Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" trilogy - any good?

HarryT · 07-24-2011, 11:18 AM

I'm looking for some good "epic" fantasy, and someone's recommended Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" trilogy to me. I have to admit that I haven't come across this author before, other than in the context of him being chosen to finished off Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series.

Does anyone have any thoughts on "Mistborn"? Any good? I see it's available in the Kindle Store at a pretty reasonable price.

JSWolf · 07-24-2011, 11:47 AM

I've only read the first book and it is very good. I do have the 2nd but have just not gotten around to reading it.

anjirlly · 07-24-2011, 01:06 PM

Haven't read it myself, but I saw a bundle at the Sony store for $9.99. I'm in the U.S., so don't know if the price is different for the UK.

Timoleon · 07-24-2011, 01:17 PM

I've only read the first book. I'd give it three stars out of five.

rhadin · 07-24-2011, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timoleon

I've only read the first book. I'd give it three stars out of five.

Dr. Drib · 07-24-2011, 01:23 PM

I haven't read these, Harry, but I noticed a number of references to him here on MobileRead, along with one thread, too.

Don

HarryT · 07-24-2011, 01:40 PM

Thanks everyone. I think I'll give it a go.

authortimmorrell · 07-24-2011, 02:01 PM

I actually love everything Brandon Sanderson has done, especially Mistborn. Very intelligent, thought out rules for magic, an interesting world, very realistic dialogue, epic climaxes in each book yet still cohesive in the overall series. He's probably one of the more intelligent fantasy authors out right now

Tim Morrell, author of
Psychic Curse
Hunting the Vampire
Losing Myself

Nancy Fulda · 07-24-2011, 06:17 PM

YES!!!

Mistborn is the best of the three, though. The last book, especially, wallows a bit too much in its own philosophies. But Mistborn... Wow. Coolest magic concept ever. And the action scenes are pretty good, too.

GlennD · 07-24-2011, 06:42 PM

I enjoyed the whole trilogy. As Tim said, the magic system is very well thought out. Harry, you said you're looking for epic fantasy - if by that you mean your typical quest/journey type book, Mistborn isn't that. It's a very good series though.

I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

carld · 07-24-2011, 06:59 PM

I really enjoyed the series. I picked up the first book for free from Tor (I think), and was hooked. He begins with an original premise. What if the hero of legend failed and the dark lord won? Such is the world of Mistborn.

Also, I'd really classify this as Urban Fantasy. Even though it doesn't take place in the modern day, the characters, settings and plot are all very tied into the city they live in.

DiapDealer · 07-24-2011, 08:34 PM

I tried the first one and couldn't do it. When it comes to fantasy, I'm not big on brick-by-brick "world-building" and unfortunately... Sanderson seems to love it. Along with creating complex magic systems whose explanations represent large portions of the total word-count.

I'm not going to dwell on it; but world-builders tend to want to micromanage my reading experience. It's as if they don't trust my imagination to get their vision "just right," so they feel the overwhelming need to go all minutiae on my ass. I prefer authors who "world-hint" or employ "subliminal world-suggestion". It frees up the author to get on with story-telling and trusts the reader's imagination to do a bit of its own world-building.

But to each their own. I wish I liked Sanderson. The guy's a machine when it comes to pumping out doorstop-sized books.

Lastblade · 07-24-2011, 09:02 PM

Way of the Kings was pretty good, but that's the only Sanderson book I have read. And it is supposed to be book 1 of a 10 book epic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I tried the first one and couldn't do it. When it comes to fantasy, I'm not big on brick-by-brick "world-building" and unfortunately... Sanderson seems to love it. Along with creating complex magic systems whose explanations represent large portions of the total word-count.

I'm not going to dwell on it; but world-builders tend to want to micromanage my reading experience. It's as if they don't trust my imagination to get their vision "just right," so they feel the overwhelming need to go all minutiae on my ass. I prefer authors who "world-hint" or employ "subliminal world-suggestion". It frees up the author to get on with story-telling and trusts the reader's imagination to do a bit of its own world-building.

But to each their own. I wish I liked Sanderson. The guy's a machine when it comes to pumping out doorstop-sized books.

If you don't like explanations, give Steven Erikson's Malazan series a shot. He just finished the 10 books epic series and I think he briefly mentioned his magic system in book 6

DiapDealer · 07-24-2011, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lastblade

If you don't like explanations, give Steven Erikson's Malazan series a shot. He just finished the 10 books epic series and I think he briefly mentioned his magic system in book 6

Erikson's "I'm just going to throw it out there and the reader either figures it out eventually, or they don't" style of world-building (or lack thereof) is exactly the kind that I prefer. The Malazan Book of the Fallen couldn't hold my interest for ten books (no series can for that many books), but stand-alone fantasies or duologies written that way...? Yes, please.

HarryT · 07-25-2011, 01:50 AM

I've bought the trilogy from Amazon; I'll let you all know what I think about it

.

07-24-2011, 11:18 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" trilogy - any good? I'm looking for some good "epic" fantasy, and someone's recommended Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" trilogy to me. I have to admit that I haven't come across this author before, other than in the context of him being chosen to finished off Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series. Does anyone have any thoughts on "Mistborn"? Any good? I see it's available in the Kindle Store at a pretty reasonable price.

07-24-2011, 08:34 PM	#12
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,549 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I tried the first one and couldn't do it. When it comes to fantasy, I'm not big on brick-by-brick "world-building" and unfortunately... Sanderson seems to love it. Along with creating complex magic systems whose explanations represent large portions of the total word-count. I'm not going to dwell on it; but world-builders tend to want to micromanage my reading experience. It's as if they don't trust my imagination to get their vision "just right," so they feel the overwhelming need to go all minutiae on my ass. I prefer authors who "world-hint" or employ "subliminal world-suggestion". It frees up the author to get on with story-telling and trusts the reader's imagination to do a bit of its own world-building. But to each their own. I wish I liked Sanderson. The guy's a machine when it comes to pumping out doorstop-sized books. Last edited by DiapDealer; 07-24-2011 at 08:37 PM.

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07-24-2011, 11:47 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've only read the first book and it is very good. I do have the 2nd but have just not gotten around to reading it.

07-24-2011, 01:06 PM	#3
anjirlly Groupie Posts: 155 Karma: 58410 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: SE Michigan Device: Kindle on Android phone; PB360; Sony 950	Haven't read it myself, but I saw a bundle at the Sony store for $9.99. I'm in the U.S., so don't know if the price is different for the UK.

07-24-2011, 01:17 PM	#4
Timoleon Time Enough at Last Posts: 387 Karma: 1151316 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New England Device: iPad 3, iPhone 5, Kindle 3, Fire, Sony PRS-350	I've only read the first book. I'd give it three stars out of five.

07-24-2011, 01:23 PM	#6
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,743 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	I haven't read these, Harry, but I noticed a number of references to him here on MobileRead, along with one thread, too. Don

07-24-2011, 01:40 PM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Thanks everyone. I think I'll give it a go.

07-24-2011, 02:01 PM	#8
authortimmorrell Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Lawrence KS Device: Kindle	I actually love everything Brandon Sanderson has done, especially Mistborn. Very intelligent, thought out rules for magic, an interesting world, very realistic dialogue, epic climaxes in each book yet still cohesive in the overall series. He's probably one of the more intelligent fantasy authors out right now Tim Morrell, author of Psychic Curse Hunting the Vampire Losing Myself

07-24-2011, 06:17 PM	#9
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	YES!!! Mistborn is the best of the three, though. The last book, especially, wallows a bit too much in its own philosophies. But Mistborn... Wow. Coolest magic concept ever. And the action scenes are pretty good, too.

07-24-2011, 06:42 PM	#10
GlennD Wizard Posts: 2,101 Karma: 17249026 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Pacific NW Device: sony PRS350, iPhone, iPad	I enjoyed the whole trilogy. As Tim said, the magic system is very well thought out. Harry, you said you're looking for epic fantasy - if by that you mean your typical quest/journey type book, Mistborn isn't that. It's a very good series though. I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

07-24-2011, 06:59 PM	#11
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I really enjoyed the series. I picked up the first book for free from Tor (I think), and was hooked. He begins with an original premise. What if the hero of legend failed and the dark lord won? Such is the world of Mistborn. Also, I'd really classify this as Urban Fantasy. Even though it doesn't take place in the modern day, the characters, settings and plot are all very tied into the city they live in.

07-25-2011, 01:50 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I've bought the trilogy from Amazon; I'll let you all know what I think about it .

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