Now that Steelheart and Mitosis are no more, everything can go back to normal, right? Of course not. The thing about Epics is, there are plenty to go around. The Reckoners find that getting rid of one tyrant makes room for at least one more. Now, Newcago is trying to rebuild after being controlled by Steelheart for so long. In the middle of all of that, the Reckoners need to send a small crew to help out the Reckoner group in New Babylon.
Just as with successful movies, making a sequel can be hazardous. The author could cripple characters by making them too much like they were in the first book and not growing at all. The author could demean the series by creating repetitive or meaningless plots and tropes. Thankfully, none of that happens in Firefight, the latest volume in the Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson.
Now, this is a story line that lends itself well to the whole Monster of the Week feel. It does that to an extent with this story. As with all Reckoner's stories, there are new Epics are introduced with strange new abilities. I don't want to give too much away but, David and his friends delve into the whole 'Epic' issue deeper than before. Not the least of the questions being, can Epics rule justly. That question can be seen as allegory for the current times question, can a dictator be better than the alternative. The answer is, of course, dependent on who is asked.
The newer characters are good additions to the Reckoner's world. They don't come off as 'cookie-cutter' though, many typical archetypes are represented. The young and zealous recruit, the reluctant hero and of course the power hungry mastermind. We can also add the disaffected drone in this story. Obviously, Firefight makes an appearance in this book. To say the character has twists to it is an understatement. It's more like it was written on a Mobius Strip rather than paper.
Firefight is a worthy addition to the Reckoners world. Not only does it continue the story from the previous books but, it leaves us wanting more. It brings to my mind the story arcs of Eragon and Harry Potter in that, we get to see a character grow from a single minded goal into a greater understanding of the world and their part in it. This is a book that is intended for young adults and does a good job in that respect though it is a little heavy on violence. I would put it at a mile PG13.
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