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cellular_cosmogony's review against another edition
4.0
Okay finally writing a proper review and all I can think after my reread is - yeah it was good??
The characters and plot came together beautifully. Kind of unfair how sad it made me at times. People tend to discount this series in comparison to Era 1 but it's so clear to me that Sanderson has become a way more competent writer by how well he pulls off everything as intended, even with a new PoV to juggle. Also I can't believe that (mild wider Cosmere spoilers)
The one thing I'm a bit iffy is the Cosmere shenanigans - like, I ate it up, but at the same time Mistborn always seemed to be the series with the least amount of Cosmere shenanigans, so I don't know if the last book of Era 2 was the best place to do all that. If you're a Mistborn-only reader I assume it will feel like a point of mystery but if you want to catch most easter eggs and all the context, you'll probably have to read Secret History, The Emperor's Soul, maybe Elantris and perhaps a couple of Stormlight books and that's a lot to ask of any reader. And missing on the references won't be a major loss but I imagine it might feel like hearing a funny joke and not having the context as to why it is funny.
The characters and plot came together beautifully. Kind of unfair how sad it made me at times. People tend to discount this series in comparison to Era 1 but it's so clear to me that Sanderson has become a way more competent writer by how well he pulls off everything as intended, even with a new PoV to juggle. Also I can't believe that
Spoiler
The Roshar branch of the Ghostbloods are violent and scary and the Scadrian branch has a philologistThe one thing I'm a bit iffy is the Cosmere shenanigans - like, I ate it up, but at the same time Mistborn always seemed to be the series with the least amount of Cosmere shenanigans, so I don't know if the last book of Era 2 was the best place to do all that. If you're a Mistborn-only reader I assume it will feel like a point of mystery but if you want to catch most easter eggs and all the context, you'll probably have to read Secret History, The Emperor's Soul, maybe Elantris and perhaps a couple of Stormlight books and that's a lot to ask of any reader. And missing on the references won't be a major loss but I imagine it might feel like hearing a funny joke and not having the context as to why it is funny.
prital96's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
The amount of crossovers in this book and references to all of his other series was actually amazing. The ending wrecked my life tho
The amount of crossovers in this book and references to all of his other series was actually amazing. The ending wrecked my life tho
whatthefunct's review against another edition
2.0
Hm. Where to begin. Well, let me just come out of the gates and say that everything you're about to read should always be considered to have a big, fat "TO ME" slapped in front of it, because these are my opinions, and clearly (based on ratings) lots of other folks don't agree with many of them.
With that out of the way, though... I really didn't think this was a very good book. I'm very mixed on it for a lot of different reasons. I think that as a COSMERE book, it's probably a 4* read. As the conclusion to its own series, and as a Mistborn book, it's a 2* for me. I thought about splitting the difference and giving it a 3*, but I honestly don’t feel like it deserves 3*. And I'm really shocked that so many people are giving this thing 5*. Spoilers below, obviously, so please be careful if you continue reading; my thoughts are more meant to (hopefully) spark a discussion between people who have finished the book already, and I don't want to negatively color anyone's expectations that hasn't yet read it. That's the last time I'll qualify my thoughts for this review!
So much of this book was a mess. The pacing was absolutely atrocious. EVERYTHING in this was rushed. I have heard some - albeit good - arguments that because so much groundwork had been laid in books 1-3 for Mistborn era two, there didn't need to be the standard ebb and flow of pacing in this final book, but I completely disagree. This book has about 20% of a slow buildup, and then it explodes and doesn't stop the whole rest of the way through. For fans of Sanderson, I think this is either going to be something you love, or something you hate. I thought it was entertaining and action-packed, but I also thought it was a stark departure from everything Sanderson has written in not only other Mistborn novels to-date, but in other Cosmere books as well. There were no real moments where characters had to reflect on things that had happened, or were happening. There was no time for it, honestly - everything was go, go, go the whole time, so the story being told just didn't allow for it. And again, maybe in a book NOT a part of the Cosmere that might have worked, but I think part of the problem I have with Mistborn era two overall, and especially The Lost Metal, is that it's just such a tonal departure from everything else in this universe so far.
All of Sanderon's other Cosmere books are pretty dark and epic in scale. Mistborn era two is written in the Cosmere, and so it's logical to expect that these books are written for the same audience of the others - an idea which is further solidified by the fact that this book, more than any other of Sanderson's to-date, really throws in the Cosmere ties and attempts to start bringing many different things together, or at least laying some new foundations for a sort of "second act" of the Cosmere's overall storyline. But because of how different it is thematically from the rest of the Cosmere, Mistborn era two doesn't really feel like it's written for the same audience, which is a confusing thing given just how significant a role it's clear that Sanderson wants Scadrial to play in the next series of books he is writing in this world.
But beyond that, even the links to other aspects of the Cosmere that Sanderson puts on the pages here amount to basically nothing by the time it's done. Had Marasi actually elected to join the Ghostbloods - and maybe have them concede that they need to bring some others, like Wax, into the fold - we might have had a really important thread established there and finally been able to get some insights into a group every Cosmere fan has been wondering about for ages, especially since the latest entry in the Stormlight Archive. But we didn't get that - she walked away from it instead, to... become governor. I appreciate that Marasi stuck to her beliefs, but then what was the entire point of the Ghostbloods plot line? It felt like Sanderson needed a way to bring Kelsier back into the story and so he made an excuse to do so. Otherwise the entire arc surrounding the Ghostbloods in this book could have been more or less removed, and all you'd have missed were some casual throwings around of references to other areas of the world of Elantris through things like TwinSoul's roseite and Moonlight's stamps. I wanted so much more from those things. It was a frustrating tease for them to be dangled in front of us after all this time, only to once again be metaphorically told to R.A.F.O - and in this case, the reading can't even begin for a few more years when we get the next Cosmere installment.
The villains in this book were terrible, which was a bummer because in books two and three of era two, they were quite strong. Going from book to book in era two, my reading experience was essentially - "I hate this, what happened to Mistborn?", "Maybe this is actually really good if you ignore Wayne.", "Okay I'm into it.", "That's it?". Telsin and Wax's relationship was one of our primary focuses throughout the series, but particularly in the third book, and she was set up to be a major player going forward, and her role in this was so lackluster that once again I can't help but wonder why anyone would find this to be a fitting conclusion to the MISTBORN era two story. Cosmere? Yeah it was a lot of fun! Mistborn? No. It just wasn't. I would have strongly preferred for Telsin to remain our primary antagonist here, maybe only learning more about the role Autonomy played in events after everything had wrapped up. At least then the overall arc for era two would have felt consistent instead of lackluster, which is how it feels to me now, despite the inevitable importance it will have in, once again, the greater Cosmere story.
Aside from having poor pacing and uninspired villains, The Lost Metal really didn't actually have much even happen within its pages. You could probably read a five page summary of everything important that happened in this book, out of the hundreds of pages it actually ran. Maybe that's true of a lot of books and I'm just being particularly harsh here, but if I am, it's because I have come to have very high expectations about the quality of storytelling that Sanderson is capable of, and I just felt like this was not even close to being up to his normal standards. There was so much action here rather than actual storytelling that it became hard to even find glimpses of Sanderson's brilliance within the book. And make no mistake - the man is brilliant. Anyone who can weave together an entire universe in this way earns that adjective from me without batting an eye lash. I just wanted more here. Instead, it's fight scene after fight scene after fight scene followed by fart jokes and throwaway plot lines that do nothing to advance the more contained Mistborn era two story.
It wasn't all bad, I guess. I did give it a 2* and not a 1*, so there's that. Despite my complaints about how bloated this book was by attempts to tie in the Cosmere without satisfactorily having tied up the actual Mistborn era two plot, I did enjoy the action scenes and the book was certainly easy to read, and I AM excited by the wider implications for the Cosmere. There were some emotional moments I liked towards the end quite a bit, and any time I got to spend with Steris was time well spent. Even Wayne, despite how little I care for his humor overall, made me laugh a few times here. Kelsier making a reappearance finally was very exciting, and his conversations with Harmony were even moreso; I still can't pin down whether I think the Ghostbloods and Kelsier will end up being good or evil in the long run, but I'm looking forward to how that is being set up. As I said, I guess we'll just have to R.A.F.O.
So I guess to avoid rambling I'll leave it at that. The book was just ok. As a Mistborn book, I thought it was pretty bad. But that series has very high expectations from me after how incredible era one was. As a Cosmere book, I'm excited to learn more about what this all means for what's yet to come in Sanderson's world. But I still think people are ignoring many, many flaws that this book has, and I hope that Sanderson gets back to the brilliant storytelling he's capable of in future books. One of my favorite things about him as an author has been his plotting. He really does lay breadcrumbs for readers to follow, and the pay off is amazing as a result. This book was all payoff and no breadcrumbs, and it's a trend I'm starting to notice in general with Sanderson's recent works. He's got a lot of story to tell, but he needs to remember, I think, that the most memorable parts of stories, the ones that stick with you most, are the ones that are well developed, and that you took your time to get to. That's what Mistborn era one was. I hope that's what our next Cosmere books will be, especially Mistborn era three.
With that out of the way, though... I really didn't think this was a very good book. I'm very mixed on it for a lot of different reasons. I think that as a COSMERE book, it's probably a 4* read. As the conclusion to its own series, and as a Mistborn book, it's a 2* for me. I thought about splitting the difference and giving it a 3*, but I honestly don’t feel like it deserves 3*. And I'm really shocked that so many people are giving this thing 5*. Spoilers below, obviously, so please be careful if you continue reading; my thoughts are more meant to (hopefully) spark a discussion between people who have finished the book already, and I don't want to negatively color anyone's expectations that hasn't yet read it. That's the last time I'll qualify my thoughts for this review!
So much of this book was a mess. The pacing was absolutely atrocious. EVERYTHING in this was rushed. I have heard some - albeit good - arguments that because so much groundwork had been laid in books 1-3 for Mistborn era two, there didn't need to be the standard ebb and flow of pacing in this final book, but I completely disagree. This book has about 20% of a slow buildup, and then it explodes and doesn't stop the whole rest of the way through. For fans of Sanderson, I think this is either going to be something you love, or something you hate. I thought it was entertaining and action-packed, but I also thought it was a stark departure from everything Sanderson has written in not only other Mistborn novels to-date, but in other Cosmere books as well. There were no real moments where characters had to reflect on things that had happened, or were happening. There was no time for it, honestly - everything was go, go, go the whole time, so the story being told just didn't allow for it. And again, maybe in a book NOT a part of the Cosmere that might have worked, but I think part of the problem I have with Mistborn era two overall, and especially The Lost Metal, is that it's just such a tonal departure from everything else in this universe so far.
All of Sanderon's other Cosmere books are pretty dark and epic in scale. Mistborn era two is written in the Cosmere, and so it's logical to expect that these books are written for the same audience of the others - an idea which is further solidified by the fact that this book, more than any other of Sanderson's to-date, really throws in the Cosmere ties and attempts to start bringing many different things together, or at least laying some new foundations for a sort of "second act" of the Cosmere's overall storyline. But because of how different it is thematically from the rest of the Cosmere, Mistborn era two doesn't really feel like it's written for the same audience, which is a confusing thing given just how significant a role it's clear that Sanderson wants Scadrial to play in the next series of books he is writing in this world.
But beyond that, even the links to other aspects of the Cosmere that Sanderson puts on the pages here amount to basically nothing by the time it's done. Had Marasi actually elected to join the Ghostbloods - and maybe have them concede that they need to bring some others, like Wax, into the fold - we might have had a really important thread established there and finally been able to get some insights into a group every Cosmere fan has been wondering about for ages, especially since the latest entry in the Stormlight Archive. But we didn't get that - she walked away from it instead, to... become governor. I appreciate that Marasi stuck to her beliefs, but then what was the entire point of the Ghostbloods plot line? It felt like Sanderson needed a way to bring Kelsier back into the story and so he made an excuse to do so. Otherwise the entire arc surrounding the Ghostbloods in this book could have been more or less removed, and all you'd have missed were some casual throwings around of references to other areas of the world of Elantris through things like TwinSoul's roseite and Moonlight's stamps. I wanted so much more from those things. It was a frustrating tease for them to be dangled in front of us after all this time, only to once again be metaphorically told to R.A.F.O - and in this case, the reading can't even begin for a few more years when we get the next Cosmere installment.
The villains in this book were terrible, which was a bummer because in books two and three of era two, they were quite strong. Going from book to book in era two, my reading experience was essentially - "I hate this, what happened to Mistborn?", "Maybe this is actually really good if you ignore Wayne.", "Okay I'm into it.", "That's it?". Telsin and Wax's relationship was one of our primary focuses throughout the series, but particularly in the third book, and she was set up to be a major player going forward, and her role in this was so lackluster that once again I can't help but wonder why anyone would find this to be a fitting conclusion to the MISTBORN era two story. Cosmere? Yeah it was a lot of fun! Mistborn? No. It just wasn't. I would have strongly preferred for Telsin to remain our primary antagonist here, maybe only learning more about the role Autonomy played in events after everything had wrapped up. At least then the overall arc for era two would have felt consistent instead of lackluster, which is how it feels to me now, despite the inevitable importance it will have in, once again, the greater Cosmere story.
Aside from having poor pacing and uninspired villains, The Lost Metal really didn't actually have much even happen within its pages. You could probably read a five page summary of everything important that happened in this book, out of the hundreds of pages it actually ran. Maybe that's true of a lot of books and I'm just being particularly harsh here, but if I am, it's because I have come to have very high expectations about the quality of storytelling that Sanderson is capable of, and I just felt like this was not even close to being up to his normal standards. There was so much action here rather than actual storytelling that it became hard to even find glimpses of Sanderson's brilliance within the book. And make no mistake - the man is brilliant. Anyone who can weave together an entire universe in this way earns that adjective from me without batting an eye lash. I just wanted more here. Instead, it's fight scene after fight scene after fight scene followed by fart jokes and throwaway plot lines that do nothing to advance the more contained Mistborn era two story.
It wasn't all bad, I guess. I did give it a 2* and not a 1*, so there's that. Despite my complaints about how bloated this book was by attempts to tie in the Cosmere without satisfactorily having tied up the actual Mistborn era two plot, I did enjoy the action scenes and the book was certainly easy to read, and I AM excited by the wider implications for the Cosmere. There were some emotional moments I liked towards the end quite a bit, and any time I got to spend with Steris was time well spent. Even Wayne, despite how little I care for his humor overall, made me laugh a few times here. Kelsier making a reappearance finally was very exciting, and his conversations with Harmony were even moreso; I still can't pin down whether I think the Ghostbloods and Kelsier will end up being good or evil in the long run, but I'm looking forward to how that is being set up. As I said, I guess we'll just have to R.A.F.O.
So I guess to avoid rambling I'll leave it at that. The book was just ok. As a Mistborn book, I thought it was pretty bad. But that series has very high expectations from me after how incredible era one was. As a Cosmere book, I'm excited to learn more about what this all means for what's yet to come in Sanderson's world. But I still think people are ignoring many, many flaws that this book has, and I hope that Sanderson gets back to the brilliant storytelling he's capable of in future books. One of my favorite things about him as an author has been his plotting. He really does lay breadcrumbs for readers to follow, and the pay off is amazing as a result. This book was all payoff and no breadcrumbs, and it's a trend I'm starting to notice in general with Sanderson's recent works. He's got a lot of story to tell, but he needs to remember, I think, that the most memorable parts of stories, the ones that stick with you most, are the ones that are well developed, and that you took your time to get to. That's what Mistborn era one was. I hope that's what our next Cosmere books will be, especially Mistborn era three.
sophiedingley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nicole_cob_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
margaretcampbell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
This book felt like a Cosmere exploration, and so in some ways read like Wayne fan fiction rather than Sanderson’s typical character developing fare. I simultaneously felt all the delight of watching characters I love pop up unexpectedly and learning more about connections between worlds, and felt like one of my favorite characters was used as a vehicle for the Cosmere rather than getting the kind of growth I had wanted. All the same - delightful, funny, insightful
nick_church's review against another edition
4.0
A quite fitting conclusion to Era 2!
I find myself in the minority when I feel as though I've enjoyed Era 2 more than the first. I found the characters more relatable, the wit more my taste, and the more grounded story felt was a welcome change. That being said, having breezed through the final four books in the past few months, I'm left wanting more from the world of Scadrial. This final installment has so many Cosmere tie-ins that it definitely has made we want to continue behind this series (Truth be told... I haven't read any of other of Sanderson's work). Needless to say, the final act of Era 2 was gripping, and dare I say emotional! Its hard to say goodbye to these characters... It'll be hard pressed to have another character like Wayne who actively makes me laugh out loud; however, I felt that everything came to a satisfying enough end... and who knows... maybe Sanderson has another few stories to tell!
Overall, Mistborn continues to be one of my favorite fantasy series and has officially made me into a Sanderson fanboy.
I find myself in the minority when I feel as though I've enjoyed Era 2 more than the first. I found the characters more relatable, the wit more my taste, and the more grounded story felt was a welcome change. That being said, having breezed through the final four books in the past few months, I'm left wanting more from the world of Scadrial. This final installment has so many Cosmere tie-ins that it definitely has made we want to continue behind this series (Truth be told... I haven't read any of other of Sanderson's work). Needless to say, the final act of Era 2 was gripping, and dare I say emotional! Its hard to say goodbye to these characters... It'll be hard pressed to have another character like Wayne who actively makes me laugh out loud; however, I felt that everything came to a satisfying enough end... and who knows... maybe Sanderson has another few stories to tell!
Overall, Mistborn continues to be one of my favorite fantasy series and has officially made me into a Sanderson fanboy.
levi_d_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
What a way to end this era. Going out with a bang!
dmays260's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
katiemac620's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
What an ending! Wayne of course is the true highlight of this book (and the series overall) and I don't think Sanderson could have telegraphed his ending more clearly. Despite that, Wayne and Marasi are the detective duo I didn't know I needed and the "Flaming bunny" exchange between Wax and Wayne was one of the funniest things I've ever read. I'm sad this era is ending but also incredibly excited for era 3 to begin.