The last third or so is what improved the rating of this book for me. If you pick it up, and think it's a bit slow at the beginning, stick with it — the character development, plot, and setup for the sequel are all great.

The magic system is interesting also, but it takes some patience getting to grips with and getting used to reading about. It’s called Allomancy, and it’s how people with special powers can manipulate a range of metals for different purposes.