Book Review: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Mistborn: The Final Empire Series: Mistborn #1 Author: Brandon Sanderson Published: 2006 by Tor Books (Macmillan) Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more? In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage - Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

This is one of the most highly recommended books I have ever come across. It is almost impossible ti find a person who has read this book who thinks "meh, it's alright." This book is beloved! So many book blogger friends have recommended this series. Having read my first Brandon Sanderson recently (Steelheart) and being completely blown away by the world, characters, and plot on top of being recommended it so many times I caved and decided to read it and my adult book(s) for High Fantasy month.

This book was not at all a disappointment. I saw almost instantly why everyone loves this series. I am incapable of describing or explaining exactly why this book is so fantastic. I wouldn't be able to do it justice and that's not fair to you or this book. It is without a doubt one of the most creative and enthralling books that I have read.

The world of Mistborn is both frustratingly complicated and entertainingly complex. From the history and mythology to the magical system I spent a lot time being equal parts blown away by how cool and badass Allomancy is and confused by how complex it was. What I really liked about Allomancy is that usually in Fantasy novels the magical system is either something internal like being able to do spells or something external like being able to control the elements but with Allomancy it was both. To do Allomancy not only do have to have the innate or inherited ability but you also had to have the physical metals to burn. It combined both an internal and external ability. I'm always searching for a unique magical system and I have found it here in Mistborn.

But I have also found some amazing characters. I was instantly attached to Vin and her strength but also her vulnerability. Throughout the novel she developed into an amazing and truly kickass female character. I also fell instantly in love with Elend Venture. He was wry, anti-social, and snarky but with a heart of gold. Vin said it best when she described him as "a bit annoying in a pleasant sort of way." Seriously this ship! It it my new favorite OTP (fingers crossed). I love the banter between the two of them and how they seem like total opposites but they work so well together. But I would be completely remiss in this review if I didn't mention Kelsier. Not only was he this badass Allomancer who continued to impress me with his ability to fight but his determination and strong leadership were easy to root for. And those three are just the tip of the iceberg. The book is full of interesting and complex characters that were so entertaining to read about and you grew so attached to in such a short spa of time. That is the brilliance of Brandon Sanderson and his characters.

Finally the plot of this book is exactly what I adore in High Fantasy. As a fan of the genre I can usually categorize or even pigeonhole books into one subgenre but the best kinds of books defy all of that. Mistborn is one of those books. Of course it had thrilling action scenes with allomantic battles that had me enthralled and entertained with so much magic and amazing fantastical elements (see section on Allomancy). But it was also full of mystery. There were mind-blowing twists that caught me completely off guard and even some revelations that I was able to solve around the same time as the characters, which are both my favorite type of mysteries and revelations in the books I read. And it had political intrigue with characters who were plotting and scheming for themselves and the betterment of others. And don't get me started on the heart-wrenching feels. Everything throughout the book built to something truly amazing. Every time I thought it couldn't get any crazier, I was proven wrong. Mistborn kept me entertained and surprised to the very last page.

I give Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson a 10 out of 10

Mistborn is a must read for Fantasy fans! It is A Song of Ice and Fire with less death and debauchery. It is unique and entertaining with a magical system unlike anything else, fantastic characters you can't help but love, and an amazing plot full of action, mystery, and political intrigue. I have fallen for the series and I am officially declaring my allegiance to the Sanderson Army!

Have you read Mistborn? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!