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(3.5 / 5)
Mistborn #1
Mistborn is a fun fantasy heist-turned-revolution adventure. I found the concept of allomancy unique and interesting: a magic system with some very strict and specific rules. There are a lot of characters, but not so much as to be overwhelming (along the lines of an ocean’s-eleven style crew) and their individual personalities seem to compliment each other well. I will say that some of the secondary character’s weren’t well fleshed out, but I imagine they will gain more “air-time” in the novels to come. I’m really interested in seeing more from Elend; he quickly turned into one of my favorite characters. And I’m curious about Marsh, hopefully we will learn more about him in the sequels.
While part of a series, the novel stands well on its own. In fact, things are wrapped up quite nicely by the end of the book, so I’m not sure where the story goes from here. Perfect for those looking for a fantasy to get their feet wet, without diving into a long series.
My biggest problem with Mistborn would have to be the pacing. The beginning of the novel is very slow. Sanderson spends a lot of time in his introduction of Vin and the world, and it took me ages to slog through (though this is my standard complaint about most Adult Fantasy). About half-way through, the pace picks up and I started to really engage with the characters. But I think the story could have been about 2/3 of the length without losing much story.