Ten years ago, the city of Elantris was the seat of immortal beings whose magic could heal, feed, and transform. Then the Shaod - the blessing that turned ordinary people into radiant Elantrians - became a curse. Now the city's inhabitants are trapped in decaying bodies that neither heal nor die, and the once-glorious capital is a ruin sealed behind high walls. Prince Raoden of Arelon is taken by the Shaod and thrown into Elantris, where he refuses to surrender to despair. Outside the walls, Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a political marriage only to discover her betrothed is officially dead - and that the kingdom is far more fragile than anyone admits. Meanwhile, the high priest Hrathen has been given ninety days to convert Arelon to the Fjordell empire's religion, or the empire will destroy it by force. Brandon Sanderson's debut novel, a standalone epic fantasy driven by three converging viewpoints and a mystery at the heart of a broken magic system.