Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun little (by Sanderson standards) adventure story and update to the world of Mistborn. It's origin as a short story / writing exercise which was expanded into a full novel definitely comes through, as the story is a relatively straightforward series of finding clues, acting on clues, ambushes, and fight scenes. The book is often sold as a Western, both by fans and one of its alternate covers, but while there are some (lengthy) gunfights which justify the genre comparison, including one on a train , it's tone & plot more closely resemble an urban detective novel outside the prologue.
It says more about the quality of Sanderson's plot-writing in his other work that I'm somewhat disappointed by the lack of twists and turns in Alloy (outside the mystery's start in earnest with a betrayal-by-butler, and the ultimate reveals in the final chapter which set up the subsequent trilogy ), as well as the overreliance on action scenes to move the plot forward. I even guessed the climactic twist use of Marasi's "useless" allomantic ability to defeat Miles within a couple of pages of it first being introduced. Compare this to the originally trilogy's twists around Kelsier's death and "resurrection," the source of the Lord Ruler's immortality, the crew's traitor, the well of ascension's purpose, the mist-sickness, or Vin's earring , all of which surprised me despite repeated guesses. That said, the action is some of the best Sanderson has written, and the blending of magical abilities and "mundane" fighting techniques makes for some very compelling scenes. While I was initially skeptical of Wayne's ability to mostly-stop time in a bubble, it is used fantastically as both a way to increase tension (such as thinking through an explosion that's creeping toward the bubble) and as a way to break up action scenes while the characters talk and plan.
Waxiliam is a fun character, and I always enjoy when fantasy is willing to stick with a competent adult protagonist since it allows their arc to be more internal rather than just "training." The secondary characters are a little bit flatter - Wayne hints at depth but mostly feels like a sidekick with a few gimmicks, and Marasi's fangirling over W&W is a little much until we get near the novel's end - and I understand the attempt to useMiles as a way to show Kelsier being a "villain were his circumstances different," but it's never clear enough what his ultimate goal is to make the comparison land.
Ultimately, Alloy of Law is a fun little adventure with well-written action which expands enough to set up a Second Era for the world and create anticipation for the novels which follow.
It says more about the quality of Sanderson's plot-writing in his other work that I'm somewhat disappointed by the lack of twists and turns in Alloy (
Waxiliam is a fun character, and I always enjoy when fantasy is willing to stick with a competent adult protagonist since it allows their arc to be more internal rather than just "training." The secondary characters are a little bit flatter - Wayne hints at depth but mostly feels like a sidekick with a few gimmicks, and Marasi's fangirling over W&W is a little much until we get near the novel's end - and I understand the attempt to use
Ultimately, Alloy of Law is a fun little adventure with well-written action which expands enough to set up a Second Era for the world and create anticipation for the novels which follow.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Goed en spannend verhaal binnen de Mistborn serie van Brandon Sanderson. Naar mijn idee hadden de gevechten wel wat minder van het verhaal in beslag kunnen nemen. Af en toe duurde zo'n beschrijving wel erg lang. Natuurlijk is deze serie verder niet vertaald. Iets wat ik nog steeds niet kan begrijpen.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
I had been skeptical about picking this book up after seeing some mixed reactions to the second era from other Mistborn fans, but I'm glad I decided to give it a chance. This first book definitely felt less epic than the original trilogy, and in many ways it felt like an entirely different world. That being said, the magic system felt extremely familiar, just with some new and exciting twists, and I appreciated the interspersed references to the original world and characters.
The hardest part about getting into this first book was that I'm not normally a fan of Westerns. Thankfully, Sanderson wrote this era in a way where the Western elements weren't too overwhelming. I think that the characters helped as well, as I was invested in them early enough that I wanted to keep reading for them at the very least.
The epilogue on its own had enough hints of what's to come in future books that I'm even more excited to see how things continue from this point on. While this first book was pretty small in scale, it feels like future books won't be the same and I look forward to that.
If you're already a Mistborn fan, I definitely suggest at least giving this book a chance, if only to have the experience of being brought back to this universe.
The hardest part about getting into this first book was that I'm not normally a fan of Westerns. Thankfully, Sanderson wrote this era in a way where the Western elements weren't too overwhelming. I think that the characters helped as well, as I was invested in them early enough that I wanted to keep reading for them at the very least.
The epilogue on its own had enough hints of what's to come in future books that I'm even more excited to see how things continue from this point on. While this first book was pretty small in scale, it feels like future books won't be the same and I look forward to that.
If you're already a Mistborn fan, I definitely suggest at least giving this book a chance, if only to have the experience of being brought back to this universe.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No