The Alloy of Law - Brandon Sanderson

Published by Gollancz/Orion Publishing Group: London, 2011.
The first book in the 'Wax and Wayne' series: 'The Alloy of Law'; 'Shadows of Self'; 'The Bands of Mourning'; 'The Lost Metal.'

This is the first novel in a series from Brandon Sanderson that is also a sequel series to Mistborn, the trilogy of books I just finished. However, rather than pick up with the same characters, Alloy of Law takes place three hundred years later, with a new cast and a world that has shifted on technologically. Whereas Mistborn was set in the 'classic fantasy' era of swords and horses, this series takes place in a city that has trains, guns, and elevators. It has definite allusions to the era of the Wild West, and feels to be about at the late 19th or early 20th century by our standards - there are one or two motor vehicles but mostly people still use horse-drawn carriages.

Within this world we meet our heroes, Waxillium (Wax) Ladrian and his 'deputy' Wayne, both of whom are 'Twinborn', meaning that they both possess one Allomantic and one Feruchemical ability - something that seemingly has developed in the last three hundred years by the bloodlines of both groups intermingling. Wax and Wayne have both been lawkeepers in 'the Roughs', but following a tragic opening scene when Wax's love is killed, Wax returns to the city of Elendel to begin running his family house. Once there, however, the two begin to get involved in solving a mysterious series of robberies and kidnappings.

This is an interesting world, and an interesting first book in a series, but I must admit it doesn't grip me as much as Mistborn did. Perhaps it is the more modern setting? Perhaps it is the slightly 'lighter' book (in terms of page-count, this is 200 pages shorter than the average Mistborn) meaning that the plot doesn't have time to thicken as much? 

Alloy of Law does set up some fun new characters - Wayne is a particular highlight, with his love of fake personas and an obsession with hats - and, eventually, an overarching plot that could continue into the sequels. However, I find myself missing the characters I grew to love in the first books.

Such is life I suppose.

I'm sure I will revisit this series, and probably still will enjoy it. Maybe I should have given myself a bigger gap before rushing into this one, though.

Completed 18 December 2022.


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