Calamity Review

Calamity is book 3 of Brandon Sanderson's Reckoners series. In contrast to the last third book in a series I read, this one actually was the end of the trilogy and wrapped up loose ends. Maybe I'm just out of practice with final books in series, but this one felt very final. There is no more story to be had here, unless you want a series dedicated entirely to the exploits of one very overworked psychologist.The series is yet another YA dystopia story but unlike it's many compatriots it has an interesting premise: something caused people to start getting superpowers but everyone with powers is evil. The series follows a group of resistance fighters without super powers who are dedicated to bringing down evil supervillains. The characters are fun and I like the narrator's voice. He's no Bartimaeous but he is pretty funny especially with his Smedryesque talent for terrible comparisons. Possibly my favorite comparison from this book is "the sun peaked over the horizon like the head of a giant radioactive manatee." The other characters are fun too including a Southerner who thinks he is Scottish, a technogeek, and a pretty standard gun slinging heroin. We only get a few new characters in this book which is a little disappointing.
In writing quality, character development, and plot Reckoners stands high above most of its competition. That being said, Calamity was my least favorite in the series. The two main reasons are this third installment is incongruously sentimental (at times I felt like I was in the middle of an animated Disney film, which I like but seems out of place in a series that starts with mass murder) and there is a lot of explaining. Sanderson tells a good story. He can catch your attention and hold it, attested to by the fact that I read this book days. He builds intricate worlds that remarkably stay consistent. I guess it is lots of work to build those worlds because every time he wants to explain it. All of it. In detail. The whole series was building up to the breaking the secret of countering superpowers. This is important and plot relevant; we got distracted trying to understand where the powers came from, how they can be harnessed in technology, how one could expand superpowers, if there is a multiverse, how our reality relates to other realities etc. These topics are all tangentially related to the story but if I'm reading the book I'm willing to accept that there are super powers in this world. Explaining everything ruins the magic it also discourages me from thinking about the world because there are no questions left.
I enjoyed the book. I think the ending could have gone several different ways which would probably have been less tidy but would have felt more authentic. I like the idea of tiny grenades, floating salt cities, and superpowers that summon cupcakes. I'm glad there was a minigun and evil roombas. I have some concerns about the giant marionette and the cell culture practices.
I think this series would do really well as a set of films. I hope that someone is pitching it.