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The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn #6)

Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)

4.45 · Rating details · 42,645 Ratings · 2,832 Reviews

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the firs ...more

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Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published January 26th 2016 by Tor

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The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

Can't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2016

424 books — 2,052 voters

2016 Highly Anticipated Fantasy

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Sep 01, 2016 Bookdragon Sean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi, 4-star-reads

Did I just fall in love with an organisation freak named Steris?

description

Seriously though, her character really shines through in this book. Before she just seemed a bit dull, and perhaps even ordinary, but this clearly isn’t the case. She is an exceptional woman, one who is clearly overlooked and dramatically undervalued by all that meet her. Behind her stoic appearance and general aura of nonchalance is a woman who is slightly obsessive to a fault; however, she is also fiercely loyal to her friends an ...more

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Oct 09, 2015 Kells Next Read rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, brandon-sanderson, ebook, favorite-authors, fantasy, fiction, high-fantasy, magic, my-copy, young-adult

I choose not to speak but relate my feelings via Gifs as words fail me currently:

My overall view of this Read:

Me while reading this book:

Everytime Wax and Steris shared a Moment, I was like:

I need to talk about this book with someone but you'll have to:

photo Read the book first_zpsskngidrq.gif

And just in case you unsure if I like this Read.
Just Know:

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May 29, 2014 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-5-stars, awesome-audio, chick-i-want-to-hang-out-with, book-boyfriend-material, bro-mantic, buddy-read, super-sidekicks, fantastic-fantasy

4.75 Investiture Filled Stars

Buddy read with my friends at Buddies Books & Baubles the discussion is still ongoing but I had to know all the things.

Spoiler Free Review Section:

There is always another secret

How many times have we read those very words throughout the Mistborn saga and been shown yet again that there IS definitely always another secret. Brandon Sanderson has proved that once again in Bands of Mourning. I know who this is about now and I am OMG excited

First he surprised all ...more

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Dec 24, 2017 ❄️Nani❄️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: brandon-sanderson, adult-fantasy

4.5⭐

Alright, there's only so many ways a person can praise an author's work before one starts to sound like a broken record but you know what, I don’t care because Sanderson, once again, knocked it out of the park!

Warda and I quickly jumped onto this book right after Shadows of Self, (right after I got my brain thoroughly obliterated by the ending) and here, we’re graced with yet another thrilling, layered and thought-provoking entry in the Mistborn series, filled with incredibly heartfelt momen ...more

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Feb 21, 2017 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: year-2017, favorites, audiobook, 5-star

So here we are. Here we are.

I just don't know how much more praise I can shower on Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series before people start questioning whether or not I'm in a cult...

ಠ_ಠ

This book was my favorite of the second era Mistborn series. The characters go through some wonderful developments, and I'm fascinated by this mix of Fantasy elements with a Western setting.

I feel like Bands of Mourning works particularly well because by this point we are already very well acquainted with the magi ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 ☽Luna☾ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: great-books, badassery, favorites, flintlock-fantasy, written-by-the-hand-of-god

5 MIND BLOWN STARS ★★★★★

“He’s the man who takes the bullet so nobody else has to.”

HOW FUCKING DARE THIS BOOK BE SO BLOODY AMAZING! Seriously.. That ending holy fucking shit. This book has left me breathless... like wow! So different to anything I've read by Sanderson but it was incredible and is my favourite of all six Mistborn books! This book felt different from the first page, it was so fucking exciting and I knew straight away it was building up to a massive ending.. I'm gobsmacked. This ...more

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Jul 08, 2015 Sanaa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-read, favorites, read-books-i-own

[5 Stars] I absolutely loved this. It may be one of my favorite Sanderson novels yet. I literally do not have the words to express just how much I adored this book. I'm in desperate need of the last book in this series now, but hey I think Stormlight #3 might be enough to tide me over until then!

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Jul 17, 2017 Deborah Obida rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, fantasy

I seriously have no idea why I'm not giving this 5 stars, I love everything about this book, but I still feel like its missing something. This is my favourite in the Alloy era, lots of twists and turns, amazing locations and lots of lovable new characters that I can't wait to read more about them in the final book. I still love the original characters, Wax,Wayne, Marasi, Steris and MeLaan, non of them annoyed me which is a rarity in a series. They made lots of amazing decisions that got them out ...more

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Mar 13, 2018 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Once again. Okay 😏

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Apr 30, 2016 Hasham Rasool rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: brandon-sanderson, fantasy, science-fiction, fiction, favourites

Oh wow! There are lots of characters in this book. 'The Bands of Mourning' is the best book in second trilogy of 'Mistborn'.

I really like Steris in this book.

My goodness! I don't know what to say. I love this book. Alhamdulillah.

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Mar 21, 2015 JAIME rated it it was amazing

Shelves: do-want, 2016, bae, audio, favorites, insta-love, my-heart, hoooooooow, romancey, shapeshifters

1000......that is the number of times I whispered 'HOLY SHIT!' to myself while listening to this.

PS: Michael Kramer rules.

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Feb 16, 2017 Celeste rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

I’m not sure I can write a review of this book that does it any kind of justice. I try to write reviews that actually contain some kind of cohesive thoughts about the book, but I’m afraid all I can do is gush right now. Bands of Mourning was absolutely fantastic from beginning to end. I enjoyed myself immensely, and am so looking forward to any and all Mistborn stories Sanderson puts out in the future. Or any stories in the Cosmere, honestly. I just really love Sanderson, okay?!

There was so much I’m not sure I can write a review of this book that does it any kind of justice. I try to write reviews that actually contain some kind of cohesive thoughts about the book, but I’m afraid all I can do is gush right now. Bands of Mourning was absolutely fantastic from beginning to end. I enjoyed myself immensely, and am so looking forward to any and all Mistborn stories Sanderson puts out in the future. Or any stories in the Cosmere, honestly. I just really love Sanderson, okay?!

There was so much character development here, especially from Steris. I know there are those who think that Sanderson fails at crafting believable, sympathetic characters. I’ve read some reviews that go so far as to say that his characters tend to be cardboard. I simply can’t agree. But I will say that his characters have become warmer and more genuine to me in his later books. I’m more attached to Wax and Wayne and the gang than I was to Vin and Elend, though I really enjoyed their story. I never saw a lack in his writing, but he’s done nothing but improve with every book he publishes. And I really love how he brings back characters from other books in different forms and capacities. (Those who have already read this know exactly who I’m talking about. One in particular. I had to give myself literally hours after finishing this book to be able to think of anything but a certain reappearance.

Just about everyone can agree that Sanderson excels at world building and magic systems and incredibly engaging action scenes and plot twists. This book and the books that preceded it were no exception. There was never a dull moment. There was humor, devastation, joy, shock, awe, and romance to be found within these pages. As my beautiful friend Mary pointed out, Sanderson gave an amazing gift to his fans with these Alloy Era books. There were new characters and adventures in a fascinating new time period, but in a world his fans had already fallen in love with. He knocked it out of the park, and I can’t wait to read The Lost Metal. No really, I can’t…

For more of reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings

I finished up this amazing series (or what there is of it so far!) with my darling, Mary. ...more

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Apr 10, 2015 Mario rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Survive.

Firstly I should say that this review will contain some spoilers but I will put that spoiler sign (or whatever it's called) every time I spoil something

HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK WAS GOOD!!!! Previous two books were amazing and they blew me away, but this book blew me away on a completely new level. I've said this many times (and I'll probably say it many times in the future) I don't know how Sanderson does it. How is his writing so perfect?! And even when I think that I've gotten used to his Survive.

Firstly I should say that this review will contain some spoilers but I will put that spoiler sign (or whatever it's called) every time I spoil something

HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK WAS GOOD!!!! Previous two books were amazing and they blew me away, but this book blew me away on a completely new level. I've said this many times (and I'll probably say it many times in the future) I don't know how Sanderson does it. How is his writing so perfect?! And even when I think that I've gotten used to his writing, he writes another book and it blows me away again. He is without a doubt my favorite author.

Now about the book... First thing I should mention is the prologue. As usual, the prologue was about Wax's past, and I loved reading about that (especially now that his sister was in it (view spoiler)). Then we came back to present and things got even better. I loved that Sanderson expanded the world in this book so much. Reading about Investiture
and Identity was really interesting, and I hope that they will play big part in the last book.

Then I wanna mention the character and AMAZING character development (especially Marasi and Steris). I loved chemistry between Wax and Wayne, and I think that their conversations were one of my favorite parts of the book (I also loved the friendship between Marasi and Wayne). Wayne remained to be my favorite character, but surprisingly, Marasi became my second favorite (sorry Wax). She completely blew me away in this book. In one scene she reminded me of Vin so much (that scene also was the most badass scene in whole Wax and Wayne series-Marasi kicked some ASS). One more thing I want to mention is the relationship between Wax and Steris. Sanderson handled their relationship so well, so I definitely ship it. (view spoiler)

But then, after I thought all the surprises were over, came the Epilogue. After I first read the last few sentences and I didn't quite understand what happened, so I just shrugged and read it again (few times actually). And then it hit me. And oh boy, my mind was BLOWN. Sanderson YOU CAN'T JUST END A BOOK LIKE THAT!!! Damn I hate cliffhangers. But on the bright side, I can't even imagine just how amazing the last book in this series will be. It has potential to be right there with Hero of Ages (which is my favorite book ever). I just don't know how I'll survive until it comes out. ...more

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Sep 28, 2017 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Honestly, I do not know how to review these books. This book. This spin-off series. It's not that I have been rendered speechless. It's just slightly difficult, mainly when it comes to the plot. So, I'll try to break it down into sections. It will be more of a series review, rather than focusing on The Bands of Mourning alone.

Plot/world-building:
This I will say went slightly over my head, especially as the books progressed. Each time I thought I had a grasp of it, a different point connecting t ...more

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Jul 12, 2014 Markus rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, cosmere, fantasy

Let's see...

2 stars for most of the book, which was so boring I wanted to put it down, and way too bad to actually be written by Brandon Sanderson.

4 stars for the rest of the book, which was the best part of the Second era of Mistborn by far.

5 stars for Steris. In a world of disappointing characters hardly even comparable to the legends from the time of the Final Empire, this girl stands out as a shining beacon of perfection.

5 stars for the epilogue. I saw it coming about three books ago, and it ...more

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Sep 20, 2015 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, review-copy, fantasy, action-adventure, magic

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/01/25/b...

2016 is another big year for Brandon Sanderson with a whole slew of new book releases and re-issues coming out, and he’s kicking it all off in late January with The Bands of Mourning. This is the sixth Mistborn novel and third volume of Waxillium Ladrian’s saga following on the heels of Shadows of Self, and according to Sanderson one is an intentional counterpoint to the other, which explains why there were only a few mont 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/01/25/b...

2016 is another big year for Brandon Sanderson with a whole slew of new book releases and re-issues coming out, and he’s kicking it all off in late January with The Bands of Mourning. This is the sixth Mistborn novel and third volume of Waxillium Ladrian’s saga following on the heels of Shadows of Self, and according to Sanderson one is an intentional counterpoint to the other, which explains why there were only a few months to wait between the books. For readers like myself, that decision to publish them so close together was much appreciated, since I don’t think I could have waited until the end of the year to find out what happens, especially after that shocking ending in Shadows of Self.

Things come to a head in The Bands of Mourning, continuing the adventures of Waxillium and his companions. It has been six months since the events of Shadows of Self and our heroes are still recovering from the ordeal. Wax himself is still trying to come to terms with what happened but is also determined to move on with his life, and one of the first orders of business is his forthcoming marriage to Steris. But before the couple can tie the knot, a kandra brings tidings of a possible new discovery in the mountains.

Legends say that the Lord Ruler created a pair of metalminds called the Bands of Mourning that are so powerful that anyone who wears them will have all the Allomantic abilities at their command. Most believe that they are a thing of myth, but now a kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with drawings that look suspiciously like the Bands. Unable to resist the call of adventure, Wax agrees to travel south with the kandra MeLaan to investigate, bringing along Steris as well as his friends Marasi and Wayne. However, Wax was wholly unprepared to stumble across news of his lost sister along the way, and the quest for the Bands unexpectedly takes a dangerous turn as it puts him on the trail of Edwarn Ladrian, Wax’s unscrupulous uncle who is also involved with the shadowy organization known as The Set.

After so many books in the Mistborn series, I didn’t think I could be surprised anymore, but I was wrong. Most of the story in The Bands of Mourning does not take place in the Roughs nor does it take place in the city of Elendel, instead taking us out into the outskirts of the Basin. We’ve been with Wax for so long, it’s easy to forget there’s a whole wide world out there beyond the frontier regions or the urban areas, and the first stop is beautiful New Seran. Sanderson may be best known for his magic systems, but he is also a master at creating new places and bringing them to life. With its luscious fields of fruit and majestic waterfalls, the awe-inspiring vistas of New Seran make me think this could be Sanderson’s version of Rivendell or Naboo. Next up are the cold icy mountain ranges bordering the Basin, where the final chapters of the book take place. There’s also a farther, more mysterious place that I can’t really speak of for fear of spoilers, but regardless, out of all the novels in this series I think it’s safe to say this one expands the world the most, at least geographically.

The story does not disappoint either. It’s an action-filled romp through a fantasy world on the cusp of an industrial revolution, and the Western vibes are still strong with this book, which even includes scenes from a spectacular train robbery. Also, despite The Bands of Mourning taking place half a year after Shadows of Self and featuring a whole new adventure, the two books do indeed tie together when you look at it from the perspective of Wax’s personal growth. It is an emotional journey that brings resolution to the many questions our protagonist has been struggling with since the last book, and it also marks an end to one chapter while opening another. New possibilities are on the horizon, including the potential for new worlds, new relationships, and perhaps even a new villain. You might be able to get away with reading this on its own, but I do highly recommend picking up Shadows of Self first, or better yet, start Wax’s story from the beginning with The Alloy of Law (which is still my favorite of the new Wax and Wayne Mistborn novels).

Another thing I loved about this book? The supporting characters! The story is once again carried by POVs from our three usual suspects—Wax, Wayne and Marasi—but my favorite characters in this book were actually Steris and MeLaan. As usual, there was plenty of humor especially in the dialogue, and the best of that came in the form of interactions between Wayne and MeLaan, a brilliant pairing. But perhaps the greatest surprise of the novel was Steris. She always struck me as rather austere and aloof in previous books, but we finally get to see a lot more of her true self here. And maybe I’m biased, because I recognize a lot of myself in her uptight planning and obsessive list-making behavior, but out of all the characters, I felt she was the most sympathetic. I’m really excited to see what might be in store for her and Wax, because Sanderson really did a great job developing their relationship.

Overall, The Bands of Mourning is another fantastic installment in the Mistborn sequence. Brandon Sanderson fans will be sure to love this one, especially if you’ve been following the books and keeping up with Wax and the gang. You definitely won’t want to miss this rusting good read. ...more

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Nov 12, 2015 Paige Bookdragon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-author, kickass-cover, got-a-copy, read-2016, adult, adventure, 5-star, love-the-hero, wtf

Spoiler free review because I'm not entirely heartless.

You know how hard it is to write a review for a book that you love. I know some of you has experienced this so I’m sorry in advance because this review would be an incoherent rambling of a lunatic.

330 years after that “shit that went down” on the Hero of Ages, Scadrial ( formerly known as the Land of Abundant Ashes) is now teeming with electricity and technology. Technically, just imagine the love child of Victorian Era and Wild Wild West wi ...more

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Dec 18, 2014 TS Chan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: brandon-sanderson, audiobook, physical-owned

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you, a master of sequels, action scenes and "the last 20%". Mr Sanderson, please take a bow!

Talk about taking it to the next level! The only sequel of Sanderson's which fell short for me was The Well of Ascension; this one however suffers no such disinclination. Bands of Mourning relived some of the epicness of the initial trilogy while still maintaining the tone of a detective story coupled with a grand adventure more suited to this era. And in the vein o Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you, a master of sequels, action scenes and "the last 20%". Mr Sanderson, please take a bow!

Talk about taking it to the next level! The only sequel of Sanderson's which fell short for me was The Well of Ascension; this one however suffers no such disinclination. Bands of Mourning relived some of the epicness of the initial trilogy while still maintaining the tone of a detective story coupled with a grand adventure more suited to this era. And in the vein of this era's Mistborn books thus far, this is a fast-paced story with some really cool action scenes.

One of the questions I've always had in my mind when Sanderson said that the Mistborn series will span multiple eras was how he will incorporate the magic system into technological advances - Bands of Mourning definitely provided some insight here. Keeping true to his own laws, Sanderson expands on the metallurgic magic system of Scadrial by going deeper into the concepts and introducing cool, new and modern ways of applying Allomancy, Feruchemy and Hemalurgy.

Epicness and cool magic system aside, a book is nothing without its characters. Wax is.. well.. Wax - a force of nature, born of two worlds, and in my mind, kind of hot. His interactions with Wayne are always entertaining and the reader can sense the depth and strength of the friendship/partnership between these two characters. I particularly loved this exchange:

"Focus, Wayne," Wax said. "How are we going to get in? Shall we try Fat Belt?"
"Nah," Wayne said, "too loud. I think we should do Spoiled Tomato."
"Dangerous," Wax said, shaking his head. "I'd have to do the placement just right.."
"You can do it. You make shots like that all the time.. "
"A mistake could ruin the whole infiltration, healing power or no," Wax said. "I think we should do Duck Under Clouds instead."
"You kiddin'?" Wayne said. "Didn't you get shot last time we tried that?"
"Kinda," Wax admitted.
"Tube Run," Wayne said
"No glue."
"Banefielder?"
"Too dark"
"Blackwatch Doublestomp"
Wax hesitated. "... The hell is that?"
"Just made it up," Wayne said, grinning. "It's a nifty code name though, eh?"

No one doubts that Wayne will yet again deliver his unusual yet humorous spin of logic. MeLaan was also equally hilarious and extraordinary (that's really kind of her nature). Marasi has her moments, which was an improvement from the last book, but with such a stellar cast of characters, she was kind of left in the shadows most of the times.

The new star of this series to me was Steris-who has truly come into her own. Her character development was fantastic and I absolutely adore her!! It's really been a very long while since I was this taken by a female character and I applaud Sanderson for nailing it this time-a woman who is "so full of logic and yet so full of wonder at the same time".

The scope in Bands of Mourning extends way beyond the confines of Elendel and without giving away too much, we get quite a decent amount of worldbuilding, as well as hints of something bigger and badder to come. The last 20%, not surprisingly, was a roller-coaster of twists and turns. Even then, Sanderson was not done until the very last paragraph and last word of the book. Diabolical genius!

On this note, to gain the maximum experience from this series, please read Mistborn : Secret History AFTER Bands of Mourning. ...more

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Jan 01, 2017 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Dammit! Why didn't I have more willpower?! I know a lot of Sanderson fans are waiting for this trilogy to be finished before they would even start. I smugly jumped in , deep in my early gratification, thoroughly enjoying the books. BUT NOW IM SORRY! Because there is soooo long to go for the next one!

This was brilliant and also making me very excited about the third era of trilogies that there will eventually be. I am of course not going to be including spoilers but I will say that I felt very di ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk, worldbuilding-sf, 2016-shelf

I began the first trilogy knowing nothing and then being blown away. I started the second trilogy going, "Huh?", but eventually warming to the interesting characters and setting. After all, the magic system still rocked and turning the series into a western wasn't *that* far out of the realms of possibility.

I wasn't blown away by book 4. I thought book 5 was a good deal better, enjoying the dialog between Wax and Wayne more and more and thoroughly enjoying the thread of lost love and evil gods ( I began the first trilogy knowing nothing and then being blown away. I started the second trilogy going, "Huh?", but eventually warming to the interesting characters and setting. After all, the magic system still rocked and turning the series into a western wasn't *that* far out of the realms of possibility.

I wasn't blown away by book 4. I thought book 5 was a good deal better, enjoying the dialog between Wax and Wayne more and more and thoroughly enjoying the thread of lost love and evil gods (and ineffectual good ones, too. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Harmony.) The new world was one I could respect and like, but I never got to the point where I really loved it.

And then this book came around, and after what I thought was a tiny rough beginning, I was delighted to see just how much I loved Wayne's sequence. There was a lot of real beauty in the writing, like a dance of pure chicanery, and I delighted in it. And then, of course, we got Wax's marriage to the wonderful Steris, who is every bit of a match for him, smart and oh-so-damn-prepared. Can I tell you how endearing this woman is with her damn lists? Well, yeah, I guess I can. :)

What really makes this novel stands out, though, is not the adventure into steampunkland or the straight adventure into finding the Lord Ruler's own metalmind that allows the wearer full access to all 16 metals and ferrochemical attributes, but the fact that it was done well. We got the huge magical sequence that is reminiscent more of the first trilogy than the more modest (and down-to-earth) effects of books 4 and 5. We've got some big things coming, and I that leads me to make one last comment.

I've officially moved from a respect and liking for the second series to a deep and profound love. I've finally warmed to it. The characters really stand out in my mind and they're still talking and quipping, and I'm getting a whole bunch of warm and fuzzies. :)

I can honestly say it's only getting better, and all my so-so feelings about the last two have evaporated like mist. :) ...more

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Sep 03, 2014 Gavin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

This third instalment in the second era Mistborn series proved to be the best yet! It was fast paced and stuffed full of action, mystery, humor, romance, cool magic, and shock developments. Sanderson once again succeeded in keeping me fully engaged and entertained for the duration of the story.

All our favourite characters were back. This time on a quest to seek out the bands of mourning, the legendary metalminds of the Lord Ruler, and they are not the only ones hunting the prize as the nefariou ...more

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Oct 14, 2015 Mike rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, epics, reviewed

What is better than the concluding book of a Mistborn trilogy? Discovering at the end it is really the third book in a quadrilogy!

OK, bad jokes aside, this was another phenomenal addition to the Cosmere pantheon of stories. Not hat anyone should be surprised by this, this is Bandon Sanderson we are talking about here writing in arguably his most popular series. Calling that a home field advantage is like saying the humans had a home field advantage against the martians in The War of the Worlds. ...more

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Oct 28, 2016 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-physical

4.5/5 stars

Out of all the 3 books available so far in Wax & Wayne stories, this is definitely the best one. While reading the last 30% of this book, I seriously wondered how the hell does Sanderson keeps on coming with all these new ideas? I mean seriously, genius is an understatement at this point.
In Bands of Mourning, he showed the potential future for Mistborn franchise and believe me, it will be huge and after reading this one, I'm full with confidence all of them will maintain their gre 4.5/5 stars

Out of all the 3 books available so far in Wax & Wayne stories, this is definitely the best one. While reading the last 30% of this book, I seriously wondered how the hell does Sanderson keeps on coming with all these new ideas? I mean seriously, genius is an understatement at this point.
In Bands of Mourning, he showed the potential future for Mistborn franchise and believe me, it will be huge and after reading this one, I'm full with confidence all of them will maintain their great quality.

I'm going to divide this review into 3 main point. Plot, actions and then characters.

Plot:
Firstly, it's almost impossible to write a comprehensive review on this point without mentioning some of the major spoiler so I'll just make this really brief and spoiler-free. The plot in this book, especially the last 30% the book is equivalent to the level of original Mistborn trilogy imo. Some major twist and revelations happened throughout the book, the ending was beautiful, and most of all the epilogue will show you clearly just what Sanderson planned for this franchise. Literally down to the last word of the book. The plot by itself will keep you entertained and left you wanting for more.

Actions:
The book this time are filled with lot of actions compared to previous Shadows of Self and believe me, the actions is damn good for reason again I cannot mention. Click at your own risk (view spoiler) You won't be disappointed by the amount and quality of the actions in this book and if you know Sanderson's work by now, you know he is the master of creating a great climax on the last 20-30% in any of the book he wrote. Whether it's plot-driven, action-driven, or both (90% of the time ended up in both) you'll know he always conclude his book with a bang or something to look forward to.

Characters:
While I say this part will be about the characters development in the book, let me clarify this will consist 90% of me talking about only one person. For those of you who've read this book, you know who I'm talking about. Steris!!! It's just crazy just how much an improvement Sanderson wrote towards this character, she is now my favorite character of the Wax & Wayne series, along with Wayne, well cause you know, it's Wayne. Steris doesn't shine any at all in her brief appearance in Alloy of Law so I was pretty neutral about her, then she appeared again a bit longer with several improvements and her funny social awkwardness in Shadows of Self which make me kinda like her. Finally, in this book boom, we know about her a LOT and oh boy, she is such a lovable character. Read this book now and be prepare to love another fictional character! I know you have tons of them already, why not add 1 more and a pretty interesting one at that? She is neat, funny, always have backup plans, sweet & realistic. While Wayne are there to made you laugh, Steris are definitely in the book to warm your heart. If you don't feel warm at all about the relationship between Wax & Steris, even after knowing Wax's history and what Steris meant to him now, seriously pour yourself a cup of water with 100 degree celcius boiling degree and splash that damn cup to your chest to warm your frozen heart. The ending (view spoiler) is just beautiful and I admit, I smiled (with a little bit of glassy eyes) out of pure happiness.

Well there's my review on The Bands of Mourning. Sanderson mentioned that Mistborn, along with Stormlight Archive is two of his franchise that he will be working on til the end of his career and we still have at least 7 more books in the Mistborn franchise. "The Lost Metal" which is the last part of Wax & Wayne's adventure, a new trilogy set in contemporary setting and finally, the last trilogy set in futuristic sci-fi setting. I can safely say, I'll be joining all his adventures in the franchise and be damn glad to do so. Now, I'll be joining the waiting game with fellow fans and friends on the Lost Metal which most probably will release in 2018. 0_0'

Note: Sanderson mentioned it's better to start Secret History only after finishing Bands of Mourning so yeah, you should follow his advice :) ...more

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Jul 06, 2017 Geek Furioso rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-magic, awesome-mc, awesome-world, fantasy, fuck-yea-books, gods-everywhere, kick-ass-female-character, man-crush, praise-the-san-derson

Sanderson siempre lo consigue. Siempre. Bueno, casi siempre, tiene sus momentos en los que baja a cuarta o incluso a tercera. Pero por lo general, siempre tiene el acelerador pisado a fondo. Logra, de una manera brillante e inexplicable, mezclar acción épica, comedia desternillante, romance apasionante, misterio, religión, misticismo y fantasía y engancharte en todas y cada una de las páginas, obligándote a no soltar el libro hasta alcanzar el final.

Fui uno de los que salió levemente decepcionad Sanderson siempre lo consigue. Siempre. Bueno, casi siempre, tiene sus momentos en los que baja a cuarta o incluso a tercera. Pero por lo general, siempre tiene el acelerador pisado a fondo. Logra, de una manera brillante e inexplicable, mezclar acción épica, comedia desternillante, romance apasionante, misterio, religión, misticismo y fantasía y engancharte en todas y cada una de las páginas, obligándote a no soltar el libro hasta alcanzar el final.

Fui uno de los que salió levemente decepcionados con Sombras de Identidad, pero creo que la razón es que ese libro no contuvo mucho Cosmere, o mejor dicho, hubo Cosmere mal metido. La era 2 de Mistborn está fuertemente unido con la era 1, no sólo a nivel de trasfondo, sino que los personajes se están enfrentando directamente al legado de los anteriores. Por ejemplo, una de las subtramas explora cómo Marasi, al igual que la mayoría de las mujeres de Scadrial, se siente viviendo a la sombra de Vin, que fue una mujer tremendamente poderosa. Wax se siente mangoneado por Armonía y sus designios. Y se nos muestra constantemente que todo el mundo aún recuerda y teme al lord Legislador (y no sin razón, ya que la trama de todo del libro va de buscar un arma que puede conferir su poder)

Pero en Sombras de Identidad este Cosmere parecía más fanservice. ¿Era necesario que Wax se reuniese con TenSoon en los Pozos de Hathsin? Sin embargo, aquí tiene mucho más sentido y se nos ve que el legado de estos personajes (Vin, Kelsier, Sazed, Brisa, el lord Legislador) está afectando de forma directa al mundo y la vida de Wax, Wayne y Marasi. A medida que se ha ido desmadejando la era 2 hemos podido verlo. Y ahora nos encontramos en una posición de equilibrio tenso entre ambas eras.

Sólo tengo una pregunta: ¿cómo resolverá Sanderson los crossovers? Porque son inevitables. No sólo veo que la era 1 y la era 2 de Mistborn van a confluir en The Lost Metal, sino que tarde o temprano los mundos del Cosmere empezarán a confluir también. De momento Hoid es más un easter egg que cualquier cosa, pero tarde o temprano deberá empezar a moverse. Y tengo curiosidad, porque sigo considerando al Cosmere el proyecto más ambicioso que se ha hecho en fantasía en los últimos años. Quiero ver. Quiero saber. Dámelo, Sanderson. Dámelo pronto.

...more

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Dec 08, 2015 Connor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy

I'm so happy I loved this! I was worried after calamity that I wouldn't like this one as much, but I thought it was fantastic. These character make me crack up so much, and I can't wait to see how their story will "end."

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Jan 27, 2016 Kogiopsis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fangirl-alert, favorite-2016-reads, teary-eyes, reviewed

This review will be split into several parts, organized by spoiler level. If you do not meet at least a given level of spoilers, do not read that section. I'm really very serious about this.

For the Sanderson-uninitiated:
If you read fantasy, or talk to people about fantasy, or have followed me for a while, you've heard of this guy. Bands of Mourning does all the things Sanderson is famous for: it has fast-paced action, carefully applied rules of magic, expansive worldbuilding, and engaging chara ...more

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Apr 04, 2016 Liam Degnan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

A Full Five Stars: ✰✰✰✰✰

Simply put, I love this book. It isn't perfect (I know), but I could care less, because I just honestly love it.

Patiently waiting for book four because it feels like an eternity ='[.

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Jan 23, 2016 Franco Santos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: libros-en-digital, leídos-en-inglés, brandon-sanderson

Por las dudas aclaro que esta reseña no tiene spoilers.

There's always another secret. Esa frase resumiría más o menos este libro.

La primera mitad de The Bands of Mourning, aunque me duela decirlo, me aburrió. Tiene partes que me resultaron bastante pesadas. También me parece que hubo demasiada acción. Sé que otros van a encontrar eso como un punto a favor, pero yo prefiero que un libro tenga una base calma que me permita entender mejor a los personajes en ese momento. Con tanta lucha eso no s ...more

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Dec 23, 2014 Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cosmere, class-gender-race, fantasy, ridiculously-prolific-authors, swashbucklers-capers-and-heists, romantical, treasure-and-adventure, urban-fantasy

Don't you just love when you find a story that clicks with you on every level? And it's not like it's a perfect story, or even all that objectively amazing, but it's the perfect story for you? That's totally this series for me. I loved the Mistborn books, and I SUPER LOVE the Stormlight Archive books (still my favorite thing Sanderson has written, and I've now read nearly all of his massive and steadily growing output), but these Mistborn Alloy Era/Wax and Wayne books have been such a treat from Don't you just love when you find a story that clicks with you on every level? And it's not like it's a perfect story, or even all that objectively amazing, but it's the perfect story for you? That's totally this series for me. I loved the Mistborn books, and I SUPER LOVE the Stormlight Archive books (still my favorite thing Sanderson has written, and I've now read nearly all of his massive and steadily growing output), but these Mistborn Alloy Era/Wax and Wayne books have been such a treat from beginning to end. Just endless adventures and zingers and romance and fun.

I'm not going to bother talking about the plot at all. If you've read one or both of the first two books, you're not going to want to be spoiled, and if you haven't, you won't understand what I'm talking about anyway.

What I do want to talk about is the characters. Sanderson has always been good at characters, especially when he allows himself room for them to grow*, but it's never been his main draw as an author. That honor has always gone to his insanely detailed and pleasurable world-building, which always contains thorough and exciting magic systems that put most magic systems to shame in almost every regard, and then to his plotting, which is nearly always focused on doing new and fun things with common fantasy archetypes and storytelling structures. But there's something about this series that allowed him the mental freedom to create a set of characters who are exceptionally vivid and easy to love. Maybe it's because this series just sort of jumped out of his brain accidentally and demanded to be told, or maybe it's because it's so much of a laid back series compared to the original Mistborn or the Stormlight books. Whatever the reason, the characters are the draw here. The stuff surrounding them is wonderful and provides the hook, but all that is not not the reason you stay.

*This is the main reason I love the Stormlight Archive books so much, aside from the beyond epic storytelling, because there is just so much of those books in terms of length, width and breadth, there is also a lot of accompanying room and time for character evolution.

All of the main characters have a satisfying and surprising arc (meaning, I didn't see where it was going at all, which is rare for me!). Wax, Wayne, Marasi, MeLaan. And Steris. Ohhhh, Steris. I love her so much. The less said about why the better. I did actually call a plot twist later in the book, but it was followed by something so mind-numbingly cool that I didn't see coming that I instantly forgave it. Also, earlier in the book this thing happened that I did not see coming, and in fact had been previously been convinced would go in the exact opposite direction.

Look, guys. Just read Mistborn. Read all the Brandon Sanderson. I don't know how else to tell you, but if you're not, you're missing something wicked awesome.

With that said, TWO YEARS UNTIL THE LAST BOOK NOOOOO. ...more

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Jan 14, 2016 Eric Allen rated it really liked it

Good book, but could have been better. I think the author just got a little carried away with his world building and was a little short on plot and character because of it.

Two things that I really like about this book are that when Sanderson makes a magic system for a world, he never really adds on new abilities to fit the story as far too many fantasy authors seem to do. Instead he takes what he already has and uses it in a new and interesting way, which makes the same stuff seem new and excit Good book, but could have been better. I think the author just got a little carried away with his world building and was a little short on plot and character because of it.

Two things that I really like about this book are that when Sanderson makes a magic system for a world, he never really adds on new abilities to fit the story as far too many fantasy authors seem to do. Instead he takes what he already has and uses it in a new and interesting way, which makes the same stuff seem new and exciting. And the other is more for this second Mistborn series as a whole. I really like how he left a lot of things for the readers to figure out on our own before coming out and confirming them in the third book. Stuff like who Wax is descended from, I think they said Breeze's last name a grand total of once in the entire original trilogy. Little things like that that make you think and figure things out for yourself before he actually says yes, this guy is descended from that guy. Plus, I like that Steris is included more in this book than the previous two. She really cracks me up because I know someone who is EXACTLY like her.

It's really hard to talk about this book without comparing it to Shadows of Self, which only came out a few months back, which is the biggest problem with The Bands of Mourning. It's just not as good a book as the one that came out a few months ago. I think the publisher did this book a bit of a disservice in releasing it so soon after the last one. With Shadows of Self so fresh in my mind, this one just doesn't quite stack up. Shadows of Self had really great social commentary, and showed a very keen grasp of economics, government, and mob mentality, and it had an absolutely sadistic plot twist that I totally didn't see coming. The Bands of Mourning had a plot twist I figured out almost immediately, the plot wasn't quite so deep or interesting, and Sanderson substituted a lot of setup for later books for plot and character development which, while rather interesting, just doesn't stand up to the previous book in terms of story and character. That's not to say there's no character development, there is, it just wasn't as deep or involved as that in the previous book. And like I said, since they came out so close to each other, it's really hard not to make the comparisons here. There's a lot going on, but it sort of feels more like it's happening on the back burner while Sanderson is showing us how technology derived from Allomancy and Feruchemy works. Even the ultimate goal, finding the titular Bands of Mourning is more about the technology that can be derived from it, rather than the quest and adventure of finding them. And the ending is a bit of a Deus Ex Machina, but since it was setup ahead of time, and the book itself is named after the deus ex machina, I suppose it isn't too objectionable. It's still a good and entertaining book, but could have maybe used a little less showing off cool technology ideas, and a little more focus on the current adventure our characters are fighting their way through. ...more

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About Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson

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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

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