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A review by alecjira
The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
The South African bookselling industry does this thing where they don't import hardcovers.
So if you buy a book in the same year it was published, your only option is the substitute for a hardback: an extra-big paperback.
Which is alright, I guess. But if you have the rest of the series, it just looks incredibly dumb cos book four will be two centimetres taller than the rest of the series.
I believe I wrote in a tweet once that I don't want an imitation of the Giant's Causeway in book spines on my bookshelf.
All this to say I waited a year after The Lost Metal was published to buy it.
I really enjoyed The Lost Metal. I got really invested in Sanderson's characterization, loved the complexity of its use of Cosmere lore, and thought that Wayne's character arc in this book in particular was really well done.
I think this book is going to be really confusing for anybody who wants to engage in the Cosmere by reading Mistborn Eras 1 and 2 first. I'm fine with that for myself because I'm reading the Cosmere as it comes out, but that won't be the case for future readers. I also think that this book and Mistborn Era 2 in general suffers from middle child syndrome. Middle /book/ syndrome, if you will. Reading this felt like there were cooler things Sanderson wanted to get to, and that he had to write this first to set it up. And because of how fast the pacing needed to be for The Lost Metal to maintain its pulp fiction type genre, Sanderson didn't delve as much into the details as I would have liked to see. So much was happening in so little time that some changes feel jarring, or happen mostly off screen.
I loved the through line of Wayne throughout this story. I won't be specific cos of spoilers, but I really empathise with the struggles he faces regarding mental health and self-image.
I also loved how I could only understand some details because of my investment in other series. The complexity and nuance in store for future Cosmere fans really excites me.
I give The Lost Metal four stars.
So if you buy a book in the same year it was published, your only option is the substitute for a hardback: an extra-big paperback.
Which is alright, I guess. But if you have the rest of the series, it just looks incredibly dumb cos book four will be two centimetres taller than the rest of the series.
I believe I wrote in a tweet once that I don't want an imitation of the Giant's Causeway in book spines on my bookshelf.
All this to say I waited a year after The Lost Metal was published to buy it.
I really enjoyed The Lost Metal. I got really invested in Sanderson's characterization, loved the complexity of its use of Cosmere lore, and thought that Wayne's character arc in this book in particular was really well done.
I think this book is going to be really confusing for anybody who wants to engage in the Cosmere by reading Mistborn Eras 1 and 2 first. I'm fine with that for myself because I'm reading the Cosmere as it comes out, but that won't be the case for future readers. I also think that this book and Mistborn Era 2 in general suffers from middle child syndrome. Middle /book/ syndrome, if you will. Reading this felt like there were cooler things Sanderson wanted to get to, and that he had to write this first to set it up. And because of how fast the pacing needed to be for The Lost Metal to maintain its pulp fiction type genre, Sanderson didn't delve as much into the details as I would have liked to see. So much was happening in so little time that some changes feel jarring, or happen mostly off screen.
I loved the through line of Wayne throughout this story. I won't be specific cos of spoilers, but I really empathise with the struggles he faces regarding mental health and self-image.
I also loved how I could only understand some details because of my investment in other series. The complexity and nuance in store for future Cosmere fans really excites me.
I give The Lost Metal four stars.