Review-Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Sanderson's outstanding fantasy debut, refreshingly complete unto itself and free of the usual genre clichés, offers something for everyone: mystery, magic, romance, political wrangling, religious conflict, fights for equality, sharp writing and wonderful, robust characters. The godlike inhabitants of Elantris, once the capital of the land of Arelon, have degenerated into powerless, tortured souls, unable to die, after the city's magic inexplicably broke 10 years earlier. When the same curse strikes Prince Raoden of Arelon and he's imprisoned in Elantris, he refuses to surrender to his grim fate and instead strives to create a society out of the fallen and to unlock the secret that will restore the city's glory. Meanwhile, Princess Sarene of Kae (Arelon's new capital), who was betrothed to Raoden sight unseen, believes her intended has died. Officially declared his widow, she must use her political savvy and wit to protect Kae from malevolent forces without and within the city, chiefly Hrathen, a leader of the creepy Shu-Dereth faith, who aims to either convert Kae or destroy it within three months. The intrigue and excitement grow steadily in this smoothly written, perfectly balanced narrative; by the end readers won't want to put it down. As the blurb from Orson Scott Card suggests, Sanderson is a writer to watch.
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I decided to read this book after seeing it on Vanilla Joy's blog.  She said it was a must read! And I agree.
The story starts out with a princess arriving in her new country to marry the prince. The princess, Sarene, asked the prince, Raoden, to marry her to strengthen the alliance between their 2 countries. It is a political marriage but Sarene believes she might love Raoden since he seems to be ok with her strong personality. But when Sarene arrives she finds out that Raoden has died. Sarene decides to stay in her new country to help protect it from a religious movement set on destroying all other religions.
This is a huge book. Just over 600 pages it was definitely a departure for me. I usually read shorter easier reads. This book sucks you and requires diligent reading. No half assing it here. Sanderson creates a marvelous world full of intriguing characters. I really had to sit down and read. It took me longer to read it since I couldn't fly through pages. It's dense. But in a good way.
Recommended for fans of fantasy and magic. Also reviewed by Heartless Gamer,  A Fantasy Reader, and The Adventures of the Book Minstrel.