Book Review: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 6 of Mistborn
Publisher: Tor Books (January 26, 2016)
Length: 448 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
2016 is another big year for Brandon Sanderson with a whole slew of new book releases and re-issues coming out, and he’s kicking it all off in late January with The Bands of Mourning. This is the sixth Mistborn novel and third volume of Waxillium Ladrian’s saga following on the heels of Shadows of Self, and according to Sanderson one is an intentional counterpoint to the other, which explains why there were only a few months to wait between the books. For readers like myself, that decision to publish them so close together was much appreciated, since I don’t think I could have waited until the end of the year to find out what happens, especially after that shocking ending in Shadows of Self.
Things come to a head in The Bands of Mourning, continuing the adventures of Waxillium and his companions. It has been six months since the events of Shadows of Self and our heroes are still recovering from the ordeal. Wax himself is still trying to come to terms with what happened but is also determined to move on with his life, and one of the first orders of business is his forthcoming marriage to Steris. But before the couple can tie the knot, a kandra brings tidings of a possible new discovery in the mountains.
Legends say that the Lord Ruler created a pair of metalminds called the Bands of Mourning that are so powerful that anyone who wears them will have all the Allomantic abilities at their command. Most believe that they are a thing of myth, but now a kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with drawings that look suspiciously like the Bands. Unable to resist the call of adventure, Wax agrees to travel south with the kandra MeLaan to investigate, bringing along Steris as well as his friends Marasi and Wayne. However, Wax was wholly unprepared to stumble across news of his lost sister along the way, and the quest for the Bands unexpectedly takes a dangerous turn as it puts him on the trail of Edwarn Ladrian, Wax’s unscrupulous uncle who is also involved with the shadowy organization known as The Set.
After so many books in the Mistborn series, I didn’t think I could be surprised anymore, but I was wrong. Most of the story in The Bands of Mourning does not take place in the Roughs nor does it take place in the city of Elendel, instead taking us out into the outskirts of the Basin. We’ve been with Wax for so long, it’s easy to forget there’s a whole wide world out there beyond the frontier regions or the urban areas, and the first stop is beautiful New Seran. Sanderson may be best known for his magic systems, but he is also a master at creating new places and bringing them to life. With its luscious fields of fruit and majestic waterfalls, the awe-inspiring vistas of New Seran make me think this could be Sanderson’s version of Rivendell or Naboo. Next up are the cold icy mountain ranges bordering the Basin, where the final chapters of the book take place. There’s also a farther, more mysterious place that I can’t really speak of for fear of spoilers, but regardless, out of all the novels in this series I think it’s safe to say this one expands the world the most, at least geographically.
The story does not disappoint either. It’s an action-filled romp through a fantasy world on the cusp of an industrial revolution, and the Western vibes are still strong with this book, which even includes scenes from a spectacular train robbery. Also, despite The Bands of Mourning taking place half a year after Shadows of Self and featuring a whole new adventure, the two books do indeed tie together when you look at it from the perspective of Wax’s personal growth. It is an emotional journey that brings resolution to the many questions our protagonist has been struggling with since the last book, and it also marks an end to one chapter while opening another. New possibilities are on the horizon, including the potential for new worlds, new relationships, and perhaps even a new villain. You might be able to get away with reading this on its own, but I do highly recommend picking up Shadows of Self first, or better yet, start Wax’s story from the beginning with The Alloy of Law (which is still my favorite of the new Wax and Wayne Mistborn novels).
Another thing I loved about this book? The supporting characters! The story is once again carried by POVs from our three usual suspects—Wax, Wayne and Marasi—but my favorite characters in this book were actually Steris and MeLaan. As usual, there was plenty of humor especially in the dialogue, and the best of that came in the form of interactions between Wayne and MeLaan, a brilliant pairing. But perhaps the greatest surprise of the novel was Steris. She always struck me as rather austere and aloof in previous books, but we finally get to see a lot more of her true self here. And maybe I’m biased, because I recognize a lot of myself in her uptight planning and obsessive list-making behavior, but out of all the characters, I felt she was the most sympathetic. I’m really excited to see what might be in store for her and Wax, because Sanderson really did a great job developing their relationship.
Overall, The Bands of Mourning is another fantastic installment in the Mistborn sequence. Brandon Sanderson fans will be sure to love this one, especially if you’ve been following the books and keeping up with Wax and the gang. You definitely won’t want to miss this rusting good read.
*** Originally reviewed at The Speculative Herald ***
More at The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Shadows of Self (Book 5)
The BiblioSanctum 
I rambled in mine, Sanderson does that to me
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I hear ya. With Sanderson, I can be the same way. It’s just so hard to get down all the awesome things about the book I want to say 🙂
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I also had a great time with this one, finished it 2 days ago and it was great, I liked to know a bit more about Wax and I confess that I really enjoyed Steris there, she is so much fun!
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I ADORE Steris. I was so happy she got a bigger role in this and that we got to know her better. I wish one day we’ll get her as a POV character, even for just a little bit. 🙂
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I’m looking forward to this one. How did you find Sanderson’s writing style? With his later books, sometimes I feel his word choices are a little sloppy. He is a true master of plot, pacing and world building, but sometimes I feel his writing could do with extra time for a polish.
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I enjoy his writing style, and strangely, I find the opposite – with his earlier stuff, like the original Mistborn trilogy, reading the action scenes felt a little like reading a combat log, i.e. X happened and Y happened and then Z… I find his later stuff has a lot more emotion, being able to get into his characters’ heads etc. I generally prefer his newer books, for that reason. I don’t know if I’ve noticed his word choice though, now I’ll probably be more attuned to it so I’ll be sure to take note 🙂
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I just borrowed the first book from the library. Everyone has been raving about Sanderson for years, so I think it’s time to see what the fuss is about.
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Sanderson is really great, I hope you enjoy! 🙂
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I’ve enjoyed pretty much everything by Sanderson I’ve read, but I haven’t started the Mistborn series. I need to rectify that situation. Thanks for sharing this!
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Definitely give Mistborn a look, for many it’s considered a must-read “classic Sanderson” though it’s probably not my favorite…it’s not bad either, just that I like a lot of his other works more 🙂 For example, I think I liked Alloy of Law (the first Wax and Wayne book of the “new” Mistborn series) more than the entire original trilogy put together.
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*note to self: Start reading Sanderson ASAP! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
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Oh you must! He’s written a lot of books that suit different styles though, so I hope you find your perfect fit 🙂
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How does Brandon Sanderson write so fast and so well so consistently? I suspect he has access to magic. This reminds me I need to start on this new set of Mistborn series, I initially heard that they weren’t as good as the original trilogy so I stayed away – but god damn they sound more awesome with every review.
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I once met him at a convention and asked how he manages to be such a prolific writer. I told him jokingly that people wonder if he ever sleeps. He replied that there was actually some truth to that – it made me laugh 🙂
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I’m behind with all the Sanderson novels – in fact I just think I’ve lost the plot of what book belongs where! Except the Way of King series – and just where is No.3 already???
Lynn 😀
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LOL yes, he does have like a kajillion series, and it feels like every few months he also puts out a new novella. Interestingly, I received his site’s newsletter today which said he is about halfway through writing the third Stormlight book and that it should be finished in the first half of this year. But then with editing, and the whole publisher process involving illustrations, etc. it probably won’t be out by the end of the year. So hopefully, maybe early 2017? Crossing my fingers!
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Gah! Sanderson’s books always sound so great. I need to get around to starting this series, even though I’m tempted to start with his Steelheart series.
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Steelheart is fantastic! I typically recommend that series to people who want to read Sanderson, but don’t want to start with anything too heavy. Plus, the third and final book is almost out, good for readers who don’t like to start on series until it is completed 🙂
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Ooo nice! I didn’t know that the final book was almost out in that series. Even better! I like to binge read series if I can.
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Steris is hands down my favorite Alloy Era character. I like the way she and Wax grew in this book more than anything. Is it just me or do those servants of Trell sound familiar? Like a certain species we’ve met on Roshar?
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Yes, I love Steris so much. I’m always impressed with the way Sanderson gets a couple together, like Shallan and Adolin in Stormlight Archives and now with Wax and Steris. To me it actually feels more natural than 90% of romance fiction out there.
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It’s odd how good a handle he has on that, when you compare it to his attempts at humor.
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