MISTBORN, CHAPTERS 1-5
📖💨 A book with raining ash, thieves, and lots of red.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD.
We’re diving into Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, a book about a world where it literally rains ash all the time, hope is basically extinct, and the government is run by the evil “Lord Ruler” for the last thousand years. Yeesh.
And so far? I’m ALL-IN.
What Happens in Chapters 1-5?
We Meet Kelsier:
A guy who smiles way too much for someone who’s survived a magic prison camp and is basically the fantasy version of George Clooney from Ocean’s Eleven.
He’s got crazy magic powers, a revenge mission, and delusions of grandeur that may or may not be justified. I’m just waiting for him to say, “ You can’t always wear a condom, am I right?” and then wink.
Enter Vin:
A street rat with heavy childhood trauma, an ability called “Luck” (which is actually a secret superpower), and a knack for getting smacked around by crime bosses.
She’s basically a paranoid underdog, believes everyone wants to betray her. I can’t put my finger on it, but she reminds me of some of my ex-girlfriends.
The Magic System:
Sanderson doesn’t do vague “wave your hands and it works” magic. No bra. We get Allomancy, a system where you drink metal like an energy drink and get powers. Very much like Psych juice (if you know, you know)
Different metals = different abilities. Burn pewter? You get stronger. Burn tin? You get heightened senses. Burn copper? You can hide your magic from other magic people. Definitely has Magneto vibes, but way cooler and grounded in reality. Such a rad idea.
The Worldbuilding and plot is WILDLY ORIGINAL:
The sky is red, the ground is covered in ash, and society is split into noble jerks and enslaved skaa who get killed for sport.
The Lord Ruler is some kind of evil god-king who’s been in power for a thousand years. It’s almost like we start at the end of the hero’s journey, where the bad guy wins and now we’re stuck with him.
And yet, Kelsier thinks he can rob the whole system blind and start a revolution—which I respect the leadership qualities!
What Stood Out?
🔥 Kelsier’s Swagger – This dude has swag. Not annoying swag either. He’s got main character energy but also big wave surfer vibes.
🔥 Vin’s Relatable Trauma Responses – She trusts no one, assumes everyone is out to betray her, and operates on pure “if I don’t get noticed, I won’t get killed” logic. Which, in this day and age, sounds all too familiar? Yikes.
🔥 The Vibes – It’s like if Peaky Blinders for young adult, Mordor, and a really bad weather forecast had a baby. Everything is bleak, but there’s a whisper of rebellion and underworld crime—and I want to see it play out.
Questions for the Book Club (aka my fellow nerds)
Kelsier—Charming Rogue or Slightly Unhinged Maniac?
Vin—Underdog we love, or too closed off to root for yet?
If you could burn one Allomantic metal, which one would you pick? (I’m leaning toward Copper because I’d finally be able to hide my magic from other people.)
Drop your thoughts in the comments—or don’t. I’ll just assume you agree with everything I said.
Next up: Chapters 6-10. Subscribe, and let’s keep going. 🚀📚