SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Mistborn
Group Reads Discussions 2010
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"Mistborn: The Final Empire" Final Thoughts *Spoilers*
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I immediately read the second book after finishing Mistborn. I took a break between the second and third to read Little Women, but I'm excited to get back to the series. These were my first Brandon Sanderson books, and I definitely plan on reading his other titles.
After reading the first book in this series, I immediately read the next two. And after finishing those two, I read every other Brandon Sanderson book available.
I really like this book, and it's series, the most out of his work due to it's darker, grittier feel. This first book was a great read, and it's introduction to the world, the magic and all the characters was very well done.
I really like this book, and it's series, the most out of his work due to it's darker, grittier feel. This first book was a great read, and it's introduction to the world, the magic and all the characters was very well done.
Just finished. Loved it. I will read the next one.
I am new to Sanderson, and would/will read others by him, not so much because of the magic system, that is not necessarily this particular series, but because he had nicely intricate plotting and likable characters trying to do the right thing. I thought it was really well written. In addition, I enjoyed the warm fuzzy ending.
I raced through this first book, but have only read a chapter of so of the second one. For some reason it's not gripping me as much! I guess I really miss that character (how's that for avoiding spoilers!).
************SPOILERS for 1st book!!!*********I agree on that, read the second right after the first. Final impressions were one of sadness at the loss of Kelsier and what happend to Marsh pulled at my heartstrings! but I really liked the tightness of the story arc. I think the world is a perfect blend of simplicity and complexity that can allow you to read these books as slow or fast as you would like. I also liked the way they were written, I think Sanderson has a great style.
Sandy wrote: "I am new to Sanderson, and would/will read others by him, not so much because of the magic system, that is not necessarily this particular series, but because he had nicely intricate plotting and l..."Warm fuzzy ending! Did we read the same book?
I know. But I guess I thought Kelsier was doomed from the beginning, and that he would become a powerful martyr to help the skaa. Ok, the ending isn't really warm and fuzzy, but there's hope.Please don't tell me the Darkness comes back and wipes out more of the good guy characters!
Serena wrote: "I raced through this first book, but have only read a chapter of so of the second one. For some reason it's not gripping me as much! I guess I really miss that character (how's that for avoiding sp..."I had much the same reaction. I did end up finally getting through the second book, but it dragged so much for me compared to the first one, I lost interest in finishing the series. I'm kind of sad about that, because I know so many people who thought the whole thing was fabulous. I guess it's not for me. (The same thing always happens to me with Tad Williams.)
Hi Dana, I agree with you on Tad Williams. Not sure why Sanderson treated me differently but his story gripped me in a way WIlliams could not. Did you give up or are you plowing through?
I actually liked the second and third books better than the first one (I read them all in a row). The first one was a bit too predictable... I think I was only halfway through when I realized what was going to happen to Kelsier. I was surprised, however, when I found out who became the Lord Ruler.
(spoilerish...)GP, I was likewise surprised at who turned out to be the lord ruler, and not really in a good way. I was highly intrigued by the idea that the big evil guy was really a fundamentally decent person who'd just been worn down over the years or was crushed by the burdens of defending humanity. the logbook was painting a really complex version of the standard evil overlord, but then nope! jut kidding, its some other dude.
that being said, I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and will probably read the sequels. Michael, I'm with you, this one is complete on its own, and I don't feel the need to scoop them up right away.
I've read all of the mistborn series and loved them. At first i thought the setting was odd and wasnt sure if i would like it, but of course rounding the end of chapter 5 i was hooked. Great writing and some cool new ideas of using abilities.Im just mad that i didnt read this before i went and got my book signed for the WoT series! Otherwise i would of got him to sign them as well.
Michelle wrote: "(spoilerish...)GP, I was likewise surprised at who turned out to be the lord ruler, and not really in a good way. I was highly intrigued by the idea that the big evil guy was really a fundamental..."
***Series Spoilerish***
If you finished the series, didn't you find the character of the Lord Ruler even more complex?
Yep, he became a lot more interesting, even benevolent in the beginning. A fourth novel or short story about The Lord Ruler would be very interesting.
I LOVED this book and immediately followed it up with The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages. Then, I moved on to The Alloy of Law and I loved it, too, even if it is really different from the original series.
I love this series. After reading it I became a firm Brandon Sanderson fan. Fortunately he's rather prolific :)
deleted user wrote: "After reading the first book in this series, I immediately read the next two. And after finishing those two, I read every other Brandon Sanderson book available.I really like this book, and it's ..."
Yep. That.
I LOVED the Mistborn series and everything else I've read by Sanderson. I first picked up Mistborn when it was announced that Sanderson would be finishing the Wheel of Time series and since then he's become one of my favorite authors.
Wow, what a finish! And then some loose ends to tantalize our imaginations (or speed us on our way to the sequel). Here are the quotes I highlighted in Part 5; I'll make comments on the quotes and the rest of this thread subsequently...1) "I know what will happen if I make the wrong choice. I must be strong; I must not take the power for myself. For I have seen what will happen if I do."
2) "Anyone can believe in someone, or something, that always succeeds, Mistress. But failure... ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly. Difficult enough to have value, I think."
3) "It was a fun job, wasn't it? When you remember me, please remember that. Remember to smile."
4) "They're the same man. Can he change how he looks, then? Appearing young when he wishes to put forth a pretty face?"
5) "... a simple, empty scar where his manhood should have been."
6) "The legends agree that had the Deepness not been stopped, the very world would have been destroyed."
7) "At least I didn't abandon him. I think... think that's what Kelsier meant."
Okay, I'm confused - are we allowed spoilers for Mistborn: The Final Empire in this thread or not?? It says "post here when done", and then everyone goes out of their way to avoid spoilers?? I'm going to spoil away, but I thought I would check in with everyone watching this thread first, so let me know if you think we should not do spoilers for some reason...
It's a good finish isn't it? Lots of questions, lots of answers and really interesting characters. I loved learning about the characters in this story. I hope you go further in the series Michael!
Michael, my personal policy is to just always use spoiler tags. I get digest emails from all of my groups that show comments, whether I am subscribed or not. It is not big deal to click on a concealed spoiler.Either way, I think that people coming to this thread have most likely finished and therefore should expect spoilers.
some fine wold building done here.
Okay, I got distracted for a minute... let me see if I can sum up my feelings for this one...I really liked the magic system and the plot setup for this book. Some of the actual implementation was a bit slow for me, and I was disappointed to find that except for (view spoiler) Vin was the only woman of interest in the entire book. I thought there were a lot of interesting characters in the book, but when all was said and done I wasn't sure I really had gotten to know them or been invested or a witness to their growth. But there were a lot of moments and ideas that really resonated with me, and the plot twists and outlandish moves (strategy and fighting) by Kelsier really paid off for me.
One thing I particularly liked about the ending was (view spoiler)
As for my quotes (message 21) -
1) Although this actually applied to (view spoiler)
3) This reminds me of Tiberius Kirk's last words, if anyone knows that reference. It seemed fitting since he and Kelsier seem a lot alike to me.
4) I found it hard to believe that Vin didn't figure out (view spoiler) She was, after all, the one who had figured out some pretty significant things previously in the book, particularly relevant: (view spoiler)
5) I just thought this was a limited way of expressing it. Sazed's "manhood" was in his bravery and steadfastness and hope, not his privates. Of course, it is just an expression, so it's not really a critique, but I tagged it since we had been talking about aspects of gender in the book.
6) If this is what the world looks like with the Deepness defeated, I don't want to know what it looks like without...
7) I thought this scene was really poignant, especially combined with what Vin learned about (view spoiler)
The first Brandon Sanderson book I ever read was Elantris. Then I read the first Mistborn book. It was actually several years before I realized it was a series. I never saw this coming: (view spoiler) and I'm always a little surprised when other people say they did!
We loved Kelsier and Vin so much we named our cats after them!
I love all the fight scenes, the mystery around the history of the world, and how each book reveals more and more. That's why Brandon Sanderson is my writing role model. I love all of his original epic fantasy novels! The YA stuff, not quite as much.
If you guys haven't read the other two books in the Mistborn series, I highly recommend them. And if parts of the middle book get a little tedious, just skip ahead a little, and I promise your mind will be blown!
So I read my first Sanderson books in the past two weeks. I started out with The Way of Kings, because it was the thickest unread paperback book I owned and I was going on a 12 hour flight. After tearing through that, I read the second immediately.
Mistborn didn't grip me in the same way as his latest series, but I still thought it was excellent.
It started out a bit slow for me, and at first I didn't much like Kelsier. (Anyone else feel that way?) The set up was a little tiresome for me, but once past that initial setup, it was much better.
I enjoyed Vin's growth and development, especially seeing her grapple with how she came to enjoy the balls, yet recognizing that it came at the expense of so many others.
I was disappointed that Vin was the only major female character in the book.
Traci, I only had a hint of suspicion about that spoiler you mentioned (view spoiler)
I liked the logbook and was a bit disappointed with the identity of the Lord Ruler in the end. I was intrigued by the idea of his change and what had happened to him once he'd reached the end. But I also am curious about why the Lord Ruler kept a book he didn't write himself??
I thought the magic system was quite complex and creative. I haven't felt a burning urge to read the second book yet, but that could be because I'm not ready to spend the money yet. I'm definitely sold on Sanderson as an author though!
I agree. The real identity was indeed quite a let down after all the buildup. It seemed that when in public he was so godlike - dude killed Kelsier in one slap and able to soothe thousands - then in the closed room his power was diminished or not as strong. Or maybe Vin just caught him in his bad allomancy/feruchemist day? Anyway, glad Marsh survived. He reminded me of Stannis Baratheon (and I love Stannis).
Silvana wrote: "Or maybe Vin just caught him in his bad allomancy/feruchemist day?"That's the thing about feruchemy: you have to suffer a lot of bad days to have one awesome moment. In the Lord Ruler's case, he was also paying dues for his 1000-year lifespan.
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@Chris: yes that is true. even later Vin admitted she was lucky. but thankfully the evil lord was quickly vanquished, I actually prefer normal people as villains.@Melanie: yeah I also like that especially when Marsh mentioned two things he hate about Kel: stole his idea and died for it.
This was my first foray into Sanderson's work, and I was quite impressed. My first impression was that it was a lightweight read, but after finishing it I admit there was quite a bit of depth and substance to it as well. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and Elantris when I get around to it.@Silvana, love the comparison between Marsh and Stannis, I can totally see why you'd think that! Not sure Stannis would go so far as to become an Inquisitor, but then again he did a lot of reprehensible things to try to become king.
I just finished rereading this after first reading it three years ago. I was too upset about a certain death to move on with the rest of the trilogy but I think I'm ready now, lol. Anyway, I found some things that bugged me about the story that didn't bother me the first time around, (view spoiler)Other than that, it's still a good example of excellent world building and an innovative magic system. I loved the rest of the crew and I had actually totally forgotten about the reveal about the Lord Ruler. Sanderson fooled me twice!
It was too convenient indeed but some parts of me (maybe the part that likes nerdy guys like Elend) actually liked reading about their first interactions - the tug of war thing is rather thrilling hahahaBut you are right, it is still a great book. What a page-turner!
I finished this yesterday and really enjoyed it for the second time. I read it for the first time in 2016 and while I remembered a little of Kelsier and Vin, and a little about the magic system, I have absolutely no memory of the ending or even the last 1/3 of the book. I'm glad I re-read it, and I plan to continue with the rest of the trilogy.
I liked this book so much, and the magic system...very cool. I think as I was reading this and thinking it reminds me of Ocean's 11.
Great world building. Frustrated by length of book with very fast/too neat wrap up in last couple of chapters.
I read this book a couple months ago, then went through the second and halfway through the third before I remembered that I was part of this group lmao.Better late than never, though, so here are my thoughts on book 1:
This was my first Sanderson book, and I probably wouldn't have ever read it had my friend not bought the trilogy for me (if you want me to read a certain book, buying it for me is the only surefire way to make sure it actually gets in my queue). I'm so very glad he did.
High and mid fantasy are sort of iffy for me. I dislike having to memorize strange names and terminology, and there's a very thin balance between throwing me in blind and making me struggle to wrap my head around everything, and overexplaining and lore dumping every other paragraph. This book hits that balance well, and although it was admittedly a struggle to grab my attention for the first few chapters, after that it had me fixated.
The twists and turns in this book were crazy(view spoiler)
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Way of Kings (other topics)Mistborn: The Final Empire (other topics)
The Alloy of Law (other topics)
The Well of Ascension (other topics)
The Hero of Ages (other topics)
Really, just share any thoughts you might have about the book, trilogy, and if anybody is new to Brandon Sanderson, let us know. If you ARE new to Sanderson, did it make you want to read his stand-alones, Warbreaker and Elantris?
IMPORTANT: Mark spoilers, if you have them, ESPECIALLY if you plan on saying something about the second and third books.