“Mistborn” is a young adult fantasy novel written by Brandon Sanderson that was released in 2006. It is part one of a three part series often referred to as the Mistborn Trilogy. It follows a young thief named Vin, who discovers she has the power of allomancy and can manipulate metals. She joins a group led by Kelsier to try to take down the dictating Lord Ruler.
This story is what got me into Sanderson’s work, and it is quite an incredible journey. Though it is a part of a series, the ending is good enough that it could be a standalone novel. The characters are charming, the writing is simple while still being deep. It even incorporates some romance between Vin and a nobleman which I was not expecting, but ended up really enjoying.
Kelsier and Elend Venture are my favorite characters. Elend is the witty nobleman who becomes the love interest of Vin. His character development is really fun to follow and he ends up gaining a lot of confidence. Kelsier is awesome for a lot of reasons. He is funny, powerful and ends up having an awesome moment that I cannot spoil.
I split up reading “Mistborn” between audiobook and physical copy, and I honestly enjoyed the audiobook a lot more. Michael Kramer did an incredible job narrating the story and it was a breath of fresh air compared to some audiobook narrators. I did enjoy reading the physical copy, it just is a bit hard to understand the complex power system when reading words on paper.
Overall, “Mistborn” is a very good book. I would give it a nine out of 10, with my only complaint being the pacing and length. I almost did not finish it due to the sluggish start, but I am very glad I did because Sanderson picks things up very well towards the end. For those who typically enjoy romance or fantasy, I highly recommend checking out either “Mistborn” or any other work of Brandon Sanderson.