spinach of Jersey.
It was also theorized that if David made a list the romantic level of vegetables is as follows:
Beet > Carrot > Turnip > Parsnip > Potato > Radish > Broccoli > Cauliflower > Lettuce > Brussel Sprout
David should have said beet.
4.25 Sparks that Hurt Stars
***Possible Spoilers for Steelheart Below***
Brandon Sanderson (BS from here on) is the master of both the Prologue and the Wrap Up. Every story I’ve read by him has strong and interesting beginnings and some of the most heart-pounding-what-the-heck-is-happening endings. I can’t say that I have read one story where he didn’t just turn things around and surprise me somewhere and ‘sparks’ Firelight is no different.
There were times in this that:
I was shocked
I held my breath
I laughed out loud
I had theories disproved
I feared for characters and sharks
I hit my head wondering where that came from
I needed a buddy to hold my hand thank you Athena
And I was amazed by the shear creativity and Calamity of it all
It took me on the ride that I’ve come to expect from any BS book. We go to a new city filled with brand new challenges and Epics.
David has new challenges to face in a in this new peculiar city and new people to tell his incredibly awful metaphors to including things like:
“I felt like a cupcake on a steak plate”
&
“I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.”
&
“Don’t do anything stupid.'
'Don’t worry,' I whispered over the line, 'I’m an expert on stupid.'
'You’re...'
'Like, I can spot stupidity, because I know it so well. The way an exterminator knows bugs really well, and can spot where they’ve been? I’m like that. A stupidinator.'
'Never say that word again,' Prof said.”
& my personal favorite
“You’re like a potato!” I shouted after her. “In a minefield.”
I’m just going to say it…David is geeky adorable and I love it. He is slightly infectious and I really like his rose glasses idea of what the world could be as naïve as it is at times.
I wasn’t expecting so many revelations to be made about the Epics, where the powers came from, the random weaknesses, what really drives Epics and Megan. I’m going to admit right now that I thought she was okay in Steelheart but I didn’t love her. After spending a little more time with her in this she is totally growing on me, it could just be that her power is freaking Awesome and I love the whole concept of it or something else entirely. I always like her I’m ready to kill you attitude though and I’m not always sure what side she is playing for.
“Did you just invite me on a date … to spy on a deadly Epic planning to destroy the city?”
“Well, I don’t have a lot of experience with dating, but I’ve always heard you’re supposed to pick something you know the girl will enjoy.…”
She smiled. “Well, let’s get to it then.”
And the action…It is all over the place with great fight scenes, chasing bad guys, water ballet...etc. All the new Epics all have interesting powers and personalities. Dawnslight is one of the most interesting Epic/Hero ideas I’ve read. I spent most of the book trying to figure that Epic out and it ended up being so much cooler than I thought. Regina is a great bad guy who I was never sure what she really wanted. She is manipulative and Lex Lutharesk in her evil genius plot. Newton (aptly named) and Obliteration rounded out the crew for evil very well. Nothing like a bad guy spewing religious dooms day scripture to lighten the mood.
I was slightly sad that we didn’t spend a lot of time with Cody and Abraham from Steelheart I missed them terribly until I didn’t .
Mizzy is my favorite new character. *hands Mizzy a cookie*. That girl is a bundle of fun and she really brought some good humor and bounce into her scenes. I like that David finally has a friend his own age to interact with. She is just a little younger and growing up in a different city it was cool to see how other normal people coped with having Epics around and how the culture of each city could be so different.
Firefight has a little bit of everything. There are moral quandaries, romance, friendships, betrayals, huge reveals and a great OMG a great ending. CALAMITY I can’t wait to see how it all finishes.
Audio Note: As always the Audio of all Brandon Sanderson books have been awesome and MacLeod Andrews is no exception he is phenominal.
September 27, 2017
Review later, CALAMITY NOW!!
My other reviews for this series:
Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1)
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)
Calamity (The Reckoners, #3)
My other reviews for this series:
Steelheart (The Reckoners, #1)
Mitosis (The Reckoners, #1.5)
Calamity (The Reckoners, #3)
June 11, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Firefight is a great continuation of the Reckoners trilogy.
Once again, I wanna start with the bad. This book has the same pacing issues seen in Steelheart, lots of buildup for the first 80% of the book & then a rapid lightning storm of events in the last 20%. If you've read Elantris, think similarly to how that book is laid out.
With Firefight, I found myself distinctly less interested in the plot by comparison to its predecessor. The plot is still awesome, it just isn't as awesome. During certain stretches I felt myself checking out or wishing for more confrontation between the characters to arise. Perhaps a bit of middle book syndrome?
The events of the story meandered a little too much for my liking. That's not to say this book is slow, but because of how well the action-packed pace of the first book worked, I noticed where that momentum lagged a bit here.
I appreciated that some of the main characters were fleshed out a bit more, and I saw growth in David as a person. But because of the first person perspective, there's a clear lack of connection between me & most of the people surrounding David. I also desperately missed two interesting main characters from Steelheart who were barely present here.
Even with these few errors, this is a delightful book overall.
The premise is so much fun!
It gives an entertaining & nostalgic superhero vibe without being predictable or lackluster. I enjoyed the twists & turns, and I love watching David solve his way out of his predicaments.
I commend Sanderson on creating David to be extraordinary without losing his humanity. He's got his set of skills along with his flaws, and it's wonderful to watch him sort through what he likes & dislikes about himself.
Hate his metaphors all you want, I think they're super endearing!
While my interest in the immediate events of this story waver in and out, my interest in the overarching dynamic of Epics vs. Humans is consistently high. The strongest point of these novels is the world building, and after the events at the end of Firefight, my curiosity about how the conclusion will play out is definitely piqued!
Firefight is a great continuation of the Reckoners trilogy.
Once again, I wanna start with the bad. This book has the same pacing issues seen in Steelheart, lots of buildup for the first 80% of the book & then a rapid lightning storm of events in the last 20%. If you've read Elantris, think similarly to how that book is laid out.
With Firefight, I found myself distinctly less interested in the plot by comparison to its predecessor. The plot is still awesome, it just isn't as awesome. During certain stretches I felt myself checking out or wishing for more confrontation between the characters to arise. Perhaps a bit of middle book syndrome?
The events of the story meandered a little too much for my liking. That's not to say this book is slow, but because of how well the action-packed pace of the first book worked, I noticed where that momentum lagged a bit here.
I appreciated that some of the main characters were fleshed out a bit more, and I saw growth in David as a person. But because of the first person perspective, there's a clear lack of connection between me & most of the people surrounding David. I also desperately missed two interesting main characters from Steelheart who were barely present here.
Even with these few errors, this is a delightful book overall.
The premise is so much fun!
It gives an entertaining & nostalgic superhero vibe without being predictable or lackluster. I enjoyed the twists & turns, and I love watching David solve his way out of his predicaments.
I commend Sanderson on creating David to be extraordinary without losing his humanity. He's got his set of skills along with his flaws, and it's wonderful to watch him sort through what he likes & dislikes about himself.
Hate his metaphors all you want, I think they're super endearing!
While my interest in the immediate events of this story waver in and out, my interest in the overarching dynamic of Epics vs. Humans is consistently high. The strongest point of these novels is the world building, and after the events at the end of Firefight, my curiosity about how the conclusion will play out is definitely piqued!
February 22, 2016
I like a book that starts fast, and this book started incredibly fast. This set me up with high expectations for the rest of the book. And these were met completely. The speed of the plot never slowed down, not for one page. It was energetic throughout; it was just action upon action: fight upon fight. Until one big epic climatic event at the end, in the centre of the flooded city, that leaves us with a heart jerking conclusion.
This was a very quick read. Not because it was short, but because I just could not stop reading it. The plot was layered with unanswered questions that I had to find the answers to. Many chapters ended with a frustrating one liner that compelled me to read the next. I had to read more. I needed to read more. So I did.
“My name is David Charleston.
I kill people with super powers.”
David’s appropriate new name after killing the high epic Steelheart is Steelslayer. His grown quite a taste for the blood of Epic’s and he’s become quite efficient at killing them too. The novel starts, with his tracking down of Sourcefield, an Epic who wields electricity. With the efficiency of a military unit the Reckoners tactically engage her.
Epics are humans with superpowers. High Epics have a reflex ability that makes them almost invincible, unless you know their weakness. And some of these weaknesses are very amusing: one is made vulnerable by his own poorly preformed rock music. Epics become consumed by the use of their powers; they take on a self-imposed sense of divinity the more they use them. This leads to a group of homicidal, super powered maniacs with a sense of self-aggrandisement that the Reckoners must bring down.
Obliteration can absorb heat from his surroundings and release it in a blast that can and has levelled cities. This combined with his instinctive teleportation as a death wound draws near results in one tough Epic to kill. Worse, for unknown reasons, he has teamed up with Regalia. Regalia has murdered thousands in her claiming of her own city: New Babylon. She can control large bodies of water and can see through it at any location giving her an omniscient edge. The Reckoners must stop them.
Prof is an Epic and David’s mentor. He is also the leader of the Reckoners, suffice to say, not many know of his powers. He supresses his powers to retain his humanity, but knows if he indulges in his impulses his will lose all sense of oneness and become the very thing he wishes to destroy. However, he can gift his powers (healing and force field production) to others without any consequences. David, naturally, benefits from this in his missions.
Overall, this is the most exciting book I’ve read in a long while. The plot is fantastic; the characters are brilliant and the ending is the kind that makes you wish you could fast forward time till the release of the next book!
I won this book, here on goodreads, as a giveaway. I was very fortunate as I got in ten days before release!
The Reckoners
1. Steelheart- A vengeful 4 stars
1.5 Mitosis- A time wasting 2 stars
2. Firefight- A heart jerking 4.5 stars
3. Calamity- A terrible one star
This was a very quick read. Not because it was short, but because I just could not stop reading it. The plot was layered with unanswered questions that I had to find the answers to. Many chapters ended with a frustrating one liner that compelled me to read the next. I had to read more. I needed to read more. So I did.
“My name is David Charleston.
I kill people with super powers.”
David’s appropriate new name after killing the high epic Steelheart is Steelslayer. His grown quite a taste for the blood of Epic’s and he’s become quite efficient at killing them too. The novel starts, with his tracking down of Sourcefield, an Epic who wields electricity. With the efficiency of a military unit the Reckoners tactically engage her.
Epics are humans with superpowers. High Epics have a reflex ability that makes them almost invincible, unless you know their weakness. And some of these weaknesses are very amusing: one is made vulnerable by his own poorly preformed rock music. Epics become consumed by the use of their powers; they take on a self-imposed sense of divinity the more they use them. This leads to a group of homicidal, super powered maniacs with a sense of self-aggrandisement that the Reckoners must bring down.
Obliteration can absorb heat from his surroundings and release it in a blast that can and has levelled cities. This combined with his instinctive teleportation as a death wound draws near results in one tough Epic to kill. Worse, for unknown reasons, he has teamed up with Regalia. Regalia has murdered thousands in her claiming of her own city: New Babylon. She can control large bodies of water and can see through it at any location giving her an omniscient edge. The Reckoners must stop them.
Prof is an Epic and David’s mentor. He is also the leader of the Reckoners, suffice to say, not many know of his powers. He supresses his powers to retain his humanity, but knows if he indulges in his impulses his will lose all sense of oneness and become the very thing he wishes to destroy. However, he can gift his powers (healing and force field production) to others without any consequences. David, naturally, benefits from this in his missions.
Overall, this is the most exciting book I’ve read in a long while. The plot is fantastic; the characters are brilliant and the ending is the kind that makes you wish you could fast forward time till the release of the next book!
I won this book, here on goodreads, as a giveaway. I was very fortunate as I got in ten days before release!
The Reckoners
1. Steelheart- A vengeful 4 stars
1.5 Mitosis- A time wasting 2 stars
2. Firefight- A heart jerking 4.5 stars
3. Calamity- A terrible one star
February 1, 2015
Sandersonitis...I've gots it!
Mind Blowing
This book Obliterated everything I thought I knew about Sanderson. I thought I knew his tricks...I thought I knew what he's going to do, I even sent theories to Robin, and in the end I've learned to just let shit flow the way they should. Just let Sanderson take over my life and give me amazing stories.
Now, when this book started, it started with a bang! Running, running...YEAH YEAH YEAH! Then things changes and I was thinking...What are you doing Sanderson? Why are you changing things on me...I don't want this..what is this fuckery?
Then BAM! And BOOM!
My mind was blown.
I can't give anymore because then it will spoil this book, seriously spoil this book. But one theory that I had came to life and I NEED BOOK THREE to see WHAT HAPPENS!!!
This is the only review I can give for now..I need to go through my notes and really think about what to write.
Mind Blowing
This book Obliterated everything I thought I knew about Sanderson. I thought I knew his tricks...I thought I knew what he's going to do, I even sent theories to Robin, and in the end I've learned to just let shit flow the way they should. Just let Sanderson take over my life and give me amazing stories.
Now, when this book started, it started with a bang! Running, running...YEAH YEAH YEAH! Then things changes and I was thinking...What are you doing Sanderson? Why are you changing things on me...I don't want this..what is this fuckery?
Then BAM! And BOOM!
My mind was blown.
I can't give anymore because then it will spoil this book, seriously spoil this book. But one theory that I had came to life and I NEED BOOK THREE to see WHAT HAPPENS!!!
This is the only review I can give for now..I need to go through my notes and really think about what to write.
October 13, 2018
Firefight starts off with a really rousing manhunt/attempted assassination of a murderous Epic (a person with superpowers who's been corrupted by them), and quickly thereafter David - who is sometimes called "Steelslayer" now; a way cooler name that he’s very proud of - heads off with the Professor, the leader of their rebel group, to what used to be New York City, to try to take care of another major Epic threat.
What New York City (now "Babylon Restored" or "Babilar" for short) has evolved into is almost the polar opposite of Chicago, the setting of the first book. Instead of a steel wasteland, we have kind of an urban Venice (a flooded city with tops of skyscrapers poking out) with glowing graffiti and jungle growth inside of what remains of the buildings.
David is still a teenage guy who's impetuous and kind of charges around with blinders on, and he still comes up with truly painful similes and metaphors (which are not as funny as the author seems to think they are, at least for me), and it all was just getting kind of old. The middle section of the book also slows down quite a bit, giving me time to think about all the stuff that irked me. So when my 12 year old son absconded with the book a few days ago when I was about 40% in, I thought, whatever, I'll finish it sometime later. Probably.
Well, a few days later my kid finished it (5 stars from him, BTW) and I decided I might as well do the same. And I was surprised when the second half of the book kind of reached out and grabbed me by the throat and demanded that I finish it, immediately. There were several surprises and unexpected turns, and I even got some answers to more of those pesky questions that the first book had left me with.
So here's the deal: if you didn't care for the first book, there's nothing in here that will really change your mind. If you DID like Steelheart, this is a solid sequel that moves the overall story along nicely.
Art credit: Alex Lukas, Flooded City
What New York City (now "Babylon Restored" or "Babilar" for short) has evolved into is almost the polar opposite of Chicago, the setting of the first book. Instead of a steel wasteland, we have kind of an urban Venice (a flooded city with tops of skyscrapers poking out) with glowing graffiti and jungle growth inside of what remains of the buildings.
David is still a teenage guy who's impetuous and kind of charges around with blinders on, and he still comes up with truly painful similes and metaphors (which are not as funny as the author seems to think they are, at least for me), and it all was just getting kind of old. The middle section of the book also slows down quite a bit, giving me time to think about all the stuff that irked me. So when my 12 year old son absconded with the book a few days ago when I was about 40% in, I thought, whatever, I'll finish it sometime later. Probably.
Well, a few days later my kid finished it (5 stars from him, BTW) and I decided I might as well do the same. And I was surprised when the second half of the book kind of reached out and grabbed me by the throat and demanded that I finish it, immediately. There were several surprises and unexpected turns, and I even got some answers to more of those pesky questions that the first book had left me with.
So here's the deal: if you didn't care for the first book, there's nothing in here that will really change your mind. If you DID like Steelheart, this is a solid sequel that moves the overall story along nicely.
Art credit: Alex Lukas, Flooded City
Want to read
January 28, 2015EDIT 1/27: IT'S FINALLY HERE.
Well, time to go to the library.
ORIGINAL: I will now sit in my chair and wait.
and wait.
and wait.
Well, time to go to the library.
ORIGINAL: I will now sit in my chair and wait.
and wait.
and wait.
July 19, 2015
Slowly sinking in that I have to wait around a year before book 3 comes out.
I was expecting a lot more from this, because I know Sanderson could've done better. To keep it short, this wasn't Sanderson level.
The reckoners continue their mission of killing epics. Compared to Steelheart, this second installment had a vague goal. They were trying to do a lot of things simultaneously, resulting to confusion of the main goal of the novel. There were also too much bad guys than necessary. Two should've been enough. I know that he introduced quite a lot for the development of the plot, but I didn't seem to enjoy each of them because some were more invested on than others. The plot was enjoyable overall, but could've been executed better.
The characters improved as compared to the first one. That should be a requirement, and Sanderson managed to comply. I felt remorse toward most characters, and the David-Megan thing continues to grow on me. The minor characters are also interesting, they seem to do their job and really support the main ones. Sanderson managed to impress me once again with his amazing character development.
3.5/5 stars. Not that impressed, but hopefully the next one would be a lot better than this.
I was expecting a lot more from this, because I know Sanderson could've done better. To keep it short, this wasn't Sanderson level.
The reckoners continue their mission of killing epics. Compared to Steelheart, this second installment had a vague goal. They were trying to do a lot of things simultaneously, resulting to confusion of the main goal of the novel. There were also too much bad guys than necessary. Two should've been enough. I know that he introduced quite a lot for the development of the plot, but I didn't seem to enjoy each of them because some were more invested on than others. The plot was enjoyable overall, but could've been executed better.
The characters improved as compared to the first one. That should be a requirement, and Sanderson managed to comply. I felt remorse toward most characters, and the David-Megan thing continues to grow on me. The minor characters are also interesting, they seem to do their job and really support the main ones. Sanderson managed to impress me once again with his amazing character development.
3.5/5 stars. Not that impressed, but hopefully the next one would be a lot better than this.
February 7, 2018
4.5 stars
I love it! This is way better than the first book, lots of revelations, more epics and more terrible metaphors from David that I'll be quoting in my review. The plot, world, characters, okay basically everything about this book is great, its easy to read, a major fast read etc. What the hell am I writing, I have no idea how to review this book so its going to be a mess.
It was as black as charcoal at midnight inside. Or, well, as black as a grape at midnight—or pretty much anything at midnight. I felt my way to a seat as the machine started to putter, then sank down quietly.
World building and Writing
The world building is amazing! Sparks, the book took place in Babilar not Newcago, Babilar is ruled by a water epic, so that means the whole city is flooded, all the houses are filled with water, the residents have to live on roof tops, since its BS he potrayed this so well, that I would love to go visit. Just like the first book this is also written in first person POV of David, so that means lots of weird metaphors.
I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.
Characters
My fav is David, he is so unlike your regular YA male protagonist, he is neither arrogant nor rude despite being handsome, he is extremely kind to people, he is a weirdo and a nerd but also great with guns, I really like him.
I didn’t expect you to be nice.”
“Me?” I said.
“Sure!” She seemed to be recovering some of her natural perkiness. “Steelslayer, the guy who talked Phaedrus into hitting Steelheart. I expected you to be all intimidating and brooding and ‘They killed my father’ and intense and everything.”
“How much do you know about me?” I asked, surprised.
“More than I probably should.
Megan is lovely, I can't even imagine what its like to be an epic, but she fought the darkness and tried so hard to be good, go girl, not to mention she is so badass.
I needed to say something. Something romantic! Something to sweep her off her feet.
“You’re like a potato!” I shouted after her. “In a minefield.”
She froze in place. Then she spun on me, her face lit by a half-grown fruit. “A potato,” she said flatly. “That’s the best you can do? Seriously?”
“It makes sense,” I said. “Listen. You’re strolling through a minefield, worried about getting blown up. And then you step on something, and you think, ‘I’m dead.’ But it’s just a potato. And you’re so relieved to find something so wonderful when you expected something so awful. That’s what you are. To me.”
“A potato.”
“Sure. French fries? Mashed potatoes? Who doesn’t like potatoes?”
Prof reminds me of Dalinar, they are just too alike, I love Mizzy, can't wait for more of her. Cody and Abraham was barely in this, hopefully they'll be in the next. Tia is okay,but her character didn't develop, its same with the first book.
I love it! This is way better than the first book, lots of revelations, more epics and more terrible metaphors from David that I'll be quoting in my review. The plot, world, characters, okay basically everything about this book is great, its easy to read, a major fast read etc. What the hell am I writing, I have no idea how to review this book so its going to be a mess.
It was as black as charcoal at midnight inside. Or, well, as black as a grape at midnight—or pretty much anything at midnight. I felt my way to a seat as the machine started to putter, then sank down quietly.
World building and Writing
The world building is amazing! Sparks, the book took place in Babilar not Newcago, Babilar is ruled by a water epic, so that means the whole city is flooded, all the houses are filled with water, the residents have to live on roof tops, since its BS he potrayed this so well, that I would love to go visit. Just like the first book this is also written in first person POV of David, so that means lots of weird metaphors.
I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.
Characters
My fav is David, he is so unlike your regular YA male protagonist, he is neither arrogant nor rude despite being handsome, he is extremely kind to people, he is a weirdo and a nerd but also great with guns, I really like him.
I didn’t expect you to be nice.”
“Me?” I said.
“Sure!” She seemed to be recovering some of her natural perkiness. “Steelslayer, the guy who talked Phaedrus into hitting Steelheart. I expected you to be all intimidating and brooding and ‘They killed my father’ and intense and everything.”
“How much do you know about me?” I asked, surprised.
“More than I probably should.
Megan is lovely, I can't even imagine what its like to be an epic, but she fought the darkness and tried so hard to be good, go girl, not to mention she is so badass.
I needed to say something. Something romantic! Something to sweep her off her feet.
“You’re like a potato!” I shouted after her. “In a minefield.”
She froze in place. Then she spun on me, her face lit by a half-grown fruit. “A potato,” she said flatly. “That’s the best you can do? Seriously?”
“It makes sense,” I said. “Listen. You’re strolling through a minefield, worried about getting blown up. And then you step on something, and you think, ‘I’m dead.’ But it’s just a potato. And you’re so relieved to find something so wonderful when you expected something so awful. That’s what you are. To me.”
“A potato.”
“Sure. French fries? Mashed potatoes? Who doesn’t like potatoes?”
Prof reminds me of Dalinar, they are just too alike, I love Mizzy, can't wait for more of her. Cody and Abraham was barely in this, hopefully they'll be in the next. Tia is okay,but her character didn't develop, its same with the first book.
February 9, 2017
2016 reread over at BB&B in preparation for Calamity is officially DONE.
Amazing how many things I forgot - glad I did a reread. And yes, it was fantastic AGAIN.
Original review:
Brandon Sanderson does it again. I am pretty sure the term "nailed it" is interchangeable with "Sandersoned", for the man is a genius.
So this book starts off with your typical "pulls-you-in" Sanderson prologue, moves into the main story running (yep, no crawling or baby steps here), throws in some left and right surprise hooks, and then does the Usain Bolt sprint towards the finish line that the author is known for. And I mean Usain Bolt using grav boots (thank you Pierce Brown) and mech armor (a la All You Need Is Kill) and taking pictures of The Flash as he passes him by. On that note, I doubt that there is anyone better today with finishing a book than Brandon Sanderson. But then I have Sandersonitis. So...dont trust my word for it - read this book and join thecult club.
PS: I see a lot of first time Sanderson readers really loving this series. Do yourself a favour/favor and read everything else he's written. If you're not sure where to start, pick up The Final Empire. Its the first of a trilogy and was my own introduction to the author and his incomparable imagination. And if that series blows your mind, then pick up The Way of Kings.
You're welcome.
Amazing how many things I forgot - glad I did a reread. And yes, it was fantastic AGAIN.
Original review:
Brandon Sanderson does it again. I am pretty sure the term "nailed it" is interchangeable with "Sandersoned", for the man is a genius.
So this book starts off with your typical "pulls-you-in" Sanderson prologue, moves into the main story running (yep, no crawling or baby steps here), throws in some left and right surprise hooks, and then does the Usain Bolt sprint towards the finish line that the author is known for. And I mean Usain Bolt using grav boots (thank you Pierce Brown) and mech armor (a la All You Need Is Kill) and taking pictures of The Flash as he passes him by. On that note, I doubt that there is anyone better today with finishing a book than Brandon Sanderson. But then I have Sandersonitis. So...dont trust my word for it - read this book and join the
PS: I see a lot of first time Sanderson readers really loving this series. Do yourself a favour/favor and read everything else he's written. If you're not sure where to start, pick up The Final Empire. Its the first of a trilogy and was my own introduction to the author and his incomparable imagination. And if that series blows your mind, then pick up The Way of Kings.
You're welcome.
February 23, 2016
MOAR DAVID! ♥Hello Beautiful Book Blog
More action, more suspense, more awesomeness! Great sequel in the Reckoners series!
“My name is David Charleston. I kill people with super powers.”
Firefight felt like a complete separate story from Steelheart. David is in a new city in this book, very similar to NYC. There is a new team they are working with to try and bring down another very powerful Epic. There are still some mysteries surrounding everything they are trying to accomplish, so that aspect is still there.
We get more of David's bad
I have to leave you with a couple more, I can't resist.
This one is long, but soooo worth it. My favorite part of the whole book:I don't have a whole lot to say about Firefight. There is still the big question looming what exactly is Calamity? We get a taste of the answer, but it is still a mystery that I can't wait to find out! This was kind of like another episode where things get resolved, but then another threat has surfaced. Mizzy was a nice addition to the characters. She was funny and brave. "Step One: find Regalia, then totally explode her. Lots and lots."
“You’re like a potato!” I shouted after her. “In a minefield.”
She froze in place. Then she spun on me, her face lit by a half-grown fruit. “A potato,” she said flatly. “That’s the best you can do? Seriously?”
“It makes sense,” I said. “Listen. You’re strolling through a minefield, worried about getting blown up. And then you step on something, and you think, ‘I’m dead.’ But it’s just a potato. And you’re so relieved to find something so wonderful when you expected something so awful. That’s what you are. To me.”
“A potato.”
“Sure. French fries? Mashed potatoes? Who doesn’t like potatoes?”
“Plenty of people. Why can’t I be something sweet, like a cake?”
“Because cake wouldn’t grow in a minefield. Obviously.”
She stared down the hallway at me for a few moments, then sat on an overgrown set of roots.
Sparks. She seemed to be crying. Idiot! I thought at myself, scrambling through the foliage. Romantic. You were supposed to be romantic, you slontze! Potatoes weren’t romantic. I should have gone with a carrot.”
“I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.” Same.
The sun sank down like a giant golden pat of butter melting onto the corn of New Jersey. Or … wait. That abandoned city was kind of more like spinach than corn. So the sun sank down into the spinach of Jersey.
I was so glad to see a relationship blossoming. ♥♥♥
“This time, when she’d pointed it at me, she’d flicked the safety on. If that wasn’t true love, I don’t know what was.”
Now, on to the final installment. I have read some bad ending lately, so come on Sanderson! Make me proud.
What I want to see from Calamity you ask?
♥ Backgrounds for Prof, Tia and Mizzy
♥ More explanation of "Calamity"
♥ More similes, of course
♥ Megan and David in love
♥ All my favorite characters live
That's not too much to ask right?!
I really love this series and after I finish Calamity I will be really sad to let David go!
Follow me on Twitter @hbbookblog
February 17, 2016
This sequel to Steelheart was of a similar quality. Good, but not quite as good as Sanderson's regular fantasy series. It would have been better if it was longer. The ending was exciting, but it did feel a little rushed.
The setting changed from NewCago to Babylon Restored, or Manhattan as we pre-Calamity people might call it. Babylon Restored was as unique and interesting a place as NewCago. The flooded city was interesting and the glowing fruits and lights provided by the mysterious Dawnslight were pretty cool.
The new Epic in the Reckoners sights was Regalia. She rules in Babylon Restored and had provoked the Reckoners by sending rogue Epics, like Mitosis, to plague them in NewCago. She was an interesting villain and very different from Steelheart.
With Cody and Abraham left behind in NewCago David, Prof, and Tia were joined by some new team members. Mizzy was the most likable of the new characters, but Val and Exel were interesting in their own ways. Megan was present as well and it was her scenes with David that were my favorite parts of the story.
We learned some cool stuff about the Epics and Calamity and the ending was shocking and exciting. All in all this was a fast paced and fun read. Just what a superhero book should be! I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion to the trilogy.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: MacLeod Andrews does a decent job narrating this series.
The setting changed from NewCago to Babylon Restored, or Manhattan as we pre-Calamity people might call it. Babylon Restored was as unique and interesting a place as NewCago. The flooded city was interesting and the glowing fruits and lights provided by the mysterious Dawnslight were pretty cool.
The new Epic in the Reckoners sights was Regalia. She rules in Babylon Restored and had provoked the Reckoners by sending rogue Epics, like Mitosis, to plague them in NewCago. She was an interesting villain and very different from Steelheart.
With Cody and Abraham left behind in NewCago David, Prof, and Tia were joined by some new team members. Mizzy was the most likable of the new characters, but Val and Exel were interesting in their own ways. Megan was present as well and it was her scenes with David that were my favorite parts of the story.
We learned some cool stuff about the Epics and Calamity and the ending was shocking and exciting. All in all this was a fast paced and fun read. Just what a superhero book should be! I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion to the trilogy.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: MacLeod Andrews does a decent job narrating this series.
June 26, 2020
Damn... I forgot how amazing this book is.
_____________________________
I just knew I should not have done this to myself. Now I have to wait almost a whole YEAR for the last one to come out?! Come on Sanderson, you can't end a book like that.
I honestly don't know how Sanderson does it. With every book of his that I read, I just gain more and more respect for the man.
Firefight had a completely different tone than Steelheart, but it worked just as good, if not better. Same main characters, completely different setting. Not a lot of writers can pull that off well, but Sanderson sure as hell can.
From amazing world-building, great character development to twists that will blow your socks off. This book had it all.
The only thing I wish was different, is more Cody and Abraham (especially Cody, since he was one of my favorite characters in Steelheart). But when I think about it, in the end, I'm glad they were away, safe and sound, and not... you know, dead.
And I can't wait to see how will Sanderson wrap the story up in Calamity, because I have no freaking clue where will the story go from here. I just know that it will be epic.
_____________________________
I just knew I should not have done this to myself. Now I have to wait almost a whole YEAR for the last one to come out?! Come on Sanderson, you can't end a book like that.
I honestly don't know how Sanderson does it. With every book of his that I read, I just gain more and more respect for the man.
Firefight had a completely different tone than Steelheart, but it worked just as good, if not better. Same main characters, completely different setting. Not a lot of writers can pull that off well, but Sanderson sure as hell can.
From amazing world-building, great character development to twists that will blow your socks off. This book had it all.
The only thing I wish was different, is more Cody and Abraham (especially Cody, since he was one of my favorite characters in Steelheart). But when I think about it, in the end, I'm glad they were away, safe and sound, and not... you know, dead.
And I can't wait to see how will Sanderson wrap the story up in Calamity, because I have no freaking clue where will the story go from here. I just know that it will be epic.
May 30, 2017
4.5*'s and what a fabulous ending. Plenty of surprises and unexpected flips. Definitely one of the better YA series I've read.
June 3, 2017
So goodreads lost the long review I just wrote about Firefight and I'm too exasperated to write another. Here is my lazy version:
David was useless and annoyingly obsessed with Megan. Manhattan was awesome, a hippy city. The ending blew my mind. I'm going to keep going with the Reckoners series eventually. There were way too many bad puns in this book though.
David was useless and annoyingly obsessed with Megan. Manhattan was awesome, a hippy city. The ending blew my mind. I'm going to keep going with the Reckoners series eventually. There were way too many bad puns in this book though.
February 20, 2017
"I needed to say something. Something romantic! Something to sweep her off her feet.
"You’re like a potato!" I shouted after her. "In a minefield."
She froze in place."
Aaaand I'll leave to you the possibility to find out by yourself what this could possibly mean because it's so cute and -unbelievably- romantic, that honestly I don't have the heart to steal this pleasure from you.
•It's Sanderson, it's good. With some authors it just works this way and you just know it. Plot is good, pace is good, characters are fantastic, and you're happy like a kid on Christmas day. Especially if it's December 22nd. Oh yeah.
•And don't get me started on Sanderson's blessed plot-twists: they give you all the feels. And specifically, one of them made me realize how wonderful a person David is because I, in his shoes, would have gone berserk and killed everyone in no time. He really is kind and good-hearted, it's not simply a façade or an ostentation on his part, and that may have moved me a little. Being a horrible person, of course, my ideal flawed (not that David is Mr. Perfect or anything; he is flawed, just in other ways) and dark-ish protagonist would have slaughtered a person or two, and I still can't wrap my mind around how someone could not unleash his rage at least a little bit in a situation like that, but my not understanding was precisely what allowed me to appreciate David's characterization even more.
•The fifth star is missing because, though fabulously and adorably entertaining, the book is still not as mind-blowing as Sanderson's books get. I want a breathtaking, heart-stopping conclusion, and if some thought-provoking stuff can be thrown in there too, I'd be in paradise, thank you.
Now bring on Calamity.
"You’re like a potato!" I shouted after her. "In a minefield."
She froze in place."
Aaaand I'll leave to you the possibility to find out by yourself what this could possibly mean because it's so cute and -unbelievably- romantic, that honestly I don't have the heart to steal this pleasure from you.
•It's Sanderson, it's good. With some authors it just works this way and you just know it. Plot is good, pace is good, characters are fantastic, and you're happy like a kid on Christmas day. Especially if it's December 22nd. Oh yeah.
•And don't get me started on Sanderson's blessed plot-twists: they give you all the feels. And specifically, one of them made me realize how wonderful a person David is because I, in his shoes, would have gone berserk and killed everyone in no time. He really is kind and good-hearted, it's not simply a façade or an ostentation on his part, and that may have moved me a little. Being a horrible person, of course, my ideal flawed (not that David is Mr. Perfect or anything; he is flawed, just in other ways) and dark-ish protagonist would have slaughtered a person or two, and I still can't wrap my mind around how someone could not unleash his rage at least a little bit in a situation like that, but my not understanding was precisely what allowed me to appreciate David's characterization even more.
•The fifth star is missing because, though fabulously and adorably entertaining, the book is still not as mind-blowing as Sanderson's books get. I want a breathtaking, heart-stopping conclusion, and if some thought-provoking stuff can be thrown in there too, I'd be in paradise, thank you.
Now bring on Calamity.
January 26, 2015
My name is David Charleston.
I kill people with super powers.
Sanderson has done it again!
When superheroes start coming after them bearing clues that draw them to a city named Babylon Restored, ruled by a woman named Regalia, the Reckoners of Newcago join the branch of Reckoners to find out why, after so many years of good living in the city, suddenly Regalia is trying to destroy everything she has built.
I love this series. The new take on superheroes where power corrupts is a refreshing change from Marvel/DC, and the protagonist David is a nerdy, awkward teenager that I find hilarious, with his terrible "metaphors".
She looked at me, her electricity flaring to life-growing more violent, more dangerous, lighting the room like a calzone stuffed with dynamite.
I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.
While I can't say I enjoyed this quite as much as the first one as I found the "I just know she's a good person because she's beautiful and I love her!" rather cheesy, I do have to cut David some slack as he is a hormone ridden teenager.
That being said, this book was full of action and new superheroes, including Dawnslight, one of the most interesting so far. It also features new characters, including Mizzy, who I daresay is more awkward than David (such a thing is possible!) and adorable.
Write like an oscillating fan set to high Brandon. I need book three.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
I kill people with super powers.
Sanderson has done it again!
When superheroes start coming after them bearing clues that draw them to a city named Babylon Restored, ruled by a woman named Regalia, the Reckoners of Newcago join the branch of Reckoners to find out why, after so many years of good living in the city, suddenly Regalia is trying to destroy everything she has built.
I love this series. The new take on superheroes where power corrupts is a refreshing change from Marvel/DC, and the protagonist David is a nerdy, awkward teenager that I find hilarious, with his terrible "metaphors".
She looked at me, her electricity flaring to life-growing more violent, more dangerous, lighting the room like a calzone stuffed with dynamite.
I mixed with ordinary people about the same way that a bucket of paint mixed with a bag of gerbils.
While I can't say I enjoyed this quite as much as the first one as I found the "I just know she's a good person because she's beautiful and I love her!" rather cheesy, I do have to cut David some slack as he is a hormone ridden teenager.
That being said, this book was full of action and new superheroes, including Dawnslight, one of the most interesting so far. It also features new characters, including Mizzy, who I daresay is more awkward than David (such a thing is possible!) and adorable.
Write like an oscillating fan set to high Brandon. I need book three.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
July 7, 2016
Wow! This is what I call super duper AMAZING read!
YA science fiction/dystopian is not a genre I normally read. It's probably because I rarely find books that enthrall me like ones in this series have done. This is the second installment in The Reckoners trilogy and I found it was as good as the first one, or perhaps even better. The story delivered exactly what it promised. I had a hard time putting it down. The story grabbed me from the beginning and I was personally happy with the ending which was such a great surprise. I was left completely awestruck after finishing the book.
David's nerdy personality still made me smile and chuckle. Despite the fact that he's sometimes too impulsive, careless, and a bit crazy, he keeps amazing me with his bravery and intelligence for the most part. Did I already mention how awesome the ending was?
By the way, I did very much enjoy reading this book. Now I really want to know what will happen next!
YA science fiction/dystopian is not a genre I normally read. It's probably because I rarely find books that enthrall me like ones in this series have done. This is the second installment in The Reckoners trilogy and I found it was as good as the first one, or perhaps even better. The story delivered exactly what it promised. I had a hard time putting it down. The story grabbed me from the beginning and I was personally happy with the ending which was such a great surprise. I was left completely awestruck after finishing the book.
David's nerdy personality still made me smile and chuckle. Despite the fact that he's sometimes too impulsive, careless, and a bit crazy, he keeps amazing me with his bravery and intelligence for the most part. Did I already mention how awesome the ending was?
By the way, I did very much enjoy reading this book. Now I really want to know what will happen next!
March 7, 2015
This SPOILER-FREE(!) review can also be found at my blog,
There were books involved...
-----------------------------
OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS. I've been waiting FOREVER to post this review. I read Firefight over two months ago, thanks to Mark letting me and a few other bloggers borrow his ARC (thanks again, Mark!), and omg. This book has been burning a hole in my brain ever since.
First off, though -- have you read Steelheart ? Because if you haven't, it would probably be better to start by reading my review of that book, rather than this one. See, Firefight is a sequel, and A) We wouldn't want you to get spoiled (the synopsis above IS SPOILERY, thus the warning, but this review is spoiler-free -- unless you really don't want to know whether the main character dies at the end of Steelheart or something). But also, B) If you read this review first, well, that would just be like eating dessert before dinner: You'll never want to go back and read that earlier review if you read this one fir -- wait, no... umm... It's like dessert before dinner because this book, like dessert, is just better than the first course -- wait, no... "better"? Maybe... but also just "different"... But it's necessary to eat dinner first, you know? And then, obviously, dessert is also required. Um...
Oh gosh, someone please shut me up, I'm channeling David and I don't know how to make it stop.
(Don't know who David is? *coughclickthiscough*)
OKAY, now we've got that out of the way, I guess maybe you want to know how I liked this book.
Well, I liked it. I liked it a lot. If you're smart, and you've already read Steelheart , CONGRATULATIONS: Here's an easy test for you to see if you should read this sequel: Did you like Steelheart at all ? No, seriously, like, at all. A little, OMG SO MUCH, whatever? ...Yes, you did? Well, then, there's no question: You need Firefight in your life. Immediately. Really, that's all you need to know. But read on if you want more information. ;)
The Reckoners series reminds me of what I imagine a superhero comic book would be like (confession: I have never read a comic book... or a graphic novel... please don't kill me...). But seriously. It's super fun, vibrant and cinematic, absolutely action-packed, a bit lighthearted, but also full of heart... It makes me think of movies like "The Avengers," except the superheroes are all bad guys and the little humans get to be the heroes. I mean, sometimes in movies like that, the heroes are a little over-the-top idealistic, but we forgive them, don't we? Because we want to root for them, we want them to vanquish their foes, we want them to save the world amidst these epic circumstances... Yeah, Firefight is like that.
Carrying straight over from the end of Steelheart (or rather, the end of Mitosis ... seriously, you should read Mitosis , it's a great gap-bridger), Firefight deals with the aftermath of Steelheart 's epic conclusion. Instead of making David's and the other Reckoners' lives simpler, their actions at the end of Steelheart just made things even more complicated, and they end up having to go to Manhattan (now "Babylon Restored") for answers. I was super excited to see a new location after being confined to Newcago in book 1, and Babylon Restored does not disappoint. But wow, getting to see outside of Newcago... well, the outlook is bleak. This series isn't post-apocalyptic, it's post-Epic -- and it's pretty terrifying out there. These cities ruled by Epics are really the only bastions of civilization left, which is... yikes. I really don't want to say too much about Babylon Restored because I don't want to give away any surprises, but I will say that, while terrifying, it's also seriously beautiful and I would really like to go there. For like, a couple hours. With a safe getaway planned.
In addition to a new setting, we also get to meet some awesome new secondary characters. A few of the "regulars" from Steelheart don't really play much of a role in Firefight , which was a bit disappointing for me, but that's ok! These new characters are pretty great, as well. I sort of wish I'd felt like I got to know them a little bit better than I did, but by the end I was definitely a fan of all of them -- especially a girl who kind of reminds me of Leo Valdez from Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series... (Yeah, I went there.) I really can't wait to see my old favorites and some of these new characters team up in Calamity . (I mean, that is what's gonna happen right? RIGHT?!?!)
One character who didn't disappoint at all, however, was David. I mean, he's David. (I love David.) David's growth from his drive to revenge in Steelheart , to finding a new purpose in Firefight , was just so well done over the course of these two books. He's a character who is willing to admit when his outlook is wrong, to reevaluate his goals, and to always fight for what he believes in. Also, his faith in people is just... okay, yes, it's rather idealistic and often comes across as unfounded or flat-out stupid -- he throws his whole heart behind people, all of his will and faith and belief that they can pull through, that everything will turn out okay -- but I love that about him. Plus, of course, his metaphors. They make me giggle, what can I say?
As for the plot... well... spoilers, ugh!! But I will say that this book does not drag. It's just as action-packed as Steelheart -- if not more. Questions that were left unanswered in Steelheart are dealt with a lot in this book, as well, like, Can Epics really fight against their natures? *GASP* Yes, that question is fully explored in Firefight, and it is intense. I just... yeah. I have a lot of feels about this.
And then the ending... I mean, if you've read Steelheart, or any book by Brandon Sanderson, you know his endings are insane. Firefight is no exception. There are so many revelations and mind-blowing occurrences, and it will leave you dying for book 3. Sorry, there's just no way around it. But it is so worth it.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the "mind-blowing ending" is really just the last quarter of the book. I can prove this scientifically, because the capslock in my Goodreads updates gets a bit out of hand...
In conclusion...
If you've read Steelheart and liked anything about it, you definitely need Firefight in your life as well. If you haven't read Steelheart ... fix that immediately, because these two books are worth reading just for the explosive ending of Firefight alone (not to mention the explosive ending of Steelheart , duh). This series is super action-packed, super intense, but most of all, it's just super fun.
IT'S JUST SUPER, OKAY. Read it.
--
There were books involved...
-----------------------------
OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS. I've been waiting FOREVER to post this review. I read Firefight over two months ago, thanks to Mark letting me and a few other bloggers borrow his ARC (thanks again, Mark!), and omg. This book has been burning a hole in my brain ever since.
First off, though -- have you read Steelheart ? Because if you haven't, it would probably be better to start by reading my review of that book, rather than this one. See, Firefight is a sequel, and A) We wouldn't want you to get spoiled (the synopsis above IS SPOILERY, thus the warning, but this review is spoiler-free -- unless you really don't want to know whether the main character dies at the end of Steelheart or something). But also, B) If you read this review first, well, that would just be like eating dessert before dinner: You'll never want to go back and read that earlier review if you read this one fir -- wait, no... umm... It's like dessert before dinner because this book, like dessert, is just better than the first course -- wait, no... "better"? Maybe... but also just "different"... But it's necessary to eat dinner first, you know? And then, obviously, dessert is also required. Um...
Oh gosh, someone please shut me up, I'm channeling David and I don't know how to make it stop.
(Don't know who David is? *coughclickthiscough*)
OKAY, now we've got that out of the way, I guess maybe you want to know how I liked this book.
Well, I liked it. I liked it a lot. If you're smart, and you've already read Steelheart , CONGRATULATIONS: Here's an easy test for you to see if you should read this sequel: Did you like Steelheart at all ? No, seriously, like, at all. A little, OMG SO MUCH, whatever? ...Yes, you did? Well, then, there's no question: You need Firefight in your life. Immediately. Really, that's all you need to know. But read on if you want more information. ;)
The Reckoners series reminds me of what I imagine a superhero comic book would be like (confession: I have never read a comic book... or a graphic novel... please don't kill me...). But seriously. It's super fun, vibrant and cinematic, absolutely action-packed, a bit lighthearted, but also full of heart... It makes me think of movies like "The Avengers," except the superheroes are all bad guys and the little humans get to be the heroes. I mean, sometimes in movies like that, the heroes are a little over-the-top idealistic, but we forgive them, don't we? Because we want to root for them, we want them to vanquish their foes, we want them to save the world amidst these epic circumstances... Yeah, Firefight is like that.
Carrying straight over from the end of Steelheart (or rather, the end of Mitosis ... seriously, you should read Mitosis , it's a great gap-bridger), Firefight deals with the aftermath of Steelheart 's epic conclusion. Instead of making David's and the other Reckoners' lives simpler, their actions at the end of Steelheart just made things even more complicated, and they end up having to go to Manhattan (now "Babylon Restored") for answers. I was super excited to see a new location after being confined to Newcago in book 1, and Babylon Restored does not disappoint. But wow, getting to see outside of Newcago... well, the outlook is bleak. This series isn't post-apocalyptic, it's post-Epic -- and it's pretty terrifying out there. These cities ruled by Epics are really the only bastions of civilization left, which is... yikes. I really don't want to say too much about Babylon Restored because I don't want to give away any surprises, but I will say that, while terrifying, it's also seriously beautiful and I would really like to go there. For like, a couple hours. With a safe getaway planned.
In addition to a new setting, we also get to meet some awesome new secondary characters. A few of the "regulars" from Steelheart don't really play much of a role in Firefight , which was a bit disappointing for me, but that's ok! These new characters are pretty great, as well. I sort of wish I'd felt like I got to know them a little bit better than I did, but by the end I was definitely a fan of all of them -- especially a girl who kind of reminds me of Leo Valdez from Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series... (Yeah, I went there.) I really can't wait to see my old favorites and some of these new characters team up in Calamity . (I mean, that is what's gonna happen right? RIGHT?!?!)
One character who didn't disappoint at all, however, was David. I mean, he's David. (I love David.) David's growth from his drive to revenge in Steelheart , to finding a new purpose in Firefight , was just so well done over the course of these two books. He's a character who is willing to admit when his outlook is wrong, to reevaluate his goals, and to always fight for what he believes in. Also, his faith in people is just... okay, yes, it's rather idealistic and often comes across as unfounded or flat-out stupid -- he throws his whole heart behind people, all of his will and faith and belief that they can pull through, that everything will turn out okay -- but I love that about him. Plus, of course, his metaphors. They make me giggle, what can I say?
As for the plot... well... spoilers, ugh!! But I will say that this book does not drag. It's just as action-packed as Steelheart -- if not more. Questions that were left unanswered in Steelheart are dealt with a lot in this book, as well, like, Can Epics really fight against their natures? *GASP* Yes, that question is fully explored in Firefight, and it is intense. I just... yeah. I have a lot of feels about this.
And then the ending... I mean, if you've read Steelheart, or any book by Brandon Sanderson, you know his endings are insane. Firefight is no exception. There are so many revelations and mind-blowing occurrences, and it will leave you dying for book 3. Sorry, there's just no way around it. But it is so worth it.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the "mind-blowing ending" is really just the last quarter of the book. I can prove this scientifically, because the capslock in my Goodreads updates gets a bit out of hand...
In conclusion...
If you've read Steelheart and liked anything about it, you definitely need Firefight in your life as well. If you haven't read Steelheart ... fix that immediately, because these two books are worth reading just for the explosive ending of Firefight alone (not to mention the explosive ending of Steelheart , duh). This series is super action-packed, super intense, but most of all, it's just super fun.
IT'S JUST SUPER, OKAY. Read it.
--
There were books involved...
April 26, 2016
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/25/a...
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I admit I usually go into his books with higher than average expectations. Still, I rarely find myself disappointed. There’s just something about his style of writing and storytelling that really appeals to me, and the truth is, the man is a font of utterly amazing and creative ideas.
In 2013 Sanderson brought us Steelheart, the first book in The Reckoners series about superheroes gone bad, and I loved every moment of it. So you can imagine my excitement when I received the Firefight audiobook for review! This book is the highly anticipated sequel, and I couldn’t wait to get back to David Charleston and his fellow freedom fighters, joining them on their continuing mission to neutralize Epics and end their oppression. After destroying Steelheart and freeing the city of Newcago from his reign of terror, the Reckoners are headed to Babylon Restored, formerly New York City, to seek out more High Epics to defeat.
Their latest target is Regalia, a High Epic with water-based abilities who rules Babylar (Babylon Restored, or Babyl-R, hence Babylar). Sanderson once again proves he is the master of world-building the instant we enter the city by way of a boat, because most of what used to be Manhattan is submerged. If I had any reservations at all about the story and characters leaving Newcago for another setting, they were dashed as soon as I encountered Babylar’s watery landscape – er, seascape. Regalia has crafted hills and valleys out of the surrounding ocean using her Epic abilities, and what’s more, there’s a mysterious power in Babylar causing strange things to happen, like graffiti to glow and luminescent fruit to grow in abundance in what’s left of the skyscrapers visible above water. The result is this mind-boggling tableau of a post-apocalyptic city with an otherworldly, almost magical quality to its appearance.
In departing Newcago for Babylar, we’re also leaving a couple of characters behind, namely Cody and Abraham. However, the story makes up for that by introducing us to several new faces as Prof, Tia and David team up with the members of the Reckoners cell in Babylar. Val, Exel and Mizzy are all fascinating additions to the book, but I have a feeling it is the latter who will steal the hearts of many readers, due to her perkiness and loveable personality. Indeed, Mizzy was one of my favorites.
Obviously, a big part of this book also involves David’s conflicted feelings about Megan AKA Firefight, the girl who infiltrated the Reckoners and stole their secrets along with David’s heart. What I really thought was great is that David’s soft spot for Megan is more than just a typical vapid “forbidden love” side plot; besides causing friction with Prof and his new Babylar teammates, David’s relationship with Firefight also serves as the catalyst for huge things to come at the end of the novel.
When it comes to our main man, David is his entertaining, goofy yet charming self. I know some readers have expressed annoyance at these books so far because of the horrible metaphors David makes or the absurdity of some of the Epics’ weaknesses, claiming that these factors weaken the series by making it seem ridiculous. It’s a fair point, though on some level I think you have to see them as the running gags they’re meant to be. David’s attempts at metaphors may be cringe-worthy and pathetic, but they add some much needed humor to this otherwise very bleak world where Epics who by all rights should be humanity’s heroes turn out instead to be our worst nightmare.
This is probably also a good time to mention how much I enjoyed Firefight in audio format. Initially, I had qualms about tackling the audiobook – after all, a bad narrator can ruin the whole experience. This was absolutely not the case here, however. I believe I actually have narrator-extraordinaire MacLeod Andrews to thank for feeling a lot more connected to David’s character in this sequel than I did in Steelheart.
I’ve heard of Andrews before this; he has narrated a number of books and I’ve listened to a few of his performances. Still, I don’t remember being as blown away as I was with his work here. You can tell with some audiobooks when the narrator is really enjoying themselves, as they add their own inflections and other nuances as they’re reading, becoming the character. This is definitely one of those situations. For me, Andrews became David. Reading the character’s silly jokes on paper might fall flat for some readers, but the lines come to life when delivered by MacLeod Andrews. David is no doubt meant to be a little awkward, and somehow Andrews is able to convey that while still managing to sound very natural and real at the same time.
All told, I would say Firefight is another winner from Brandon Sanderson. New setting also means new heroes and new villains, and I’m glad things like that are keeping the series fresh. Arguably, there are even more twists and turns here than in Steelheart, with Regalia and her Epic minions like the wily Newton and utterly psychotic Obliteration mercilessly playing cat-and-mouse with the Reckoners. I loved the unpredictability of the plot, since it’s so rare that a Young Adult novel can capture my attention and keep me in suspense from beginning to end. The YA categorization is debatable though, as these books can most certainly be enjoyed by a much wider audience. I for one would recommend this to young adult and adult readers alike. Seriously worth your time.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I admit I usually go into his books with higher than average expectations. Still, I rarely find myself disappointed. There’s just something about his style of writing and storytelling that really appeals to me, and the truth is, the man is a font of utterly amazing and creative ideas.
In 2013 Sanderson brought us Steelheart, the first book in The Reckoners series about superheroes gone bad, and I loved every moment of it. So you can imagine my excitement when I received the Firefight audiobook for review! This book is the highly anticipated sequel, and I couldn’t wait to get back to David Charleston and his fellow freedom fighters, joining them on their continuing mission to neutralize Epics and end their oppression. After destroying Steelheart and freeing the city of Newcago from his reign of terror, the Reckoners are headed to Babylon Restored, formerly New York City, to seek out more High Epics to defeat.
Their latest target is Regalia, a High Epic with water-based abilities who rules Babylar (Babylon Restored, or Babyl-R, hence Babylar). Sanderson once again proves he is the master of world-building the instant we enter the city by way of a boat, because most of what used to be Manhattan is submerged. If I had any reservations at all about the story and characters leaving Newcago for another setting, they were dashed as soon as I encountered Babylar’s watery landscape – er, seascape. Regalia has crafted hills and valleys out of the surrounding ocean using her Epic abilities, and what’s more, there’s a mysterious power in Babylar causing strange things to happen, like graffiti to glow and luminescent fruit to grow in abundance in what’s left of the skyscrapers visible above water. The result is this mind-boggling tableau of a post-apocalyptic city with an otherworldly, almost magical quality to its appearance.
In departing Newcago for Babylar, we’re also leaving a couple of characters behind, namely Cody and Abraham. However, the story makes up for that by introducing us to several new faces as Prof, Tia and David team up with the members of the Reckoners cell in Babylar. Val, Exel and Mizzy are all fascinating additions to the book, but I have a feeling it is the latter who will steal the hearts of many readers, due to her perkiness and loveable personality. Indeed, Mizzy was one of my favorites.
Obviously, a big part of this book also involves David’s conflicted feelings about Megan AKA Firefight, the girl who infiltrated the Reckoners and stole their secrets along with David’s heart. What I really thought was great is that David’s soft spot for Megan is more than just a typical vapid “forbidden love” side plot; besides causing friction with Prof and his new Babylar teammates, David’s relationship with Firefight also serves as the catalyst for huge things to come at the end of the novel.
When it comes to our main man, David is his entertaining, goofy yet charming self. I know some readers have expressed annoyance at these books so far because of the horrible metaphors David makes or the absurdity of some of the Epics’ weaknesses, claiming that these factors weaken the series by making it seem ridiculous. It’s a fair point, though on some level I think you have to see them as the running gags they’re meant to be. David’s attempts at metaphors may be cringe-worthy and pathetic, but they add some much needed humor to this otherwise very bleak world where Epics who by all rights should be humanity’s heroes turn out instead to be our worst nightmare.
This is probably also a good time to mention how much I enjoyed Firefight in audio format. Initially, I had qualms about tackling the audiobook – after all, a bad narrator can ruin the whole experience. This was absolutely not the case here, however. I believe I actually have narrator-extraordinaire MacLeod Andrews to thank for feeling a lot more connected to David’s character in this sequel than I did in Steelheart.
I’ve heard of Andrews before this; he has narrated a number of books and I’ve listened to a few of his performances. Still, I don’t remember being as blown away as I was with his work here. You can tell with some audiobooks when the narrator is really enjoying themselves, as they add their own inflections and other nuances as they’re reading, becoming the character. This is definitely one of those situations. For me, Andrews became David. Reading the character’s silly jokes on paper might fall flat for some readers, but the lines come to life when delivered by MacLeod Andrews. David is no doubt meant to be a little awkward, and somehow Andrews is able to convey that while still managing to sound very natural and real at the same time.
All told, I would say Firefight is another winner from Brandon Sanderson. New setting also means new heroes and new villains, and I’m glad things like that are keeping the series fresh. Arguably, there are even more twists and turns here than in Steelheart, with Regalia and her Epic minions like the wily Newton and utterly psychotic Obliteration mercilessly playing cat-and-mouse with the Reckoners. I loved the unpredictability of the plot, since it’s so rare that a Young Adult novel can capture my attention and keep me in suspense from beginning to end. The YA categorization is debatable though, as these books can most certainly be enjoyed by a much wider audience. I for one would recommend this to young adult and adult readers alike. Seriously worth your time.
February 16, 2016
*** 4.40 ***
A buddy read with the superheroes from BB&B!
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most imaginative and entertaining contemporary fantasy authors. And this is not a compliment. It is just a fact and I think it should be universally accepted and we should just move on...
Young Adult, evil Superheroes, post-apocalyptic like event, puny humans fighting for their right to exist... Not truly my cup of tea, but boy does Sanderson make it a fun ride!!! Throughout the whole book I know things were not going to be what they seemed, but none of my guesses penned out and I am happy for it. He never stops to engage and surprise us, and I have nothing but respect for the deceptive ease he does it with. I have to once again stress that I DO NOT belong to a Sanderson cult and will never give up said cult's secret handshake, no matter under what torture! There are also blood tests and DNA splicing, but as I said, I am not a member...
David, with some new and even more ridiculous metaphors, and the gang are back, with a very grumpy Prof at the helm of the operation, and they are headed to New Babylon, or as we know it New York... Couple of new characters are introduced from the Reckoners cell there and I actually really liked Mizz:-) The world building in that city is sooo cool, and the reason behind it, unexpected:) We get to deal with the evil Epics in charge of that region and lets face it, it is Sanderson, so the book gets to take us on an unforgettable ride!
I never give spoilers in my reviews, so I will recommend this book and series to all ages and genders alike! You can not go wrong with this fun, imagination driven, and action enhanced series, which you will have to read in order. No excessive are gratuitous violence and no sexy times, so kids will enjoy it as much as the adults, but maybe for different reasons:)
I wish you all a wonderful time discovering the wonders of Brandon Sanderson's imagination! Happy reading!
A buddy read with the superheroes from BB&B!
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most imaginative and entertaining contemporary fantasy authors. And this is not a compliment. It is just a fact and I think it should be universally accepted and we should just move on...
Young Adult, evil Superheroes, post-apocalyptic like event, puny humans fighting for their right to exist... Not truly my cup of tea, but boy does Sanderson make it a fun ride!!! Throughout the whole book I know things were not going to be what they seemed, but none of my guesses penned out and I am happy for it. He never stops to engage and surprise us, and I have nothing but respect for the deceptive ease he does it with. I have to once again stress that I DO NOT belong to a Sanderson cult and will never give up said cult's secret handshake, no matter under what torture! There are also blood tests and DNA splicing, but as I said, I am not a member...
David, with some new and even more ridiculous metaphors, and the gang are back, with a very grumpy Prof at the helm of the operation, and they are headed to New Babylon, or as we know it New York... Couple of new characters are introduced from the Reckoners cell there and I actually really liked Mizz:-) The world building in that city is sooo cool, and the reason behind it, unexpected:) We get to deal with the evil Epics in charge of that region and lets face it, it is Sanderson, so the book gets to take us on an unforgettable ride!
I never give spoilers in my reviews, so I will recommend this book and series to all ages and genders alike! You can not go wrong with this fun, imagination driven, and action enhanced series, which you will have to read in order. No excessive are gratuitous violence and no sexy times, so kids will enjoy it as much as the adults, but maybe for different reasons:)
I wish you all a wonderful time discovering the wonders of Brandon Sanderson's imagination! Happy reading!
August 5, 2017
I love this series. I love Sanderson. I love David and his stupid crappy metaphors. I love that I had no idea where this book was headed either.
I'll be picking up Calamity very soon!
Not a whole lot to say apart from the fact that if you like any of his other works, you should pick this up.
I'll be picking up Calamity very soon!
Not a whole lot to say apart from the fact that if you like any of his other works, you should pick this up.
July 4, 2016
If you didn't know by now, I herewith officially inform you that I suffer from both acute and chronicle Sandersonsitis. It is highly contagious and cannot be cured.
The symptoms, among others, are:
► When someone asks you "How are you" you respond: "I feel like a brick made of porridge, thanks, and you?"
► You address light eyed people as "Your brightness"
► When someone you know behaves slightly differently you wonder when they were replaced by a Kandra
► You think of flying objects as Allomants
► You daydream about world hopping
The list goes on, but you get the idea.
If you suffer from any of those symptoms, please immediately take your medicine: Read more Sanderson books.
Side effects may involve lessened awareness of your surroundings for prolonged periods of time, sleepless nights, an excessive amount of questions on your head, and occasionally a blown mind.
Wait, what!?... This was supposed to be about Firefight.
I absolutely loved Firefight.
I loved the world in the second part of the Reckoner series - a totally flooded city full of spraypaint and strange glowing fruits where people live on rooftops, are happy and don't question.
David, the protagonist, has really grown on me.
He has a terrible fashion sense, still sucks at metaphors, and he never sticks to the plan.
His total unpredictability made a lot of the charm of this series for me.
Mizzy has become one of my favorite Reckoners , and Dawnslight gave me a totally different picture about Epics in general.
A lot of secrets evolving around Epics were revealed in this part, and Prof has become an even more interesting character than before because .
I even started to like Megan a bit.
All in all, Firefight was an action packed fast paced book that made me feel a variety of emotions - happiness, laughter, sadness, anger, surprise - and it made me think.
It made me think because of its talk about alternate realities - I really loved those parts, they were totally fascinating to me and made me ask myself a lot of what, if questions.
Recommended to YOU - read this book urgently
The symptoms, among others, are:
► When someone asks you "How are you" you respond: "I feel like a brick made of porridge, thanks, and you?"
► You address light eyed people as "Your brightness"
► When someone you know behaves slightly differently you wonder when they were replaced by a Kandra
► You think of flying objects as Allomants
► You daydream about world hopping
The list goes on, but you get the idea.
If you suffer from any of those symptoms, please immediately take your medicine: Read more Sanderson books.
Side effects may involve lessened awareness of your surroundings for prolonged periods of time, sleepless nights, an excessive amount of questions on your head, and occasionally a blown mind.
Wait, what!?... This was supposed to be about Firefight.
I absolutely loved Firefight.
I loved the world in the second part of the Reckoner series - a totally flooded city full of spraypaint and strange glowing fruits where people live on rooftops, are happy and don't question.
David, the protagonist, has really grown on me.
He has a terrible fashion sense, still sucks at metaphors, and he never sticks to the plan.
His total unpredictability made a lot of the charm of this series for me.
Mizzy has become one of my favorite Reckoners , and Dawnslight gave me a totally different picture about Epics in general.
A lot of secrets evolving around Epics were revealed in this part, and Prof has become an even more interesting character than before because .
I even started to like Megan a bit.
All in all, Firefight was an action packed fast paced book that made me feel a variety of emotions - happiness, laughter, sadness, anger, surprise - and it made me think.
It made me think because of its talk about alternate realities - I really loved those parts, they were totally fascinating to me and made me ask myself a lot of what, if questions.
Recommended to YOU - read this book urgently
December 12, 2019
Firefight es más oscuro que su predecesor, y más dinámico y rápido. Es una excelente continuación. Y con oscuro me refiero a que es cruel, ya no hay consuelo en este mundo azotado por la inopinada irrupción de Calamity.
January 10, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
5 Stars!
Sparks! This book is amazing! I could go on and on about how much I loved this book (and probably will in this review). I am fairly new to Brandon Sanderson, having just read the first book in this series, Steelheart, not quite a month ago. My friends on Goodreads have talked about having an ailment called Sandersonitis and I am afraid that I may have caught the bug because I cannot get enough of this stuff.
I love the idea of this series. I grew up on superheroes. For a short time, I think I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I grew up (I kind of still do to be honest). The television shows that I watched revolved around superheroes: Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, not to mention cartoons every Saturday morning. I had a Wonder Woman barbie and often paraded around the house in my Wonder Woman Underoos. When my cousins were around, we often stopped all kinds of trouble in our superhero underwear gang. As you may imagine, I was instantly drawn to this series. Epics with superhero powers but with a twist because these are not the save the day kind of superhero at all. These guys can ruin your best day and do so without a lot of thought and nobody brave enough to stop them except the Reckoners.
David is a member of the Reckoners. A group that works to destroy dangerous Epics. This book starts with a bang. I don't think that this prolog was quite as good as the one in Steelheart but it was excellent. Each Epic has a highly guarded weakness which is the key to their assassination. David has spent his life learning about these Epics and is very good at finding their weaknesses. After the exciting start to the book, David leaves Newcago with Prof and Tia to help a group of Reckoners in Babylon Restored (the former New York City). I do have to admit that I was a little sad to see the story leave Cody and Abraham behind but I soon learned that the new characters were just as much fun.
The new group consists of Exel, Val, and Mizzy. Mizzy was the most likeable out of that group for me. Mizzy was the center of one of the best funniest moments in this book. If I were in charge of the Reckoners, Mizzy would take notes at every meeting. David continues to amuse me with his horrible metaphors. David can be absolutely adorable at time. The Epics that the group are facing in Babylon Restored are frightening and everyone seems to want to take down David, or the Steelslayer as many are calling him. I am amazed at how unique and interesting every Epic introduced in this series has been. In this book, we meet Newton, Regina, Obliteration, and Dawnslight plus a few more. The city itself was completely different than Newcago. Newcago is a city made of steel where the citizens lived in fear while Babylon Restored is a city of water, glowing lights, and plentiful fruit where the citizens have adopted a carefree attitude.
I thought the writing in this book was superb. The book had tons of action and suspense and I found it really hard to put down. The prolog immediately pulls me into the story and the ending was non-stop excitement. Brandon Sanderson found just the right balance of humor and action in this story. I would highly recommend this book to others. I would highly suggest that this series be read in order. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!
5 Stars!
Sparks! This book is amazing! I could go on and on about how much I loved this book (and probably will in this review). I am fairly new to Brandon Sanderson, having just read the first book in this series, Steelheart, not quite a month ago. My friends on Goodreads have talked about having an ailment called Sandersonitis and I am afraid that I may have caught the bug because I cannot get enough of this stuff.
I love the idea of this series. I grew up on superheroes. For a short time, I think I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I grew up (I kind of still do to be honest). The television shows that I watched revolved around superheroes: Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, not to mention cartoons every Saturday morning. I had a Wonder Woman barbie and often paraded around the house in my Wonder Woman Underoos. When my cousins were around, we often stopped all kinds of trouble in our superhero underwear gang. As you may imagine, I was instantly drawn to this series. Epics with superhero powers but with a twist because these are not the save the day kind of superhero at all. These guys can ruin your best day and do so without a lot of thought and nobody brave enough to stop them except the Reckoners.
David is a member of the Reckoners. A group that works to destroy dangerous Epics. This book starts with a bang. I don't think that this prolog was quite as good as the one in Steelheart but it was excellent. Each Epic has a highly guarded weakness which is the key to their assassination. David has spent his life learning about these Epics and is very good at finding their weaknesses. After the exciting start to the book, David leaves Newcago with Prof and Tia to help a group of Reckoners in Babylon Restored (the former New York City). I do have to admit that I was a little sad to see the story leave Cody and Abraham behind but I soon learned that the new characters were just as much fun.
The new group consists of Exel, Val, and Mizzy. Mizzy was the most likeable out of that group for me. Mizzy was the center of one of the best funniest moments in this book. If I were in charge of the Reckoners, Mizzy would take notes at every meeting. David continues to amuse me with his horrible metaphors. David can be absolutely adorable at time. The Epics that the group are facing in Babylon Restored are frightening and everyone seems to want to take down David, or the Steelslayer as many are calling him. I am amazed at how unique and interesting every Epic introduced in this series has been. In this book, we meet Newton, Regina, Obliteration, and Dawnslight plus a few more. The city itself was completely different than Newcago. Newcago is a city made of steel where the citizens lived in fear while Babylon Restored is a city of water, glowing lights, and plentiful fruit where the citizens have adopted a carefree attitude.
I thought the writing in this book was superb. The book had tons of action and suspense and I found it really hard to put down. The prolog immediately pulls me into the story and the ending was non-stop excitement. Brandon Sanderson found just the right balance of humor and action in this story. I would highly recommend this book to others. I would highly suggest that this series be read in order. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!
January 26, 2015
Buddy read with
Desinka
and
Gavin
4 STARS
So Firefight! Indeed, the star in this book is Firefight, besides David himself:
“And a figure of pure white light exploded into existence ... . It blazed like the sun itself, a feminine figure, radiant, powerful, golden hair blown back and shining like a corona.”
I enjoyed the book a lot. And probably I would have rated it higher if it had the luck to not be my first read after Golden Son. Alas, it had no such luck!
The start of the book is a bit slow and some of the things felt forced but nevertheless it’s a very good sequel to Steelheart.
There is a refreshing change of setting from Newcago to Babylon Restored(old Manhattan). Really?! I want to know how Sanderson came up with this name. :) The author is grand at world building and I always enjoy super settings, especially well written ones.
We meet and laugh with interesting new characters, members of the Reckoners team. We learn new technology and fight new dangerous Epics along with David. The book picks up its momentum after the 50% mark and the last third is full of action and suspense following David from one crisis to the next. My favorite parts of the book are the moments where David and Megan are together. And the Calamity scene! I won't tell much because spoilers ... .
I'm looking forward to more exciting revelations in Calamity and a good conclusion to the trilogy!
4 STARS
So Firefight! Indeed, the star in this book is Firefight, besides David himself:
“And a figure of pure white light exploded into existence ... . It blazed like the sun itself, a feminine figure, radiant, powerful, golden hair blown back and shining like a corona.”
I enjoyed the book a lot. And probably I would have rated it higher if it had the luck to not be my first read after Golden Son. Alas, it had no such luck!
The start of the book is a bit slow and some of the things felt forced but nevertheless it’s a very good sequel to Steelheart.
There is a refreshing change of setting from Newcago to Babylon Restored(old Manhattan). Really?! I want to know how Sanderson came up with this name. :) The author is grand at world building and I always enjoy super settings, especially well written ones.
We meet and laugh with interesting new characters, members of the Reckoners team. We learn new technology and fight new dangerous Epics along with David. The book picks up its momentum after the 50% mark and the last third is full of action and suspense following David from one crisis to the next. My favorite parts of the book are the moments where David and Megan are together. And the Calamity scene! I won't tell much because spoilers ... .
I'm looking forward to more exciting revelations in Calamity and a good conclusion to the trilogy!
March 16, 2016
Actual rating 4.5 stars
I loved this. This series is so fun and heartfelt. I really enjoyed this second installment - I thought it was a tad stronger than the first and I can't wait to read Calamity!
I loved this. This series is so fun and heartfelt. I really enjoyed this second installment - I thought it was a tad stronger than the first and I can't wait to read Calamity!
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