Release Day Blitz: The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson

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The Dark Talent
Alcatraz #5
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Released: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Starscape

Alcatraz Smedry has successfully defeated the army of Evil Librarians and saved the kingdom of Mokia. Too bad he managed to break the Smedry Talents in the process. Even worse, his father is trying to enact a scheme that could ruin the world, and his friend, Bastille, is in a coma. To revive her, Alcatraz must infiltrate the Highbrary–known as The Library of Congress to Hushlanders–the seat of Evil Librarian power. Without his Talent to draw upon, can Alcatraz figure out a way to save Bastille and defeat the Evil Librarians once and for all?

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BRANDON SANDERSON is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Rithmatist and Steelheart, both of which were selected for the American Library Association’s Teens’ Top Ten list. He’s also written many popular and award-winning books for adults. His middle grade series, Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians, is now available in deluxe editions.

Giveaway Blitz: Firefight & Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson | Epic Reads Prize Pack

Brandon Sanderson’s Steelheart and Firefight are an epic reading experience!

•  “Sanderson has written a riveting dystopian adventure novel . . . Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance; it’s a formula that sucks readers into the prologue, slings them through on tension-filled encounter after the other, and then . . . leaves them panting for the sequel.” —Booklist, starred
• "Sanderson's whiz-bang imaginings, and a fully realized sense of danger (the brutal opening scene alone will hook many) make this an absolute page-turner." —Publishers Weekly
• "Perfect for genre fans who love exciting adventure stories with surprising plot twists. Readers will be rooting for David." —School Library Journal
• “Unfortunately for my ego, Steelheart is another win for Sanderson, proving that he’s not a brilliant writer of epic fantasy, he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times bestseller The Name of the Wind
• “Fantastic! The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive, with a resolution that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.” —James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series
• "A tense, fast-paced adventure. Brandon Sanderson is one of the best fantasy sci-fi writers working today.” —Christopher Paolini, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller Eragon

ABOUT FIREFIGHT
Brandon Sanderson is back with a vengeance in FIREFIGHT, the follow up to the #1 New York Times bestselling Steelheart. In the book that Kirkus Reviews is calling a “rare middle volume that keeps the throttle open,” Sanderson takes readers on another a thrill ride and “presents a Marvel Comics-style mix of violently destructive battles, fabulous feats and ongoing inner wrestling over morality and identity.”

David Charleston still can’t believe it. Steelheart is dead, and he died by David’s own hand. Even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic, but the invincible has fallen and now Newcago is free. Despite attaining revenge for the murder of his father and living his dream as a team member of the most elite Reckoners cell, David finds he has more questions than ever before, and he won’t find the answers in his home city.

Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as Manhattan, could hold the key. Ruled by the mysterious and ambivalent High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is a place flooded with water and painted in neon, where the inhabitants spend most of their days lounging and nights partying. David can’t seem to understand the complacency of the city and its residents, but what he does understand is that being positioned here, risky as it may be, could lead him to the answers he so desperately seeks. Because there is an emptiness in him, one left behind after killing Steelheart, that was filled unexpectedly by Firefight, who is just plain Megan to him. And David will stop at nothing to find a way to understand Epics and bring her back to him. Hopefully for good this time.

The second book in the Reckoners series and follow up to the highly acclaimed Steelheart, which Publishers Weeklycalled “an absolute page-turner,” FIREFIGHT is filled with spine-tingling adventure and heart-racing action that promises to satisfy fans both new and old.

Read an excerpt from FIREFIGHT

#Steelheart | #Firefight | #ForgetNothing

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BRANDON SANDERSON is the author of the internationally bestselling Mistborn trilogy. In 2007, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series following the author’s death. The concluding book in that series, A Memory of Light, was released on January 8, 2013, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction List., just as his two previous Wheel of Time books had done. His work has been published in over 25 languages and his books have sold millions of copies worldwide. He lives and writes in Utah. Visit him at BrandonSanderson.com or connect with him on Twitter @BrandSanderson.

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EPIC READS prize pack.
Enter for your chance to win copies of Brandon Sanderson’s Steelheart and Firefight for an epic reading experience. Prizing & samples courtesy of Random House. Giveaway open to US addresses only.

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Book Review: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

Firefight
Reckoners #2
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Science Fiction | Fantasy | Dystopian
Released: January 6th 2015
Review Source: Random House

A #1 New York Times Bestseller Brandon Sanderson, 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, presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.
Newcago is free.
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 simpler. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And no one in Newcago can give him answers.
Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as the borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is flooded and miserable, but David is sure it's the path that will lead him to what he needs to find. Entering a city oppressed by a High Epic despot is risky, but David's willing to take the gamble. 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 now he will go on a quest darker and even more dangerous than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

This story progressed so nicely from the first book in this series. Absolutely great character growth, consistency, and new characters introduced. I liked his one a lot more than Steelheart.

David has grown so much as a character in this book. He’s become more confident in his abilities not only as a Reckoner, but as a person. I am starting to really love him. He has this adorable personality that I just cannot get enough of.

This book, however, is in a completely different setting. I didn’t find it offsetting, though. Steelheart was set in a place of perpetual darkness and uniformed buildings, Firefight was set in a submerged city filled with glowing fruit and bridges.

A lot of things come to light in this book. We get a closer look at just what Epics actually are, without too much being revealed. There is still a high level of curiosity in this book. The subtle love story behind it becomes more prominently present, which I enjoyed. I guess I can be characterized as some sort of hopeless romantic, considering how happy I was about this.

Though there are new characters, a few of the originals are not in this book.They did not get killed off, they’re just not dominant characters within this new setting. I hope they make more of an appearance in the following book, Calamity.

Overall, I really enjoyed the continuation of this story. I loved David’s progression, the new characters, the different setting. To top it all off, it ended in a cliffhanger! So, I cannot wait for the next installment of The Reckoners. This story surprisingly grew on me so much while reading Firefight.

Check out my review for Steelheart (Reckoners #1) HERE!

Book Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart
Reckoners #1
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Science Fiction | Dystopian
Released: September 24th 2013 (originally)
Review Source: Random House

Pre-order the sequel—Firefight—today!

Brandon Sanderson, 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, presents Steelheart, the first book in the Reckoners series, an action-packed thrill ride that will leave readers breathless.
How far would you go for revenge if someone killed your father?
If someone destroyed your city?
If everything you ever loved was taken from you?
David Charleston will go to any lengths to stop Steelheart. But to exact revenge in Steelheart’s world, David will need the Reckoners—a shadowy group of rebels bent on maintaining justice.
And it turns out that the Reckoners might just need David too.
Look for book two in the Reckoners series, Firefight, available in 2015.

This was the first of Sanderson that I have ever read, and I really didn’t fall head over heels for the story. It isn’t a genre that I typically read, but the book as a whole didn’t even leave me wanting more until the very end.

The story is about how this group of people called Epics basically take over the world. They have powers, but are far from being the protagonists. David, the narrator, had his father killed by an Epic, Steelheart. He has intended on getting vengeance since then. That’s when he heard stories about a group of people called “Reckoners” who go around the country killing Epics, and has made it his life’s mission to join them. When he does finally get involved and joins their team, it’s not exactly smooth sailing from the beginning. He, as do the rest of the team, go through their struggles to accomplish an ultimate goal. there is a very subtle love interest throughout the story, but it’s obvious that is not the mission of the book. It is packed full of action and scheming and weaponry. There is a cliffhanger at the very end that actually left me wanting to go on and read the next book in this three-part series.

I just found myself losing interest and feeling like the story had dragged a bit. There were some really good parts and chapters of the book, though. When those did come along, I found it hard to even put it down. So, I have mixed emotions. It’s definitely not in my top five, but it was worth reading to venture out into a different genre. I will be reading book 2 (Firefight), to see how the rest of the story unfolds.