Steelheart Blog Tour – Review + Giveaway

November 7, 2013 Uncategorized 1

Today I’m pleased to team up with Delacorte Press for a Steelheart blog tour! I’ll be posting my review as well as a giveaway for one copy of the book (thanks to the publisher!) You should also totally check out the Steelheart website to read an excerpt and watch the book trailer. 

Steelheart

Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: Sept. 24, 2013
Pages: 386
Series: Reckoners, book one
Source: ARC from ALA

About the Book: There are no heroes.

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. 

Nobody fights the Epics… nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. 

He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

My Thoughts: So, April over at Good Books and Good Wine is one of my go to peeps for book recommendations (she reads everything!) Brandon Sanderson’s name was familiar to me mostly because of her. Hearing her (reading her?) talk about his books made me want to pick one up. The opportunity to be on a blog tour was perfect! I’m certainly glad April laid the foundation that made me join up. I don’t know that I ever would have gotten around to reading Steelheart if I didn’t have a scheduled review date. So many books, so little time… right? I’m so glad I made the time!

Steelheart  lays a great foundation for a new series I can see flying off the shelves at my library. The action, the suspense, the world building… it all blends together into an exciting and engrossing read. 

I loved the idea of an event occurring that somehow fundamentally changes a group of people. In Steelheart something called “Calamity” happens. No one is clear (at least at this point!) on exactly what it is but it gave certain (seemingly random) people throughout the world special powers. These people are called “Epics” and you would not want to meet one on the street! They are not kind and benevolent super heroes. No, Epics seem to possess a varying degree of evil. Learning all about these Epics, their hierarchy, and how they changed are world was so interesting. And of course it brings up questions of human nature and good versus evil.

Another aspect I thought was fantastic and would hook my students was just the way things work. From the gadgets and science-y type things (very technical terms here!) to the Epics’ powers and weaknesses… it was all just so cool to learn about. David, the main character has obsessively been studying the Epics so we get all kinds of information. I thought it was really well done. 

Steelheart is a fantastically built story full of heart pounding action and intense suspense. Readers will be taken on a ride full of twists and turns. I can’t wait to get it into my students’ hands! 

Giveaway:
US only. Must be 13 years or older to win. Ends 11/21/13.

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