A lot weaker than Mistborn, the only other Sanderson stories I’ve read. Even so, it’s still more solid than most fantasy I’ve ever read.
You can tell it was his first published book, mostly because of its world-building. One of the things I liked most about Mistborn is how, by the end of the third book, you fully understand its world, mythology, and magic system as if you had been living in it forever, and every twist completely shatters any expectations you might have had.
That’s probably the thing I liked least about Elantris. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to Sanderson being that good, but it feels like there’s a lot left open for a promised sequel that hasn’t been written in twenty years. I couldn’t really explain how the magic system works, nor could I say much about its different religions, factions, or even the world itself.
And while the twists are there, they’re not as surprising as I expected them to be.
I liked it, but I wouldn’t recommend it before Mistborn—or probably before any other Sanderson story (although I haven’t read them yet).