Mistborn: Our first book review!

I've an idea. I will work on reading books that El recommends, and El will work on reading books that I recommend. We'll then post a book review with each of our thoughts. In the end, you get to read about a good book from two different perspectives and we get to grow closer together through books! I can't think of anything better in the world. (Cheesecake is a close second.)

I'm excited to announce that our first book review will be about Mistborn: The Final Empire, the first book in the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.

Mistborn, Brandon Sanderson, 2007, 541 pages, 4.4 Goodreads rating

The gist of it: In a fantasy world where society is plagued by extreme social and economic inequality, ruled by a mysterious and powerful tyrant, a teenage girl with abilities she doesn't understand is caught up in a heist-scheme led by a charismatic and rascally leader. Intricate magic systems provide structure for this heist-turned-rebellion story.

El-ahrairh: I just finished the third book of the Mistborn series last week, and it's now my favorite series. The first thing I want to talk about is what got me interested it in the first place—its unique idea of what would happen if a hero went on an epic quest to save the world, and lost. That's kind of the setting. Next, there's the well thought-out but also exciting (video game-esque) magic system that allows for thrilling fight scenes. One thing that makes it exciting is its rationality—because it predictably follows its established rules, there are no deus ex machinas and you can admire and sometimes even follow the characters' creativity in solving problems. The characters themselves are  complex and follow a believable progression. And finally, religion and belief plays and important role in the characters and plot, which is something I really like. All in all, fantastic books. 

Owlet: I am so much in love with this trilogy. In fact, I dressed up as the main character for Halloween last year. Someone ought to ask the Board a question about it so I can post pictures there!

I'd like to point out that this is the kind of book that would be easy for me to judge--negatively--by its cover. I'm more a YA fiction kind of girl, so this high fantasy stuff isn't really "me." Yet, even with my initial misgivings, I was instantly and seriously hooked. The magic system is well thought-out, but the author manages to explain it without becoming dry. Sanderson also employs a dynamic cast of characters that not only relate to readers but also engage in complex relationships, witty banter, and overall believable dialogue that doesn't leave the audience in the dust. In particular, I was impressed by Sanderson's ability to write the teenage girl; he doesn't stray to the extremes that most female protagonists are forced into. Vin is independent, yet vulnerable. She keeps up with the guys but surprises even herself when she becomes fond of the world of ballgowns and high society. She makes mistakes, and not little ones either--not ones that the author just threw in to make sure his character was humanly imperfect--but ones that drastically affect the entire trilogy's story arc. Her awesomeness is why I chose to dress up as her for Halloween, and is a large part of why I highly recommend the second and third books as well (The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages). 

*I would rate the content PG-13 for violence and brief mild language.

-Owlet