Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this book review. Please read with caution.

Reading this novel was an amazing experience. After immersing myself in Mistborn Era 1 and falling in love with the world and their characters, Brandon Sanderson has me feeling the same vibes with Era 2. The 300 years later bit is interesting because it introduces different concepts that give the novel a steam-punk and western theme. The new main protagonists are male instead of female like Vin: names are Wax and Wayne, who have the most fun with each other during life and death situations.

The basic plot of the novel is Wax leaving the Roughs after his lover Lessie is killed by his own bullet. Five months later, Wax resides in Elendrel and runs his House Ladrian, a nod to the original Trilogy as it shows evolution of religion, politics, city, and the technology. The novel also does not have a Mistborn but a new concept called “Twinborn”, which is the ability to use Allomancy and Feruchemy at the same time. I enjoy Brandon Sanderson’s magic system and how it evolved alongside his world-building.

Now, this novel is interesting because it can be read as a standalone without prior knowledge of the original Trilogy, but the reading experience is quite enhanced if you have read Era 1 beforehand. But, reading load is less intense with this series as there are a lot less character POVs between the pages. (Wax, Wayne, Miles, and Marasi are the only characters with POV).

Now, Wax and Wayne are two lawmen who hunt criminals in the Roughs and have taken their expertise to the City once a series of robberies take place. The main plot is driven by their investigations and what the criminals are truly after as new information is revealed throughout the novel. The action sequences and a dash of witty banter always help, but this novel has refined that especially in regards to Wax and Wayne, whose dialogue was pure humor and wit. I found myself laughing out loud so many times reading it and the immersion was easy to get lost in.

Similar to my writing style however, Brandon Sanderson does have a slight tendency to get repetitive with his characterization and phrases (“Rust and Ruin”), but since I tend to do the same thing. I’m not sure how to feel about it because my former Writers Group has told me it’s not a good idea to be super repetitive in writing, but I did enjoy the repetition. I thought I’d bring this up as it was something I noticed throughout my time with Alloy of Law.

Wayne is probably my favorite character based on his wit and seamless character dynamic with Wax, who is his mentor / brother-like friend. He is also Twinborn who can create “speed bubbles”, the ability to slow down time which makes everyone else see him as super fast. He also strives on his wit and has the skill to mimic accents for his ridiculous disguises that work almost every time.

Wax is similar to Kelsier from the original Trilogy: heroic and haunted by a past. It’s a character type that Brandon Sanderson has played with before, so I didn’t mind it because I like those characters and Wax’s still entertaining, but aside from the unique Twinborn aspect, there’s nothing else to really report on him.

Overall, I started Book 2 immediately after that cliffhanger and it’s too good. I’d recommend the Mistborn series for anyone who’s into epic fantasy and amazing writing. Some people move on after Hero of Ages, but not us. Harmony help us all.

back to home