One of the most enjoyable parts of Calamity is that every time something is revealed it’s unexpected but still makes sense. I saw a lot of things coming in this book, but all the pieces didn’t fall into place until right before they were explained. That’s wonderfully unusual.
There were some parts of the book that I didn’t particularly enjoy. I thought that the portrayal of Atlanta was overly complex, without giving any good reason why. I also thought that most of the characters weren’t developed any further than the previous books. The story was so focused on David and Megan that everyone else just fell to the wayside. Usually, Sanderson is really good at giving his antagonists a lot of depth, but that seemed to be missing here. Part of that is because the main villain is Prof, who was such an integral part of the previous books that the character was already developed, but I wish more time had been spent on developing him as a villain, instead of relying on the personality that had been developed when he was a hero.
On the whole, however, Calamity was a fantastic conclusion to the series. It doesn’t wrap up everything in a neat little package, but the main story threads are resolved, and resolved appropriately. Unlike many series, that try and resolve everything so that the story is complete, Calamity shows that the characters aren’t done. They still have work to do and lives to live. I could easily see Sanderson revisiting the world, but not in a sequel, more as a spinoff.
I’m not sure what else I can say without including spoilers, so I’ll just finish by saying that it’s a fantastic book. The plot moves quickly and logically. The characters are engaging and unique, and the setting is detailed and vivid. It’s not Sanderson’s best novel, but it may be one of the most fun.
Advertisements Share this:
