The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

          Mistborn #4

          A fantasy with an American Wild West feel. How many ways could this concept go wrong? I really don’t know because none of them happened here. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the first book in a planned trilogy.  A little research told me there are other books written about this world in an earlier time period. I have just increased the length of my to-be-read list again.

          Some folks in this world have special abilities, almost super powers in some ways. But they still retain the very human hunger for wealth and power. This makes for a good vs. evil tale with some interesting twists.

          The book starts in a small, mostly deserted, town in what could be mistaken for the American West during the days of expansion. A particularly nasty serial killer is being hunted down by a group of folks who fight for right. These people thrive in the wide open, lawless areas, and do what they believe is right to help protect its more helpless denizens.

          Waxillium (love that name), has made a successful career, and notorious name for himself, as a peacekeeper out in the Roughs. But he is of noble lineage, and a series of unfortunate deaths leave him little choice but to return to the city and take his place as the head of the family.  At first he feels stifled and confined, but as a series of robberies and kidnappings occur, he begins to realize that the Roughs may have been more civilized than civilization!

          He uses skills – mental, physical and magical – and relationships both old and new to track down and destroy the large well funded group behind the crimes. But has he destroyed the mastermind behind the group? Possibly. But since this is the first of three books, I’m betting the biggest bad guy got away.

          There’s lots of action in this one. I look forward to reading the next edition in the trilogy as well as learning more about this world by reading the first three books.