Wow.
Just wow.
I could write a ten-page review of this book and it wouldn’t do it justice. So, I will say this. If you love Epic fantasy and/or Lord of the Rings, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.
I fell in love with Vin and Kelsier, the Mistborns gifted with flying powers, Jedi-like mind tricks, and temporary superhuman abilities. I have been a long-time listener to the podcast Writing Excuses where Brandon Sanderson is a host. His advice greatly helped my writing but for some reason, I never took the time to buy his book. Well, this year I finally bite the bullet and tread the six-hundred-plus page masterpiece. The hard magic system combined with highly descriptive writing makes this an immersive read.
I sympathized with Vin and her tragic background. Her desire to blend into her surroundings and her fear of abandonment made her very reliable. As a member of the Sca race in a racist society of bureaucrats, she has two choices, be a slave or be a thief. Her brother chose the latter for her and then promptly abandoned her.
Trapped in a life of crime, she wills those around her into submission using a power she can’t explain. That’s when Kelsier walks in saves the day, and also makes her life a lot more complicated. He saves her from her brutal boss and offers her a new job. She must help a team of misfits rebel against the Lord Ruler, a being who claims to be a god and enjoys oppressing Sca.
Vin chooses to join based on Kelsier’s knowledge of her mysterious gift and the promise to teach her how to use it. Her life changes forever as a new war slowly brews and political parties battle for power.
I will give this a mild content warning as there is violence that comes with war but nothing too graphic, most of it is quick and off-camera. There is a little language and a few comments about villains taking advantage of women but nothing explicit.
The originality of this story is incredible. I love how deep Sanderson goes into the magic system and tricks you into believing people could actually harvest power from ingested metals.
Scoresheet:
Violence: Mild. Most is done behind the scenes but there is mangled bodies described and implied rape mentioned.
Romance: No spice and a brief kiss. Romantic tension well done.
Morals/Worldview: Secular with good morals
Recommended reading age: 17+
