The Lost Metal

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If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I'm quite a fan of Brandon Sanderson's work. It's not like I hide my opinion on his incredible talent, or his amazingly fascinating worlds or magic systems. Brandon Sanderson is a true genius at fantasy writing. There's no doubt about it. I usually rave and rave about his latest books after I'm done reading them, but this time I find that I can't do that.

The Lost Metal was good. It really was. A good ending to Mistborn, Era 2. So why do I feel just a little let down? I won't spoil anything, I promise, but there's a few things that just didn't quite live up to my standards of Sanderson's work. Which may be too high, honestly. I expect a lot from him, and maybe I should tone it down. ANYWAY.

I will admit that I did not reread the previous three novels before diving into this one. It's possible that would have increased my enjoyment of this one. There's a lot going on in this world, and it's hard to keep things straight. ESPECIALLY when Sanderson introduces a lot of other cosmere-related characters in this book. (Aren't sure what the cosmere is? A lot of Sanderson's works take place in the same universe, and many of the characters are planet or world hoppers, meaning they can appear in more than one series. Confusing? You bet. But it's also super cool to see a familiar face in a new series.) Sanderson took the cosmere up a notch in this book, and like I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm not sure it worked for me this time.

So how come? Well, when you have to read all the other cosmere-related books (probably 10+ books at this point) to understand something, it can be a bit of a drag. AND THAT'S COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS READ ALL THE OTHER COSMERE BOOKS. It's a lot to be familiar with and remember, especially when you're a heavy reader like me. So basically, I guess what I'm saying is this. The book was decent, it just had too many...details? I guess? That sounds ridiculous, and I'm aware of it.

ANYWAY, I love Wax, and I love, love, love Wayne. I'm so glad he was featured prominently in this one. Marasai is still fascinating, but I was THRILLED to see that Steris's talents were finally put to use on a grand scale in this one. She deserved the spotlight and the recognition. Sanderson's female characters never really disappoint — they're all vastly different from each other, and I love that they're not reduced down to love interests or wallflowers. I'll definitely be picking up the next Mistborn era when it comes out, but with some hesitancy, I guess.

Did this review make any sense whatsoever? Who knows.