Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon SandersonI first heard about Brandon Sanderson in October 2004 and devoured his debut book Elantris when it came out in 2005. Then this winter I belatedly learned he had another book in print, Mistborn: The Final Empire, the first volume in a fantasy trilogy.

Immediately I headed to Brandon's web site and scarfed down the sample chapters. That only fueled my appetite for the intriguing story, interesting characters, and the unusual magical world those few chapters introduced. I was an hungered.

To feed the need to read I did something unusual for me. I paid a visit to the nearest local brick-and-mortar book store with intent to buy immediately, but was thwarted by lack of inventory. As usual, the store's clerk offered to order the book which would arrive in a week.

In these days of online stores why on earth would I want to order something at a store that I'd then have to go pick up when it arrived when I could far more easily order it online and have it brought to my doorstep? Doesn't my nearby bookstore realize that their competitive advantage over online orders has to be either price, immediacy of inventory, or charm or atmosphere?

As the store in question was a small B. Dalton in the nearby mall, a store essentially unchanged since it opened in the early 1990s (or was it late 80s, circa 1989?), it distinctly lacks charm and atmosphere. And in price it can't compete with online stores that include free delivery. The only chance they had to make a sale with me was to sate my immediate thirst, but they had not wherewith to quench.

When the book arrived it was consumed in short order. The book did not disappoint. On the contrary, it lived up to my every expectation, and even exceeded them.

I'd worried that as it was the first book in a trilogy that the story might end abruptly with a cliffhanger that would leave me a reader without nourishment until the second book arrived later in the year (August 2007 I believe). To my delight, the first book is a story complete in itself, though yes, there are plot threads-o-plenty to continue the overarching story. But the first book delivered a satisfying climax that will leave me well-fed enough to survive until the sequel comes.

This is another excellent book. I'm now officially a Brandon Sanderson fan. (Okay, I already was based on Elantris, but now I'm doubly so.)

I discovered that Brandon has been releasing chapters of another book he is finishing up called Warbreaker. Anyone can read the draft chapters online. In a few more weeks all chapters will be available online. That's the entire book!

Of course I've been reading the chapters since I learned of them, eagerly awaiting Brandon's weekly release of the next one. He should consider this strategy of releasing a book completely online a success, as I will definitely be buying a hard copy when it's finally published.

What can I say more? I'm definitely hooked on Sanderson.