More "Attack of the Clones" than "The Empire Strikes Back," this middle novel of the Mistborn trilogy suffers from an amazingly insecure protagonist and too much group deliberation on the creation of government. It's reminiscent, in a way, of Stephen King's revised version of "The Stand," in which the author included previously excised council meeting minutes to say something about the formation of a civilized society. That said, the novel excels in detailing Vin's combat against other mistborn, and in its last third, when all the machinations of the previous few hundred pages align in remarkably choreographed battles, less deliberative politicking, and a revelation that will blossom fully in the final book. Worth reading for that final third, and for the typically strong Sanderson characters.
