I can't get into Sanderson's Mistborn

[algai'd'siswai]

After being fairly impressed with Brandon Sanderson's completion of the Wheel of Time and being totally blown away by The Way of Kings, I figured I'd give his, what I am guessing most popular series, Mistborn a try. I reached close to page 150 of the e-book version of it before putting it down.

I really am not getting the hype around this book. I would figure by now I would have established characters I can care for or at least connect with in some way and I just can't. Any of them could die or be written off and I don't think I would blink, I think this is a serious issue with any book. Secondly, I find the magic system completely uninteresting and tediously neat and kind of... well, stupid. I am aware of the irony in calling magic stupid in a fantasy novel, but there was something about it that made seemed forced and consequently annoyed me(maybe it was just his writing?)

It's too bad because I was hoping for Sanderson to be of the few nearly flawless modern fantasy storytellers but this one fell flat and rather early. Maybe someone of the chrons could convincingly nudge me to finish this.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I agree about the magic system, it really irked me. But I did like Kelsier a lot which drew me in.

 

[Grunkins]

Sanderson's writing is just too YA for my tastes.

 

[nightdreamer]

I must be the odd man out here because I found the magic system rather original and clever, and I enjoyed they way the different systems ended up fitting together later on in the stories. On the other hand, I found long stretches of it rather slow and the whole thing depressing. Overall, a good read, but I would have ended the series differently.

 

[Boneman]

I actually enjoyed the magic, but it did become repetitious after a while. I finished the books, and was uncertain about the ending, but have grown to like it. Encourage you to finish it? It occurs to me that I always read it at bedtime, so I never read a lot of it at one sitting - that might work?

 

[thaddeus6th]

I liked the second and third books much more than the first (although I did like the latter parts of the first). I agree that the characters, excepting Kelsier and Vin, are not developed enough in the first book, although this does change later on.

I also liked Way of Kings much, much more than the first Mistborn book.

If you really don't like it then don't waste your time reading it, but if you're uncertain I'd suggest you try reading a bit more and see if you revise your opinion.

 

[ratsy]

I have always been a vocal Sanderson fan. I am currently reading The Gathering Storm and think he has done a great job so far.

I read the Mistborn series a couple years ago and loved it. The magic system was one of my favorite parts. He did a lot with it and allowed for a variety of "skills". I can see how some people would think that it is YA feeling but I think that has something to do with Sandersons background. He doesn't have sex and overt violence and keeps the language clean. I can go either way when I read and a good writer is a good writer and I don't feel like he needs to use those to create a wonderful world.

That being said, The Way of Kings blew it all out of the water and that series has the potential for greatness. The opening book left me with just a taste of the whole story and wanting more.

 

[Moggle]

Th first book was really good and so was the third, but the second was highly disappointing. Sanderson went above and beyond to make Vin's nerdy boyfriend the star of the second book and I will simply never understand why. The magic system was very strong in these books so that was hardly a negative.

Brandon Sanderson is really the only author in fantasy keeping the true spirit of the genre alive and kicking. "Gritty fantasy" which has taken over the shelves, and is in the rage right now, is nothing more than historical fiction with a small dab of fantasy thrown in to make it a "fantasy" novel. That's not true fantasy to me. There are still plenty of traditional fantasy writers, but they're either not very good or they only come out with a new book every 3 years. Sanderson appears to come out with 2 books every year. He already has 3 slated for 2013.

 

[Grunkins]

I can see how some people would think that it is YA feeling but I think that has something to do with Sandersons background. He doesn't have sex and overt violence and keeps the language clean. I can go either way when I read and a good writer is a good writer and I don't feel like he needs to use those to create a wonderful world.

I don't think the YA feel to his writing has as much to do with content as it does with style.

 

[ratsy]

Th first book was really good and so was the third, but the second was highly disappointing. Sanderson went above and beyond to make Vin's nerdy boyfriend the star of the second book and I will simply never understand why. The magic system was very strong in these books so that was hardly a negative.

Brandon Sanderson is really the only author in fantasy keeping the true spirit of the genre alive and kicking. "Gritty fantasy" which has taken over the shelves, and is in the rage right now, is nothing more than historical fiction with a small dab of fantasy thrown in to make it a "fantasy" novel. That's not true fantasy to me. There are still plenty of traditional fantasy writers, but they're either not very good or they only come out with a new book every 3 years. Sanderson appears to come out with 2 books every year. He already has 3 slated for 2013.

I will agree. I think Sanderson is leading the fantasy pack at this time. I really like the fact that his first novel was a standalone as well. And Elantris was such a cool idea that it really worked as a standalone.

Mistborn was good. But I think that Stormlight will setting the bar for a few years.

But to be fair, I also like Abercrombie a lot. And Scott Lynch, Peter V Brett, Ken Scholes

I did get a Mistborn signed hardcover as well so I may be biased.

 

[Hypnos164]

I read the first book a few years back and have never gone back for books two and three.

I didn't think it was bad - the magic system is interesting and his action scenes are nicely done and work logically.

However your comment makes me think you may be looking for more mystery in your magic - after all "Any sufficiently reproducible magic is indistinguishable from science"

But - it is really ploddingly paced in my opinion and only saved (somewhat) by the fact that his writing style is clean, clear and free of sylistic quirks* making it quite easy to plough through all the extra pages

* which might be why he feels a bit YA

 

[Moggle]

I will agree. I think Sanderson is leading the fantasy pack at this time. I really like the fact that his first novel was a standalone as well. And Elantris was such a cool idea that it really worked as a standalone.

Mistborn was good. But I think that Stormlight will setting the bar for a few years.

But to be fair, I also like Abercrombie a lot. And Scott Lynch, Peter V Brett, Ken Scholes

I did get a Mistborn signed hardcover as well so I may be biased.

I loved Elantris, though the ending could have been better. You should read the Emperor's Soul, which takes place in the same world. That was an excellent read! I can't wait until the Rithmatist and Steel Heart come out.

 

[olc]

I read Mistborn (the original) a few years ago. I thought it was OK but did have an interest in pursuing the sequels. Recently I read The Alloy of Law. It was again OK. So I picked up The Well of Ascension. I could not really get into it. I have read several of his books and am waiting for the follow up to The Way of Kings to come out. It is my opinion that he is improving as a writer and some of the earlier stuff is just not as good.

 

[Grunkins]

I read Mistborn (the original) a few years ago. I thought it was OK but did have an interest in pursuing the sequels. Recently I read The Alloy of Law. It was again OK. So I picked up The Well of Ascension. I could not really get into it. I have read several of his books and am waiting for the follow up to The Way of Kings to come out. It is my opinion that he is improving as a writer and some of the earlier stuff is just not as good.

Alloy of Law is his most recent book prior to the A Memory of Light.