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Review: The Mistborn Saga

So I'm nearly done with The Mistborn Saga, by Brandon Sanderson. Surely critics have used literal gallons of ink writing about these series, but I don't care, I want to write down my own thoughts about it.

Simple, wholesome fiction

The Mistborn series is the Doom Eternal of fantasy novels.

When Doom Eternal was released, critics praised it for being focused and effective. Doom had a simple premise - blowing stuff up and fast-paced, challenging action is fun! The game focused on delivering the purest experience it could for fans of the FPS genre. The Doom formula of walk into room, fight enemies, collect power-ups, and repeat could have easily made it boring or contrived. But the quality of the execution made it a classic.

The Mistborn Saga feels much the same way to me. It is not trying to be the best novel ever, just the best fantasy sci-fi experience. The worldbuilding is tight, engaging, and manages to keep expanding it's scope without feeling off-the-wall or contrived. The characters are original, memorable, and likeable, truly larger-than-life heroes and villains. The pacing is neither too slow or too fast. The story is fun in the most dramatic ways: the good guys struggle and fight and manage to eek out heroic but bittersweet victories against their powerful, evil enemies. There is literally nothing to dislike in a story like that. It is the classic Hero's Journey and by God, there's a reason these archetypes and plots have existed since antiquity.

There were many times in the story where I predicted the upcoming events of the plot. Two characters will flirt and you'll think to yourself, "Cute! They're a good match. I'm sure they will end up together." And of course they do! I didn't mind this in the slightest. It never felt cheap or cliche to be proven right on these occasions.

The story never leans gratuitously on sex, gore, horror, shock value, or anything else distasteful to keep the reader hooked. It can be violent and mature but not outrageously so. I feel like anyone from 15 to 90 years old could read this and like it.

The magic of the Mistborn

The magic system is incredibly effective. Even though it evolves from book to book and the rules sometimes get bent, it rarely felt like a Deus Ex Machina on the part of the author when some new power is introduced. Something complicated and delicate like a magic system with many interacting, moving parts has potential to make some characters too strong and others too weak. It also has the potential of running away from itself and getting too crazy. (See also: every story about time travel ever written.) The balance here is well-done; the magical powers in the series each feel strong and capable, but in their own way.

The Mistborn Saga manages to feed you lots of information about metals and the powers they grant in understandable chunks. The audience learns apace with the characters, so new powers really do feel like a discovery.

Alamancy and co. achieve this while also feeling unique. In series like Harry Potter, for example, the magic performed by the characters feels a little run-of-the mill after a few books, and most of the excitement really comes from magical monsters or artifacts. In the series, there are no words of power, incantations, ancient scrolls (at least not magical ones), no cauldrons or magic wands or crystals humming with energy. There's metal instead, which felt refreshing and fun to me.

The only possible complaint about the magic system is that it is mostly genetic and thus inherited. It is a cliche that is present in many fantasy stories, and some people dislike it because (according to them) it sends a bad message: "If you're not born a certain way, then you're just not worth as much." I don't usually mind this. I think people who present this complaint are usually projecting their insecurities onto the fiction too much. And I don't feel like this series ever endorsed and problematic ideas such as elitism or eugenics, in fact quite the opposite! Many of the characters in the book understand that because they are in a position of privilege by nature of their birth, they have a responsibility to be fair and moral, and to value and help others who are less lucky.

Messaging and Themes

I particularly like how the novels manage to be chock-full of deep topics and yet remain accessible and fun. The following themes are woven into every storyline and nearly every character:

And yet if you think hard about it, the story actually has very little to say about these topics. The novels are rarely, if ever, preachy. I almost never felt like I was being lectured to. These topics come about as a consequence of the plot and feel entirely natural. The novels encourage the readers to brush against them and ponder but are not pushy about it.

After a long day of working 9-to-5 at a job that can be depressingly mundane, I don't want to be lectured in my fantasy about the evils of the world. There should be a way to have a story that is intellectually engaging without resorting to political activism. I really dislike it when fictional stories about completely different people and cultures in a fantasy world exactly mirror some topical world event in some heavy-handed and crass manner. Stories can (and should, I think) have a timeless message that can speak to a wide audience. The Mistborn Saga achieves this and I really appreciate it.

(Aside: The _one_ exception to this might be the character of Marisee. Throughout the first three novels, we see very pointedly that Vin has negative experiences in the setting because she is a woman. The feminist message feels like a natural consequences of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. They show, not tell, about the struggles of women in a patriarchy. Marisee, however experiences comparatively little discrimination, and yet takes multiple opportunities to preach a feminist message through internal monologues that don't really seem to go anywhere. She is telling, not showing. Both Vin and Marisee have to undergo a journey and a transformation and eventually learn how to demand from other male characters the respect they always deserved. But Vin does this by slowly transforming from a shy, abused girl to a total fucking badass. Marisee's transformation is similar but decidedly less dramatic and more preachy. Overall this didn't really prevent me from enjoying the character of Marisee, but contrast is extremely noticeable when you compare them side-by-side.)

Minor complaints

Warning: there are major and minor spoilers below.

This is one of my favorite novel series I've read in a long time. It's just so neat and pretty and fun. However I do have some minor complaints.

Shoehorned references

The final four books happen after a 300-year time skip. Unsurprisingly many of the characters who are immortal (or functionally immortal) are still around. There are many, many other references to characters splattered throughout and they are not subtle. I felt that maybe Sanderson was worried about continuity and wanted to make sure the readers felt attached to and familiar with the new setting. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel it was mostly unneeded.

There are also some fourth-wall-breaking moments that I felt cheapened the setting just a tad, but these were almost unnoticeable.

Wayne and Milan

The book is full of plot devices, characters, magics, etc. that happen because they are fun, not realistic. Certainly the characters feel like real people and nothing completely insane or avant-garde happens. But the story is not trying to be grounded or mature. One departure from this general vibe is Milan breaking up with Wayne. Both characters are ridiculous, silly, and endearing, and so is their union. The audience knows their relationship is taboo and could never last, however that's part of what makes it exciting! It's Wayne and Milan! They're the characters that turn the goofy into the impossible! I know what the author was going for when Milan leaves in the fourth book but it felt more disappointing than sad or bittersweet. I would have liked it more if they rode off into the sunset together or something, leaving the audience to wonder and hope about their eventual fates. I got the distinct impression Milan leaves Wayne to make room for other characters and to continue the story, but I wish she hadn't.

The role of religion

There is much discussion of God, gods, and religion in this book that (personally) felt fairly reasonable. The book is not anti-religious by any means. Religion is a plot point, no way around it, but it is presented as both good and bad.

(To be specific - Abrahamic religions are monotheistic and assert that God is both infinitely good and also omnipotent. The gods of The Mistborn Saga resemble those from Greek or Roman paganism, as they are fallible. They are less like Jesus or Allah and more like real people who happen to be immortal. I have heard Christians and Jews read about such things in fiction and wrinkle their nose. It depends a lot on the person and their faith.)

While this didn't bother me (an agnostic who doesn't attend church) I did feel that some friends and family who are religious would be upset by the portrayal of religion. I would find it hard to recommend the books to them.

Conclusion

Overall I couldn't recommend this series enough. I haven't finished the final 7th book yet but I'm rapidly devouring it.