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Brandon Sanderson: The Alloy of Law - Wax and Wayne (Mistborn era 2) book 1

 Again, I had this book finished quite some time ago (shortly after finishing The Hero of Ages) and I just haven't had a lot of time to get to posting my review. I am now about halfway through the next book, and now that the term is over, I'm hoping I will have a little more time to finish that book.

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson introduces Era 2 in the world of Mistborn. No longer does the world of the Final Empire exist, but it has literally been remade by Harmony, or the character of Sazed and the Hero of Ages that readers might recognize from The Hero of Ages. In this world, Waxillium Ladrian is a lawman in the Roughs. At least he was, until his uncle and sister unexpectedly died, and Wax is forced to assume control of the noble house he is now heir to. He finds the city is no less in need of a lawman than the Roughs, and is soon embroiled in the investigation into The Vanishers. Once his fiancee is kidnapped, and his butler tries to blow him up, Wax is fully invested. Can he save Steris and stop the Vanishers before their next big hit?

I have to say, era 2 has a completely different feel than era 1. Era 1 was full-on epic fantasy: mystical creatures, limited technology, reliance on magic. The Lord Ruler suppressed technological advancements, and so society stagnated. With him gone, and Harmony as god, society has blossomed. Era 2 feels more like a steampunk fantasy, or fantasy in the Victorian era, with a splash of a good western in there. This book is so vastly different than era 1. I still loved every page.

Wax is a fantastically written character. In stark contrast to the shy Vin from era 1, Wax (at the start of Alloy) exudes confidence and capability. Already well versed in the use of both his Allomantic and Feruchemical powers, Wax is a force to be reckoned with. While he's been pushed into a new role, and is dealing with the death of his wife (? - this is a little unclear to me), he is still an enjoyable character.

Wayne, his sidekick, is also hilarious. I love that Wayne "trades" things at random. Wayne is also a force to be reckoned with, though he comes across as silly most of the time. Wayne is actually quite powerful. He's also a Twinborn (Allomancer and Feruchemist) and has been along with Wax for a good part of Wax's career. I love Wayne's collection of disguises and accents (his belief is that the accent makes the disguise), and how he's able to blend in almost everywhere he goes. His sense of humor is fantastic.

When I first read this book, I struggled with the slight modifications to the magic systems found in this novel. In era 1, there are no Twinborn. It's a good idea to review Allomancy and at least Feruchemy before launching into this book (you'll want to brush up on Hemalurgy too, before starting Shadows of Self). This is a big reason why I always end up rereading era 1 before launching into Wax and Wayne.

In all, this book is delightful. I read it this time in a weekend, and it was fun to just plow through a book like that. I haven't had the chance to do that in some time.

I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PG-13 for violence



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