Short Story Review | Mitosis: A Reckoners Story by Brandon Sanderson (Reckoners #1.5)

There’s so much to like about Mitosis, and almost all of it comes down to one thing: Brandon Sanderson’s nearly unparalleled ability to build and describe action.

Mitosis takes place in the period between the events of Steelheart and Firefight, but really is just a snap shot, a moment in time to give a flavor of the changes that are happening in Newcago and the villains that the Reckoners are fighting as they protect the city and keep it clear of the super powered villains that occasionally try to plant their flag.

Because I had read that the story wasn’t necessary in order to enjoy Firefight, and because I generally only buy books in paper form –I know, a bit anachronistic—I decided I wouldn’t read Mitosis before I read Firefight, if at all. I was less than twenty pages in to Firefight before I realized that even if I could get by without reading Mitosis, there were enough references to the book, and the references were sufficiently obscure, that reading it was a good idea. I put down my cash and read it on my Kindle app shortly thereafter. It didn’t take long, and I am glad I did. It’s a valuable addition to The Reckoners series.

That said, I think Sanderson would have served his series better by putting it right into Firefight, maybe as a prologue or as an opening chapter. The opening pages of Firefight seem to stutter a bit, and Mitosis provides a seamless transition between the two novels to help the story fly.

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Title: Mitosis: A Reckoners Story
Series: The Reckoners
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Format: Kindle
Pages: 35