Hello, and welcome to our first ever book recommendations article! From here on out, one of these will be posted on the blog every month, each featuring a book chosen by yours truly. 

Some of these titles will be very well-known current bestsellers, while others might be a bit more obscure or a little less recent. The point of these articles is to introduce you to stories that may interest you, regardless of popularity or age. 

That said, today’s recommendation is by a very popular author, but the book itself isn’t one that I see talked about much—even though, almost ten years after reading it for the first time, it’s still one of my all time favorites. Let’s dig into it!

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Overview

Set in a futuristic version of Chicago—Newcago, by name—Steelheart is the first of three books about David Charleston, an eighteen-year-old who lives in a world ruled by superhumans called Epics. When he was a kid, he watched his father be murdered by Steelheart, an Epic with supposedly-impenetrable skin and the power to turn things to steel.

And I say “supposedly-impenetrable” because, on the same day Steelheart killed David’s father, David saw Steelheart bleed, proving that he’s not as invincible as people think. That knowledge is enough to encourage David to devote himself to avenging his dad by killing Steelheart once and for all.

But, determination aside, David is just an ordinary human, and he knows that he can’t take on Steelheart alone. So he seeks out the Reckoners, a group of powerless vigilantes who have made it their mission to kill Epics like Steelheart by using strange gadgets and, most importantly, by finding the fatal weaknesses of the Epics they hunt and using them against them.

Every Epic has a weakness, something apparently random that renders them unable to use their powers. But Steelheart’s is unknown—even to himself. And even to David, who apparently saw it brought into play all of those years ago. If David and the Reckoners are to kill him, they first have to figure out what exactly his weakness is and how to put it to use—or else all of their plans will end with every last one of them facing Steelheart’s wrath.

Personal Thoughts

Although it’s full of action and drama—both of which are appreciated on their own—this book also has some of the best humor I’ve ever read. Despite being driven by vengeance, David is a major dork and very fun to read, so I highly recommend this if you’re a fan of funnier characters. 

Overall, the book has a very cinematic feel, being fast-paced and entertaining from start to end. Unlike many of Sanderson’s more well-known works (which are great too, of course), there are no slow moments to be found in this one, with every scene actively moving the plot forward in a fun and exciting way. So, even if you’re not normally a Sanderson person, you might still like this book—and the series as a whole, too, because it keeps up the same vibe throughout. 

This is one of my go-to books for if I want to read something that’s just…fun. There’s not all the darkness and grimness that’s so common in a lot of young adult books—those things can be great, sure, but it’s nice to have something fun and upbeat every once in a while. 

That’s pretty much it for this one. If you’ve already read Steelheart and are looking for something similar, feel free to look into the similar books that I’ve listed below.

Until next time, happy reading!

Books Similar to Steelheart

• Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
• Hero by Perry Moore
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Divergent by Veronica Roth