Mistborn
by Brandon Sanderson · first published 2001
59% recommend33% neutral8% critical
Why HN recommends it
Gripping epic fantasy built on a unique, clearly defined magic system and strong worldbuilding, with a tightly plotted ending to the trilogy; suits fantasy fans who like rule-based magic and its effect on society.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This discounted ebundle includes: Mistborn: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn trilogy is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. 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. This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?
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What Hacker News says
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…world-plotting, I'd go for: - The Kingkiller Chronicles (Patrick Rothfuss), best new books I've read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_W... - Anything by Brandon Sanderson, I enjoyed the Mistborn Trilogy and am currently awaiting the next book in his Way of King Series (which promises to be a big epic) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7235533-the-way-of-kings https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68428.Mistborn…
on “Entitlement issues (2009)” ↗Audiobook: I just finished Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I highly recommend it if you're into fantasy type novels. It has a unique magic system and is very well written. I've been off and on with War and Peace for a while. Kind of dry…
on “Ask HN: What books are you reading” ↗…year: Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss http://amzn.com/B0010SKUYM Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch http://amzn.com/B000JMKNJ2 The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson http://amzn.com/B003P2WO5E Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson http://amzn.com/B002GYI9C4 The above four are the first book in their respective series. I've also enjoyed the sequels to all of them. Several of the series are not yet finished.…
on “Ask HN: What were the best fun books you read in 2014?” ↗…Fortunately, though, when Brandon takes over the pacing really picks up and it does have a satisfying conclusion! That was my introduction to Brandon Sanderson as well, and since then I've now read the original Mistborn trilogy and what's published so far of Stormlight Archive. If you've made it through 5 books of Wheel of Time - whether or not you finish it - I think you might appreciate those.
on “Good riddance to long books” ↗…worlds and likable characters, and encounter some cool ideas. I'll be extra happy if it's available on audible. Things I liked: Harry Potter and The Methods of Rationality, The Martian, Ready Player One, Mistborn.
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗Audiobooks I have Read Recently: (Sanderson is Awesome) * The Reckoners #1/#2 * Stormlight Archive #1/#2 * Mistborn #1/#2/#3 * Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures As the World's Most Wanted Hacker Digital Books: * How to Win Friends and Influence People * Malazon Book #1 * The Forever War * The Martian Things…
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?” ↗…fan of 'frivolous, empty, and perfectly delightful' popular sci-fi and fantasy novels, especially if they go multiple books! Sometimes you want an escape from the human condition. Good examples include Mistborn, Farseer, Belgariad (especially), the Martian, Ready Player One (although this was a bit shallow, even for me). If anyone has other recommendations, would be much obliged.
on “Frivolous, Empty, and Perfectly Delightful” ↗…A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson - The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan - The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier Fiction: - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson - The Magicians by Lev Grossman The non-fiction books were all incredible and highly recommended. I especially appreciate The War on Science as it is highly relevant in…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…counter-example to the original article) - smaller ideas get novellas (Legion, Emperor's Soul), medium-sized ideas get novels (Elantris, Rithmatist, Warbreaker), epic ideas get large novels in series(Mistborn, Way of Kings). All excellent, by the way...
on “Fantasy must shake off the tyranny of the mega-novel” ↗I'm really enjoying Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. I started listening to the audiobook version on my commute to work. It's a fantasy series with an incredibly detailed, logical, well-thought-out magic system and world history.
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗I'm a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, but find that Mistborn is a better entry point for people these days - though it (and the Cosmere) are among my own personal my all-time favorite fantasy books, so perhaps I'm biased in that.
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗Brandon Sanderson is my go to recommendation for fantasy nowadays. Mistborn is a great place to start but The Way of Kings is the real meat and potatoes. He also links all these books together in the same universe and it's fun to notice the connections.
on “The Animal Is Tired” ↗…again, a large commitment but I can't drop it from the list 6. Lies of Loch Lomura A very fun adventure story; reader's voice takes a moment to get used to but once you do it is very fun and endearing 7. Mistborn Great story in a unique world
on “Audible and audiobooks, the fastest growing part of publishing” ↗I also just finished the first Mistborn book. I REALLY enjoyed that, much more than Kingkiller Chronicles (of which I've read two books). I'm moving onto the next one and am excited that there are a number of them I can consume in this same…
on “Is Matter Conscious?” ↗Now that you point it out, I definitely remember the quippy dialogue from Oathbringer. You should give the original Mistborn trilogy a go or the Reckoners series. One of the reasons he's my favorite author is that he 1) pumps out solid books almost yearly and 2) his series are very different even though they're all fantasy.
on “Earthsea – A Rival to Tolkien and George RR Martin (2015)” ↗