I actually set this review aside for a few weeks because I didn't want my enthusiasm for this series to get in the way of my professionalism(or whatever passes for it...) >.> As it turns out, distance has only made my fangirling heart grow fonder. 
 Brandon Sanderson is BRILLIANT. I don't even know where to begin, but I'll give it my best shot--this book deserves nothing less. 
 The plot? Think a sort of medieval fantasy version of Ocean's Eleven, and up the stakes a couple thousand times. (Instead of the goal being to rob an impenetrable casino vault, the objective is to overthrow the god-like tyrant "Lord Ruler"--who happens to be immortal and has kept the entire world under his slaughtering thumb for the last thousand years.) 
 Meet Kelsier, also known as The Survivor. A wildly charismatic and vengeance-driven mastermind (of questionable sanity)--he's assembling a highly specialized crew for a job that's nothing short of suicide. Yet, in a world where a brutal caste system means huge segments of the population are seen as expendable and sub-human, there's no shortage of folks with nothing left to lose. 
 Meet Vin, a 16-year-old street thief with serious (but justifiable) trust issues--who's only aim in life is survival. That is, until Kelsiar rescues and recruits her. 
 The story is told primarily from Kelsier and Vin's perspectives, with an assortment of well-developed and fascinating side characters thrown in to round out the 3rd-person telling. Things start out a touch slow for the first 50-80 pages before the worldbuilding takes off. But once Sanderson gets into the specifics of Allomancy (the "magic system" for this particular world) the immersion is complete and enthralling. Allomancy is, in essence, a person's capacity for using a number of metals (most actual and recognizable) as a sort of fuel source for enhancing some specific aspect of themselves. Most can only utilize one metal, and so have a single area of super-human specialty (i.e. enhanced strength, senses, emotional manipulation, metal repelling/attraction, etc.) A rare few, however, are Mistborn--capable of using all of the metals separately or in conjunction. 
 I won't go on and on about the magic system, but I will say it's one of the best and most logical I've ever encountered. I'm thoroughly convinced the clear-cut rules and limitations behind it, combined with the lore, would make for excellent gameplay. (So yeah...you should totally hop on that gravy train, video game developers! >.> You're welcome.) 
 Now I'll briefly touch on my opinion of a few other important story elements... 
 The Prose: Effective and unobtrusive--makes for effortless reading. 
 Character Development: Abundant, poignant, and wholly believable. 
 Characterization: Distinct, consistent, and original. (Vin is an extraordinary heroine.) 
 The Plot Arc: Complexly interwoven and skillfully executed. 
 The Ending: Satisfying, while leaving plenty open for future books. 
 Have I mentioned that I don't impress easily? 
 I rarely buy books based on recommendations--I'm just that jaded, unfortunately. But I'd heard good things from SO many respectable sources that I took a gamble I've never before made--I bought the entire trilogy outright, sight-unread. 
 Buyer's Remorse Level: Zero. 
 Favorite Quotes: 
 *"Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope." 
 *"Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. What is belief--what is faith--if you don't continue in it after failure?"