paperback, 672 pages
Published May 13, 2014 by Tor Teen, Tor Books.
A hero with an incredible talent...for breaking things. A life-or-death mission...to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network...the evil Librarians.
Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutzines
I can't say I wasn't entertained, but somehow I wasn't 100% sold. The characters were relatable, and I liked the general comradery of the main characters.
It was a good change from my usual fare, even though the magic system (which was cool) felt a bit too much like science fiction with it's many rules and identifiable patterns.
In the world Vin survives in, ash falls from the sky and streets are filled with dirt and soot. There is no green nor the warmth of sun. The Lord Ruler is the immortal that has controlled the Final Empire for centuries and murdered/enslaved countless people. However, somes slaves are mistborns - people who are able to control metals - and they are preparing to fight back.
I finally finished this book, hurrah! I feel like I spent one century reading about Vin's inner feelings of mistrust towards Humanity in general. However, Vin's world is brilliantly built, allomancy is superbly structured and the characters are profound and easy to like. But I am pretty sure this book could have been told in 300 pages and no one would miss the other 200. I am torn because the whole idea behind the book deserves 5 starts but the actual storytelling only …
In the world Vin survives in, ash falls from the sky and streets are filled with dirt and soot. There is no green nor the warmth of sun. The Lord Ruler is the immortal that has controlled the Final Empire for centuries and murdered/enslaved countless people. However, somes slaves are mistborns - people who are able to control metals - and they are preparing to fight back.
I finally finished this book, hurrah! I feel like I spent one century reading about Vin's inner feelings of mistrust towards Humanity in general. However, Vin's world is brilliantly built, allomancy is superbly structured and the characters are profound and easy to like. But I am pretty sure this book could have been told in 300 pages and no one would miss the other 200. I am torn because the whole idea behind the book deserves 5 starts but the actual storytelling only deserves 3. I am going to settle for 4 and dread to read the 2nd book because it will be slower and I will not care if everyone dies (that is how trilogies work, after all). I may be finished with this trilogy when I am retired in 50 years...
