What It's About
Think ‘Avatar: The legend of Aang’ but in a much darker, post-apocalyptic world with a much more interesting magic system.
We follow the journey of Vin and Kelsier, two thieves from the nation's peasant underclass. They both end up having magical powers (in a non-lame way) and they're all about stealing from the rich to give to the poor.
THEN SO MUCH STUFF HAPPENS AND EVERYTHING GOES ABSOLUTELY MENTAL. Can't say more without ruining it. Sorry.
How I Discovered It
A friend recommended Brandon Sanderson's books. He's now my favourite author of all time (sorry JK Rowling).
Thoughts
This trilogy was my first introduction to Brandon Sanderson’s incredible fantasy writing. Once I started reading Mistborn: The Final Empire I couldn’t put it down, and I blitzed through it and then the two sequels in the space of a couple of weeks.
I wish I had spent more time savouring the trilogy because when it was over I felt like there was a hole in my life. In fact, I started listening to the audiobook (via Audible) of The Final Empire but I used the sync feature such that I’d listen to the audiobook in the gym, and then when I got home I’d continue with the proper book on Kindle. I kinda wish I’d just stuck to the audiobook because then the whole experience of the trilogy would have been longer and sweeter. Oh well.
Interestingly, the series continues with another 4 books (set a few hundred years after the events of the original trilogy) - I read those immediately after finishing the original trilogy and while they’re not as amazing as the first three, they’re definitely worth reading.
What I Liked About It
Can I say 'everything'?
What I Didn't Like About It
If you're new to fantasy, it can seem a bit long and daunting. And if you're reading it in paperback, the font size is really small. Those are my only real criticisms.
Related Books
After reading the Mistborn series, I was looking for something else and so a friend who I was on GP placement with recommended The Name of the Wind, the first book of the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, as the best fantasy book she’d ever read.
If you enjoyed the Mistborn series, you should definitely check out the Kingkiller Chronicles. Also, after reading Mistborn, you’d appreciate The Stormlight Archive (also by Brandon Sanderson). It’s a little more dense than Mistborn but just as good, if not better.
