Title: Firefight
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: The Reckoners #2
Publication Details: January 6th 2015 by Delacorte Press
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 more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. 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 he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.
Plot
Since Steelheart (book 1) ended with a few loose threads, I was excited to read Firefight and have my questions answered.
The books started with an action, which kind of set the pace of the story. While the answers came in slowly as the story progresses, there were no dragging parts. I liked that even during the narrative /conversation bits, the pacing is sustained with answers and/or theories about the Epics and the mystery surrounding them.
I liked the twists in events, especially in the latter part, which makes it unpredictable and more entertaining to read. The plot twist in the end piqued my interest; and it made me more curious about the Epics, especially Prof and Calamity.
The world-building of Babilar (Babylon Restored) is also refreshing. Like Newcago, I've never read anything like it before. I find the mysteries of Babilar fascinating, so it made my reading experience more enjoyable.
Plot-wise, I liked Firefight for the way the plot threads were put together, creating an entertaining read.
Characters
I was not able to connect to the main character, David. I think his bad use of metaphor is the main reason. Haha! And there's quite a number of metaphors in the book for my liking. But I still enjoyed reading in his perspective. He's an interesting character and I can't wait to read more of him in the last book.
Mizzy, a new character, is also an interesting one. I think she will still be in the last book, so I'm excited to read more of her character development and how she will be of help in the fight against the Epics.
Prof and Calamity are two epics I am most interested in. They are shrouded with mysteries so I want to find out how things will go in the end and if Epics can really be heroes if they choose to.
Writing
As I've mentioned in my Steelheart review, I liked the writing style of the author. It is refreshing and easy to follow. Despite the use of technical terms, I was still able to understand the flow of events and have an enjoyable reading experience.
Overall, Firefight is a good, action-packed continuation about David, the Reckoners and Epics. Moreover, it is also a story about trust and believing in good even when hope seems to be loss.
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Overall, Firefight is a good, action-packed continuation about David, the Reckoners and Epics. Moreover, it is also a story about trust and believing in good even when hope seems to be loss.
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PS: My review of Steelheart is here.
Brandon Sanderson is the author of the internationally bestselling Mistborn trilogy, and he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. His books have been published in more than twenty-five languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He lives and writes in Utah. To learn more about Brandon and his books, visit him at brandonsanderson.com (source: book's inside back cover).