THE MISTBORN TRILOGY
by BRIAN SANDERSON
TWO FIRST EDITIONS - Later Impressions
MISTBORN is the 2006 Revised Edition - See Below
MISTBORN is the 2006 Revised Edition - See Below
This is a set of three hardcover Mistborn novels from Brian Sanderson:
- The Final Empire - Revised Edition
- The Well of Ascension - First Edition, Late Printing
- The Hero of Ages - First Edition, Late Printing
- A review by Dominic Cilli
"... The Mistborn Trilogy is an amazing piece of fantasy literature. Whether it ends up being considered a 21st century masterpiece only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, it deserves to be read by fans of the genre everywhere.
It's very difficult to write a capsule synopsis of three books especially when they are as detailed and involved as The Mistborn Trilogy. There are plenty of places online you can go and read a recap of each book, but I wouldn't recommend it. Sanderson's story unfolds very slowly and deliberately over the course of three fat books, some twenty-one hundred pages, so it's nearly impossible not to include spoiler after spoiler. We don't like spoilers here at SF Site and we like to keep these things short, so I will attempt to give you a general outline and try to pique your interest enough to go out and buy this series. The first book, Mistborn, introduces us to the Final Empire, a dark, seemingly post-apocalyptic world that features raining ash and a mysterious mist that comes at night. The final empire is governed by the oppressive and god-like Lord Ruler and has been around for a thousand years. Society is divided into the nobility and the skaa or slaves.
There are several very intriguing protagonists throughout The Mistborn Trilogy, but the primary character through all three novels is a seventeen-year-old half-skaa girl named Vin who is a member of a small-time gang of street thieves. She is their lucky charm. Vin has no idea that the ability to create that luck is something much more. She is a mistborn, making her capable of ingesting and "burning" metals to produce magical effects, like increased strength or being able to exert mental influence over another. Vin's ability is soon recognized for what it is and she is discovered by Kelsier, a legend among the skaa and the most infamous crew leader in the final empire. Known as the Survivor, he is the only person in the entire empire that managed to escape from the pits of the Lord Ruler and he has vengeance on his mind. Kelsier, after discovering Vin and mentoring in her newfound allomantic abilities, befriends and indoctrinates her into his gang whose latest scheme just happens to be a plot to overthrow the empire!
The Mistborn Trilogy has a lot going for it. The world building is wonderfully done. The setting might not be anything unique, but the books drip with atmosphere and Sanderson develops his characters patiently amidst a universe that has a richly developed history. Sanderson has also created some very original creatures. From his steel inquisitors with metallic spikes driven through their eyes to the koloss, brainless hulking beasts, which never stop growing even though their skin does. Most significantly however, The Mistborn Trilogy's world building features one of the most original magic systems I have ever come across. It is deep and complex and serves as an integral part of the plotline. As Vin's character develops, we simultaneously unravel the mysteries of Sanderson's brilliantly devised magic system. It has very specific rules giving it a scientific quality that makes it all the more believable. I found that some of the physics didn't always work, but it was a very minor flaw and easily forgivable considering the depth to which it's developed.
The Mistborn Trilogy is also expertly plotted and paced. Each book asks and answers many questions and each volume comes to a satisfying resolution, but more importantly each book gets grander in scope as Vin's destiny is slowly revealed. Once readers have made it to The Hero of Ages and all has been revealed with the fate of their entire world at stake, Sanderson gives us a crescendo to remember like a great symphony composer. It is the kind of ending that makes you want to go sit on the porch with your favorite libation and watch the sunset, totally satisfied.
To put it bluntly, The Mistborn Trilogy is brilliant. It was an amazing unforgettable experience for me. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre. If The Mistborn Trilogy is any indication of the kind of creativity and writing we can expect from Brandon Sanderson in the future, we are all in for a treat. It's obvious that he is an author we are going to have to keep a close eye on..." Copyright © 2009 Dominic Cilli
**The revised edition of Mistborn made change in the renaming of the Lord Ruler's priests from simply "priests" to "obligators," which better reflected their role as spies and bureaucrats within the government, creating a more nuanced and less stereotypical religious system.
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I really DO CARE about when and how your product gets to you. Because the post office is so incredibly inept, I ONLY SHIP domestic packages INSURED, which is AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED in the shipping cost, and that is not free as the post office charges for it. If your parcel gets lost OR damaged in freight, your item will be replaced if one is available OR you will be completely refunded!
IMPORTANT MONEY SAVING TIP! If you are buying more than one of my items and would like to SAVE MONEY by COMBINING SHIPPING costs, I will be happy to do so, but eBay has now made it more difficult to get discounts by confusing people with "Buy it Now" and "Add to Cart" options on non-auction style pages. If you are buying one item from a seller use the Buy it Now. BUT IF YOU WANT COMBINED or FREE SHIPPING, DO NOT USE THE BUY IT NOW button! Instead, select ADD TO CART. Then use your BACK button on your browser and select the other items you want that qualify using ADD TO CART each time. When you are finished, look for the shopping cart icon at the top right corner of your eBay page and click on it. Find the blue button which reads COMMIT TO BUY & SEND REQUEST. Once done, the items will be held and I will create a single invoice with either combined or free shipping. NOTE: I cannot retroactively go back and combine items that are not purchased in this manner so PLEASE PAY ATTENTION.
Once you receive your invoice, payment is expected promptly! All of the payment info you need will be listed including multiple shipment options.
Since I am a legitimate business, California deliveries will require sales tax.
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.
SHIPPING ADDRESSES: IMPORTANT!! I can ONLY SHIP to the address as noted in PAYPAL'S "TRANSACTION DETAILS". If you want it shipped to an alternate location, you will need to register that address BEFORE paying or it will be shipped to the registered address.
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Media Mail (once known as 4th class mail) is a special class of postage for books, music, videos and other printed media available within the US and territories. It is far less expensive than Priority Mail, but - it ..... is ........... slooowwwww!!!! Despite USPS claims of 3-9 day delivery times, MEDIA MAIL CAN actually TAKE UP TO 3 WEEKS to arrive, and their tracking info is frequently not updated until it actually arrives, making that feature pretty useless! PLEASE remember this when you leave feedback scores as the choice is yours and not my fault if it takes a long time to get there! If you want it in a week or less, you are going to have to bite the bullet and pay for Priority Mail which will get it there in 2-3 working days, 99% of the time, but it is more expensive. Basically, the choice is yours, but if you choose media mail, please don't write to me in 5 days asking where your package is, because the post office will have it and most of the time, they don't have a clue!
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