I’m excited for Mistborn books are some of my favorites in contemporary fantasy literature, though I’ll it I’m partial to the original trilogy over the Wax & Wayne series. The original novels had a certain mystique to them that existed in the darkness of Kredik Shaw and the strangeness of Inquisitors, Kandra, and more, and while Era 2 has some fantastic characters, the overall aesthetic just didn’t appeal to me as much.

Aside from personal taste, however, there are tangible qualities of Mistborn Era 2 that make it a less appealing series. One of which is that The Alloy of Law, the first of the four books, isn’t a fluid part of the series. Brandon Sanderson originally planned Wax & Wayne as a set of short stories to occur between his trilogies but ended up expanding them into four books. The Alloy of Law is essentially a standalone, with the other three books fusing together as a trilogy. While they're still often read as a set of four, I find that The Alloy of Law stilts the reading process.

The Alloy Of Law Was A Good Book But Not The Best Start For Mistborn Era 2

Mistborn Era 2 Really Starts With Shadows Of Self

The Alloy of Law isn’t a horrible book; none of Sanderson’s are. I’ll begin with some compliments, as I genuinely believe it’s an excellent introduction to the new world of Scadrial after over three centuries away. Pulling off a time jump in fantasy is incredibly difficult, and Sanderson eases into the process with a fairly low-stakes novel. The Alloy of Law sets up the main characters and the development of Mistborn’s magic system with new technology in the aftermath of the Catacendre.

Pulling off a time jump in fantasy is incredibly difficult, and Sanderson eases into the process with a fairly low-stakes novel.

With all of that in mind, I still think there are some fair criticisms to make about this book. Following up on The Hero of Ages, a novel with potentially world-ending consequences, it’s hard to invest in the lighter tone of The Alloy of Law. The solution would be to continue developing the overarching Mistborn narrative with characters like Harmony and the other survivors, but most of Era 2’s official conflict begins in Shadows of Self. Again, I don’t hate this book, but The Final Empire was a far more exciting start to a series.

I'm Relieved Mistborn Era 3 Will Be Written As A Trilogy From The Beginning

Mistborn Era 3 Should Be More Cohesive Than The Previous Series

Brandon Sanderson has explained that his plan for Mistborn Era 3 is to write an entire trilogy before releasing the books. The release schedule, which can be seen below, will then have one volume released each year between 2028 and 2030. To me, this is a promising sign for the new trilogy, meaning that all three parts will be cohesive and vital, just like in Era 1. The author will have a lot of work to do setting up another huge time jump while also introducing new stakes, but there are some other aspects to consider.

Mistborn Era 3 is set to involve more of Kelsier and other returning characters, so there won’t be as much plot setup required. Not to mention, I believe Autonomy will return to be the antagonist again, so Sanderson won’t really need to spend pages establishing new threats. Overall, it seems like this series will offer a similarly polished and compact story to the first trilogy, and I’m particularly excited to see how those original characters are incorporated.

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Era 3 Plans Will Help Him Avoid Era 2's Slow Start

Mistborn Era 3 Sounds More Direct Than Era 2

Mistborn Era 3 is going to begin with the eighth book in the series, and it’s also likely to be the most Cosmere-integrated so far. I’m excited about the series for that reason, even though I’m generally more into medieval-inspired fantasy. That said, if the series gets going with a story focused on Scadrial’s overarching narrative from the get-go, I’ll be all in on it no matter how much I connect with the lead characters. I wasn’t as interested in Waxillium or Wayne as I was in Vin and Kelsier, but the lore developments still made Era 2 exciting.

I can’t wait to see where Brandon Sanderson is going with the Cosmere all around, and three Mistborn books in three years, along with the two Elantris sequels in between, sounds like a fantastic time to be a fan. Between December 2028 and December 2030, there will be five major Cosmere books coming out. Kicking them off with a terrific, straight-to-the-point, first Mistborn book would be a really exciting start.