Nerds, I am prepared to receive your envy

[Note: This post is going up on April Fools' Day, so let me just begin by stating that I am not joking. Especially about the J.K. Rowling stuff.]

You may remember, my imaginary readers, that I have been taking a writing class this semester. Our teacher is also a young author (actually, he's within six months of my own age, which is a little weird) who is standing at the threshold of fame and glory. Ten years from now, he might be the most famous Mormon author in the world. (I don't mean he writes Mormon books; I mean he's a Mormon who writes books.)

And he let us help proofread his latest manuscript before it gets printed. So, this morning, I just finished reading the third Mistborn novel: Hero of Ages. My fellow nerds, be warned. It's really, really good.

I'm not trying to be a dumb fanboy. I recognize that there are constructive criticisms that could be made. At the micro level, looking at individual sentences, the dialog isn't always sparkling. The prose isn't always elegant. But as one of the other proofreaders said to me, the book shows an incredible mastery of the larger elements-- plot, setting, character. Taken as a whole, the novel is brilliant.

And I wasn't sure it would be. As I drew nearer to the end, I became more and more reluctant to continue. Disappointing endings in other books-- I'm looking at you, Rowling!-- have taught me to be wary. Too often we get stupid twists that serve no purpose but to surprise the reader. That doesn't impress me. Surprise is easy. It takes real precision, and real care, to put together an ending that's not only surprising, but satisfying. And this novel does both, superbly. No plot holes, no character inconsistencies, no loose ends. Everything worked, and everything worked together.

Brandon, thanks for letting me take a look at your manuscript. Everybody else, buy this book!

(Yeah, I'm talking to you, Rowling...)

--JHON NOONIEN SINGH