I won this trilogy at a conference in February, and am SO glad I read them. Here’s the blurb to book 1.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy’s newest master tale spinner, author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails? What kind of world results when the Dark Lord is in charge? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises and magical martial-arts action that begins in Mistborn.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Readers of Elantris thought they’d discovered someone special in Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn proves they were right.(

My thoughts:
Brandon Sanderson created an entirely unique fantasy world that uses metals and allomancy instead of sword and sorcery. A reviewer on goodreads summarized allomancy better than I can (I ramble) here goes:
“Speaking of the magic that was probably the most intriguing part of the book for those who have read a lot of fantasy and get the same magic systems over and over. Magic is fueled by trace minerals that are ingested by those with the power. A Misted can only ingest one type of metal but a Mistborn can take as many trace minerals as desired (there are a standard 8 with some surprises). Mistborn are rare even in the nobility and as a result are highly prized by the powerful”

The plot had so many twists and turns that I felt out of breath when I finished. I took a LONG break between book two and three because I knew once I picked book three up, I wouldn’t be able to put it down.

I loved the people in his world, and the ending was perfect. I could almost hear Kelsier saying “there’s always another secret” as I turned the last page. Even little inconsistencies I’d picked up on through the series (how would super enhanced eye sight help you see through mist exactly?) were answered. I will admit that I saw the end coming for books two and three, but knowing it was coming only made me more anxious to get there. It was great anticipation. I really enjoyed these books, and I think most of my readers would really enjoy it too.