Half the World & Mistborn

Half the World - Joe Abercrombie - 363 pgs
23) A Trilogy (Second Book)

Dang this series is good. It really hasn't relied on magic or any kind of fantasy yet though, so I'm left wondering what kind of role it will play in the third book which doesn't come out till July.
Remember that thing I said about sequels? Yeah, they are almost always my favorites (in books, not movies). This was no exception. I was already in the action from the first page, I got super excited when characters I already knew returned, and it gives the story and world building so much more depth.
I always feel weird writing about sequels and such because I'm scared to give anything away. I guess I can just liken it to things instead of giving a real synopsis (more on this later). This trilogy is turning out to be like a PG-13 version of Game of Thrones with less characters (that's not a completely bad thing).
Yup, well... I'm excited for the last book needless to say.

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson - 659 pgs
14) A book your friend recommends
Sazed shook his head, walking over to stand beside her. "Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. What is belief - what is faith - if you don't continue in it after failure?"
Vin frowned.
"Anyone can believe in someone, or something, that always succeeds, Mistress. But failure...ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly."

You know, I think Goodreads is heaven sent. I mean, seriously. It's like Facebook for books, authors, and bookworms. I've been able to connect with others who like the same books I do and can even recommend books to me that I may have turned my nose up at otherwise.
Take Mistborn for example.
If I had read the synopsis I may have been a bit interested, but once I got to the part about Allomancy (using metals as a source of power) I probably would've put the book down. I like fantasy, but not if it interferes with the human element of the story and I was a bit afraid this book would fall into that trap. But with a friend to put the book (metaphorically) in my hands, I decided it was worth a try.
All of my preconceived notions were wrong. That's what I'm finding out this time around, books that I wouldn't normally read are becoming my favorites.
One of my favorite things to do is try to compare books to other stories I know, kind of like a giant mashup. This book had me recalling Oceans Eleven, Lord of the Rings, Oliver Twist, and a Jane Austen novel. Don't know how that's possible? Well neither do I, but it's magic.
I fell in love with these characters (you have plenty of time to do so in the 659 pages) and I didn't want to let them go when the book ended. There are more of course, but this book had it's own perfect arc which was so nice in a world where I keep receiving 300 page trilogies. It makes me miss the days of new Harry Potter books coming out.
Ya know, I don't even think I ever got a chance to get bored with this book. The writing style captivated me from the start.
The friend who recommended this to me actually had read the trilogy that comes much later in time but in the same world as the trilogy I read. He liked it a lot though and suggested I start at the beginning. I'm so very glad I did.

As a side note, I picked out a book today based completely on it's cover (number 19 on the list) and I'm pretty excited to start it. You'll have to stay tuned to see what I chose!

Read on,

Jamie