Hi fiction lover! I’m back in Hawaii—I had a good trip to Fukuoka and Singapore! It was such a refreshing time. During my vacation, I was reading my first Brandon Sanderson novel, Mistborn. Besides an epic, unique, and snappy title (I can’t stop repeating it), it has a wonderful magic system, a vast world, and an endless potential for adventure and conflict. Before reading, I had no idea what to expect. The only thing I’d heard is that Brandon Sanderson is a talented worldbuilder and storyteller. I had to give one of his novels a shot! Did I enjoy it in the end? Read a bit more of my Brandon Sanderson Mistborn review to find out!
Brandon Sanderson Mistborn Review
Also called Mistborn: The Final Empire, the book opens with a darkness over the land and a large population enslaved by an all-powerful god. It seems hopeless for the people called the skaa, who toil basically all day for the empire with no payment. We meet Kelsier, the hero who is determined to topple the empire and defeat the all-powerful god—otherwise known as the Lord Ruler. We also meet Vin, the thief who wants nothing more than to preserve her life and keep things to herself.
I asked myself in the beginning, “How is this going to change for our heroes, especially Vin?” The Lord Ruler seemed entirely too powerful. After all, everyone in the world looks at him as god. Of course, Sanderson had something up his sleeve to weave into a tale filled with adventure and flawlessly executed twists. The crew that Kelsier gathers is determined to change the status quo at any cost.
The magic system in Mistborn is chef’s kiss. It’s called Allomancy, and the people who use it are Allomancers. There are a limited number of metals that provide Mistings and Mistborn with powers, and each metal has a different effect (one “pushing” metal has a “pulling” counterpart). Mistborns are like superheroes who can use every single available metal (compared to Mistings, who can only use one). I enjoyed the action scenes to the fullest, where it often seemed like Kelsier was close to dying or at least getting his arm chopped off. Seriously, these scenes were written with a lot of care and detail that made me actually breathe heavily.
Without spoiling the plot, I will say that Kelsier surprised me. He’s a hero-type character, but I didn’t love a lot of things about him. However, I did love his personality in the end, and he offered a lightheartedness to the group of main characters.
Vin was a loveable character, with a little naivety and a whole lot of determination to protect herself—and later, not just herself. I love the romantic subplot that goes on (can I say that there may be a royal involved?). There are master plans and thievery scenes, but there are also scenes at the ball and tender moments between Kelsier’s crew.
The side characters are lovable too! Especially Sazed. I love that guy! He warmed my heart more than once.
Will I Continue the Series?
Short answer: yes! I am much too curious about what happens to the crew and to the whole empire in general. Sanderson drew me in with his pacing, quirky characters, and the twists that I didn’t see coming. Despite all the darkness (and ash!) in the book, the theme of hope is very strong. At the end, I felt like I could also hope when things in my life seem lost.
Question! Have you ever read a Brandon Sanderson novel? What do you think of his writing? Honestly, it’s been a long time since I dove into an epic fantasy. The massive page count and the time I need to invest often scare me off! I can say that for this one though, it was definitely worth it.
Thank you for reading my Brandon Sanderson Mistborn review! Truly, it lights up my day when I get a comment or message. I hope you will join me in my blog again! Thank you for exploring fandom, stories, and more with me.