Gender of a Character doesn’t matter… much

Surprise! I’m still thinking about Mistborn!

I’ve been reflecting on an argument that has been making the rounds, the, “I need the character to be this or that in order for me to relate to what they go through” argument . I don’t think what the character is or identifies as matters nearly as much as wether or not their struggles are compelling.

I know that representation is important, but what is more important is that the character struggles truly and then makes choices that are believable.

To me some of the most relatable characters I have had the joy of getting haven’t been my gender at all, but their struggles with finding a place to belong was so compelling that it didn’t matter the differences that were there.

Vin’s desire to be loved and her internal fear of abandonment is surely something that we all deal with. I think it’s important to realize that the most important part of a character is the struggles that they go through. What are your thoughts?

Mistborn, also known as my introduction to the Cosmere!

Mistborn, much like the book’s protagonist, starts rather unassuming. The book is not small, yet the opening pages drop you into this world that has been beaten down by The Lord Ruler, the book’s antagonist. You think you know where it’s going, yet Sanderson has this beautiful talent to misdirect you.

At the start of this book, you think you know what to expect, and it centers around the main character Vin. She’s a young woman who has been living on the streets. It turns out she’s also a Mistborn, a person who can use Alomancy (Sanderson’s brand of the magic system ), and she must use her abilities to help pull off the impossible task of overthrowing The Lord Ruler.

I believe what works so well with this story is that, the main antagonist feels untouchable, Throughout Mistborn, the characters have full conversations on the morality of what they are trying to do, in summary the question asked is this, “If he is truly god, then we really are the villains in this situation.”

Overall I can’t recommend this book enough, while I don’t want to spoil too much I can safely recommend this book enough, the characters made me feel a full range of emotions, and I think that is an accomplishment. If you have read Mistborn, what did you think of it? Did you have a favorite part? Let me know in the comments !