Mistborn: Secret History

a vital read for any fan of the mistborn series. secret history is told from Kelsier's perspective as he journeys into the unknown. definitely don't read this if you haven't read the original mistborn series.

**********SPOILERS AHEAD!***********

I did not find Kelsier's stay in the cognitive realm interesting.
The whole Eyeree part did not make any sense.
The Drifter was left unexplained.
And I really did not understand what the Wax & Wayne books have to do with this story...
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I eagerly downloaded this about 20 hours ago, right after reaching the page in The Bands of Mourning where Brandon Sanderson reveals its existence. I would've happily stayed up all night reading it, but a funny thing happened: I got bored. So bored that I gave up and went to bed. Only the next evening when I had time did I get online and explore some fan sites until I'd read enough to convince me that reading the entire thing would be worth my time. But in the end, this book uncomfortably reminds me of the Ridley Scott film "Prometheus." Like "Prometheus," it's a prequel/sequel with a few good scenes wrapped up in a bunch of deadly dull mumbo jumbo that leaves more questions in the end than it purported to answer in the first place. The "boring mumbo jumbo" in this case is a lot of characters who are supposedly familiar but whom I didn't recognize because I don't read Sanderson's non-Mistborn books, and therefore don't care about; a lot of prattle about cognitive realms vs. physical realms vs. spiritual realms and a hell of a lot of blather about power and light. It didn't really fill in the holes in The Hero of Ages as Sanderson promised in his introduction to it (except for one glaring one regarding Spook's message, which Marsh intercepted). The plain fact that dawned on me as I forced myself to finish this e-book is that I'm just not into fantasy at this level. I like grittier stories with more realistic elements to counterbalance the fantastic elements. I like my SciFi with more Science than Fiction. This thing is just pure high fantasy with a bunch of wackily named characters making grand plans and doing things that can barely be understood in this context alone. It exists purely to tie up loose strings in Sanderson's epic "Cosmere" (his equivalent of George R.R. Martin's "Planetos"), so if you're like me and you don't actually give a crap about the Cosmere, this story might bore you as well. I did appreciate the three parts where Kelsier fought, conned someone, or once again rigged up the perfect heist. Those are the reasons I fell in love with this series in the first place: the promise of strong characters doing fascinating things. I'm not on board for a bunch of lore and prattle involving fake words I can't pronounce and just wind up mentally skipping over. Direct quote: “Well, well,” the ancient creature said. “My foresight does not seem so foolish now, does it, Captain? The powers of Threnody wish to join the main stage. Engage the device.” I don't know what that means, and I don't care. It might even be a huge spoiler. Sorry. I don't care. All I wanted from this series was action and entertainment, not a project that required research. All my fan mania is engaged with other series at this time; I'm afraid I have none left to spare for a deep dive into the Cosmere and all its shards and planets and Hoids and whatever else is going on.

So, one star for answering one burning question, and one star for a few interesting Kelsier character moments. I feel that's quite generous considering how much I disliked this "book."

Brandon Sanderson proves once again that he is a master at creating a universe that exists on multiple planes. I was blown away by his ability to think in so many dimensions at the same time. A must for those of us who are always looking for connections in his Cosmere.

5 Do the Impossible Stars ✰✰✰✰✰

THIS IS WHY BRANDON SANDERSON IS A WRITING GENIUS! Again this is the fangirl section skip to the next paragraph for the important stuff. Only BS spends 10 years on a novella to give us some behind the scenes stuff from Mistborn 1-3 AND it all fits like it could have been in the original story. Only he could keep it secret for that long and then surprise his fans with a little extra something the same day he released another book. AMAZING and I am again in awe, Shadows of Self came out in October to be followed by Bands of Mourning in January, this Secret History novella and we get Calamity in February *bows to the master of getting stuff done* *scowls at Patrick Rothfuss and George R R Martin* you guys know why.

When should you read this in the series? Even though it says 6.5 if I were starting from scratch I’d read it directly after The Hero of Ages. Do Not under any circumstances read it before that as there are spoilers everywhere. You might spoil a smidge of something in Bands of Mourning but I think it is pretty minor and not a big deal and I would have loved to have this to read directly after The Hero of Ages.

Things to *squee* about: there were a lot

I’m going to give props to the fans and readers of Mistborn because I came into the series late and there is a huge thing that happens in the Final Empire that everyone I knew who had already read it totally kept under wraps and so I was extremely surprised and while heartbreaking it made the story that much greater.

In a Secret History there are so big reveals as to what is going on behind the scenes and it is AMAZING. As preservation is losing his battle to Ruin we get to really see what was going on in a different realm…the cognative realm between the gods.

***Then we go out kicking and screaming,” ____ said. “You and me, we’re a team.”
Preservation seemed to condense, his form pulling itself together, threads reweaving. “A team. Yes. A crew.”
“To do the impossible.”
“Defy reality,” Preservation whispered. “Everyone always said you were insane.”***

And then there are some worldhoppers running around….I counted three and even though he was called something else Hoid was one of them. But then there was Khriss who had some very interesting information about God.

***The Shards,” Khriss said, drawing _____'s attention, “are not God, but they are pieces of God. Ruin, Preservation, Autonomy, Cultivation, Devotion . . . There are sixteen of them.”
“Sixteen,” ______ breathed. “There are fourteen more of these things running around?”
“The rest are on other planets.”
“Other . . .” _____ blinked. “Other planets.”
“Ah, see,” Nazh said. “You’ve broken him already, Khriss.***

Well now Sanderson’s official fan page The 17th Shard makes way more sense to me. But still I liked the little bit of time we got with Khriss and the information that she had to impart.

But some of my favorite parts were seeing little bits of the original trilogy from a different perspective. I had a few questions sometimes throughout Mistborn 1-3 about what Preservation was doing and why a few scenes happened a certain way, but with this Novella it totally makes more sense. The original trilogy is totally complete with just what is in it but this added a new layer and depth like her is what Sanderson was thinking but he can’t tell you that since it would give too much away.

Still it was so great to revisit some of my favorite characters like Vin, Elend, Spook and Sazed even if they are just mostly in the periphery. But don't let that fool you this is a brand new story not just a rehashing of the original.

New people, or are they old people. See this is where I wasn’t sure if I’ve seen glimpses of the Ire before or if that is new. They sorta reminded me a little of Shardsmar from The Stormlight Archives but maybe not. Either way it was a cool addition to see them on Skadrial.

This opens up so many possibilities and I really can’t wait to see how this plays into some of the upcoming books in the Mistborn World.

Phase 3 here we come. This novella lays the pipe for the third grouping of Mistborn books that Brandon has mentioned in the past. As always I loved Sanderson's writing. The three stars is a reflection of my agreement with his statement about why he almost didn't write this book found in the acknowledgement section. But let's face it, if Brandon writes it, I will read it!

[WARNING: This novella (and the review covering it) effectively gives away most of the important plot points for Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn trilogy, so it will be both confusing and a letdown if you read it without having read the trilogy. Seriously. Warning. Turn back, here there be monsters.]

Typically when a character dies, they... well, disappear. They might end up coming back to life, or returning as a ghost... but typically, they just vanish from the narrative. But such is not the case with Kelsier, a legendary figure from Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn trilogy -- while this character dies, he refuses to just fade into the afterlife, and instead embarks on a strange otherworldly quest that centers on a pair of feuding gods.

As the story opens, Kelsier is killed by the Lord Ruler and finds himself in a misty otherworld between the mortal realm and the "Somewhere Else." He refuses to simply pass away -- and with the reluctant help of the god Preservation (whom he calls "Fuzz"), Kelsier manages to make it to the Well of Ascension. But while the Well renders him immortal and keeps him from fading into the afterlife... he also is trapped inside it. Indefinitely. So it's not much better than actual death.

But when Vin releases the Well's power... things actually get even worse. The god of Ruin is released from his prison, which will allow him to slowly unravel Preservation and subsequently destroy the entire world. There's no way of stopping Ruin, but a man stubborn enough to not die even when he's dead isn't going to give up. So Kelsier -- who has also been freed -- sets out on a quest to contact his still-living friends, and to find some power in the world to hold back the destruction of his entire world.

"Mistborn: Secret History" isn't so much a sequel as it is a sidequel -- it takes place at the same time as most of the Mistborn trilogy, and occasionally Kelsier's quest overlaps with the stuff that Vin, Elend and Sazed are doing. But though his goal is the same, most of his story branches out in another direction, especially when he learns of the true nature of the "gods" and that there are actually many worlds out there. Apparently nothing expands your mind like dying.

But even as he weaves in his multiverse mythology, Sanderson keeps "Mistborn: Secret History" closely tied to the original trilogy. Readers of that trilogy will know what ultimately happens, but he manages to throw in some surprising twists near the finale. In fact, it leaves you wondering if Kelsier will eventually pop up later on.

One of Sanderson's talents is that no matter how bleak the story, he writes robust, detailed prose that moves swiftly, with haunting descriptions ("fingers made of spirals of unwound, misty strings") and a light sprinkling of humor (“You tried to rescue a boatful of people from a fire by sinking the boat, then claiming, ‘At least they didn’t burn to death'"). But the darker stuff is skin-crawlingly eerie, especially when Kelsier first catches a glimpse of Ruin, and the terrible ruination that slowly unravels the entire world.

Few characters have earned their nickname like the Survivor -- even when Kelsier dies, he refuses to die. His stubborn determination proves to the strongest force in "Mistborn: Secret History," but his bittersweet love for his dead wife and his protectiveness of Vin give him vulnerability. Fuzz and Ruin are equally fascinating characters -- one is a slowly-dying deity whose crumbling mind can't even remember his past brilliant plans (“I was killed long ago, when I made the decision to break our promise"), and the other a cruel force of unswerving entropy.

"Mistborn: Secret History" is a must-read for anyone who has read and enjoyed Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn trilogy -- a fast-paced, intricate novella that shows that for the Survivor, death is not the end. Here's to more of Kelsier's story.

This book was alright. I didn't love it, but it was better than "okay".

This book sits adjacent to the events of the first Mistborn trilogy. Kelsier has died but refuses to go quietly. He hangs around as some sort of spirit guide slash ghostly creature, trying to find his way back to the world. He interacts with Ruin and Preservation, and learns to reach out and interact with others.

While it does fill in a lot of details that help pick out how things work, the story itself isn't really anything new. That is, it's Sanderson, coming back and filling in some blanks that would have been much better filled in with the original story. Maybe he hadn't thought everything through at the time, or maybe parts were cut for length or by his editor or who knows.

It's worth reading if you enjoyed the original trilogy and the follow-on work and still have questions about how things work, or if you just enjoy Sanderson's writing.

Let me preface by saying that I have read everything by Brandon Sanderson and he is my favorite author!!! I was kind of disappointed with "Band of Mourning" because it was an average book that seem a little rushed. Don't get me wrong "Bands of Mourning" is a good book but not up to Brandon Sanderson's usual high standard of excellence (some elements of the book seemed farfetched and not believable).

At the end of "Bands of Mourning" this particular book was mentioned so I immediately got it. This is Brandon at his best--engrossing you in the characters and the plot from page 1. Read this immediately if you have read the Mistborn trilogy and loved it. It has lots of spoilers for the Mistborn trilogy but does not ruin much of the Wax/Wayne series. Ideally, you should read all six books first but you won't spoil much if you read this immediately after the first three books.

Everything about the cosmere is so much clearer after this book--it is a must read.

This novella is a must read for Mistborn series fans. Caution: do not read it unless you've read the books first! It may even help to read about the Cosmere on the Mistborn Wiki first before tackling this book. The author has created a rich and complex universe across several novels, that can stand on their own without having read the others. This novella is not one of those. It explores a lot of the in-between space of those novels and provides additional background to the Mistborn series. It was a bit of a mind bender but a lot of fun to pull in the links from the Brandon Sanderson Cosmere.

Might contain spoilers be warned:

. The book was fantastic it was nice to see it from the point of view of Kelsier as he finds out god is a terrible liar and does his best to not move on.
I loved that it covers the entire trilogy from a different point of view and I'm pretty sure there were people in the book from the same world as elantris who made an appearance in it which was nice to actually see more of the cosmer connected.
Anyway great read would recommend to anyone who has read the entire trilogy.

I struggle with deep, hidden things in books. I know those things exist in Brandon Sanderson works, but I don't truly want to commit the brain power necessary to be constantly searching. This book perfectly lays out those things that confused me, especially in the third book - those things that I'd just chosen not to think about too much. I think I'll have to at least skim the third Mistborn book to make those connections that are now clear. I always loved Kelsier, and that hasn't changed.

Just finished the audio version of The Bands of Mourning that included a teaser about this 'digital only' novella. Now I'll be trying to hunt is elsewhere as print books aren't an option right now. (Meanwhile, seems that a print version has been made available in the last year?)

For someone steeped in the Cosmere - 4 stars
For anyone else - 3 stars or lower

This book should only be read if you've read all the Mistborn books & want a peek behind the scenes. An interesting adventure for those that wanted more Kelsier. And lots of little tidbits for those trying to piece together how the Cosmere works.

For those not big Sanderson fans, you'll just be left confused.

Another fun read from Sanderson. A nice tie into the new Mistborn series that answers some of the questions from the new series, while opening the door to many more questions and mysteries. Plus, who doesn't like a little more Kelsier.

Make sure you aren't reading this before you should. You should have at least read all of the first Mistborn trilogy and up through Bands of Mourning before reading this. You might even want to considering reading some of his other Cosmere works prior to this. This book answers a lot of questions, though of course it raises a lot of questions too. It's very different as Brandon has said himself, but it works, and it works well.

It was fun revisiting parts of the earlier books and seeing what was really happening. Creates more questions abut the cosmere that I'd like to see answered. Looking forward to more stories that cover it all.

I love the Mistborn series, and this book covers a lot of backstory, from the perspective of someone who we don't see much of after the first two books. Excellent and fun, if you have already read Mistborn this is a must read. If not, go read the original Mistborn series, and then come back and enjoy filling in the gaps.

Loved it! I had no idea this story existed until a few days ago, when my husband made an offhand comment about something that happened in it. I may have to go back and reread the first three books again, now that I know what was going on "behind the scenes."

So delightful. I'm glad I waited until I had finished Bands of Mourning to read it. I won't give much detail because I don't wish to spoil anything, but this was SO much fun to read. It's worth every penny, I hope they record it on audiobook soon!

If you like Sanderson's writing, or at least enjoyed the Mistborn series, you should absolutely read this. I don't want to get into spoilers, but this answers some questions, asks some new ones, and generally fleshes out both the original Mistborn trilogy and the Cosmere as a whole.

If you haven't read the original Mistborn trilogy... probably don't bother. This wouldn't make much sense standalone.

The trouble with building a world is you have to give the reader enough knowledge to understand what is happening but still retain enough mystery to keep the reader engaged. Sanderson is a master at this. The plot is engaging with solid and rewarding surprises around every corner. Intriguing and believable characters make this an excellent and fast read. You won't be able to put it down. And the sequels continue to deliver.

If you love the Cosmere, this book will answer a lot. It is one of the best works by Brandon Sanderson yet. Also, make sure you read the first 6 mistborn books before you read this one. There are huge spoilers.

I had no idea that Brandon was publishing this book but was thrilled to learn about it. My only hesitation was whether the story would undermine Kelsier's story from Mistborn. It didn't... not in the slightest.

Not only is this a must-read for Mistborn fans, it has a great deal of good Cosmere info that I expect to see more about later in other stories.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Wish I could return to the world as presented in the first book. Too many layers to this onion. Also, reading the first trilogy to avoid spoilers isn't enough to fully appreciate the novella - you must have pretty good recall of them and familiarity with other works.