Brandon Sanderon’s Firefight is the sequel to Steelheart, a YA dystopia superhero SF novel that I liked much more than I expected to. The good news is, I also like Firefight more than I expected to.
It’s got the trademark Sandersonian virtues for one thing: It’s fast-paced and narratively propulsive in the way that all his books are; and it’s got an intriguing and unique magic system (“superpowers” are so a magic system). But more than that, it’s got really excellent world-building, with a fascinating and unique setting and background—as interesting as Steelheart was, Firefight is even better this way.
When I wrote up Steelheart, I wondered if the series as a whole would really answer all the mysteries set up in the first book. The signs from this book are mixed. There are definitely hints here about what’s really going on, but it’s all still vague enough that it seems implausible it can be wrapped up in what’s allegedly a single remaining book.
Personally, I’d be happy if this turned into an n-book ongoing series—it’s got a plot structure that can support it, and it’d be cool to see more of this world—but if Sanderson does wrap it up in a single volume, that should be a heck of a thing to read, too. Either way, I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.
Comments