The Mistborn Trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson.

I already told you that my boyfriend and I read together. We take turns reading a paragraph out loud. A dream come true. We already read together The Bunker Diary, Ava Lee, The Road, the Shadow and Bone and Elantris. And as I write this, I realize that we haven't been lucky: except for the first volume of Shadow and Bone and Elantris, all of them were bad.

Elantris, on the other hand, impressed us a lot. Personally, I had the very clear impression while reading this book that I was in good hands: Brandon Sanderson is a pro, and it shows. We wanted to continue this pleasure by buying the trilogy Mistbornand we couldn't have been more satisfied.

Summary

We are in a city invaded by mist at night and where it rains ashes during the day. A demigod said to be immortal reigns as a despot.

At the very bottom of the hierarchy, the skaa are treated as slaves. They starve, are beaten sometimes to death, and women who are forced to sleep with nobles are killed immediately afterwards, so as not to mix the social classes.

For noble blood often also carries a very powerful magical power. And if a skaa should happen to have this power, who knows what danger it would represent for the king?

Impressions

I don't have much negative to say about this book. Nothing, in fact. I told you, Brandon Sanderson is a pro. The story is good, it's easy to read, the characters are charismatic and you can't predict what's going to happen next.

Two things particularly struck me. First, I don't think I've ever read anything before that felt so destined to be adapted to film. The images created by the author are so vivid, I almost felt like I was watching a movie. And the action scenes in this movie would be just beautiful. I'm not the only one who thinks so, and there have been attempts to make a movie and even a video game for the last 10 years, but apparently it's a flop because there's no producer. It's beyond my comprehension, but anyway.

On the other hand, the magic of this universe is so well explained that it is almost realistic. There is a structure and boundaries that are so well defined that it makes sense. And that's something my down-to-earth side really appreciates. Harry Potter, by comparison, is a bit sloppy in this aspect. (Oh no, I've become critical of my childhood sweetheart!)

We just started the second volume, and it really looks like it's going to stay good until the end of the trilogy. Aside from the slightly quaint romantic dialogue (which I forgive, you don't read this for the romance), I don't see any difference in terms of quality. It's a safe bet.

Update, one month later

That's it, we finished the trilogy! What an adventure. There were a few low points: when Sazed, a supposedly very wise character, had his existential crisis, we found him quite tiring. When Spook, obviously in trouble, didn't tell anyone (when he had the chance), we were pretty exasperated too. And frankly, the little love dialogues between Vin and Elend wear out very quickly.

But none of that really matters. It was great to see the evolution of Vin and Elend from teenagers to real badassadults. Sazed's existential crisis and Spook's naivety is very well justified at the end. And speaking of ending: what an ending. It satisfies, it closes the loops, it makes you want to know more. And, surprise, there is more: it is the series Wax and Wayneand it's definitely on our list. Am I becoming a fan?

I am left with only one frustration: WHEN WILL THE TV SERIES COME?