Ratings493
Average rating4.3
Executive Summary: I enjoyed this a lot more than [b:Shadows of Self 16065004 Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435053013s/16065004.jpg 21855448], though I'm hard pressed to say exactly why. Either way, I'm looking forward to the final book in this trilogy. 4.5 stars.Audiobook: Michael Kramer is excellent as always. He does voices for the characters and speaks clearly and with good inflection. This series is definitely audio-only for me.Full ReviewEver since discovering the first Mistborn series, I've considered [a:Brandon Sanderson 38550 Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] one of my favorite authors. I love everything to do with the Cosmere, but his Mistborn books come second only to Stormlight. For the last few years it's been a toss-up between him and [a:Jim Butcher 10746 Jim Butcher https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1400640324p2/10746.jpg] as my favorite.I really enjoyed the stand alone [b:The Alloy of Law 10803121 The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442889632s/10803121.jpg 15035863]. I was really excited for [b:Shadows of Self 16065004 Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435053013s/16065004.jpg 21855448]. I came away disappointed. It wasn't a bad book. I gave it a rounded-up 3.5 stars, which isn't bad in general, but it's low for me to give to any Sanderson book, let alone a Mistborn book. Add that in with the non-Cosmere[b:Firefight 15704459 Firefight (Reckoners, #2) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413220816s/15704459.jpg 21979689] that I liked even less and his last two books were letdowns for me.Needless to say, I came into this one nervous. Was I outgrowing Mr. Sanderson? Was his breakneck output finally showing in the quality of his books? Other Sanderson fans seems to disagree with me about [b:Shadows of Self 16065004 Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) Brandon Sanderson https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435053013s/16065004.jpg 21855448], so I was really apprehensive I was outgrowing him.After reading this book, I think the answer is a little of both. I'm probably less forgiving than I was, and likely much less forgiving than many Sanderson fans. When this book was announced, Mr. Sanderson admitted to struggling with the previous one:“jumping into Shadows of Self was slow going, and I found it much easier to go write the sequel to refresh myself on the world and characters. That done, I was able to move back to Shadows of Self and finish it up.”So personally, I think that struggle showed in the final product. This book however, is classic Sanderson. My worries have been alleviated for the most part. I really enjoyed this one. In fact it's now one of my favorites of the series, and I think the best Wax & Wayne book to date.So why is that? Well for me it's largely because of Sterris. She's quickly become my favorite character. I often struggle with Mr. Sanderson's jokes in general. I consider it a weak point in his writing. The groan factor of his jokes for Wayne are a very close second to his jokes in the Reckoner series, and those are intentionally bad. Sterris had me cracking up though. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not. If so, then maybe Mr. Sanderson is simply better at subtle humor than outright jokes. Of course humor is always subjective. I've had people argue with me that they enjoy his humor. To each their own.Mostly, I just love Sterris' character development as this series has gone on. I'm sure it has a lot to do with self-identification with some of her neurocies. Her constant planning, and making of lists are things I find myself doing a lot. Although, not nearly as detailed as she does. Either way, she's a great compliment for Wax.Like all Mistborn books (and really Sanderson books in general), the magic system is top-notch. He once again finds new and interesting ways to use the magic while mostly staying within the bounds he's previously established. When he does cross those bounds, he does so in a way that feels like we're simply learning more details about magic we didn't know before, not that he's breaking rules. And of course the action is excellent. Most of all though, he's building a really interesting story. Cool magic, fast-paced action and great characters are all well and good, but it was the mysteries of The Set and the Bands of Mourning that had me hating to stop listening, and were enough to finally motivate me to hook up my trainer so I could get an extra 30-45 minutes of audio in each day.I'm really happy with this book. This book ends in a decent enough place at least. Things are set up nicely, without leaving you on a giant cliffhanger. I'd be disappointed at having to wait so long for the conclusion if his next book wasn't [b:Oathbringer 17250961 Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive, #3) Brandon Sanderson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 23840254] (or whatever he ends up calling Stormlight Archive 3). Hopefully [b:The Lost Metal 23947089 The Lost Metal (Mistborn, #7) Brandon Sanderson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 43551632] will be worth the wait.