By this point in the Wax and Wayne books, I was beginning to feel that the poor boys had been through quite enough. And then Sanderson decided that perhaps we should also wonder whether his sister might be the villain. At some point, I just wanted everyone to leave Wax alone. I’m as tired as he is.
I had a similar feeling about Wayne. He has his own collection of emotional baggage, and I found myself wishing Sanderson would occasionally allow these characters to experience something resembling peace.
That said, there are several things I enjoyed about The Bands of Mourning. The temple provides an interesting climax, and I liked how well it fits into the technological and steampunk-influenced setting of this era. The ship was also a fun addition, and the combination of technology and the established magic system continues to be one of the strongest aspects of these books.
Allik was another character I enjoyed. He brought some humor and a different perspective to the story, and I liked having him involved. A little quick to get over some major trauma, but he’s kind of written as a child.
At this point, however, I think I was becoming more interested in Sanderson's larger universe than in the immediate Wax and Wayne storyline. The original Mistborn trilogy had a sense of discovery that I found very compelling. By this stage, I was more aware of the larger Cosmere and increasingly interested in the connections between the different books, as I know I’m approaching Stormlight Archive, where the larger Cosmere will become much more relevant.
