Mistborn: The Final Empire

The Final Empire was the first Brandon Sanderson book I had read, and I read every Mistborn book published so far (through Bands of Mourning and Secret History) almost back-to-back. The series is exceptionally enjoyable, with a fun magic system and compelling characters and story.

If this first book had been the only Mistborn book ever written, I think it would have stood well on its own. For anyone daunted by the prospect of starting a new series with six books and counting so far, you could read this one and stop. But once you've read this one, you'll probably want to keep going.