Customer Reviews

Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I am a new fan of Brandon Sanderson; I never heard of him until I read book 12 from WOT, the Gathering Storm. After that book, I just had to go find out more about this author. I enjoyed his writing style in the Gathering Storm; it was very engaging. Then, I read Elantris, and really enjoyed it as well. After that book, I found out about Mistborn. I picked up this trilogy and I was hooked!

It is hard for me, in retrospect, to believe how good this series was, especially considering how fast Sanderson writes (how many large books ~700pg can one man write in one year??). To me, this is one of my favorite fantasy series I've read. And I hadn't heard of him two months ago! This series has something for everyone: a well developed and very well thought out, and original, magic system; the characters are complex and have different personalities; the story line itself is epic and gives scope to everything hanging in the balance; there is romance, lots of action; it was honestly hard to do anything else in my spare time while I was reading this series...

Some of the traps other fantasy authors tend to fall into -- dragging out climactic events over too many books -- did not plague this series. This trilogy was very well put together and the events were obviously preplanned. I have to give him credit because he did not shy away from not only killing off major characters, but he also had a powerful conclusion to each book. I kept waiting to be let down, but never was. This book series is quite tremendous. It should be a model for how to write a fantasy series.

Ordinarily, I will buy the first book of a series and then, depending on how it was, either buy the next book or abandon the series for dead. My advice to you, prospective Mistborn readers, is to cast that mindset aside and save yourself a few dollars by buying all three books in a box set. You will NOT regret it.

I will step out on a limb here: Mistborn: The Final Empire is, with the possible exception of A Game of Thrones, the best opener to a fantasy series I have EVER read (Particular apologies to The Blade Itself, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Name of the Wind, Fellowship of the Ring and Assassin's Apprentice). Here's why.

No exceptions this time, Mistborn has the best, most well-thought-out, most original magic system ever written. Nothing comes anywhere close to rivaling its intricacy and intelligence. Despite its complexity, Sanderson has such a firm grasp on his magic system and is so clearly enjoying himself when he writes in it that it comes off the page so beautifully, so fluidly. Even if said magic system were in a stereotypical, recycled fantasy story, it would make for great reading, but the story is original and enrapturing, too. Sanderson has said that he meant to turn the fantasy genre on its head with the story - the dark, evil lord WON - with Mistborn, and he does it oh so effectively. Character development is strong, the world - a land of dismal browns and greys where ash regularly falls from the sky - is fascinating, plot twists are many times absolutely unexpected (NOTHING is obvious) and the characters are both lovable (Kelsier is one of the coolest characters ever written) and hatable. Not to mention, each book has an extremely satisfying ending - no cliff-hangers here. I hate to go to extremes but, in a word, the Mistborn trilogy is perfect.

It is one of the great mysteries of the world how Sanderson can kick out so much excellent material in so short a period of time, but his books are nothing but the best. I still consider the Mistborn trilogy to be his finest work, and I encourage you all to buy the books, get lost in his world, and proceed to embrace the 9-year-old inside you and spend the rest of your days wishing that YOU were Mistborn.

This is the most entertaining fantasy series I've read to date. When I picked this book up I was really was just trying to be supportive since I had been listening to the podcast Brandon is involved in (Writing Excuses, a must listen even if you like writing for fun.). He made a few minor mentions of it so I put it on my shopping list.

I probably wouldn't have picked these books up on my own (the girl on the the cover looked like an elf to me and as soon as I saw dark lord I may have cringed.) but halfway through Mistborn : Final Empire Series (Book #1) (Mistborn, Book 1) I ordered the box set and the next two books only got better. Each book is intertwined with a sub-story that occurred 1000 years in the past which could have been its own book. A list will make my point more easily since I'm not the kind of person to write a thought out review.

-----------------------What you get---------------------

1. Two original yet opposite races/creatures and no dwarfs or elves in sight.

2. Three well thought out and imaginative magic systems. (Ex. The ability to manipulate the emotions of others, and being able to magnetize yourself by using different metals as fuel.)

3. A mysterious world of ash and mist which is just as interesting a character as any of others and such a wide range of characters that you're almost guaranteed to find one you'll grow attached to.

4. Epic battles and assassins that make ninjas look like cripples. (No offense to cripples, you're just not known for your hand to hand combat skills.)

5. A god emperor that can have a name like "Lord Ruler" and still be terrible and frighting.(I thought the name was hilarious at first but it grew on me.)

There is a bit of character time (Thinking and talking about nothing of great importance to the plot.) So this series isn't for those who want to see development over a few minutes of reading.

If this review was for the first book in the series it would be an easy 5 star review, "Mistborn" is an excellent book with well developed characters, plot, action and story. Seriously, "Mistborn" delivers on all levels and any fan of action centric fantasy should be well satisfied. Unfortunately the series goes down hill quick, and I mean QUICK. The second two books were absolutle "trudge fests", I had to drag myself through those books because they were such a departure from the structure of the first book. And this is due to Brandon making the story so very well, boring. Without writing any spoilers he focuses most of his story on a secondary character from the first book and this character is so very lost and negative and mulling over his thoughts and future and blah blah blah. No DISTINCT PLOT DEVELOPMENT FOR HUNDREDS OF PAGES, just the endless "inner conflict" of a secondary character who takes the spotlight. I am not alone in these feelings as others I know who have read the series feel likewise. Where the first book in the series really hit that sweet spot with characters, story and action(!), the second two books really fall off the wagon and offer sparse high points, usually he ties everything together in the last hundred and fifty pages, everything leading up to it is simply terrible. I was really dissapointed by the second two books in the series, I highly suggest the first book though, "Mistborn" rocks.

Like the prior reviewer, I read all three books after I read The Gathering Storm. Sanderson did a nice job with the Mistborn series where he created a new and interesting world, with interesting powers/abilities, and interesting characters. This is not a great American novel. It is a fun and interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Great work and I look forward to more books from him.

I have been reading fantasy for years. Through that time I have come to look for one thing. Believability.

This is fantasy, so I am not saying that it has to convince you that magic is real or dragons fly around snatching up fair maidens. But when an author writes 45 successive books in a world spanning, decades long war scenario, and not a single truly bad thing happens to any of the primary cast.......I start shaking my head. When a Dastardly evil villian starts rampaging the countryside destroying everything with no believable motive.....I start shaking my head. If the evil overlord starts monologuing and then turns into a snake giving the hero just enough time to enact his awesome plan to defeat the insurmountable odds.....I start crying. But the worst has to be when the main heroic characters go through years of developement, massive shifts in personality, huge increases in responsibility, enormous strains of stress, grief or joy and yet no where do they make anything close to a truly damaging mistake or fail in any real way. Much less do we see them make a selfish or possibly morally questionable decission. This is what I mean about Believability.

Sanderson does not have this flaw. His world is dark and oppressive. Evil is truly evil. His heroic characters are real people with flaws, psychological damage, prejudices, desires for vengeance and completely human struggles with morality and ethics. He knows how to make you feel for the oppressed, abused peasants you pass whilst traveling along with the characters. And even his villains are dynamic and believable with motivations that are understandable results of the lives they have lead. No where in this work will you find the Hero who somehow was miraculously born with an inherent sense of justice, morality, honor and self sacrifice even though they were raised in a evil society and their very parents were diabolical and sinister *cough, Drizzt Do'Urden, cough*.

The best part of my new found respect for this amazing author is that even while he accomplishes everything I spoke of above, those are far from being the only highlights of his work. Sanderson has developed a world that is alien to us and yet something we can relate to. It is fascinating in it's differences and intriguing in it's similarities. His combats are dynamic and fast past, creating images in your mind not unlike those seen in the Matrix or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Three distinct magic systems are present, each with their own fascinating methods. Governmental system of intrigue and political maneuverings are fascinating and two races of creatures, with no resemblance to Elves or Dwarves, add a level of depth to the world unseen in most works.

This series is refreshing, awe inspiring and is evidence of an author with such skill that I believe his works to stand in the top echelon of fantasy authors. Read this series, it will open the door to a world unlike anything you have ever imagined.

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy is an amazing addition to the fantasy world of literature. The first book, "Mistborn," is a highly entertaining and engrossing read, with twists and turns that aren't too predictable, and which stands on its own as a perfectly contained story. The second book, "The Well of Ascension," is very 'Empire Strikes Back,' in that it cooks at a somewhat slower boil for much of the book, but explodes in the final third with well written action, development, and surprises, pulling the reader inexorably onward to the final installment. The third book, "The Hero of Ages," was simply amazing. A non-stop thrill ride of adventure and mind boggling revelations, it ties up all the loose story hooks, but doesn't slam the door shut on the world. Sanderson has done a wonderful job in this series, crafting a well thought out story arc from beginning to end, with three-dimensional characters who you can really cheer for, and delightfully original magic systems. It is so incredibly satisfying to read a story where the author has so skillfully woven all the pieces together from beginning to end so that they unfold perfectly to reveal their complexity and precision. The Mistborn trilogy is an absolute must-read.

Brandon Sanderson's trilogy of Mistborn novels were extremely entertaining and enjoyable to read. Even those who may not be avid science-fiction or fantasy enthusiasts can still enjoy his work. The story is light without being superficial and deep without being inaccessible. Easy to read and yet thought-provoking, these books let the reader imagine what it would be like if our world worked a little bit differently from the way that it does. What if the same laws of nature still applied but their effects simply went further? What if the big questions that all existence seems to be asking all the time were answered in ways we would never expect? Brandon explores these kinds of questions without losing any ground in plot. His stories are fast-paced and intriguing, pulling you along until you have to know what will happen next. The characters are vibrant and engaging and the relationships highly realistic. Although the events that play out seem grounded in a different reality, the interactions between the characters ring absolutely true.
Brandon is a master of adventure and bringing a fantasy world into believable focus. I stepped out of my comfort zone to read his books and found myself highly involved in the kind of story I wasn't sure would interest me. I enjoyed the way that Sanderson played with epigraphs before each chapter that provided back-story to his plot while at the same time foreshadowing future events and providing added suspense and meaning to the primary story and characters. I thought it very well done and definitely recommend his books to anyone looking for a new experience. You'll enjoy it.

Robert Jordan has always been my favorite fantasy author. When he died, I was heartbroken that he was gone as well as terrified that The Wheel of Time series would be finished by someone unworthy of Jordan's mantle. I had never read anything by Brandon Sanderson before reading The Gathering Storm, and I had no idea what to expect. It turned out that my fears were unfounded, however, as I quickly found myself enraptured by Sanderson's easy and exhilarating flow. He has a perfect balance of tangential description and plot movement. At no point during The Gathering Storm did I find myself thinking "Come on! Come on! Get to the good stuff!" I'm sure you are thinking that right now, however, so I'll get to the point.

I bought the Mistborn trilogy because of how impressed I was with Sanderson's writing in The Gathering Storm. I just finished the third book about ten minutes ago, and I am blown away. I have never read a fantasy series this well crafted before. I am trying to think of something to complain about, but I can't. This trilogy is simply fantastic.

Whether or not you enjoy the fantasy genre, buy this.

A very well written and epic tale!
I love how well Sanderson can write female protagonists, not making them wishy-washy or Xenna-wannabes.
Loved all three novels, and wish there were more.