Leslie's Reviews > Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set

This is quite possibly the most well written "action fantasy" series I've ever read. It's not high class literature, nor the best series ever, but within its genre its just about perfect.

The less you know about the series going in the better I think. There are a number of plot twists that end up making the scope of the whole series epic without ever feeling forced. There is enough characterization to make you care about the action. And that brings up the crowning glory of this series, the action.

The way magic works is quite different from anything I've read. Sanderson's magic system translate into action sequences that are unique, breath-taking, and resemble something of a combination of kung-fu highwire leaps and anime beat'em ups. And because Sanderson takes the time to develop his characters you actually end up caring what happens to them during the action, lending a gravity to the scenes that doesn't normally happen in "action" books.

All this is held together with a story that is cohesive from the first sentence to the last. Its very tightly knit and Sanderson deserves a lot of credit for keeping the story focused instead of letting side "quests" wander all over the place.

And finally, Sanderson has the equivalent of a "director's commentary" for each chapter of the entire series on his website (http://brandonsanderson.com/). Want to know why a character did X and not Y at a crucial moment? There is a good chance Sanderson explains it. I really wish the digital edition incorporated this somehow.

In short, read it.