Brilliant Books
Aug. 20th, 2008 08:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indiana_jLately, 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. ;)
Obviously if there's a second book, they won. They put a good man - if not the one they originally intended - on the throne at the end of the book; the boy got the girl; for the most part, the thieving crew is in one piece.
But.
If you overthrow a god that has been ruling the world for over a thousand years, the next question is now what? Ideals and ideology aside, the crew and the newly made king find themselves in a situation that seems almost worse. The main city is surrounded by three armies and three ruthless men who have set themselves up as kings in other parts of the world.
And to make it worse, the Mistborn that protects the king, Vin, is convinced that the Lord Ruler had been holding something back. Something worse. And with his death, it's coming once more into the world.
It's a great look at what happens beyond the "fairytale" ending that tends to be common in so many fantasies. You have a king who's determined to rule by the people, for the people - but what if the people are scared and drifting? What happens when they decide they would rather have a ruler who, while oppressing them, will be strong and keep the country together?
It's the sinking realization among the crew that stands out the most. These are people who went up against a god and won. Now what?
I'm not quite done yet - I've just gotten to a point in the book where I had to put it down and go "Oh my god, this is brilliant". Sanderson has you just as paranoid as the characters are getting in the group. Vin and you both know there's a traitor in the close circle and she's forced to test them one by one, deathly afraid that she's going to find out that one of her friends has been killed and replaced.
And when you do find out who it was all along? Holy. Crap.
But.
If you overthrow a god that has been ruling the world for over a thousand years, the next question is now what? Ideals and ideology aside, the crew and the newly made king find themselves in a situation that seems almost worse. The main city is surrounded by three armies and three ruthless men who have set themselves up as kings in other parts of the world.
And to make it worse, the Mistborn that protects the king, Vin, is convinced that the Lord Ruler had been holding something back. Something worse. And with his death, it's coming once more into the world.
It's a great look at what happens beyond the "fairytale" ending that tends to be common in so many fantasies. You have a king who's determined to rule by the people, for the people - but what if the people are scared and drifting? What happens when they decide they would rather have a ruler who, while oppressing them, will be strong and keep the country together?
It's the sinking realization among the crew that stands out the most. These are people who went up against a god and won. Now what?
I'm not quite done yet - I've just gotten to a point in the book where I had to put it down and go "Oh my god, this is brilliant". Sanderson has you just as paranoid as the characters are getting in the group. Vin and you both know there's a traitor in the close circle and she's forced to test them one by one, deathly afraid that she's going to find out that one of her friends has been killed and replaced.
And when you do find out who it was all along? Holy. Crap.
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.)
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Date: 2008-08-20 01:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-20 02:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-20 06:42 pm (UTC)