tiny pink books

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn Book 3) by Brandon Sanderson
Tor Book, 2008

Finally, I got a copy of The Hero of Ages from the library!  Continuing the unstoppably good Mistborn series, The Hero of Ages begins at desperate times for Vin, Elend, and the other surviving members of Kelsier’s old crew.  A destructive, God-like force has been unleashed and is doing just about everything that it can to end the world.  Vin, Elend, Spook and the rest of the crew are doing anything that they can to stop it.  But how do you stop a God?  Sanderson delivers a satisfying conclusion in this final chapter.

I’m not going to say much other than that I have enjoyed the Mistborn series thoroughly.  As someone who is not easily a fantasy fan, I have great respect for Sanderson in making this work approachable and enjoyable, even for readers like me who are not necessarily driven to read fantasy (I thank my sister for getting me into these books!).  As a young adult librarian, I think that I will recommend this series, though it is not specifically marketed for YA, to teens who can handle the (thick) page length because I do think that the material will be just as appealing to teens and adults alike.

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn Book Two) by Brandon Sanderson
Tor Books, 2007

The Well of Ascension is the second installment to Brandon Sanderson’s exciting Mistborn Trilogy.  As part two in a fantasy epic, The Well of Ascension begins in the middle of the turmoil left over from the first book.  The oppressive government has fallen and Vin, a mighty Mistborn, is left with her friends and new found love, Elend, to lead the people through the chaos.  In Sanderson’s world, certain people have the power of Allomancy, the ability to swallow metals and “burn” them within their bodies to gain supernatural powers.  Most Allomancers can only burn one kind of metal for a single power, but Mistborn are rare beings who have the ability to burn lots of different metals for lots of different powers.  The book is a mix of personal and political action.  Society seems on the verge of collapse and everyone is scrambling to find their place in the new order.  Vin, as well as several other characters, are further developed throughout this installment, which leaves us (of course!) with a stunning, cliff hanger of an ending.

This is a fantasy epic.  It takes a mouthful (as demonstrated above!) to even vaguely touch upon the plot and the world that Sanderson has created in these Mistborn books.  There are all the prerequisite fantasy touches–the maps at the beginning of the books, the kings, the far off lands, the epic battles between entire armies, the prophesies, etc.  The most striking thing about these books, however, is that they are so well written and entertaining that they are great reads, even for someone like me who is not normally “into” fantasy.  I don’t mean to say that I never have and never will read fantasy, I just mean that if you tend to shy away from books with dragons and knights on their covers, much like I do, you still might want to pick up the Mistborn books.

Recommended to readers looking for a fast-paced and fun trilogy centered around a strong female character.  Appropriate for YA readers who can handle the bulk of these books.  I would not recommend this to readers seeking anything too serious.  In order to enjoy the Mistborn books, one has to be light hearted enough to accept Sanderson’s magical world of Allomancy.  Those who do will be rewarded!

Mistborn:  The Final Empire (Mistborn Book 1)
by Brandon Sanderson, Tor Books 2006

My sister, who is the most voracious reader I know, gave me this book for my birthday in August.  Yes, this means that it took almost six months before I opened it up and read it.  I was mostly worried that I wouldn’t like this book because I thought, based on the title and the cover alone, that it would be a boring fantasy epic full of all the stereotypical cliches of wizards and castles.  I am happy to report that I was wrong.

First of all, Mistborn: The Final Empire  is the first book of a trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, which follows the adventures of Vin, a 16 year old thief turned heroine in the wonderfully creative world of the Final Empire.  Vin begins as a timid, yet strong, street urchin who has grown up in a tough world and survives by trusting no one but herself.  Vin is recruited by Kelsier, a powerful Mistborn and a leader of a great thieving crew to ever work the empire.  With Kelsier’s help, Vin discovers that she is a Mistborn–a person with the powerful ability to swallow certain metals and burn them to obtain super human powers.  With Kelsier as her mentor, Vin discovers a whole new life with her powers and her new family of friends as they  attempt to start a revolution and destroy the evil Lord Ruler of the Final Empire.

The plot of Mistborn: The Final Empire manages to stay an exciting page turner from start to finish (a noteworthy trait for a 600+ page book).  The world Sanderson has created, and the powers he has given his characters, are really fun to read.  Although it is undeniably a fantasy epic, I do think this is one of those genre books that has quite a lot of crossover appeal.  While I don’t think Mistborn is for everyone, I think that it will appeal to readers who are open to fantasy, but not necessarily exclusive to it.  I’m thinking grown up Harry Potter fans (especially of the later books) and maybe even readers of the recent vampire books.  While not a YA book, some young adults will certainly enjoy this work.  Vin is a strong female character who is thoroughly enjoyable to read.  Not for anyone seeking a a short or super serious work, this fun adventure makes a great commute book.