Mistborn - Does It Take a While to Get into It?

[kayd_mon]

Just like the title says...

I just started reading this, and after reading the first five chapters, I'm not sure what to think. I know this series and this author is popular, but I feel like I should be enjoying this book much more by this point.

The magic system seems a little silly to me, almost like a video game with little stat bars for all these metals the characters burn. Maybe it'll grow on me, but I just read what should have been a thrilling chapter with Kelsier in action, but none of the action grabbed me. All the pushing and pulling just seemed awkward rather than exciting.

Am I missing something? Do I just need to give it a few more chapters to start getting into it? The atmosphere of the book seems good, and having a bunch of thieves running scams is a good way to ensure some suspense, but I'm just not sold yet.

 

[Steerpike]

I gave up on it pretty quick.

 

[Wynnara]

I haven't read Mistborn, but if it's anything like the author's first book in the Stormlight Archive series, "The Way of Kings"... well, I wouldn't have been able to get through that one if I hadn't been listening to it as an audiobook on my commute. It took a very, very long time before I felt I knew enough about that world or its characters to care about it. It was a good book in the end and I'll probably read the next in the series, but I think I probably started and stopped that book a half-dozen times at least.

 

[Feo Takahari]

I didn't even last as long as you did. It's funny, because I liked Elantris--Mistborn just didn't grab me the same way.

 

[Fluffypoodel]

I read through the whole thing and the beginning was a little tough to get through. And the middle. The end is really good and action packed, emotionally and physically. It has a lot of build up towards the ending which is by far the best part of the book. if you can last that long through the book I'd say its worth it.

In contrast I put the second book down before I hit 100 pages. I haven't read anything else by him so I don't know if it's a Mistborn thing or if its just his writing style.

 

[druidofwinter]

I read this book and loved it! I will agree, it takes a little "getting into" but after that, well EPICNESS!! Sorry if that seems a bit vague, but i really could not say enough good things about this book. Read it and you will love it. I promise.

 

[OGone]

Read the whole series recently, it took me a few chapters to get into but then I couldn't stop reading. I would stick with it, I thoroughly enjoyed all three books although the first is really slow in my opinion. Around halfway things start picking upThe second book and the ending of the third, in particular, are very entertaining.

On the other hand I'm reading Elantris now and it's not really grabbing me at all, will give it a few more chapters before I give up entirely oop:

 

[Steerpike]

I actually liked Elantris, which is what made me pick up Mistborn in the first place. So I have the opposite problem

 

[kayd_mon]

I'll keep at it for a bit longer. Maybe my expectations were too high going in. But if I can't like any of the characters by the halfway point, the book will become a chore.

 

[danr62]

I am a big Sanderson fan, and have read most of what he's put out. Mistborn was what got me started on him, so yes, I loved the book. I really enjoyed Allomancy and thought those fight scenes were really cool.

I also liked Elantris, but I could tell that it was his first book (published) in that it lacked some of the refinement of Mistborn. At least, his Chekov's Gun was more obvious to me in that book than the one in the MB trilogy.

 

[kayd_mon]

What was it about the allomancy that you liked? I'm not asking this in a negative light, but maybe you saw something I'm looking past that will help improve my opinion of it. As of now, it is my main gripe with the book, which is probably a big problem.

 

[danr62]

I liked the coolness factor of a unique magic system. Also, some of the inventive applications of allomancy that you might not have read about yet were pretty cool too.

 

[Steerpike]

The like the allomancy idea well enough, it's just that the story itself has not held my interest.

 

[Creed]

Maybe I'm a little bit late, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
However, I maintain that it is a fantastically mediocre book. What does that even mean? Well, it was good, and I enjoyed reading it. And yet I didn't really care about it. I wasn't invested.
That being said (as I find in all of Mr. Sanderson's books) there are just plain silly things that put me off. Like the koloss in Well of Ascension. And the titles- Hero of Ages!? And all the rhymes! For example "What's your game, Zane?" I know that's not a real rhyme but you know what I mean. And Elend got really annoying. So did Sazed. Breeze, on the other hand, went through some character development throughout book 2 that I thoroughly enjoyed. It showed a COMPLETELY different side of him, while still being believable.
And that's my verdict. Sorry about that.

 

[kayd_mon]

@creed

You're not too late. I am still slowly plugging away at this one. I haven't read much more since my original post, because I'm not really invested. I've read through part 1, and Vin has trained/is still training with allomancy. Getting more description of it didn't make me like it anymore, since I still feel that it is an ideal system for a game, not a book. Anyway, I can look past that and just read it for what it is. I do like it when I'm completely enveloped in a story, but I suppose that not every book will do that. I expect I'll finish this, albeit slowly.

 

[Araktor]

Honestly. I hated this series after the 7th chapter. It takes too much time to get into the feeling.

 

[SineNomine]

Hmmm, I never had that feeling. I started Sanderson through the Mistborn books and hold it up as one of my favorite fantasy series' of all time.

Trying to nail down why I love it so much is harder though. I'm not a big reviewer type, I don't really spend much time analyzing why I like something or don't, just feel the feelings and roll with it. If I had to guess? His prose is perfect to me, it's so direct and unpretentious, it feels outstandingly transparent; It's a vehicle to deliver a story and doesn't seek to draw attention to itself. The story itself is well-crafted, everything feels like it fits together like a blueprint and the world they inhabit is fascinating. The magic system essentially functions as a science, which is great.

I suppose both Kelsier and Vin aren't spectacular characters, but they fit their roles well. Kelsier is fascinating. His plans and beliefs, and how they fit in with the time and place in which he lives is explored well and is quite deep. In a different time or place he could very easily have been a terrible villain, but circumstances in both his life and the world around him end up creating a unique niche.

Sorry if this isn't very good analysis of why I like it, I'm just trying to play it by ear.

 

[kayd_mon]

His bare-bones prose is one thing that I noticed from the beginning, and I immediately knew I wouldn't enjoy the book on that level. I can read and enjoy books in that style, but when the prose itself isn't special, I tend to be less excited about reading.

I've made it through another chapter. I'm determined not to be a quitter, since a few here have guaranteed that the ending is worth it.

 

[SineNomine]

Eh, if you really aren't enjoying it you probably shouldn't force yourself. The ending does have a lot of moving parts that all work together to create a very intense climax, but I can't imagine it being amazing if you don't care about the plot or any of the characters.

 

[kayd_mon]

I've gotten through a few more chapters, and it's starting to pick up for me. (this is starting to feel like status updates, here) I think I've realized what it is that I just don't like about the book.

I can deal with the Allomancy. The point-by-point explanation seems way too much like a videogame tutorial, but once passed that, it's fine. Awkward pushing and pulling, certainly, but it works to propel the story. I can live with it.

I mentioned his style, but that's not something that will cause me not to read. It's readable, even if the descriptions get really repetitive. I can live with that, too.

I like Vin. And Sazed. They are keeping me in this. I like the different religions that Sazed quotes, it's a nice touch to the book.

The thing I realized that I just dislike is Kelsier. His speech, actions, etc. When it switches to his POV, I feel a pang of annoyance. Now, don't give me any spoilers here, but if he dies in this book, I'll be happy.