The Alloy of Law
Ratings699
Average rating4.1
A very well written part 4 of the mistborn series, looking forward to future books in this series.
- Please note that I listened to the audiobook and my review reflects that*
Pros: fantastic narration with individual voices, good pacing, lots of action and intrigue, highly visual
Cons: characters keep fighting despite serious injuries
Waxillium Ladrian has been called back to the metropolis of Elendel from the Roughs to take over his deceased uncle's business. No longer accustomed to life in the city, after spending so much time as a law keeper in the Roughs, Waxillium tries to subvert his natural tendencies in order to be a good lord. But those intentions fall away when the latest in a spree of robberies and kidnappings hit too close to home. Joined by his former partner Wayne and a clever young woman studying law at the university, Wax is determined to solve this case.
Sanderson has created a fantastic world. The Alloy of Law takes place some 300 years after his Mistborn trilogy, but you don't need to read that in order to enjoy this novel. A cross between fantasy and western - with a little steampunk thrown in - it's helped usher in a new subgenre of fantasy (others that do the same thing would be Gemma Files's A Book of Tongues, Christine Cody's Bloodlands and Mike Resnick's Buntline Special). The mythology is touched on briefly, but the real treat here is the ‘magic' of Allomancy and Feruchemy, both ways to manipulate metals. Wax is a twinborn, meaning he can do both forms of magic - using his metal minds he can manipulate his weight and as a coinshot he's able to push on steel. These abilities, combined with a steady hand and sharp wits make him a formidable lawman.
Wayne acts as necessary comedic relief from Wax's melancholy and seriousness. Wayne's abilities are to create a speed bubble in which time flows faster for him (allowing him to dodge bullets and have private conversations in a room full of people) and the ability to heal himself quickly, provided he has health built up (done by being sick for an equivalent amount of time in advance).
The audiobook narrator, Michael Kramer, does an amazing job. Not only is the narration crisp and clear - properly enunciated and easy to follow - but he does voices too! Each character, when speaking has their own individualized voice. And Wayne, who uses disguises throughout the book, is voiced with various accents. It's absolutely remarkable and made listening to the book such a pleasure.
The book is well paced, with downtime and action all culminating in a great showdown. And so much of the story is easy to visualize. When Wax flies through the mist in his billowing mistcoat, guns blazing... This book would make a fantastic film.
The only real ‘complaint' I had, was that Wax managed to keep fighting even when subject to multiple injuries. Given that he has no healing abilities (unlike Wayne) it seemed a bit far fetched that getting shot wouldn't faze him beyond a little bit of pain. But that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.
If you want a different kind of fantasy, like westerns or just good storytelling, pick this one up. It's the first in a series but wraps up nicely so if you don't feel like continuing you don't have to. Though, the fantastic writing and fun characters will probably have you waiting impatiently for book two.
I was a little disappointing at how far removed this was from the rest of the Mistborn series. Overall a good book though!
This book is a short introduction (well, relatively short, by Sanderson's standards) to the second Mistborn era. I can't think of another series I've read like this one where the first part becomes the lore and religious background of the second part. The setting and style of these books is totally different but still immensely entertaining. There is continuity with the magic system, but it turns out there is still plenty more to it than we thought we knew.
A brilliant continuation of the Mistborn story, loved the new setting and love Wax, Wayne and Marasi, excited to start Shadows of Self :)
I wanted to love this book but just couldn't. It just wasn't as good as the first three in the trilogy.
Second reading: even more intense than I remember. This new era is better than the first, and I didn't think that'd be possible.
Didn't think Mistborn could get better, but I was wrong. This era makes the first one look almost primitive. The new cast of characters are likeable, and I really want to read more about them.
2021: Rated down to 3 stars. I could not connect to the characters and did not enjoy the Western atmosphere.
The Alloy of Law is a fun romp in the world of Sanderson's earlier Mistborn trilogy. The world has advanced three hundred years, from medieval technology levels to about Victorian levels. Electricity is just starting to be found in homes, though people are suspicious of it, and trains and guns are fairly widespread. Think Victorian England meets the Wild West and you'll be in the ballpark. The main characters of the Mistborn trilogy have faded into legend by the time The Alloy of Law takes place, and it's really interesting to see how they are revered (or not) by the characters in this book.
The Mistborn series has a well-developed system of magic that I found unique, creative, and complex but easy to follow. Allomancy is the art of burning ingested metals to do particular effects; different metals (and the ability to burn them) allow you to do different things. Tin, for example, lets you enhance your senses, leading to the nickname “Tin-eyes.” Burning steel lets a Coinshot “push” on metals, telekinetically moving the metal away from themselves. (Or themselves away from the metal, if the metal too secure to be moved!) On the flipside of the coin (Ha!) is Feruchemy - a feruchemist uses metal accessories, often in the form of armbands or other jewelry, to “store up” his resources - he can become deaf and blind for a time, in order to use that resource later and have super-hearing and eagle-eyes, for example. Nothing is ultimately gained or lost, just stored until it's needed.
The writing in Alloy was certainly not as deep as the Mistborn trilogy, but Sanderson has said in interviews that this was supposed to be a fun break between books. If you're looking for a quick, fun adventure story, this is definitely a good book to pick up. From the witty banter between characters to the surprising choice of romance, this book kept my attention from start to finish. Sanderson is a very skilled author and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!
You can find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks.
My dyslexic ass read this book in two days. I absolutely loved it. I empathised with the characters so much that I was already sad when someone died 20 pages in. I love how in this later version of the universe the way the curse and the expression have also changed to reflect the world they now live in and their believe systems.
Every character has such distinctive personalities and quirks that make them really easy to like, especially Wayne, his whole trading thing is an amazing edition to his character. I also really love how it is made really clear the its totally fine that Marasi is more feminine and like dresses and lace and stuff and that is totally fine. She can still be an awesome badass character.
I loved it and immediately bought the 5th and 6th book. Sanderson just doesn???t disappoint.
I loved this book! A vastly different feel to era 1 but just as compelling. Never has a character made me laugh as Wayne has.
I inhaled this book.it was so much fun with a lew twists I didn't see coming. I love the homage to era 1.
If Mistborn is Avatar, then The Allow of Law is Korra. Taking place many years after the events of the first trilogy, Alloy starts a new series more focused on allomancer/pharochemist characters, which opens up an entirely new world of skills not previously explored. Being able to slow down time + heal? Yeah, that sounds useful. The story itself is more of a detective story, with some likable characters. I worried it would be too much driven by the period it was set in, but the characters were the main focus.
It's nice to return to the Mistborn saga again.
The first book of the second era creates the roots for a new adventures with new characters, and the Sanderson touch is still here.
It feels great to be back in the Mistborn universe, but wow, what a change! The technological leap after 300 years has landed us in the wild west and it is awesome! Gun fights, trains, electricity, and skyscrapers.... And yet somehow it still feels very much like a Mistborn book.
The Alloy of Law is a faster paced action story that has a “buddy cop” kind of vibe. It's a refreshing change, and it sets up what may be another dive into Mistborn lore. Really looking forward to books 2 and 3 in the Wax and Wayne trilogy!
Compararlo con el imperio final siendo también un inicio de su era sería injusto, pues ya con todo lo que se vio en el héroe de las eras era de esperar que se resguarde un poco para los siguientes libros y no revelara tanto sobre las artes metálicas. Amé los personajes, son igual o más carismáticos que el grupo de kelsier, aunque no tuvieron mucho desarrollo (espero que con los siguientes libros mejore eso). El libro me venía decepcionando en el tramo final, pero el epílogo y ars arcanum supieron levantarlo.
The completely spoiler free review: In a way, it is sort of like the fourth Indiana Jones movie, only done right. And by “right” I mean that fans of the originally trilogy will find it undeniably amazing.
The more complete review: This review will not be spolierific in terms of plot, but may reveal more than some purists want to know about the contents of the book. Proceed with caution.The Alloy of Law is a steam-punk-esque type fantasy/mystery/action/adventure novel set in Sanderson's Mistborn world. The adventures in this story take place many years after the original trilogy has ended. I really love that Sanderson has shown how his world has progressed in terms of technology, religion, and the magic system he created in the original trilogy. Perhaps the best part is that none of these changes really require a lengthy explanation, and none of them receive it. All of the progression is logical and well thought out, adding exciting new flair to this story, but at its core this is still a Mistborn novel, with all of the awesomeness that implies.Without a doubt, the Mistborn books contain the best action sequences I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and Alloy takes the game to a whole new level. Quite frankly, between the amazing "magical" powers possessed by the characters, the guns, and the dynamite, this book almost reads like a commercial for Spike tv (read: LOTS of explosions). This, however, is a good thing, as it allows the characters to undeniably assert their complete and total awesomeness. Badass doesn't even begin to cover the levels of amazing displayed in this story. Which makes it a very, very fun read.While I don't think this book achieves the same level of storytelling brilliance as was displayed in the original trilogy, there is no doubt that this book deserves to stand on the shelf next to them. Although Sanderson always loves to create characters with wit (haha, see what I did there?), the constant banter in the book gives it something of a lighter tone than was present in the original trilogy. I don't think this makes the novel feel out of place though; it just further highlights the fact that this a different story in a different time in the same place. And while the overall story is quite exciting, following the adventures of lawmen just does not have the dramatic impact of taking on a centuries-old empire. Despite this, however, the idea of having characters use their powers in an attempt to serve humanity is very much in line with the original Mistborn story. So, despite all of its differences, in the end this book actually fits in very well with those preceding it.
Final impressions - this book is a must read! Honestly, all of the books set in the Mistborn universe are must reads, and this is no exception. While I have enjoyed all of Brandon Sanderson's writings, the Mistborn novels are my favorites, and I highly recommend them to readers of all genres, though especially fans of fantasy or science fiction.
The vibe of this entire book was polar opposites to what I'm used to from Mistborn and honestly, I'm not mad at it. The characters were not as gray and complex and intriguing as I would be used to seeing in a BranSan novel, but the dynamics were pretty fun. This felt like a bit like BranSan-lite, but I'm really not mad at that.
Some background info: I read Book 1 of Mistborn Era 1, skimmed through Book 2 and skipped Book 3 all together, before catching up on the overall events of all of them via the Coppermind summaries before I dived into this book. I was really quite so-so about the first book in The Final Empire trilogy and the series just didn't really improve much for me. I can't pinpoint what didn't really catch me about Mistborn because I love Stormlight Archives.
Despite my unsatisfactory sojourn with Mistborn Era 1, I was still pretty interested in trying out Era 2. What was the most interesting to me in Mistborn had been the magic system and we still get a ton of that in Era 2, but in a completely new environment with new characters and a new overarching plot. I was excited to give it another go, but was even then surprised by just how different this felt from a Cosmere novel. For one, Alloy of Law takes place in a sort of late Victorian-esque setting with horse-drawn carriages, newly electric lights, steam trains, and lots and lots of guns. It was really interesting to see how the Mistborn magic system, so dependent as it is on metals, would fare in a steampunk world full of metal.
Waxillium and Wayne were actually really fun characters. They weren't mega-tortured and brooding like Kaladin (from Stormlight Archives) or even Vin from the first Era, but that's kinda what I like about them. They provide a breath of light-hearted fresh air. Of course, they have their own histories, I'm sure, but there's still something more light-hearted about these two than other BranSan heroes, Wayne more so than Wax.
Between the two notable female characters in this book, I actually kinda like them both. We see a lot less of Steris, Waxillium's sort-of fiancee, and I basically thought she was going to be a fleeting character who will only serve as a foil to bring out the other female character at first, but I was particularly intrigued by her when she says to Waxillium: “You are what you choose to be, Waxillium... I did not make these rules. Nor so I approve of them; many are inconvenient. But it is the society in which we live. Therefore, I make of myself something that can survive in this environment.” By the end, I was... kinda rooting for her? I'm not sure how my opinion will change in subsequent books, but that's the way it ended.
Marasi is, of course, the main female protagonist in this one. She did have her moments and I liked that she was not just a scholar (obviously unusual for a female), but also that she owned up to not liking to be out in the Roughs and enjoying her city conveniences and dresses, etc. and while she almost feels embarrassed about it sometimes, she didn't feel like she should be. Her character is a bit more of the “popular” type, in the sense that she's likeable and obviously written to be rooted for by readers, which is maybe a good part of the reason why I'm actually leaning towards Steris a bit, but I'm not mad at seeing more of Marasi in subsequent instalments. I'm intrigued to learn more about how her Allomantic powers are going to play out - everytime someone says their powers are useless, BranSan will find a way to make it super awesome in the end. We got a glimpse about that at the ending of this one when Marasi's powers were critical in the capture of Miles, but I feel like there'll definitely be more.
If you're into gun-toting steampunk Victorian fantasy with metal-burning magic, this one is for you. If you're already a Cosmere fan, don't go into this one expecting anything like Stormlight Archives or Mistborn Era 1, because the tone and setting is so much more light-hearted than the other two and that's not a failing in my books.
wax and wayne remind me of locke and jean . This is on par with the first mistborn era !!