I don't read books as much as I used to. Perhaps tat's a function of being in school and reading for class. Summer provides a welcome relief from textbooks and research articles. This summer in particular has been good for delving into the pages of a new story. Earlier this summer I wrote about Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology. However, the most satisfying read for me had been the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The books individually are Mistborn, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages. Each book is riveting. Sanderson weaves a beautifully complicated tale of love, trust, faith and magic, of which he introduces three unique new systems.
Similar to other fairly recent fantasy books I've had the time to read there is a dark feel to the books. The heroes must overcome insurmountable odds in their quest. Of course the basic principle that the main characters are reaching for is hope in a hopeless situation. Perhaps that is a common theme in our world today and these authors are just trying to buoy up their audience.
The story begins with Kelsier, the first hero, pulling together the elite of the Final Empire's underground. Along with these talented characters Kelsier finds Vin, a young street urchin with the as yet unknown potential of a hero. Vin is a mistborn, one who can "burn" certain metals and their alloys to perform certain magically abilities. This is called allomancy. Sanderson, in the other this books introduces furochemy and hemalurgy but explains them in more detail in the next two books. These new magics systems show Sanderson's creative genius and tie in perfectly with how the story unfolds and finally concludes.
To sum up the first book and perhaps entice you to read them, Kelsier, Vin and the crew plot to overthrow the Final Empire and the Lord Ruler, a feat that has been attempted but never completed over the last 1000+ years. Along their journey they teach each other about the power of trust and love. We see how Vin, Kelsier, and the other main characters are able to do what they need to by drawing on the power of these traits. In the end we learn why faith is so important as well.
I would say more but that would give away the story. Let's just say that I stayed up late a couple of nights because I had to finish the books. At 3:00 am on a Saturday morning I finished The Hero of Ages and thought, "That was the most incredible finish to a book/trilogy I think I've ever read." Sanderson pulls in pieces small details from each book that were seemingly unimportant and threads them together with the increasingly tense story line and leaves you with a complete conclusive tapestry. He more than resolves the story, he creates a new beginning that leaves you breathless. I loved these books and would recommend them to anybody who likes fantasy books.
Similar to other fairly recent fantasy books I've had the time to read there is a dark feel to the books. The heroes must overcome insurmountable odds in their quest. Of course the basic principle that the main characters are reaching for is hope in a hopeless situation. Perhaps that is a common theme in our world today and these authors are just trying to buoy up their audience.
The story begins with Kelsier, the first hero, pulling together the elite of the Final Empire's underground. Along with these talented characters Kelsier finds Vin, a young street urchin with the as yet unknown potential of a hero. Vin is a mistborn, one who can "burn" certain metals and their alloys to perform certain magically abilities. This is called allomancy. Sanderson, in the other this books introduces furochemy and hemalurgy but explains them in more detail in the next two books. These new magics systems show Sanderson's creative genius and tie in perfectly with how the story unfolds and finally concludes.
To sum up the first book and perhaps entice you to read them, Kelsier, Vin and the crew plot to overthrow the Final Empire and the Lord Ruler, a feat that has been attempted but never completed over the last 1000+ years. Along their journey they teach each other about the power of trust and love. We see how Vin, Kelsier, and the other main characters are able to do what they need to by drawing on the power of these traits. In the end we learn why faith is so important as well.
I would say more but that would give away the story. Let's just say that I stayed up late a couple of nights because I had to finish the books. At 3:00 am on a Saturday morning I finished The Hero of Ages and thought, "That was the most incredible finish to a book/trilogy I think I've ever read." Sanderson pulls in pieces small details from each book that were seemingly unimportant and threads them together with the increasingly tense story line and leaves you with a complete conclusive tapestry. He more than resolves the story, he creates a new beginning that leaves you breathless. I loved these books and would recommend them to anybody who likes fantasy books.
Fan-freaking-tastic books! Pretty much everything I've read by Brandon Sanderson is pure gold. Have you read The Way of Kings yet? It's brilliant too. And so are the books he's written for the end of the Robert Jordan series....The dude's got mad writing chops. He brings a morality to the table that I feel like most fantasy writers that I've read don't have. Not to mention the awesomeness of the relationships between characters. His books genuinely move me in a way not other fantasy author's do. I'm a fan.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the Way of Kings, but now that I have a good review I'll have to check it out. I did hear that he was chosen by Jordan's editor (his wife) to finish the Wheel of Time. I thought about picking those up again but the semester is starting and I won't have that much time to read forever long books. I really do love Sanderson's style though. I agree, he does preserve morality even though the characters and readers live in an immoral world. He also uses great words like maladroitly. Great stuff.
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