“How do you 'accidentally' kill a noble man in his own mansion?"
"With a knife in the chest. Or, rather, a pair of knives in the chest...”
This is that one time in life where not remembering my husband’s Amazon password is a killer because now I can’t check how much we have left in gift cards. Maybe I can just slide in purchasing the next book without him noticing…. I mean, there are so many books on my shelves. Would he even see another one?
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he would.
Epic fantasy is a beast I’ve rarely tackled because the genre takes so much commitment. First, there is the struggle of finding just the right book. Second, each book takes a lifetime to read - though I know a lot of us prefer longer books because we get a lot for our money. And finally, third, one series goes on forever. I gave up with Wheel of Time after the fifth book.
Mistborn came highly recommended and at first, I thought there were only three books. Sadly, I was mistaken. Still, I went through with giving the genre a try. It was the least I could do after spending all that time watching Brandon Sanderson’s lectures online. If this guy is going to teach me how to be a stronger writer, I need to know what his writing looks like.
So here I went…
And it was everything I expected. Epic fantasy takes forever to set up. You might think this will lead to better character development, stronger backstory, something worth all the extra effort, but it doesn’t. I’ve seen well-done character development in 300 pages. What is up with all the length then? Could Mistborn have been condensed into a smaller story?
Yes and no. Yes, if you are looking at it solely for story and characters. The length doesn’t lend anything in those two areas. Sanderson even adds in a character well into the story that does fine with a shorter development period. Honestly, I like him more than even the protagonist, Vinn.
Epic fantasy is about one thing…. world building. Why writers and readers enjoy the genre is because they can fully immerse themselves into a fictional world. There is time to notice the little nuances: how people gain sustenance, political structure, religion, magic system, transportation, education. The list can go on for days. Writers can create a world and place readers inside to play. Slower moments are featured to showcase this realm instead of just jumping into the plot. Which does not mean that you need to write an epic fantasy to create a fictional world. J. K. Rowling did it all in the confines of middle-grade structure.
Attention to detail is what makes epic fantasy so hard. You have to build this entire iceberg while only sharing a tiny portion of it to the world. All that hard work will mostly stay locked in a vault never to be seen. So if you want to be an epic fantasy writer, know what you are getting yourself into.
After this long-winded explanation, I’ll get to my point. Mistborn took a long time to set up. A huge difference from the fast-paced YA books I’ve been reading. But, I stuck with the book knowing that this is due to genre and not writing. The world building is top notch. I can see clearly what Sanderson built but I really don’t care too much because world building isn’t something I’m too interested in - unless you’re on a spaceship. Then, taking into account character development, we have an average book in my opinion.
“...Do you stop loving someone just because they betray you? I don't think so. That's what makes the betrayal hurt so much—pain, frustration, anger... and I still loved her. I still do.”
What marks Mistborn as a good book is the well-done plot line. There are many story arcs that come together nicely at the end without too much foreshadowing - one of the hardest tricks to play as a writer. It’s this balancing act to ensure your reader knows enough to not feel betrayed in the end but not too much to give the entire story away. Towards the end, I was turning the page faster and faster. I also appreciate how Sanderson rewards the readers who pay close attention to the little things.
*hint, hint*
Though I won’t say that Sanderson is amazing in this regard, he did write a female protagonist well enough. She was like his prose, to the point without a lot of flare. Vinn was believable enough that I wasn’t stuck on her too much but without enough finesse for me to say that she’s an amazing protagonist. Many times her internal monologue came across harsh and annoying. In honesty, I would have preferred Kelsier to be the sole protagonist but alas, we can’t always have what we want.
After watching Sanderson’s lectures, I will say that this is a great example of ‘seeing through the stained glass window’. There’s no pretty prose to sweep you along. At points, the scenes were so straight to the point that you didn’t get enough grim from the story to fully immerse yourself into the world. We see the mists, they are a huge part, but did we feel the mists? We were told about the mists. My imagination did not runneth over with great description. Another fine line to walk as a writer unless you want to be that literature stain glass writer that focuses on word choice instead of story.
So if you haven’t noticed, yes I will be getting the next book. When I will read it, that is another story because my TBR list is growing out of control. I have a problem people. I don’t even know if there is time to read all the books I want in one lifetime. The hardest part is that more amazing books are coming out all the time. There are at least 6 books coming out in the next 12 months that I’m dying to read. Do you have one on your radar? Let me know in the comments below.
And before I forget…. 3.5 stars for this one.
Happy reading
Love Kait
Reading Challenge: 68/100