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Brilliant Books
Aug. 20th, 2008 08:38 amLately, I've been reading Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. To be honest, it sometimes takes quite a bit to get me really into high fantasy in the last few years - I'm much more into urban fantasy but I'll give high fantasy a try now and again if the concept is interesting. Or if a favorite author is putting out books.
I think I stumbled onto Mistborn: The Final Empire completely by accident. Borders had a 'buy one off this shelf, get something else off this shelf half off' sale. I can't remember what else I picked up but that's the book I got on sale.
The entire premise is "What what happen if the big bad guy won?" Not only did the big bad win but he's managed to set himself up as god and he's been ruling over the entire world for over a thousand years. The people are subjugated to the point where most of the serving class (ie, 90% of the human race) don't ever think there's another way because there really isn't.
The magic system is unique - there are people who can do "magic" but it's by using, or 'burning', an outside source. Metal that the Allomancer's swallow. Each metal is paired up with another and each metal does something different. If you burn Tin, your senses get enhanced. If you burn pewter, you get stronger and hold up against more damage. Those that can burn and use all of them are Mistborns - most people can only burn one metal (pewter burners are Thugs, etc).
The main characters make up a skaa (the lower class) thieving crew who's latest gig is to take down the Final Empire. Kelsier, the leader and a Mistborn, takes Vin under his wing and into the group - the story is mainly told from their perspectives as an entire year of planning and working goes by.
Now I LJ cut for the second book. ;)
The only bad thing about the book is that the third installment, The Hero of Ages, isn't out until Oct. 2008.
If you're looking for a fantastic fantasy series with well-fleshed out characters, interesting twists on some of the common themes, and some good world-building...yeah, go get these.
(The only thing I sometimes noticed was that it, at times, would get a little bogged down in detail because there's just so much going on. The second one more than the first because then you really get into the workings of the government.)
I think I stumbled onto Mistborn: The Final Empire completely by accident. Borders had a 'buy one off this shelf, get something else off this shelf half off' sale. I can't remember what else I picked up but that's the book I got on sale.
The entire premise is "What what happen if the big bad guy won?" Not only did the big bad win but he's managed to set himself up as god and he's been ruling over the entire world for over a thousand years. The people are subjugated to the point where most of the serving class (ie, 90% of the human race) don't ever think there's another way because there really isn't.
The magic system is unique - there are people who can do "magic" but it's by using, or 'burning', an outside source. Metal that the Allomancer's swallow. Each metal is paired up with another and each metal does something different. If you burn Tin, your senses get enhanced. If you burn pewter, you get stronger and hold up against more damage. Those that can burn and use all of them are Mistborns - most people can only burn one metal (pewter burners are Thugs, etc).
The main characters make up a skaa (the lower class) thieving crew who's latest gig is to take down the Final Empire. Kelsier, the leader and a Mistborn, takes Vin under his wing and into the group - the story is mainly told from their perspectives as an entire year of planning and working goes by.
Now I LJ cut for the second book. ;)
The only bad thing about the book is that the third installment, The Hero of Ages, isn't out until Oct. 2008.
If you're looking for a fantastic fantasy series with well-fleshed out characters, interesting twists on some of the common themes, and some good world-building...yeah, go get these.
(The only thing I sometimes noticed was that it, at times, would get a little bogged down in detail because there's just so much going on. The second one more than the first because then you really get into the workings of the government.)