Warning: This review will contain some spoilers
Mistborn: Secret History is a novella written by Brandon Sanderson. It details the story of Kelsier (post-death) up until the ‘catacendre’. Again this book review will contain some spoilers. Also, if you haven’t read all of the Mistborn books (The Final Empire to The Bands of Mourning) please refrain from reading this review.
First of all, Kelsier is back. After reading all of the Mistborn books (excluding The Lost Metal) I had a strong feeling that there was more to his story. Even when reading of his death in The Final Empire I thought “There is no way this guy is actually dead.” I wasn’t entirely right in my judgment because he’s super dead in this book.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much that I can say about the story without spoiling everything. However, I will try my best to do so.
This story felt more like a history lesson to me than a true Sanderson epic. Obviously, it couldn’t be an epic because of its length but you get what I’m saying. Mistborn: Secret History is an apt title for this book because it not only reveals the missing pages in Kelsier’s life but it discusses the history of the Cosmere. Not just the history but also the interworkings of this universe. This tale didn’t totally feel like Kelsier’s missing journey to me as Sanderson writes in the back of the book. It feels like a modicum for readers to learn more about the ramifications of the events that took place in the original series.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this novella. However, that was mainly because of the knowledge given regarding the Cosmere. The ‘laws’ of the universe were much more fascinating to me than Kelsier’s tale. A caveat to that would be that I never really found Kelsier to be an interesting character. As I’ve said in previous Mistborn reviews I’m not a fan of the main protagonists in the original trilogy and that includes Kelsier. The first three Mistborn books were intriguing to me because of the world-building, the magic system, and the supporting cast. Those same feelings came back while reading this novella. For some reason, I just don’t care as much about Kelsier compared to Wax or Wayne.
Short side note here before I finish up. The comedic relief in this book was awesome. The banter between Kelsier and Preservation (Fuzz) was hilarious. To be honest that was my favorite part of Kelsier’s involvement in this story. Also, this is a Sanderson novel so the writing is fantastic. This book contains great instances of dialogue, intrigue, mystery, fight sequences, and character work (particularly for Fuzz’s character). I didn’t want to write all of this without acknowledging my appreciation for Sanderson’s work.
All in all, this was another great installment in the Cosmere universe. The continued world-building and inner workings of the universe are what I found most fascinating. However, if you are a fan of Kelsier or the events that occur in the original trilogy you will love this tale as well.
Please refrain from reading this book until after you finish The Bands of Mourning.
P.S. I’m in the middle of reading Elantris and it’s amazing!
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