Lynness: Fantasy read

    I read Brandon Sanderson's Elantris, recommended by my sister.  I didn't realize he was LDS until I got the book and noted that he taught at BYU and found a familiar idea in the pages- better for one man to suffer than an entire nation be destroyed because of unbelief.  I liked it overall: I liked that the story progressed from 3 different viewpoints, it was well written, the characters were strong, the story moved along even though it was a large book.  I was engrossed enough to read it the day I got it.  However, there's a lot of political intrigue, which made for a good story, but I dislike not know who's REALLY good or bad.  Maybe it's simplistic, maybe it's just that there's enough duplicity in the world already, but I don't like being tricked or played- even by characters in a book.  I've never really been one for mysteries b/c I can never figure out "whodunnit."  Perhaps this is because I am usually unable to see past whatever face people put on- even with real people.  I don't have much of a gift of discernment.
    Also, the other main thing I was discontented with was that the mechanics of the magic that the main character was trying to figure out- and did- are never really explained to the reader.  I was reading something about writing science fiction recently (actually by Orson Scott Card, relating to the Book of Mormon- how incredibly hard it would've been to write if Joseph Smith were just making it up) about how readers don't usually want to know the details about the mechanics of the warp drive, or whatever, and that it often detracts from the feeling of reality that you want the reader to get (e.g., if one of us were to write a story in which the character drives to the post office, we don't describe the procedure of driving- we just take it for granted that everyone will understand).  I see the point there, but when the aim of the protagonist is to figure out how it works, I want to find out as he does, not just see the beginnings of the answer starting to come together, and then WHOOSH- everything is solved.
    Still trying to figure out my sci-fi read- I'd better do it soon!  September is almost here, and Ruth's naps are getting shorter, which means it'll be all seminary prep when the baby's down once school starts.