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The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel (The Mistborn Saga Book 4)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Kelsier and Vin have passed into the…
- Release Date
- 2011
- Length
- 420 pages
- Publisher
- Tor Books
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Our Review
About the book
Set three centuries after the original Mistborn trilogy, this standalone-friendly novel follows Waxillium Ladrian, a frontier lawman who returns to the city of Elendel to take up his duties as a noble house heir. A string of daring train robberies and kidnappings soon pulls him back into the work he swore to leave behind.
Our review
Mistborn goes Western, swapping epic stakes for six-guns, railways and a pair of terrific mismatched partners.
The shift in setting is a blast. Sanderson places his magic system in an early industrial world of streetlamps and trains, and the combination of metal-fueled powers with firearms makes for inventive action scenes. Wax is a charming, weary hero, but the real gift is Wayne, his chaotic sidekick with a talent for disguises and terrible bargains. Their banter gives the book a buddy-comedy rhythm that feels new for the series.
It’s slighter than the original trilogy. Originally conceived as a shorter project, the book feels compact, and the villain and mystery are fairly straightforward. Marasi, the main female character, starts out more as a plot device than a person, though she improves. Readers expecting epic scope will find it light. But as a fun, fast adventure that shows how Sanderson’s world has evolved, it’s a delightful palate cleanser.
What we loved
- A fresh Western-meets-industrial setting
- Inventive gunfight-and-magic action scenes
- Wayne, one of Sanderson’s funniest characters
Keep in mind
- A fairly simple villain and mystery
- Lighter in scope and emotional weight than the original trilogy
Read it if you like
Fans of the Mistborn trilogy, Firefly, or Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files.
The verdict
A breezy, inventive detour into a new era of Mistborn that trades epic weight for pure fun.
