Elantris

 Book by Brandon Sanderson.

Aside from a few plot holes and a slightly confusing start, this book sucked me in and made me think. Rather than simply telling a fun story, Sanderson has a knack for delving into complex issues and themes. I particularly loved Raoden’s optimism and understanding of the roles meaningful work and purpose have in bringing hope to people. The content has mature themes and a bit of violence, so I would recommend for ages 15+.

There were a lot of fantastic quotes:

“The first step in taking control of a nation is the simplest. You find someone to hate… You will find that hate can unify people more quickly and more fervently than devotion ever could.”

“hard times make people willing to accept a man who preaches change.”

“As was often the case, the most outspoken man was the least discerning.”

“These people are dead because they have given up, not because their hearts no longer beat.”

“Nobility is in one’s bearing as much as it is in one’s breeding.”

“Something within my heart healed when I began to help them—…

Somehow, we can endure the hunger a little better if we know it has come, in part, because we gave what we had to the children.”

“A people who live in filth will feel like filth—if we are ever going to rise above our opinions of ourselves, we are going to need to be clean.”

“Pain lost its power when other things became more important. Kahar didn’t need a potion or an Aon to save him— he just needed something to do.”

“Remember, the past need not become our future as well.”

“All things must progress, and progression is not always a steady incline. Sometimes we must fall, sometimes we will rise—some must be hurt while others have fortune, for that is the only way we can learn to rely on one another. As one is blessed, it is his privilege to help those whose lives are not as easy. Unity often springs from strife.”

“Truth can never be defeated, Sarene. Even if people do forget about it occasionally.”

“truth stands above all things. It is independent of who has the best army, who can deliver the longest sermons, or even who has the most priests. It can be pushed down, but it will always surface. Truth is the one thing you can never intimidate.”

“I’ve noticed that those who turn away from a faith are often more hateful toward it than any outsider could be.”