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This is probably divisive here, but I just...do not care for Brandon Sanderson. As someone who has read a lot of fantasy before getting into him, he's always praised for having a coherent magic system, but that isn't really enough to make it an enjoyable fantasy story. There's just a lack of.... something in his writing (and I've tried to read Mistborn and his shorts) that I have a hard time quantifying to others.
Also I was really surprised that I found his writing weirdly bland in the same way I found Stephanie Meyer's writing bland, considering that they write completely different genres. Then I found out they were both had Mormon upbringings, and I can kind of see why I found the blandness similar.
For the longest time, Sanderson was utterly terrible at writing romance, and it was very obvious. A lot of it was probably due to a lack of personal experience. He's gotten better, but a lot of the 'lack' you're feeling in his writing probably stems from the same place. Despite writing about dark topics - apocalyptic events, oppressed populations, the failures of heroes, etc. - he is missing the edge that you get from other authors who write similar stories. Personally I don't mind, and I really enjoy his books - but I can understand why others would find them bland.
You know what, I think you're onto something here. I don't need Scadrial/Cosmere to be the darkest and edgiest fantasy world ever, and a lot of fantasy readers read for escapism. But there is a certain friction you expect in the genre that just isn't there for me in the first Mistborn trilogy, or the Stormlight books I read. Again, I can't quantify it (and maybe I don't have to), but the best example of my feeling is when I recall reading The Magician's Nephew with my younger cousin around the same time that I started the Stormlight Archive, and man was I way more invested in Diggory and Polly's reactions to the dystopias they were visiting than who/whatever was screwing with Kal again (free my boy from suffering, Sanderson).
Ooooo shit I never knew they both had Mormon upbringing. That's 100% what it is.
I totally agree with Sanderson. Something was missing. Read elantris and dropped mistborn about halfway through.
To be fair this is when I picked up Malazan, and that kinda ruins most things.
Didn't the guy grew up in kansas or something but then studied in utah and stayed there? Not sure was his families choosen cult was
yeah, can't agree with either of these opinions