Tag: Dystopian (Page 17 of 31)

Firefight (Reckoners #2)
by Brandon Sanderson
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Synopsis:

From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.

They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. 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.

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.

Oh sparks, that was good. Like….exceeding my expectations good. Second books in a series sometimes fall flat-no, scratch that-they almost always fall flat. It’s hard to make that huge connection between the first book we all fell in love with and then make it flow seamlessly to the big bang of a conclusion in book three. Or…well, er, I can’t confirm if this is a trilogy. A little help, guys? Anyway, my point, which I was getting to, is that it’s hard to make every little book live up to our massive expectations, especially a second book. I must say, though, that I am in love with this series, and getting a second look into the inner workings of David’s mind only made me love him more, and I can’t see how anyone didn’t fall for his quirkiness in this one.

She gave me a kind of apologetic grimace and shrugged.
“Well, trust me,” I said. “I’m more intense than I look. I’m intense like a lion is orange.”
“So, like…medium intense? Since a lion is kind of a tannish color?”

As with all second books, there are things for me to spoil from book one, so if you haven’t read the first and plan on doing so, proceed with caution. The Reckoners have taken out the high epic, Steelheart, and David’s thirst for revenge has been satisfied. But after achieving your greatest goal….then what?? Are you empty? Hollow? Do you have a direction to go now that you’ve invested your whole life into one thing that has finally been achieved?

The answer was beginning to settle on me like a dinosaur upon its nest. My life wasn’t just about one city, or one Epic, anymore. It was about a war. It was about finding a way to stop the Epics.
Permanently.

And see, this is why I am in love with David. He is literally just soooo…..optimistic. He may have avenged his father’s death, but he isn’t bloodthirsty for more. He doesn’t NEED to continue ridding the world of evil epics…he just does it now because he is part of the Reckoners and, of course, it helps to make the world a better place. But he is starting to doubt his whole life’s passion-what if, and this is a HUGE if, what if not all epics are bad? What if his father’s belief is finally coming to life? What if there are finally some good epics who can help stop those who are corrupt?

In the bank nearly eleven years ago, I’d cowered in fear when my father fought. He’d died.
Better to drown. I gathered up all of the emotions I felt at looking into the depths-the terror, the foreboding, the primal panic-and held them in hand. Then crushed them.

At the end of book one, the huge twist was that Megan was Firefight. Crazy. Amazing. SO unexpected. And so….not what he has been taught and learned through years of research. She had infiltrated the Reckoners, the very people designed to kill PEOPLE LIKE HER, and she hadn’t made a move on them. See, when she doesn’t use her powers, she doesn’t feel that itch to kill, to make people around her suffer, and it makes her seem like she could almost be normal-and I feel like this was such a large theme in this book-fighting to be the best you can be.

I knelt in the inferno of hell itself, the world dying around me, and knew I had failed.

Prof, as we learned at the end of book one, as well, is also an epic. He RARELY uses his powers because it takes him to a dark place and he becomes the evil he seeks to rid the world of. So, when David pleads that Megan, who has fled, is changing and not using her powers, Prof isn’t having it. After all, he’s an epic so only he knows what it’s like to have the darkness creep in and consume your soul. See the problem? One is hopeful, optimistic, believing there are still good epics in the world, while one ACTUALLY IS AN EPIC and thinks he knows the inevitability of being cursed by Calamity.

I settled down, sitting on the bed beside her. The tension in her voice, that look in her eyes. “Is it working?” I asked. “Do you feel like murdering people indiscriminately?”
“I always feel like murdering you. If only just a little.”

But by far my favorite thing about this series is, and I think Kat is FINALLY ON BOARD (toot toot), the relationSHIP between Megan and David. I was a mess. I was excited. I was girly and giggly and smiley as all get out…all because I adore them. I love seeing how David would defend her NO MATTER WHAT, even when the most horrific things are being said, even when everyone would turn on him in a second because of it, and even when he doubts her motives. GOD I fell so hard for him in this book. As if I needed another reason to love a series like this: Peril, action, friendship, missions, peril, love….Jesus I’m about to combust over here. But, through it all, here it is in a nutshell and why I FELL EVEN HARDER for them, Megan is completely and utterly into David. Oh yeah. It’s happened. She is officially a David fanboy, just like me-no matter how much she fights it.

She cocked her head. “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.”

So, to save you all more David-ness, I’ll say one last thing to wrap up my swirling emotions of fangirling-He’s like that person that is always smiling. The one you want to punch because literally nothing gets them down (okay, maybe I’M a bit evil). His happiness is infectious and his metaphors are adorable-he is always trying to do something more, and I think that’s why I love him-he literally NEVER gives up. That is all.

“We need to talk,” she said. “And you were ignoring me.”
“I wasn’t ignoring you. Things have just been very busy.”
“Busy looking at women’s backsides.”
“I wasn’t…Wait.” It hit me and I smiled. “You sound jealous!”
“Don’t be a buffoon.”
“No,” I said. “You were jealous.” I found I couldn’t stop grinning.
Megan seemed confused. “Normally, that’s not something people smile about.”
“It means you care,” I said.
“Oh please.”
Time to say something suave. Something romantic. My brain, which had been working a few steps behind all day, finally came to my rescue. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’d rather ogle you any day.”
Wait.

I can’t say I love Brandon Sanderson yet, because I feel like a newbie who has only just begun to stick her toes in the water of experimentation, but I feel like he and I are about to become the best of friends. I ADORE this series. I ADORE the characters. I ADORE the situations he puts them through….I think I just wanted a little more. I wanted him to push the envelope on a couple things and he pulled back at the last second and that’s why I deducted half a star. The action was almost as perfect as the first, but didn’t quite get there, for me. So, while the romance was PERFECT in this one, I wanted him to rock out on the action…and it just was missing a little something. I cannot believe I have to wait until 2016…SPRING 2016…it might kill me. But maybe I’ll start filling my time with a little more Sanderson. Sounds like a plan to me.

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Buddy read with Kat!!!