New Medium Article: Why Has Mistborn Stood the Test of Time?
Hello everyone! I just posted a new article over on my Medium page. This time I am going back and writing about Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series.
If you are interested, keep reading below for a sneak peek. You can read the full article at the link provided below.
Link: https://alysonserenastone.medium.com/...
Sneak Peek:
The original Mistborn books were published over ten years ago, they continue to delight and bring in new fantasy readers. Why is this? What is about Mistborn that has stood the test of time? Why is it that Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books are still popular today? What it is about Sanderson that makes him different from other fantasy writers?
Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash
Author’s Note: This article is based on Misrborn era one only.
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most popular fantasy authors of today. He is well known for his expansive world-building, intricate magic systems, and memorable characters. When fantasy books are published, many of them enjoy a few moments in the spotlight and, then, essentially disappear. However, Sanderson stands out. Though the original Mistborn books were published over ten years ago, they continue to delight and bring in new fantasy readers. Why is this? What is about Mistborn that has stood the test of time?
The first thing that stands out is the writing style. Sanderson’s writing style is easy to get into. As more and more readers start to make the transition from young adult fantasy to adult fantasy (or just reading fantasy for the first time), Sanderson’s writing style offers accessibility to a genre that many view as intimidating. It is this simpler writing style that oftentimes allows for these books to be marketed to young adults. Not only do we have an easy writing style, but the way that Sanderson writes also pulls you in from the first sentence. The amount of descriptive detail and action openers will quickly engage readers. It is these opening hooks that make it difficult to put his books down. Sanderson also has a very casual and contemporary writing style, which is another thing that makes his books easy to read. Not only that, but he does not use the technique known as “info-dumping,” which a lot of fantasy authors use.
It is also very clear that Sanderson is a fan of fantasy. While he does use a lot of typical fantastical elements, there is something about the way that he presents them that allows his stories to stand out. He gives readers complex plots, with lots of twists, and an ending that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. He also does something that is very difficult to do in fantasy: he gives us a world that feels real. How does he do this? He gives us a magic system that feels like it could exist in our world. Then, he throws in characters that feel and act real. By doing this, Sanderson is giving the readers what they want: a unique experience that makes them feel like they are a part of the world. In turn, this gives readers a chance to form bonds with the characters-meaning when the characters accomplish something, the reader feels that happiness. On the downside, it also means when the characters are defeated, we, as readers, feel that defeat and pain along with them. It is only a true fantasy fan who would know what a fantasy reader is looking for in a fantasy series. We love our complex characters, plot twists, and epic fantasy battles. In Mistborn, Sanderson delivers on all three.
The second thing that makes the Mistborn books stand out is the magic system. I have been reading fantasy for a while now, which means that I have been exposed to a lot of worlds and magic systems. However, none of them is like the world and magic of Mistborn. The use of the different metals and their powers is unlike anything that I have read before. Again, since Sanderson does not use “info dumps,” we have to learn about the magic system differently. This brings in our main character, Vin, who has just found out that she is a Mistborn and now has to learn about the magic system. It is through Vin’s lessons that we learn about the powers of the different metals and meet the people who can burn the metals. We learn that there are three main disciplines of magic: Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy-all of which give very distinct powers to their wielders. Not only do we get to experience just how great and awesome the magic can be, but we do also get to see the side effects of using too much magic, such as in the pewter drags and being overly dependent on the metal the misting is burning.
If you are interested, keep reading below for a sneak peek. You can read the full article at the link provided below.
Link: https://alysonserenastone.medium.com/...
Sneak Peek:
The original Mistborn books were published over ten years ago, they continue to delight and bring in new fantasy readers. Why is this? What is about Mistborn that has stood the test of time? Why is it that Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books are still popular today? What it is about Sanderson that makes him different from other fantasy writers?
Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash
Author’s Note: This article is based on Misrborn era one only.
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most popular fantasy authors of today. He is well known for his expansive world-building, intricate magic systems, and memorable characters. When fantasy books are published, many of them enjoy a few moments in the spotlight and, then, essentially disappear. However, Sanderson stands out. Though the original Mistborn books were published over ten years ago, they continue to delight and bring in new fantasy readers. Why is this? What is about Mistborn that has stood the test of time?
The first thing that stands out is the writing style. Sanderson’s writing style is easy to get into. As more and more readers start to make the transition from young adult fantasy to adult fantasy (or just reading fantasy for the first time), Sanderson’s writing style offers accessibility to a genre that many view as intimidating. It is this simpler writing style that oftentimes allows for these books to be marketed to young adults. Not only do we have an easy writing style, but the way that Sanderson writes also pulls you in from the first sentence. The amount of descriptive detail and action openers will quickly engage readers. It is these opening hooks that make it difficult to put his books down. Sanderson also has a very casual and contemporary writing style, which is another thing that makes his books easy to read. Not only that, but he does not use the technique known as “info-dumping,” which a lot of fantasy authors use.
It is also very clear that Sanderson is a fan of fantasy. While he does use a lot of typical fantastical elements, there is something about the way that he presents them that allows his stories to stand out. He gives readers complex plots, with lots of twists, and an ending that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. He also does something that is very difficult to do in fantasy: he gives us a world that feels real. How does he do this? He gives us a magic system that feels like it could exist in our world. Then, he throws in characters that feel and act real. By doing this, Sanderson is giving the readers what they want: a unique experience that makes them feel like they are a part of the world. In turn, this gives readers a chance to form bonds with the characters-meaning when the characters accomplish something, the reader feels that happiness. On the downside, it also means when the characters are defeated, we, as readers, feel that defeat and pain along with them. It is only a true fantasy fan who would know what a fantasy reader is looking for in a fantasy series. We love our complex characters, plot twists, and epic fantasy battles. In Mistborn, Sanderson delivers on all three.
The second thing that makes the Mistborn books stand out is the magic system. I have been reading fantasy for a while now, which means that I have been exposed to a lot of worlds and magic systems. However, none of them is like the world and magic of Mistborn. The use of the different metals and their powers is unlike anything that I have read before. Again, since Sanderson does not use “info dumps,” we have to learn about the magic system differently. This brings in our main character, Vin, who has just found out that she is a Mistborn and now has to learn about the magic system. It is through Vin’s lessons that we learn about the powers of the different metals and meet the people who can burn the metals. We learn that there are three main disciplines of magic: Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy-all of which give very distinct powers to their wielders. Not only do we get to experience just how great and awesome the magic can be, but we do also get to see the side effects of using too much magic, such as in the pewter drags and being overly dependent on the metal the misting is burning.
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