I’m so torn about this book but at the same time I’m very into it! I’m back to realizing why people always speak of Sanderson as being a good author, in that he can weave together multiple plot points in a way that seems natural.
There’s still too much plot in these books for their length, and I have no clue why my brother said “these are basically like shorter novellas compared to the original trilogy.” I mean, they are shorter books but they have a lot of wood to chop with regards to the plot–SO MUCH HAPPENS, and it’s also mostly towards the end? I wish that more of these threads had been set up in the earlier books. I maintain the best analogy for this series is Legend of Korra, which also ended up with a cohesive theme but towards the end of the series.
A lot that I disliked with the earlier books gets addressed here as well, I think. Wax remains a bit of a stodgy Steve Holden (from The Expanse TV series, and also the books I suppose) type main character, but he’s softened by the great cast of characters around him. I’ll believe that Sanderson had a long term character arc in place for Marasi, for example, although as always I think it wouldn’t hurt for her to be just a tad more awesome, just because it only seems right. Character development seems earned for our entire cast, for all that they are all high born/wealthy urban dwellers realizing that the world has a LOT of sociopolitical issues that aren’t so easily fixed by ~magic~.
This book was also written in 2016, years into Sanderson’s very public evolution on social issues surrounding LGBTQ characters/existence(?). You can see it in MeLaan, our gender fluid uninhibited kandra queen, or even in Wayne’s misguided but basically solid acceptance? NOTE: I counted at least three fatphobic-y remarks he delivered, though, and I could have handily done without.
Probably what drew me in the most, though, was the deft handling of Steris’ character. I do think her characterization is a bit repetitive (she cannot ALWAYS be so absurdly prepared for everything, although maybe she can be) and there’s a smidgen of me that thinks she’s written as slightly neurodivergent but socially high functioning in the way that autistic women are. I don’t always trust male authors to do well by their female characters, but I liked what Sanderson did with Steris.
And to bring it back to the plot: just SO MUCH OF IT in that last ~1/3 or so of the book. I really hope that The Lost Metal is hella long and does what everyone assures me Sanderson does best: wrapping up plot lines in a way that is supremely satisfying.