Books I Read and Other Assorted Oddities

This review contains massive spoilers for the original trilogy as well as The Lost Metal . Read with caution!  I love Mistborn ; it's one of my favorite Sanderson series. I bought this book as a standalone, but I think it appears in some of Brandon's novella collections as well, maybe Arcaneum Unbound (don't quote me on that). Kelsier died at the hands of the Lord Ruler in a vain attempt to assassinate the god. Or did he? Secret History  follows the story of Kelsier after he was stabbed by the Lord Ruler on that fateful day. Too stubborn to die, Kelsier instead lingers, finally convincing the shard of Perserverence that he should instead survive. The Shard binds him to Ruin's power as well, trapping Kelsier in Ruin's prison until the day that Vin released him. Can Kelsier help Vin? Can he become more than a spirit? This book was amazing. I love Kelsier's story so much, and I always thought that Brandon killed him off too early. Turns out he didn't end up dyi...

 I finally finished Mistborn era 2! I loved this series so much (though I think I love era 1 the most still). This story was an incredible addition to Scadrial's story. In this final installment, we pick up in Elendel at a time of great uncertainty. The outer cities are threatening war, their tentative alliance with the Malwish is falling apart over the Bands of Mourning, and Wax is still in the middle of all of it. Now serving on the senate, Wax is desperately trying to help the Elendel nobles maintain peace while hunting the Set. Unsuccessful thus far at locating his sister, the leader of the Set, Wax is still trying to uncover her plans. Can Wax, Marasi, and Wayne uncover the Set's plans before the invasion of Trell crushes Scadrial? This was a fitting conclusion for Mistborn's second era. I loved the character development we saw in each of the characters: Marasi, Wax, Wayne, and Steris. I love the involvement of some era 1 characters (one who I am not going to spoil), a...

 I don't even know if I can write a good summary of this one because I read it so long ago and am 100 pages from the end of the next one, so I'm not even going to try. This book was wild is all I can say. The plot is intense once it gets going, and there are so many secrets that are revealed by the end of the novel. Sanderson continues his exploration of Hemalurgy and new powers that are being discovered. I was fascinated with the twists in the book, and the completely unexpected direction this one seemed to take. There are people outside the basin?! The Bands of Mourning make you a Mistborn?! WAX DIES!!!!!???? This book was crazy from start to finish. I rated this one PG-13 ish for violence ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Continuing my reading of Wax and Wayne and trying to get to the last one! Shadows of Self  continues the story of Waxillium Ladrian. Picking up only a few months after the conclusion of The Alloy of Law , we find Wax chasing a criminal through Elendel. As the chase goes on, he sees a face he hasn't seen in a long time: the face of the last man he brought in out in the Roughs, the criminal that killed Lessie. This puts him on the trail of a kandra known as Bleeder. The kandra is missing one of her spikes and has gone crazy. She has murdered multiple people, including the brother of the governor. Intent on wreaking havoc on the city, Bleeder is using her unique talents to strain Elendel to the point of breaking. Can Wax, Wayne, and Marasi catch up to her before it's too late? I loved this book a lot. I finished it and immediately picked up the next book. The twists in this book are amazing. I first of all loved that Sanderson brought back the kandra and other pre-Catacendre cre...

 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 i...

 I feel so bad... I've had this book finished for over a month, I just haven't had time to write my review! The world is dying. The thing Vin released at the Well of Ascension, Ruin, is free, and doing what he does best. The Final Empire, now ruled by Emperor Elend Venture, is on the verge of collapse. In an effort to find the last of the Lord Ruler's secret supply caches, Elend and Vin attempt to retake Fadrex City. Spook is in Urteau, facing the tyrannical rule of the Citizen. Sazed has found himself faithless, and Breeze very much in love with Alrianne. In the race against the destruction of the world, will the true Hero of Ages be able to save mankind? I first have to say that I love this book so much. As a conclusion to the original era of the Mistborn  series, it is so fitting. This book is masterfully crafted, and I love the way everything comes crashing down. Sanderson once again shows that he is a master of planning. The smallest details become the most crucial in ...

 This is one of Brandon Sanderson's "secret projects" that he wrote during the lockdowns in 2020. I've been really excited to read it! Tress of the Emerald Sea  is the story of Tress who lives on a planet made up of tiny islands and seas made from falling spores from the 12 moons. Tress lives on the Rock, a small island where they have to force people to stay. Tress loves her island, her cups (which she collects), and the duke's son: Charlie. Once the duke finds out about their relationship, he marches Charlie from the Rock and takes him to find a wife. Charlie swears to Tress that he'll resist, and sends a cup and letter at each stop. Then suddenly, the packages stop. It's announced that the duke is returning with his son and new daughter in law. When the ship arrives, the heartbroken Tress realizes that the duke's son is not Charlie. Indeed, the crew of the ship confirms that Charlie was sent to the evil Sorceress in the Midnight Sea and replaced wit...

 Continuing my reading of Mistborn , I picked this up to refresh on the magic systems and get ready to read the fourth Wax and Wayne book. I found when I read Wax and Wayne the first time in Alloy of Law , I didn't remember enough about the magic system that I felt the book was a complete betrayal of what Mistborn was. Once I went back and reread the original trilogy, and then into Alloy of Law , I felt significantly better. So, it's better for me to review all of the books before starting into the newest Wax and Wayne. The Well of Ascension  picks up some months after the fall of the Lord Ruler by Vin's hands. Elend is king, and Vin is their Mistborn assassin. The members of Kelsier's crew have assumed noble positions in the new government, now much more democratic than before. However, not everything is perfect in Elend's utopia: there are still rumors about the Lord Ruler's atium - a treasure that Elend and Vin have been unsuccessful in finding. With two armi...

As Elantris  is probably my favorite Sanderson book of all time, I was excited to see this novella that takes place in the same world. I listened to this on Audible, and it went really quickly (I think it's about 3 hours total). The Emperor's Soul  follows the story of Shei, a Forger, who has been arrested for Forging a copy of a painting in the Emperor's palace. Unbeknownst to Shei, the Emperor was injured in an assassination attempt, and his mind was broken. Knowing her great skill, the bureaucrats in charge of the Empire offer her a trade: her life, for a forgery of the Emperor's soul. This feat is nearly impossible, and Shei knows this, but she accepts the chance at freedom. Will Shei actually be able to recreate the Emperor? This novella was beautifully written. I loved Shei's personality, and the conflicts she had with the Empire. I found it fascinating to learn more about her, and her attempts to thwart being manipulated. I thought her story was fascinating i...

 This is a book that I've read multiple times and realized that I've never reviewed. So here I am, finally posting my review. Also, I really find it valuable to reread this entire series before diving into the new Wax and Wayne books, so that is my ultimate goal in picking Mistborn back up again. I always forget how Sanderson manipulates the magic system for the Alloy of Law , so I always have to review. When God is also the Emperor, few in the Final Empire dare to resist. Even the rebellion against him has never gained much traction. Kelsier, the most ambitious thief of all time, and the Survivor of the Pits of Hathsin concocts a wild plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler and the Final Empire. He assembles his team of half noble, half skaa Mistings, recruiting Vin a full Mistborn to help him as well. Through Kelsier, Vin realizes her full potential, understanding the mystical powers the seemed to give her "luck." Can they overthrow the Lord Ruler and his Empire? First of ...

 I have had this book read for like three weeks, and I just haven't had the chance to sit down and write my review of it yet. Warbreaker  by Brandon Sanderson follows the story of two princesses - one, trained all of her life to marry the God King, ruler of her enemies. The other, the youngest, least important sister who shrugged off all of her duties as often as she could. When their situations are switched at the last moment by their father, the sisters find themselves out of their depths. Siri is sent to Hallendren to marry the God King, Susebron, unable to interact with her husband except to bear his child. Vienna follows her sister and starts working with the underground, trying to find a way to save Siri. Underneath all of the vague politics, a serious plot to destroy the God King, Hallendren, and even Siri and Vienna's homeland comes to light. Can the sisters save the people they love? Overall, this book is another Sanderson masterpiece. I love how carefully the plot is...

This is a novella that I picked up from Audible and listened to in an afternoon. It's short and interesting, and I liked it. Because my understanding of the Cosmere is limited, I didn't really understand where this fit in, so it might be good for readers to do a little bit of background research before diving into the book. Some things I did love about this: It was written in 3rd person limited, and the voice of the character is very unique. I can almost feel Sanderson in this text, as if he is the character. I thought that was really interesting. I loved the twists the plot makes. I loved the distinct rules of the magic system in the forests. The characters of the story were very fascinating. I loved the amount of character development Sanderson gave us in a very short piece. The innkeeper goes from being a very innocuous to being a big-time bounty hunter who only hunts the biggest bounties. I loved the way that was revealed. I also loved the intrigue of the main character...

As much as I loved The Way of Kings , I have to say, I loved Words of Radiance even better. Words of Radiance  by Brandon Sanderson picks up almost immediately after The Way of Kings ends. Shallan is shipwrecked and Jasnah killed. Kaladin struggles to protect the Kholins against the coming storm. And the storm is coming; Dalanar has predicted it, somehow. It's the Everstorm; the last and greatest storm that will be the end of the peoples in Roshar. Can they stop it in time? Can they find the ancient city Uruteau that was the home of the Knights Radiant? What of Shallan's newly acknowledged powers? And Kaladin's? Can Dalanar outwit Sadeas at long last? This book is just as beautifully written as The Way of Kings . The rotation among characters is still flawless and beautiful. Brandon Sanderson's outlining abilities and character arcs are amazing in this series. My frustration with this series is still the small storylines found in the Interludes. I'm sure they'll...

This is a book that I've wanted to read for years, but I've always been a little daunted by its size. If you haven't seen The Way of Kings  it's about 1,000 pages. I usually love Sanderson (he's probably my all-time favorite fantasy author), but I just didn't feel like I had the time to dedicate to reading this book. That changed when I started driving more than an hour a day and decided to take the plunge into Audible. I bought this book with one of my first credits even though I owned the paper copy. At 33 hours, I figured I could complete the book in about a month, especially since I upped the speed. In all, I did really enjoy it. The Way of Kings  follows three main characters: Shallan, Kaladin, and Dalinar. Shallan is a girl from a destitute noble house. She tracks down Jasnah Kholin, the princess, in an attempt to become her student and steal her magical device. Kaladin is a slave who was once a soldier. He is transported to the Shattered Plains, the sig...