I know this book “Mistborn” by Brandon Sanderson has been out for some time, but I hadn’t been reading many fantasy novels. After being left hanging with George R. R. Martin’s “A Dance with Dragons”, I needed a fantasy fix to keep me going. After browsing on Amazon.com, I saw that “Mistborn” had been a popular choice amongst fantasy readers so I checked it out.

I was pleasantly surprised. At first I was put off by the use of magic by people drinking metal chips, then ‘burning’ the metal in their body to various affects. To make magic in this way seemed a bit absurd to me, but Brandon Sanderson does a great job of making it believable. Less than a quarter of the way into the story, I was completely absorbed into Brandon’s new world of Allomancers.

The main character, Vin, is very compelling. She lives in a tenuous world of thieves where her  race is considered inferior and trust is a foolish gamble. While she acts weak for the sake of her safety, her character is strong. When a con being performed by the band of thieves she lives with goes wrong, another compelling character appears. Kelsier is unusually optimistic for a man from the same inferior race as Vin. This race, called skaa, has lived as slaves for a thousand years. They are generally a depressed lot who live only to survive. But Kelsier is no ordinary skaa. He is the Survivor of Hathsin and a Mistborn who is determined to overthrow the Lord Ruler.

Vin discovers through Kelsier that she is also Misborn and her abilities to burn various metals is a rare and exciting gift. At first, she helps Kelsier and his band in their plot to overthrow a thousand year reign only to learn more about her gift. But while she doesn’t really believe that their crazy plot will work, she begins to believe in trust and what true friendship really is.

Reading “Misborn” by Brandon Sanderon was a fantastic adventure. Each page brought me closer to Vin and her developing powers, Kelsier and his reckless schemes, and to the amazing end to a world of injustice. And although Brandon nicely wrapped up the plot in “Mistborn” there is a hint that the story continues. The story of “Mistborn” does no leave you hanging, but it does compel you to read the sequel, “The Well of Ascension”.

If you enjoy fantasy novels from popular modern fantasy writers such as Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, R. A. Salvator, David Eddings, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Brent Weeks, and Terry Brooks then you will love the “Mistborn” series by Brandon Sanderson. Check out the first book in the series, “Mistborn“, or get all three – “Mistborn”, “The Well of Ascension”, and “The Hero of Ages”.

(Is it just me or does the girl in the book cover art, Vin, look a lot like Shannen Doherty?)