Mistborn: The Hero of Ages

By Brandon Sanderson
Do you notice that I haven't told you much about the plot of the book yet? That's because it is complicated and detailed and I would give a lot away if I described it to you. But those of you who know me know that I care a lot about how a story ends. Let me tell you that this story, the third and final book, ends perfectly. Not a mushy, happy, fairy tale ending. That wouldn't fit with the book and realness of the characters. But not a sad, hopeless ending either. The end of the story perfectly matches the bulk of the saga. Full of struggle and tragedy and perseverance and strength and hope.

P.S. I read the ending. And then the next day picked up the book and reread the last 6 or 7 chapters again. Just because I wanted to experience it one more time.

Mistborn: The Well of Ascension

By Brandon SandersonSo I realized a few other things that I like about these books:

1) The plot is fast paced. And not in a bad way. Sometimes authors tend to throw in action packed scenes or mushy details that are interesting but don't really move the story along. This story is always moving along. And it doesn't bog down. There are battles and action, but it is very practical without being dry.

2) I think I mention this in the post about the first book. But the characters doubt themselves. And realize that they don't always know what they are doing or what to believe in. But they keep trying to do what they think is right anyway.

3) The author worked out the entire story before he started writing. I like when the fantasy world that is created is well thought out. Lord of the Rings style. Without writing each little detail down and explaining it so minutely.

Mistborn: The Final Empire

By Brandon Sanderson
So I actually read this book while we were in Priest Lake, ID, way back in August. And I liked it so much that I came home, bought the entire trilogy, and promptly reread it. Yes, that is right. I finished my borrowed copy, gave it back, bought a new copy, and promptly started rereading it. I liked it that much. I also felt like I was so caught up in the action and the plot the first time that I was missing some of the important details about this world and the skills that the Mistborn have.

This book could have stood alone and I would have been pretty happy. It is thought out down to the detail, full of action, good thinking, and great characters. It falls into the fantasy/science fiction category but I hate to put that label on it as it doesn't fit the stereotype. The characters have more depth and they aren't perfect. They question themselves and give you the freedom to question them too. I found myself respecting each of the characters, but not to the point of wanting to be them. They had to go through too much to really want to be them. Yet they were happy and they keep on surviving. I liked it. And I was pretty happy when I found out that there were two more more books to read.