Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne Series: The Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, The Bands of Mourning

The Mistborn Saga #4-6

by Brandon Sanderson

This discounted Mistborn ebundle Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, The Bands of MourningFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Wax & Wayne series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity,with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn, can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.Other Tor books by Brandon SandersonThe CosmereThe Stormlight ArchiveThe Way of KingsWords of RadianceEdgedancer (Novella)OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy The Final EmpireThe Well of AscensionThe Hero of Ages The Wax and Wayne seriesAlloy of LawShadows of SelfBands of MourningCollectionArcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novelsElantrisWarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians seriesAlcatraz vs. the Evil LibrariansThe Scrivener's BonesThe Knights of CrystalliaThe Shattered LensThe Dark TalentThe Rithmatist seriesThe RithmatistOther books by Brandon SandersonThe ReckonersSteelheartFirefightCalamityAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Novels, Classics

1272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2018

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Seraphina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the problem with this series is that it follows the Mistborn trilogy and that really set a very high bar. Sanderson does a good job of depicting the world after the ascension, and I liked the idea of the time jump so far in advance, to see how society has changed and yet, in many ways, has not changed very much at all.

However, the Wax and Wayne series just fell very short of the original trilogy in all aspects: characters, world-building, plot, the 'magic', the villains. The series was more of a shoot em up Western mixed in with some detective work, and while there was a later hint of the Cosmere, it's just a little taster, and most of it is still look how dashing Wax is swooping in and saving the day with his trusty sidekick Wayne. The villains were very... unfortunately flat, and if they were supposed to be a depiction of modern day extremists, they are quite laughable.

Things I did enjoy about this series were: 1) seeing how Steris and Marasi grew as characters - I appreciate good writing of female characters; 2) seeing Ten Soon and MeLaan again, though too little of the former ; 3) the hints of the lasting legacy of the original characters.

There were quite a few loose ends by the end of bands of mourning, so I hope Sanderson ties these up neatly and elegantly the way he did for Mistborn.

[Laura Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful trilogy! I've just finished and I'm at a loss for words. Wonderful characters with wit and humor and depth, a world you can lose yourself in, a plot that keeps unfolding in all the most suprising and yet oh! ways, this trilogy is a read you won't regret. (+Super cool powers/magic system! Read it!)

[Albert Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make me cry again Sanderson see what happens

[Caroline Anderson]

As always Sanderson’s world-building, characters, and pacing are on point! It was fun returning to this world full of Allomancy and to see how the world is fairing so long after the end of the Mistborn trilogy. Though this is perfection, I’d give it a 4.5 bc I personally like a little more romance, but I hear there’s more to come in the rest of the trilogy.

[Justin Hargrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

ranks among my favorites - great characters, excellent stories, original world building. Well done.

[Daeus Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the original trilogy, but still worth reading.

[Alex Sugarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I implore anyone who likes fantasy and hasn't read the original Mistborn trilogy, and the follow up Mistborn Era 2, to do so immediately.

[Jack Gruber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep telling my friends that I’m reading a book about magical cowboys in the industrial planet and they keep looking at me weird. If you’d like to join in on that experience this book is for you

[Rebecca Wallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wayne is one of the most hilarious characters I've read in a long time--the audiobook version narrated by Michael Kramer is especially amazing with all the different Wayne accents he creates. The friendship between Wax and Wayne is endearing and funny.
This was a re-listen for me as I had read these several years ago, before Book 4 came out, and I wanted to refresh my memory before listening to Book 4. They were just as good the second time around. Love this series.

[Doesjka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way better than mistborn age one. Much more interesting character.

[Anders Sjölander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magic, guns, Victorian clothes, steam and early diesel engines… What’s not to like?

Book 6 was the weakest Mistborn novel, so far, though.

[Brett Fells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot to review these as I read them but this series was so good! I liked all the scadrial books so much more than I expected.

[Osvald Nigola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sellesse triloogiasse kuuluvad “The Alloy of Law”, “Shadows of Self” ja “The Bands of Mourning”. See on teine triloogia “Mistborn” sarjas, kuid neid kolme raamatut võib pidada ikkagi eraldi triloogiaks, kuna sealne tegevus toimub 300 aastat peale esimest kolme raamatut ning räägitav lugu on täiesti teine. Sellegipoolest tuleks sarja esimesed raamatud (“The Final Empire”, “The Well of Ascension” ja “The Hero of Ages”) enne läbi lugeda, kuna seal ära seletatud aspektid selle maailma kohta on vajalikud loost täielilkult aru saamiseks ning tegelasi esimesest triloogiast mainitakse palju. “Mistborn: The Alloy Era” sarja on tulemas veel neljas raamat, kuid kuna see pole veel väljas, võib seda hetkel pidada triloogiaks.

Olles lugenud “Mistborn” sarja esimest triloogiat, mis siiani mu lemmik raamatusarjaks on, otsustasin nüüd paar aastat hiljem lugeda ka sellele järgnevaid raamatuid. Tegelikult oli tugev soov neid lugeda olemas juba peale esimese kolme raamatu lõpetamist, kuid varem polnud selleks väga võimalust. Kuna varasemate raamatute lugemisest sarjas oli veidi aega juba möödunud, ei mäletanud ma kõike nii hästi kui oleks võinud ja vaja olnud, kuid suureks abiks oli kogu Sandersoni raamatute kohta tehtud mahukas viki Coppermind, mida sai iga natukese aja tagant sirvitud.

Kogu “Mistborn” sarja tegevus toimub maailmas nimega Scadrial, mis on osa Cosmere universumist, kus ka kõik teised Sandersoni lood toimuvad. Need kolm raamatut leiavad aset Scandrali teises ajastus, mis sarnaneb veidi saja aasta taguse meie maailmaga. Rikkamates kohtades on äsja tekkinud elektrivalgustus, tänavatel sõidavad juba mõned aurujõul töötavad autod ja enimkasutatavateks relvadeks on revolvrid. Scandralil on kolme tüüpi maagiat: allomaania (allomancy), mis põhineb eri metallide alla neelamises ja nende endas põletamises, et siis mingit kindlat võimet kasutada, olenevalt metallist. Allomanajaid (allomancer), kes saavad kasutada kõiki metalle, kutsutakse udusündinuteks (mistborn) ja udusteks (misting). Ferokeemia (feruchemy), mis seisneb mõne metallijupi sisse kindla omaduse varumises, olenevalt metallist, et seda hiljem kasutada. Ferokeemikud (feruchemist) saavad kasutada varumiseks üldiselt vaid üht tüüpi metalli ja seega ka ainult üht võimet. Ferokeemikuid, kes saavad kasutada kõiki, kutsutakse lihtsalt täielikeks ferokeemikuteks (full feruchemist). Ja hemalurgia (hemalurgy), mis põhineb allomanaja või ferokeemiku võimete varastamises, kasutades metallogasid. Selle protessiga peab alati kaasnema kellegi surm. Teiseks ajastuks pole Scandralil alles ühtegi udusündinut ega täielikku ferokeemikut.

Raamatu peategelasteks on aadlisoost Waxillium Ladrian (lühidalt Wax) ja tema abiline Wayne. Nad mõlemad on kaksiksündinud (twinborn), mis tähendab et neil on nii üks allomantiline kui üks ferokeemiline võime. Wax saab põletada terast, mis annab võime metalle endast eemale lükata (see annab võimaluse näiteks enda poole lendavaid kuule veidi trajektoorilt eemale lükata ning isegi maas olevate metallitükkide peale surudes lennata) ning oma kaalu rauda koguda (nt kui sa oled minut aega 50% oma kaalust, saad sa olla minut aega 150% oma kaalust või pool minutit 200% jne). Wayne saab põletada paindsulamit (bendalloy), mis laseb tal enda ümber mullina aja mõneks hetkeks väga kiiresti käima panna (mulli sees olijale paistab nagu aeg oleks väljas pool seisma jäänud) ja tervist kulda varuda (et seda koguda, tuleb tükk aega haige olla, isegi kui midagi viga ei ole. Kui seda aga piisavalt varutud on, saab näiteks kuulihaava mõne hetkega kinni kasvatada).

Nad mõlemad töötasid aastaid koos korravalvuritena Elendeli kausist väljas asuvates linnades, mis olid metsiku lääne sarnased. Elendeli kauss (Elendel Basin) on suur ringikujuline viljakas maa-ala, milles on palju suuremaid linnu ning keskel asub pealinn Elendel. Olles aastaid seal väljas korda hoidnud, naasis Wax tagasi Elendeli, kuna ta onu, kes varem suguvõsa nime ja rikkuste eest hoolt kandis, oli hukkunud koos Waxi õega. Vastu tahtmist võttis ta suguvõsa majandamise üle ning hakkas elama igavat aadlielu. Ühel päeval tuli aga tema vana sõber Wayne külla ning tal õnnestus veenda Waxi jahtima üht vana kolleegi, kes oli kuritegevuse poole pöördunud. Kolme raamatu jooksul seiklevad nad koos palju ning jahivad Waxi onu, kelle leiavad olevat elus ning juhtimas kuritegelikku organisatsiooni nimega Set.

Waxillium on vägagi arukas ja kaalutlev, tihti mõtleb ta aga asju üle, kuid pea sama tihti märkab ta tänu sellele asju, mis muidu kahe silma vahele jäänud oleks, kuid väga oluliseks osutuvad. Tulirelvi ning oma võimeid kasutab ta koos vägagi efektiivselt ning koos hea peaga suudab ta välja tulla pea igast olukorrast. Wayne seevastu on paljuski tema vastand. Ta on küll kaval ja vägagi hea huumorimeelega, kuid mitte kõige targem. Elu võtab ta vägagi kergekäeliselt ning ilmselt on ta ka natuke - või mitte nii natuke - hull. See kõik aga teeb temast mu lemmiktegelase kogu sarjas!

Nende raamatute lugemine läks väga ruttu, eriti arvestades nende pikkust. Neid lugedes polnud kunagi igav, ja lugu oli väga vähe ettearvatav. Raamatud nõuavad palju süvenemist et tegevusest aru saada, ehki vähem kui “Mistborn” sarja esimene triloogia. Väikeseid detaile on palju ja nagu enne mainitud, tuli eelmiste raamatute lugemisest suure hulga aja möödumise tõttu sageli pilk vikisse heita et toimuvast aru saada.

Parim osa nendest raamatutest ongi Wax ja Wayne ise. Eriti üheskoos on need kaks nii lõbusad ja vahvad, et ainuüksi nende kohalolu on põhjus, miks seda triloogiat lugeda. Samal ajal on kogu selle maailma keerukas ja laialdane ülesehitus ka vägagi põnev ja ainulaadne. Ainus miinus on see, et kõnealuse maailma toimimisest arusaamine võtab kõvasti aega ning kuna pea kogu esimene pool “The Final Empire” raamatust on selle maailma seletamisele pühendunud, ei ole selle lugemine kõige huvitavam ning ka teist triloogiat ei saa hästi lugeda esimest läbimata.

Seda raamatut soovitaksin... tegelikult kõigile, kel aega sellistesse raamatutesse süveneda ning fantaasia huvi pakub. Nagu mitmeid kordi mainitud, see on ja ilmselt jääb mu lemmik raamatusarjaks üldse! Kindlasti on aga oluline enne “The Alloy of Law”-ga alustamist lugeda “Mistborn” sarja esimesed raamatud läbi.

[Kaja Trees · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not a typical fantasy, and it is not a typical detective/adventure novel, but something in between. It isn't as huge and impactful as the first Mistborn trilogy, also not as deep. It's much more lighter reading and I liked that it was possible to read a book a day during my vacation.

We get to have some nostalgic references to the characters and world in the first trilogy, and a bit of development for the magic system of that world. If first trilogy ends with resolution, then this one gives too many teasers in the end about new things to develop that this doesn't feel "complete".

[Daisy Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable from start to finish. Loved the characters and how they played on one another and developed as the story unfolded. Wonderful world and magic system. Wish I had read it more closely following the other Mistborn books.

[Meg Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - 4 stars for Alloy of Law, 5 stars for Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning.

I loved this series for different reasons than loving Mistborn. It was lighter, more humorous than the first trilogy thanks to Wayne - and there were so many bits, especially in the 3rd book, that made me laugh out loud. As always, Sanderson's world building and character development was incredible. While in the first book Steris was off-putting, by the 3rd book I was rooting for her and LOVING her involvement.

Thoughts on each book:
The Alloy of Law was solid, but not quite fully developed. I felt like it was lacking a little.

The ending of the Shadows of Self had me SOBBING. Oh, Sanderson, why do you have to break my heart!? EVERY TIME the Sanderson Avalanche gets me.

Bands of Mourning had fully developed the characters and I was thoroughly invested. I didn't think I could fall in love with characters like I did with Vin & Elend from the 1st trilogy, but I did again with Wax, Wayne, Marasi, Steris, and others (will not name for fear of small spoilers). AND THE ENDING!?!? AH!!!! (I went on to read Mistborn: A Secret History, which, is incredibly illuminating for those of you still wanting more!)

Why do I have to wait so long for the next book to come out!?! I guess I'll just re-read the series. And start the Stormlight Archives.

[Joshua Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a buddy cop western inside the established world of Mistborn. Sanderson takes the leftovers from the original trilogy, turns it sideways, and causes you to enjoy the disorientation. Because the stakes don't seem to be as high as the original trilogy Sanderson has no choice but to make you fall in love with the characters rather than the premise. However, by the end of "The Bands of Mourning" the stakes are raised to that of the original trilogy.
It's an absolute delight to see the growth in Sanderson's writing between the original Mistborn and the Wax and Wayne series. When compared you'll inevitably see that Sanderson was going for more of a straight fantasy epic with the original. With the Wax and Wayne series he seems to be having fun just letting these interesting characters go play. I love them both, but I had more laughs with the latter.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistborn is a bit out of my regular lane, although I enjoyed it on the strength of Sanderson’s strong writing skills and despite this universe's complicated and often opaque backstory. This...western-steampunk-fantasy (?) series was fun. Sanderson has done some arcane, detailed world-building and populated it with interesting and amusing (and somewhat cartoonish) characters, chief among them the improbably-named Waxillium Ladrian. (The “Wax” in the series title.)

Little makes sense until you sort out the system of “Allomancy” and “Feruchemy” which allow their users to manipulate or be manipulated by metals. References to the world’s past were plentiful but opaque, adding some confusion to the reading experience. Speaking of convoluted, the plot is complex and twisty, although still fun. Overall, solid and entertaining but unlikely to be a go-to in the library.

[Isaac Kringe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a masterpiece. Each book kept loyal to the magical gunslinger style, but brought something totally different to the table. This whole series could have easily been non stop shootouts and train robberies (there are plenty of those don’t worry) but it gives so much more. The characters are so lovable, the relationships between them so real, and the stakes so high. I actually cried when Wayne died. Felt like I lost a friend.

The way Sanderson masterfully laid out a history and amazing magic system in the first three mistborn books lended such a solid foundation to these books. Allomancy and six shooters were destined to interact. Can’t wait to see what shenanigans are afoot in the future era. And what devils are lurking in the shadows of space.

[Mark Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a really fun and easy trilogy to read. Definitely not as good as the original but lots of positives to take away. Wayne is a wonderful character and the romance that forms between Wax and Steris over the course of the trilogy was a great accomplishment. The action is top notch as with all Sanderson. My only issue is that the seems to be writing these explicitly for the purpose of being turned into TV/movies. It is chalk full of cinematic clichés that its a little annoying and, at times, takes away from the experience you want from reading a book.

If you liked the original trilogy read this one.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the original Mistborn series and i'm not a big fantasy reader but for the most part I did enjoy it. I later purchased the Wax and Wayne series and just couldn't bring myself to start reading. Then one dreary evening I had nothing else going so I figured I would read through the first couple chapters. Pretty much instantly I fell in love with both of the main characters. Wayne made me laugh out loud countless times(which is extremely rare for me). This series has shot up to be in my top 20 favorite reads of all time.

[Dane Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a couple of reads before this series grew on me, as aside from the magic system and the fact that it's the same universe, Wax and Wayne is VERY different from Mistborn. Mistborn was a "defeat the Dark Lord" story in the style of a heist, while Wax and Wayne are largely a set of buddy detective novels. One thing the series does different is explore different possible uses for Allomancy and Feruchemy in the case where you only have access to one power. It's just different- and while I really like the books I feel the need to let others know that.

[Josh Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic series. Lives up the hype of the first Mistborn Trilogy and adds upon it in great detail. Each book is packed full of metal slinging action along with some of the best characters I believe Brandon Sanderson has ever written. These books are witty, fun, and humorous. You'll love these page turners and be very disappointed at the end that book 4 of the series has yet to be released.

[Austin Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original Mistborn Trilogy is really good, it will forever be one of my favorite book trilogies. That being said Wax and Wayne are still good, but they have a lot of focus on fleshing out some cosmere stuff. The characters are great, but the books do suffer a little bit because of the universe building that can drag a bit. Still exciting to learn the cosmere info though, but just know that you probably should read these and "The Lost Metal" before moving on to Stormlight.

[Michael Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequal!

Okay, this is not as good as the original series, after all the original series was amazing and had fresh twists I wasn't always expecting. I was expecting majority of the twists this time, but not all of them. It is still a very very good series and I look forward to continuing to his other books.

[Rayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As per usual a superbe work of fantasy

Witte, funny, well developped real Life character in very familiair yet totally different world. Original and thought out magic system with realistic limits to power. Always sad when I finish one of Sandersons books. Can’t wait for the final instalment

[Brian D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like an RPG adventure I might run

This book really gripped me.. Unlike the first two books in the series, I just couldn’t put the book down. It felt a lot like I was a player in an RPG game - solving some mysteries while new ones appeared. And in RPG fashion, the ending left me wanting more.

[Malcshake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanderson does it again the b*******

God I love this man's writing so much. Characters dealing with God level problems but at the same time having relatable and serious human vulnerabilities. I look forward to entering another world he creates, but more importantly walking with the characters experiencing it with me.

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Mistborn adventure

Another great Mistborn adventure! More of a steam punk/cowboy feel which is very different from the first trilogy. But the world works great and pulls you in.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Sequel, liked Mistborn better

Loved the characters, but a little too much gun/fighting/shootouts. The plot twists would be have been more impacting if more time was given to plot development and less to action scenes that were tedious at times. Still enjoyed it overall.