4.33 AVERAGE

adventurous challenging funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This second installment was just as amazing as the first one. I was wondering how Sanderson would continue the story because it seemed the last book closed a chapter in the life of the Skaa themselves.
But no, Sanderson had to raise the stakes.
I admit I was fooled, and the trick was good. Reading that epilogue had me running laps. It doesn't cease to amaze me how bright Sanderson is.
About the characters:
Vin herself has grown so much. She is so different, and I am amazed at the person she has become. Her relationship with Elend just flows so naturally. Vin definitely has doubts, but she learns to embrace herself. I loved that she was so attuned to her feminity despite being raised to hide it as a little girl. Vin overall learns the value of trust. The moment she comes to that realization was beautiful. Kelsier taught her so many things, and even now, his teachings have shaped Vin to become a leader and a warrior. Vin definitely has her flaws, and that is what's beautiful about her. She is human.
Elend's character went through changes as well. Elend is now king of Luthadel. The story takes place over a year after the events of [b: The Final Empire|68428|The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617768316l/68428._SY75_.jpg|66322]. Elend is now the ruler and though his ideologies as a philosopher and scholar are definitely amazing, people are not. Politics suck, and that's what Elend has to deal with. He creates an assembly composed of eight nobles, eight SKAA merchants (who think too much of themselves. I emphasized the word Skaa for a reason), and eight Skaa people. The system is meant to be equal. But let's not fool ourselves, that's not happening. Anyways, Elend goes from a rich boy to a king. I loved Elend so much. The one thing that is mentioned a lot in the book is his honor. He sticks to his ideals even if it is not convenient for him. That ends up biting him in the butt later, but at least the man is truthful. Elends ends up being a true leader and acquires a commanding demeanor as the book continues. I love him too much <3
We meet other characters as well. There's Tindwyl(<3<3<3<3<3<3), OreSeur(<3<3), Zane(-_-), Amaranta (;)), Allriane (-_0). Other characters as well, but these stick more to me.
Sazed. I love you. He is my favorite character. I don't know, he is just Sazed you know. I love his scholarly mind, his passion, his knowledge, his character, everything. He is still our beloved Sazed.
Spoiler Somebody please poke me in the head. He went through so much. He lost Tindwyl. I almost shed tears when he found her body. It was cold. Literally. And that epilogue *sob*. Sazed's whole character has been built on his understanding of religions. He has stated that he believes in all of them. He likes the comfort they provide and the truths they hold. That ending was the last straw. I felt shattered as well. Everything Sazed believes was shattered. He no longer believes. And that was a blow, because who is Sazed now?
.
Anyways, super excited about the next book. As I said, that ending literally solidified Sanderson as my favorite author. I mean, how could I not?
adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No

Enjoyed the first book of the series but this one left me cold. Slight improvement right at the end. 

9/10

I started reading this series on recommendation. I went in with no expectations and the first book really surprised me. I never knew where the story was going to go and found the magic system fascinating.

The second book in the series is one I love even more. Elend’s growth and development really touched my soul as while I read I’m also struggling with leadership. Though I’m not as hopeless as Elend, at least in the beginning, I found his journey resonated greatly with me.

Vin is wonderful as always. She’s such a fantastic character easy to root for, occasionally frustrating, and a very flawed hero. Her own struggles with herself and identity were masterfully done.

This book handles trauma, loss, and grieving so well. It’s rather amazing. As you watch characters struggle it’s hard because it’s so real. I wanted to both comfort them and slap them upside the head at times.

This book also ripped my heart out and I felt myself get close to crying multiple times.

The way Sanderson slowly builds tension is not for everyone, but it is for me. When things start coming together suddenly interactions I didn’t think much of got put in a whole new light and it made me want to go back and reread sections to see if I could spot signs of what was happening.
It always takes me awhile to get into his books, but they’ve yet to disappointment me. I’m excited to start the final volume later this year and see how the trilogy ends. I’ve gotten attached to so many of these characters and feel very invested in what he’s built.

My ratings for all things are specific to me and how I enjoyed the text. This is a biased review based on my own likes and dislikes. I respect conversation and disagreements. Every person experiences art differently
adventurous
Loveable characters: Yes
adventurous tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

What did I just read? 🤯
First of all, I’m just so happy I didn’t lose any of my friends in this book 😂if you know, you know. Compared to book one, this one was a bit slower and dragged in parts, but I still enjoyed every moment. It’s an easy 5-star read, no doubt.
Did I mention how much I love Vin, Sazed, and OreSeur? I do. Deeply. I miss my little man though. Honestly, at this point, I feel like I know these characters in real life they’re not just names on a page anymore, they’re family