Book 132: "Firefight" by Brandon Sanderson

 

Title: Firefight (Reckoners Series #2)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre:  Young Adult Alternate reality/Sci-fi/Fantasy (it really is hard to classify)

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Read In: Nook ePub

 

I'm really unable to quantify why I enjoy this series so much. It's rather predictable. The characters are very well developed, but there is nothing new about them. The concept, however, is rather unique. Despite all of that, I really enjoy the series. The books are well-written and though each individual book is rather predictable, I never am quite sure what to expect from the next book, making me anxious to read the next installment (which is, unfortunately, not until April 2016).

 

This is the second of Sanderson's series that I have read/am reading. I have really enjoyed them both. While he has several series going (explaining the long wait in-between books), Sanderson obviously values his work as they are well developed story-lines, characters, and worlds. I also wonder if he has some sort of science interest as the workings of science frequently shine out in his works (at least those I've read). If you note the genre confusion, I'm simply not sure what to classify them as; it may be entirely on it's own. While the book does take place in a post-apocolyptic version of our world, it is certainly not a dystopia. Some people are obtaining super-hero type powers from a light that appeared in the sky, but it isn't purely fantasy. There are a lot of scientific aspects of the story, mixed with the star and futuristic technology being developed, but it is not a pure sci-fi. I'm not sure what the genre is, but I like it.

 

I can't really say much more about this book without giving spoilers. The first book is Steelheart, and while these are not challenging reads, they are certainly good. I recommend them.