Every “Mistborn” Book Ranked

I used to read a lot as a kid, but I stopped reading as a teenager for reasons I can’t quite explain. Either I thought it was uncool or it was a “waste of time”, I’m not sure. That all changed, however, when I bought myself a copy of Brandon Sanderson’s “Mistborn” … and the rest was history.

Having now read all seven “Mistborn” books (both “Era 1” with Vin as well as “Era 2” with Wax and Wayne) I can now confidently say this is a fantastic Fantasy series … but how would I rank every book?

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Mistborn – Every Metal Ranked

10 Books I Loved In 2024 (And 4 I Didn’t)

Every “Elden Ring” Area Ranked

Top 20 Best Videogame Narratives

Good

7 – The Alloy of Law (Book 4)

Era 1 ended on a definitive yet hopeful note, so I (and I’m sure many other fans) was surprised to find that the story had continued in a new era – with a pair of new main characters, no less.

“The Alloy of Law” is one of the most standalone books Sanderson has ever written, and as a result he’s even gone on record to call it his least favourite Cosmere book. While that’s a little harsh, I can understand where he’s coming from. It’s probably my least favourite Cosmere book too, out of the ones I’ve read. But it’s still Good!

The new industrialized / “Flintlock” setting is interesting, the action is as great as always (Wayne’s Allomantic bendalloy “speed bubbles” are particularly awesome) and the new main characters make a good first impression, but none of it means anything yet. There are no big character arcs nor monumental stakes for me to sink my teeth into. As sad as it is to say, you can probably just watch a quick 2-minute YouTube summary of “The Alloy of Law” before reading the other three books – you wouldn’t be missing out on much.

Quick side note – why do so many Wax & Wayne images have Wayne holding a gun? Isn’t his aversion to guns one of his main character quirks? What’s stopping the artists from drawing his badass dualling canes?

6 – The Bands of Mourning (Book 6)

I’ve seen some people rank “The Bands of Mourning” as their favourite Era 2 book, so I might get some flack for ranking it second-last. While it was still an enjoyable book, I felt it was a step down from the previous book’s plot.

This book has some of the funniest scenes Sanderson has written, like Wax and Wayne destroying their new hotel room, and the set-pieces like the train robbery and the snowy finale are highlights of Era 2.

I never got a real feel for the new city they visited, however – which is weird because Sanderson is usually so good at immersive worldbuilding. The personal stakes were also lowered significantly from the fifth book. Wax is still put through the ringer, both physically and emotionally, but it didn’t compare to the soul-crushing decisions he had to make in the previous book.

Funnily enough, Sanderson actually wrote the sixth “Mistborn” book before finishing the fifth. To his credit, you’d never know that while reading them both – they’re consistent and seamless.

Great

5 – The Lost Metal (Book 7)

“The Bands of Mourning” was climactic in a few ways, but “The Lost Metal” was a much more fitting end for Era 2.

It’s the biggest Era 2 book by a fair margin, and Sanderson puts those pages to good use. We get to spend a lot of time with the major characters, Wayne most of all, and every character gets a satisfying conclusion to their story.

Without delving into too many spoilers, I will say that the final third – despite being an action-packed thrill-ride – was a bit cliché and predictable. And Marasi’s storyline was there purely to set up the eventual Era 3, as well as tie into other lingering plotlines of the Cosmere.

Still, I’m excited to see where Era 3 goes from here!

4 – Shadows of Self (Book 5)

I don’t see many people calling “Shadows of Self” the best Era 2 book, but here we are. I just absolutely love the emotional turbulence Wax is put through in this book. Is that cruel to say?

Miles Hundredlives was a formidable foe in “The Alloy of Law”, but I found Bleeder in “Shadows of Self” far more fearsome. Her speed and lethality were already a major problem, but the fact she could take the form of anyone made every single scene intense. I love imposter storylines because I never know who to trust or when to relax.

Ultimately, I think this is the book where Wax is put through the toughest situations and decisions of any character in Era 2. The poor guy goes through so much in this book … But, weirdly, the overarching plot with the villainous Set takes a backseat. I would’ve liked to have seen more of them beyond a few quick cameos here and there.

Maybe if I reread “Shadows of Self” and “Bands of Mourning” I’d have them switch positions, but my first read of “Shadows of Self” was definitely the peak of Era 2 for me.

Amazing

3 – The Hero of Ages (Book 3)

The original “Mistborn” trilogy, nowadays called Era 1, are three of my favourite books of all time. Weirdly, however, I liked the final book “The Hero of Ages” the least out of the three. It’s still near-flawless.

There’s a time jump after the bombshell ending of “The Well of Ascension”, and now Vin and the other main characters gear up for the final battle. While I do think Sanderson draws it out a little too much (and repeats himself in a few places, probably to remind readers of the story so far) I can’t deny how incredible the final few set-pieces were.

This is Vin at the absolute peak of her powers, of that there is no doubt. All the various plot threads finally tie together in ingenious ways, and every character gets an ending I was satisfied with.

The main issue I have with “The Hero of Ages”, making it the “worst” of the original trilogy, is the main villain Ruin. He doesn’t have nearly as much aura as either the Lord Ruler in the first book or the various antagonists in the second book, and so it wasn’t as satisfying to take him down compared to the previous villains.

2 – The Well of Ascension (Book 2)

It’s easy to write off “The Well of Ascension” as the awkward middle instalment of the original trilogy. It doesn’t have the introductory worldbuilding or simple “goal” of “The Final Empire”, nor does it have the huge stakes and finale of “The Hero of Ages”.

What is does have, however, is some of the best political thriller plots and twists I’ve ever read. After defeating the Lord Ruler in “The Final Empire”, Vin and co. have a lot more on their plate than they were expecting. I’ve never seen a fantasy book deal with the aftermath of a great victory as well as “The Well of Ascension” does.

If I had to pick one complaint, it would maybe be that Zane wasn’t my favourite character. His insanity was interesting but it made for quite a weird and uncomfortable read. That’s a nitpick, though, as he was still an interesting character who brought some new conflicts and reveals to the table.

As “middle chapters” go, “The Well of Ascension” couldn’t have done much better.

All-Time Great

1 – The Final Empire (Book 1)

“The Final Empire” is my favourite book of all time. It’s the book that got me back into reading, it’s the book that inspired me to become a writer, and therefore it’s the book I’ll always regard with the greatest fondness.

What I love most about this book is that it’s actually three genres in one – you have the mystical wonder of fantasy, the high stakes of a heist plot AND the surprisingly endearing romance of a love plot.

It has some amazing characters – most notably the young protagonist Vin and her morally-grey mentor Kelsier – and some of the greatest worldbuilding you’ll ever read. Sanderson has established himself as the go-to worldbuilder of the fantasy genre, and that mastery started here.

But what I’ll always remember most fondly about “The Final Empire” is its magic system, which is probably my favourite magic system in any medium. The various forms of metal magic (Allomancy, Feruchemy and, to a lesser extent, Hemalurgy) sparked my imagination while I was reading. I became obsessed with this new world’s powers and the creative applications they can be used for. I mean, c’mon … how awesome would it be to bounce around the world using Steelpushing? Or to become an impenetrable titan thanks to Pewter’s strength?

The remaining books of the series may not have captured the magic of that first book, but I don’t care. The foundations “The Final Empire” laid led to some of my favourite fantasy storytelling of all time. I will always be incredibly grateful for Sanderson and his amazing mind.

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