Mistborn: The Final Empire

This was my first time reading a Brandon Sanderson book and I had to ask myself why it took so long for me to pick one of his books up. I've been looking for something that isn't cliched fantasy (though I still like those once in a while too), but I wanted something that had what I loved about those kind of books done in a new and creative light. Mistborn fit that perfectly. I also liked the fact that the characters weren't all doom and gloom or the dreaded ‘anti-hero hero' that seems to have permeated the fantasy shelves of late. That's not to say that the characters don't have their flaws, but they joke and laugh and have as Vin the main character puts it “charisma”. Something I find lacking in a lot of fantasy. I'm sure I sound like a broken record about the magic system Brandon Sanderson has created for this series, but it is truly one of the delights of this book. Creative, different and fun to read about. I could just see the characters soaring through the mists and the action played out like a movie in my head anytime there was a fight. Main character females are also something that is rarity in fantasy and more often that not they are either these tough warrior types or a damsel in distress. It was refreshing to have a character that wasn't flawless, but also had an inner strength that was admirable and fun to read about. Her growth as a person through the book was also a highlight. Mistborn is one of the better adult fantasy books I've read in a while and recommend it to those looking for something a little different and yet at the same time has all the things that made you a fantasy fan in the first place. It isn't a fast-paced book, but I think that was one of its strengths, although there were a few parts where it dragged a bit, overall I felt like I got to know the characters and their world quite well. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy and definitely more of Sanderson's work in the future.