Elantris

Brandon Sanderson’s debut novel is set around a city once home to god-like beings, now a cursed ruin where the afflicted are exiled. Following a prince struck by the curse, a foreign priest, and a princess navigating a political marriage, it weaves mystery, faith, and a signature rule-based magic system into a self-contained epic. A strong standalone entry point to Sanderson’s interconnected ‘Cosmere’ universe.