Mistborn
Mistborn is an epic fantasy series by author Brandon Sanderson and is a bestseller around the globe, getting more people to read the fantasy genre every year. This book series is part of Sanderson’s larger universe, The Cosmere, which consists of 16 novels at the time of this article. Every series or book takes place in another world in Sanderson’s universe. Mistborn takes place on the planet Scadrial.
“Ash fell from the sky.” With these words, Brandon Sanderson started the worldbuilding of the Mistborn series. In Scadrial, it is not uncommon to see ash fall from the sky during the day or mist to cover the landscape during the night to protect the planet's inhabitants from the deadly sun. This world is still cruel, not just because of the environment but the people that live there.
In this world, there are four species: Koloss, Kandras, Mistwraiths, and Humans. Koloss are big giants that can reach up to 12 feet tall and are known for their violent behavior, as the Lord Ruler uses them to attack his enemies. Kandras are basically shapeshifters and are commonly used as spies or servants by most of the major houses in Scadrial. Mistwraiths are similar to kandras but live away from civilization and do not possess sentience. Humans are separated into three classes: the nobles, the Skaa, and the Terris people. The nobles are the people of wealth in this world and are the only people allowed by the Lord Ruler to have magic. The Skaa are the slaves of this world as they work for the noblemen and are rarely paid. The Terris people store the world's knowledge, but the noblemen also oppress them as they try to destroy the Terris culture. They are constantly used as servants, but they also have their own distinct magic, which is different from that of the nobles, which they hide from the Lord Ruler. Everybody in this world listens to the Lord Ruler, an immortal tyrant of the world of Scadrial, and he is the only governing body that the world has.
The series has three magic systems: Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy. The magic of Allomancy involves the swallowing and burning of metals, which gives you magical abilities. Ten metals are known to give you magic, and usually, people can only burn one metal, but if you can burn all of them, you are called a Mistborn. Only noblemen are allowed to have these magical abilities because if a Skaa is found to have any of these abilities, they are killed by the Steel Inquisitors, the people who enforce the Lord Ruler’s laws. The magic of Feruchemy involves the wearing of metals, which allows you to store energy/power in them for later use. Feruchemy involves the same ten metals as Allomancy, but only the Terris people know this magic, which scares Lord Ruler, so he tries to destroy it. The magic of Hemalurgy is a mystery that will later be solved in the series. Still, it is magic that is not transferred genetically like Allomancy and Feruchemy, which is why there are strict laws for people who are allowed to have relationships.
There are two main characters in the series' first book: Kelsier and Vin. Kelsier is a Mistborn and a freedom fighter as he tries to rally support from the Skaa people to kill the Lord Ruler and destroy his empire after his wife was killed by the Lord Ruler several years before the events of the book took place. Vin, on the other hand, is a street urchin, abandoned by her brother to live a life of hardship on the streets, which has caused her to trust no one, and when Kelsier goes to her to ask for help to save the people of this world from the tyrannical rule of the Lord Ruler and the noblemen she wants nothing of it because it would certainly kill her and if it didn’t then surely Kelsier would betray her just like her brother did to her.
The original trilogy of books was published from 2006-2008, with book 1 being The Final Empire, more commonly known as Mistborn. Book 2 is called The Well of Ascension, and book 3 is The Hero of Ages. There is a second series of books in this world, but it shouldn’t be read until you have read most of Sanderson’s other works in The Cosmere. There are planned to be another two series on the planet Scadrial.
You could find the Mistborn books in bookstores, online, and in the school library.