Reading: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

“Men rarely see their own actions as unjustified.” - Brandon Sanderson

Title: Mistborn:The Final Empire

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Published: 2006

Series: Mistborn (#1)

Rating: 4 Stars (Really liked it)

This series and author came highly recommended by two people I trust completely and within 1 week of each other. So I had to check it out.

Full disclosure: It took me a long time to get into this book. I started it several times before finally delving in. It's way overdue to the library. Regardless, I'm so glad that I did.

The book is smart. Really smart. And all of the characters are too. Not in a way that's completely unbelievable, but in a way that makes you think along with them. I love that. I love any book that doesn't assume stupidity on the part of the readers. Having read nothing but YA for a while, the intelligence and epic nature of the book were hard to get past. I'm used to fast-paced, quick-read short novels now and this was anything but.

This story is narrated 3rd person omniscient and follows Vin, a street urchin who has never known kindness or comfort, and Kelsier, a rebellious master thief who seems to take nothing seriously. When their paths cross Vin learns that what she always referred to as "luck" was actually much more, and she falls in with a crowd of theiving crewleaders who are hired on a job to overthrow a powerful empire.

Kelsier is such a great character. He shows the world one part of himself as the reader tries to use what they know to understand his underlying motivations. He's funny and creates many a lighthearted moment through his undying trust and love for his crew. Vin is cautious and wounded by her terrible past, but doesn't let that stop her from delving into her new life and changing as a result.

If you're into characters, this is the book for you. Everyone in this story is complex and interesting. Once I passed the halfway point, there was nothing that would make me put the book down. I barreled through it. And it stayed with me when it was finished. I wondered about the characters, I continued to inhabit the world. That is a sign of masterful writing.

4 Stars... Really Liked it!

#nerd #book #fantasy #epicfantasy