The Wheel of Time rises from the Mist
Author Brandon Sanderson has been chosen to finish the Wheel of Time series that Robert Jordan hadn’t quite completed before his departure.
I’m very excited. Not only because the Wheel of Time will be finished, but I trust Brandon’s writing to do it justice. I’ve read his other books, and they are fabulous. While I don’t deign to say they are of the same quality as Jordan, I found them very enjoyable and the tone and prose seemed similar to that of Jordan, if not so epic. I’ve been meaning to do a review of Brandon’s books for this site. Now that I’ve started, I might as well do just that.
Mistborn and Well of Ascension are the first two books in the Mistborn saga (though tecnically the first book is titled The Final Empire, but the cover emphasizes the series name over the book title). Both are very well written with a vivid scenery and likeable characters.
The true star of the books are the magic systems. He has invented two of the more original magic systems to be seen in fantasy literature, Allomancy and Feruchemy. As their names imply, they are the use of metals to perform magic. I won’t bore you with the details that are surely available elsewhere, but he has imagined not only the systems but uses for them that are quite ingenious.
Besides the magic systems, Brandon has taken the age old epic story and turned it on its head. As the back of the cover for Mistborn asks, “What if the prophesied hero had failed to defeat the Dark Lord?”
With an engaging story and well thought out system, his characters also inspire. With the trio of Vin, Kelsier, Eland and a host of secondary characters that are just as tangible, Mistbornlaunches into a rebellion against God. Well of Ascension continues with the same characters dealing with the consequences of their actions.
There is very little to object to in the books. The story is of course violent, with the associated gore present in any book where swords and knives are the primary weapons, but the detail doesn’t detract. The sex in the book is implied and spoken of, but is never graphic nor unreasonable in the circumstances. I believe the book would receive a PG rating, perhaps PG-13, if the MPAA were to grade it.
I am excited to see an author of Brandon’s capabilities take the helm of finishing Robert Jordan’s opus, though I am also assured, as the article states, that he will be working with Jordan’s long time editor to maintain the feel of the originals. It’s also good to know that the story is already detailed and outlined, so really not much is left for Brandon to do except fill in the blanks.
