Brandon Sanderson

Return to #1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn world of Scadrial as its second era, which began with 'The Alloy of Law', comes to its earth-shattering conclusion in 'The Lost Metal'.

For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set—with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders—since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner Wayne find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between Elendel and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate—whose corruption Wax and Steris have sought to expose—and Bilming is even more entangled.

After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial’s god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn’t the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere—Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial...at any cost.

Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.

The Mistborn Saga (Volume 7)

The Lost Metal

Kireth Sandhu

The two sat in silence for a time. They did that more and more, during their infrequent meetings. Perhaps because both knew it was better than arguing.

But maybe your ma was right about the bad guy being a mesa. Being the land itself. Maybe that’s what she was saying, Wayne: It’s the world that we have to worry about. Individual men, yes, they can be evil. But we should worry more about the world itself making them so.”

“You can’t keep digging up the corpse of who you used to be, Wayne. You can’t keep toting it around. Let him stay buried. Consider who you are, not who you left behind. That’s what I’ve learned these last few years. It’s made all the difference.”

The mists felt like a friend from his youth that he still knew but rarely talked to.

But that had been a false impression of control, hadn’t it? Acknowledging that made him uncomfortable. It wasn’t that the world was growing more complicated. It was that he was letting himself see it had always been complicated.

“Seems unfair to grouse at a man for getting discombobulated by definitive proof of an afterlife. Dark gods. Death himself dyin’. Rusting ghosts. Guess we gotta keep goin’, but after this, I don’t wanna see anyone complainin’ when I’ve traded for someone’s favorite shoes or whatnot. Hear me?”

“Has it ever struck you,” Moonlight said, “how art is so destructive?” “Art?” Marasi said, frowning. “Destructive?” “Each new movement consumes the one that came before,” Moonlight said, starting them forward as the traffic began to creep into motion again. “Chops it up and feeds on the corpse. Takes the bones, but drapes new skin on them. Each new piece of art is in some way a parody of what has come before.”

Because a part of him had loved his sister. Right up until the moment when she’d pulled the trigger and he’d known the truth. Family was nothing to her but a powerful cord with which to bind and manipulate.

“Do you have to be that man or this man?” she asked. “I have to make choices. Everyone does.” “And what about when you initially came back to Elendel?” she asked. “When you decided to hang up your guns the first time?” “This is different,” he explained. “Back then I was running from myself. I stopped running six years ago, in the mountains, Steris. This is what I want. This is who I want to be. I’m happy here.” She leaned into him, a steady warmth at his side. “So long as you know,” she whispered, “that you don’t have to be one or the other. You don’t have to see yourself as two men, Wax, with two different lives. Those men are the same person. And he’s the one I love.”

“Your impermanence is outlived by the beautiful internal shells you create—like sand medallions from the ocean, so are the bones of the human being. A lasting testimony of your presence on Scadrial.

This was a funny reminder of covid for me

“Wait!” Steris said, then dug in her handbag. “Masks.” She distributed the cloth masks to everyone, even Allik, since a wooden one wouldn’t filter the air for him. They took the masks absently, or maybe even with a bit of an eye roll. All except Wax, who smiled at her as he put his on.

He wasn’t wearing a hat, which meant he had to just be himself. The true him, the one that knew this pain. They’d ridden together on many a dusty path. This pain had been his invisible friend since childhood. The pain of knowing what he really was. The pain of being worthless.

People are elastic, Wax thought. We can keep reshaping ourselves. And if we’re not quite the same as before, well, that’s good. It means we can grow.

Noah Cross

In reply, he was given a distinct impression. Almost like a memory implanted directly into his mind: an exhausted, overwhelmed man lving broken on an ashen street, in front of a shattered city gate. Surrounded by death. 

These soldiers might have thought themselves prepared. They might even have fought Coinshots before. But they'd never fought Waxillium Ladrian.

I have never thought I would be disappointed by an ending written by Brandon Sanderson. Really who would've thought. 

I personnaly didn't like how Era 2 was handled, especially this last installment. It was messy, boring (some chapters didn't need to be there), the way era 2 wrapped up was so 

I feel like Mr Sanderson neglected the course of the storyline to write more about the Cosmere in this book. As a reader, I really didn't like it. I am here to consume stories and I didn't appreciate that details were neglected for the benefice of a universe as a whole. I think it could've been done in another way ? Because random info dumping is not it for me. I don't know. 

It's clearly not the author's best and knowing he can do much better makes the execution of it more infuriating lol

Amira BEN

I have never thought I would be disappointed by an ending written by Brandon Sanderson. Really who would've thought. 

I personnaly didn't like how Era 2 was handled, especially this last installment. It was messy, boring (some chapters didn't need to be there), the way era 2 wrapped up was so dissatisfying. I feel like Mr Sanderson neglected the course of the storyline to write more about the Cosmere in this book. As a reader, I really didn't like it. I am here to consume stories and I didn't appreciate that details were neglected for the benefice of a universe as a whole. I think it could've been done in another way ? Because random info dumping is not it for me. I don't know. 

It's clearly not the author's best and knowing he can do much better makes the execution of it more infuriating lol



Nick Perronteau

** spoiler alert **
           Strong 4/5
-
While the structure reflects similar plot points from that of Era One, Era Two remains unique enough to stand on its own. ‘The Lost Metal’ as well ends its own way in the new world of Scadrial, even with old faces being revealed. Bravo on another great series, Mr. Sanderson. Like that of Desmond’s Charles Dickens in ‘LOST,’ you are my author. I will read “every beautiful world”

Nate Niederkorn

Cody Degen

Rachel Kanyid

Ok wow. Way to make me have all the feels and stuff.

My favorite Mistborn book to date I think. (I prefer Era 2 over Era 1 in general. An unpopular opinion, I know.) Admittedly I found this book largely predictable and a tad too cheesy at times, but, other than being fun, it has widened the doors to the cosmere so much and I’m excited to see what Sanderson has in store!

Brianna

Emily newton

andrea

the lost metal has made an effort in solving, improving and even redeeming many of the criticisms i had about the previous mistborn era 2 books, and i'm so glad i'm able to write these words.

- the plot, pacing and overall writing.
in my humble opinion, this is the most well-planned and well-executed book in era 2. since the beginning there is a purpose, it is not merely a fun story anymore. there is more to it and the build up has finally paid off.

from page 1 the pace is great, the action starts right away and there is not a point in which it falters. the stakes, the tension is built, exponentially but little by little. the pieces of information and clues to solve the great problem presented in this book are given to the reader in a way that i could not put the book away, because i felt a necessity to find out what was going to happen next, what the characters were going to do to save the day. 
one of the characteristics i enjoy the most of the cosmere is how, from a considerable amount of fragments, you end up assembling a picture or puzzle that in the end makes sense according to the given information. in this case, i was not disappointed. it was great.

one extremely significant and noticeable aspect of sanderson's writing when it comes to era 2 is the lighter, sometimes even silly, tone of the events and narration. now personally and to me as a reader, this was something that i never fully enjoyed. certain parts and conversations can be questionable, to say the least. but this time there was a nicer balance between the tension, the seriousness some delicate events required and this element that equally contributes into making era 2 unique within the cosmere universe. in this ocassion, this essential and core element contributed to make me feel better about certain scenarios and, why should i not say it, about the fact that this is the last book of a beloved series that has brought me much entertainment and joy. i certainly did not want era 2 to turn into a tragedy, and this time i was glad for the optimism and some extremely bad jokes that, on occasions, really did bring a smile to my face.

i'm satisfied with this final book. it did the characters justice and, following this line:

- the character-work
the first thing i want to highlight is how glad i am to see that two of my main criticisms concerning the series were improved in this final installment: the protagonism of the main female characters and the friendships of the main cast.

both steris and marasi had a great, incredibly important role in the story. i was specially happy about steris getting her own pov chapters and storyline, as she is by far my favourite character, and how she did not have to rely in anyone else. the bands of mourning already established steris as a fully-fleshed character and the lost metal was her moment to shine.
in fact, i think the entire main cast shines in this book. wax, wayne, marasi and steris have succeeded in making me believe that each and every single one of them is essential to the plot.
a new level of character development and emotional complexity was achieved.

another aspect that was considerably improved are the platonic relations. wax and wayne's friendship has been strong since book 1, and they have basically become brothers. steris and marasi, who are actual sisters, were not given much space in previous books to explore their bond, so it was nice to be able to witness how they genuinely appreciate and love each other.
it cannot be denied that one significant addition, at least for me, is the friendship between marasi and wayne. they even got a few tears out of me. i was glad to see m/f characters, who have never had romantic feelings for each other, truly becoming friends who joke, respect, insult and trust each other and see themselves as equals.

to end this point, i want to dedicate a few lines to a character i particularly liked, but i consider it to be a spoiler even if i will not reveal any key event, so: (view spoiler)[the shard autonomy is one of my favourite cosmere antagonists to date. i had my suspicions about her identity before the book came out, and to see them be confirmed... wow. i truly, truly liked how autonomy influenced the entire plot, how her presence was felt in every page and every tense moment. how at first it might not be obvious that her intention could degenerate into something downright dangerous and threating... i will be waiting to see more of autonomy in the future. (hide spoiler)]

and now... cosmere connections? does mistborn era 2 still stand as merely a sequel to the original trilogy, or is it part of a much more extensive series now?
the lost metal has been advertised as the most cosmere-aware book to date, and this is completely true. this time, i do consider necessary to read other works of the cosmere, or at least the most relevant ones. the best experience comes from being able to pick up on the little references and winks to other works. i still remember the gasp i let out when i discovered one character's true identity by a single word they use in a conversation. 
that feeling is incredibly rewarding and exciting. the enjoyment is enhanced if you have this knowledge but, again, it is not unreadable nor impossible to understand if you simply want to read mistborn and nothing else. but the connections have never been as prominent as in the lost metal and i do not think they can be so easily dismissed anymore.
every reader should take this into consideration for the following releases.

as a conclusion... this was really good. it met some of my expectations and exceeded others. this was solid and incredibly enjoyable, it was a true mistborn story. it was worth the wait, and while i'm because it is over but happy because i have read and completed another good series.

Wow. Coming into this I was worried. How on earth would Sanderson top Hero of Ages? By having some of the best characters do memorable things. I wouldn’t say that it’s better than HoA, but it is on par. I loved reading this book and it took me just a week. It was truly delightful and a good ending to a great era. 

When you wait 6 years for a book, you can’t help but have high expectations. And when that book is the final of a series by your favorite author, those expectations can shoot through the roof. That’s the boat I found myself in with 

. What boggles my mind is this: even those exceedingly lofty expectations were obliterated. Blown completely out of the water, if you will. I am in such awe of Sanderson as a storyteller, and have been since I first began reading his work. But the ways in which he’s grown in his craft, when I already considered him one of if not the very best in the business, simply blows me away. In 

, Sanderson really showcases not only how much he’s grown as a writer, but his near matchless capacity to tie together even the tiniest of subplots in tight, weighty, seemingly effortless ways. 

Every page of this book managed to be equal parts entertaining and informative, with nothing that felt like filler. Anything, from the most profound conversations to the most off-hand and vulgar little quips, could come back again and again in meaningful ways. All of our central characters, especially the four we first met in The Alloy of Law, are beautifully developed by this point. Wax and Wayne, Marasi and Steris are all four some of the best characters in the world of fantasy, in my opinion. The growth of all four from the beginning of the series to this finale was been impeccable. 

However, I do have to confess that I have favorites, and those are Steris and Wayne. I loved Wayne from the very beginning, and he grew profoundly in this final installment. He’s one of the most unique and wonderfully funny characters to ever sprout from Sanderson’s head, which is really saying something, as I adore his characterization. But for me, Wayne takes the cake. And then there’s Steris. Steris, who began the series so stern and stilted and misunderstood. Steris who, but The Bands of Mourning, had stolen my heart right along with Wax’s. She’s subtly funny and far more clever than she believes. She’s the most observant and caring member of the cast, just in ways that others don’t grasp until they get to know her. Her preparedness for any and all situations is a delight, and I just adore her with every fiber of my being.

Sanderson stated that the gloves were coming off with this book, regarding the interconnectivity of the Cosmere. And man, did he deliver on that. I was internally screaming through the majority of this book, just because I was so excited but all of the tie-ins to other worlds, both those I had already visited through his work and some that were completely new to me. I loved all of the little Easter eggs he left for fans who have read pretty much everything he’s written, and yet how accessible he made the story for those who have only read the Mistborn books. Obviously the fourth book in a series, and a follow-up series at that, isn’t a good place to start with any author’s work. But I’m always amazed at how easy and inclusive Sanderson can present even the most complex stories. I’m aware that the above sounds oxymoronic, but I stand by it. Sanderson’s balance when it comes to fulfilling life-long fans while also enticing the new astounds me.

I’m not going to get into any specifics, as this is the finale of a series. I will say, however, that there was a major loss toward the end of this book that was handled remarkably well. I’ve never been devastated and amused in such equal measures simultaneously, and it was a truly odd, but oddly wonderful, experience. Again, Sanderson’s balance as a writer came into play. I’ve never read another author who can so flawlessly balance emotional responses in such a seemingly effortless way. That’s what I love so much about his work. That balance of humor and emotion, tension and profundity, pacing and plotting, all contained within prose that is both lovely and cannily easy to read.

I don’t have a single negative thing to say about 

 are both absolutely fabulous books that have propelled the entirety of 

 into the shortlist of my favorite completed series. Reading this, and all of the Cosmere connections that it contained, made me that much more excited for the fifth Stormlight book, as well as the more nebulous future of the Cosmere. Heck, I’m excited for any and everything Sanderson puts out, Cosmere-related or not. I’ve considered him one of my top 3 favorite authors for years, but this book decided it for me. He’s my very favorite. Hands down. He wins. And if he writes something, I’m absolutely going to read it as soon as I can get my hands on it. That is my true takeaway from this book. I adored it, and Sanderson is the king of my readerly heart.

Celeste Richardson

When you wait 6 years for a book, you can’t help but have high expectations. And when that book is the final of a series by your favorite author, those expectations can shoot through the roof. That’s the boat I found myself in with The Lost Metal. What boggles my mind is this: even those exceedingly lofty expectations were obliterated. Blown completely out of the water, if you will. I am in such awe of Sanderson as a storyteller, and have been since I first began reading his work. But the ways in which he’s grown in his craft, when I already considered him one of if not the very best in the business, simply blows me away. In The Lost Metal, Sanderson really showcases not only how much he’s grown as a writer, but his near matchless capacity to tie together even the tiniest of subplots in tight, weighty, seemingly effortless ways. 

Every page of this book managed to be equal parts entertaining and informative, with nothing that felt like filler. Anything, from the most profound conversations to the most off-hand and vulgar little quips, could come back again and again in meaningful ways. All of our central characters, especially the four we first met in The Alloy of Law, are beautifully developed by this point. Wax and Wayne, Marasi and Steris are all four some of the best characters in the world of fantasy, in my opinion. The growth of all four from the beginning of the series to this finale was been impeccable. 

However, I do have to confess that I have favorites, and those are Steris and Wayne. I loved Wayne from the very beginning, and he grew profoundly in this final installment. He’s one of the most unique and wonderfully funny characters to ever sprout from Sanderson’s head, which is really saying something, as I adore his characterization. But for me, Wayne takes the cake. And then there’s Steris. Steris, who began the series so stern and stilted and misunderstood. Steris who, but The Bands of Mourning, had stolen my heart right along with Wax’s. She’s subtly funny and far more clever than she believes. She’s the most observant and caring member of the cast, just in ways that others don’t grasp until they get to know her. Her preparedness for any and all situations is a delight, and I just adore her with every fiber of my being.

Sanderson stated that the gloves were coming off with this book, regarding the interconnectivity of the Cosmere. And man, did he deliver on that. I was internally screaming through the majority of this book, just because I was so excited but all of the tie-ins to other worlds, both those I had already visited through his work and some that were completely new to me. I loved all of the little Easter eggs he left for fans who have read pretty much everything he’s written, and yet how accessible he made the story for those who have only read the Mistborn books. Obviously the fourth book in a series, and a follow-up series at that, isn’t a good place to start with any author’s work. But I’m always amazed at how easy and inclusive Sanderson can present even the most complex stories. I’m aware that the above sounds oxymoronic, but I stand by it. Sanderson’s balance when it comes to fulfilling life-long fans while also enticing the new astounds me.

I’m not going to get into any specifics, as this is the finale of a series. I will say, however, that there was a major loss toward the end of this book that was handled remarkably well. I’ve never been devastated and amused in such equal measures simultaneously, and it was a truly odd, but oddly wonderful, experience. Again, Sanderson’s balance as a writer came into play. I’ve never read another author who can so flawlessly balance emotional responses in such a seemingly effortless way. That’s what I love so much about his work. That balance of humor and emotion, tension and profundity, pacing and plotting, all contained within prose that is both lovely and cannily easy to read.

I don’t have a single negative thing to say about The Lost Metal. It and The Bands of Mourning are both absolutely fabulous books that have propelled the entirety of Mistborn: Era 2 into the shortlist of my favorite completed series. Reading this, and all of the Cosmere connections that it contained, made me that much more excited for the fifth Stormlight book, as well as the more nebulous future of the Cosmere. Heck, I’m excited for any and everything Sanderson puts out, Cosmere-related or not. I’ve considered him one of my top 3 favorite authors for years, but this book decided it for me. He’s my very favorite. Hands down. He wins. And if he writes something, I’m absolutely going to read it as soon as I can get my hands on it. That is my true takeaway from this book. I adored it, and Sanderson is the king of my readerly heart.

Tanvir Singh

sarah

Kristyna Van Sickler

A Mistborn Novel

Kayla

Roy B Rowan

Apiecalypse Jen

Return to #1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn world of Scadrial as its second era, which began with THE ALLOY OF LAW, comes to its earth-shattering conclusion in THE LOST METAL. For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set - with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders - since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner, Wayne, find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between the capital, Elendel, and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate - whose corruption Wax and his wife, Steris, have sought to expose - and Bilming is even more entangled. After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial's god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn't the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere - Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial...at any cost. Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.

The Lost Metal The Mistborn Saga (Volume 7)

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