Book Review: Esper Files by Egan Brass

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Book Review, Egan Brass, Esper Files, Steampunk, Superheroes

Title: Esper Files

Author: Egan Brass

Published on: 10/16/2016

Pages: 212 Pages (Paperback)

Blurb: They came after The Great Storm, the Espers. Feared and hunted by society, there are those who use their powers for good, and those who use them for evil.
When an experiment goes wrong in Victorian London, Espers, people with supernatural abilities are created. In order to counter this new potential threat, the Institute is set up to teach Espers how to use their abilities for good and how to hunt down those who want to use their powers for evil.
Gifted with a formidable but self-destructive ability, Nathan is one of the Institute’s top agents. When the evil Baron executes his plan to control the minds of London’s political leaders, peace is dependent on Nathan and his team.
Will he learn to control his powers in time to save the world? Or will he succumb to their self-destructive nature?

My Take: Confession time: when I saw the title for the book, I instantly thought of my favorite video game, Final Fantasy VI. And that was the sole reason I agreed to read and review this book, with the hope that maybe there had been some inspiration from my favorite game within the pages. After all, the description is close enough to the espers from that game, how could it be a bad thing?

Well, this book is nothing like Final Fantasy VI, and clearly had no inspiration from that game. But it is a book that has close similarities to The Flash and the X-Men, two comic books whose television/movies I enjoy watching. Tick back the clock to Victorian London, and the stage is set for a Steampunk-ish super hero book.

Only there was a disappointing lack of Steampunk elements. And it didn’t really feel like Victorian London…there was nothing to really evoke that setting other than being told that is where it takes place.

If it sounds like I didn’t enjoy the book, you’re wrong. While it didn’t live up to my secret hopes, and didn’t really evoke the setting, this book was still a good, fun read. I love superheroes, and am almost always glad to read a book featuring people with super powers. Especially when they struggle to come to grips with those powers, or at the very least are very human still in their interactions with the world. I read and enjoyed several superhero books last year, Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld and Calamity by Brandon Sanderson. And while Esper Files is not as good as either of those books, it is still a good book and an enjoyable read.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to the next book in the series. If you want a light, fun romp that follows a team of people with superpowers, this is the book for you.

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

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Bad Metaphors, Book Review, Brandon Sanderson, Calamity, Epics, Reckoners, Superheroes

If there ever was a review I didn’t want to write, a book I didn’t want to finish, it would be this one. Because I don’t want to end my experiences with the Reckoners trilogy…

Title: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson, Book 3 of the Reckoners Trilogy

Published by Delacorte Press on February 16, 2016

432 Pages (Hardcover)

Blurb and Praise:

From the bestselling author of the Mistborn series and Words of Radiance comes Calamity, the final book in the New York Times bestselling Reckoners series. What started in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Steelheart and continued in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Firefight now concludes in Calamity.

When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.

David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . .

But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.

Praise for the Reckoners Series:

“The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive.”—James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series

“Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind

[STAR] “Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high-intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance . . . leaves [readers] panting for the sequel.” —Booklist, Starred

“Action-packed.“—EW.com

“Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store.” —The A.V. Club

“An absolute page-turner.“”—Publishers Weekly

“A straight-up Marvel Comics-style action drama.”—Kirkus Reviews

And if all those reviews don’t get you excited to read this trilogy, maybe this non-spoiler review of this book will:

My Take: I wanted to read this book like a kid wants to eat a giant lollipop. I was excited to read the book just like the kid gets excited about lollipops, but I didn’t want it to end too soon just like the kid who gets the giant lollipop so they can savor the experience a little longer. Yes, this series will be full of  intentionally bad metaphors, and Calamity certainly had some memorable ones in there. The humor that Sanderson laced into this book, as well as the previous books, makes this a fun read while the action and intrigue makes it an entertaining romp through a world where superpowers don’t go to the good guys. Or, rather, it seems that everyone who gets superpowers turns bad, and they are known as Epics.

It is difficult to write a spoiler-free review of the final book in a trilogy like this, but I want this to be a comprehensive review for more than just this one book. I want someone to read this and go pick up the entire trilogy (Steelheart, Firefight, Calamity) plus the short between the first two (Mitosis). The Reckoners are back in action in this finale that certainly lives up to every expectation that it promised. The showdown that has been coming is epic. And Epic.

But that isn’t even the main target for the book. The one complaint that could be voiced is that once this big showdown is over, there isn’t enough time to properly build up for the other final showdown. But the plans of the Reckoners, especially those made by the main character, David, never work out like they should anyway so extra time to plan and scheme would have been prolonging a story longer than it needed to.

More information is learned about the powers that the Epics possess and how they came to get those, and some of those Epics seen in previous books take their powers to the next level in this one. Seriously, it is amazing what Sanderson had them doing with these powers.

One sign of a great trilogy is being able to reflect back, at the end, and see how things not only progressed from Book One to the ending but also to see how things in the early chapters allude to later events or become significant later on down the line. In that respect, Calamity delivers. I will always look back upon the Reckoners trilogy as a fantastic series. Steelheart was the first Sanderson book I ever picked up and I’ve been waiting anxiously ever since Firefight was announced shortly after I finished that book. I could herald this series for being about superpowers, which it certainly has plenty of that, but this series is so much more than a mere superhero series. It is action and excitement, mystery and intrigue, bad kissing and bad metaphors, exaggerated stories and mysterious backgrounds, and just plain fun.

I cannot recommend this book, and this trilogy, enough. Put it on your TBR list right now and you won’t regret it. Allow Steelheart to rope you in and you’ll thank me when you finish Calamity.