Have you read and loved Mistborn Era 1 by Brandon Sanderson but aren’t sure if you should read Mistborn Era 2? Today we are going to talk all about this second series in the Mistborn world and its greater Cosmere connections. Of course, no spoilers!
*This post contains affiliate links. Making a purchase will give me a small commission at no extra cost to you*
Is Mistborn Era 2 Worth the Read?
The original Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite series of all time. It is a fantastic adult fantasy series. There is romance, war, rebellion, heartbreak, and everything I love seeing in a series. The ending of book three is one of my favorite series enders of all time as well. It is beautiful and tragic and hopeful all at the same time.
After that ending though, it can seem like a second era in the series is not needed nor wanted. But honestly, Mistborn era 2, while different, is also an amazing story. With the fourth and final book in this era coming out later this year, people are asking themselves if they should read this series. I am here to tell you yes. It is not only a great series, but it has a lot of ties into the greater world of Sanderson’s cosmere.
What is Mistborn Era 2?
The second era in the Mistborn series takes place 300 years after the events of the original trilogy. We get to see the effects of the events of the original and how they shaped the world going forward.
Of course, we follow new characters in a new world. The characters from the original are now the myths and legends and even religious figures of this new series. It is a lot of fun seeing how the original shape the new world.
Ear 2 is not as serious to start with as the original series. It is more of a fun ride than a dark gritty revolution. We have more jokes and some really fun character banter though!
The setting is much more wild-west steampunk as well. The world has advanced from a more “traditional” medieval feeling world to a wild-west flintlock style fantasy. Gone are the swords and armor and in are the guns and trains and automobiles.
The Characters of Second Era Mistborn
In this continuation series, we get a whole host of new characters! Honestly, the group in this ear is fantastic. They are fun, well-written, and pretty complex characters.
We start with Wax. Wax is a noble who doesn’t want to be noble. He becomes a lawman in the roughs and falls in love with a girl he meets out there. Unfortunately, his rough ways and love story come to an abrupt end due to death and violence. He is basically forced back to the city to take up his place as head of his noble house. But that doesn’t mean he can completely leave his past behind. Wax is rough around the edges with a good heart and a desire to always do the right thing and solve the mysteries plaguing his life.
Then we have Wayne. A younger character that Wax has taken under his wing. He is the comedic relief, but still has a lot of heart and a pretty tragic backstory. People tend to either really love or really be annoyed by him. I fall into the love camp, Wayne is amazing. Though he is a funny character, he is still much more complex than we may first believe.
Next, we have Marasi. She is the illegitimate daughter of a noble and a strong female lead in this book. Marasi may be young and nieve but she is also smart and willing to learn. She wants nothing more than to be a “lawman” herself, and as she is thrust into an investigation with Wax and Wayne, she will really learn on her feet!
Finally, we have Steris. Steris may be my absolute favorite character in the entire Mistborn Era 2 series. She is a stern and strict noblewoman. Plans and more plans are her things. She may not be the fun and lighthearted person like her sister, Marasi, but she has so much heart in her own way. This character is also based on one of Sanderson’s real-life friends. She is the answer to his not-so-good Autism representation in Elantris, and he totally hits it out of the park with her.
Mistborn Magic in a New Setting
From the first to the second era, magic has really changed and evolved. It feels so familiar, yet so different. Due to the events of the original series, the two different systems of magic have started to merge.
We no longer have Mistborns and Mistings in the same way we did in the first series. We have a mix of Allomancy and Feruchemy as people in the world start to intermix.
It is really cool seeing how the magic has changed and how it works now. Honestly, this change in magic makes perfect sense. People are intermixing, traveling, and of course, the magic is going to evolve.
Sanderson really does a great job with his magic system here.
What About The Mistborn Era 1 Characters in Era 2?
This book series takes place 300 years after the events of the first series. The original characters, while not actually in the series, are very much alive and well in the minds of the people.
These older characters are myths and legends. They are the religious figures that the people of this new world revere. It is actually really fun hearing the stories of the original cast. Some things that people in era 2 believe are not quite what actually happened. But isn’t that how history goes? We hear things that happened long ago, and events change slightly, the personalities of people may not be totally accurately portrayed. It is a fun bit of realism thrown into this fantastical story.
Some characters may make appearances in this new series, but not in the way you would expect!
How Does Mistborn Era 2 Fit Into the Cosmere?
Oh Hunny, this is a fun one! Mistborn Era 2 fits into the cosmere in such a fun way. While I won’t give you any spoilers here, just know that these books are actually much more connected to the world at large than the original series is.
This makes sense because when Sanderson was writing the original, he was a new writer. He was not sure that his whole Cosmere thing would take off so the Mistborn connections in era 1 are much smaller and more subdued. With Era 2 though, he was able to throw in those connections any way he wanted!
We see some characters from other universes pop in here and there, and it is so much fun to catch. Now, I have not finished the Stormlight Archives yet, but from what I understand, the end of Era 2 will be much more connected to that series than any other one in the universe so far!
So, Should I Read Era 2?
Yes, the answer is yes! Pick up Era 2 if you have finished Era 1 for sure. Make sure you go into it with the right expectations though.
Don’t think you are going to get another high epic fantasy story, because you aren’t. You are going to get a fun and witty flintlock fantasy story. Book 3 in this series, Bands of Mourning, is where most of the connections and more epic feel come into play though.
So with the release of the Lost Metal later in 2022, now is the time to pick this series up and give it a try!
Book lover, coffee addict, mom of dragons (aka rambunctious kids). I share book recs, mom life survival tips, and the occasional existential crisis.
[…] series (for the most part). Once you read Era 1, then there is a follow-up series that is called Mistborn Era 2. Era 2, starting with Alloy of Law, takes place 300 years after the end of the original trilogy and […]