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boglord's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Genocide
Moderate: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death and Vomit
leona's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How do you write a review for a book as popular as Mistborn?
This book is undoubtedly (in my mind) excellent: epic, impactful and entertaining.
Mistborn is my first experience with Sanderson other than Skyward - which I really enjoyed - and it seems like a place that many regular Sanderson readers recommend that you start. To be fair, I have also listened to quite a few Sanderson interviews, lectures, and most of the 'Intentionally Blank' podcast episodes with Dan Wells, so I already felt like I knew the story pretty well. Hundreds of book tube videos, fantasy fans all over the world - all point towards Mistborn as a staple fantasy book, a kind of 'must-read'. I was very nervous going into this, as I've not really read any adult fantasy before, and I'm also not good with excessive gore and violence. In that regard I would say I agree that Mistborn is probably a good place to start with fantasy: engaging but simplistic and easy to follow writing style, great characters, brilliant magic system, and I would probably agree on PG-13 gore / violence. I think this is definitely a good bridging book between YA and Adult (from a reader of mainly YA).
The main things Mistborn has going for it (for me anyway) is the fascinating magic system and world building, as well as the excellent characters and character dynamics - paired with a mostly exciting plot. I never thought I really cared about magic systems or world building, but after this I must say that I do. (Also some of the fan art for this series is incredible, and does such a great job at capturing everything amazing and epic about this book). I love the mist cloaks, the glass daggers, the simple but complex system of allomancy. It's interesting to see Vin look up to Kell for his knowledge in it, and then realise that there is a lot more to the system and Kelsier's knowledge is actually quite limited. I mean I literally love Kelsier and Vin. The whole atmosphere is obviously very dark and gloomy, but the crew really add so much hope and sometimes humour to this bleak world.
I think that Sanderson does tend to info sump, but in a way that is easy to understand. I actually appreciated the repetition of things as it really helped me to understand what is going on. I love Sazed and how he adds many different religions and interesting cultures to the world. It's just so good: different to what I am used to, but so good.
Some complaints / considerations:
I think anyone considering reading this should be aware that there is quite a lot of political intrigue type stuff (especially in the middle). I didn't really realise this, and found the middle with all the balls and dancing and scheming kind of slow and a bit bland. I do think that there is a relative balance with action as well, but I think that pacing may have been a bit of an issue with me (however I still never really had to force myself through it or anything). The plot was very interesting, but it also felt like not much really happened to me.
There are a few more nitpicking complaints I have as well. Firstly, I would like to see a bit more development of some of the other side characters in the next book (mainly Breeze, Ham, Clubs, Spook and also Elend to be honest etc.) They definitely had some development, but not as much as Sazed or some of the main characters have, and I didn't really feel that connected to any of them.
Next would be there is a definite lack of other women in the book that aren't Vin - a complaint I've seen brought up a few times that I think is important, however I know that Sanderson has recognised and agreed with this criticism and improved on this in his later books. My last nitpick is definitely something you can choose to ignore, but that I also saw brought up by another reviewer. Sanderson has a bit of a habit with using a couple of adjectives / adverbs (that aren't used often) but repeating them several times (which becomes kind of noticeable). AKA: the words 'maladroitly', 'idly' etc. were repeated pretty often which was a little bit annoying but eh.
Right now, lets get on to some spoilers (AND THERE ARE SOME MAJOR ONES - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!)
Let's talk about Kelsier and Vin. As aforementioned, I absolutely loved Vin and Kelsier's relationship, and how it's almost like Kelsier is Vin's father figure. I think this may have even been one of my favourite parts of the book, I loved their scenes, especially where Vin tells Kelsier he doesn't know the life of a skaa, then proves to him that copperclouds can be penetrated. But this is also one of my problems - I don't know if I could possibly like the next two installments, when Kelsier was kind of carrying the hole book, and his relationship with Vin was one of the things I enjoyed the most.
And that's where we move on to the big elephant in the room: Kelsier's death!!
I can't remember where I had been spoiled for Kelsier's death, I probably heard it on youtube somewhere, but I thought it wouldn't matter because I thought I would have forgotten before I finished it. I think this may have somewhat impacted my enjoyment, as I probably would have found this much more impactful and emotional if I hadn't already known about it. However, I think his death made me sad by just the fact that Kelsier doesn't even try to fight the Lord Ruler, he just lets himself be killed, and I agreed with Vin at first, it did feel like a betrayal. Kelsier had planned this from the start, but let Vin get close to him anyway. It also makes him more morally grey in some ways I think, because Kelsier does end up being the new 'God', worshipped by everyone, just as the rest of the crew had been fearing for the entire book. Kelsier had the potential to go bad, and I thought that some of the diary entries were actually from his point of view. This could have been an interesting story line, but I am glad that Kelsier does end up dying for the 'greater good', despite the fact that he is my favourite character (I literally can't express how much I like Kelsier as a character).
I think my comments here also bring into question whether Kelsier acts for the 'greater good' and if he actually loves his frinds, or whether his actions are all selfish. To some extent Kelsier definitely acts selfishly in some situations. There are also instance like when the army are being killed by the Garrison (I think) and Vin stops him. Readers are left to question whether Kelsier actually cares for these men or if he just wants to further his own reputation by saving everyone. After thinking about this quite extensively, I think I did underestimate Kelsier: the guilt he feels after this, the genuine care he seems to show for Vin (when she is abused by Camon, or when she is stabbed, or even after his death in the letter) to me confirm that he does genuinely care, however his ego often gets in the way.
You know, I think the most disturbing thing from this book for me was actually the kandra (they made me feel a bit sick to be honest) despite some of the other violence. That chapter after Kelsier dies, where it has become him and skulking around in the shadows with his body. That was spooky.
I also think I am coming to like Marsh as well, and I was surprised that he came back as an inquisitor (although again, this time it was my fault, I got spoiled for Marsh still being alive, as well as the Lord Ruler being a furechemist (sorry can't remember how to spell that one) and an allomancer.)
Quick mention to Elend and Vin. A lot of people dislike the romance (or so I've heard), and I do like Elend and Vin and don't think it was *that* insta-lovey. I think Vin has more of a crush on him at first to be honest, and they just flirt for most of it. I liked their relationship, but I also don't think it was really that well developed, or that they really had much 'chemistry', and I think Elend was a bit of a flat and kind of underdeveloped character. I would say Sanderson is generally thought not to be strong at writing romance, however I think the romance in Skyward was one of my favourites (so far) and I don't know about the other books.
I should probably wrap this up now. In general, I really enjoyed Mistborn, especially the world building and magic system and Vin and Kelsier's relationship. I wanted better pacing (but maybe I just struggled because I am an adult fantasy newbie and I 'don't understand the complexities... yada yada yada'. I'm glad I stopped putting this off and finally delved in to this, and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy and some of his other books (Warbreaker looks brilliant!) I rate this first installment 4 stars!
This book is undoubtedly (in my mind) excellent: epic, impactful and entertaining.
Mistborn is my first experience with Sanderson other than Skyward - which I really enjoyed - and it seems like a place that many regular Sanderson readers recommend that you start. To be fair, I have also listened to quite a few Sanderson interviews, lectures, and most of the 'Intentionally Blank' podcast episodes with Dan Wells, so I already felt like I knew the story pretty well. Hundreds of book tube videos, fantasy fans all over the world - all point towards Mistborn as a staple fantasy book, a kind of 'must-read'. I was very nervous going into this, as I've not really read any adult fantasy before, and I'm also not good with excessive gore and violence. In that regard I would say I agree that Mistborn is probably a good place to start with fantasy: engaging but simplistic and easy to follow writing style, great characters, brilliant magic system, and I would probably agree on PG-13 gore / violence. I think this is definitely a good bridging book between YA and Adult (from a reader of mainly YA).
The main things Mistborn has going for it (for me anyway) is the fascinating magic system and world building, as well as the excellent characters and character dynamics - paired with a mostly exciting plot. I never thought I really cared about magic systems or world building, but after this I must say that I do. (Also some of the fan art for this series is incredible, and does such a great job at capturing everything amazing and epic about this book). I love the mist cloaks, the glass daggers, the simple but complex system of allomancy. It's interesting to see Vin look up to Kell for his knowledge in it, and then realise that there is a lot more to the system and Kelsier's knowledge is actually quite limited. I mean I literally love Kelsier and Vin. The whole atmosphere is obviously very dark and gloomy, but the crew really add so much hope and sometimes humour to this bleak world.
I think that Sanderson does tend to info sump, but in a way that is easy to understand. I actually appreciated the repetition of things as it really helped me to understand what is going on. I love Sazed and how he adds many different religions and interesting cultures to the world. It's just so good: different to what I am used to, but so good.
Some complaints / considerations:
I think anyone considering reading this should be aware that there is quite a lot of political intrigue type stuff (especially in the middle). I didn't really realise this, and found the middle with all the balls and dancing and scheming kind of slow and a bit bland. I do think that there is a relative balance with action as well, but I think that pacing may have been a bit of an issue with me (however I still never really had to force myself through it or anything). The plot was very interesting, but it also felt like not much really happened to me.
There are a few more nitpicking complaints I have as well. Firstly, I would like to see a bit more development of some of the other side characters in the next book (mainly Breeze, Ham, Clubs, Spook and also Elend to be honest etc.) They definitely had some development, but not as much as Sazed or some of the main characters have, and I didn't really feel that connected to any of them.
Next would be there is a definite lack of other women in the book that aren't Vin - a complaint I've seen brought up a few times that I think is important, however I know that Sanderson has recognised and agreed with this criticism and improved on this in his later books. My last nitpick is definitely something you can choose to ignore, but that I also saw brought up by another reviewer. Sanderson has a bit of a habit with using a couple of adjectives / adverbs (that aren't used often) but repeating them several times (which becomes kind of noticeable). AKA: the words 'maladroitly', 'idly' etc. were repeated pretty often which was a little bit annoying but eh.
Right now, lets get on to some spoilers (AND THERE ARE SOME MAJOR ONES - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!)
And that's where we move on to the big elephant in the room: Kelsier's death!!
I can't remember where I had been spoiled for Kelsier's death, I probably heard it on youtube somewhere, but I thought it wouldn't matter because I thought I would have forgotten before I finished it. I think this may have somewhat impacted my enjoyment, as I probably would have found this much more impactful and emotional if I hadn't already known about it. However, I think his death made me sad by just the fact that Kelsier doesn't even try to fight the Lord Ruler, he just lets himself be killed, and I agreed with Vin at first, it did feel like a betrayal. Kelsier had planned this from the start, but let Vin get close to him anyway. It also makes him more morally grey in some ways I think, because Kelsier does end up being the new 'God', worshipped by everyone, just as the rest of the crew had been fearing for the entire book. Kelsier had the potential to go bad, and I thought that some of the diary entries were actually from his point of view. This could have been an interesting story line, but I am glad that Kelsier does end up dying for the 'greater good', despite the fact that he is my favourite character (I literally can't express how much I like Kelsier as a character).
I think my comments here also bring into question whether Kelsier acts for the 'greater good' and if he actually loves his frinds, or whether his actions are all selfish. To some extent Kelsier definitely acts selfishly in some situations. There are also instance like when the army are being killed by the Garrison (I think) and Vin stops him. Readers are left to question whether Kelsier actually cares for these men or if he just wants to further his own reputation by saving everyone. After thinking about this quite extensively, I think I did underestimate Kelsier: the guilt he feels after this, the genuine care he seems to show for Vin (when she is abused by Camon, or when she is stabbed, or even after his death in the letter) to me confirm that he does genuinely care, however his ego often gets in the way.
You know, I think the most disturbing thing from this book for me was actually the kandra (they made me feel a bit sick to be honest) despite some of the other violence. That chapter after Kelsier dies, where it has become him and skulking around in the shadows with his body. That was spooky.
I also think I am coming to like Marsh as well, and I was surprised that he came back as an inquisitor (although again, this time it was my fault, I got spoiled for Marsh still being alive, as well as the Lord Ruler being a furechemist (sorry can't remember how to spell that one) and an allomancer.)
Quick mention to Elend and Vin. A lot of people dislike the romance (or so I've heard), and I do like Elend and Vin and don't think it was *that* insta-lovey. I think Vin has more of a crush on him at first to be honest, and they just flirt for most of it. I liked their relationship, but I also don't think it was really that well developed, or that they really had much 'chemistry', and I think Elend was a bit of a flat and kind of underdeveloped character. I would say Sanderson is generally thought not to be strong at writing romance, however I think the romance in Skyward was one of my favourites (so far) and I don't know about the other books.
I should probably wrap this up now. In general, I really enjoyed Mistborn, especially the world building and magic system and Vin and Kelsier's relationship. I wanted better pacing (but maybe I just struggled because I am an adult fantasy newbie and I 'don't understand the complexities... yada yada yada'. I'm glad I stopped putting this off and finally delved in to this, and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy and some of his other books (Warbreaker looks brilliant!) I rate this first installment 4 stars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Genocide, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Vomit
There is quite a bit of violence, blood, and death, but Sanderson doesn't focus on this particularly and doesn't glamourise or make it overly gory (this is coming from a 15 year old who is really bad with gore). There were one or two parts I just skimmed slightly because they were a tad much for me. There is no explicit sexual content, but there are many mentions of skaa women being 'bedded' or raped by noblemen then killed after. Again, this is only mentions and there is nothing explicit here. Language is mainly fine, (for those concerned) with the odd 'bloody hell' and 'bastard' once or twice.
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