The Bands of Mourning – Brandon Sanderson (2016)

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, published in 2016, is the third book in the Wax and Wayne subseries of the larger Mistborn saga. Set in a world where magic systems (Allomancy and Feruchemy) collide with the industrial age, the novel follows lawman Waxillium Ladrian on a quest that unearths long-buried secrets, ancient relics, and the creeping tendrils of a hidden enemy. While continuing threads from The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self, this volume dives deeper into the mythology and history of Scadrial, expanding the scope of the narrative from urban politics and crime to lost civilizations and divine relics.

Plot Summary

In the city of Elendel, under a sky dulled by industrial soot and ever-present mist, Waxillium Ladrian stood on the cusp of marriage. Lord of House Ladrian and a lawman at heart, he had spent years chasing justice through smoke-filled alleys and across windswept plains. Now, as a nobleman, he found himself trading bullets for bureaucracy and grief for ceremony. But fate, ever a trickster, had other plans. A sabotaged water tower collapsed during the wedding, drowning the solemn occasion in chaos. Wax suspected foul play, but deeper currents stirred – ones tied not to his heart but to ancient power long buried.

Word came of the Bands of Mourning – mythical metalminds once worn by the Lord Ruler himself, said to grant the abilities of a Fullborn. A vanished kandra, ReLuur, claimed to have found them and left behind a trail: a photograph showing an unidentified device and a city none could place. Intrigued and still smarting from divine silence, Wax agreed to investigate. With him traveled Marasi, once his beloved, now a dedicated constable; Steris, his meticulous and awkward bride-to-be; Wayne, the loyal trickster; and MeLaan, a shape-shifting kandra with a grin as sharp as her wit.

Their journey led them to the city of New Seran, and beyond it, to the shadowed reaches of the world where the Southern Scadrians had begun to stir. They followed whispers of the Set – a secretive, manipulative organization seeking to control Allomantic bloodlines and ancient power. As the group unraveled the threads, they discovered the Set’s reach extended further than they imagined. Wax’s sister, Telsin, long believed lost or distant, had become a high-ranking agent in the organization. Her motives, cloaked in ideology and bitterness, challenged everything Wax thought he knew about blood and loyalty.

On a train bound for the southern territories, their investigation took a violent turn. Set agents struck, and Wax, Marasi, and Wayne fought back amid screeching wheels and gunfire. Steris, ever prepared, proved her mettle with precise planning and an unexpected steel in her voice. Yet the true revelation came in the remote town of Dulsing, where the party uncovered a hidden laboratory. There, the Set had unearthed and reverse-engineered devices from the Southern peoples – advanced technology powered by unorthodox Investiture.

Marasi, drawn into the secrets of the medallions – metalminds anyone could use – began to see the future not as it was, but as it could be. MeLaan revealed deeper layers of kandra history, warning of corruption in the immortal race itself. Even Harmony, god of Preservation and Ruin, remained disturbingly silent. Something, or someone, was interfering with his vision.

Their pursuit led them at last to a flying fortress – an airship stolen by the Set. Within its hull was more than military ambition: it was a vessel of conquest and secrecy, bound for a distant city hidden in the mountains, known only from the photograph ReLuur had lost. The city was populated by Southern Scadrians, survivors of the Catacendre who had rebuilt civilization in secret and developed their own metallic arts. The Set aimed to steal their medallions, enslave their people, and seize the Bands of Mourning for themselves.

Wax infiltrated the ship with Wayne in tow. The assault was reckless, desperate – exactly how Wax preferred it. They fought their way through steel and smoke, uncovering prisoners and lies. Telsin, cold and charismatic, confronted her brother with truths wrapped in venom. She offered him a place in the Set, arguing that control, not chaos, would preserve the world. Wax refused, not because he trusted Harmony, but because he trusted himself more.

The Bands, it turned out, were not locked away in some sacred vault, but displayed in a ceremonial chamber, easily overlooked as mere ornament. A decoy had fooled the Set and others for generations. Bleeding, weary, and filled with doubt, Wax reached them too late. Telsin shot him, leaving him to die beneath the sky he had once flown across so freely.

As his life ebbed, Wax expected Harmony’s presence. Instead, there was only silence. But MeLaan found him. With her help, and a final act of defiance, he touched the Bands. Power surged through his body like fire through dry tinder. Feruchemy, Allomancy – all of it returned, for a moment, to one soul. He rose, not as a man, but as a force. With speed, strength, and steel, he shattered the Set’s illusions and sent their ship to ruin.

Marasi, meanwhile, had struck a different blow. She released information about the Set to the world, exposing their secrets through a broadsheet and sparking public outrage. Her mind, not her metal, was the true weapon. Steris ensured the southern refugees were cared for, her ledgers and plans proving as vital as any gun. Wayne, bruised and laughing, limped away beside his friends, still the same irreverent soul, but perhaps carrying a little more weight than before.

Wax gave the Bands away. Power that corrupts must be held by those who do not want it. He returned to Elendel not as a savior or a hero, but as a man who had stared into silence and chosen to speak. The gods were faltering, the Set was not finished, and the world stood on the edge of transformation. But Waxillium Ladrian, wounded and whole, had found his path again – through ash, through mist, through mourning.

Main Characters

• Waxillium “Wax” Ladrian – A former lawman from the Roughs turned nobleman in Elendel, Wax is a determined and introspective protagonist. Haunted by past losses and struggling with his place in both society and faith, Wax’s journey in this novel is one of both discovery and reckoning. As a Twinborn who can Push metals (Allomancy) and alter his weight (Feruchemy), his physical abilities mirror his internal conflicts — balancing the weight of expectation with the drive to do right.

• Wayne – Wax’s irreverent, loyal companion, Wayne is both comic relief and unexpected wisdom wrapped in a shape-shifting, accent-adopting chameleon. A master of disguise and time manipulation (through his Feruchemical ability to store speed), Wayne’s antics mask deep emotional scars. His relationship with Wax is central to the heart of the novel.

• Steris Harms – Wax’s betrothed, Steris is meticulous, socially awkward, and often underestimated. Beneath her dry exterior lies a woman of fierce intelligence and unexpected courage. Her development throughout the novel is subtle yet poignant, and her growing bond with Wax lends emotional resonance to the narrative.

• Marasi Colms – A determined constable and Wax’s former flame, Marasi is intellectual, brave, and conflicted about her own role in a world shaped by larger forces. Her Allomantic power to slow time in a bubble offers thematic depth about observation and decision-making. As she uncovers political and technological mysteries, her growth as a leader and thinker becomes vital to the unfolding story.

• MeLaan – A kandra (a shapeshifting immortal) with a sardonic wit and fluid morality, MeLaan’s role in the search for the Bands of Mourning reveals more about her species and their divine purpose. She provides both historical insight and philosophical contrast to the human characters.

• Telsin – Wax’s estranged sister whose motivations remain shrouded in secrecy. Her presence reintroduces familial wounds and mysteries, pushing Wax further into conflict between duty, blood, and trust.

Theme

• Faith and Doubt – One of the novel’s most powerful undercurrents is the crisis of faith experienced by Wax and others. As Harmony, the god of their world, appears increasingly distant, characters wrestle with belief, betrayal, and purpose. The silence of divinity raises questions about moral autonomy and cosmic justice.

• Legacy and Identity – From ancient relics like the Bands of Mourning to familial legacies like the Ladrian name, the story examines how past deeds, bloodlines, and personal choices define identity. Wax, Telsin, and even the kandra struggle with what it means to inherit or reject a legacy.

• Truth vs. Illusion – With MeLaan’s shapeshifting, Wayne’s impersonations, and the hidden machinations of secret societies, the novel repeatedly asks what is real, who can be trusted, and how easily appearances deceive.

• Technology and Progress – The clash between the mechanical and the mystical forms a constant backdrop. Electric lights, trains, and guns evolve alongside ancient magical artifacts. This theme examines how advancement changes societies, for better or worse, and how power adapts.

• Justice and Vengeance – Wax’s quest is not just to solve a mystery but to right wrongs. Yet his methods and motivations are constantly challenged, forcing him to reconsider what justice truly means when personal revenge and societal order conflict.

Writing Style and Tone

Brandon Sanderson’s writing in The Bands of Mourning is brisk yet layered, combining pulpy action with philosophical introspection. His narrative voice is clean and cinematic, balancing moments of humor with those of gravitas. He masterfully paces the plot to oscillate between gun-slinging chases and theological debates, ensuring readers remain engaged on both an emotional and intellectual level.

The tone shifts seamlessly from dry humor (especially in Wayne’s banter) to solemn reflection. Sanderson’s dialogue sparkles with character-driven nuance, and his descriptions bring both the misty wilds and smoke-belching cities of Scadrial vividly to life. There’s an undercurrent of melancholy throughout the novel, particularly in Wax’s personal journey, which grounds the fantastical elements in human emotion. Yet, hope always glimmers at the edges – a Sanderson hallmark that infuses the darkest moments with the promise of redemption and change.