The Bands of Mourning

I will start this review out by emphatically stating that Branden Sanderson is easily my favorite author and anything he puts out is an automatic must read for me. Of all his works, I must say that the original Mistborn trilogy stands as a touchstone series for me, standing as one series that drew me into fantasy novels in the first place. The second set of Mistborn novels, take place almost three hundred years after the events in the first trilogy and they do something that most fantasy novels never even touch on, i.e allowing your society to progress out of the middle ages eventually into industrialization and examining how magic would fit in with a technologically advanced society. Likewise, whereas I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books of the new trilogy, I must say that the latest story in the trilogy, the Bands of Mourning while enjoyable, stands as a slight misstep for me, and unfortunately stands as my least favorite Sanderson work thus far for reasons I’ll quickly discuss below.For those new to the series, I’ll say that to get the most bang for your buck reading Bands of Mourning, you must have at least read the previous two works in the new trilogy, Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self. Likewise, whereas Alloy of Law could be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend that you read through the first Mistborn trilogy before jumping into either Shadows of Self or Bands of Mourning. For one, those original works are masterpieces, and second of all the latest two books in this series heavily reference the events of the first trilogy to the point that one will be lost if they haven’t read the first trilogy.Anyhow, Bands of Mourning takes place roughly six months after the tragic events of Shadows of Self, Wax our main protagonist is about to get married to his fiancé, the cold yet endearing Steris Harms, a union which throughout the series has been built more on political and financial necessity rather than love. Moments before his wedding, Wax, still getting over the events of the last novel is approached by two emissaries from Harmony, the god of Scadrial, with news that the legendary bands of Mourning, the metal minds worn by the Lord Ruler from the previous Mistborn Trilogy, have been found. These legendary items have always been more myth than reality, rumored to grant anyone who wore them all of the power that the Lord Ruler had at his command, and the two kandra emissaries have evidence that these items do indeed exist. Wax still ticked at Harmony from the events in Shadows of Self, declines the quest until he receives evidence that his Uncle, the leader of the criminal organization known as the Set is involved and is actively seeking the items as well. Sensing an opportunity to rescue his sister from his Uncle as well keep the bands out of criminal hands, Wax agrees and our heroes are off in a race to find the mythical bands of mourning.In typical Sanderson fashion, Bands of Mourning features crisp dialogue, dynamic action scenes and amazing world building. In Shadows of Self and now Bands of Mourning, Sanderson in my opinion does a great job referencing his previous trilogy while also allowing his new characters to operate in a new world with new challenges while not suffocating them with a been there done that storyline. The parallels between these trilogies are of course there, whereas in the previous trilogy Vin, Kelsier and Co where the revolutionaries fighting for freedom and the disruption of the status quo, in the latest trilogy Sanderson has flipped the script on its head, with our heroes serving as the forces of stability and the villains the source of change. It is implied in these new works that while society may not be as overly oppressive as the world under the Lord Ruler, the advent of progress, capitalism and a rigid class system are oppressing the common man as much as Lord Ruler and his minions in subtle and different ways. Our heroes in this trilogy are fighting for the reformed status quo whereas Vin, Elend and company where fighting to tear it all down, in a manner similar to Wax’s uncle in the new trilogy.Bands of Mourning was a good book and a worthy addition to the Mistborn saga. However, it fell down for me in a couple areas. Most notably I felt that a few of the action sequences, normally a strong suit of Sanderson’s, rang hollow and artificial in the book, devoid of tension, only serving as gee whiz ideas of Sanderson’s, almost as if he had in his mind certain ‘cool’ scenes and worked hard to include them in the novel. Without spoiling them, the scenes were all well written but they all dragged for me as nothing seemed really at stake in any of them. While most of the action scenes where amazing, I almost skipped the few that didn’t work as I already surmised there would be no real consequences from any of those scenes.Likewise, whereas I was literally laughing out loud at certain points in the previous Wax and Wayne novels, the humor in this new novel at times felt forced, a little too self-aware and dare I say it tiresome. In short, I would argue that the humor at times felt as if it were written more for the reader rather than the characters in the story. Wayne, arguably my favorite character from the first two novels, had his humor fall flat or feel forced throughout most of the novel which was disappointing. Maybe I am tired of the character so that is more a reflection of me rather than the author, I dunno. Likewise, there were certain parts of the novel, where it felt like Sanderson was playing too hard with the fourth wall, entire sections that were supposed to come across as jokes or comical where to ham fisted and in the context of the story for me just didn’t work. Without spoiling it, there was scene in a hotel lobby, that while painfully self-aware and funny in the context of the story didn’t do much for the plot or advance the story all that much. I realize I’m being picky, but that scene in particular almost took me out of the story which is something I’m not sure you want while reading a novel.Another gripe I had with the story centered on characterization. For those who have trudged through my reviews in the past, you know that I place a huge premium on characterization, and while the characterization for the majority of the characters was strong, it was also very weak with others. Steris for instance, has had one of the best arcs throughout the entire series. The reader has seen her grow from a cold, detached, very shallow individual to a very rich character that simply hides her insecurities and fear with routine and organization. Sanderson gives her some of the best scenes in the novel and he found a fantastic way to mold her quirks into adorable attributes. Like many of the other characters in the book, she also longs for adventure and excitement, but she hides it behind the curtain of decency and the expectations of the noble class. It’s been building over the last two books, but Steris really comes into her own in this last work, developing into a full three dimensional character and not simply a plot point. Whereas I commented on the forced humor in the work with some of the other characters, with Steris the humor feels genuine as they are all true to her character and who she is as a person. Well done.Marasi on the other hand for reasons, I am still trying to grasp felt flat for me throughout the entire novel. She was a great character in previous novels but I found her borderline boring in this novel which is a shame. She is now more accepted by Wax and Wayne as an able and competent partner, with Wax even going so far as to not second guess every suggestion she makes. Likewise she has a powerful scene near the end of the novel where she realizes how her hero worship of Wax has stunted her growth as a person, and that while she can never be Wax, she still can be as good if not better than him if she only accepts her strengths as opposed to trying to match the competencies with her hero. However, for some reason she didn’t ring for me in this novel and I am having a hard time figuring it out. She is still extremely smart and capable, and possesses a sharp mind and a strong will to do what is right. Sanderson gives her the opportunity to shine with some key scenes and gives her some key insights, however, these insights are almost always undercut by Wax who either has already figured out what Marasai just learned, or has a better understanding of the information that she was given. That being said, whereas before Marasi was only grudgingly accepted by Wax and those in the Constable service, she is now basically accepted by both, which takes away some of the inner and outer conflict present with the character. In many scenes she almost functions as simply another Wax stand in, losing a lot of her personality and character that endeared me to her in the first place.All in all, Bands of Mourning despite the small gripes I had with it is a good book. A constant theme throughout the book and the series as a whole is motion. The world is moving forward and many of the characters are changing with the times in accordance with this underlying theme. The novel does a great job of expanding the larger world of Scadrial, introducing new cities, locations, characters, technology and even continents. Also, it ends on one hell of a cliff hanger. Despite my nitpicks, I would still highly recommend Bands of Mourning, it’s a worthy addition to the Mistborn Saga.

This was another wonderful addition to the canon! For me it was slow starting but once we hit lift off, wow! I was beyond surprised. I’ve always been fond of Steris but I found her development in The Bands of Mourning a true delight. As for the events of this books, I feel the implications are massive! I can’t wait to dive into deeper into the cosmere and make sense of it all!Thank you Brandon!

This book gave me everything I didn’t know I wanted from a story. Wax and Wayne have won me over as a bonafide crime-fighting duo and I am curious as to their place in the grand scheme of the Cosmere. Banda of Mourning was better than the previous two books in this series, and I mean that in a good way.I was a little skeptical after reading Alloy of Law as to whether I would like the second era, but boy am I glad I stuck with it. I can’t wait read the next installment.

Brandon is a master. The world he builds just seems to unlimitedly grow and it makes sense. Definitely a must read.

The Bands of Mourning kept me on my toes and turning pages all day. It starts to bring together the bigger picture of the series, and in doing so increases the scope and the stakes.I can’t talk much about this book without spoiling the previous two, but I will say that this book turned me into a Steris lover! She’s amazing, I appreciate her character so much more now, and I can’t wait to see how she continues to surprise me in The Last Metal.Good pacing, good character growth, interesting story, but not quite giving me the 5 star vibes. So, 4.5 stars.

With Sanderson's telling of a story. Lots of action, good movement through the tale and enough of surprise to keep me guessing what's next. And I detect another book??

I loved this book. Sanderson never fails with his characters as well as his final acts, and this was no different. The last 100 pages or so practically demand to be read all at once, and I'm really excited to see how the Wax and Wayne series concludes.

There is the threat of civil war in the air as the cities outside of Elendil resent the taxes and controls that are imposed on them. Wax is on a mission to track down his uncle and bring down the Set whereas Maresi takes up a mission from Harmony to track down a spike that was taken from a Kandra and restore its memory. All the signs are pointing towards a confrontation in New Seran.Steris finally comes into her won in this book and it is great to see. Very weird but in a good way whereas Wayne has grown a little more palatable he still doesn't seem real. Her and Wax are well suited. I still don't get all the love I see Wayne get on posts etc. It was a fairly straight forward book until the end when things really expanded, we find out about people from other areas outside the Basin and a very major reveal right at the end. It's here Sanderson recommends reading Secret History and it's a good point though I still think it's better after finishing Era I.There's still quite a lot left unsaid here. We still don't know who or what Trell is, what's the real purpose of the Set and there is a lot of talk about investiture etc that I only have a shallow understanding of. The cosmere connections are getting bigger, and it is starting to feel like you really need to know more about all the books to make sense of everything. I do admire what the series is attempting to do and broadly succeeding; that of showing a world changing and starting to expand into technologies and exploiting the rules of the magic system in the world. It really is quite cool and I don't really recall any other series that has taken it so far, and this is still early days, two more era's to go!Another good solid read, not too demanding and quick to read. Looking forward to finally getting some answers in the final book.

At the time of writing this the Mistborn series consists of two series set in different eras, the original trilogy set in an epic fantasy world and the Wax and Wayne series in which The Bands of Mourning is book three set 300 years later in an almost wild west steampunk fantasy setting. I highly recommend you read the series from the start or many ideas and references will be lost on you if you have started from the Wax and Wayne books half way through.Mistborn era one1 -  The Final Empire: Mistborn Book One 2 -  The Well of Ascension: Mistborn Book Two 3 -  The Hero of Ages: Mistborn Book Three Mistborn era two4 -  The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel 5 -  Shadows of Self: A Mistborn Novel Onto the review! So Bands of Mourning is a generally excellent follow up to the previous two Wax and Wayne books. Loosely summed up the story has Lord Ladrian Waxillium and friends continue to chase down the Set, a secret organisation apparently intent on sowing as much disruption as possible to cease power. When a Kandra visits Wax and constable Marasi on a lead about a legendary artifact and ask for their help Wax at first refuses until he knows the Set are involved leading them to look for the Bands of Mourning, an artifact of the Lord Rulers of imense power.My favorite aspect of the book was strangely, Wax's wife to be Steris. She has had little real attention in the previous books but gets a bit more involved in this third entry and stole every chapter for me she was in. I really enjoy her personality and quirks so seeing her develop into a much larger part in the story was a really nice addition and change of pace to the leaping off of metals and shooting guys in the face pacing of Wax, Wayne and occasionally Marasi. The book travels at a fair pace throughout with plenty of action moments and a few good twists and turns as the story went on keeping me wanting to read and find out more. I enjoyed the plot a fair amount but a couple of parts left me a little confused regarding events in the Mistborn universe. There is a novella  Mistborn: A Secret History  which apparently links certain aspects of both Mistborn series and answers questions which I hope will clear them up, if not, hopefully the unreleased fourth book of the Wax and Wayne titles Mistborn: The Lost Metals will answer them as the series isn't finished yet.In conclusion if you have read this far and enjoyed the Mistborn books then this one is another great addition you should read. The magic is great, it's full of humour, the world is interesting and the action and characters are well written.Recommended.+ Steris gets more attention.+ Story has some great events.+ Excellent action and characters.- Little confused by a couple of story elements relating to the whole series. The Final Empire: Mistborn Book OneThe Well of Ascension: Mistborn Book TwoThe Hero of Ages: Mistborn Book ThreeThe Alloy of Law: A Mistborn NovelShadows of Self: A Mistborn NovelMistborn: A Secret History

In this, the next installment of the continuing Mistborn saga, Waxillium Ladrian draws ever closer to fathoming the antics of his uncle, and the activities of the mysterious Set.Allow me to set the scene:*******Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metal minds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. A kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate. Along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set.*******So, what happens? Ah, THAT would be telling, and I hate to spoil surprises. Nevertheless, The Bands of Mourning once again reveal how good Sanderson is at laying out the foundations of an epically proportioned puzzle, and then gradually allowing us to piece things together as the story develops.All the elements are there: Revenge; politics; long held secrets; mystery; intrigue; conspiracies; ambition. And at last, we get to learn more about Wax’s sister, Telsin, along with the goals motivating his uncle’s behavior. A course that has riven Waxillium’s family to the core.The thing is, it’s NOT just about House Ladrian. We also get to discover that the people of Elendel aren’t the only ones to survive the changing of the world. And that goes for the long-lived kandra too; whose knowledge far exceeds that of mortal man. What role might some of them have in the simmering turmoil threatening to rip the world of Scadrial apart?To find out the answer to that question, we’ll have to temper our anticipation and wait for the final installment of the story: "The Lost Metal." Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too long.This is superbly crafted fantasy.

This was an excellent and total wind up to the trilogy. I couldn't read it fasr enough and was totally absorbed throughout. I love all of Jay's writing and his characters seem real. That's not to make small or overlook Amie Kaufmans equal share in all this praise. Long may this Very successful partnership continue.

If you've read any Brandon Sanderson, you know what to expect.It's fast paced, thrilling fun. If have no problem letting my nine year old read this. I find that there is a trend in fantasy these days towards putting lots of sweating or drug references into a story and then claiming that it is in some way mature, when in fact they read like an 11 year old showing off.The ideas and the world building in Brandon Sanderson's books make these much more interesting,challenging and exciting.