Mass Market Paperback, 647 pages
English language
Published July 31, 2007 by Tor Books.
The Mists rule the night. The Lord Ruler owns the world.
Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.
He failed.
For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.
Yet somehow, hope survives. Hope that dares to dream of ending the empire and even the Lord Ruler himself. A new kind of uprising is being planned, one built around the ultimate caper, one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine, a street urchin who must learn to master Allomancy, the power of a Mistborn.
This is one of those cannot-put-down fantasy books that are so much fun to read :)
The dialogue is hammy, the characters are flat, and the plotting is straightforward, but the book was so compelling I all but read it in one sitting and ordered the rest of the series the next day.
Very cool book about organizing a revolution against a supposedly divine ruler and his highly hierarchical and oppressive society. In the book the revolution is organized by a small group on insurrectionists, but eventually is implemented by the people. A large part of the story is the lively characters, all with their doubts, concerns, and fears, which get together in what initially seemed an impossible undertaking. And of course the supposed magical powers of the rulers and the insurrectionists' overcoming of these. In general - a totally enjoyable political fantasy.
I really liked this book. I felt that the author did a superb job of giving multiple people's perspectives and motivations. It was a really enjoyable book and I can safely recommend it if you like fantasy books.
第一巻（上巻？）に比べては、ストーリーの進歩が若干遅い気がしますが、新しいキャラクターや「伝金術」のことが紹介されたり、十分新しいものに出会えて良かったと思います。
2022 Re-read: In anticipation of Era 2 concluding in November 2022 I found it appropriate to re-read from the beginning, and I'm glad I did, because this book is still a knockout.
Don't forget the ash because you see a little silk.
I remembered the key points of the story but the moments between those stunning sequences are what make this book so enjoyable. The setup for the rest of Era 1 and implications with other series in the Cosmere are such a pleasure to experience, and in some ways it feels like I am reading the book again for the first time.
Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope.
I stand by my original five star rating, this book is incredible on the first read through and continues to entertain nearly a decade later.
2018 Re-read: Hit a …
2022 Re-read: In anticipation of Era 2 concluding in November 2022 I found it appropriate to re-read from the beginning, and I'm glad I did, because this book is still a knockout.
Don't forget the ash because you see a little silk.
I remembered the key points of the story but the moments between those stunning sequences are what make this book so enjoyable. The setup for the rest of Era 1 and implications with other series in the Cosmere are such a pleasure to experience, and in some ways it feels like I am reading the book again for the first time.
Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope.
I stand by my original five star rating, this book is incredible on the first read through and continues to entertain nearly a decade later.
2018 Re-read: Hit a rut in books so thought I would revisit a favorite series that I read nearly five years back...
...and after finishing the book it still deserves a five star rating. Five years later I'm still impressed with the Allomancy and how Sanderson uses it in the story. Great book and glad to see it still holds up after thousands of other Sanderson stories (namely Stormlight Archive).
No, this night was not a waste. Even if he hadn't found the atium, any night that ended with a group of dead nobleman was a successful one, in Kelsier's opinion.
Simply put, this book was amazing. I was immediately drawn in by the well crafted world, the story takes you in baby steps as you receive bits of information on the narrator and the people around them. but you are immediately hooked. As the world unfolds you learn about a complicated, but easy to understand, magic system and the book is off and running. I had a hard time putting this book down and will definitely be reading the remainder of the Mistborn stories.
Fantastic book, in my opinion. The concept of manipulation of metal using Allomancy Feruchemistry is pretty brilliant. Great character development and world building. I look forward to continuing the series!
I have my qualms with some plot holes and the decidedly typical main plot (lowly child with hidden ability is tasked with saving the world), but those go out the window when I take into account how much I enjoyed the last quarter of the book (YAY ACTION SEQUENCES!!). Sanderson's great at world-building and creating interesting magic systems, and that was enough to get me to immediately order the next two books in the series. Hopefully I won't be disappointed...
Really good book. Don't stop even if you find it uninteresting in the first few chapters.
The first three quarters of this book dragged a bit - explaining the same concepts over & over, and talking about lame politics a little too much. The last quarter was good, and did a great job of tying everything up at the end - so much so that I almost wonder what's left to write about for the next few books. Overall, the book kind of seemed like a fantasy version of the third Hunger Games book (if that book hadn't been completely awful).
very nice fantasy story with a twist that sets it apart from other classic fantasy novels.
interesting magic system.
I love the idea of using liquidized metals as a source of magic. A very unique world and a wonderful heroine. Couldn't stop reading once I started that trilogy.
A refreshing and original fantasy world, with an interesting, different magical system and likeable characters. I read this 650 page paperback in just two nights - liked the detailed world, the unusual details in how magic works, and in particular some of the plot twists that I didn't see coming. I'm glad to see there have been sequels written and I'll definitely be following up on those later!
I was really impressed by this book. The characters are vividly drawn, and the story is wonderful. The world-building that Sanderson has done is exceptional, both in its scope and his attention to detail. I've heard people compare it to a cross between Mieville's Perdido Street Station and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, and that's fairly accurate as things go. It conveys quite clearly the complexity, strangeness and oppression of Mieville's works, while maintaining the gritty, political, and character-driven work of Martin.
It's forced me to ask the question of whether I'd put it on the same level as my some of my favorite works of epic fantasy, such as Rothfuss' Name of the Wind, or even George R.R. Martin's work. The answer is that I'm not sure, but its so damn close that the distinction barely matters.
I cannot wait to read the next …
I was really impressed by this book. The characters are vividly drawn, and the story is wonderful. The world-building that Sanderson has done is exceptional, both in its scope and his attention to detail. I've heard people compare it to a cross between Mieville's Perdido Street Station and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, and that's fairly accurate as things go. It conveys quite clearly the complexity, strangeness and oppression of Mieville's works, while maintaining the gritty, political, and character-driven work of Martin.
It's forced me to ask the question of whether I'd put it on the same level as my some of my favorite works of epic fantasy, such as Rothfuss' Name of the Wind, or even George R.R. Martin's work. The answer is that I'm not sure, but its so damn close that the distinction barely matters.
I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I took a break to process the book I had just finished, and to jot down my thoughts in this review. I now intend to go immediately go back to my Kindle and start reading the second book in the series: The Well of Ascension.
