The Bands of Mourning - Brandon Sanderson

The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metalminds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. A kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate. Along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set. 

My thoughts:

I do love all his books (even if I wish he would focus on one series at a time cos right now I want more of this one, more of that one, that one, that one, that one ..you get the idea).

I also can't give this one the awesome review it deserves since all I want is to run around in a fan girl squeeeeeee. Ha, yes it is so hard to to tell you of its awesomeness.

I really do like Wax, he is so cool. He tries to be a Lord, but he has spent too much time in the Rough as a lawman. But then a Lord can be eccentric, but maybe not this much. But hey I love him.

I like his fiancee Seris because she is just so weird you know. She has a list for everything! And , Wayne, can't like or dislike him, he is a strange one. But a good sidekick to Wax. They all fit perfectly with each other. Oh and then there is the Kandra who joins them for this adventure, yeah, those are weird. You will see.

A fantasy western. A society that is moving forwards. A society with magic and we all know Sanderson has the best magic systems. You will not be disappointed.

Here they must find the Bands of Mourning. Wax wants to track down his uncle. And oh, oh there is something at the end, I was all whaaat? All the things we do not know. Love it.

But, do read the two previous books first, or just all of them. Yes, make that read every book he has written.

Another awesome book by Sanderson. He is always good, and he always surprises.  He is a true master of his craft.

Cover

nice

Hardcover, 448 pages
Expected publication: January 26th 2016 by Tor Books
Mistborn #6, Mistborn - Alloy Era #3, The Cosmere
Fantasy
For review

Shadows of Self - Brandon Sanderson

Shadows of Self shows Mistborn’s society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.

This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax and Wayne, assisted by the lovely, brilliant Marasi, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife stops Scadrial’s progress in its tracks.

My thoughts:

I do confess that my memory is not the best, and it was 3 years since I read book 4. But that is why this book was so good. It worked splendidly as a stand alone. And note, yes this is book 5, no this is not book 5. The first 3 books is a trilogy, book 4 and 5 takes place 300 years later and form their own series, and a continuation. 

Wax, a nobleman, and former lawman in the wild west, is trying to keep his house together and investigate what's happening in the city. To help him he has Wayne (who is weird, and good), and Marise, a cop. The investigation does not keep them all together, they are out doing their own things.

I need to get back to that whole western comment. Yes this is fantasy, but society has evolved and they now have steam, guns and even electricity. And the outskirts are still a bit wild. And magic is still around too, but if you know Sanderson then you know his magic is always unique.  That is why I am a Sandeson fangirl after all.

Back to the story. There is unrest in the city, people are upset, food is scarce, and someone is trying to start a rebellion. And we can't have society burn to ash again now can we?

Conclusion:

Good characters, a nice story and mystery, and as always, a awesome world and magic system. At least two more books are coming, and since a thing was mentioned at the end, oh it made me so very very curious. I will just wait for the next one then.

Cover

Ok

Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: October 6th 2015 by Tor Books
Mistborn #5, Mistborn - Alloy Era #2, The Cosmere
Fantasy
For review

Reviews: Mistborn 2, 3 - Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn 2

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 796
Published: 2008

The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler – the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years – has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.

As Kelsier’s protégé and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.

 Stopping assassins may keep Vin’s Mistborn skills sharp, but it’s the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn’t run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier’s crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won’t get easier with three armies – one of them composed of ferocious giants – now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler’s hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.

As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.

My thoughts:

After a blurb like that, I am so not gonna write a plot summary. First, I finished book 1 many many months ago so it took some time to get into this book, even with the summary. And I really should have finished the review when I read this one.

Book 1 ended with, well an ending, and this book picks 1 or 2 years later. Elend is trying to build a government, Vin keeps saying no to his proposals, and armies are coming to destroy them.

I like Elend, he will rather sit and read a book than do anything else, my kind of guy. Vin, she is harder to get and I am not sure that I even like her, or see the passion between these two.

Still the world is very cool, ash falling, mists killing, and strange powers that you get from swallowing and burning metals. He did really well there with his creation.

Since I can't remember how I exactly felt about book 1, then I can't say if I liked this one better or not, but I think I did not, because not much happen here. They mostly think about things and tries to make the world better.

Mistborn 3

Pages: 748

Published: 2009

Who is the Hero of Ages?
To end the Final Empire & restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. As a result, the Deepness--the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists--is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls & more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears doomed. Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world. Its near omniscience & ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!

Mistborn trilogy's conclusion fulfills the 1st two books' promise. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters click into place, & surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle & delight. All leads to a finale unmatched for audacious originality that will leave readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from a dream.

My thoughts:

I actually liked this one best of all the three books (I think), but I still gave it the worst grade since I hated the end. I closed the book, thoughts wtf!? and regretted having read the series at all. It really clouded my thoughts and I can only think about how I wish I had not read the books.

Anyway, they (that is Vin) fucked up and released a God that wants to destroy a world. The ash is falling faster, the Kolloss wants to kill everyone, Mists are killing and everything is coming to an end.

Vin is doing what she always do, working her magic and jumping around (still not like her), Elend who is a Mistborn now too is trying to save the few he can (him I like even more).

This book has more action and a lots of no way! moments. Pieces are falling together and a lot of secrets are being told. About the world Lord Ruler created 1000 years ago, and the two Gods that created it all. Those aspects I really enjoyed, so well done.

Then came the end, first wtf!? and then, way too sweet how everything falls into place (which was not what bothered me, but hey still very sweet). Can't tell you the WTF, will spoil things.

So should you read the books....perhaps, but I do warn you, you might get the same wtf! moment I did and regret having read them at all. Arghhhh I hate endings like that!!!

I am just hoping I will not feel this miserable after finishing WOT, I am so scared now, and will blame Sanderson, even if it was Jordan that said it should be so.

Review: Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn (The Final Empire) by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn, book 1

Genre: fantasy
Pages: 643
Published: 2006

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

I wanted to try Sanderson ever since I read that he would complete WOT. Now I can see that the style is totally different. And I dunno why but I'd like to call this sci-fi fantasy, yes nothing sci-fi about it except for this feeling I got. That this is not a fantasy world, it could just be a world out there. But that is just me and perhaps it was all the metal magic.

This is the story about Vin, a thief living and hiding in the big city. She is skaa, the slaves of the world. An owner can take a woman and kill her the next day, because the gods forbid if a halfbreed was ever born. Which of course she is. Some get away, but the slave population is tired after 1000 years of slavery. It all started with the man now known as the Lord Ruler, the all mighty god that rule them all with an iron fist. He granted those who supported him 1000 years ago special rights and they are now the nobility, the rest, slaves, all owned by him and to be used by the noble families at their whim.

One day a man comes, Kelsier, with mighty plans to kill the Lord Ruler and bring the Skaa out of slavery. But how can you kill a god? Even if Kelsier is a mistborn, he has magic because of his half blood lineage, just as Vin has. Soon she is thrust into another world and will see if The Lord Ruler is a God, and if his guards are as immortals are the legends say.

I liked Vin, even if she does get a bit stupid later on thinking that the nobility isn't as bad as people have told her. But how could she know about their brutality. In a way she escaped this by being a thief and hiding from everyone. But she has potential.

The rest of the cast is good too, Kelsier with his plans, Sazed with his memory, a certain young Lord we meet, and the rest of the gang.

The magic here is really clever. They use tin, pewter, copper and more for magic gain. By swallowing this or using it otherwise they can run up a building, jump, push people and more. The magic enhances this things and I do like this creation.

Then there is the brutality of the world, in the beginning we see a pretty young girl getting taken away and the rest knows that she will be killed the next morning. They live with that and they wish their daughters to be ugly. They are a beaten people and they haev no hope. Then there is the world, it is covered in ash, the world is grey and brown and surrounded by a mist where dangerous beings live. All this cos of something that happened a 1000 years ago. It is an ugly world.

This was an ok fantasy book, mostly because of how he used the magic and how he should the grim existence of the world. He is a great worldbuilder, that I must say. I have the other two books so I will see how the story plays out.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Nothing to complain about.

Reason for reading: own copy.

Final thoughts and grade: Ok fantasy .. 3

And now to a DNF

It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife.

Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death.

It is not that it was bad, the total opposite. I just got to page 200 (of 600) and got a bit bored with it all. I could not focus and wanted to read other books. The first 200 pages were good, well ok 150 but then I lost interested. I am sure I will read it one day, if I remember, because this book also shows a horrible world and I would like to see what happened to everyone. But not today. 400 pages more, yup no.