Elantris (book)
| Elantris | |
|---|---|
| |
| Released | April 21, 2005 |
| Publisher | Tor books |
| ISBN | 0-7653-1177-1 |
Elantris is a stand-alone fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, published in April 2005 by Tor Books.
Summary
Part One: The Shadow of Elantris
The events of Elantris take place predominantly in the country of Arelon from three separate points of view: Prince Raoden, Princess Sarene and Gyorn Hrathen. Raoden is the crown prince of Arelon and is first in line to inherit the throne from his father, King Iadon. He is engaged to Princess Sarene of neighbouring Teod with the hope that their marriage will strengthen ties between their countries in the face of external aggression from the Fjorden Empire where Hrathen hails from.
Raoden wakes up one day to find that he has been taken by the Shaod. He is thrown into the city of Elantris where he befriends Galladon, a fellow Elantrian originally from Duladen. Galladen describes the terrible lives than Elantrians live but Raoden believes that there must be a better way. He starts a new, more optimistic, society to help newcomers to Elantris. In the process he converts Karata and Taan, two Elantrian gang leaders to his cause. The third gang leader, Shaor, proves to be more difficult and his men’s constant attacks are barely held off by the New Elantrians.
Meanwhile Sarene arrives in Arelon to find the country in mourning for Prince Raoden. Under the conditions of their wedding contract, she must stay in Arelon but is suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his death. With no husband, Sarene throws herself into Arelish political life only to find King Iadon expects her to stay out of such matters. Sarene quickly allies herself to a group of nobles, including her uncle Kiin, who are dissatisfied with the kings leadership. Together they scheme to overthrow him.
At the same time, Hrathen begins his campaign to convert the population of Arelon to the Derethi religion. His propaganda involves speeches persuading the Arelenes to hate Elantris in the hope of turning them against Shu-Korath, as well as more discrete meetings with the nobility. Hrathen singles out Telrii, a greedy but influential noble, to try and place on the throne thinking him to be a Derethi sympathiser. However, Hrathen’s plans are often stalled by Dilaf, his overly zealous odiv, who seems to oppose him at every turn.
Sensing that Hrathen is a danger to Arelon, Sarene also attempts to disturb his schemes. In a change of previous plans, Sarene stabalises Iadon’s rule fearing that Telrii would be even more incompetent as a ruler. Additionally, she enters Elantris with food to show the rest of Arelon that the Elantrians are mostly harmless, not realising she is disrupting Raoden’s plans for New Elantris in the process.
With his plans falling apart, Hrathen has to take drastic action and drinks a potion that imitates the effects of the shaod.
Part Two: The Call of Elantris
After a lot of thought, Raoden eventually convinces Shaor’s gang to join New Elantris. He also finds a mysterious pool where Elantrians can go to die permanently. Over a number of days, the New Elantrians observe Hrathen being locked into Elantris, being “healed” of the shaod and subsequently released.
Outside Elantris Sarene, noticing strange behaviour from Iadon, follows him when he disappears early from a ball. She is horrified to find Iadon ritually sacrificing his palace staff in worship of the Jeskeri Mysteries. He is arrested but hangs himself in jail.
Claiming his recovery from the shaod was due to his devotion to Shu-Dereth, Hrathen regains the upper hand over Dilaf. He is also pleased at the death of Iadon as this gives Telrii a clear path to the throne. Realising this, Sarene plans to marry Duke Roial because, together, they have a more legitimate claim to the throne than Telrii does. However, on the day of the wedding, Sarene is struck by the shaod though in reality, it is another dose of Hrathen’s potion. Without Sarene, Roial’s claim to the throne vanishes and Telrii is crowned king of Arelon.
Once in Elantris, Sarene spends a lot of time with Raoden though she does not realise it is him. Together, they manage to work out what is wrong with AonDor which has not worked for the past ten years. However, even with the addition of the chasm line to the Aons, AonDor does not seem as strong as it should.
Sarene rapidly heals from the shaod, as Hrathen did, and reunites with Roial, Kiin and the rest of the nobles. They decide to assassinate Telrii for the good of the country when one of their number betrays them. Telrii, with a number of guards, turns up to their meeting and orders Roial killed. Later in the evening, Eondel kills Telrii in revenge leaving Hrathen’s plans in ruins once again.
Part Three: The Spirit of Elantris
From Kiin's house Raoden and Sarene observe the corpses of Eondel and Telrii, confirming that both died in the attack. Tensions rise as a detachment of fifty Elantric City Guards gallop towards Kiin's house, convinced they will arrest Raoden and his friends for treason against the king. Instead, they request that Raoden become their new king. Within the hour his coronation commences with every noble present to witness the event. However, before the crown can be placed on his head, Dilaf dispels the illusion Raoden has been keeping to appear human. After so many incursions to the royal throne the nobles don't appear as shocked as Dilaf would have hoped. In their apathy they merely appear dejected, until Sarene rallies them behind the idea that Raoden is still the man who loved them before his exile. Unanimously, the crowd erupts into cheering for the support of Raoden's coronation.
Having been seemingly defeated, Dilaf stalks angrily from the palace, lassoing Hrathen into stalking the ardent. Leading him to the centre of town, Hrathen stops in the market district to wonder where Dilaf disappeared to when the Dakhor monks burst from the tents. Asleep in Roial's mansion, Raoden awakens to the sound of Dilaf's invasion. He arrives down-stairs to find Dilaf, who knocks him unconscious. Sarene is whipped up in the Dakhor monk's attack when her carriage is assaulted on the way back from Elantris. Fortunately, she is saved by Kiin and Lukel, taking her back to Kiin's manor and barricading themselves in. Dragging Raoden to the manor, Dilaf grabs Sarene's attention and orders an ambush to capture the Teoish princess. Done with his bait, Dilaf runs Raoden through with his sword and takes Sarene to Teod.
Emerging from their hiding place, Galladon and Karata approach Raoden. Finding the Hoed remnants of a man once Raoden, Galladon gives himself up to the waning hope, determined to give Raoden peace at the embrace of the pool atop the mountain. He will also give himself the same peace. Karata only acquiesces. While Galladon and Karata carry Raoden to oblivion, Lukel and the other captives are being marched to the pyres built for them within Elantris. As a revelation assaults Raoden's mind he struggles to regain control of his body. Managing a scream, Galladon and Karata drop him in surprise and he staggers into the pool. Refusing to let it take him Raoden emerges and dashes back down the mountain to Kae. Grabbing a stick at the foot of the mountain, Raoden races along drawing out a straight line behind him while Galladon and Karata protect him from appearing Fjordell soldiers. Reaching the end of his run the chasm line explodes with the power of the Dor, revealing Elantris and its surrounding cities to be one big Aon. Aon Rao.
While these events take place, Shuden attacks a Dakhor monk and Lukel instigates a rebellion against the Fjordell soldiers, and Dilaf moves to crush Teod. Hrathen overhears Dilaf musing to Sarene that he is going to kill her in front of her father, whom is set on surrendering Teod to Fjorden. All his doubts clash into action as Hrathen subdues a surprised Dilaf after warning Eventeo of the Fjordell invasion. He escapes with Sarene, fending off the other monks and breaking away from them. Lukel's rebellion fails but hope is restored with Raoden's intervention. Elantris and Arelene are secure but Ashe appears with grave news of Teod.
Trying to smuggle Sarene out of Teod, Hrathen is assassinated in the streets. Aided by a now lucid Adien, Raoden teleports to Teod, next to the monks that have begun surrounding Sarene over the body of Hrathen. He collides with a monk, grabs Sarene, and escapes with her. Galladon and the other Elantrians arrive in time to save Raoden and Sarene and fight off more than fifty Dakhor monks with the Dor. Seeing Dilaf chase after Eventeo, Raoden pursues only to walk into Dilaf's ambush. As it looks like they are beaten, with little hope, Hrathen makes a miraculous appearance, revealing his partial-Dakhor secret that he uses to kill Dilaf before succumbing to his own wounds.
With the war over and Teod managing to hold back the Fjordell army, Sarene has one thing left on her mind: marrying Raoden. She is not about to let him out of her sight this time, marching him down the aisle to a very exhaustive sermon, a customary ceremony of gift giving, and the completion of their vows. A week after their marriage a great funeral is arranged for the people that died during the invasion of Arelon, Elantris, and Teod. Sarene speaks for Hrathen, asking all to remember him as the saviour who put what was right before his own ambitions.
Magic System
- AonDor
- ChayShan
- Dakhor powered by the Dor,Cite error: Invalid
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Publication
- ELANTRIS (Tor, Spring 2005)
- Audio rights (unabridged) to Recorded Books
- Audio rights (dramatic abridgment) to Graphic Audio
- UK book club rights to BCA
- Russian rights to Azbooka
- German rights to Heyne
- Japanese rights to Hayakawa
- French rights to Calmann-Lévy
- Dutch rights to De Boekerij
- Spanish rights to Ediciones B
- Spanish book club rights to Circulo de Lectores
- Thai rights to ARIP
- Turkish rights to Arkadas
- Czech rights to Talpress
- Hungarian rights to Delta Vision
- Polish rights to Mag
- Chinese rights (Complex) to Fantasy Foundation
- Chinese rights (simplified) to Shanghai Wanyu
- Romanian rights to Tritonic
- Hebrew rights to Silver Stars
- UK rights to Gollancz
- Bulgarian rights to Bard [1]
Awards
- Romantic Times Award, Best Epic Fantasy
- Selected as Barnes & Noble Explorations’ #1 Editor’s Pick.
- SF Book Club selection [1]