The idea for the Alloy of Law was born from Brandon Sanderson‘s vision to portray fantasy worlds as dynamic places, who change and evolve, much like what happens to our own world.
In the book’s introduction, he implies that he aspires to write a second and a third trilogy based on Scadrial, the planet the events of the books are set upon. These trilogies, he says, will take place in an urban and a futuristic environment, respectively.
But, the Alloy of Law is not a part of those trilogies. It is set 300 years after Mistborn in a quasi-Western era, teeming with railroads, canals, electricity and guns. The story follows Waxillium Ladrian, a Twinborn who can use both Allomancy and Feruchemy. He has spent the last 20 years of his life in the Roughs, a rural setting where lawlessness is the rule and has used his rare power to bring criminals to justice.
However, a family tragedy forces him to return to the city of Elendel (rings any bells?) and take his place as Lord of House Ladrian. At the time of his return, the city is scandalized by a series of unsolvable robberies and when he gets caught up in one of them, he has to make a decision: will he abandon his past as a Lawman to be the Nobleman his House needs or jump right into the mystery?
Immediately, the Alloy of Law gives off a familiar tone. We are thrown into an action sequence with Allomancy and Feruchemy and Brandon Sanderson’s unrivaled ability to make action scenes come alive. But to me, this is as far as similarities with the Mistborn trilogy go, meaning that:
♥ It is more light-hearted and laid-back in its tone, with a lot of funny snippets. Definitely not the book to provoke moral questions and spur doubt about religion, power and the meaning of life. It is also shorter and less epic in its scope.
“That hat looks ridiculous.”
“Fortunately, I can change hats,” Wayne said, “while you, sir, are stuck with that face.”
― The Alloy of Law
♥The set of characters is smaller, focusing mainly on the protagonist, Wax, his companion from the Roughs, Wayne, and a mysterious young girl who knows too much, Marasi. They are witty and clever, but superficial. I hope this is because we didn’t get to see the full spectrum of their personalities yet and the next books will significantly add to their character development.
♥ The magic systems of Allomancy, Feruchemy and Hemalurgy still exist, but under a different setting. For example, there is no sign of Mistborns. In fact, their very existence in the past is uncertain. On the flipside, there are people who can use both Allomancy and Feruchemy and others who can burn metals with new properties. Guns also exist in this era and surprisingly they add to the whole system. However, I can’t help feeling that the elaborate world-building that Sanderson is loved for was absent from the Alloy of Law. Maybe the reason was the shortness compared to his other books, or he held back to release more information later, but the magic system had an intangible and abstract sense to it.
I realize that comparing any book with the Mistborn trilogy is bound to make the former seem inadequate. But in the case of the Alloy of Law, it is natural to ask how it compares to its predecessor before deciding if you want to invest your time in it.
So to answer the question to myself and you, I’d say that this book would be quite good on its own, but it didn’t meet my expectations comparing to the original. Be that as it may, a lot of readers are saying that the Shadows of Shelf (Mistborn #5) and the Bands of Mourning (Mistborn #6) are doing justice to the Mistborn legacy, therefore I will give them a chance and let you know.
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