Elantris
Brandon Sanderson
** spoiler alert **
The publisher's blurb is a fairly good summary of the plot. Until ten years ago the nation of Arelon was powerful because of the magic of its capital Elantris. Then, suddenly the magic of Elantris failed. The Elantrians were disfigured and the city decayed. Outside Elantris Arelonians revolted and took over. Arelon's rival Fjordell became powerful at Arelon's expense. When our story begins only two nations, Teod and Arelon, remain free of the Fjordell empire. Sarene, princess of Teod, comes to Arelon to marry its prince, Raoden, thus cementing an alliance of the free nations. But before she arrives Raoden is afflicted with the Shaod, as Arelon calls disfigured Elantrians. Raoden is sent into the dead city of Elantris and Sarene is told that he died.
Sarene and Raoden are the main point-of-view characters. Sarene's story is a fairly typical political/palace intrigue tale of resistance to Fjordell outside the city of Elantris. Raoden's story was far more original. Inside Elantris, he seeks to figure out how the magic of Elantris used to work and how to bring it back. He finds great libraries within the city, studies and studies, and makes no progress. Then, through the machinations of Fjordell, Sarene is sent into Elantris briefly, and a chance remark of hers gives Raoden a key clue as to the true nature of Elantrian magic. You can probably guess the rest, more or less.
As a retired scientist, I enjoyed this, because, although it is fantasy, it felt to me like an accurate depiction of a research project. The months or weeks of beating your head against the wall, trying to understand, when, although it seems like you are accomplishing nothing, you're building the knowledge and skill you will need. Then the first moment of new insight, and the first experiment telling you you're on the right track. And that blinding moment when it all breaks open.
As fantasy, I would say Elantris is competent, but not particularly special. But as a novel about how science works, it is unusually accurate.
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