Mistborn, Brandon Sanderson

This novel I found to be a page turner from start to finish.  Brandon Sanderson has created a tense world on the edge of violence where basic human values run at a low ebb.  In his world something unexplained has happened that has caused volcanism on a massive scale.  Many plants, animals and people struggle to survive his harsh world.  The world is ruled by one man, possessed of god like powers, who is utterly without mercy, corrupted totally by the power he wields.

The story that unfolds is the story of an individual, a girl called Vin, who is rescued fro the street by some thieves because of her ability to consume the energy of metals and perform acts of magic.  What follows is a transformation.  There is the transformation of Vin, as she discovers more about herself and what people are really capable of.  There is the transformation of her view of the world and the transformation of the members of the thieving crew, who become her first friends.

From the point of view of fantasy literature I thought this book was utterly brilliant.  The author has created a magic and a world that is very new and intriguing.  It is a powerful vessel that allows him to create heroes and villains that grip the reader.  The plotting in the book is wonderful and answers enough questions to satisfy the curiosity, but leaves enough threads hanging to leave you hungry for more of the same.  Thank you Mr Sanderson.

Kristen Britain "Green Rider"

This was an interesting novel to review, as there were elements I liked and disliked about the story.  In many ways it is a good book to think about if you were thinking of getting a career going as a fantasy novelist because while it is in many ways good, it has a few flaws that would act as sign posts for things to avoid in a book.

The novel concerns itself with the adventures a young lady, who when expelled from school, attempts to make her own way home.  Or at least she starts out for home.  On the way she comes upon a dieing messenger of the King and agrees to carry his message for him. And by doing so becomes a green rider, an elite servant of the King invested with magic by a brooch talisman. The first act of the book then follows her upon her journey to the capitol, during which she suffers several indignities and has many adventures before ultimately delivering the message.  What follows after is an attempted magical coup by the kings embittered brother that she ultimately foils through the use of more magic, this is the second act.

The problem is that the story, while often well written and filled with some genuine gems, is not fleshed out.  I think the whole journey to the capitol, just the first act, would probably have made a better opening novel into a series, finishing with questions left unanswered and situations unresolved, and starting with more background as an introduction.  Instead Britain has tried to do too much.  She tries to resolve and explain everything.  Some things should have been left more mysterious and questions should linger in the readers mind when the novel is about intrigue and treason.

For example, at the beginning the "Grey Man" forces a break in a magical wall that protects the kingdom.  Too much information is given, too many facts.  We are given pretty much all the information about the wall and its makers in a short narrative.  There is no mystery.  It would have been infinitely more satisfying if we were introduced to the grey man as he caused a crack to appear in the wall using his ghost magic, then as the tale unfolded we would find out more about what the wall meant, as the wall and its protections are a central thread in the story.

 It is entirely possible she listened to the publisher too much, as the approach she took lent her novel more of a fantasy pulp aspect, when if handled differently I think it could have been a rare work, and ultimately been more successful with the reader.

Ultimately I was disappointed with this novel because I liked it enough to wish it had done a better job and moved in a better direction.  This was a first novel by Kristen Britain, and so I will give read other books by her and see if she manages to convince me as to the truth of her creations.