Obi-Wan's Eleven. Less Miserables. Lock, Stock and Two Magic Vials.

I see what all the fuss is about. Sanderson has plonked jedi in the middle of a late colonial tinderbox and added a sort of revolutionary heist to drive the plot forward. Big chunks of the book are explanations of aspects of the magic system which also serve as a chance to pair the protagonist up with other members of the ensemble. There's plenty of action, but also political intrigue, romance and moral philosophy, and despite its length it still feels like the tip of the Cosmere iceberg.

My main critique is that the cast could have had more women, Vin is really the only one with any depth or positive attributes, the rest are either nameless, shallow tokens, or rape victims. In comparison the book does a far better job at looking at issues of class and race, although I'm not sure how many characters are actually described as being non-white and the core characters are explicitly so. Maybe it's just showing its age here, the genre has set a much higher bar over the last decade than it used to.

These aren't showstoppers though, it's still a great story with lots to chew on, and I found myself reading the last third at a much higher pace which is a very good sign. Overall it deserves it's reputation and I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of the franchise.