This was the first Brandon Sanderson book I’ve read and I’m glad I was not disappointed at all. This is much darker than a lot of the fantasy I’ve read overall, but I also don’t read adult fantasy that often. Sanderson did an amazing job of keeping me on my toes about who to trust and who not to trust. Vin’s distrust of Kelsier and his companions initially was very in character and made her highly relatable for me. She is someone who was never even able to trust her own family, so when she meets these strangers that openly welcome her with kindness, she is hesitant to accept their assistance. I strongly believe that the development of her relationship with Elend was largely helped by the friendships she built with Kelsier and his crew first. I don’t think she would have been as open to her attraction to him or have as much confidence in him being a noble person had she not been shown what true friendship looked like first. The friendships in this book were the best part of the story for me. I was heartbroken when Kelsier died, but I had a feeling that his death was part of a much more elaborate plan when this happened. Turns out I was correct. Once it was revealed that everything had gone according to his plan, it felt like Kelsier was being smug and clever even in his death. 

I have to say that we got a lot more of Kelsier in this book than a lot of other characters which is why he was one of my favorite characters. This is also of course because he is so likeable. However, Elend is a close second. Elend is a bookworm and I love having him be THAT character. He seems to embody everything dictatorships fear about an educated populace. I think Elend is an excellent representation that knowledge is power. He also has a clear understanding of the luxury and frivolity the nobility live among. The fact that he goes out of his way to rebel against his father in every way possible brought me such joy throughout the story. By the end of the book things have become very complicated, but I’m looking forward to seeing his relationship with Vin continue to progress. I’m sure they’ll find a way to put Elend’s noble standing to good use for this rebellion. This series seems to be an excellent introduction to adult fantasy for anyone looking for an easy door in. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.