Mistborn: The Final Empire

Sanderson is famous for magic with clear rules, and Mistborn is a perfect example. In Allomancy, certain people can swallow small amounts of metal and burn it inside their bodies for specific powers: steel lets them push on nearby metal, iron lets them pull, tin sharpens the senses and pewter makes them stronger. Most Allomancers can burn only one metal, but rare Mistborn like Kelsier and Vin can use them all, which leads to spectacular, acrobatic fight scenes through misty city streets.

Kelsier, scarred by years in a brutal prison camp, gathers a crew of skilled thieves, and Vin, who has learned to trust no one, slowly finds a real family among them. As part of the plan she poses as a young noblewoman at glittering balls, where she meets Elend, a bookish young nobleman with surprising ideas. The plot builds toward a final act full of revelations, and the ending turns many expectations upside down. The violence is real but not graphic.

Fast, clever and satisfying, the start of a much-loved trilogy. About 672 pages in the Tor paperback.