Brandon Sanderson – Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia

141. Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson (2009)
Alcatraz Smedry, Book 3

Read my review of:
– Book 1: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
– Book 2: Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener’s Bones

Length: 336 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Started: 23 November 2009
Finished: 25 November 2009

Where did it come from? The library.
Why do I have it? I really enjoyed the previous two books in the series and can always use a light, fun read.

Even his Talent
didn’t prepare Alcatraz
to be a Smedry.

Summary: After growing up in the Librarian-controlled Hushlands, Alcatraz Smedry is finally returning to the Free Kingdoms. After all of the danger he has faced, one might think he’d be ready for anything, but he’s never had to deal with people treating him like celebrity, thanks both to his Smedry heritage and his time in the Hushlands. He also, for the first time, has to deal with his parents: his newly-rescued father is strange and distant, and his mother, a Librarian, is skulking around the city, and Alcatraz is sure she’s up to no good. To top things off, his friend Bastille has been stripped of her armor and her powers, and the Librarians have sent an envoy to the king, ostensibly negotiating a peace treaty… although Alcatraz will have to find out what their real motivations are before it’s too late.

Review: I’m sad to say it, but I didn’t quite enjoy this installment as much as I’d enjoyed the first two books in the series. It was still extremely clever, very fast-paced, and incredibly imaginative. However, I just didn’t connect to Alcatraz as a narrator as much as I had before, although I can’t quite point to a reason why. Maybe he was a little bit less snarkily sarcastic than usual, or maybe the shine has worn off the hyper-aware meta-narration he provides. Maybe it’s because I haven’t recently re-read the first two books (a lapse for which Alcatraz berated me at several points throughout the book), so maybe I was missing some plot or character through-lines that would have made this third book resonate more strongly. Maybe I was just not in exactly the right mood to appreciate it fully.

None of this is meant to say that this is a bad book. It’s not, at all. It was absolutely an enjoyable read, with a bunch of giggle-inducing lines and scenes and gags liberally sprinkled throughout. (I particularly loved the tips to thirteen-year-old boys about thirteen-year-old girls.) There are also some interesting developments regarding What’s Really Going On that make me excited to see where Sanderson takes the series next. It’s just that it felt like the plot was a *little* less interesting than previous, a *slightly* smaller percentage of the jokes connected, and a *smidge* of the sparkle that made the first two books such a riot had worn off. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Not as gangbusters as the first two books, but still a solidly entertaining read. Don’t start here, but the series as a whole is highly recommended to young fantasy fans, mid-grade reluctant readers, and Hushlanders of all ages who need something light and humorous after being overly oppressed by the Librarian regime.

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Links: Brandon Sanderson’s website

Other Reviews: The Intelli-Gent Reviews
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First Line: So there I was, hanging upside down underneath a gigantic glass bird, speeding along at a hundred miles an hour above the ocean, in no danger whatsoever.

Cover Thoughts: I’ve never been crazy about the photo-collage style of the Alcatraz covers – instead of looking funky, like I think they’re supposed to, they just look haphazard and not quite finished to me.

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