Elantris

This was the first Sanderson book I read. I picked it up at the library and only because there was an endorsement from Orson Scott Card printed on the cover (I am a pretty big fan of the Ender series). This book did not disappoint.

Compared to many of Sanderson's later works, this one definitely shows as his earliest published major work. It's not as fully fleshed out as his later works and you can tell Sanderson was still developing as a writer.

All that being said its still an incredible work compared to other fantasy novels I've read. The magic system is intriguing and mysterious, and I love the idea of a magic system that is so tied to geography. It's unique. This ties into the overall Cosmere with the Shard Dominion, which derives its power from the land. This is why the magic systems on Sel (the planet in Elantris) are so tied to the regions and lands they come from.

Overall this is a great book. I wouldn't make it the first Sanderson book you read (I would make that Mistborn), but I would definitely not skip it at all.