Matt W Cook

var addthis_pub=”4a0af351783743a8″;Until he was given the daunting task of finishing The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson was largely unknown.

Which is a shame, really.

If he were famous, but not for finishing Jordan’s masterpiece, he would be famous for his Mistborn trilogy. He’s not really famous for it. But maybe he should be.

I just finished the second book late last night. I’m barely holding myself from the third. I commend the series to you, and here’s why:

• It’s thoroughly original. I mean Wheel of Time was quite original, but it can’t touch Mistborn. At least, not on that field. It’s original in the plot, characters and setting. The basic backdrop is summed up by this question: What if the hero of prophecy failed and the Dark Lord took over the world. That’s how the book starts. The bad dude has already won. A thousand years ago. Darn.
• It’s intricate. It’s not nearly as basic as hero must do A B and C in order to win. I’m just finished book two and I don’t have a clue what the hero has to do. I don’t think she knows, either, though. And when she thinks she does know, well…read it for yourself.
• Sanderson took a lot of time to flesh out his magic system, creatures and universe. Even though we don’t get to see every corner of the earth, we know that each place has history and depth. Each race, each sect has something deep about it. Even when that depth is never explored.
• You fall in love with the characters. Even the ones you’re supposed to hate. It’s a good author that attaches you to his characters.

Good books. Not without their faults, of course. I think Sanderson’s weaknesses lie in ineffectual dialogue and too much tell rather than show.

So, if you’re into fantasy and you can’t wait until the Gathering Storm comes out, I invite you to check out Mistborn. You’ll enjoy them!