The Alloy of Law by acclaimed fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is the first book in a trilogy known as the second era of Mistborn. Mistborn was a trilogy of books written by Brandon Sanderson, and The Alloy of Law is set in that same world, only three hundred years into the future. The world has industrialized, the plantations and rustic cities have morphed into steel jungles complete with railroads, electricity, and skyscrapers. The same brilliant metal based magic system from the first trilogy is back, and more useful than ever in this modern world. With most of the characters from the original trilogy long dead and only remembered as legends of a bygone era, a new cast of characters, led by Wax and Wayne, two sheriffs from the “Roughs”, (a wild west like frontier), turned city nobles must unravel a dangerous mystery in the city.
The Alloy of Law seems to be written for a younger audience despite being a continuation of the first Mistborn series, as it is much shorter and not as well written. The action is fantastic, with western style shootouts and gunfights, but it never quite reaches the towering heights of the masterful original trilogy. The characters are not as interesting, the world is less unique, and the mystery of the world is gone. It still manages to tell a great story that any fans of the original series will enjoy, as long as their expectations are managed. A 3 out of 5 rating from one of the best fantasy authors is still a great book, just not at the level of some of his other works.