Writing Style – 4.8/5

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson is a delightfully surprising melting pot of genres.  For those who have not read Mistborn and are unfamiliar with The Alloy of Law, Sanderson made a bold (and brilliant) move to write an entirely new trilogy following the riveting Mistborn series.  Instead of setting it in the immediate aftermath of its conclusion, he chose to create a story several hundred years into the future.  The world is drastically different (thanks the climax of the Mistborn series).  As much as I enjoyed the Mistborn series, I was that much more enraptured by this book.  Sanderson’s wit and ingenuity shined.

The Characters – 5/5

I enjoyed the ensemble cast of the Mistborn series, but I loved the characters in The Alloy of Law.  The protagonists are incredibly well-rounded, but perhaps the greatest surprise for me was in the depth of the antagonist.  Some may disagree with me on this one, but I felt that Sanderson created one of the better antagonists that I have read in a long time.

The Plot – 4.9/5

Sanderson managed to take the incredibly unique magic system from the previous trilogy and perfect it in The Alloy of Law.  He chose to “limit” the characters to at most two Allomantic powers, a brilliant move that created a more even playing field for the battle between opposing forces in the story.  In many ways, it made Wax—the primary protagonist—that much more believable.  Aside from the magic system, Sanderson brought his usual “A” game to the plot.  It stands very much apart from the Mistborn series, but still feels comfortable to fans of the Final Empire.

Overall – 4.9

If you haven’t been able to tell already, The Alloy of Law is one of my favorite books I’ve read in a very long time.  Sanderson strikes a wonderful balance between humor and depth of storytelling.  The characters are relatable, and the plot is intriguing without getting bogged down with backstory.  If you enjoy fantasy, magic, and a touch of the Wild West, this is a book you absolutely must read.

Magic.  The Wild West. A grizzled lawman and a goofy deputy. The Mistborn universe. What else could anyone possibly ask for in a novel?

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson is a delightfully surprising melting pot of genres.  I originally read this novel immediately after finishing the Mistborn trilogy.  Before completing this review, I decided to re-read the book which proved to be a good idea.  Originally, I had enjoyed the book, but because I had been fully immersed in the Mistborn world, I had a somewhat difficult time adjusting to the changes brought about in this new trilogy.  For those who have not read Mistborn and are unfamiliar with The Alloy of Law, Sanderson made a bold (and brilliant) move to write an entirely new trilogy following the riveting Mistborn series.  Instead of setting it in the immediate aftermath of its conclusion, he chose to create a story several hundred years into the future.  The world is drastically different (thanks the climax of the Mistborn series.).  In many ways, it is an entirely different world that is a second cousin to the one populated by Vin and the Survivor.  Coming at the book fresh, I found myself enjoying The Alloy of Law to the point that I may have a new top 10 favorite novel.

I’ve enjoyed Brandon Sanderson’s writing in the past.  His books are usually witty and full of intrigue.  In my humble opinion, he has elevated his writing to new heights with this series.  His writing in The Alloy of Law is some of the best I have come across in a long time regardless of genre.

One of the things I have always appreciated about his writing is that he is not afraid to be conversational.  Other writers such as Patrick Rothfuss—who is well deserved of the praise often heaped upon him—can write on lofty levels that sometimes verge on distracting from the story.  In Alloy of Law, Sanderson was brilliantly silent, allowing his characters to shine.

The Mistborn series had a far more serious tone to it.  The humor that he mixed in well usually came from a secondary character.  In Alloy of Law, the whit and humor originate with the central characters.  That’s not to say that the book is overly lighthearted.  There is still a serious tone to the series that keeps the plot exciting, but reading this book took me back to some of my favorite Clint Eastwood or John Wayne westerns.  No matter what the plot was, Eastwood and Wayne always had just enough spunk and debonair to bring a laugh from time to time.  Sanderson captures this brilliantly in this book.

Don’t get me wrong, Sanderson’s writing style is not just about humor.  He manages to bring depth to the characters that help the reader feel their insecurities, the weight of their failures, and the joy of their successes.  He moved the story along without ever letting the story get bogged down with backstory, particularly that involving the age of the “Final Empire” (Mistborn).  It’s hard for me to say with authority whether a fan could pick up and follow this story without having read the Mistborn trilogy because I have, but my gut says that it should mostly make sense.  You would want to read the full story of the events that formed the world populated by Wax and his trusty—and somewhat unscrupulous—deputy.

I enjoyed the ensemble cast of the Mistborn series, but I loved the characters in The Alloy of Law.  The two primary protagonists—Wax and his deputy, Wayne—are incredibly well-rounded.  They are flawed deeply, but there is no denying their dedication to justice and helping those who need and rely on them.  Where I really felt this book stood apart from previous Sanderson works was in the antagonist.  For much of the Mistborn series—his only other works that I have read—the antagonist was absent from the primary story.  This was a necessary plot tool, but I never felt like I fully understood them.  The opposite is true of The Alloy of Law.  The primary antagonist is very believable, even somewhat likable at times.  He is the perfect counterbalance to Wax in many ways.

I did love the “ensemble” feel to the previous series.  The cast is definitely smaller in Alloy, but it serves the story perfectly.  Instead of spreading out the development among a host of characters, Sanderson was able to focus on a few in great detail.  Again, this allowed his writing and the story to truly shine.

The Plot – 4.9/5

It’s worth mentioning before I dive into this section that I have never been a reader that is overly drawn to stories involving magic.  Many would find this very strange for an author of fantasy!  It’s not that I dislike the use of magic in storytelling.  The problem is that it can often create an unbalanced playing field.  The magic-infused protagonist inevitably becomes far more powerful than the majority of his/her enemies creating the Superman effect. I’ve never loved Superman because he is invincible except for one flaw.  This means that nearly every movie will at some point reach the same point regardless of story.  Plus, where’s the intrigue when the hero is invulnerable? In the Mistborn series, I enjoyed the magic system, but Sanderson utilized “mistborn” allomancers that had—you guessed it—every superpower making them nearly invincible.  In Alloy of Law, I feel like Sanderson perfected this system.  He limited each character to at most two “powers.”  This completely changes the game and in a very good way.

Outside of the magic system employed, I felt that The Alloy of Law really lived up to the depth shown in the previous series.  While Mistborn has a far more epic tone to it, the plot in this book might be even more intriguing.  Perhaps I feel this way because I felt like I related to the characters better in this one, but I definitely felt more engaged by The Alloy of Law and I very much enjoyed Mistborn!