Elantris

Elantris is a fantasy novel by the American writer Brandon Sanderson, published on 21 April 2005 by Tor Books. It was Sanderson's first published book. It gained generally positive reviews and has been translated into multiple languages. The subjects file it under princes, curses, princesses and epic fantasy.

The story follows three main characters: Prince Raoden of Arelon, Princess Sarene of Teod and the priest Hrathen of Fjorden. Raoden is cursed by the Shaod and secretly exiled to the city of Elantris days before his betrothed, Sarene, arrives for their wedding, and Sarene learns only that he has died and that she is regarded as his widow. Her arrival was intended as a marriage of state, and she had also hoped for something more.

The political setting matters as much as the curse. The new capital, Kae, stands in the shadow of the ruined city that its people try to ignore, and both Arelon and Teod face the imperial ambitions of Fjordell, whose religious leadership sends Hrathen as a missionary with a deadline. Inside Elantris, Raoden's task is to avoid the gangs that control the city and hold on to his own mind long enough to unite the survivors. Two related works, The Hope of Elantris and The Emperor's Soul, followed.