Steelheart

The Reckoners, Book 1

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of the Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson, comes the first book in a new, action-packed thrill ride of a series - Steelheart. 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 will.

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.

©2013 Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC (P)2013 Audible Inc.

He got the idea from a near traffic accident

I always find it fascinating where writers get their ideas and, according to an article by Rachel Brutsch of the Deseret News, Brandon Sanderson was cut off in traffic one day and immediately thought of the other driver, “You’re lucky I don’t have super powers because I would totally blow your car off the road.” That immediate thought horrified him; and he thought, “Its a good thing I don’t have superpowers.” Then he pondered, “What if the evil guys had all of the super powers?” That idea was the essence for his new Y.A. series, “Reckoning.”
Steeheart is a super-villain. He is one of many that received their power from a star called Calamity that appeared in the sky one day. Most thought the people that received these new found powers would use them for the benefit of mankind; wrong. With ultimate power comes ultimate corruption.
Steelheart has the strength of 10 men. He’s virtually indestructible, he can fly and when he’s enraged he can turn inanimate objects into steel. He exercised that particular power to transform most of Chicago and part of Lake Michigan before becoming the emperor of “Newcago.”
David Charleston was an eight year old boy when he saw Steelheart murder his father. Ten years has passed and David can think of only one thing; bringing Steelheart down. He is just a normal human and decides to recruit another group of humans, called “Reckoners” to help him. Reckoners study those like Steelheart, to learn their weaknesses.
This is a story that has been told many times, the struggle between good and evil, but this time Superman is not on our side; can good still win?
Its billed as a Y.A. book, and there is some romance that is usually associated with such genre, it does not, however, overwhelms the story; anyone that like Sci-Fi adventure should like this book. It is, after all, by Brandon Sanderson; and, by all indications it is the start of an epic tale.

X-Men Except Better -- Get in on the ground floor

Steelheart is a story of special powers and set in a gritty city. The story is told from a first person point of view. The story opens with our hero traumatized. We are barely into the second chapter when Sanderson lays out the plot and titillates us with added complex characters. One interesting aspect is how the seedy aspect of the city is woven into the telling-- it is a much more believable takeoff of X-Men.

Macleod Andrews does a great job narrating and I hope he continues with the series. Based on the assumption that this book one in a series, I think it has lots of legs and interesting plotlines to explore. I listened to the six chapter release on audible before and was intrigued. Given the amount of publicity Audible has been given it, I had high expectations -- and it delivered.

This novel should appeal to listeners of all ages. Get in on the ground floor of this series. I am predicting that you won't be sorry.

Solid Writing

Brandon Sanderson is one of my all time favorite authors. I have read just about anything he's written, except the Alcatraz series. His fantasy ideas continue to amaze me and always leave me wanting more. I highly recommend his work, it is just the right blend of strong characters, action and a well thought out plot.

What an ending!

What made the experience of listening to Steelheart the most enjoyable?

Although I've heard and seen so many superhero books and movies, this was so much different and BETTER.

Who was your favorite character and why?

David was my favorite character. He was extremely human and even innocent in mind.

What about Macleod Andrews’s performance did you like?

Macleod Andrew did a great job in reading this book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I've seen SteelHeart bleed, I've seen him scream...

Any additional comments?

This book was not sexually explicit, which means my teen can listen to it. The main character was believable. Actually, mostly everything in this book was believable for future occurrence.

Excellent Read--Xmen form the normal peoples view

Would you listen to Steelheart again? Why?

Yes. In fact have already listened to it twice. The narration was excellent, the writing was exciting and suspenseful. I totally thought I had this book figured out and then there were a couple of twists at the end that were surprising. I've read Brandon Sanderson before and I really liked his science fiction, this is totally different, a different style, but excellent. I listen to a wide variety of audio books and this is the best I've heard in a long time. If your thinking about buying it, just do it. You won't regret it.

I liked it (I usually reads mysteries and science fiction)
My husband liked it (he usually reads biographies and science fiction)
My 3rd grade son liked it (he really likes the Rick Riodern, and the Harry Potter books). This book does have some violence in it but both my husband and I felt it was appropriate for my son. The content is on the same level as the Rick Riodern books.

Don't pass this book by because it is a Young Adult book. It is definitely a great read for adults.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

We were listening to this in the car and my son kept asking me if we had anywhere else to go because he wanted to listen to the end.

Great Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book, it doesn't have unnecessary sex scenes. I don't have to delete in my mind swear words. My grandchildren would love it, and I wouldn't be embarrassed to have recommended it.

What other book might you compare Steelheart to and why?

I love the Mistborn series. OK, I love how Brandon Sanderson writes.

What does Macleod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He really sounds like the character that he is speaking for.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I was taking a trip YES!, But, I can't just sit and listen when I am at home...the phone rings, I have appointments. I really would like to just listen though.

Any additional comments?

Really worth buying.

Holy Supervillains Batman

I love a book that takes you in and makes you think but doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sanderson has mastered that here. Steelheart turns the superhero genre on its side, asking, “Who will rise up when all we have are villains”. At the heart, it has similarities to Sanderson’s other books. Namely, a small rebel force against an undefeatable super-power. The thing I like about this one is that it is told by the hero, David. He is a young man with an axe to grind, but still has hope and a sense of humor. The book takes us through his journey for revenge. It has a few surprises (in true Sanderson style) and is full of crazy metaphors that are so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh. I found myself listening any time I could steal a few minutes and had trouble turning it off when I had to.
As a parent, I would comfortably give this to a teen to read. There is one scene at the very beginning that is a bit gruesome, but otherwise it is clean and thought provoking. If you’ve read other books by Sanderson (and you should), I believe you will find this one to be very similar. It seems a little lighter and has more of a sci-fi feel than books like Mistborn, but not as light as the Rithmatist (both excellent books).

Easily the best young adults book ever.

Any additional comments?

This book is absolutely amazing, even as a 24 year old adult I am so incredibly impressed with the ability of Brandon Sanderson's writing. He is a master at his craft and if you like your story to come completely together by the end with a moment of shock and awe at how he tangled all these little sets of foresight into the whole thing this book won't even come close to disappointing you. It's made for young adults so it's not his most intense mind-blowing experience, but it's absolutely great for what it is. The reader is also perfect, it takes a little getting into, but by the second chapter I feel like he really really embodies what the main character is, and his voices for the other characters are very distinct though some of them are slightly lacking. The characters written though are amazing so even having him not feel like he really encompasses all the other characters is fine because he nails the main character so well, and Brandon really gives you a good touch on the other characters.

Overall I recommend this book to anyone who has the urge for some slightly cheesy superpower influenced sci-fi

Great book for the whole family

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, its imaginative with new cleaver "magic" and he keeps the bad language out

What other book might you compare Steelheart to and why?

maybe like a robotech book from long ago.

Have you listened to any of Macleod Andrews’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, this was good

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really

Any additional comments?

I listened to this with my young kids and we all enjoyed it

Ingenious twist on the superhero genre

Where does Steelheart rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As someone who reads four to five audiobooks a month
, I rank Steelheart in the top ten!

Who was your favorite character and why?

David of course as he is our narrator and hero. I also liked the Prof and Colin a lot.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending is by far the most exciting scene but I don't want to give anything away!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I almost did! I listened to it in 24 hr period. I started at night and listened straight thru the work day until getting home this evening!

Any additional comments?

I was a medium fan of Sanderson's work before this. I really enjoyed Elantris then the Mistborn series. However, Steelheart has elevated me to a full on fan of his work! I really liked the idea of superhuman men/women who were for once NOT pillars Of society and who in fact took full advantage of their godlike powers. I mean let's be honest, it is human nature in today's society for people to take advantage when possible and look out for number one. Literary characters are so often painted as morally ambiguous, morally bankrupt or as completely selfless, so its nice to see a twist on the norm and to see characters who are flawed on both sides of good and evil. I am also super pumped to read the next installment whenever that may come! This is also the 1st time I was compelled to write a review (I think) though I've been tempted before this book really left me no choice...it is 100% WORTH THE CREDIT! Enjoy!!