Quick summary of the mistborn series:

The Lord Ruler, more deity than man, has been in control of the realm for nearing a thousand years. A thousand years to build a society that operates out of fear and a divine respect for his power.

In this world, we meet humans with noble blood that rule those who lack it. The Skaa people, those who are of no known noble descent, live in misery and fear of both the Lord Ruler and the nobility. Those who come from noble blood lines have the use of a magic known as Allomancy. I go in depth on this type of magic in my book 1 review of the Mistborn Trilogy, so I won’t dwell on it here. However, it is the primary form of magic known to the world, consisting of one’s ability to “burn” metals to produce an enhanced or new ability in oneself. Allomancy is not the only form of magic, though. Some of the secondary forms of magic introduced in the series are quite compelling. Feruchemy, the magic of the Terris people, holds some unique characteristics that create an exciting race and history of the Terrismen.

The reader enters into this world at the time of one of the most powerful rebellions seen to The Lord Ruler in centuries. In the first novel, we meet Kelsier, who will later become known as “The Survivor”, as he begins his journey to overthrow the government.

Kelsier partners with some of the most powerful allomancers in the underworld for this task. This path leads him to Vin, a Skaa orphan who will eventually build more power and ability than anyone could ever imagine.

As Vin’s power grows and Kelsier’s plan comes to fruition, we follow the rebellion on its journey to restore order and reason to the government. The more things progress, however, the more secrets are revealed as to how much The Lord Ruler just may have been doing to actually save the realm, rather than destroy it.

The Lord Ruler protected more than the general public could ever have imagined, and destroying his rule just may be the act that finally brings the world to its inevitable end.

What I liked most about The Mistborn Series:

The character building was by far the most enjoyable factor of the entire series for me. My favorite character archs were those for Vin, Elend, Spook and TenSoon.

Obviously, as the main protagonists, Vin and Elend, have some major development throughout the series. Both live up to the hype for me. Vin’s power development is only one facet of how much she changes and grows through the course of the story. Her character is easily likeable but not perfect, stemming from her youth and inexperience in politics and war. Her heartbreaking and lonely past pulls at our emotions, even as she comes into her own successful place in the world. Her relationship with Elend is a perfect balance of romance in the Fantasy realm. We see their relationship grow and flourish, but it doesn’t take away from the advancement of the action part of the series. Elend’s role takes some various twists and unexpected turns as he progresses, as well. I truly enjoyed his character segments, and thought he provided a nice balance to Vin.

I never saw the role of Spook expanding in the manner it did, and I loved it. We see a side of him in books 2 and 3 that we never imagined in book 1. I don’t want to provide too many spoilers in this one, because what comes of Spook is totally unexpected!

Also unexpectedly, TenSoon was another secondary character I found myself thoroughly enjoying. The Kandra spy quickly found a major role in books 2 and 3. This role led us to learn more about the history and somewhat hidden society of the Kandra. Their customs and magic behind their ability was a unique flare. It added a nice break to the warfront we see from Elend, Vin and the rest of the crew.

What I disliked most about The Mistborn Series:

There were many, many sections of the series that provided vast inner dialogues and thought processes for some of our main characters. This does provide a huge benefit to learn their mindset, fears and confidences, but it also led to some feelings of stalling out. Especially in book 2. Book 3 finally picked up the pace as we approach the ending and resolutions, which helped navigate away from the moments that felt so slow.

I did find myself skimming through some of these portions, especially in regard to Sazed’s growing concern on the role of religion and his importance as a Keeper. I can imagine his grief after what the crew witnessed; I feel for his struggle to maintain his faith and hope in the future. However, we read through many, many pages of Sazed bouncing back and forth on how important his role as a Keeper truly is to the future of the realm. Which takes away from the action and forward movement.

Sazed is one primary example, but we see the same from Elend with his struggle in his confidence and right to rule. Vin with her ability to trust and depend on others. Spook with his regret at not playing a larger role in book 1.

As I mentioned, I think a touch of this adds a level of intimacy we would not receive elsewhere. It is a valuable asset. For my personal taste, it was overdone in the series.

Other books to read if you loved The Mistborn Series: