I stumbled upon a gem!
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, Book 1 in the Mistborn Trilogy
This is just a commentary on an epic fantasy novel for fans of the series. I will admit that I judge books by their covers all the time. This includes e-books. So, when I noticed the cover of this book: A woman is jumping over a city, cape flying behind her, and holding daggers. I downloaded a sample. I was hooked within a few pages!
If you’ve never read Mistborn, think about a person discovering new supernatural abilities, a revolutionary war, a leader on demon time, and a ton of mysteries to keep you on your toes. If that excites you, then you need to read this book. But you might want to wait before reading my comments. Come back when you’ve finished the first book in the trilogy and tell me what you think!
Here is the cover I judged correctly btw.
*INCOMING SPOILERS*
And the Character Names Award goes to…Brandon Sanderson for Mistborn!
The names in this book highlight Sanderson’s mastery in creating believable characters. Every introduction made it easy to grasp a character’s essence. Their names perfectly match their personalities and roles in the story. These names serve as anchors, grounding my reactions to each character and reinforcing the believability of the plot.
Sazed
No. Sazed is not Yoda…but Yoda vibes are still there! Never ignore the effects of a consistent force on the abused.
Anyone with a dark past, IRL, understands the need for a safety blanket to take on the journey of escapism. Sazed is a treasure.
He provided a safety net for Vin's exploration of the world mentally, physically, and spiritually. And he’s actually pretty funny and entertaining. During the messy process of setting, communicating, and receiving boundaries to develop healthy relationships, Sazed is a green flag.
My favorite moment was him forcing Vin into another lesson while getting her hair done. I also really love his name despite pronouncing it ten different ways from page to page.
"Dustfinger? No, it's Kelsier."
If you recall the character Dustfinger, the scraggly-haired fire-juggler with a horned marten on his shoulder, from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, then you and I probably have a lot to talk about. Kelsier reminds me of the character that's the easiest to love, hardest to lose, and most likely to cause internal conflict. I enjoyed how the characters described him as often unpredictable, a little crazy, hard to understand, and full of mysteries. Tracking his decisions left me, as the reader, often confused, puzzled, and curious. This particular mix of character traits can leave you wondering,"Am I toxic for liking him?" He sounded a lot like Dumbledore from Harry Potter whenever he was instructing Vin. He was terrified for her safety while throwing her off of every cliff they approached (sometimes literally). And after everything he put us through (yes, I was fighting with Vin in this story, and you can’t tell me otherwise), I have to say I really miss him. It doesn't help that his name is pretty fun to say.
Vin
Vin is a tiny white girl with big powers who embodies the phrase, "It's complicated…" Have you ever watched someone make a dumb decision while refusing your advice? Now imagine that person has experienced the worst that life has to offer. Do you hug or slap them? Or both? This is what I was thinking whenever Vin made a new decision. The golden retriever side of me wanted to support her as the underdog. But her selfish desires make me distrust her ability to accomplish any tasks put in front of her. Vin acts like a ticking time bomb of self-destruction from the outside looking in. But she also helps me appreciate the mess that I make in my closet every time I put on THE fit. Or the destruction of my bathroom while working on my best hairstyles.
Sidenote: I just tried Koruba braids and OMG. I fell in love. It took three days to figure out exactly how to make the swirl patterns. Check out my first attempt:
Anyway, Vin reminded me of the life stuff adults talk about that sounds like fluff until you grow up and experience it all for yourself. Things like self-development. Or quotes like “turn your pain into purpose!” Every compliment I get makes me think about the process and what it took to get to that moment. Every good thing comes after days of overthinking, questioning, praying, struggling, and hoping. Hopefully, in this instance, Vin is in her method-to-the-madness era.
Spook
Of course, I have to mention him right after Vin. I'm not concerned about Sir Venture at all. I'm constantly worried about Spook! How is he? What does he dream about at night besides marrying Vin? What are his life goals? Where did he come from? And how does he feel about his language barrier? Spook is a mystery box that I wanted to open so badly. Alas, I had to watch Vin tear his heart to shreds and fall for the cliche choice: the only rich boy that happens to think differently in a world of wealth, power, status, and corruption. Blehhhh. I don't see that lasting next to Vin's emotional complexity and power level. But I enjoyed watching her own her freedom to choose. Spook seemed to be tossed aside so easily on this journey that I have to wonder if he will reappear in the same style as Ekko from the Arcane series. He may be exactly what Vin needs in the end, or he may prove to be an excellent friend at least.
Shan Elariel
Gone but not forgotten. Shan was a jerk who might have deserved more. She made me question the life of a noble mistborn woman vs. that of a man in the same position. Could she have related to Vin in some way had that relationship not interfered with her greater plan? Shan became a casualty of the revolution simply because of Vin's preference and love interest. Despite how cool it was to read through that fight scene, I couldn't help but hold out hope that Shan survived the encounter. I grieved the loss of her character and potential.
The Lord Ruler
Let's have a round of applause for the story structure! The parallel relationship between the journal entries and the present-day events felt so good. I started off falling for the trick of not knowing who on earth was writing these journal entries, and yet, I wanted to know more about the author than any other character. My mind always spirals into chaotic thoughts. At one point, I assigned this journal to the Deepness. I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued once I discovered the true author. Like Vin, I was eating up every page of those entries, but I held out hope that it wouldn't overpower the story, and I'm happy to say that never happened.
Straff Venture
Who didn't see this coming? Something in my brain grants me pinpoint accuracy in this scenario. I can spot a wannabe tyrant a mile away. Time will tell, but I’m pretty sure this guy is in it for whatever makes him the most money. He is one loose end I wish were tied up before the end of this book.
Marsh
The real hero of the crew is Marsh. He’s Batman and Black Widow. Marsh makes the sacrifice play in secret before anyone can track his movements. I love how every interaction with him feels like meeting the ace in the hole. He discovered Vin’s power, pointed Kelsier in the right direction, and laid his entire life on the line to free the skaa. Only a few people even know about his existence, and that somehow feels like the right choice for a character like him.
Ham
Ham is my honorable mention because he loves to ask why. He and I both like to understand how a system is built, what keeps it running, and whether we agree with the methods involved. Have you ever seen those Netflix shows that celebrities start whenever they want to take a paid vacation? They travel from country to country, taste-test food, learn how to dance, or go on some other “journey” set to inspirational music. I don’t always see those shows as worth watching. But I think I’d watch one with Ham in it.
My top three favorite moments:
Kelsier meets Vin. I looooove a good team assembly sequence. I eat it up every time. As soon as Vin got into that life threatening moment with her crew leader, I thought “ooo girl now is your chance. It’d be perfect if they showed up to save you.” Then Kelsier arrives.
Vin meets Marsh. She needed his perspective, guidance, and a new kind of interaction. Marsh breaking the ice with Vin felt refreshing and important.
Any scene involving Spook or Ham. (I cheated on this one. I don’t care.) These two remind me of a few friends in real life.
