It was hard for me to decide which book or series would be my first to review, but it only felt right to choose the original Mistborn trilogy as my starting place. I have always been a fantasy reader, even when I was a kid who could barely finish assigned books in school. I used to tell my mom that reading would be way more fun if they assigned books I actually wanted to read. At the time, that meant The Hunger Games and Twilight, which I still stand by because those books shaped a generation. If I had been allowed to write a five paragraph essay about the pros and cons of Edward versus Jacob or a deep dive into the political similarities between The Hunger Games and modern day America, I would have been a straight A student. Instead, I was crying over the mouse from Of Mice and Men. It is a classic, I get it, but I needed something to escape into.

As I got older, I dove into authors like Sarah J. Maas, Rachel Gillig, and Tracy Deonn, which gave me the sense of escape I needed after graduating. I had always heard about Brandon Sanderson and his writing, but for some reason his worlds intimidated me, and the size of his books made me hesitant to start. Thank God for my wonderful boyfriend, who convinced me to try the Mistborn trilogy by promising he would start Throne of Glass. A very good tradeoff in my opinion. 

Anyway, let’s get into the review. This is probably going to turn into a big brain dump of my thoughts because there is no way to fully articulate how much this world and its characters mean to me. At first, I was confused but intrigued by the magic system in the Mistborn world. Allomancy is so creative, and I had never read anything like it before. The idea even made me want to start taking iron supplements just to see if I would get random powers. The concept of people being born with the ability to manipulate emotions, for good or for bad, is not entirely new in fantasy, but the way it is done here through metals feels refreshing. The mental and emotional metals were especially intriguing because people often cannot tell when they are being used.

Vin, our main character, is guarded and resilient in a way I have not seen often. Even though those traits are common in fantasy worlds, I felt like it was written differently for Vin. I quickly became obsessed with her. I loved that she could be strong and a fighter while also enjoying putting on a cute dress to impress her crush at a ball. Later in the series, the fact that she designs her dresses so she can spar better was exactly what I wanted for her. I would not  have been on board iif she had to give up dresses or the person she had become.

Vin and Elend Venture have a unique relationship in my opinion when it comes to fictional romances. Elend comes from a family where power is expected of him, but he does not agree with the political beliefs that come with it. Vin never wanted power, yet she was born a Mistborn and becomes one of the most powerful there has ever been. They balance each other in a harmonious way, and I know male authors get a lot of criticism for how they write women, but I think Brandon Sanderson did a great job with Vin.

Sazed, my sweet Sazed. Where do I even start? He was a character I did not fully understand at first, but I knew I would grow to love him. He struggles with his role as a Terris Keeper as he begins to question the religions he has spent his life preserving. He becomes a mentor to both Elend and Vin and, spoiler alert, he is the Hero of Ages. His relationship with Tindwyl was a knife to the gut. It is actually too soon for me to speak about her, she may get her own post.

My heart broke for this crew, even though I know they all left their world doing exactly what they believed in. Elend and Vin go down fighting, sharing their final moments together before finally getting to rest. Seeing Vin become Preservation was beautiful and well done. I had low hopes for her survival, but I did not expect to lose Elend too. The final scene of them lying together randomly haunts me throughout my days.

Other very notable characters from the series are Spook and TenSoon. Spook was so special to me because his character development was unexpected. He starts the series as a somewhat timid Tin Misting Allomancer. He is not very happy with the fact that he can only sharpen his senses with Allomancy and does not have other powers. As the series goes on, we see Spook gain confidence and become a real hero in this story.

TenSoon is probably my favorite character from this trilogy. I was heartbroken to find out about his betrayal, but I knew deep down he would somehow turn it around. No shocker, he did not let me down. His escape from the Kandra Homeland? Electric. Learning about the kandra was one of the best side plots of the story, and I hope to learn more about them in the Wax and Wayne era. Do not be surprised if you see me with a scruffy dog named TenSoon in a few years.

Finally, let’s talk about the art of the Sanderlanche. Brandon Sanderson really knows how to build a world slowly and steadily and then suddenly cut the brakes and send you flying down the hill to fend for yourself. I never know who to trust, and I certainly never feel like my favorite characters are safe. I have noticed he favors a writing technique where he drops pieces of lore that make you think you missed something earlier, but in reality they come together to make the ending even more satisfying. I have since started The Stormlight Archive and I am really enjoying it so far. Stay tuned for more.

Until next chapter,
SBB