Book Babble: Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

I have to admit, I feel really out of practice. Not only in reading but summarizing what I've read, bringing it over in a way that makes some sense...

Thing is with the Mistborn Trilogy, I haven't quite decided what to make of it and I finished reading it over two weeks ago.

Oh well, roll those sleeves up and let's get going.

After being discovered as a mistborn, Vin, a street kid, is recruited into a thieving crew consisting of very ambitious, very capable individuals keen on stealing the Lord Ruler's cache of the most valuable metal in the world, Atium. Able to use all the powers of allomancy, Vin is trained by the crew's leader Kelsier and challenged to break out of her previous conceptions of the world and of life, and of her own identity.

That's how the trilogy starts. You follow the story of Vin and how she grows and is shaped by the events that take place around her - events in which she plays an integral part. By the end of the third book, it's hard to go back to the beginning and try to look at her as the grimy street rat. It's hard to believe how much she shifts throughout.

A colleague of mine at work couldn't stop talking about how amazing this story is and eventually just loaned me the lot. I don't want to spend too much time explaining the trilogy as much as give my opinion on it as a whole. But some of the things I did actually like merit a little.  

What I liked:

World Building
Sanderson is definitely a Class-A world builder. There's absolutely no doubt about that. He doesn't data dump. Instead he simply lets the reader experience a world completely different to our own through the eyes of his characters. And it works perfectly. Reading through the trilogy, to say that the world is intricately put together would almost be an insult. It is truly masterfully done.

And the world works with the story. It's almost a supporting character, enhancing the plight of the characters, staying in the background for the most part with the exception of a few crucial moments. Really masterfully done. Massive nod to Sanderson in this regard. He knows how, no doubt.

Complexity and simplicity of abilities
Sanderson introduces a whole range of different abilities that are all in some way connected to metal. Allomancy, for example, is series of abilities which are activated by swallowing and then 'burning' metals in the body. Each metal enables a different kind of ability. Pewter, for example, enables a person to be stronger, have greater stamina and absorb damage to the body that might have resulted in death otherwise.

Sounds complicated right? 'Wait, this is just one ability in this set? Whaat?'

But Sanderson makes it simple, giving names to these abilities. A person burning pewter, is a thug. We all have a very specific image of a thug... and it works.

The mechanics of the abilities are fascinating, but not overwhelming. They're introduced smoothly into the series and what also helps a great deal is that he endows single abilities to some characters who in some way then embody the essence of what it is. Both his ability to do this as well as the ability to construct the abilities themselves needs to be nodded at. I thought it was rather brilliant and I can understand the incredible enthusiasm that he has gained from his fan following.

Seeded, watered and not noticed until the very end
Certain critical elements in the story are seeded throughout and mentioned, but never really focused on. That is, until the whole plot turns on a dime and everything rests on those seemingly insignificant things you've been taking for granted all along. It is the piece of chalk you picked up this morning not knowing that you're going to be caught in a concrete labyrinth later today; the unassuming old lady who ends up with all the diamonds hidden underneath her pillow; or the old ache in your foot that renders you unable to run at a crucial moment.

And it's utterly, utterly brilliant. As someone who loves experiencing not only the story, but the crafting that goes into it, I could only marvel. Simple, subtle and powerful. Very few people manage to get that right.

What I disliked:

No character writer be he
At all. Regardless of gender or age, the characters are just not quite there. I very rarely felt myself caring about what was happening to them or understanding why other characters cared. Sanderson managed to make what was supposed to be a romantic relationship so dry that it felt more like two housemates who worked opposite shifts.

I love character development, it's my playground and I wanted to be able to dive into these people who were each unique and well formed but none of which seemed to have the emotional capacity of a tea spoon. I just wasn't sold on most of them. There were three emotional aspects I could pick up on that I considered strong enough for me to accept and those were loyalty, regret and the need to prove oneself due to low self-worth. All of which are valid feelings, but to have those be the only ones to really be sold by in an entire trilogy? Eh.

I wanted to like Vin. I really wanted to like her. She is a female protagonist in a fantasy series, for heaven's sake. That in itself should have me hauling out pom-poms and start doing cheers. But I really struggled with Vin.

Now let's state up front, I'm known for the fact that I very rarely like the main character in whatever I read or watch. It's just one of those things.  But what bothered me most about Vin was that she wasn't what she could've been. I'd dare say she wasn't what she should've been. If it weren't for the lack of depth in the male characters, I would've said that Sanderson just struck that wall called femininty, but I can't. And then there's the dreaded Mary-Sue aspect. Horseshoes? Really?

Setups
I praised Sanderson for the awesome way he assembled some of the most masterful twists I've ever read and I don't want to detract from that here. It has to be said though that some things one could see coming from a mile away - especially character roles. It's the pretty girl next door that the dude ignores until some other bloke doesn't and then he has to pine and fight for her. It's done SO much that the moment a girl next door gets mentioned, everyone already knows where that story thread will be going. It's like that.

I have to say that the trilogy wasn't overrun with this problem, but I did have those moments here and there.

Give away, give away, give away
Imagine Luke Skywalker meets Darth Vader for the first time. He's horrified and runs off screaming like a girl (c'mon, look at the hair!). In the next scene ol' Darthie is having coffee with the Emperor (anyone having a Spaceballs moment?) and the Emperor goes "So how's your son doing?". "Oh, fine. He has a bit of a hair issue, but I'll mention it to him when I cut his hand off."

The connection between Luke and Vader was a pivotal moment in the trilogy. And it would've meant nothing if Lucas decided to give away the game in the very next scene.

Back to the book. There were moments where I was screaming at the book. Screaming because the game got given away in the very next segment, chapter or pov. There were some parts that were really interesting. It made me curious. I wanted to know more. Only I didn't want to know everything there was to know about it on the very next page. Bad author! Bad, bad! No cookies for you!

Conclusion:

I don't think I would've read this series if my colleague didn't loan me the books and then frequently asked me where I was in the story, and what I thought and what I predict will happen in the future. What he consumed eagerly, I had to slog through.

And yet, if I hadn't read the trilogy, I would have missed on some really awesome word building and mind-blowing storytelling. As someone who writes, I learnt both from the things I liked and disliked. As a reader, despite the effort it took for me, I felt rewarded at certain key parts.

As I've said at the beginning, I don't know what I really think of this story. The very end of the trilogy manages to both tie everything together brilliantly as well as leave me completely confounded. I could marvel at all the little things that led up to the very end. I could really see the planning and exquisite execution. But I also had to step back, look at everything and go... "Uh... what?"

So I have to sit on the fence on this one. I can't say I loved it, I can't say I hated it. I love the world and the mechanics. I love it. Enough so as to want to read the fourth book in this universe, The Alloy of Law. It's set 300 years later and I'm eager to see what's what.

Just... no horseshoes, if you please.