I can’t remember when I started it, but I think it was at least 6 weeks ago! The biggest reason that it took me SO long is because I am NOT a big fantasy fan. I don’t DISlike fantasy, but it’s not my genre of choice.
I mean fantasy authors truly LIVE in a world “far far away” from my mundane existence, and so they HAVE to introduce you to EVERY minute detail – down to maps, symbolic representations, language, etc. that exists in their world. And that takes A LOT of pages.
Even with all the explanations, a NON-fantasy lover still struggles over what happens when a Mistborn flares brass and what is the difference between Allomancy and Feruchemistry or how is a mistwraith and a kandra alike? So many questions and confusions, BUT I found that if I stuck with all that, I could get into it!
I really liked the characters and was thrilled with the Vallette/Elend connection – a little romance goes a LONG way. I also found Sanderson’s multi-limited 3rd person organization was fascinating. Most sections focused upon Vin/Vallette, but Kelsier starred in many as well. Towards the end, the reader visited Elend’s and Dockson’s inner-selves, too.
The bottom line is that the investment of time and focused concentration was worth the effort. As I drew closer to the climax, I couldn’t put the book down. There were a couple of nice little twists that I sort of saw coming and some that caught me by surprise. (I was SO happy Elend turned out to be the good guy I thought he would be. The Lord Ruler’s origins did surprise and relieve me!)
Will I pick up the other Mistborn volumes. Probably. But not any time soon! I’m exhausted!
