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The Alloy of Law
(The Mistborn Saga #4)
by
The Mistborn trilogy has become a firm favourite with fantasy fans the world over. The imagination that Sanderson brought to the series and his skill at marshalling epic storylines and dramatic action, his ability to create vivid characters made him a natural choice to complete Robert Jordan's epic wheel of time sequence. But with Mistborn, his standalone fantasies and his
...more
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Paperback, 332 pages
Published
November 1st 2012
by Gollancz
(first published November 8th 2011)
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Start your review of The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4)

As always, after reading something by Sanderson, I find myself irritated at how good he is.
So let's take it as a given that the book has all the essential ingredients: character, plot, dialogue, mystery, and action. All of these things are there, some of them merely great, most of them included to exceptional degree.
What truly impresses me though, is that Sanderson has done something extraordinarily unique with this book. Something that just isn't done in fantasy.
First, Sanderson wrote the Mi ...more
So let's take it as a given that the book has all the essential ingredients: character, plot, dialogue, mystery, and action. All of these things are there, some of them merely great, most of them included to exceptional degree.
What truly impresses me though, is that Sanderson has done something extraordinarily unique with this book. Something that just isn't done in fantasy.
First, Sanderson wrote the Mi ...more

Brandon Sanderson commented on this review via reddit! See below.
This review originally appeared on my book blog.
The original Mistborn trilogy was a masterwork of fantasy, artfully combining a cool magic system, detailed and lush worldbuilding, and a plot and characters that were incredibly enthralling, weaving them together so perfectly that every piece depended completely on every other piece.
Sanderson has spoken and written about his goal for the world he created: three trilogies, spanning m ...more
This review originally appeared on my book blog.
The original Mistborn trilogy was a masterwork of fantasy, artfully combining a cool magic system, detailed and lush worldbuilding, and a plot and characters that were incredibly enthralling, weaving them together so perfectly that every piece depended completely on every other piece.
Sanderson has spoken and written about his goal for the world he created: three trilogies, spanning m ...more

4.5/5 stars
The Alloy of Law is an immensely enjoyable start to the second era of Mistborn Saga by Brandon Sanderson.
It has been almost six years since I first read The Alloy of Law for the first time in 2016. I’ve never written a proper review for it, and now that I finished my reread of the novel, I might as well do it now. The Alloy of Law the first book in Mistborn: Wax and Way ...more
The Alloy of Law is an immensely enjoyable start to the second era of Mistborn Saga by Brandon Sanderson.
“The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. It’s in how they make use of what life has shown them.”
It has been almost six years since I first read The Alloy of Law for the first time in 2016. I’ve never written a proper review for it, and now that I finished my reread of the novel, I might as well do it now. The Alloy of Law the first book in Mistborn: Wax and Way ...more

Sanderson is the most original fantasy writer of his generation. Not only has he written a complex and intricate trilogy (the original mistborn novels) but he has also somehow rebooted it with a time gap of three hundred years without losing any of the original edge. It’s kind of weird really. I don’t think many writers could have achieved this quite as well. Sanderson’s world is fully visualised and explained, the world building is phenomenal. And to retain this is a new semi-nineteenth century
...more

Oct 19, 2018
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks
3.5
I was warned this wasn't the best one in this new series but I'm just happy to be back in this universe. I'm looking forward to seeing where things go now technology is advancing! ...more
I was warned this wasn't the best one in this new series but I'm just happy to be back in this universe. I'm looking forward to seeing where things go now technology is advancing! ...more

1.) The Final Empire ★★★★★
2.) The Well of Ascension ★★★
3.) The Hero of Ages ★★★★
3.5) Secret History ★★★★★
Oh, I loved finally experiencing this next era of the mistborn world, especially in a city called Elendale (be still, my heart)! Yet, I was not expecting this book to start out with a very tragic murder plotline where the bodies are arranged in a very specific pose, and for the actual story to be taking place five years later where Wax is very much still ...more
2.) The Well of Ascension ★★★
3.) The Hero of Ages ★★★★
3.5) Secret History ★★★★★
"Huh [...] tea's poisoned."
Oh, I loved finally experiencing this next era of the mistborn world, especially in a city called Elendale (be still, my heart)! Yet, I was not expecting this book to start out with a very tragic murder plotline where the bodies are arranged in a very specific pose, and for the actual story to be taking place five years later where Wax is very much still ...more

Apr 20, 2012
Felicia
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
epic-fantasy
I mean...Sanderson is just amazing. He writes so well, his characters are SO well-drawn, you simply can't stop reading. There's a feeling of completeness in his plotting that makes you feel completely taken care of. The worldbuilding is stunning and vibrant and new...it's just, kind of ridiculous.
This is a followup in the world of Mistborn, but you DONT need to read the first three to understand what's going on (you should read them though, because it is icing on the cake as far as details.) Thi ...more
This is a followup in the world of Mistborn, but you DONT need to read the first three to understand what's going on (you should read them though, because it is icing on the cake as far as details.) Thi ...more


Another day, another great Sanderson book.
“Some mistakes, though, you can’t fix by being sorry. Can’t fix them, no matter what you do.”
I haven't written a review in a while because life has just been crazy lately, but this book definitely deserves a proper review.
Let's start at the very beginning. Somehow, Brandon Sanderson was able to rip my heart out and burn it just with the freaking prologue. How is that even possible? The only other author who managed to do that was Colleen Hoover ...more

Jan 24, 2020
✨ A ✨
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to ✨ A ✨ by:
Fares
Shelves:
buddy-read,
cross-post,
fantasy,
adult,
faves-adult-scifi-and-fantasy,
five-stars,
read-in-2020
Reasons to read Mistborn Era 2:
A. Wax and Wayne
B. Wayne and Wax
C. answers A and B
Centuries have passed since the events of The Hero of Ages, our original friends are long gone, but their legacy remains.
Waxillium Ladrian has been a lawman in the Roughs, the wild lands outside the city where there is no law or justice, for twenty years. A tragic accident that kills his uncle and sister leaves him as the high lord of his house and Wax finds that he has to return to Elendel, the home of his childh ...more
A. Wax and Wayne
B. Wayne and Wax
C. answers A and B
Centuries have passed since the events of The Hero of Ages, our original friends are long gone, but their legacy remains.
Waxillium Ladrian has been a lawman in the Roughs, the wild lands outside the city where there is no law or justice, for twenty years. A tragic accident that kills his uncle and sister leaves him as the high lord of his house and Wax finds that he has to return to Elendel, the home of his childh ...more

“Once one becomes a man, he can and must make his own decisions. But I do offer warning. Even a good thing can become destructive if taken to excess.”
The Final Empire ★★★★ 1/2
The Well of Ascension ★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★ 1/4
The Alloy of Law ★★★★ 1/4
🌟 I loved the first Mistborn trilogy very much and it is a series that I think about a lot, I think it made me realize that I prefer fantasy books with a hard magic system because it feels very smart to me! I was hesitant to jump into t ...more

Oct 21, 2017
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-fantasy-sci-fi
6/11/17
I buddy read this with Warda, who shares my love and adoration for Mistborn & BS.
SO GOOD to be back into this world again. And as a huge fan of the Mistborn trilogy, I knew going in that this would in no way match the original series in terms of… well, epic-ness (for lack of better terms) however, I was still certain that it’d not disappoint. It is, after all, Mistborn #2! It was yet another damn fine work by the one and only.
If you're a fan of the original trilogy, you will undoubtedly ...more
I buddy read this with Warda, who shares my love and adoration for Mistborn & BS.
SO GOOD to be back into this world again. And as a huge fan of the Mistborn trilogy, I knew going in that this would in no way match the original series in terms of… well, epic-ness (for lack of better terms) however, I was still certain that it’d not disappoint. It is, after all, Mistborn #2! It was yet another damn fine work by the one and only.
If you're a fan of the original trilogy, you will undoubtedly ...more

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
"Wayne, you can't make bets with people when they aren't there."
HOLD ON. HOLD ON A SECOND. I NEED TO SAVOR HOW HAPPY I AM IN THIS MOMENT.
You guys, I cannot express how much I adore the Mistborn novels. The series is written so well, with characters that I love.
This was such a clever and seamless transition into a new Mistborn era. As we have seen, adding to an already golden series doesn't always work out for the best. I'm looking at you J.K. Rowling.
Wax and Wa ...more
"Wayne, you can't make bets with people when they aren't there."
HOLD ON. HOLD ON A SECOND. I NEED TO SAVOR HOW HAPPY I AM IN THIS MOMENT.
You guys, I cannot express how much I adore the Mistborn novels. The series is written so well, with characters that I love.
This was such a clever and seamless transition into a new Mistborn era. As we have seen, adding to an already golden series doesn't always work out for the best. I'm looking at you J.K. Rowling.
Wax and Wa ...more

I surprisingly large step down from the quality of the original Mistborn series
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
I wanted to like this book so badly, and my expectations were sky high. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it like other Sanderson works. The world felt rather bland to me, the story was shallow, and the twists weren't as mind blowing as some others (except for one at the end). I ...more
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
I wanted to like this book so badly, and my expectations were sky high. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it like other Sanderson works. The world felt rather bland to me, the story was shallow, and the twists weren't as mind blowing as some others (except for one at the end). I ...more

This isn’t Mistborn.
This is a fantasy retelling of The Lone Ranger meets The Dark Knight Rises. With guns and gangsters. And magic.
Lord Waxillium Ladrian returns from his life as a lawman in the rural Roughs. Coming back to Elendel to assume the mantle of head of his house after his uncle’s untimely death, he engages in the social life of the urban nobility. Until Wayne appears, and all changes…
”I think it's one of his personal failings. I try to help him out by being damn near perfect, but so f ...more
This is a fantasy retelling of The Lone Ranger meets The Dark Knight Rises. With guns and gangsters. And magic.
Lord Waxillium Ladrian returns from his life as a lawman in the rural Roughs. Coming back to Elendel to assume the mantle of head of his house after his uncle’s untimely death, he engages in the social life of the urban nobility. Until Wayne appears, and all changes…
”I think it's one of his personal failings. I try to help him out by being damn near perfect, but so f ...more

I mean, are we in any doubt that Sanderson is THE main man, THE author of epic and original fantasy?!
I swear, he's close to being a god. I cannot fathom how he writes books like this. Where does he get his ideas?
This glorious story is set 300 years after the events of The Hero of Ages. The transition to this world was just smooth and epic, with some of the lands and Houses being named after the characters in the Mistborn Trilogy. Safe to say I squealed numerous times and felt the need to cry as ...more
I swear, he's close to being a god. I cannot fathom how he writes books like this. Where does he get his ideas?
This glorious story is set 300 years after the events of The Hero of Ages. The transition to this world was just smooth and epic, with some of the lands and Houses being named after the characters in the Mistborn Trilogy. Safe to say I squealed numerous times and felt the need to cry as ...more

2022 reread: I stand by everything I wrote in 2017. My opinion hasn't changed in the slightest. Not a perfect book, but a lot of fun and a really interesting return to a fascinating world. I loved seeing how said world had changed over the course of centuries, and how technology impacted the magic system. Original review below!
What do you get when you combine one of the most prolific fantasy authors of our time with an old school Spaghetti Western? This book right here. With Alloy of Law, Sa ...more
What do you get when you combine one of the most prolific fantasy authors of our time with an old school Spaghetti Western? This book right here. With Alloy of Law, Sa ...more

Apr 05, 2017
Kainat 《HUFFLEPUFF & PROUD》
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
brandon-sanderson
I know people get very excited about the pretty covers but does anyone else, like me, care more about the title?
Just listen to these & tell me they don't promise awesomeness!
1) The Final Empire
2) The Well of Ascension
3) The Hero of Ages
4) The Alloy of Law
5) Shadows of Self
6) The Bands of Mourning (This has got to be my most favorite one!)
7) The Lost Metal (IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?!)
...more
Just listen to these & tell me they don't promise awesomeness!
1) The Final Empire
2) The Well of Ascension
3) The Hero of Ages
4) The Alloy of Law
5) Shadows of Self
6) The Bands of Mourning (This has got to be my most favorite one!)
7) The Lost Metal (

“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.”
― Brandon Sanderson, The Alloy of Law
🌟4.5/5🌟
Not as good as the original trilogy but its still worth every second of your time !!
...more
― Brandon Sanderson, The Alloy of Law
🌟4.5/5🌟
Not as good as the original trilogy but its still worth every second of your time !!


Feb 07, 2019
♛ may
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
300-pgs,
ded,
male-pov,
hilarious,
kickass-heroine,
perfection,
fantasy,
my-heart,
series,
audiobook
i've really been putting off the second era of mistborn bc i heard so much about how it lacked compares to the first era.........and while that has SOME truth to it, IT WAS SO MUCH FUN
don't really have much to say on the book bc SO MUCH HAPPENS but this takes place wayyy after era 1, where all the characters we love and adore are known as myths and legends. our current main ch ...more
“That hat looks ridiculous.”
“Fortunately, I can change hats,” Wayne said, “while you, sir, are stuck with that face.”
don't really have much to say on the book bc SO MUCH HAPPENS but this takes place wayyy after era 1, where all the characters we love and adore are known as myths and legends. our current main ch ...more

Came for the banter. Left with my heart STOLEN!

Re-read before Shadows of Self is release with some Sanderson buffs in the
Sanctum of Fantasy
I'd forgotten so much. Wax, Wayne and Marasi together are hilarious. Definitely more light hearted than the first trilogy in the Mistborn world. I even think I found a few clues I missed the first time. Now I'm totally ready for the Shadows of Self release Oct 6
Original Review Jun 2014
4.5 Harmonic Stars The Brandon Sanderson Buddy Read and Epic Adventure continues with Athena and Alexa. I had so much ...more
I'd forgotten so much. Wax, Wayne and Marasi together are hilarious. Definitely more light hearted than the first trilogy in the Mistborn world. I even think I found a few clues I missed the first time. Now I'm totally ready for the Shadows of Self release Oct 6
Original Review Jun 2014
4.5 Harmonic Stars The Brandon Sanderson Buddy Read and Epic Adventure continues with Athena and Alexa. I had so much ...more

Review is up!
I admit one of the reasons I delayed reading this was because it was liken to the Western period and I am not a fan of that genre (don't read it, don't watch it), but I should have know that if anyone could make me like it, it would be Sanderson. This book takes place 300 hundred years after the original Mistborn Trilogy and is more light-hearted than its predecessor. That is not to say that the story is not of the same quality, quite the contrary. Wax returns home after 20 years in ...more
I admit one of the reasons I delayed reading this was because it was liken to the Western period and I am not a fan of that genre (don't read it, don't watch it), but I should have know that if anyone could make me like it, it would be Sanderson. This book takes place 300 hundred years after the original Mistborn Trilogy and is more light-hearted than its predecessor. That is not to say that the story is not of the same quality, quite the contrary. Wax returns home after 20 years in ...more

Sep 03, 2013
Eon ♒Windrunner♒
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
I remember having liked this book the first time around, but that it did disappoint me slightly. I wasn’t sure why, but having now reread it, I can say that it is better than I remembered and another excellent entry into the Mistborn series of trilogies.
The problem I experienced the first time around, was that I was expecting another The Final Empire. That book blew me away the first time I read it. I had never read anything so imaginative or epic up to that point and it set the standard for me ...more
The problem I experienced the first time around, was that I was expecting another The Final Empire. That book blew me away the first time I read it. I had never read anything so imaginative or epic up to that point and it set the standard for me ...more

Jan 04, 2018
Iryna *Book and Sword*
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-fantasy
4.5/5 stars (rounded up)
“It's all right Wayne," Waxillium said softly. "I've made a promise. I told Lord Harms I'd return Steris to him. And I will. That is that."
"Then I will remain and help," Marasi said. "That is that."
"And I could really use some food," Wayne added. "Fat is fat.”
This quote right here is the most accurate description of the 3 main characters in The Alloy of Law.
Also, this book right here is the prime example of how to write a second generation series that doesn't suck, but ...more
“It's all right Wayne," Waxillium said softly. "I've made a promise. I told Lord Harms I'd return Steris to him. And I will. That is that."
"Then I will remain and help," Marasi said. "That is that."
"And I could really use some food," Wayne added. "Fat is fat.”
This quote right here is the most accurate description of the 3 main characters in The Alloy of Law.
Also, this book right here is the prime example of how to write a second generation series that doesn't suck, but ...more

Definitely my favourite in the series so far! This was such an intense book I loved every minute of it.
Set 300 years after The Final Empire (books 1-3) (view spoiler) , the series is about how the world is still adapting to the changes and how some groups are still trying to cause chaos.
The world building is phenomenal, it's nothing like your typical fantasy since it's set I guess if the industrial revolution started in the year 300? Different date, ...more
Set 300 years after The Final Empire (books 1-3) (view spoiler) , the series is about how the world is still adapting to the changes and how some groups are still trying to cause chaos.
The world building is phenomenal, it's nothing like your typical fantasy since it's set I guess if the industrial revolution started in the year 300? Different date, ...more

Fair warning: I am a massive Sanderson fangirl. This is a fair approximation of my behavior whenever I read one of his books:

I babble at people who have no idea what I'm talking about, I trip over my own feet and nearly down the stairs, I fling my arms around as if they are not attached to my body and can actually be thrown; I am loud and exuberant and wholly consumed by excitement and while I'm sure the extremely out-of-character nature of this behavior terrifies some people around me no end, I ...more

I babble at people who have no idea what I'm talking about, I trip over my own feet and nearly down the stairs, I fling my arms around as if they are not attached to my body and can actually be thrown; I am loud and exuberant and wholly consumed by excitement and while I'm sure the extremely out-of-character nature of this behavior terrifies some people around me no end, I ...more

Sep 06, 2020
Anna *Bran. San. Stan*
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
have-or-will-reread,
fantasy
2022: Re-read #3. I know November and the release of book 7 is still a ways off, but I just can't help myself.
2020: What a brilliant idea: plant the seeds to a post-apocalyptic (unironical) brave new world in Mistborn #3, take the same magic system (and expand it), fast forward 300 years, leave the previous doom-and-gloom mood behind, add some action-mystery, some more humor and reveal something that, though far from utopian, is surprisingly humorous and light.
Though I was intrigued by the who ...more
2020: What a brilliant idea: plant the seeds to a post-apocalyptic (unironical) brave new world in Mistborn #3, take the same magic system (and expand it), fast forward 300 years, leave the previous doom-and-gloom mood behind, add some action-mystery, some more humor and reveal something that, though far from utopian, is surprisingly humorous and light.
Though I was intrigued by the who ...more

“The more alone you are, the more important it is to have someone you can rely upon.”
FORMAT READ: eBook (iBooks)
SIMILAR VIBES: Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices series), Six of Crows
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸
⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
GENIUS ! GENIUS !
At first all I was getting here was some Six of Crows vibes set in the Victorian Era. And it definitely was for the most part, but what really got me was how it still had Brandon Sanderso ...more
FORMAT READ: eBook (iBooks)
SIMILAR VIBES: Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices series), Six of Crows
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸
⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
GENIUS ! GENIUS !
At first all I was getting here was some Six of Crows vibes set in the Victorian Era. And it definitely was for the most part, but what really got me was how it still had Brandon Sanderso ...more
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Fantasy Buddy Reads: Alloy of Law - Sanderson [Aug 22, 2022] | 9 | 37 | Apr 24, 2022 12:41AM | |
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Reading Assignment | 1 | 9 | May 06, 2020 02:28PM |
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Brandon’s major books for the second half of 2016 are The Dark Talent, the final volume in Alcatraz Smedry’s autobiographical account of his battle against the Evil Librarians who secretly rule our world, and Arcanum Unbounded, the collection of short fiction in the Cosmere universe that includes the Mistborn series and the Stormlight
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more
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The Mistborn Saga
(10 books)
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“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.”
—
360 likes
“That hat looks ridiculous.”
“Fortunately, I can change hats,” Wayne said, “while you, sir, are stuck with that face.”
—
251 likes
More quotes…
“Fortunately, I can change hats,” Wayne said, “while you, sir, are stuck with that face.”