Sarah Norton

It's a good start. I enjoyed the magic system and world. It does seem inspired by Sanderson's type of world building, but the story is it's own. If you're a parent, it plays on your protective instincts. If you don't want to read something where small children are in danger or distress, then you may have some difficulty with this book. There is also a pretty gruesome torture scene.

It's a good start. It's apparentl  influenced by Slavic lore, so the world had a different feel from what I am used to reading. I had some difficulty relating to the MC and some of the conversations that the characters had. There were also times the plot was muddy. I understood the main trajectory of the plot, but some smaller plot points were confusing. I had to reread some sections over and things still weren't as clear as I liked. I was left wanting enough that I want to see what happens.

It's worth the read to piece together all the little nuggets Sanderson dropped throughout the mistborn trilogy. He really starts bringing the different cosmere elements together in this novella as well. The story itself kinda jumps from one plot point to the next, so it's probably best to read it while the original trilogy (especially Hero of Ages) is still pretty fresh in your mind.

It was OK. The plot was a little convoluted and I could see the author was working to create a lovable crew of misfits. It just fell a little flat. It's possible that this will lay the ground work for the future books in this series. It's good enough that I will continue on to see how the next book goes, but just as filler when I want a light quick read.

It's probably not a full 4 star for me, but since I am well past the ya stage I'm bumping it up. It has a good story and kept me engaged. I found it a little predictable with a good bit of plot armor, but it ends the way you want it to end and I was satisfied at the end. It's a nice palette cleanser.