The Alloy of Law

August 15, 2011
Sanderson gives the world of Scadrial the Wild West treatment in this rollicking adventure tale set 300 years after the popular Mistborn epic fantasy trilogy. This “side deviation” gives up swords for guns, and while the three-part magic system of Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy continues to play a crucial role in the story, Scadrial itself is on the cusp of modernity. Wax, a lawkeeper gifted with both Allomantic and Feruchemical powers, has returned to the circular city of Elendel to take his uncle’s place as Lord Ladrian. When a gang of thieves known as the Vanishers begins stealing from railcars and kidnapping ladies, Wax, his miscreant buddy Wayne, and the intelligent and pretty Marasi decide they are honor-bound to uncover the perpetrators and save the victims. Part Sherlock Holmes, part X-Men, this exciting stand-alone adventure is full of close shaves, shootouts, and witty banter.

October 15, 2011
Don your leather duster, and hold onto your bowler hat. Sanderson takes us on a grand old adventure in the latest Mistborn novel, which picks up 300 years after The Hero of Ages (2008) ends. We meet Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn gifted with the powers of Allomancy and Feruchemy. Born into the Ladrian clan, one of several wealthy and powerful families in Elendel, Wax turns his back on high society to enforce law and order with his Sterrion 36 in the gritty, crime-ridden streets of the Roughs. When the woman he loves dies by his bullet, Wax returns to Elendel to take his place as lord of the Ladrian house. Wax soon finds high society as dangerous as the Roughs when men with means and power seek their own form of justice at the cost of innocent lives. Rife with laugh-out-loud moments, religious and philosophical ponderings, and plenty of crime-fighting action, this book fits nicely in any gun-holster.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

October 15, 2011
Sanderson returns to planet Scadrial (The Hero of Ages, 2008, etc.) where, 500 years later, the scenario is a fantasy Wild West where the largest city, Elendel, despite its unpredictable mists, boasts railroads, electric street lighting and nascent skyscrapers. Though lesser beings than their godlike ancestors, certain citizens gain magic powers from an ability to metabolize metals. Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn, can both attract and repel metals using Allomancy and gain or lose bodily mass via Feruchemy. Having spent 20 years in the Roughs--Tombstone in the 1880s, with every day a bad day--expunging evildoers, Wax has learned that House Ladrian, complete with supercilious butler, is all but bankrupt thanks to a profligate uncle. Sadly he returns to Elendel to do his duty and marry a rich heiress. Lord Harms presents his rather too well-organized daughter Steris, who arrives for introductions complete with a 20-page pre-nuptial agreement. Accompanying father and daughter is penniless cousin Marasi, more intelligent and personable and vastly more attractive. Meanwhile, strange crimes are afoot: mysterious thieves, "Vanishers," have stolen consignments from railroad cars, raided parties and taken hostages. It's eventually deduced that the hostages may be the Vanishers' real targets: all are descended from the same ancient family, and all have specific magic powers. And, at the first social event Wax attends with Lord Harms and the two girls, the Vanishers strike again. Sanderson's fresh ideas on the source and employment of magic are both arresting and original--just don't expect rigorously worked out plot details, memorable characters or narrative depth. Think brisk. Think fun. Butch Cassidy territory--ignore the tumbleweeds and enjoy.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

After he was drafted to complete Robert Jordan's blockbuster "Wheel of Time" series, Sanderson himself became a best-selling author. Here he returns to the world he created in the "Mistborn" series, only it's three centuries later and Scadriel has modernized. Allomancy and Feruchemy are still practiced, however, and a gifted user named Waxillium Ladrian finds himself assuming duties as the new head of a noble house after decades on the margins. All fantasy readers will want.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2011

Sanderson sets his latest fantasy in the same world as his "Mistborn" trilogy (The Final Empire; The Well of Ascension; The Hero of Ages), but that world has changed. Three hundred years have passed, and technology has moved forward, bringing trains, limited electricity, and guns. Waxillium Ladrian, a Twinborn who has inherited powers of Allomancy and Feruchemy, returns to the city of Elendel after 20 years in the uncivilized Roughs only to find that civilization can be much more complicated and dangerous than he ever imagined. Sanderson has skillfully woven together an intricate plot with new complex, imperfect heroes. VERDICT Highly recommended for fantasy fans, especially followers of the original trilogy. This fantasy is not a stale visit to a fondly remembered setting. Rather, it offers a fresh view of how a world can grow, building new dimensions into the best of the old. Sanderson continues to show that he is one of the best authors in the genre. [See Prepub Alert, 6/13/11.]--William Baer, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.