Alloy of Law – Review

“People today…it seems they are good, or sometimes evil, mostly by inertia, not by choice.”

We make no secret on his blog that Sanderson is one of our favourite authors. Mel has stated that the original Mistborn felt like her perfect book. I, however, feel like the sequel trilogy is my perfect series. 

As such, Alloy of Law joins a rare selection of books I’ve ever read twice. Whilst I’ll be keeping spoilers to a minimum, I will be reviewing them from a reread standpoint and referencing the later books in the series. 

“because–even after knowing you only a short time—I’m fairly certain that on one level or another, you deserve to get blown up every now and again.”

A Different Kind of Sequel

Era two is quite different in style and scope than the original books. Originally written as a light-hearted standalone, Alloy of Law is set 300 years later in an industrial revolution setting. Rather than follow young protagonists dealing with countries, kingdoms and gods, Era 2 is content to focus on a more experienced law keeper, Wax, trying to solve a series of robberies and kidnappings. 

Alongside him, he has his not so trusty deputy in the form of Wayne who provides most of the comedy. 

The book itself is very reminiscent of the Sherlock Holmes stories, if both Sherlock and Watson had Xmen style magic powers which they have to use inventively to save the day.

In my opinion, Alloy of Law’s greatest strength is the banter between these two. You immediately feel their prior relationship and the effortless conversation between them. It’s a delight to read.

““That hat looks ridiculous.” “Fortunately, I can change hats,” Wayne said, “while you, sir, are stuck with that face.””

Action Packed Adventure

The mixture of detective story and thriller isn’t a new idea, but it’s certainly one that gets used well here. The mystery, whilst fairly straight forward, is enjoyable and the fights keep you hooked. The pacing between the two is spot on, with neither overshadowing the other.

An especially notable element of the fights comes in the form of Wayne’s speed bubbles. He can create a small bubble of space that speeds up time for all inside. To them, the outside world is moving incredibly slow. This is used to great effect as each time action kicks off, we get to see Wax and Wayne pause to strategize in consistently funny ways. Not only is it fun to read, it sets up the room clearly to make reading the rest of the fight clear without having to interrupt the action. Similar to a Jackie Chan fight, it familiarises you with the set pieces before bringing them all into play.

Whilst the book is superbly written, the factor that sets this book apart is the setting. Not only is this an urban fantasy set in a third world, it’s a world that’s entirely shaped by events of the original trilogy. As such, easter eggs are frequent. From the naming of various locations to characters mentioned in passing, each one both excites you and further grounds you in the depth of the world. You start the book at an advantage, already being aware of its history. A history that is important in the set up of the various religions the characters follow.

“It’s only been three hundred years since the Originators, Wayne. We’re all relatives.”

“Does that mean you’ll take responsibility for me?” “No.”

A Double Edged Pistol

However, this is also a big flaw of the book. It is almost a stand alone novel, but I think someone approaching the series fresh would not only miss out on the fun of the references, but could feel excluded. The nods and winks aren’t subtle and could lead the reader to feel like the only one in the room who didn’t get the joke.

On top of this, the difference in scope could mean that Era One readers could go straight into this book with misaligned expectations. Whilst the later books of Era Two do approach world changing events, this first book doesn’t. Alloy of Law lies in an unfortunate position of being an amazing follow up to Mistborn targeted to a different kind of reader.

Brandon’s skill as a writer, and penchant for world building is the saving grace here. Both build up the world in an immersive way and both series share an amazing magic system, with each approaching it differently. The types of plot may differ but the core does not.

“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones”

Issues

I’ve already mentioned the interaction between Wax and Wayne to be a delight. The dialogue between the female characters, not so much. There are only three main women in this story. One is fridged, another is a damsel in distress, and the final one is star struck by the main character.

Whilst they do each have their moments and redeeming factors, it’s hard to ignore that the book is dominated by strong male leads. Marasi strays the furthest from a cliche with stronger motivations as well as her relationship with Wax going against the tropes later on.

This issue is strongly rectified in the later books, with all three main women gaining depth of character as well as other women being introduced who breathe fresh life into the gang. However, whilst this makes up for the rest of the series, it’s still here in Alloy of Law and it does make it a harder read. Especially after the strength of VIn’s character in the original trilogy.

“Some mistakes, though, you can’t fix by being sorry. Can’t fix them, no matter what you do.”

In Summary

Fun, superbly written and choc full of entertaining moments, Alloy of Law is a great book that sets up an even greater series. I feel it to be the weakest of the three books released so far but it does set up the others. From the teasers at the end to the throwaway lines that only have meaning in the re-read, this book has a healthy dose of that which Brandon does best. It kicks off a new era to Mistborn in style and I look forward to seeing how he’ll bring it to a close.

“ “Logic doesn’t work on Wayne.” “I bought a ward against it off a travelling fortune-teller,” “

Interest in the book may be waxing and waning online, but you’ll always find fans in the Mistborn Unofficial Discord. See you there!